Announcements

Dear Parents and Carers

Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP) is working hard to support the families in our communities who are struggling financially as a result of COVID-19. Our long standing principle is that no child will be disadvantaged because of a family's financial circumstances.

In 2020, CEDP helped more than 3000 families with COVID-19 fee relief. This is the reason why we made the decision not to raise our school fees for this year. We know more support for families who have lost their incomes will be needed in 2021.

Some members of our communities have asked whether there will be a discount on school fees for all families at CEDP schools in Term 3. I thought it was important to write to you to explain that rather than reducing fees for all families, we will continue to focus on helping those most impacted by the crisis.

As you would expect, excursions, incursions and similar event-based activities cancelled as a result of COVID-19 are being credited back to families. For those who had already paid for these activities, refunds can be provided or a credit can be carried forward for 2022 if preferred.

As always, any family experiencing hardship is encouraged to seek support by contacting their school principal for a confidential conversation. To make the process as fair as possible, requests for fee support will need some supporting documentation.

The switch to remote learning has also meant changes to the way that learning is delivered to students and this will often mean parents and carers being more involved in their children’ learning. At the same time, our teachers are dedicated to meeting the needs of their students in these challenging times. Their focus is to deliver quality learning and help their students in other ways too. Many schools are also contacting families to check-in but we strongly recommend reaching out as soon as you feel your child needs more help.

We are aware that many children are missing the interaction with their teachers and classmates. Their teachers are missing them too and looking forward to welcoming them when it is safe to do so. At the same time, schools have remained open during the lockdown for families who need this support (essential workers, vulnerable students, or those who are not at home and have no other supervision options).

If you have any questions about your child’s learning or their wellbeing, I strongly encourage you to get in touch with their child’s teacher or school. They’re there to help. If you have more questions about your child’s learning, you can also contact our Community Liaison team at cl@parra.catholic.edu.au who will connect you with a member of our Learning team.

For inquiries about hardship support, please get in touch with the School Fees Liaison team at cl@parra.catholic.edu.au.

Thank you for your understanding and support as, together, we continue to respond to the challenges of COVID-19.

Yours sincerely

Sarah Alder
Director Capital Resourcing