Junior School Bulletin

Welcome back to what promises to be an exciting and productive Term 4. It has been wonderful to see students return this week with such enthusiasm and positivity, quickly settling back into routines and learning. Thank you to our families for the smooth start to the term and for your continued support of the many programs and opportunities that make our Junior School such a vibrant place to learn and grow. 

As always, Term 4 is a busy and rewarding term, filled with learning experiences, celebrations, leadership opportunities and end-of-year events. We encourage families to keep an eye on upcoming communications and key dates as we move through the term together. 

Staffing Update 

In addition to the Staffing Update provided as part of our Welcome Back communication on Thursday 1 October, I wanted to share the following staffing changes: 

• Mrs Emma McPherson, Learning Enrichment Coordinator – Junior School, goes on Long Service Leave from 19 October to 13 November. During her absence, we are pleased to welcome back Mrs Renee Pinchers, who will be supporting our students during this time.

• Miss Jessica Weller, College Counsellor, concluded her employment with the College during the holiday break. While we work through the recruitment process for this role, families can be assured that students continue to be well supported by our dedicated Heads of Year in the Senior School and Pastoral Team in the Junior School, who work closely with students and families to provide ongoing care, guidance and wellbeing support.

Class Allocation Process

As we commence planning for the 2027 school year, we would like to advise families that the class allocation process will begin shortly. 

The formation of classes is one of the most important and complex pieces of planning undertaken each year. Significant time, care and professional judgement are invested in creating balanced classes that support students academically, socially and emotionally. In doing so, we consider a wide range of factors including learning needs, friendships, social dynamics, student wellbeing, cohort composition and the needs of individual learners. 

We also recognise that parents and caregivers have valuable insights into their children and can provide important information that may assist us in understanding each student's needs, relationships and circumstances. As such, providing feedback to your child's Head of Year is an important step in the class allocation process. 

Families wishing to share information for consideration are invited to contact the relevant Head of Year: 

• Current Pre-Prep to Year 1 families: 

  Mrs Robynne Bailey, Head of Pre-Prep to Year 2 rbailey@clayfield.qld.edu.au 

• Current Year 2 to Year 5 families: 

  Mrs Lauren Coote, Head of Year 3 to Year 6 LCoote@clayfield.qld.edu.au 

While family perspectives form a significant and valued part of the process, they represent one of many important factors considered when forming classes. Our Leadership Team and teaching staff carefully consider parent feedback alongside a broad range of academic, social, wellbeing and cohort considerations before making final placement decisions. 

We are committed to listening carefully and thoughtfully to all information shared. Although we may not always be able to accommodate specific requests, these conversations are incredibly valuable and help ensure we have the fullest possible understanding of each student. Ultimately, class placements are determined through the careful balancing of all available information, with the goal of achieving the best outcomes for individual students and the broader year level cohort.

Year 5 and 6 Learning Hub and Upper Junior Program Information Session

We are excited to invite parents and caregivers to an information session outlining the next stage of our vision for the Upper Junior School at Clayfield College. 

Over the past 12 months, we have been working on plans to further enhance the Year 5 and 6 experience through the development of our new Year 5 and 6 Learning Hub and a range of exciting program enhancements designed to support learning, wellbeing, leadership and readiness for Senior School. 

This session will provide families with an opportunity to hear more about the Learning Hub project, the thinking behind it, and the broader Upper Junior initiatives that will accompany its launch in 2027. 

• Date: Thursday 22 October 
• Time: 5:00pm to 6:00pm 
• Venue: Clayfield College Chapel 

While this session will be particularly relevant for current Year 4 and Year 5 families, all Junior School parents and caregivers are warmly invited to attend. Whether your child is approaching the Upper Junior years or still has several years ahead of them, we would love to share our vision and answer any questions you may have. 

This is an exciting opportunity to learn more about how we are building on the excellent work already occurring in Years 5 and 6 and creating an even stronger bridge between the Junior and Senior School years. 

For families unable to attend, we will explore options to record and share key elements of the presentation following the session. 

We look forward to sharing this exciting project with our community. 

Year 5 Leadership Journey Begins

As our Year 5 students look ahead to their final year of Junior School, preparations are beginning for the 2027 Student Leadership Program. 

This week marks the beginning of an exciting leadership journey, with students participating in a number of experiences designed to help them reflect on leadership, service and personal growth. A key part of this journey is the introduction of the Kokoda Leadership Program, which challenges students to consider the values of courage, resilience, humility, teamwork and service to others. 

Next Thursday, our Year 5 students will participate in their Kokoda Leadership Experience. This immersive program provides a valuable opportunity for students to explore the attributes of effective leadership through teamwork, challenge and reflection. As students begin considering leadership opportunities for Year 6, the experience will encourage them to think deeply about service, resilience, responsibility and the positive impact they can have within our community. 

In the coming weeks, Mrs Miriam Bryan and I will formally launch the leadership program with our Year 5 students. Through this program, students will have opportunities to explore the responsibilities of leadership at Clayfield College, reflect on their own strengths and consider the ways in which they may contribute positively to our community in their final year of Junior School. 

Crazy Hair and Sock Day Youngman House Fundraiser - Tomorrow!

Friday 9 October 2026

Youngman House Crazy Hair and Sock Day Fundraiser in support of The Kids' Cancer Project and World's Greatest Shave 

Looking Ahead to Week 2

Wednesday 14 October 

• World Mental Health Week activities continue across the Junior School. 
• Junior School Book Fair commences in the Learning Resource Centre. Purchases can be made online or in person. 

