FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

Every Victorian child should have access to the world of learning opportunities that exist beyond the classroom. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important, educational and fun activities. It is part of making Victoria the Education State and the Government’s commitment to breaking the link between a student’s background and their outcomes.

CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF)

School camps provide children with inspiring experiences in the great outdoors. Excursions encourage a deeper understanding of how the world works while sports teach teamwork, discipline and leadership. All are a part of a healthy curriculum.

CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

The annual CSEF amount per student is:

$154 for primary school students
$256 for secondary school students

If you received CSEF for your child/ren last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred:

new student enrolments: your child has started or changed schools this year.
changed family circumstances: such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing this year.

Check with the school office if you are unsure.

Please find a link to the Application Form below.

Parent & Carer School Saving Bonus Code Distribution

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus – a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.

In late November 2024 you should have received an email from the Department of Education with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code. Lost your code or can't find the email? New emails have been recently sent from Department of Education!

The School Saving Bonus will help families cover the cost of uniforms, textbooks, excursions, activities and more.

If you have multiple children enrolled in Victorian government schools for 2025, you will receive one School Saving Bonus code email per child. These emails might arrive on different days. Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder.

Parents and carers can use the School Saving Bonus code in store at school nominated suppliers. (Please note that Chilwell Primary School's only nominated suppliers are Noone,182 Moorabool St Geelong for logo’d uniform or State Schools Relief for school shoes and non logo’d clothes). Please note you have until 30 June 2025 to use funds with these suppliers. After that your child’s SSB balance will be transferred to school for use on school activities.

Parents and carers can access the School Saving Bonus online system, where they can allocate part or all the $400 bonus to use at school nominated-online suppliers or for school activities (excursions, camps and Grade 6 Graduation). Please note this is a one-way portal, once you allocate funds to uniforms or school activities you can't change it. So please take care with your selection.

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus

If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email, please contact the Department of Education. We recommend going online and logging a query as you will be issued with a ticket number straight away.

✍️Absence Notes on Compass ✍️

Dear Chilwell Families,

Please remember to record student absences through the Compass portal by visiting your child's profile and selecting 'Add Attendance Note.'

You can choose from options like 'family holiday' or 'medical/illness' from the drop-down menu, and add any additional details if needed. Both the classroom teacher and office will have access to this information.

For absences related to school activities such as School Tours & Tests, please call the office at (03) 5221 2738 so we can note this without affecting your child's attendance percentage.

Thank you in advance!

-Admin Team

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