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- Classroom Subjects | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Classroom Subjects St Patrick's Primary School breaks up the Victorian Curriculum into subjects taught both in the classroom and in specialised environments within the school. The information provided here is with respect to those subjects taught in the classroom. Literacy Our literacy program reflects the various elements of the Victorian Curriculum which includes reading and viewing, writing and spelling and speaking and listening. Each class studies English for 10 hours a week. For more information on the Literacy program, click here . Mathematics Mathematics is taught under the 3 strands outlined in the Victorian Curriculum - Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. Students study Mathematics for 5 hours per week in every level of the school. For more information on the Maths program, click here . Integrated Inquiry The inquiry process develops skills for lifelong learning in areas such as history, environment, science and citizenship. Each class studies Inquiry for two hours a week. For more information on the Inquiry program, click here . Religion The Religious Education Curriculum attends to the spiritual development of each person to appreciating the value of Catholic faith. Each class studies RE for 2 hours per week. For more information on the RE program, click here . Social & Emotional SEL assists students in relationships, decision-making, learning how to handle challenging situations and develop leadership skills across the curriculum to nurture their wellbeing and assist their learning. Each class studies SEL for at least 45 minutes a week. For more information on the SEL program, click here . Technologies Whilst technolgoies is not a separate subject within the curriculum, it is incorporated across all parts of the curriculum. For more information on the Technologies program, click here .
- Transition to Secondary | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Transition to Secondary School Transitioning from primary school to secondary school can be a time of great emotion. Whilst some students transition to other local secondary colleges, and participate in their transition days, the majority of our students transition across to Assumption College. St Patrick's likes to ensure that its students are ready for that move by implementing a range of transition sessions and programs to assist St Patrick's Primary School prides itself on its relationship with Assumption College (ACK). That deep bond between the schools extends to our Year 6 to Year 7 transition program. Our transition program is a year-long program that includes key staff from Assumption College attending St Patrick's throughout the year, as well as regular tours and invitations to participate in Assumption College events. In 2021, the transition program was extended for Terms 3 and 4 to include a fully immersive experience where the Year 6 St Patrick's students select one of Assumption College's Year 7 subjects that interests them and attend that subject onsite at Assumption College three times per week with the Year 7 students. All Year 6 students participate in this transition program regardless of which secondary school they attend for Year 7. The program is about providing our Year 6 students with a secondary experience such as attending different classrooms for different subjects, having different teachers and participating in a different style of learning. These experiences are transferable to any secondary school setting. Assumption College provides all Year 6 students with an Assumption email address and access to the Assumption SIMON Learning Management System (LMS) at the start of the program and are emailed a booklet of subject alternatives. Students electronically select a number of subject preferences and, depending on timetabling, the student will be allocated one of their preferences. As students could be allocated any one of their preferences, families are encouraged to work with their child to ensure that the subjects that are selected are reflective of the child's interests. Our Year 6 students fully participate in whichever class they attend. The class is conducted for 75 minutes, three times a week. Students are required to complete all work set both for in the class, and outside if required. Students also participate in all class assessments. Where students are required to have a laptop, St Patrick's provides the students with those laptops. As the Year 6 students are at Assumption College for almost four hours per week, there is an adjustment to the learning expectations at St Patrick's. Students continue to participate in their regular Literacy, Maths, RE and specialist subjects. Whilst students do not participate in formal SEL or Inquiry lessons, these subjects are incorporated into the other areas of their learning. As such, SEL and Inquiry are not reported on in the Semester 2 report, however their Assumption College subject will be. The content of this part of the report depends on the subject that the student participates in. Students at St Patrick's Primary School receive a unique transition experience that we believe is not replicated anywhere else. By giving our Year 6 students six months of genuine transition in a secondary school environment, the students learn how to move around a large campus, how to find and get to and from classrooms. In addition, they receive the benefits of the experience of having different teachers each day as well as engaging with current Year 7 students, from whom they can learn from their transition experiences, which helps to reduce transition anxiety in students. At St Patrick's we pride ourselves on developing the whole child, not just their academics, and this program is another way that St Patrick's sets up our students for success into the future, regardless of the secondary school they attend in Year 7. For those students who do attend Assumption College in Year 7, the Year 7 coordinator keeps in touch with the classroom teacher and throughout the year will occasionally attend the Year 6 classrooms so that the children have the chance to ask any questions they may have and it also gives them the opportunity to get to know them. For students with need, during the Parent Support Group (PSG) sessions in Terms 2, 3 and 4 there are ACK staff participating in the meeting so parents have the opportunity to voice any concerns they may have. Class teachers also fill in a personal transition form on each child in Year 6, including information about them so that their secondary school teachers have up-to-date and relevant information about the student before they get to their secondary school.
