Primary School News

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students  

The Primary staff and I are looking forward to welcoming you back to Term 4 on Tuesday 3 October (Week B). Term 4 is fast paced, and as we near the end of the school year, I ask students to take a moment to reflect on all they have achieved thus far, and to continue to be focused and engaged in their learning. There are so many wonderful activities, as well as end of year events, that we look forward to sharing with you. I hope you find the information below helpful as we begin the last Term of the school year together. 

Uniform Reminders

All  students are asked to wear their Summer Uniform from Tuesday 3 October. 

Summer Uniform: 

Girls – dress with short white school socks 

Boys – shirt and shorts with short grey, green stripe school socks 

Could I please draw your attention to the following uniform requirements which require reminders for some students: 

• Plain gold or silver studs, sleepers or small white pearl earrings are to be worn 
• If hair length exceeds the collar, it should be tied up with a green ribbon or scrunchie, and fringes must be kept out of students’ eyes 
• The navy fleece is only to be worn with the PE uniform 
• The Sports Uniform may be worn on all HPE days (theory and practical). 

Our Growing Clayfield Primary Family

This Term we are delighted to welcome the following families and students to the College. We wish them a happy beginning to their Clayfield College journey and know they will be warmly welcomed by our class coordinators who will reach out to them soon. 

Pre-Prep: Ren Ohashi 

Prep: Ririko So 

Year 1: Darcy Mincher 

Year 2: Karitas Halldorsdottir 

Year 3: Yuka Ohashi 

Year 5: Grace Hunter and Ruby Cao 

Year 6: Hoang Cao 

Staffing

Ms Stefanie Palmer is on maternity leave, and we wish her the very best for the arrival of her baby. In her absence, we welcome as the teacher of HPE, Mr Noah Castellaro, who will be taking Ms Palmer’s classes.  

Co-Curricular/Group Photos

As previously communicated in the Clayfield Collective and on the College App, Co-Curricular/Group Photos will be held in Week 1 on Wednesday 4 October.  Please see the Schedule below and note the following: 

• Parents/students are requested to please check the schedule for photo time. 
•  Students are to be dressed in their required uniform and move promptly to the Assembly Hall for arrival by the noted photo time.   
• Students appearing in photos which requires a specific uniform (eg Sports) to be worn, must have the correct uniform to appear within their photo on the day.  Students appearing in photos wearing the Summer Formal Uniform or Sports Uniform, must have the correct uniform to appear within their photo on the day.  

Students who do not show for their photo and/or do not have the correct uniform will be marked as absent. 

2023 Primary Student Leadership

In Term 4, students in Year 5 begin the very exciting journey of being elected for student leadership positions in 2024. The Year 5 cohort  will experience leadership development in the form of seminars and discussions. There will be opportunities for students to write and deliver speeches in front of their class and House groups. Information pertaining to this process will be emailed to Year 5 families in the coming days. I look forward to announcing select positions on Primary Presentation Day. 

Orientation Days (2024 School Year)

Pre-Prep – Year 5 

We are very excited to welcome our new and transitioning students into their 2024 year levels on Friday 3 November. For current students to the College, this will be a regular school day, where they will spend the morning immersed in a different classroom and environment, meet some of the new friends who will be joining the cohort and complete some learning for the year level above. Please be aware, the teachers that the students will be placed with on Orientation Day, will not necessarily be the teachers they will have for the 2024 school year.Our teachers may move around from year to year in the Primary Years. Classes and teachers will be shared with our community ahead of the new school year. 

Year 6 

Year 6 students will partake in their Orientation Day in Secondary School on Monday 9 October. The students will have another exciting day meeting new friends in their cohort and participating in activities. More information on what to bring on this day, has been shared directly with our families. Any student not participating in this day will be set learning tasks and work in the LRC. 

Year 3 2024 Technology

For students moving into Year 3 in 2024, it is timely to share with you the type of device required. Laptops are the preferred device used in Year 3; however, it is acceptable to have a new generation iPad. If you are buying a new device, a laptop is preferred, and the College can support Microsoft Windows and MAC. Wired headphones with a microphone are preferred as a BYOT requirement and should be purchased along with the device.When choosing between the two, we often encourage families to buy the type of laptop that is used by most members of the family and therefore support can be provided should challenges arise. 

If you are buying a new laptop, please refer to the link below for more information. If you have any questions, please email Mrs Bryan, Assistant Head of Primary via mbryan@clayfield.qld.edu.au.

