Finance

REMINDER: Due date for payments 

Dear Families,

We’re currently engaged in a great deal of behind-the-scenes planning to ensure a smooth and successful school year. To help you stay informed and organised, please find below a summary of key information and upcoming deadlines.

Staying Informed and Prepared

To assist with your planning, we recommend the following:

• Check Compass and newsletters regularly. These are our main communication channels for event details, consent forms, and payment deadlines.
• Enable Compass notifications or set calendar reminders to avoid missing important dates.
• Reach out early if you need support with payments or have any questions. Our friendly office staff are here to help.

Compass Event Cut-Off Dates

Camps, sports, incursions, and excursions are vital to your child’s learning, providing real-world experiences that foster confidence and social development.

To ensure these events run smoothly:

• Cut-off dates are final. These are typically set two weeks prior to each event to secure bookings, transport, and supervision.
• Late payments and consent forms cannot be accepted. Once the deadline passes, we are unable to make changes or additions.
• Staff are unable to follow up on late submissions. Our administrative and teaching teams must focus on delivering high-quality programs for all students.

We understand that unexpected circumstances can arise. However, to avoid disappointment, we strongly encourage families to meet all deadlines.

THRIVE Diaries

At the beginning of the year, all students were issued a Thrive Diary—a valuable tool used daily to complete Thrive activities, homework, and mindfulness exercises throughout the week. Thrive Diaries are $15.50 each, with two convenient payment options available: 

1. Via the Compass App: 
   • Open the Compass app
   • Select + Shortcut → Pay for Event
   • Go to the Action Centre
   • Click on 2025 Contributions
   • Follow the prompts to complete the payment for the Thrive Diary
2. Over the Phone: Contact our Finance Office at (03) 9775 7533 option two (2) to make a payment.

School Saving Bonus (SSB) Portal – Cut-Off Date

As shared in the email sent Tuesday 5 May, please be aware of the following regarding the SSB Portal:

• Funds, including online voucher amounts, can be used until Monday 30 June 2025 for uniforms and school activities.
• Remaining funds after this date will convert to a school credit but will not appear in your family account until late July.
• If you wish to use SSB funds for school activities occurring in July, please allocate those funds in the SSB portal before 30 June 2025.

For support:

• Download the [System Guide for Parents and Carers (attached)].
• Watch the School Saving Bonus video on Vimeo.
• Visit Receiving the School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au for translated guides in 14 languages.

The Department of Education's SSB Contact Centre is available until 30 June 2025:

• Submit an enquiry via the online enquiry form.
• Call 1800 338 663 (Weekdays, 8:30 am–4:30 pm).

• Email school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au for immediate support.

  SSB PORTAL USER GUIDE

  HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR BONUS

  EXHANGES POLICY

Direct Debit Payment Plans

To help families manage school-related payments more flexibly, we offer direct debit payment plans. This option allows you to spread payments across the year in a way that suits your budget.

To set up a plan, please contact our finance office to discuss the arrangement that best fits your needs.

We appreciate your ongoing support and engagement. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions. 

Warm regards,

Jess Moran

Administration

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.

A guide for parents & families | Compass Education AU

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