News from the Office

School Photos

School photo day is quickly approaching on Wednesday 13th March 2024! Please see the below photo for information on how to order.

Scholastic Book Club

Students will go home with Issue 2 of the Book Club today! This issue will close on 17th of March so make sure you get your orders in before then. 

All ordering is completed online:

LOGIN (scholastic.com.au)

Parent Guide: Scholastic Book Club Parent Guide (2022) by Scholastic Australia - Issuu

Healthy Swimming

Ahead of our school swimming program on the 4th March, it’s important we all take steps to stop the spread of germs at the pool. 

We have been in contact with Leisurelink who has informed us that regular water testing is undertaken every 3 hours and the pool is cleaned and treated as per the required standards. 

This summer, the Victorian Department of Health advises there has been an increase in the number of people infected with cryptosporidiosis (crypto) – a type of gastroenteritis. Some people are attending pools while infectious, which spreads the infection to others.

To keep pools safe and clean for everyone, please follow these healthy swimming steps before we dive into the pool:

· do not swim if you have diarrhoea

· shower and wash with soap before swimming

· wash your hands with soap after using the toilet

· avoid swallowing pool water

· change nappies in nappy-change areas only.

Please encourage your child to follow the above steps to support everyone’s safety in pools. Please also keep your child absent from swimming lessons at school if they have had gastroenteritis or diarrhoea in the 14 days before the lesson. Families with any health concerns should see their doctor or contact NURSE-ON-CALL by phone: 1300 606 024 (available 24 hours).

For more information on protecting against gastroenteritis, families can refer to the following Better Health Channel pages: 

· Healthy swimming, including a video with transcript 

· Swimming – keeping the water clean 

· Gastroenteritis in children.

Court Orders

Please inform and provide the office of any current or updated Court orders that may be in place. It is important that we have current, in date orders updated in our system.

Personal Details

Please advise the office if you have moved address, have a new phone number or new emergency contacts. It is very important to have all your details up to date in case of an emergency with your child.

2024 Parent Permissions

Parent and guardian consent is required for our annual permissions (photos, watching PG movies, local excursions, etc). These are required for all students. These permissions are located within the Insights tab on Compass. 

An alert will appear on your home page. Click the link to be directed to the Insights tab and complete the questions under '2024 Parent Permissions' .

2025 Year 7 Open Sessions

Fresh Meal Fairy Canteen

A reminder that orders are to be placed by 9pm the Thursday prior for delivery at school on Friday. Orders are to be placed through the Flexischools app. Please see below for information on this platform:

Music Bus lessons

The Music Bus visits our school every Thursday morning.  

Lessons are available in:

· Keyboard (Kindy/Prep-y6)

· Ukulele  ( Kindy/Prep   - y6)

· Drums (y1 -y6)

· Guitar (Y2 - y6)

If you wish to register an interest to join please complete the following online form:

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/ee4627a5204c46158e1ab17e7c8069c6

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments for eligible students to attend activities such as school camps, excursions, swimming, sports events and incursions. 

Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are eligible to apply. A special consideration category also exists. Schools can receive applications until 23 June 2024. 

Please find the application form below which is also available from the office. 

Conveyance Allowance

The Conveyance allowance is a contribution towards transport costs and is not intended to cover the full cost of transporting children to and from school. 

The conveyance allowance may be available to students attending government schools and:

• Travelling by public transport or by private car, motorbike, bicycle or bus, and
• Whose nearest school is not serviced by a free school bus provided under the School Bus Program

Please find the attached application form below which is also available from the office:

Indigenous Artwork headers

For more information on the artwork used for our newsletter headers please see 2023 Issue 10 of our Ceres PS newsletter. 

QKR - support for families

QKR is our payment platform. Please see the attached user guide for more information. 

Masterpass Help Desk: 1800 689 562

Compass - support for families

Please see the attached user guide for information on how to use Compass.