Assistant Principals' Report

The Department of Education has asked me to communicate the following updates: 

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) 

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities. You may be eligible if you have a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent.   Means-tested concession cards must be valid on the first day of Term 1, 2025 (Tuesday 28 January 2025) or Term 2, 2025 (Tuesday 22 April 2025). Eligible families will receive a payment of $154 per year for primary school students. The funds will be paid directly to the school and used for your child's camps, sports, and excursion costs. If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, please complete another application so the school can apply on your behalf.  Applications will close on Friday, 4th July. 

School Savings Bonus - Reminder & Allocation to School Activities

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus (SSB)—a one-off support of $400 for eligible government school students in 2025. The SSB can be used for uniforms and textbooks until Monday, 30 June 2025. Any funds remaining after 30 June 2025, including online voucher amounts that have not been redeemed, will become a credit to use on school activities. However, the credit will not be available on your family account at our school until late July. To use any remaining SSB funds to cover the cost of school activities in July, please look at the SSB online system and allocate the funds to school activities before 30 June 2025.  The Department of Education’s SSB contact centre will remain available until 30 June 2025.  You can reach the contact centre by calling 1800 338 663 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. Please don't hesitate to contact our office team if you have any SSB-related questions after this date.

Whole School Athletics - Meadowglen, Epping 

On Tuesday, the 27th May, we will host our whole school athletics carnival at Meadowglen International Athletics Stadium in Epping. Our Year 3-6 students will travel by bus, leaving at 9:00 am, followed by our F-2 students at 10:45 am. The Year 3-6 students will compete in rotations, including Long Jump, High Jump, Triple Jump, Shot Put, Discus and 100M/200M sprints. Our F-2 students will participate in a tabloid sports carnival program, facilitated by an external provider and supervised by our staff which will move them through a series of novel activity stations. They will rotate in class groups, with an emphasis placed on everyone being actively involved.

If you would like to be a parent volunteer on the day, please email our PE teacher, Hayley Northridge, hayley.northridge@education.vic.gov.au 

Parent Volunteers

A reminder that if you would like to be involved in our Parent Volunteer Program, please ensure you have completed the following:-

1. You have read the Parent Volunteer Training Guide (PVTG) via the WPS website at https://www.whittleseaps.vic.edu.au/page/31/Parent-Volunteers 

2. Once you have successfully completed the Parent Volunteer Training Guide Google Form at the end of the PVTG     

3. You have a current Working with Children Check (scanned in at the office)

4. You sign the Confidentiality Form (available at the office)

Once you have returned the Expression of Interest form, our staff will create a classroom roster and communicate this with parents/carers wishing to volunteer. Given the usually high numbers of volunteer requests, our staff will share a roster for parents/carers across the remaining weeks of Term 2.