Prep 2025 Information
As we welcome our newest members of the St Patrick's community to Prep in 2025, there is a lot of information that parents and carers seek.
Here is what you need to know to get started in 2025.
School Uniform
All of the school uniform information can be found on our website here. All uniform items that identify the school, such as polo shirts, house polos, backpacks, jumpers, hats and dresses are to be purchased through Academy Uniforms. Their Craigieburn store is open over the school holidays and the school uniform shop near the netball courts will reopen on Thursday 28 January from 11:00am to 4:30pm. All other uniform items (except shoes) can also be purchased through the uniform shop, but can be substituted for like items from other department-type stores.
Sport uniform days will be advised closer to the start of Term 1 by the classroom teacher. Sports uniform is worn on the days that the class have PE and Visual Art.
School Requisite Items
St Patrick's provides a list of items that a student will use throughout the year, broken up into a list of items the school provides and a list of items required to be supplied by families. The list is provided at the end of the prep transition sessions, but the School Requisite List for 2025 can be found in the bag going home with students on the last orientation session.
Back to School Reminders
Please remember the following:
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Label everything that is being sent to school;
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If a kinder name is labelled on an item, such as lunch boxes, please change it to the 2024 class;
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Do not forget to add the student name and classroom to the reusable school lunch order bags to avoid lunch orders being lost;
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Canteen reopens on the first day of school - Friday 31 January;
School Reopening
The school office will reopen on Thursday 30 January, our Get To Know You (GTKY) Meetings and testing will be on Thursday 30 January and prep students will commence on Friday 31 January.
Prep Testing Days
Each prep student will undertake a testing session during one of the Wednesday rest days. Parents and carers need to book a day and time for this testing. More information about how to book your testing day will be provided in the bags sent home with students after the last orientation session.
Communication
St Patrick's uses a range of communication methods, and a list of them can be found here.
A reminder to ensure that your email address is registered with the front office so that you receive the weekly newsletter. Please email Elise Vlasveld (elise.vlasveld@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au) to request to be added to the newsletter list.
We also recommend that all families with Facebook, request access to our parent/carer-only Facebook group. You can find the group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stpatskilmorefamilies. You must answer all questions to be admitted to the group.
SIMON Parent Access Module (PAM)
You must ensure that you setup your PAM account. The Parent Access Module (PAM) is connected the school's SIMON student management system. From this account you can notify absences, access reports, provide and update medical information, nominate emergency contacts, etc. An account will be created for new families and you will receive an email to set up the new account. A letter in relation to PAM access for new families can be found here.
You will utilise PAM to access school reports, grant permissions and notify absences. Information about how to do these things and more can be found here.
Other Dates
Please refer to your SIMON PAM account for the 2025 school calendar.
2025 Welcome Barbeque
To welcome our families to school for 2025, there will be a back-to-school barbeque on the evening of the first Friday of school, Friday 7 February 2025 from 4:45-6:00pm.
2025 School Fees
Finally, school fees for 2025 have been set, and information can be found on the webpage here. School fee invoices will be sent out early in Term 1. All payments are made by direct debit. Please contact Deb Amodio, the Finance Officer, to setup your direct debit if you have not already done so.
Late in 2021, our head office, MACS, released a new Concessional Fee Policy, which provides reduced fees for: families of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent; families with Health Care or DVA Cards; or those families facing severe financial hardship. In order to be eligible for the Concessional Fee Policy, you must be entitled to the CSEF Payment, with an eligibility cut off date in April. Do not delay in applying for CSEF and Concessional Fee, as we cannot apply the discounts if the CSEF application is not approved.
If you believe that you may be eligible for a concessional fee, please contact Deb Amodio (deb.amodio@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au) to request the documentation to apply for the concessional fee. The concessional fee must be paid by direct debit and the concessional fee is not retrospective, and any existing debt stands in full.
If you face issues in paying the school fees, at any time during the year, please contact Deb Amodio, and discuss what arrangements can be made to assist your situation. It is important that you contact the school early so that we can assist appropriately.
Working With Children Checks
St Patrick's Primary School takes our obligations and responsibilities in relation to child safety very seriously. The school is required to ensure that anyone that has direct contact with a child has been screened and inducted into the school appropriately.
The State Government's WWCC provisions establish the minimum standard in our state. At St Patrick's, with the support of our head office, MACS, we have implemented higher standards to ensure the utmost protection for our students. These standards were developed in consultation with both MACS and Victoria Police.
We require all visitors to the school who have direct contact with students, regardless of their relationship to the students, to hold a current and valid WWCC. This requirement applies to parents, all relatives over the age of 18, contractors and volunteers. Direct contact typically occurs during events such as camps, excursions, classroom assistance, and interactive events like the walkathon or work showcases.
For visitors who do not have direct contact with students, while we still require them to sign in at the front office for emergency management purposes, a WWCC is not necessary. This includes situations such as parent-teacher meetings or attending assemblies where visitors do not engage directly with students.
The school understands that the sign-in process can be time-consuming, and the school is including additional devices during events to assist with the timely processing. That said, these measures are in place to safeguard the students. The school cannot assume that a parent without a WWCC has simply overlooked the requirement; it is possible they may not hold a WWCC due to not passing necessary police clearances. Given that a significant majority of child-related offenses are committed by individuals known to the child, we prioritise the WWCC and induction requirement to ensure the safety of all our students.
The induction process must be renewed every 12 months, and an email reminder will be sent to the registered email address and can be completed online rather than coming to the school. This requirement applies to any person over the age of 18. Exemptions do apply to anyone who is under 18, or a police officer, or a VIT-registered teacher. If any of these categories apply, you can say you have a WWCC exemption.
We strongly recommend all parents and family members, such as grandparents who will visit on special occasions, to ensure you have a current WWCC. Anyone that does not currently have a Working With Children Check can apply online here: