Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,  

Thank you for your continued support and partnership with the College this Term. Whether you have attended parent-teacher interviews, volunteered for College events, cheered on your children from the sporting sidelines, or enjoyed the student musical performances throughout the Term, your involvement has made a significant impact. 

Your contributions are an essential part of the Clayfield College community, where students are known, valued and engaged. 

I appreciated the opportunity to meet with Secondary and upper Primary students over morning tea this Term. These sessions have provided a forum for students to ask questions, discuss issues and provide feedback on a range of issues such as assessments, trips and tours, the student uniform, school policies and procedures. The student representatives from these year groups will be taking these items, amongst others, to be discussed further at Student Representative Council meetings throughout the remainder of the year.  

This week we hosted a Community Conversation, extending an invitation to parents and carers for an in-depth discussion regarding the feedback received from the recent Parent Survey. The Senior Leadership Team and I were present to address questions and gather insights from parents. We understand the significance of working together with parents to create a dynamic educational environment that empowers each student to reach their full potential, and sincerely appreciate your involvement in this endeavour. 

In addition to our academic program, students have been encouraged to embrace new opportunities and learn from experiences. These have included the Cambridge Scholars’ Program, National Exchange Program with Pymble Ladies’ College, NAIDOC Week, Opus Concerts, Canberra Trip, Jazz on the Green, and many more. 

The Year 12 and Prep classes commemorated a ‘beginning and end’ – the Prep students reaching their initial 100 days of schooling and the Year 12 students acknowledging their final 100 days of school. Year 12 students will be gearing up for their trial ATAR exams during the second week of the holidays, and I extend my best wishes to each of them as they employ the trial as a crucial resource in readiness for the external exams. 

 Our 2023 Boarder Marketing Tour program continued with a trip to Barcaldine, Longreach and Emerald. Mrs Kathryn Searle, Head of Boarding, and Ms Emma Dixon, Acting Director of Marketing, Communications and Engagement met with current and enrolled boarding families, as well as Old Collegians. Thank you to our regional families and Old Collegians for your warm hospitality. Kathryn and Emma enjoyed visiting with you all. 

Throughout the holiday break, campus will remain abuzz with maintenance, refurbishment and capital improvement projects. Thanks to the generosity of the Clayfield College Foundation, and the proceeds from our Annual Giving Day, a comprehensive makeover awaits the weights and cardio rooms within the Physical Education (PE) Centre. These spaces will undergo a complete refurbishment, featuring fresh equipment, updated flooring, new paint and improved storage facilities. I look forward to sharing the PE Centre's revamped appearance and enhanced functionality come Term 4. 

Finally, we send our best wishes to Mrs Stefanie Palmer as she begins her 12-month maternity leave at the start of Term 4. We warmly welcome Mr Noah Castellaro, who will be stepping in to manage Stefanie’s classes during her absence.  

I wish you all a wonderful holiday break and trust you find some time to enjoy this delightful Queensland Spring weather.  

Kind regards 

Dr Andrew Cousins 

Principal