Cultural News

New - Opening The Doors Foundation Grants

Opening the Doors Foundation have opened applications for 2025 grants. All families who have applied in 2024 will have received an email regarding this and changes that will apply for the new year.

Please see below for relevant Information - 

GRANT APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR 2025! 

The Foundation invites you to apply for a grant for the 2025 school year. 

Read the eligibility criteria below to ensure your application is processed. 

Due to a substantial increase in demand for student grants, the trustees have made the difficult decision to adjust certain aspects of this grant round. These adjustments aim to prioritize funding for students with the greatest need. As a result, some eligibility criteria have been modified.

1. Health Care Card/Pension recipients will be prioritised for grant funding. This does not mean that other applications will be excluded, however these will be processed at a later time - most likely in January 2025. A copy of your Health Care Card/Pension card must be sent directly to applications@openingthedoors.org.au at the same time as your application.  If we have not received a copy of your card, the processing of your application will be delayed. You will be able to submit your application online via the OTDF grant portal.

*Please note the government is offering a $400 School Savings Bonus to eligible concession card holders. This bonus can be used for expenses such as camps, uniforms, and textbooks—items you might typically apply for through OTDF. To learn how to access this bonus, please reach out directly to your school.

1.  The Foundation provides funding for educational items up to the grant limit determined by the Trustees - therefore please don't expect to get the full amount you request.  Items can include - books, uniforms, school camp levies, school shoes, sports shoes, IT items -computer and calculators, VCAL/VET fee/levies. We are allowing only one pair of shoes per applicant this year. List the items you need in order of priority as grant funding and vouchers will automatically be allocated according to what you put first, second etc on your list. 
2. If an applicant has applied for, or is receiving assistance from other organisations e.g. Traditional Owner educational grants, other charities, First Nations scholarships or the school itself, their application may not be successful and will be determined by OTDF Trustees.
3. We do not pay for independent school fees. These must be provided by the family/guardian. If it is discovered that funding provided by OTDF has been utilised for independent school fees, this may risk future grant application approval from OTDF. 
4. The Applicant must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent and must provide a Confirmation of Aboriginality.
5. The Applicant must be enrolled in a Catholic or Independent educational institution from Prep-Year 12 and located within the State boundaries of Victoria.  OTDF does not support students attending government schools.
6. The Foundation will provide vouchers from various suppliers for the grants dispersed to each grant beneficiary.  These can be used to purchase the various education items required.  The only exception to this is if the Foundation is dispersing funding for a camp levy, IT equipment or uniforms provided by the school - then funding is sent directly to the school. All vouchers will need to be used by the expiry date (28th of February 2025).
7. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date (14th of March).

Click on Link for further information and Application process - 

Opening The Doors Foundation Link

Reminder - FIRE Carries Excursion

On Thursday 21st of November our FIRE Carriers and our Yr 5/6 Indigenous students will spend time on Country up at Barmah. Students will ride on the Kingfisher Cruise boat to explore the Dungala River (Murray River). They will also be taking for a walk through the Barmah State Forest to learn about significant sites and to visit the Dharnya Centre. Permission notes will be out soon.

Workshops

Girls Indigenous Program

Boys Indigenous Program

Acknowledgement of Country               

At St Mary’s Primary School Mooroopna we Acknowledge the Traditional people of this land. The Yorta Yorta Nation are the Traditional Custodians of this area and we remember their elders, past, present and future. We remember that the Aboriginal people of Australia will always be the  traditional owners of the land on which we gather today. We continue to grow through education and reconciliation to a better future for all Australians.