Assumption Convent Primary School

29 May 2014

Dear Parents/Guardians

Please take note of the following important matters:

FINANCES

The new fee structure for 2015, as determined by the Financial Committee, has been ratified by the Boardat a meeting which took place on 12 May. When contemplating the fee increase for 2015, the Financial Committee had to consider, amongst others, the following matters:

  • As an Independent school, we rely on the income generated by school fees to run the school and pay Teachers’ salaries.
  • We need to have an accurate idea of the enrolment for 2015 to ensure that the teacher/learner ratio is such that we can maintain the academic standards in the school.
  • In the fourth term we start testing new learners who wish to enter the school so we need to know how many new learners we can accept. Again, the teacher/learner ratio is of vital concern.
  • If additional staff members need to be employed, we need to advertise such posts so that candidates can give adequate notice to their present employers.

For these reasons, we need to know how many learners are returning next year. All parents must fill in the Reply Slip below and return it to school by Friday 20 June 2014.

If your child is not returning to school next year, this will serve as written notice to that effect.

If your child is returning next year, kindly complete the attached Re-registration form and return it together with this letter’s reply slip.

The Registration Fee: This understandably, is a cause of much confusion every year. Each year during the budget process, an amount is determined that needs to be raised through school fees to cover annual expenses of the school. This amount is then divided by the number of children in the school which gives us the annual school fees per child, taking sibling and annual discounts into consideration.

To make the school fees as affordable as possible the annual school fee total required per child is divided into 12 instalments. These instalments are then payable as follows:

  • A registration fee (12th instalment) payable by the 25th October 2014. Should this amount not be paid in full by this date, we cannot guarantee a space for the student in 2015. This payment of the registration fee helps the administrative process of determining space available for new learners for the coming year.
  • 11 instalments payable in advance from January –November every year.

The matter has been discussed at great lengths but it is felt that should we divide the annual school fee total by 11 instalments (allowing the registration fee to cover January fees) the school monthly fee will be too high, making it unaffordable to some of our families.

The registration fee amount, to secure your child’s place for the coming academic year, is as follows:

1st Child 2nd Child 3rd Child

Grade 1 – 7: R2400.00 R2256.00 R2095.00

Grade RR – R: R2000.00 R1880.50 -

NB: Registration must be settled by 25thOctober 2014.

January school fees are due in advance and are due when school re-opens in January 2015.

Please Note:

  • If the registration is not paid by 25thOctober 2014, your child will only be accepted next year if there is space in the class you are applying for.

Parents are requested to take this point very seriously. As discussed at the AGM earlier this year, the school was left with a massive loss of income at the start of this year because of parents who had indicated that they would return their children to this school but then did not pay any registration fee and then placed their children in a different school.

We had more than 40 spaces open at the start of 2014 because of this and the worst part is that at the end of 2013 we showed away over 100 applications from outside as we were counting on our parents who promised to return their children to this school in 2014 and were thus of the opinion that the school was full.

As an independent school we rely 100% on the income generated from school fees. We simply cannot allow a similar situation to repeat itself again.

This is also the reason why we are starting so early with the re-registration process, so that parents will have ample time to settle the re-registration fee and to enable us to open up spaces for outside applications as from 1 November 2014.

  • Amount will only be accepted as re-registration fee if school fee accounts are paid up to date.
  • The Registration Fee is a non-refundable deposit to secure a space for your child for the coming academic year and does NOT cover January School fees.

If you require any further clarity on the registration fee or the school fee structure please do not hesitate to contact the bursar, Lesley Todd on 012 565 5234.

We are delighted to inform you that we have managed to keep the increase of school fees below 10% this year.

Fees for the 2015 School year are as follows:

SCHOOL FEES GRADE 1-7

FULL FEES (±6.0% discount)
Payable by 28 February 2015 / MONTHLY FEES
NB: 11 Payments due by 7th of month, from January to November
1st Child / R26 470.00 / 11 x R2560.00 = R28 160.00 per annum
2nd Child / R24 882.00 / 11 x R2406.00 = R26 466.00 per annum
3rd Child + / R21 710.00 / 11 x R2100.00 = R23 100.00 per annum

PRE-SCHOOL FEES GRADE RR-R

FULL FEES
(±6.0% discount)
Payable by 28 February 2015 / MONTHLY FEES
NB: 11 Payments due by 7th of month, from January to November
1st Child / R22 376.00 / 11 x R2164.00 = R23 804.00 per annum
2nd Child + / R21 035.00 / 11 x R2035.00 = R22 385.00 per annum

ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEES

(Payable by 22nd November of preceding year or on registration)

1st Child 2nd Child 3rd Child

Grade 1 – 7: R2400.00 R2256.00 R2095.00

Grade RR – R: R2000.00 R1880.50 -

Please note: Annual registration fees do not cover January School fees.

MAINTENANCE LEVY:

(payable 1st term):

R460.00 per family annually.

Aftercare fees, art- and stationery levies will be determined later in the year and communicated to parents.

Just to remind all parents, the once-off Maintenance Levy of R460 per family is used to maintain the school gardens etc. I am sure that all will agree that our school grounds look terrific.

Unfortunately it costs money to keep it looking this way and that is the reason behind the Maintenance Levy. A good looking, tidy school is not only a great advertisement to the outside world, but it also creates a pleasant environment for learners in which to study.

NETBALL

Congratulations to our Netball teams who played against SA College yesterday and won all their matches.

JUNE EXAMS

All learners should have received their exam time tables by now. Please encourage your child to start preparing for the exam well in advance.

The exams commence on12 June. During this time, school will close at 12:30 in the afternoon. Please make alternative arrangements for transport.

Please also see to it that your child is well-equipped for the exam. Each child should have his/her own stationary, which includes a proper pen, pencil, eraser, sharpener, ruler, scissors etc. NO borrowing and lending will be allowed during the exam as it creates a disturbance and leads to ill discipline in the class.

GENERAL

  • Please do not forget about the Big Walk which will take place on 6 September this year.
  • Tomorrow is NOT a civvies day.
  • Pop corn will be sold at R5 a packet tomorrow and the tuck shop will be selling Boerewors rolls at R15 each.

Enjoy the weekend.

Kind regards

M. Enos (Principal)