Thursday 15 October 

• Year 5 Kokoda Leadership Experience 
• Barragun First Nations Culture Incursion (Pre-Prep to Year 2)

• Junior School Book Fair continues in the Learning Resource Centre. Purchases can be made online or in person. 

   

Friday 16 October 

• Illuminate Showcase (participating students in Years 5 to 9), 7:15am to 9:00am, Chapel Courtyard. Parents welcome. 
• Year 3 Twilight Experience, 4:00pm to 8:00pm. This promises to be a memorable occasion, providing students with an opportunity to build confidence, strengthen friendships and enjoy shared experiences beyond the regular school day. For further information, please refer to email communication sent from Junior School on 18 September 2026.
• Junior School Book Fair continues in the Learning Resource Centre. Purchases can be made online or in person. 

Term 4 Save the Dates

Please visit the Upcoming Events page for details on all Term 4 events. 

Key dates are listed below:

Speech Night - Tuesday 17 November (Week 7)

Year 6 students continuing to Senior School at Clayfield College will participate in a special presentation. Further details and booking information will be shared in due course.

Year 6 Celebration Service and Function - Friday 27 November (Week 8)

Further details and booking information will be shared via Upcoming Events.

Junior School Presentation Day - Wednesday 2 December (Week 9)

Pre-Prep to Year 6 Students are invited to attend. Further details and booking information will be shared via Upcoming Events.

Thank you

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support as we begin another exciting term. We look forward to working together to ensure a successful and rewarding Term 4 for all students. 

Term 4 Clubs Program

Term 4 clubs will start next week. Please continue to book in for after school clubs and let us know if you no longer require your spot, so we can update the roll. 

Progressive Assessment Testing  

Students in Years 2 to 6 will undertake ACER PA Tests in Reading, Mathematics and Spelling. Completing these assessments each year helps us monitor student progress over time and provides valuable information to inform our curriculum planning and development.

We encourage students to do their best on each test, so they can show us what they know and can do. We will endeavour to schedule testing early each day, when students are fresh and ready to focus. A good night’s sleep, a tasty breakfast and a fully charged device each morning will help set students up for success.

Pre-Prep to Year 2 HASS Incursions

Thursday 15 October 

In HASS this term, all our lower Junior School classes will be focussing on the culture of First Nations Australians. To support their learning, our Pre-Prep to Year 2 students will welcome Uncle Boomerang from Burragun Aboriginal Cultural Services on Thursday 15 October, for a cultural learning visit with each year level in the Assembly Hall. 

• Pre-Prep: 9:30am to 10:30am
• Prep: 10:30am to 11:30am
• What this Cultural Learning Visit Entails:

Bush foods and medicines display, Dreamtime stories, Dancing, Artefacts display and discussion, Boomerang Game and Spray hand art. 

• Year 1: 11:30am to 12:30pm
• What this Cultural Learning Visit Entails:

Local Aboriginal 6 Seasons, plant and animal seasonal indicators and calendars, links to sky maps and Bush foods and medicines display. 

• Year 2: 12:30pm to 1:30pm
• What this Cultural Learning Visit Entails:

Stories of the sky (constellations) and how Indigenous people use the sky and musical instruments (didgeridoo, clap sticks and bullroarer). 

Lower Junior School Drop-off and Pick-up 

Encouraging Independence 

As we move towards the end of the school year and begin preparing students for their next year level, we encourage families to support the development of independence during drop-off and pick-up routines. 

For students in Prep to Year 2, this may mean saying goodbye and collecting children from Circular Drive, rather than walking them to and from the classroom. Staff are on duty from 8:00am to supervise students on the playground, providing a safe and welcoming environment for children to settle in, play with friends and begin their day independently. At home time, teachers escort students to Circular Drive and supervise them while they await collection. 

For our Pre-Prep families, we encourage children to continue building their independence by carrying their own bags to and from the centre while walking with their parents and carers from nearby street parking areas. Please note that the Gate 2 Car Park is for the exclusive use of the Outside School Hours Care and should not be used as a school drop-off zone. 

These small steps help children develop confidence, responsibility and readiness for the increasing independence they will experience as they progress through their schooling journey.

Year 7 2027 Orientation Day

Monday 12 October 

We are really looking forward to our Year 7 Orientation Day on Monday 12 October. This is another wonderful opportunity for students to meet their future classmates, get to know staff, become familiar with the Senior School campus, and build new friendships and connections. It promises to be an exciting and enjoyable day as students continue their transition to Senior School. 

For our current Year 6 students who will not be continuing at Clayfield College next year, families are welcome to keep their child at home; however, appropriate work and supervision will be provided for any students who attend school on the day. If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to reach out. 

Clayfield College Book Fair

Our Junior School Book Fair, in partnership with Where the Wild Things Are, will run from Wednesday 14 October to Wednesday 21 October. Families can support our school library by purchasing books in a variety of ways: 

• Shop online via www.wildschools.com.au
• Complete a Book Fair Wishlist
• Order via email at bookfairs@wildschools.com.au 

• Visit the bookshop at 191 Boundary Street, West End and mention that you are part of the Clayfield College community. 

   

Parents are also warmly invited to visit the Book Fair in the LRC from 8:00am to 8:30am each morning from Wednesday 14 October to Wednesday 21 October, and from 3:00pm to 3:30pm each afternoon from Wednesday 14 October to Tuesday 20 October. Purchases made through the Book Fair help raise valuable funds for our library while fostering a love of reading in our students. We look forward to seeing our students discover their next great read!