Dear parents and families,

Since our last update, the School Advisory Committee (SAC) has met several times and we thought it was timely to provide an update.

Compass Rollout

Thank you to the families and staff for your collective support during the rollout of Compass, which provides a single platform for communication and update. The feedback so far to has been overwhelmingly positive.

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS)

All Catholic Primary Schools in Victoria operate under the governance of MACS. It is the largest non-government education body in Australia. Recently, Andrew attended a SAC Chairs event hosted by MACS.

It was really encouraging to learn that Daniella, Bern, staff and our school hold an excellent reputation among local primary schools and that our International Baccalaureate (IB) program continues to be a significant differentiator. MACS acknowledge that our school has consistently demonstrated robust performance and enjoys an outstanding reputation within the community.

Our enrolment numbers are increasing, approaching full capacity for the 2025 prep enrolments, and we are seeing strong interest from families looking to change schools as well as for future years. A strong working relationship with MACS is critical to us realising the future ambitions of our school community.

Strategic Plan

At each SAC meeting, we check in with Daniella, Bern, Father John, and the school’s dedicated staff on how we are progressing against the strategic priorities outlined in the 2024-2027 Strategic Plan. Pleasingly as at the June meeting, Daniella’s team is well on track to meet the 2024 objectives.

School Finances and Fees

A crucial element for the success of these initiatives and the long-term sustainability of our school is maintaining a secure financial position.

At a recent SAC meeting, we received a briefing from MACS on the financials to better understand our school’s funding, expenditure, and cash reserves. We are pleased to report that our financial position is stable thanks to Daniella and her team’s astute management of finances. Also, we validated that our school fees are very competitive relative to other Catholic Primary Schools.

However, MACS have flagged for us that rising operating expenses, such as waste, fuel, transport, and insurance costs, pose challenges for all schools. MACS also highlighted how essential it is for school communities like ours that all families contribute school fees to ensure our continued viability and to be able to maintain the high quality of education provided to our children.

We understand that these are challenging financial times for all families, and we have written to local parliamentary representatives to express our disappointment that the recent Victorian Government “Cost of Living” subsidy was restricted to families with children enrolled in state primary schools.

We deeply appreciate the efforts of those who have already paid their 2024 school fees. For a small number who may be facing financial hardship, please contact Julie at front office and arrange a confidential payment plan (phone or email: office@scelwood.catholic.edu.au).

Infrastructure and Facilities

We are really pleased with the outstanding environment for children and staff upstairs in the main building. Looking ahead, we are committed to helping provide the best learning and teaching facilities for our students and staff. The school’s exciting three-to-five-year plan includes refurbishing the ground floor building to create a more supportive, accessible, and efficient environment. You can read more about this important strategic project here. Daniella and the team have a well-developed master plan and with help from the SAC, are working with MACS, as well as state and federal governments, to try to secure funding for this project.

As a school community, we will need to co-contribute to any funding grants we secure. The SAC is working with Daniella on designing a fundraising plan towards this ambition, and we will be looking to engage a broader group of parents to help design and execute this plan (it will involve multiple years of collective effort). A small step towards this plan is opening the ability for families (that are able) to consider making a tax deductable contribution - please contact Julie at front office (phone or email: office@scelwood.catholic.edu.au).

Connection, Parents and Friends and Parish Community

Finally, it has been wonderful to see our school and parish community come together through events such as the Market, Mother's Day breakfast and fundraiser, Dine with Heart, and St Columba's Feast Day celebrations. These events foster a culture of welcoming and belonging for all members of our community, and we really want to recognise the fantastic efforts of our staff, Parents and Friends group and many volunteers in bringing these important events to life.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school.

Regards,

Andrew Catterall, Lucy Mclean, Emma Newitt, Imogen Lewis, Sam Mitchell and Laura Hill

School Advisory Committee

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