Office News

 Applying for Bus travel in 2024

Term 1 2024 STAP applications are now open

(Student Travel Assistance Portal) 

• Existing families who have a current 2023 approval for their child in the Student Travel Assistance Portal (STAP) (all traveller types – eligible, ineligible and conditional) and their 2024 year level is offered at the school/ campus currently enrolled at, will have their application automatically rolled over and submitted for 2024 – no action is required by families at this time however they will receive an e-mail when the application is submitted, and will be encouraged to log in to their STAP account and ensure all of the details are correct
  • where there will be a change to residential address or school (including moving to a new campus) for 2024, families will need to make a new 2024 application – this can be actioned from today
• Families who are new to the School Bus Program will need to create a new STAP account and make a new application for their child – this can be actioned from today
• Existing families with a new child accessing the School Bus Program in 2024 will need to log into their STAP account, add the new child, and make a new application for travel – this can be actioned from today

All 2024 applications (for existing travellers and new) submitted by Wednesday 15 November 2023 will be processed on this date

Applications at this time are processed according to the School Bus Program eligibility priority, and not on a ‘first in first serve’ basis.

Further information on priority of access is located here School Bus Program: Criteria determining eligibility for the School Bus Program | education.vic.gov.au (see ‘Student priority of access to services’)

Families will receive their 2024 travel offer on Thursday 16 November 2023 and will need to log into their STAP account to review and accept their offer. Offers will be valid for 14 days.

Applications remain open, and can be submitted at any time however, if submitted after Wednesday 15 November 2023, will be processed as they are submitted and may mean that eligible students are waitlisted until a seat becomes available.

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund 2024

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments for eligible students to attend activities like:

- school camps or trips

- swimming and school-organised sports programs

- outdoor education programs

- excursions and incursions.

Submitting an application

Applications can be entered from 29 January 2024. Parents/carers wishing to apply for CSEF payments for 2024 must submit their application form to the relevant school by 28 June 2024.

Application forms

Schools can accept and process applications until 28 June 2024.

• Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund application form (DOCX, 108KB)

NAPLAN 2023 Survey

With NAPLAN moving from May to March this year and changes to reporting implemented, ACARA is keen to hear from principals and teachers, as well as parents and carers on these changes. 

The feedback will be captured via a survey from 9 October to early December 2023. 

A link to the survey is here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NRTZCHN. 

Canteen

Lunch Order Bags 

We are reducing waste so we are asking all students who place lunch orders (whether on CDF pay or with cash) to provide a clearly named, reusable bag or container that their lunch order can be packed in and delivered to the classroom. Please place these bags in the lunch order tub in the classroom by 9am Thursdays before lunch order day.

Lunch order wallets can be purchased from the uniform shop (or CDF Pay) for $10 or you can provide something you already have at home (examples below). Don't forget to put student's name and class on the bag/container. 

SIMON Everywhere

We recommend all parents download the Simon Everywhere App, it is available on Apple and Android. 

It allows parents/carers to submit students absences, permission for school activities, update medical details and photo permission preference, receive notifications about upcoming events, view the calendar and link into CDF pay.   

If you're having any issues with the app please uninstall and download it again due to there being an update at the start of the year. 

If you have never used it before pop into the office and we can get you set up. 

Uniform Shop 

There is limited stock of new items and may take some time to come in so please try to order via CDF Pay or via order form at the office before uniform is urgently required in case we do not have what you need in stock right away. 

Ordering Uniform on CDF Pay

If you are placing an order via CDF Pay you may get an "out of stock" warning, you can still complete your order by clicking 'OK',  we do not have the item in stock at present but this will alert us to order it in and you will receive it as soon as it arrives.

Click here for more information about school uniform.

Reminders:

Parking 

Disabled Car Park

We need to remind our school community that we have a number of students that require the use of the disabled car park, please do not park in the designated disabled carpark, it is understandably very frustrating for these families when it is not available to them and being used by able bodied persons. 

From City of Greater Bendigo Council

Parking Services from the City of Greater Bendigo have contacted our school and requested that the following information be conveyed to our school community.

The illegal parking of vehicles adjacent to our school poses a safety concern to children, pedestrians and other road users.  Parents are reminded that it is essential to comply with parking restrictions when dropping off and collecting children from school.

Motorists must not stop in no stopping areas, even briefly, with or without the motor running. They must not stop next to a continuous yellow edge line, on  nature strips, too close to school crossings, park over driveways or double park.  A number of schools have short term time restricted areas, such as 2 minute pick up drop off. These parking areas are in place to allow for ease of access close to schools and these restrictions must be adhered to.  Drivers should also be aware that they cannot perform a U-turn over an unbroken or continuous dividing line.

With regard to children’s crossings, the law requires that a driver approaching a children’s crossing must drive at a speed at which the driver can, if necessary stop safely before the crossing.  Please slow down and take extra care when driving in school zones.

City of Greater Bendigo Parking Officers and Bendigo Police do conduct random patrols throughout the school year at various locations to ensure that motorists are adhering to the Road Rules.