Overview of the Ideas Shared in the Start of Year Program – Supporting Students to Engage Constructively with Learning.

At the start of the school year, we worked with all students through the Start of Year Program to understand some changes to school processes and programs to support their ongoing learning and engagement including:

Digital Technology at EHS – Our 1:1 sBYOD Program (1:08).
The AUA – Creating a school-home partnership to manage shared expectations (4:55).
Improving students’ digital literacy (12:15).
Using digital technology to improve organisation and work forecasting (14:00).
Co-generative gAI to enhance learning (14:50).
Valuing ongoing engagement in learning (30:00).

This video Supporting Students Engage Constructively with Tech for Learning.mp4

has been created for your convenience and outlines the messages conveyed to the students through the program. The time stamps are indicated in the brackets above for each concept.

If you have any additional questions, please complete the below form and we will publish an FAQ in the next newsletter.

The additional resource mentioned in the above presentation (provided to students in the Start of Year Program) can be found here: EHS Startup 2025 DT for Students.pptx

KATIE REED, STEAM & Digital Technology Leader and

LOREN CLARKE Curricculum & Data Leader,

Year 7, 2026 School Tours

As we look forward to inviting new families into Eltham High for school tours in Term 1, in 2025 we are proud to also offer tours that will be run by our Senior Student Leaders.

Families and their prospective students are invited to attend school tours in the weeks commencing 10 February, where the Assistant Principals will discuss the facilities, curriculum and co-curricula programs available at Eltham High by visiting classrooms, with opportunities to engage with students across all year levels.

In the week prior to Open Day (24 - 28 March), all tours will be run by our Student Leaders. These will give families and their children the chance to hear first-hand what it is like being a student in our unique learning community. Our Senior Student Leaders are excited to share their journey, having engaged in a wide variety of all the school has to offer, including co-curricular Music, Volleyball and Drama programs, clubs such as The Enviro Team, Harmony Team, and Stand Out Group, and our bespoke curriculum initiatives, such as Integrated Studies at Year 7 and our elective program at Years 9 and 10.

Attending both tours is encouraged for a holistic perspective on how the curriculum at Eltham High School will support your child to excel, and experience the dynamic community our students thrive in.

All tours commence at 9:15 am leaving from reception. To book into an Assistant Principal led school tour, please call the school on 9430 5111 to book in over the phone.

To book into a Student Led tour on either 24, 25 or 27 March, please book via Trybooking using link: https://www.trybooking.com/CYWVT

Assistant Principal led tour dates

March

Thursday 6

Friday 7

Tuesday 11

Monday 17

Tuesday 18

Wednesday 19

Thursday 20

Friday 21

Instructions for Allocating SSB to Activities

Prior to being able to use your SSB funds for Music, Volleyball or Drama programs and camps, excursions or activities with the school, you will need to have allocated your SSB to school activities in the SSB portal using the log in details provided within DET emails. SSB funds will not become visible on your Compass portal but are held on your family account with the school. Please allow 3 working days from when you allocate SSB in the portal for the funds to be processed and available on your family account for allocations to school activities.
Please note that SSB funds can not be used towards School Council Approved Curriculum Contributions, including Elective contributions.
To allocate SSB to an event that appears on Compass, please email 7805-accounts@schools.vic.edu.au to advise us, or call Jacinta on 9430 5118. Please allow 2 working days for us to process these requests. Once the allocation has been processed, please go back to the event in Compass and provide consent for the activity. If you do not have enough SSB to cover the activity we will update the balance to pay in the Compass event for you to complete the payment and provide consent.
To allocate SSB to your Music fees (not appearing on Compass), simply email 7805-accounts@schools.vic.edu.au, or call Jacinta on 9430 5118 to advise which fee you would like the SSB allocated to. Please note that SSB may only be used towards paying 2025 program fees

2025 CSEF Applications

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

School camps or trips
Swimming and school-organised sport programs
Outdoor education programs
Excursions and incursions

Applications for 2025 are now open, through until the end of Term 2, 2025. If you applied for the CSEF at Eltham High School in 2024, you do not need to complete an application form in 2025 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. Eltham High School will apply for the CSEF on your behalf.

You will only need to submit an application form in 2025 if any of the following changes have occurred:

New student enrolments: your child has started or changed schools in 2025 or you did not apply at the same school in 2024 or
Changed family circumstances: such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2025.

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.

To download a copy of the CSEF Application form, please access the applicable form via the following link: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/resources

2025 School Council Approved Contributions

2025 School Council Approved Contributions are available to pay via the Payments Centre on Compass. You can choose to pay Contributions in full or via a payment plan option of three or six instalments. If you opt for a payment plan after an instalment date, Compass will deduct payment from your credit card on the following day for past instalment dates with remaining payments in line with the advertised dates. Alternatively, 2025 Contributions and Electives are open for payment via the Payments Centre for the full school year so you do have the option of making part payments at any time during the year when it is convenient to you.