- Integrated Inquiry | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Integrated Inquiry The inquiry approach to learning is based on the belief that students are powerful learners who must be actively engaged in the process of investigating, processing, organising, synthesising, refining and extending their knowledge within a topic. In a nutshell, the inquiry process involves: Planned, direct and rich experiences that provide opportunities for students to pose questions and gather information. Activities that help students organise new information and use skills in a way that assists them to form concepts and generalizations about their world Opportunities for students to work independently and cooperatively and demonstrate what they have learnt applying the knowledge, skills and values to other contexts. The inquiry process has the potential to develop skills and dispositions for lifelong learning, for example, independence, thinking skills, confidence, decision making, cooperative learning and other life skills. We can integrate different subject areas, information technology and global issues. At St Patrick’s we have developed an Inquiry map that each level studies in a two-yearly cycle. The broad concepts and key ideas covered can be found here . Content for our Inquiry units is drawn from the Victorian Curriculum. When planning units of work teachers check the following areas to ensure that these critical components of the curriculum are being covered across the school. Cross-curriculum Priorities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, and Sustainability Learning areas and Capabilities Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical, Intercultural, Personal and Social The Humanities Civics and Citizenship Economics and Business Geography History Science Technologies Design and Technologies Digital Technologies
- Excursions and Camps | St Patrick's Kilmore
Excursions, Incursions and Camps Camps, excursions and incursions are an important aspect of the educational program at St Patrick's. These programs offer students the opportunity to expand their learning, life and social skills in an alternative setting or using a different approach. These programs have an academic, interperson or environmental emphasis. Excursions St Patrick's offer excursions to students in all year levels. The excursions are curriculum based and are linked to the learning at the time. Excursions can be both local, like historical town walks, and more further afield such as Bendigo Discovery Centre, Melbourne Zoo, etc. Incursions Incursions are activities presented to students by external presenters within the school. Incursions are also curriculum based and linked to the learning at the time. Incursions may include presentations on animals, history, investigating, etc. Camps St Patrick's Primary School hold school camps each year for students in Years 4, 5 and 6. The camps are used to extend the stduents knowledge in a setting outside of school, and helps to develop skills and confidence in the students. St Patrick's Primary School has a policy on school camps, which can be found here . Grade 4 Our Year 4 students will go on an overnight camp to Camp Weekaway in Benlock (near Lancefield). The students participate in a range of activities over the two days. For more information about Weekaway Camp click here . Grade 5 Our Year 5 students participate in a two-night camp to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. The students participate in a range of activities over the three days to learn about the goldrush of the 1850s. The students also participate in the costume school where the students and teachers dress in 1850s clothes and participate in a day in an 1850s school. For more information about excursions at Sovereign Hill, click here . Grade 6 Our Year 6 students participate in a two-night camp to the Melbourne CBD. The students stay at City CYC and participate in a number of mini excursions throughout the city, including visiting the MCG, The Shrine of Remembrance, St Patrick's Cathedral, a river cruise, the Museum and more.
- Homework | St Patrick's
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Homework At St Patrick’s Primary School, we recognise that learning takes place wherever a child is, whether it is at school, at home, or out in the community. We also recognise that parents are the first teachers of children and what an important ongoing role that is for a child. We believe that homework complements classroom learning, fosters good study habits and provides an opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning outside of the classroom. The amount of time spent on homework varies, and will increase as a child progresses through school, starting with at least 40 minutes a week for Prep classes, through to two hours a week for Year 6. The homework will include reading, and may also include maths and other tasks as set by the classroom teacher from time to time. Parents will be expected to sign their child’s diary to confirm that their child is undertaking the necessary homework tasks. St Patrick’s Primary School has a policy with respect to homework, and that can be found here .
