Meet our new staff! 

Mrs Denise Burns - Year 5 Teacher

My name is Denise Burns, and I will be teaching Year 5 this year at Clayfield College. Previous to Clayfield, I worked at Ironside State School for eight years and then prior to that, taught in Scotland. I live with my two little girls, my husband, and my dog Baxter. And I love reading, cycling, swimming, and yoga.

What really attracted me to Clayfield College was the community spirit. I love seeing the impact I can have on a child and their family's lives, which is why I became a teacher in the first place. I love making a connection with young people. 

A fun fact about me is that I have lived in Africa and Italy although I am originally from Ireland. 

Mrs Esther San Miguel - Year 6 Teacher

My name is Esther San Miguel and I am a new Year 6 teacher here at Clayfield College working alongside Mrs Lauren Coote.

I was born and raised in Sydney where I attended Loreto Kirribilli during high school. I then studied a Bachelor of Health Sciences, with the hopes of becoming both an OT and Physio but soon realised these were not passions of mine. I finished my Bachelor's degree and decided to take a year off to travel, coach rowing and work in an upmarket restaurant in Potts Point, Sydney. I realised that I loved teaching the rowing students and I loved engaging with the customers. It dawned on me that teaching and working in teams to provide wonderful experiences is what I am best at!

I completed my Masters of Teaching at the University of Sydney and my first year of teaching was during COVID-19. I taught at a terrific school in Sydney for two years before moving to Adelaide where I taught a Year 5 class for two years. I have loved every minute of it!

I was drawn here by the way Clayfield College offers a learning environment that nurtures young people with the skills and capabilities to foster strong relationships, build a sense of community and citizenship, cultivate curiosity and harness creativity, and challenge students to act with integrity. These values align very strongly with my own, and my teaching pedagogy.

I am passionate about inspiring young minds to be the best version of themselves. I love engaging with people, understanding who each person is, and supporting them however I can so that they get the most out of life. 

I have loads of hobbies! I love creating things, particularly if it involves cooking or baking. I love being active and running around with my dog named Poppy. I also love playing netball and soccer and I occasionally go rowing or kayaking. My husband and I are both from big families who are based in Sydney, but we also love travelling and we recently returned from our Honeymoon in India. We enjoy going off the beaten track and exploring interesting countries. Recently, we have started making and painting our own pottery. I am interested in many different activities and I love being able to do lots of different things. I think that is my secret talent; squeezing the most amount of activities into a day!

This year, I am most looking forward to working with so many wonderful students, teachers and parents.