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Our new School Council for 2023:

Welcome to our new School Council (SC) team.Adrian Higgins and Angela Bove and Stephen Hayes are reappointed. New members include Cara Grant (DE) Liz O’Keeffe, Greg Mitchell, Jenny Mitchell (parents).

We have a vacancy on SC for a parent who has an accounting background to join our finance sub committee. If you feel you can assist then please phone David Foley as school.

Our new SC President is Kristina Chaston.  We will update our School Council page on the school web site in the next few days to indicate our council members.  As a parent of the school you can raise topics for discussion or request further information from our school council by contacting our team or office or leadership team at school.

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Congratulations to our new student leaders:

A number of key student leaders will receive their badges at a special ceremony in assembly today.  School Captains, House Captains, Wellbeing, JSC coordinators + JSC reps known as Student Voice Agents, Visual Arts and Performing Arts leaders

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Curriculum:

Thank you to Sarah VN who coordinated the Swimming Carnival and thank you to the many parents who assisted at the pool. We have completed successful Parent Student Teacher Information sessions for year 1 – 6 and year Team Level Information Nights in February early in the term. I am very pleased that parents have found time to attend and support the school partnership. Regular contact and the offer of a wide range of communication with parents is our goal in 2023. Thank you for attending onsite and tracking communications in emails,newsletters, Compass and the School Website.

Camps: We continue to plan for our 3 outdoor education camps in term one. As stated at the information nights we are determined to run these special events.  The staff who attend the camps are required to be reimbursed with time (this is called time in lieu TiL). We do not have an ideal solution on how we will acquit the TiL to staff for these events. There will be an impact on school operations and I will keep you informed as we work through this process.

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Strategic Plan 2023 - 2026 and School Annual Implementation Plan 2023 (AIP):

These plans are now finalized and available for parents to read on our web site. Go to

SSP ~ School Strategic Plan + AIP ~ Annual Implementation Plan

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Marketing:

Prep Tours have commenced and enrolments are open 1^stMarch onwards. Tour scan be booked on line.  We have a Prep EXPO on Wednesday 8 March

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Parents and Friends: PFA:

We have a new core team to coordinate events. It would be great to have parents actively involved in the planning and running of events. Meetings will occur in the next two weeks. Please contact Tandy Johnson if you wish to join us.

School Financial Contributions

We would like to advise you of Eltham North Primary School financial contributions for 2023.

Schools provide students with free instruction to fulfil the standard Victorian curriculum and we want to assure you that all contributions are voluntary. Nevertheless, the ongoing support of our families ensures that our school can offer the best possible education and support for our students. We want to thank you for all your support, whether that’s through fundraising or volunteering your time. This has made a huge difference to our school and the programs we can offer. Within our school this support has allowed us to provide our students with a wide variety of subjects and special curriculum experiences, equip classrooms with modern and comfortable furniture, safe playground surfaces and play equipment. It enables school facilities to be upgraded to ensure that the children have a safe, functional, and pleasant environment in which tolearn.

Curriculum Contributions - items and activities that students use, or participate in, to access the Curriculum.

As a school,we provide students with a range of resources, online materials and invest instate-of-the-art computing and audio-visual devices. We see these items as critical to your child’s core learning at school. We provide the latest technology through the provision of Apple hardware like classroom devices and ipads. We have interactive whiteboards in all classrooms and a technician to maintain this technology. 

Although we receive funding from the Department to purchase resources and technology, your contribution provides additional funds to enhance quality, variety, and quantity of these necessary curriculum items.

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Other Contributions – for non-curriculum items and activities

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Student Wellbeing

Student Wellbeing at ENPS is a major priority as we understand the critical importance that strong levels of personal wellbeing have on student learning outcomes. A range of student wellbeing programs and initiatives have been implemented that require ongoing resourcing, such as the Wellbeing Centre (available for students to utilise at lunch times), Peaceful Kids and Mindful Meditation resources, as well as Lunchtime Activity Programs.

First Aid
ENPS employs Level 2 Trained First Aid assistants during the lunch and recess breaks each day.  The staff trained must complete rigorous professional development. The School Council has endorsed this initiative for many years as they recognise the high demand on the first aid room at recess and lunchtimes.

