Cheltenham East Primary News and Events
A MESSAGE FROM MRS WARD
It’s been really fantastic to see such excitement around the return to school and we want to keep it that way. A crucial part of that is getting as many students vaccinated as possible.
Alongside ventilation and other vital COVIDSafe steps such as regular rapid antigen testing, supporting as many students as possible to be vaccinated will help make our school as safe as possible.
Bookings for children aged 5 to 11 to receive the paediatric Pfizer vaccine are open and we encourage parents and carers to get your child vaccinated, if you haven’t already done so. The Pfizer vaccine is safe and recommended for children. The vaccine will help protect your child from getting sick from COVID-19, help to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and help ensure kids can have more time at school and playing with their friends.
Vaccinations for children aged 5-11 years old are delivered at 2 appointments, 8 weeks apart. Children with specific medical vulnerabilities can access their second dose 3 weeks after their first dose.
If you’d like more information about this, you can read a recent statement from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI): https://www.health.gov.au/news/atagi-update-following-weekly-covid-19-meeting-19-january-2022
To book an appointment You can book at your local GP or pharmacy: https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking
You can also book at a family-friendly vaccination centre by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398.
You can also make vaccination centre bookings for your children online, though you will need to use an email address that has not been used in the system before: https://portal.cvms.vic.gov.au/
Helping children to get their vaccination
Vaccination centres understand that children may feel anxious about vaccination or have other support needs. A range of options are available to help children get vaccinated. Please discuss your child’s needs with the vaccination centre when you book an appointment.
Appointments are also available at Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Organisations. 👉 Find out more about vaccination for kids: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-children-and-teenagers
Leisel Ward
Assistant Principal
RESPECTFUL BEHAVIOUR
2022 SCHOOL CONTRIBUTIONS
Thank you to the families who have already made payment for this year’s school contributions. Your prompt attention to this is very much appreciated.
A reminder that statements will no longer be distributed to families. All requested payments are available via your Sentral login access. A copy of this year’s parent payment requests is available on our school website at: https://cheltenhameast.vic.edu.au/enrolment/#parentpayment and also via the Sentral portal under the Resources tab.
Payment of school contributions is preferred prior to Friday 25th February 2022.
You can either pay via:
- Sentral Pay (preferred method)
- EFTPOS Facility (at the school office or over the phone)
Please contact the school if you have any questions or concerns.
CAMPS, SPORTS AND EXCURSIONS FUND APPLICATIONS
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.
If you have a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.
Payment amounts this year are $125 for eligible primary school students. Payments are made direct to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions and sporting activities for the benefit of your child.
It is important that funding made available in 2022 supports students to participate in school trips, camps and sporting activities this year rather than being held for future years. This funding can also be used in conjunction with any funding accrued from previous years. Please note these activities will only take place if they meet COVIDSafe requirements.
If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
If you would like to apply for the first time, please contact the school office 9583 5746 and ask for an application form.
You can also download the form, and find out more about the program and eligibility, on the Department of Education and Training’s Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund web page.
Check with the school office if you are unsure, and please return completed forms to the school office as soon as possible.
SENTRAL NEWS
We are excited that from 1st February 2022 parents will be able to make payments for excursions, incursions, camps and curriculum contributions via the Sentral platform. Permission for activities will also be done via Sentral, replacing our current paper based system.
This will be a great time saver for families – no more searching in the school bag for lost permission notes as payments and permissions can be done quickly and easily in one transaction via Sentral. A push notification on your smart phone will alert you when you have items that need attention so please ensure you turn notifications on when you set up the app so you don’t miss a thing!
Sentral have made recent improvements to the Sentral for Parents App, making it even easier to login via your smart phone to use the features you are used to accessing (recording an absence, reading reports, booking parent/teacher interviews) as well as the new functionality of payments and permissions. Please follow this link for instructions – for existing app users and those who are yet to use the app.
https://www.sentral.com.au/app-getting-started.
We will continue to use the Qkr app for fundraising payments but all other financial transactions will now be payable via Sentral.
Families new to the school have already been emailed their access codes and login instructions. Please contact the office if you have not received an email or need assistance in logging into Sentral for the first time. A user guide is also available via the link above.
Please bear with us while we are getting used to these new modules as there will no doubt be some teething problems, especially at the busy start of the year. However, we know parents will appreciate the more streamlined, one-step process and thank you for your patience.
Stay tuned for more to come!
Hello all and welcome back to another year!
Book club is back again with plenty of reading goodies to be found inside the magazine students have taken home.
Just a reminder that the school no longer takes cash payments and to order through the LOOP system.
All details are on the second last page of the catalogues.
Issue 1 orders need to be in by 9am Monday 21st February.
Thank you and happy reading!
Tegan and Julie