Finance

REMINDER: Due date for payments 

Dear Families of 2025 Students,

As we prepare for the year ahead, we want to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude for your ongoing support and involvement in our school community. We have already felt the strong sense of collaboration and dedication in the front office, and it’s been a busy start to 2025!

We are currently managing several important tasks, such as the allocation of the School Saving Bonus (SSB), processing Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) applications, and receiving your generous curriculum contributions. These contributions are vital in helping us provide the best possible educational experience for your children, and while not mandatory, we truly appreciate your continued support to giving our students the best opportunities in learning.

A Few Key Updates:

Curriculum Contributions:

Thank you to all the families who have already made their contributions through the COMPASS portal. As a reminder, these contributions are essential in ensuring we can offer a wide range of resources, programs, and opportunities for your child’s learning and growth. While these contributions are voluntary, they play a crucial role in enriching the educational experience and providing the resources that make our school a thriving and dynamic learning environment.

If you have not yet made your contribution, we encourage you to do so through the COMPASS Payment Center. Simply log in to the portal, click on “Payment Center,” and scroll down to the "Contributions" heading. You’ll find a customised list based on your child’s year level. To make payments more convenient, we offer options to set up weekly, fortnightly, or monthly installments, or you can make a one-time payment of any amount that suits you.

THRIVE Diaries:

You may have heard about the THRIVE Diaries, a valuable learning tool that your child will be using every school morning throughout the year. These diaries are designed to support your child’s development and daily learning. While they are not mandatory, we highly recommend purchasing one, as they will be used consistently in class. You can purchase a THRIVE Diary through the Contributions section in the COMPASS Payment Center.

School Saving Bonus (SSB):

At the end of 2024, you should have received your access information for the School Saving Bonus (SSB) through the Victorian Government portal. If you have not yet received this information, please contact the SSB team directly at school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au. We are in the process of allocating these bonuses to family accounts and ask for your patience as we work through this. While we have been working hard to process these, we are slightly behind schedule and appreciate your understanding during this time.

Camps, Sports, and Excursions Fund (CSEF):

The CSEF is a valuable resource that assists eligible families with the costs of camps, sporting activities, excursions, and incursions. If you received CSEF in 2024, we’ve used your previous details to submit new applications for 2025. However, if your circumstances have changed or you are a new applicant, please keep the following in mind:

• Only one application can be submitted per student.
• To apply for 2025 CSEF payments, please submit your application by June 28, 2025.
• For further details on eligibility, visit the CSEF eligibility page on the Education website.
• Hard copies of the application forms are available at the front office if needed.

Looking Ahead:

As we work to plan for the year’s activities, we want to give families an early overview of anticipated events, including camps, incursions, and excursions. These activities are vital parts of our curriculum and are designed to extend your child’s learning beyond the classroom in meaningful and enriching ways. We are actively working to finalise schedules, locations, costs, and registration details, with the goal of providing you ample time to prepare.

Here’s a preliminary look at the planned activities and their associated costs:

For Grade 3-6 Students:

• 1x Camp (Estimated cost: $280-$450)
• 1x Incursion (Estimated cost: $12-$30)
• 1x Excursion (Estimated cost: $40-$55)

For Prep to Year 2 Students (no overnight camps):

• 2x Incursions (Estimated cost: $12-$30 each)
• 2x Excursions (Estimated cost: $40-$55 each)

In addition to these core activities, there will be further specialist curriculum offerings, including programs in sports, music, high-achieving subjects, art, Book Week, and various PFC activities. Please also note that there may be additional costs for these specialist programs.

Direct Debit Payment Plans: 

To support our families in managing payments conveniently, we offer the option to set up direct debit payment plans. This service allows you to spread out payments for the year in a way that suits your family’s needs. If you would like to explore this option, please contact our finance office to arrange a plan that works best for you.

Final Thoughts: 

We recognise the importance of planning ahead, particularly when it comes to financial matters, and we are committed to making the process as smooth and accessible as possible for all families. If you experience any financial challenges or need clarification on any of the details mentioned above, please don't hesitate to reach out. It's helpful for us to receive as much notice as possible so we can resolve any issues promptly. Our team is here to support you and ensure your child has everything they need for a successful year.

Once again, thank you for your continued support and for being an essential part of our school community. We look forward to a wonderful year ahead filled with growth, learning, and exciting opportunities for your child.

Jess Moran

What is Compass?

Compass is a school management solution that allows parents and carers to access up-to-date and meaningful information about your school and your child’s progress. Compass includes many different features, including the ability to:

• Monitor your child’s attendance, and enter an explanation for absence or lateness
• Communicate with your child’s teachers, and update your family contact details
• View your child’s timetable and the school calendar
• Monitor your child’s homework and assessment tasks
• Download and view your child’s academic reports
• Book parent-teacher conferences
• Pay and provide consent for events and school fees

For more information about COMPASS PAY, please visit the link below.

