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- Welcome back to Term 1, 2025!
- 2024 Annual Accounts
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Important Notices
- Xero Tip of the Month: How to Merge Duplicate Contact Records
- How to Revamp Your School Library on a Budget
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Looking ahead
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As the new academic year kicks off, we extend a warm welcome back to all of our valued schools. We hope that everyone has had a wonderful holiday and is ready to dive into a successful and productive year ahead.
The Accounting For Schools Team is now back in the office, ready to assist with any queries you may have. Whether it’s support with accounts, budgeting, or any other questions you may have, we’re here to help you navigate the year ahead with confidence.
You can reach us on our usual contact phone number 0800 ASK AFS (0800 275 237), or you can drop us an email at: admin@afsl.nz. We look forward to working with you all again this year! |
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The year-end audit process is now in full swing! As mentioned in our November Chalkboard, a folder called "Audit Information & Checklists" has been created in Google Drive. We would appreciate it if you could please upload the auditor checklist, fraud risk assessment, and any additional questionnaires to this folder. Please refer to our 2024 Annual Accounts Preparation Checklist to ensure all of the required information is uploaded to Google Drive. This will allow us to proceed with preparing the 2024 annual accounts. You can download the checklist by clicking the button below. |
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We expect the 2024 payroll reports to be available in EdPay in early February. Once they are, could you please upload the following: -
School Annual Accrual (SAAR) report
- Leave liability reports (TTO, 52 week and LSL leave)
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Annualisations:
If you haven’t already done so, please ensure that your annualisation forms are signed and submitted to Edpay by the deadline of January 29, 2025. Both the Principal and the staff member are required to sign the forms, so it is crucial to complete this process on time. Timely submission is essential.
2025 Annual Budget
If you have not done so already, can you please confirm via email to admin@afsl.nz when your budget has been approved by the Board so we can import it into Xero and prepare for the new year. 2025 Quarter 1 Operational Funding:
As previously mentioned in our December Chalkboard, the Q1 2025 operational funding notices are now available in Pourato. By now, you should have received your first instalment, which was due on January 3, 2025.
If you are one of our monthly schools, you can access our Pourato & Secure Data Portal Checklist by clicking the button below. This checklist provides clear, step-by-step instructions on how to download the data we need from Pourato and the Secure Data Portal, as well as where to upload it within Google Drive. |
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XERO TIP OF THE MONTH: HOW TO MERGE DUPLICATE CONTACT RECORDS |
Are your contacts in Xero getting a little out of control? If the answer is yes it might be time for some Xero housekeeping! Duplicate contacts can easily be merged. All the financial data is merged into a single contact, and the duplicate is then archived. This allows you to keep all contact information and related transactions together, instead of across multiple records for the same contact.
When you merge duplicate contact records, no transactions are deleted (this includes invoices, bills, and other financial transactions). The transaction details are added to the activity details of the contact you keep. To merge two or more contacts: 1. In the Contacts menu, select All contacts. 2. In the search field, start typing the name of the contact you want to merge.
3. Once you are satisfied the contacts are associated with the same company, select the checkbox for each contact you want to merge. Do not select the contact you want to retain. Ensure that the contact you keep has the correct bank account details.
4. Click Merge, then click Confirm merge. The merged contacts will be archived and all associated transactions will be merged into the activity details of the contact you keep.
Note: You can restore a merged contact if necessary by going to the Archived section (highlighted in the image below in the top toolbar). In this section, simply click on the contact and then click the Restore button located on the right-hand side of the page. |
HOW TO REVAMP YOUR SCHOOL LIBRARY ON A BUDGET |
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A school library is a hub for learning, creativity, and exploration, but it doesn't always take a large budget to make it an inviting space. With some thoughtful planning and creativity, you can breathe new life into your library without overspending.
Whether you're looking to improve the physical space, create a more engaging environment, or make the library more accessible for students, there are plenty of budget-friendly ways to give your school library a fresh new look. Below, we’ll share a few practical and creative strategies to revamp your library without breaking the bank. |
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Evaluate your space:
This needs to happen before you begin doing anything else. One library layout does not fit all. So observing and planning is very important. Your primary goal is to make the library space user-friendly for all of your students. Is there a lot of collaboration and co-teaching going on in your space? Do you have students that come to the library to take reading quizzes, or do they come to use the space for studying/online classes? Asking yourself questions like this can help you plan a layout.
Plan your space:
When choosing a layout, sometimes the only decision-maker is you. But you don’t have to remain on your library island all alone, talk to other school librarians in your area and beyond. If you have seen a library layout that has been recently changed that you like, it doesn’t hurt to get others’ opinions on what they did in the planning stage. Redecorate your space:
Many schools are feeling the budget crunch these days, so our advice is to make the most of what you already have. The key here is repurpose, refresh, recycle, and reuse. If something can't be revived but it's within your budget to replace it, then go for it! Otherwise it is time to revitalize what you have, and a fresh coat of paint can do wonders in transforming a space. Instead of buying new furniture, consider repainting or reupholstering old chairs and tables to give them a fresh, updated look. You can even repurpose items from other areas of the school or community to create comfortable reading nooks and cozy corners.
One out-of-the-box idea that you might want to try is connecting with local businesses. They may be willing to donate new books, furniture, or supplies to help refresh your library. Building strong relationships with community members can lead to future collaborations that benefit both the school and the local businesses. |
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271 Willis Street, Wellington 6011 |
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