- Programs and Clubs | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Wellness Programs St Patrick's Primary School have a range of different wellness programs that are aimed at providing students with a diverse range of activities and programs to address their specific needs. Seasons for Growth Seasons for Growth is a small group grief and loss education program. It is based on the belief that change and loss are part of life and grief is a normal response to these losses. The Seasons for Growth program provides an opportunity for children to learn the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to understand and respond well to grief and loss experiences (e.g. death, separation, divorce). More information on the Seasons for Growth program can be found on the KidsMatter website here . Prep?Year 6 Buddy Program Each Prep student is matched with a Grade 6 buddy. Together, they participate in regular shared learning activities throughout the year, including literacy, inquiry, maths games, cooking and craft. It helps the Preps feel safe at school and promotes leadership and responsibility in the Grade 6's, who do an amazing job nurturing and guiding the preps through their first year. It is a rewarding and positive program for all involved! Imagination Club St Patrick's work with the I-CAN Network and together we embrace Autism. Through the Imagination Club we also recognise that many students don’t have a diagnosis, or their diagnosis has not been disclosed. Our school's mentoring program is called ‘Imagination Club – for students with big imaginations’. More information on Imagination Clubs can be found on the I CAN Network website here .
- Parish | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Kilmore Parish The Catholic parish of St Patrick’s, Kilmore was established in 1849 and is the oldest inland Catholic parish in Victoria. Kilmore prides itself as “Australia’s first inland town”. Founded by William Rutledge an Irish immigrant in 1841, he named the town after his family home and local Irish diocese. The Gaelic names mean burying place and big church. And so St. Patrick’s became Australia’s first inland Catholic parish in 1849, before the State of Victoria existed. Recollected history is that there was initially a chapel on Brewery Hill, at the north end of the town, built of 6ft paling slabs and a shingle roof. The gold rush meant increases of traffic though the area, and residents were quick to provide for the needs of this growing area and travellers. By 1848 a catholic school had been started and in 1851 three sites in Sutherland street were granted. With the usual government grant and donations, a stone church/school was built on the current site by 1854, but by then the parish priest Timothy O’Rourke, had ideas of a substantial church. Numerous priests, nuns, brothers and laypeople have served the tens of thousands who have come here to worship, to be educated, and to belong as members of this historic parish. The church you see today is a wonderful, visible sign of the faith that inspired those mainly Irish immigrants who flocked here in pioneering days, and was restored in 2012. Our current priest, Father Prakash Cutinha has served in the Parish since September 2020. The Kilmore Parish covers 1500 square kilometres, from Kalkallo to halfway between Broadford and Tallarook and from Strath Creek in the east to Pyalong in the west. Schools in the parish also include Assumption College and the new Our Lady of the Way at Wallan. Mass times are: Saturday - Broadford at 5:00pm - Kilmore at 6:30pm Sunday - Kilmore at 7:45am - Wallan at 9:00am - Kilmore at 10:30am The Parish House (Presbytery) is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9:30am to 4:00pm. Parish secretary Caterina Bosevski is in attendance during these times. The Parish Secretary can be contacted on (03) 5782 1084 during these times or email kilmore@cam.org.au . More information about the Kilmore Parish can be found here .
- Application Meeting Bookings | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Prep 2026 Meeting Bookings As part of the Prep 2026 application process, all prospective students and their families attend an application meeting with the School Principal, Michael Bourne. Please book this compulsory meeting using the form below. St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore welcomes you to our online booking for Prep 2026 Application Meetings. At least one parent/carer and the 2026 prep student are required to attend the meeting. The appointment will take approximately 30 minutes and we ask that you arrive 5 minutes early. If relevant to your child, please bring any documentation, ie current records from paediatrician, speech therapist, etc to the meeting. If your child wears glasses, please bring them along to the appointment. Select a meeting time that suits you and your child. If you are booking meetings for more than one child, please complete separate meeting event bookings for each child (do not use Student 2, 3, 4 etc).
