Secondary School News

Dear Parents and Caregivers

We hope you have had a rested break with your child(ren). We are looking forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday 3 October. 

We have some new students starting this Term in the Secondary School in Years 8 and 9. We welcome these students and their families to the Clayfield College community and wish them the very best for the journey ahead. We also welcome, as part of our Short-Stay Study Program, some students in Years 7 and 8.  

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.  

We also welcome for Term 4 2023, Ms Jessica Ryan, who joins us in the position of Creative Arts Administrative Assistant.  

Year 12 Arrangements

In the lead up to the ATAR External Exams, our Year 12 students have been working hard, with many of them engaging in Trial Exams over the second week of the holidays. I applaud those students who availed themselves of this additional opportunity to practice their content knowledge and skills and receive valuable feedback.  

Tuesday 3 October to Tuesday 10 October will be regular timetabled lessons for Year 12 students.  Wednesday 11 October to Friday 20 October are study weeks. During this time, students will have the opportunity to engage in opt-in tutorials with their teachers. The schedule for the tutorials can be accessed using the link below. 

The External Exams commence on Monday 23 October. You can view the External Exam timetable using the link below. We wish our Year 12 students the very best as they enter the upcoming assessment period. 

Uniform Requirements

Clayfield College expects students to take pride in their presentation each day and meet the requirements of the Uniform Policy. Please read over the below expectations and ensure your child is prepared for the first day back at school.  

• Students will return in Summer Uniform. 
• Shoes should be polished with laces tied. 
• If hair length exceeds the collar, it should be tied up with a green ribbon or scrunchie (no clips).  
• Boys are to wear ties each day with buttons done up. 
• No jewellery is to be worn at school, except for one ear piercing in the lower lobe – small silver or gold sleepers, studs or pearls. Pearl earrings are available to be purchased at the College Shop.  
• For students wearing the new uniform, the shirt must be tucked in at all times.  

We understand students may have had false eyelashes, fake tans and acrylic nails through the holiday period, but these are not part of the Clayfield College uniform and students must remove these before returning to school.  If students have received an extra ear piercing over the break, please ensure they do not wear anything in the piercing while at school.  

Sanctions will be applied if students are not meeting these expectations. 

Mobile Phones

Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 need to hand their phones into Reception when they arrive at school and can collect them after school. Phones must be turned off. Years 7 to 9 boarding students will leave their phones in the Boarding House during the school day. Students in Years 10 to 12 are required to have their phones turned off, in their lockers and they are not to be used throughout the school day. The exception to this is students in Years 10 to 12 who require their phone for HPE lessons. It is then their responsibility to collect their phone from their locker before the lesson and return it back to the locker after the HPE lesson. 

If students are found with their phone, they will be held in the office of the Head of Secondary, and can be collected at the end of the day. If they are found to have them for a second time, students will not be permitted to bring their phone on to campus until further notice. 

Pastoral Care Class

Pastoral Care (PC) time begins promptly at 8:30am every morning. This is an important time of the day when PC teachers mark the roll, provide ongoing support through group and individual conversations, promote connections through group activities, encourage organisation by reading the Daily Notices, helping students with their daily routines and holding students accountable for the correct wearing of the College uniform. Thank you for making sure your child(ren) arrives at school on time. If students need to leave school throughout the day or will be late to school, please notify the College by using the College App (Absentee Form). 

Application for Leave Form

All applications for leave that exceed three school days must be applied for via the form below.  It is important that families understand the potential effects that extended leave has on academic, social and co-curricular development. Leave forms must be completed four weeks prior to the first date of leave and emailed to the Head of Secondary at jdesmarchelier@clayfield.qld.edu.au. Please note that circumstances of illness and misadventure do not require the completion of this form.  

Academic Queries

For any academic queries or concerns in Years 7 to 12 you are encouraged to contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. Following this, if you require further assistance, please contact the relevant Head of Department. Our teaching staff and Heads of Department are committed to working with you and your child to provide the best academic support and outcomes for every student. 

Years 7 to 12 Academic Procedures and Policies

The Years 7 to 12 Academic Procedures and Policies Document gives an overview of all procedures and protocols that need to be adhered to by staff, students and parents with regards to : 

•  Academic integrity 
• Assessment 
• Drafting, scaffolding, conferencing and feedback 
• Subject changes, and
•  AARA.  

You can access the document through the link below. It is also available on Parent Lounge and Student Café under Links: Assessment and Reporting.  

Progressive Reports

On completion of summative assessment across all subject areas, students receive a Progressive Report which provides valuable information on their learning. The progressive report is personalised for each student and provides student-specific and genre-specific feedback including: 

• Student learning behaviors in the lead up to the assessment - Engagement in Learning, Preparedness for Learning and Agency in Learning 
• Feedback (strengths)  
• Feedforward (focus goals). 

We urge you to view the progressive reports with your child(ren), celebrate their strengths and achievements and discuss feedforward strategies/suggestions. Progressive Reports are available on Student Café and Parent Lounge.  

Use the link below for directions on how to access the Progressive Reports on Parent Lounge. 

Co-Curricular/Group Photos 

As previously communicated in the Clayfield Collective and on the CC 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. 

Key Term 4 Dates

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child's Head of Year, Head of Department, the Head of Secondary or the Deputy Principal - Head of Teaching and Learning.

Kind regards

Mrs Lakshmi Mohan

Deputy Principal - Head of Teaching and Learning

Mr Justin Desmarchelier 

Head of Secondary