Finance Notice

Mrs Jess Moran

THRIVE Diaries for 2026

A reminder to all families—both new and returning—to purchase your child’s THRIVE Diary via COMPASS. These diaries play an important role in our daily routine, helping children reflect during morning mindfulness sessions and record their nightly reading at home. They’re a simple but effective way to support your child’s learning and build positive habits.

For our new Foundation students, a few additional items will also be required:

Whiteboards
Reading tub
Reading bag

These items can also be purchased easily through COMPASS:

Log into your Compass App
Select + Shortcuts
Click on Events

Curriculum Contributions

We greatly appreciate contributions towards our curriculum. These contributions provide engaging learning experiences and resources that enrich school life for every child. From exciting classroom activities to special programs, every contribution helps us offer the best possible educational experience.

Curriculum contributions (along with acceptance of our school policies) can be processed via the COMPASS app:

Log into your Compass App
Select + Shortcuts
Click on Events
Select Action Centre

Booklists for 2026

Booklists for the 2026 school year are now available through Campion. We understand that the holiday season is upon us, and we’re mindful of the financial pressure this time of year can bring. To assist with planning:

Orders placed before December 19 qualify for free delivery. If possible, you may wish to prioritise this purchase to take advantage of the savings.

Ensuring booklists are submitted early also helps our teachers prepare for a smooth and well-organised start to the new school year.

2026 Planning

As we come to the end of another great year there are a few ways you can set ourselves up with a good finical start for 2026

1. Review Your Account Early

In the coming weeks, invoices will be sent out to families with any outstanding payments. If you’re unsure about your balance or have questions, please contact the front office—we’re happy to review everything with you.

2. Set Up Payment Reminders.

Use your phone, calendar app, or email alerts to remind yourself of due dates. A quick reminder can help avoid late fees and keep things running smoothly.

3. Plan for Larger Fees Ahead of Time.

Events like camp, athletic fees, and graduation costs can add up. Setting aside a small amount each month can help soften the impact later. You can also set up small BPAY deductions earlier in the year—just contact the finance office and we’ll provide the details.

4. Ask About Payment Plans Early.

If you anticipate needing extra time or flexibility, reach out to the finance office as soon as possible. The earlier we know, the more options we can offer.

5. Check for your eligibility for CSEF.

Some families may qualify for CSEF $400.00 payments to assist with Camps, Sports and excursion. If you’re unsure, ask! We’re here to help.

6. Notify Us of Changes in Circumstances.

If something shifts in your financial situation during the year, let the office know. Timely communication helps us support your family better.

7. Don’t Hesitate to Reach Out.

We’re always happy to answer questions. No issue is too small—communication keeps everything smooth for everyone.

Did you know you can decline school events in COMPASS?

If you’ll be away or have an appointment your child can’t miss, simply decline the event.

Follow the steps below to decline an event.

Compass

To help stay organised and ensure your child doesn’t miss out on any opportunities, we encourage all families to regularly check Compass for updates, events, and notices. Familiarising yourself with the app will make it easier to manage payments, consents, and communication throughout the term.

If you’d like a quick run-through or some extra support using Compass, please don’t hesitate to visit or contact our friendly front office team — we’re always happy to help!

We’d also like to remind families that you can make small, regular BPAY payments to your school's family account at any time. Setting up an ongoing BPAY contribution only takes a few minutes and is a great way to stay financially prepared for upcoming school expenses — especially as the $400 SSB credit is currently only available to families eligible for CSEF.

Making regular BPAY payments helps ensure funds are available when needed and reduces the impact of unexpected costs throughout the year.

Failed Payment – Recurring Contributions

For families using a payment plan for Curriculum Contributions, if a payment fails, Compass will notify you by email with the reason for the failed payment. Compass will automatically attempt to collect the payment up to five more times, and you will receive an email after each attempt. To ensure your payments are processed smoothly, please check that your card details are current.

You can update your card via the COMPASS app by following these steps:

Log in to your Compass account.
Hover over the cog icon in the top right corner of the screen.
Click on ‘Saved Cards’ from the dropdown menu.
Remove any old cards.
Link your new card details.

Excursions, Incursions & Camps – Late Payment and Consent.

To ensure all students have the opportunity to participate, our school has established a clear and consistent process for payment and consent. Students who have not finalised payment and consent by the required date cannot attend, unless the principal determines exceptional circumstances apply.

Consent forms will always clearly state payment amounts and due dates, and families are given sufficient time to finalise these. Payments can be made via COMPASS, BPAY, EFT, or cash at the school office. For added convenience, the COMPASS event for camps also includes the option to set up a payment plan, making it easier for families to manage contributions over time.

Our payment and consent dates on Compass are set for a reason. Once these deadlines pass, a great deal of planning takes place behind the scenes:

Providers must have confirmed student numbers to prepare resources and staffing.
Purchase orders and budgets must be finalised, as the school pays providers in full.
Transport, catering, venues and staffing allocations need to be locked in.
Office and teaching staff need time to support families and manage logistics.

We know time is precious. That’s why we’re aiming for more efficiency, less paperwork, and smoother processes for everyone.

Financial Help for Families

Langwarrin Park Primary School will make all efforts to ensure that students are not excluded for financial reasons. Families experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to contact the finance office to discuss alternative payment arrangements as early as possible.

We thank all families for their support in helping us keep excursions, incursions and camps fair, safe and well-organised for every student.

Using your SSB on COMPASS

The School Saving Bonus can be used to support a range of optional school activities. Common examples include:

School camps, trips, excursions, and incursions
Swimming and sporting programs
Outdoor education programs
Graduation events

Please note: The SSB cannot be used for the following:

Activities required not part of the standard school curriculum i.e.: Music Extracurricular.
Before and after school care
Classroom and homework materials

If you would like to apply your SSB to an activity listed on Compass, please contact the front office—either in person, by phone, or via email—with the details of the activity. Our staff will be happy to assist and allocate the funds for you.

Refunds

School Camp Payment & Refund Policy

Camps are an important part of our school program, and we make every effort to keep costs as low as possible. Once bookings are made, the school is required to pay deposits and confirm numbers well in advance. These payments are non-refundable to the school.

Our school’s policy states: If a camp or excursion is cancelled or altered by the school, or a student is no longer able to attend part or all the camp or excursion, our school will consider requests for partial or full refunds of payments made by parents/carers on a case-by-case basis taking into account the individual circumstances. Generally, we will not be able to refund payments made for costs that have already been paid where those funds have already been transferred or committed to a third party and no refund is available to the school. For this reason, refunds cannot be guaranteed if a student withdraws, particularly when notice is given close to the camp date. Where possible, if the camp provider refunds the school, we will pass this on to families. For more information we invite you to read our school policy “CAMPS AND EXCURSIONS POLICY”. We appreciate your support and understanding in helping us continue to provide these valuable opportunities for students.

Stay Informed

To keep up to date with school events:

Check Compass regularly
Enable Compass notifications or set calendar alerts
Contact the office if you need any help navigating Compass

Qkr! by Mastercard

Qkr! (pronounced “quicker”) is a mobile payment app created by Mastercard to help schools and organisations manage payments more efficiently.

For our Prep families who may not be familiar with Qkr!, please note that while it’s not used often, we do still use it occasionally—particularly for PFC-related payments—as it helps us meet certain school administration requirements.

You can download Qkr! from your device’s app store. If you need any help setting it up, please see the Parent User Guide linked below.

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!

Wellbeing

Sharna Dean-Wright & Brooke McInnes,