- Mass and Liturgy | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Mass and Liturgy Religious education at St Patrick’s is not confined to Religious Education classes. Christ is at the centre of all of our endeavours. As a learning community joined together in faith we aim to bear witness to Christ’s vision and values in all aspects of school life. In doing so, we extend our formal religious education to include class mass at church and whole school liturgies. Class Mass at Church Classroom teachers prepare liturgical celebrations with their students. Students have an opportunity to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and Eucharist through attending class mass. Every class prepares for and attends at least once per semester. Mass is held in the St Patrick’s Church at 9am on weekdays. Families and members of the Parish and school community are always welcome to attend these celebrations. Whole School Liturgies Whole School Masses are celebrated during the year. Special Liturgies are celebrated in accordance with the Liturgical Calendar and the school community is welcome to attend. Places of worship are the Parish church, stadium and court yard.
- Parents At School | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Parents at School There is strong evidence that parent engagement is associated with improvements in academic outcomes for students of all ages. It is for that reason that St Patrick's welcomes and encourages parents to be involved in the school program wherever possible Options for helping at school St Patrick's offers many options to parents, carers and indeed grandparents, who wish to help at the school and those options are not limited to within the classroom. Whilst many parents choose to help in the classroom, there are many other avenues to help in a way that is suitable and comfortable for you. Helping in the classroom - contact your classroom teacher, or go to your class page to work out when it might suit you to help in the classroom. This type of help can include reading with your child, working with small groups, changing readers with children, or just generally providing a helping hand. Parents are not expected to fulfil the role of "teacher" and any help that you can provide is absolutely welcome. Helping in specialist classes - do you have a particular interest in art, or sport, or have skills in the performing arts field like dancing, singing or playing an instrument, or maybe you can speak French? Then why not consider helping out in one of those specialist classes? Parents have a wealth of knowledge that can really be influential in a child's education and St Patrick's welcome the opportunity for parents to come to class, either as a one-off or on a regular basis, to get involved in these classes. Assisting with class excursions - every year, each class level will be involved with incursions, excursions and camps. Excursions and camps are reliant on parent participation. St Patrick's appreciate that these can be big commitments for parents and we do everything we can to make this as easy as possible for you to participate. Canteen helper - our school canteen operates Tuesday to Friday and parent helpers are an important element in ensuring that we have a canteen service for our students. Parents can contact the canteen manager, Helena Putnik, ****** to find out more about helping in the canteen. More information about the canteen can be found here . Parents and Friends events - the Parents and Friends conduct many events during the year, such as Mothers and Fathers Day breakfasts and gift stalls, a biennial fete/fair, and other events throughout the year. If you have a particular interest, or can only help out once or twice a year, these events are great opportunities for you to be involved at school. More information about the Parents and Friends can be found here . For more information about getting involved at school, information from the Department of Education can be found here . Working with Children's Checks Government regulations require that anyone that attends the school that has more than incidental contact with students must have a current and valid Working With Children's Check. If you do not hold a current Working With Children's Check, you must go online, complete the application form and then attend an Australia Post outlet to finalise the application. It will then be processed and you will be notified of the outcome. The website for applications can be found here .