School Grounds Maintenance and Improvements
This contribution provides resources to maintain the school grounds. Several years ago, School Council replaced working bees with a levy as parents preferred to make a financial contribution in preference to attending working bees. School Council employed a part time maintenance person without calling for regular working bees.

Tax Deductible Contributions - Building and Library Trust Funds.
These funds allow the purchase of library books and small building projects like pergolas, tables, fencing, air conditioners and playground equipment.

Extra-Curricular Items and Activities

Eltham North Primary School offers a range of items and activities that enhance or broaden the schooling experience of students and are above and beyond what the school provides in order to deliver the Curriculum. These are provided on a user-pays basis.

Payment arrangements and methods

The Parent Contribution notice is located on the compass portal.  Parents may elect to make payment in full at any time or make term by term instalment payments or customise a payment plan.

Payments may be made by the following methods:

• Compass
• Bpay
• In person at the school office by     Cash/Cheque/EFTPOS or Credit Card
• Mail a cheque made to “Eltham North Primary     School”
• Email authorisation and credit card details to     eltham.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Receipts will be issued only for tax deductible items and other payments can be viewed on compass portal.

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Family support options

·      The school has a limited supply of second-hand uniforms. Iron on logos are available from school, in addition to pre-printed uniform available from Ross Harwood Sports.

·      The Camps,Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payment for eligible students to attend camps, sports and excursions. Families holding a valid means-tested concession card or temporary foster parents are encouraged to apply for CSEF and will be assisted with applications. If you have previously applied for CSEF your application remains valid while your child is enrolled in a registered Victorian school while you are eligible.

·      The Principal or Assistant Principal may request assistance from State Schools’ Relief on behalf of parents or Carers experiencing difficulty covering the costs of uniforms and books.

The online platforms, listed below are available and may assist parents

-       www.sustainableschoolshop.com.au

The Principal will consider families experiencing long term hardship or short term crisis on a confidential, case by case basis.Parents/carers wishing to discuss payment arrangements should contact David Foley in person, by phone on 9439 9639 or by email at  david.foley@education.vic.gov.au

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Educational items for students to own

For many years Eltham North PS has purchased educational items such as scrap books, pencils,pens, calculators, headsets etc on your behalf and these items have been paid for through the ‘Essential Learning Items Charge’ each year. Under, new Department of Education & Training guidelines, schools may no longer on-sell educational items to families.  

As a result of this change in policy, you purchase educational items such as stationery, textbooks calculators from kookaburra school supplies. Parents now pay for and supply stationary items. See Compass portal to download a copy of your year level requirements list and your parent contribution payments list.

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OSHC update:

School Council have approved a fee increase across all sessions from 1 January 2023.  

On review of the current fees, it was decided that they no longer sustain the delivery of an exceeding program.  The increased cost of fruit, vegetables, utilities, Incursions, Excursions, and transport were no longer sustainable with the current fees.

Our program is one of very few that are fortunate enough to have consistent Educators work within our program that can build and develop relationships with the children and their families.  The success and consistency of our program encourages our Educators to remain with us long term. We do not have a need to rely on Agency Educators to conduct our program.

Below is the approved fee increase structure that will be implemented on 1 January 2023.

Before School Care $25.00

Before School Care Casual $35.00

After School Care $30.00

After School Care Casual $40.00

Curriculum Day $100.00

Vacation Care Incursion $100.00

Vacation Care Excursion $120.00

Annual Family Registration Fee $30.00

Late Pick Up Fee after 6.00 pm is $15.00 per 15-minute block or part there of per child

Cancellation notice:

We kindly ask if a booking has to be cancelled, that this cancellation is communicated to OSHC by 6pm of the Friday of the week before the booking.

e.g. If an enrolled child is to have a Wednesday ASC booking cancelled, that cancellation must be made known by 6pm, on the Friday beforehand.