Independence in Lower Primary

Term 4 is the ideal Term to instil some independent habits ahead of the next year of school. If you have been walking in or picking your child up from inside the school grounds, this might be the perfect time to let them walk in and out without assistance. Packing their own bag the night before school and helping with filling their lunchbox and drink bottle are also important skills. Students from Prep to Year 3 are encouraged to walk into school independently. At the end of the school day, if you would like to wait for your children on school grounds, we kindly ask you wait in the Amphitheatre. If you are concerned with your child making their own way into school, please reach out to your child’s teacher, so they can assist. Thank you for helping the staff as they do everything they can to make the students’ transition from one year to the next, as seamless as possible. 

Crunch ‘n Sip

As a reminder, we would like to encourage all Primary students to bring a separate container with a small fruit or vegetable snack. We understand some students have a very early breakfast and may not eat again until 10.20am; therefore, allowing this small snack provides an energy boost to maximise learning. 

Parent Lounge Details

It is the school’s legal requirement that all family details are up to date on Parent Lounge. If any parent/caregiver details have changed pertaining to email, address, phone numbers or medical details, could you please make the appropriate changes on Parent Lounge.  For instructions to access your Parent Lounge please refer to the link below. 

Primary Sport

Information and Key Contacts

For all the latest updates on Andrews Cup and Britton Shield sporting events, please refer to the Clayfield College Collective and our College App. Make sure to check these channels weekly for important information. 

If you have any further questions or inquiries, please don't hesitate to contact: 

• Clayfield College Sport: sport@clayfield.qld.edu.au 
• Ms Cerene Hughes, Head of Sport and Activities: chughes@clayfield.qld.edu.au 

Andrews Cup and Britton Shield Competitions

In preparation for the Andrews Cup and Britton Shield Swimming Competitions in Term 1, we invite all interested students entering Years 2 to 6 in 2024 to join the Primary Swimming pre-season training squad during Term 4, 2023. 

Training sessions will commence on Tuesday 3 October and the schedule is as follows: 

• Tuesday | 7:00am - 8:00am 
• Thursday | 7:00am - 8:00am   

All interested students must attend at least one session per week. Training will continue until Thursday 30 November, and resume in Term 1, 2024. 

Please note these sessions are not Learn to Swim classes and are intended for students who can manage a one-hour training session and swim competently for 25 metres in Freestyle and Backstroke. 

Current Year 1 and Year 2 students wishing to attend the Andrews Cup and Britton Shield swimming squad sessions will need to undergo an assessment to ensure they meet the appropriate standard. 

Assessments, which take approximately 10 minutes, will be conducted by a member of the Clayfield Swimming coaching team and are available on Friday afternoons starting from Friday 6 October. 

Please note that Year 2 students who are already attending squad or stroke development at Clayfield Swimming, or were part of the 2023 Andrews Cup or Britton Shield Swim Team, do not need to be assessed. 

Term 4 HPE Swimming Program

Pre-Prep Swimming will commence in Week 1. 

Please see attached communication regarding the Term 4 HPE Swimming Program for Prep to Year 6. 

External Co-Curricular Activities

The following external sports and activities will be available for students to participate in during Term 4. Please contact the provider directly for bookings and information. 

Mrs Alice David is the College contact for any questions you may have studentservices@clayfield.qld.edu.au.

Clubs Program

The lunchtime Clubs program will begin in Week 2 of Term 4 and information in relation to this will be distributed via the Clayfield Collective next week. Clubs are optional, at no cost to families and the offerings change each term.  

Upcoming Events for Term 4

Primary Sports Information Session: Friday 13 October 8:45am - 9:30am 

We invite parents of Year 1 students, who will be eligible to attend Britton Shield and Andrews Cup Sports events in 2024 to an Information Session. Please join us in the Lower LRC at 8:45am to hear from our Head of Sport and Activities; Ms Cerene Hughes. Any parent in the Primary School wishing to know more about these competitions are most welcome to attend. 

Key Dates

Please refer to the Clayfield College online calendar for all Term 4 events, which you can access via the CC App or in Parent Lounge. 

I look forward to a productive and enjoyable Term as we near the end of another wonderful year of learning. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child's teacher or Student Services and they can further direct you to the appropriate place. 

Kind regards

Mrs Audrey Fellowes   

Deputy Principal - Head of Primary