- Anti-bullying | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Anti-bullying Bullying is a global problem that is not confined to schools. It is something that people of all ages, with all backgrounds, and in any social, educational or workplace environment may witness, be subjected to, or participate in, at any time in life. What is bullying? The national definition of bullying for Australian schools was developed by the Safe and Supportive School Communities Working Group . This national group includes all state, territory and federal education departments, as well as national Catholic and independent schooling representatives. The definition of bullying has been developed as part of the National Safe Schools Framework and can be found on the Australian Government's Student Wellbeing Hub. Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying. What is NOT bullying? Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include: mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance ) not liking someone or a single act of social rejection one-off acts of meanness or spite isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence. However, these conflicts still need to be addressed and resolved. Types of bullying. There are three types of bullying behaviour: Verbal bullying which includes name calling or insulting someone about physical characteristics such as their weight or height, or other attributes including race, sexuality, culture, or religion Physical bullying which includes hitting or otherwise hurting someone, shoving or intimidating another person, or damaging or stealing their belongings Social bullying which includes consistently excluding another person or sharing information or images that will have a harmful effect on the other person. If any of these behaviours occur only once, or are part of a conflict between equals (no matter how inappropriate) they are not bullying. The behaviours alone don't define bullying. Verbal, physical and social bullying can occur in person or online, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly. Setting – in person and online Bullying can happen in person or online settings. Online bullying is sometimes called cyberbullying. Verbal, physical and social bullying can happen in person . Verbal and social bullying can happen online , as can threats of physical bullying. Specific features of online settings create additional concern for students, parents and carers, and teachers. For example, bullying someone online can potentially have an enormous audience. Research shows that children who are bullied online are often also bullied in person. This means that effectively dealing with online bullying means looking at other situations as well. Means – direct and indirect Bullying can be by direct or indirect means. Direct bullying occurs between the people involved, whereas indirect actions involve others, for example passing on insults or spreading rumours. Indirect bullying mostly inflicts harm by damaging another's social reputation, peer relationships and self-esteem. Visibility – overt and covert Bullying can be easy to see, called overt, or hidden from those not directly involved, called covert. Overt bullying involves physical actions such as punching or kicking or observable verbal actions such as name-calling and insulting. Overt, direct, physical bullying is a common depiction of bullying. (This is sometimes called 'traditional bullying'). But overt physical bullying may not be the most common type of bullying. Covert bullying can be almost impossible for people outside the interpersonal interaction to identify. Covert bullying can include repeatedly using hand gestures and weird or threatening looks, whispering, excluding or turning your back on a person, restricting where a person can sit and who they can talk with. Covert social or verbal bullying can be subtle and even sometimes denied by a person who claims they were joking or 'just having fun'. Some bullying is both covert and indirect, such as subtle social bullying, usually intentionally hidden, and very hard for others to see. This type of bullying is often unacknowledged at school, and can include spreading rumours, threatening, blackmailing, stealing friends, breaking secrets, gossiping and criticising clothes and personalities. Indirect covert bullying mostly inflicts harm by damaging another's social reputation, peer relationships and self-esteem, that is, through psychological harm rather than physical harm. Harm – physical and psychological Bullying has the potential to cause harm (although not all unwanted actions necessarily cause harm). The physical harm caused by some types of bullying is well recognised. More recently, research has confirmed that short and long term psychological harm can result from bullying. This includes the harm to a person's social standing or reducing a person's willingness to socialise through bullying (particularly covert social bullying). In fact, just the fear of bullying happening can create distress and harm. The ongoing nature of bullying can lead to the person being bullied feeling powerless and unable to stop it from happening. The effects of bullying, particularly on the mental health and wellbeing of those involved, including bystanders, can continue even after the situation is resolved. Roles in bullying The roles within bullying are: as the person being bullied as the person bullying someone else as a person who witnesses bullying happening or knows about someone being bullied. A student who is bullied in one context may do the bullying in another, and a student who sees bullying in one context may be bullied in another, as individual students may take on different roles in bullying on different days, in different circumstances or with different peers. Being bullied Bullying is not a harmless part of growing up. The most obvious and immediate effect is reducing students' participation, learning and enjoyment of school. Other impacts include physical health complaints and fatigue, mental health impacts such as depression and anxiety, and social implications including self-doubt and reluctance to participate in group activities. Many students who are bullied online are also bullied in person. Just as bullying in person can cause harm, being bullied online can lead to social, psychological and educational issues. Some research into the impacts later in life has suggested that online bullying leads to more significant negative impacts, but research asking students directly what they think at the time found the majority considered bullying in person to be more harmful. The most significant negative impacts have been