2021 Student Attendance Officers

Rosemary Lumley – Junior School 7-9 Ext 6011

(Admin. Building – Attendance/First Aid Office window)

Brooke Majera – Senior School 10-12 Ext 6093

(Office in the D Block Senior building)

STUDENT ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL

STUDENT ABSENCE LINE: 5971 6000 (Option 1)

If your son or daughter is going to be absent from school, please phone our absence line as early as possible on the day of the absence, stating the student name, form, reason for the absence and expected return date. A note is still required upon your son/daughter returning to school.

You will receive an automated SMS message around 9.30am if your child is marked absent. By phoning the absence line, it will save this message being sent out where possible.

LATE ARRIVAL AT SCHOOL

If your son or daughter is going to be late for school, please send them along with a note explaining the reason for their late arrival. Students should arrive at school around 8:20am ready for Form Assembly at 8:30am. Students are expected to be at their Form Room promptly at 8:30am.

Students in Years 7 to 9 are required to sign in at the Attendance window in the main Administration Building. Students in Years 10 to 12 will need to sign in at the Senior Attendance window in the D Block building.

Please see below for more Administration Information.

Important College Dates

Term 1, 2021

Week 6

3rd Mar (Wed) - Arts Academy Challenge Day 9am - 2pm

4th Mar (Thu) - College Photographs (Siblings/Group and Catch-Up Photo Day)

Week 7

10th Mar (Wed) - SEAL Challenge Day 9am - 2pm

11th Mar (Thu) - Athletics Day (Whole College)

Week 8

18th Mar (Thu) - GTAC Excursion (Year 9 Forensic Science Students)

19th Mar (Fri) - Sports Academy Challenge Day 9am - 2pm

Week 9

24th Mar (Wed) Student/Parent/Teacher Interviews (No classes will run on this day)

Week 10

30th Mar (Tue) - College Open Night (Tour times 5pm and 5:45pm)

Please book in through the College Website or contact the College Office.

31st Mar (Wed) - Immunisations (Year 7)

1st Apr (Thu) - Last Day Term 1 (2:30pm Finish)

2021 School Photos Information for Parents

Annual school photos have been taken

by Arthur Reed Photos.

To view the images of your child and order photos, you will need to first register online.

Go to https://order.arphotos.com.au and enter the 2021 image code for your child (from their personalized flyer).
Tap on ‘Add another child’ to enter the image codes of any siblings.
Fill in your email and mobile details and then review all details before confirming your registration.

That’s it! When 2021 photos are ready, you will be notified by email and SMS.

Even if you registered last year, it’s important that you do each year using your child’s new image code to link their photos for the current year with your contact details.

To ensure you are ordering school photos for the current year, please wait for

notifications that 2021 images are online before placing orders.

In the webshop you can view photos and customize your photo package; Choose ANY layout, ANY image and purchase multiple digital image downloads.

Order within 10 days of notifications to take advantage of the discounted pricing period and ‘free back to school’ delivery or opt to have your photo order sent directly to your nominated address (postage fees may apply).

REGISTER ONLINE NOW to be notified when the 2021 school photos

can be viewed and ordered.

Administration News

PAYMENT OF COLLEGE FEES

Payment of College fees would be appreciated immediately. If you are unable to pay immediately, please contact our Administration Office who will gladly arrange a payment plan to suit your needs. Please note that all VET fees, VCAL fees and electives should have been paid already. Students will be unable to attend any excursions or activities if College fees have not been paid or a payment plan started.

Parent Payments - FAQs

The Department's new Parent Payment Policy brings a stronger focus to transparency and family hardship, as well as outlining the expectations of implementation and communication with parents. The following frequently asked questions provide further details about the types of payments schools can request from families.

I thought public education was free. Why have I been asked to pay?

Schools are funded to deliver a quality education based on the standard curriculum. Schools receive additional government funds based on the needs of the students or location. Parent payments are a valuable contribution to enhancing and enriching the educational experience. These payments allow schools to offer enhanced programs and opportunities which their school communities expect them to offer. Schools decide on the learning program they offer based on the needs and aspirations of the school community.

Some parents believe that public education is free.

What is free in government schools?

Victorian legislation clearly states that instruction in the standard curriculum program must be provided free of charge to all students in Victorian government schools. This 'free instruction' is the teaching staff, administration and the provision of facilities in connection with instruction of the standard curriculum program, including reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities.

Why can schools set their own payments?

The Act allows school councils to set their own payments in accordance with Department of Education and Training policy. Schools serve different communities with different needs and expectations for the curriculum and are able to request payments to cover costs for their learning programs.

Why am I being asked to pay for different things to parents in other schools?

Every school is different and each school has the ability to set its own priorities. Therefore, it is common for schools to request different payments from parents because they offer different programs, go on different excursions and have different needs at school. For example, some might want to start a student gardening program and others a photography program.

Schools make parent payment contribution decisions in good faith and in the best interests of their students. They aim to keep costs to a minimum so that they are reasonable and affordable to most parents at the school. In setting their fees, each school ensures that parents understand the links between the school's learning programs and the payments being requested.

What can schools request parents to pay for?

You can be asked to pay for Essential Student Learning Items that the school deems essential to student learning in the standard curriculum including:

items which students take temporary or permanent possession of, including text books, student stationery and school uniforms (where applicable)
materials for learning and teaching where students construct, consume or take possession of the finished articles (for example, home economics, ceramics, photography, materials for build-your-own-kits)
activities that all students are expected to attend (for example, transport and entrance costs).

How are the essential education items purchased?

Schools will offer to purchase these items on behalf of parents, although parents have the option of purchasing equivalent materials from other sources. If you choose to provide equivalent materials, this should be done in consultation with the school, and should meet the specifications provided by the school. Some items, for example food provisions for home economics, may only be provided by the school.

PAYMENT PLANS FOR COLLEGE FEES

If you are unable to pay your College fees in full, we are more than happy to discuss the option of a payment plan. By doing this, it means you can make regular payments (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) at a cost that is affordable to you. It is advisable that you sign up to a payment plan early in the year so that your payments can be paid over a longer period of time and therefore making them more affordable to you. By signing up later in the year, your payment plan will of course be higher than it needs to be.

We have two options available:

Centrepay: If you receive family allowance or pension payments from Centrelink every fortnight, you can elect to have an amount deducted from your payment. This payment will come to us automatically every fortnight. There are no fees involved for you.
Debit/Credit Card: We will deduct the agreed amount through our EFTPOS facilities here at the College. All you need to do is provide your Credit Card number, Expiry Date and complete the Authority Form and we will do the rest.

If you would like to commence a payment plan, please feel free to call the College and speak with Erin Gray in our Administration Office, who can discuss the various options with you. PH: 5971 6055.

CSEF APPLICATIONS CLOSE 25/06/2021 - $225 FOR SECONDARY STUDENTS

If you have a current Health Care Card or Pension Card, you may be eligible for the Camps/Sport/Excursions Fund (CSEF) payment. This funding will be used towards excursions, camps and sporting activities run through the College.

If you applied for the CSEF at your child's school in 2020, you do not need to complete an application form in 2021 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. Your child's school will apply for the CSEF on your behalf. You will only need to submit an application form in 2021 if any of the following changes have occurred:

new student enrolments (all year 7 students): your child has started or changed schools in 2021 or you did not apply at the same school in 2020; or
changed family circumstances such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2021.

Schools are able to accept and process applications up until the end of term two each year. CSEF payments are made to schools from March onwards each year. Application forms are available from the College website under the ‘Parent Information’ tab. Please complete and return to us along with a copy of your card. Payment is $225 per student for all students in all year levels.

ATTENDANCE AT NON CURRICULUM RELATED ACTIVITIES

As specified in the ‘Parent Payments Policy 2020’, the College Board have requested that participation in non-curriculum related activities, not limited to but including activities such as Formals, Debutante Balls, Valedictory Dinner and various extra-curricular camps and excursions may be restricted if a participating student’s “Essential Education Items” and Elective charges have not been paid in full. A regular scheduled payment plan arranged with the Administration office is acceptable.

Events for 2021 which would fall into this category would include:

Presentation Ball (Deb Ball)
Valedictory Dinner & Presentation (ceremony is permitted): November
Other events as arranged

** If your child is attending one of these events, payment of your College fees is required to allow attendance **

STUDENT ILLNESS

Please do not send your child to school if they are unwell. The College provides a First Aid attendant and has facilities to attend minor illness and injuries only. We are unable to provide a “Sick Bay” for unwell students who should be at home.

If a student is feeling unwell at school, they obtain a pass from their classroom teacher and report to the First Aid Office. Students are not to call home themselves. The First Aid attendant will telephone home to have the student collected and signed out of school. Parents are requested NOT to collect students from the College without ensuring they are first signed out through either First Aid or General Office. We are not authorised to provide Panadol or similar medications to students. If there is an existing ailment, students are encouraged to bring their own medication from home. Parents are encouraged to contact our First Aid attendant if they wish her to administer prescribed medications.

If a student is injured at school, first aid will be administered. If the injury requires further attention, parents will be contacted and/or an ambulance will be called if deemed necessary by the attending first aid staff. Parents/Guardians are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including transport costs. The Department of Education & Training and Mount Erin College do not hold accident insurance for school students. JUA Underwriting Pty. Ltd. and VMIA, along with other Insurance companies can provide accident insurance policies for students.

STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE

The Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents/carers of students, who do not have student accident insurance/ambulance cover, are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including the cost of ambulance attendance or transport as well as any other transport costs.

PRIVATE PROPERTY BROUGHT TO SCHOOL

Private property brought to school by students, staff or visitors is not insured and the Department does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage.

This can include mobile phones, calculators, toys, sporting equipment and cars parked on school premises. As the Department does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property, students and staff should be discouraged from bringing any unnecessary or particularly valuable items to school.

Community News