Sickness: As Centrelink permits 42 absence days per child per year, any cancellations under this category will be charged the normalfee.  Please note, that this category cancellation still attracts the Child Care Benefit and Rebate. Absences due to illness with an accompanying Doctors Medical Certificate will be removed without charge or impact to your 42 days absence offered through Centrelink.

As per current practice, we kindly remind you to inform OSHC when a child is not attending so we are not still expecting their arrival.

Cancellations can be made through 

1.       The“Xplor App” 

2.       Byphone on  9439 3607

3.       Email oshc@elthamnorthps.vic.edu.au

School Calendar of Events:

This year we are committed to communicating important dates to parents.  The school web site calendar is updated continuously and weekly newsletters and Compass newsletters are available.

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School Policies: If you wish to find and read the school policies, protocols and processes on specific topics then please access a full alphabetical list on our school web site. We continue to update these in line with direction from the Department of Education.

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Lunch Orders:  Classroom Cuisine offer a lunch menu service on Monday and Wednesday each week.  The menu is located on our web site (look under forms and notices) and via school favourites on Compass.

Student Drop Off Zone:  Parents are aware that the top of the school drop off zone is a very busy area at the start and end of day.  You are required by law to ‘kiss and drop’ which means say goodbye and safely and as quickly as possible. Please do not walk away from your car and note this is a 5 minute zone.  The Nillumbik Bylaws officer has and does take photos of cars illegally parking and will fine offenders. Also, it is recommended that you don't allow children to get out of your car in the middle of the street.   Please do not use the Staff Car park to drop children off after 8.00 am in the morning.

Drop off and pick up times: Children are to arrive at school after 8.45 am or be picked up by 3.45 pm.  Outside of these hours we do not have any teachers in the yard supervising the grounds.  With the end of day light savings and cooler weather, please realise the ‘legal ramifications and safety issues’ relevant to duty of care. If you have to drop off early or pick up late, then please use the OSHC service. Your children will be moved from the upper playground areas into the centre of the school i.e. atrium or into OSHC especially if they arrive before 8.30 am or after 4.00 pm.  

Privacy Matters: At Eltham North we celebrate the efforts of our students by mentioning their participation in school events and their achievements in our school newsletter. Occasional photographs of students are included.  We also use photographs of students in our school magazine along with examples of their work.  Photographs of students areon our school intranet site.  On the school website there are images of students but we only ever use group photographs and identify a student only by their first name, class or year number.  If an individual photograph and full name is required, we will only publish this on the website with the consent of the parent and the student.  We allow parents to record school assemblies and other performances as this creates a moment to remember that can be shared with other family members.  Video and audio recording is permitted at under a copyright license paid by DE (Department), on behalf of all government schools (AMCOS/ARIA license).  We invite local press to school events and they are expected to follow school policy on the publication of photographs of students.  When a story is about an individual achievement we will always seek your consent before passing information or photographs to the press for publication.  Unless a story features an individual child only group photos are published and students’ identified by first name and year only.  If you have any concerns about how photographs of your child may be used by the school please let us know. 

Community News:  Please refer to the Community News notice board (located outside Prep Room 1) for any interested community events.  The Department of Education (DE) does not endorse the products or services of any private advertisers.  No responsibility is accepted by the Department or Eltham North Primary School Council for accuracy of information contained in advertisements or claims made by them.

2nd hand Uniform Shop:  This morning we opened classroom No 9 (mear the assembly stage) before school for parents to come and purchase second hand uniform as bargain prices.  We will repeat this event again soon.

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Important Dates for the remainder of term:

Monday 6 March ~ School Photo Day

Wednesday 8 March ~ Prep Expo for 2024 families

Friday 10 March ~Curriculum Day – no students attend school – OSHC operates

Tuesday 14 – 17 March ~Year 6 Camp

Wednesday 14 March ~NAPLAN assessment program starts for Yr 3 + 5 students

Tuesday 21 March ~ Harmony Day

Thursday 23 March ~School Cross Country

Monday 27 – 29 March ~Year 5 Camp

Wednesday 29 March ~ Year 4 Camp

Monday 3 April ~ School Walkathon

Thursday 6 April ~ last day of term + assembly at 2.00 pm

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Cheers David Foley

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