Thank you to our school families for your patience and cooperation as we navigate the administration and implementation of the School Saving Bonus. It has certainly been challenging, and our office staff are doing their best to streamline the process for all.

In a nutshell, the school has already received all the funds for all Bolinda PS families; however, we are not able to utilise this money on your behalf (for uniforms, camps, or excursions) until each family logs into the SSB portal and reallocates the funds to ‘School Activities’ for each of their children.

If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email by now, please contact the Department of Education by emailing school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au. The school is not able to assist with missing emails or codes.

If you allocate all the $400 from the portal to ‘School Activities’, you will not have to log back into the portal again, and funds will be available to use going forward. This is what we recommend.

If you allocate smaller amounts each time you wish to use funds, you will eventually achieve the same net result as above but will have to keep logging into the portal each time, increasing the processing load here at school.

Please be reassured, funds reallocated to ‘School Activities’ will not expire and will remain as a credit on your individual school account until fully used, either this year, next year, or in the years going forward.

We urge you to phone or come into the school office if you are still confused or having any difficulty, and we can assist.

CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSION FUND APPLICATIONS

A reminder for families who hold a valid means-tested concession card, are a temporary foster parent, or hold a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, you may be eligible for CSEF.

CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families in covering the costs of school trips, camps, and sporting activities.

New applicants should contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form, download it from the school website, or click CSEF Application Form 2025.

The allowance is paid to the school to use toward expenses relating to camps, excursions, or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

PARENT PAYMENT & BOOK REQUISITE INFORMATION 2025

We really appreciate any contribution you can make towards the cost of requisites and services as detailed below.

Thank you to those families who have already made contributions. Your support allows us to minimise the amount of money redirected from targeted initiatives, programs, and facilities.

If you’re unsure if you have paid, please check in CompassPay or contact the office.

Financial Support for Families

Bolinda Primary School understands that some families may experience financial difficulty and offers various support options, including:

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund
A confidential discussion about accessing financial assistance or alternative payment arrangements. Please contact:
- Jordan Chamerski - Ph: 03 5428 5317
- Email: bolinda.ps@education.vic.gov.au

RefundsParent requests for refunds are subject to the discretion of the school and considered on a case-by-case basis. Refunds will be provided where reasonable and fair, considering the Department’s Parent Payment Policy and Guidance, Financial Help for Families Policy, and any other relevant information.

ABSENCES, LATE ARRIVALS, AND EARLY DEPARTURES FROM SCHOOL

If your child is late or absent from school without an explanation, an SMS will be sent around 10:15 am. Please respond promptly.

If your child is late for school:

Please come to the office to sign them in via the CompassKiosk. Rolls are marked promptly at 9:00 am.

If your child will be absent:

(Preferred method) Log onto Compass and record the absence
Phone the school on 5428 5317 and leave a message on the absence voicemail

If your child needs to leave school early:

Send a note or email to the class teacher on the day of withdrawal
Come to the office to sign them out, and your child will be called from class

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