News from the Office

Student Pick-Up Procedure

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students, we kindly ask that children are no longer collected from at/or outside the school gates or meet parents/carers at the car during school hours. If you need to pick your child up early, you will be required to come into the school office.

This process helps us keep accurate records of students on-site and ensures every child leaves safely in the care of an authorised adult. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us maintain a safe environment for our school community.

A Message from Geelong City School Crossings

Our School Crossing Supervisors have reported an increase in students riding their bikes across the road rather than dismounting before entering the crossing. This behaviour poses significant safety risks—not only to the students on bikes, but also to other pedestrians and the supervisors managing the crossing.

Riding through a crossing can lead to:

Reduced visibility and reaction time for both the student and approaching vehicles.
Loss of control, especially in wet weather or crowded crossing areas.
Increased risk of collisions with other students who are walking.
Confusion for drivers, who expect pedestrians—not cyclists—within the crossing space.

To maintain a safe and consistent environment across all school crossings, it is essential that all students dismount and walk their bikes across the road every time.

Upcoming Events on Compass

Over the past couple of weeks, all of the Term 2 excursions/incursions have been released on Compass Events:

District Cross Country on Monday 4th May
STOMP Dance for School Concert - 6 Dates throughout May & June (Whole School)
Gr 5/6 Winter Lightning Premier Ship on Thursday 14th May
First Nations Cultural Incursion on Tuesday 16th June

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) Applications

The Camps, Sports & Excursions Fund is back again in 2026, and families will see an increase in CSEF this year to $400, up respectively from $154.

Eligible Parents/Carer's/Guardians whohave not yet submitted an application for CSEF (Camps Sports and Excursion Fund) for 2026 are reminded that these applications need to be submitted to the school office by Friday 26th June.

CSEF Eligibility:

Parents/Carer's/Guardians who hold an eligible means tested Centrelink concession card which is valid on either the first day of Term 1 (28th January 2026) or the first day of Term 2 (20th April 2026). Cards that are not financially means tested are not accepted.

Please note that previous year's applications and eligibility are still current and do not need to re-apply as these applications have been automatically applied for in 2026.

New families to HBPS in 2026 and who meet the criteria need to apply by Friday 26th June 2026.

Please come by the office to collect a form if you have not yet done so.

Prep CSEF State Relief Uniform Package

Applications for the 2026 Prep CSEF Uniform Package are now open.

In order for a student to be eligible to receive the 2026 Prep Uniform Package the student must be a Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF) recipient.

Please note the following.

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

- Once vouchers are issued, we are unable to exchange items for “change of mind”

- All items will be delivered directly to the school, and we will get in contact with you for collection

- All applications for this package will close at the end of Term 3, 2026

To apply, please come by the office and collect a form and return to us for submission.

Please contact the office at hamlyn.banks.ps@education.vic.gov.au or phone on 5278 3100 if you have any questions.

For further information please go to Resources - State Schools' Relief or Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund | vic.gov.au.

Glasses for Kids Program (P-3)

State Schools’ Relief is proud to be delivering the Glasses for Kids program between 2024 and 2027.

Our school has been invited by the Department of Education to participate in this incredible opportunity in Term 2 on the following dates:

29th & 30th April
6th & 7th May

Glasses for Kids staff and optometrists will visit our school and offer students who provide consent with initial vision screening and if required, further testing and glasses for FREE!

All screening and testing sessions will be completed during school hours.

Reporting Student Absences

A friendly reminder to all families about the importance of letting the school know if your child will be away. As per Department of Education requirements, all student absences must be explained. This helps us ensure every child’s safety, keep accurate attendance records, and support student wellbeing.

Recently, we’ve seen an increase in families not informing the school of absences or not responding to follow-up calls or messages. Please help us meet our duty of care by notifying the school promptly if your child will be away.

You can let the office know your child will be absent by:

Completing an Attendance Note on Compass – this is the quickest and easiest way
Calling the school’s dedicated absence phone line and leaving a message
Phoning the school office directly and speaking with one of our administration staff
Emailing the school at hamlyn.banks.ps@education.vic.gov.au

If your family is going away on holidays, the school requires written notification. This can be submitted as an Attendance Note on Compass or by email and should include the dates your child will be absent and the expected return date.

Please notify the school as early as possible on the day of absence (or in advance if known). Your cooperation helps us keep every student safe and accounted for each day.

Compass Push/SMS Notifications - Sick Bay & Personal Hygiene

To help keep parents and carers informed and aware, we have recently introduced automatic Compass push/SMS notifications. These notifications are designed to keep you updated if your child attends the sick bay or has required a change of clothes during the school day.

Sick Bay: The notification will outline the time of attendance and reason your child has attended the sick bay. If any further follow-up is required, a staff member will also call you directly.
Personal Hygiene: If your child needs a change of clothes due to a personal hygiene incident, you will receive a notification. If more assistance is needed, we will contact you by phone.

This system is in place to ensure families are kept up to date in a timely way and made aware of your child’s wellbeing during the school day.

Centrepay

Hamlyn Banks Primary School is registered for Centrepay through Centrelink. This is a service available to families to arrange deductions from their Centrelink payments to be allocated directly to the school for school contributions and charges.

What is Centrepay?

Centrepay is voluntary. Customers who choose to use Centrepay benefit from its convenience and security knowing that their school contributions and charges are under control. Instead of having to order your own book packs and make contributions your charges are paid in manageable amounts from your payments, making it easier for you to budget.

Why use Centrepay?

Centrepay is voluntary. Customers who choose to use Centrepay benefit from its convenience and security knowing that their school contributions and charges are under control. Instead of having a large bill at the start of the school year, your fees and charges are paid in manageable amounts from your payments, making it easier for you to budget.

Is there a minimum payment amount?

Yes, the minimum payment amount for Centrepay deductions is $20 per fortnight.

What information do I need to provide when applying for Centrepay?

You’ll need all of the following details:

Your Centrelink Customer Reference Number (CRN)
The bill details, such as the account or billing number
The name of the business you’re paying
The business address and phone number if you have them
The business’s CRN.
The date of commencement
The amount to be deducted

How do I apply for Centrepay?

You can apply in one of the following ways:

By filling in the school Authority form available from the school office.
Online using your Centrelink online account through myGov or using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app on your mobile device.

There are lots of families at Hamlyn Banks who use Centrepay. Here is what some had to say about Centrepay:

“Using Centrepay is great. The money automatically goes to the school. I don’t have to try and find the money at the end of the year to buy book packs. The school orders for me. Makes life 10 x easier”. JP

“I love Centrepay. It’s basically set and forget! It saves an enormous amount of stress. The school orders the book packs on my behalf. When camp came up there was money there to pay for camp as well. It’s just the best”. GL