reported in students who have been subject to direct and relational forms of bullying. Bullying can create high levels of social anxiety and a sense of loss of dignity and 'agency'. Agency is the sense of control a person has over what happens to them and their life, and their ability to make choices. Feeling powerless and unable to stop the bullying can lead to lasting harm. Feelings of anxiety, fear and distress about being excluded and being treated with contempt can continue away from the school setting for students who experience bullying in person or online. Bullying others The impact for students who bully others depends on whether the bullying is short-term or persists over years. Some students engage in bullying for a short time only and then stop either because they realise it is inappropriate or the school supports them to learn more appropriate behaviour . A small group of students continue to bully others over many years. Students who persistently bully others have been found to have later issues in mental health and educational outcomes, as well as showing criminal and anti-social behaviour . These outcomes do not necessarily mean their bullying behaviour results in the later outcomes and the criminal behaviour. It is possible something else in the child's attributes, environment or experience contributes to both. However, these later outcomes suggest that persistent bullying is an important warning sign of ongoing problems. Schools and parents/carers need to support those who bully others to learn more appropriate ways to get on with others and deal with conflict and social challenges. Being a bystander Students who see bullying happening can also experience negative impacts. Many students who are bystanders to bullying feel distress and anxiety about seeing something they consider to be wrong. Students can also feel distress about not knowing what to do. Students may be concerned about their own safety or potential loss of social status. They may be afraid of being bullied themselves if they say something. Students who see bullying happening to others may also doubt whether they are generally safe at school. Research shows that frequent bullying and reports by students of feeling unsafe at school are closely linked. Feeling unsafe can have a negative impact on learning and participating for all students. Some researchers suggest that bystanders are key to stopping bullying, but these students are also part of the peer group and there may well be issues for them if they speak up. Students weigh up a number of factors to decide if they should intervene, including their relationship with those involved, the apparent seriousness and impact, whether they think someone else should intervene, and their opinion of the person being bullied. More information The information provided here has come from the "Bullying, No Way!" website. For more information on bullying, please head to their website, which can be found here . St Patrick's Positive Relationships Policy can be found here , and our Cyber Safety Policy can be found here . St Patrick's have also run a number of forums on bullying and cyber safety and they can be found here: BULLYING CYBERSAFETY
- School Fees Assistance | St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore
St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. School Fees Assistance The Catholic Church's preferential option for the poor obligates Catholic schools to ensure that no baptised student is denied a Catholic education because of an inability to pay (MACS website). We provide a number of ways for families to obtain assistance where there is an issue with payment of fees. As part of your school search, cost can be a significant factor, but at St Patrick's be believe that the most influential factor in choosing a school should be whether it is the “right fit” for the student. St Patrick's focuses on ensuring that students thrive by meeting their academic, social and emotional needs. As a result we are a school that embraces students from all types of backgrounds. We do this by embodying our Catholic value of ensuring baptised students are not denied a Catholic education because of an inability to pay. As such, St Patrick's ensures that cost is not a barrier to joining our school community. We encourage any family that is facing a financial challenge to contact us early to have a discussion. We understand that these conversations can be uncomfortable but we treat all information with the strictest confidence, with the least number of people involved as possible, and do whatever we can to assist families in need. This assistance can be in the form of Government assistance, concessional fees, payment plans and hardship fee-assistance. We encourage families to reach out to our Finance Officer, Debbie Amodio, as early as possible via email (finance@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au ) or call on (03) 5782 1579 (option 2). Conveyance Allowance The State Government has a Conveyance Allowance program that provides families with financial support with the cost of transporting children to school in regional areas. If your family lives more than 4.8km from St Patrick's and our school is your closest Catholic primary school, then you may be eligible for this program. The assistance is paid to the school against school fees for car travel and paid to Assumption College against bus fees for bus travel. Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) The CSEF provides eligible families with a payment towards school fees to offset the cost of camps and excursions. If the parents/carers/guardians of a student hold a Health Card Card, Aged Pension Card, DVA Gold Card, etc, then we encourage those families to apply for the CSEF to help reduce school fees. The 2024 Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) Application Form can be found here . Concessional Fees Late in 2021, St Patrick's head office, MACS, released a 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 If you believe that you may be eligible for a concessional fee, please contact Deb Amodio (finance@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. The concessional fee does not apply to camp fees and the sacramental levy, and these fees and levies are to be paid in addition to your concessional fee. If you do not apply for the CSEF for the current school year, then you will not be eligible for the Concessional Fee support. Please ensure that if you are eligible, that you apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out. The Concessional Fee Program Procedure can be found here . The Concessional Fee Application Form can be found here .