If you need additional assistance, feel free to reach out to our office staff.

https://www.compass.education/guide/

How do I pay for an excursion on Compass?

Make snappy, online payments in minutes with our online platform. Simply:

1. Login to your Compass portal (mobile app or web), and view your home page. When an excursion requires consent/payment, a notification will appear here.

2. Click on this link to be redirected to your Action Centre, where all upcoming events/excursions requiring parental/guardian action will automatically display.

3. Click anywhere on the desired event’s line to open the consent/payment section.

4. Fill in the fields provided. To pay specifically, select saved credit card details from the dropdown menu available, or add a new credit via the ‘New Credit Card’ option.

5. Once completed, select Proceed, to submit your payment for processing. 

Friendly Note: Currently, only VISA or MasterCard payments are accepted by Compass. Alternative payment options may be available at your school’s general office.

Where do I see the payments I've made through Compass?

View in-Compass payments, in three simple steps:

1. Login to Compass.

2. Select the Cog Icon in the top right hand corner of your page.

3. Select the My Payments option, and review your payment history.

CSEF applies to financially means tested HealthCare Card applications.  If you have your own healthcare card (in your name), as listed below then you would qualify.

Below is a list of means tested cards that are accepted:

• ABSTUDY – Schooling Applicant (ABA)
• ABSTUDY – Secondary/Tertiary (ABY)
• Age Pension (AGE)
• Austudy Payment (AUS)
• Bereavement Allowance (BVA)
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• Health Care Card (HCC)
• Job Seeker (JSP)
• Newstart Allowance (NSA)
• Non-Agency Payment (NAP)
• Parenting Payment (PP)
• Partner Allowance (PTA)
• Sickness Allowance (SKA)
• Special Benefit (SPL)
• Widow Allowance (WDA)
• Widow B Pension (WID)
• Wife Pension Age (WFA)
• Wife Pension Disability (WFD)
• Veterans Card (Gold)
• Youth Allowance (YAL)

Cards that are not financially means tested are not accepted. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Foster (FO) – Foster Parents must provide a copy of the temporary care order letter from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Child Disability (CD)
• Family allowance (FA)
• Ex-Carer Allowance (Child) Health Care Card
• Carers Card (CAR)

Department Policy below. 

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/guidance/eligibility

APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT THE END OF JUNE.

For the first time State Schools' Relief is now offering a SUMMER version of our Prep CSEF Uniform Package so that the newest students in 2025 can start their school year all decked out! Applications for the Prep 2025 Summer CSEF Uniform Package are open now and can be placed via our online application portal. 

Information sheets for families, plus the order form, can be found on our website and downloaded as required.  

Please note the following:

-  All vouchers have an expiry and must be redeemed before the expiration date

-  All applications for this package will close at the end of Term 1, 2025.

In order for a student to be eligible to receive the Prep 2025 Summer Uniform Package the student must be a Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF) recipient. 

To find out more, please visit the Department of Education website. 

Should you have any questions about this package, please contact our Customer Service team on 8769 8400 between the hours of 8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday or email us anytime at contact@ssr.net.au

Make the Most of Your School Saving Bonus with State Schools' Relief!State Schools' Relief offers high-quality, unbranded school uniforms and school shoes, perfect for using your School Saving Bonus (SSB).To help parents and carers navigate the process, we've created a digital information pack with all the details you need.Click or download below for more information:

SSB PORTAL USER GUIDE

HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR BONUS

EXHANGES POLICY

The best news is that when you shop with State Schools’ Relief, you’re helping more than just your own family. Every dollar spent supports critical welfare programs for students in need across Victoria. So, you can feel extra good about those new school shoes!

School Saving Bonus

Parent and carer School Saving Bonus code distribution 

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus – a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.

From Tuesday 26 November 2024, you will receive an email from the Department of Education with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code.

The School Saving Bonus will help families cover the cost of uniforms, textbooks, excursions, activities and more.

If you have multiple children enrolled in Victorian government schools for 2025, you will receive one School Saving Bonus code email per child. These emails might arrive on different days. Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder.

Parents and carers can use the School Saving Bonus code in store at school-nominated suppliers. Parents and carers can also choose to access the School Saving Bonus online system, where they can allocate part or all the $400 bonus to use at school nominated-online suppliers or for school activities.  To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, visit School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au). A step-by-step user guide will be available on the webpage on 26 November.  

If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email by Friday 29 November, please contact the Department of Education by emailing school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au