The Collective

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers, 

 

As 2024 draws to a close, I reflect on a year filled with growth and achievement under our guiding theme of ‘Dream Big and Loud’. This theme resonated throughout our classrooms, encouraging students to reach higher and believe in their potential. It was also physically visible on campus, most notably with the commencement of construction of our new three-storey Design Technology Fabrication Laboratories building. This will provide a space for students to pose questions, wonder why and as Einstein said, ‘contemplate the marvellous structures of reality’.

 

In addition to these building works, this year, our campus has had the following upgrades:

  • Visual Arts Revitalisation: Our Visual Art Rooms received a complete facelift, inspiring creativity and innovation.
  • Playground Renewal: The Primary School Playground was overhauled, offering our youngest learners a dynamic and stimulating environment to play and explore.
  • Boarding House Enhancements: Continued capital investments have modernised the Carolyn Hauff Boarding House, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming home for our boarders.
  • Celebrating Our Heritage: On Foundation Day, we proudly opened the Clayfield College Museum, a testament to our rich history and vibrant community.
  • Sports and Fitness Upgrades: Thanks to the generous support of the Clayfield College Foundation, we opened Strength and Conditioning and Cardio Studios. Renovations to the College Pool are also about to begin, promising state-of-the-art facilities for our athletes.
  • Future Projects: Soon, digital screens and scoreboards will be installed in the Ida Kennedy Physical Education Centre. A new mountain bike trailer, supported by the Foundation, will facilitate our growing co-educational sports programs.

For me, the most heartwarming part of this amazing list of projects is not just that they symbolise health, progress and enhanced educational offerings for our students, but that we did it together. It really shows that when we genuinely collaborate and work together – PMSA Board, College Advisory Council, Clayfield College Foundation, Clayfield College Old Collegians, P & F, parents, staff and students – we can achieve so much. 

 

Throughout the year, our community shone brightly at events like Foundation Day, On the Green, Opus Events, Ladies Lunch, Arts Day, The Little Mermaid Musical and LUX Exhibition. Programs like the Cambridge Scholars' Program, Trafalgar Exchange, Year 8 Exchange Program and Duke of Edinburgh expanded our students' horizons, while the year concluded with the innovative IGNITE Program.

As the year closes, we bid farewell to several staff members: Mrs Paula Hart, Ms Stefanie Palmer, Nurse Fiona James and Ms Katie Harris. We thank them for their contributions to our community and wish them every success in their future endeavours.

 

Finally, please accept my heartfelt thanks for your continued support this year. I wish each of you a joyful and restful holiday season. May your Christmas be filled with warmth, laughter, and the excitement of new dreams ready to unfold.

 

Warm regards, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr Andrew Cousins

Principal