Due to changes in the Parent Payment Policy and functionality within the billing module of Compass, we regret that we are unable to allocate credits on family accounts towards School Contributions. Credits available on your account can either be allocated to outstanding account charges or refunded to a nominated bank account. You can action use of your credits by downloading and completing the 2025 Family Credit Allocation Refund Request Form from the Compass Newsfeed. Completed forms can be returned via email to 7805-accounts@schools.vic.edu.au to allow us to process your request.

If you have any queries regarding School Council Approved Contributions for 2025, please contact the General Office on 9430 5111 or via email, 7805-accounts@schools.vic.edu.au.

Payment Process and Closing Dates for Excursions and Activities via Compass, including payment via CSEF and credit balances

Camps, excursions, and other school based activities that have a financial charge associated with them fall under the Extra-Curricular Items and Activities category of fees and are offered to students on a ‘user pays’ basis. They are offered in addition to the standard curriculum.

Cut-off dates for payment and consent on Compass are set by the school to assist us in meeting our financial and duty of care requirements for each event. In support of meeting these obligations, we will not extend due dates for events or take late payments.

Administration staff send an email to families when the event is published and a reminder email five days prior to the event closing date. Students are also reminded by their classroom teachers about events and when payment and consent must be received. If payment or consent is not received by the due date, your child will be excluded from the activity and will be supervised by teachers at school.

If you have received CSEF funding and would like to allocate it towards a Compass Event, or have credit on your family statement that you would like to use, please contact Jacinta D’Avoine (Revenue Administrator) 9430 5118 or email 7805-accounts@schools.vic.edu.au to arrange for the allocation to be processed.

As Compass now has the functionality to 'Pay with CSEF or credit balance' for Events, if you have insufficient funds on your family account to cover the cost of that event we will allocate the amount that is available and then update the event to show the amount that is still required to be paid. Payment of the balance will need to be completed before the event cut off date for your child to be eligible to attend. If you select to use CSEF or credit to pay for an Event on Compass, please check the Event again before the closing date to make sure that any outstanding balance is paid.

Please ensure that if payment is made via the office with CSEF, credit allocation, credit card or cash, that you log on to Compass prior to the closing date to provide Consent for your child to attend the event.

If you are having issues accessing Compass, please contact the relevant sub school for assistance.

Thank you for your support with this matter.

CATHERINE ZERNA, Finance Manager

First Aid

This is a friendly reminder to drop in the listed items below if your young person requires these at school.

For any medications – please ensure they have long expiry dates on them.

EpiPen AutoInjectors – antihistamine and asthma relievers if required
Medical Requirements Form
Action Plans for Asthma, Epilepsy, Anaphylaxis, Diabetes, Allergies
Medication Authority Form (see attached) – for Medications you would like stored in the school First Aid Room
Changes to Medical Alerts we have on record

All medications stored need to be in their original packaging including the box – along with a Medication Authority Form and appropriate management plan.

All families needing to update medical plans were contacted by email or had a phone call late 2024.

Please return all items to the First Aid room or Admin office in a clearly labelled ziplock bag ASAP, or email plan to 7805-FirstAid@schools.vic.edu.au.

Any queries please give me a call on 9430 5112.

FIONA CASEY, First Aid Officer

Canteen Announcements

The Canteen is open every day for recess and lunch with a set rotating Menu for the year as well as a special menu for the week. Please see attached a detail Menu for Term 1, 2025.

Canteen encourages students to put a recess or lunch order, to ensure prompt service and preferred food availability. Canteen opens every day at 8:15 am for student to place a Canteen order for lunch or Recess.

Please be advice that on hot weather days, Canteen does reduce the availability of Hot food for sale at Lunch, so please put a lunch order to ensure your preferred food option.

Students need to line up at recess on the Lunch Order window to place a lunch order. At Recess students can purchase items for sale and place a lunch order at the same time, from the lunch order window. However, at lunch time this becomes a collecting point only student requiring any additional items for sale will need to line up on the Canteen line. So please order drinks and ice cream products together with your food lunch order for your convenience.

Please be advice that drinks and ice creams may NOT be placed as a lunch order on their own.

Canteen Volunteers

Canteen is currently updating its volunteer database for this year in preparation for a Canteen Volunteer roster for next term. Canteen Volunteers help in the Canteen once a month on a rotating roster, generally twice a term. They nominate their preferred weekday and assist Canteen staff for 3 hours between 11:00am -2:00pm.

All Canteen Volunteers must have a Working with Children’s Card which is available free of charge to all volunteers.

Please contact Carolina Constable at Carolina.Constable@education.vic.gov.au or 9430 5122 if you would like to join the Canteen Volunteer Roster or if you need any further information.

CAROLINA CONSTABLE, Canteen Manager

2025 Term Dates

Term 1	29 January - 4 April
Term 2	22 April - 4 July
Term 3	21 July - 19 September
Term 4	6 October - 19 December

2025 Staff List

2025 Staff Emails and Coordinator List

2025 Clubs and Activities

Public Transport Victoria

Friay 7 March	Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Open Rehearsal Excursion
Monday 24 March	Strings Showcase Concert
Monday 24 - Tuesday 25 March	Concert Band Tour to Ballarat
Monday 31 March	Symphonic Band performance at Christian College Geelong

Music

Music Dates