Junior School Bulletin

As we move towards the end of another busy and rewarding term, there is much to celebrate across the Junior School. From outstanding sporting achievements and special community events to Book Week celebrations and upcoming opportunities for students, it continues to be wonderful to see our students embracing every aspect of school life with enthusiasm, curiosity and spirit. 

Grandparents' Day

Grandparents' Day was another fabulous event, and my thanks go to our staff for helping create such special memories for everyone involved. 

It was wonderful to see so many grandparents engaging in classroom activities, connecting with their grandchildren's learning and enjoying the music concert. Both students and grandparents thoroughly enjoyed the day, and it was a lovely celebration of the important role grandparents play in the lives of our young people. 

Please refer to Week 7 Photo Gallery for highlights. 

Book Week and a Love of Reading

This week we celebrate Book Week, a wonderful opportunity to recognise the important role that reading and literacy play in the lives of our young people. 

A highlight of the week will be our Pre-Prep to Year 6 Book Week Parade, which will be held tomorrow (Friday 28 August) from 9:00am to 9:45am in the PE Centre. We look forward to seeing students bring their favourite literary characters to life and celebrating the stories that inspire, entertain and challenge us. As communicated previously, parents are warmly invited to attend.  

While costumes, parades and special activities are always a highlight, reading is about far more than a single event or week on the calendar. 

Our collective goal, as both educators and parents, should be to nurture a genuine love of reading in every child. Research consistently shows that the habits students develop around reading, and the attitudes modelled by the adults around them, have a significant impact on their long-term success. Simple actions such as reading ourselves, talking about books, sharing stories and embedding reading into the daily routines of family and school life can make a profound difference. 

This week also provides an opportunity to reflect on the powerful role we all play in shaping students' attitudes towards reading. The books we recommend, the stories we share, the conversations we have and the value we place on reading all help influence whether a child sees reading as a task or as a source of enjoyment, curiosity and discovery. 

So, while we wish everyone a happy Book Week, perhaps our real aspiration should be to make it a Book Year. By working together to foster curiosity, imagination and a love of reading, we can help our students develop habits that will benefit them for a lifetime. 

Father's Day Celebrations

Next week we look forward to celebrating Father's Day with our Junior School community. 

We warmly invite fathers, grandfathers and special guests to join us for our annual Father's Day Breakfast and P&F Father's Day Stall. These events provide wonderful opportunities for connection, celebration and the creation of special memories between our students and the important people in their lives. Please refer to the Upcoming Events section for further details. 

Bookings are essential and places are limited.  Purchase your tickets today!

Our P&F Father’s Day Stall will operate as a cashless event. Families can purchase tokens in advance for their child/children to use on the day. Token purchases will close on Monday 31 August 2026, see link below.

P&F Friends of Junior School Volunteers Required

The P&F Friends of Junior School are seeking volunteers to assist with operating the Father's Day Stall on Thursday 3 September. If you are able to assist throughout the day, please register using the link below. Any support would be greatly appreciated.

Our Pre-Prep students will also enjoy a special African Drumming Incursion as part of their Father's Day celebrations. This promises to be a wonderful experience for students and their special guests, providing an opportunity to have fun together, participate in a unique cultural activity and strengthen those important family connections. 

Student Free Day / QCAA Staff Day

Week 8, Friday 4 September 

The College will be closed on Friday 4 September, for a Student Free Day / QCAA Staff Day.  Please ensure other arrangements have been made for your daughter/son on this day.

Andrews Cup Athletics Team

A huge congratulations to our Andrews Cup Athletics Team, who triumphantly brought home the Percentage Cup this year. It was a valiant effort by all students, who demonstrated the Clayfield spirit through every event. 

My sincere thanks to Amy Lewin for her outstanding organisation of both events and the positive impact she continues to have on our students and the Sports Program. Thank you also to our coaches, teachers and teacher aides who supported students throughout the lead-up to and across both competition days. Their encouragement, preparation and care played an important role in the team's success. 

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the many parents and family members who came along to support our students. The encouragement from the sidelines was wonderful to see and contributed greatly to the positive atmosphere of the carnival. 

The Percentage Cup is a reflection not only of student effort and determination, but also of the strong partnership between students, staff and families that sits at the heart of our Junior School community. 

Staff Professional Development Day

A reminder that Friday 4 September is a student-free day, with all Junior homeroom teachers participating in a full day of professional learning focused on enhancing the teaching of Mathematics. 

Mathematics continues to be a significant priority for us as a Junior School, and this dedicated day of learning will provide our teachers with the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, explore evidence-based practices and further strengthen the teaching and learning experiences we provide for our students. 

We are also privileged to be hosting this Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) professional learning event, with more than 300 teachers expected to attend Clayfield College. This is a wonderful opportunity for our staff to engage with leading educators, to share ideas, expand their professional knowledge and strengthen networks across the independent school sector. 

While students will not be attending school on this day, the professional learning undertaken by our staff is an important investment in continually improving student outcomes and ensuring we provide the highest quality learning experiences for every child. We look forward to what promises to be an inspiring and valuable day of learning and collaboration. 

Summer Uniform Transition

 With the warmer weather approaching, we will commence our transition from the Winter uniform to the Summer uniform over the coming period.

Junior School

• Summer uniform compulsory from Monday 7 September (Week 9). 

Senior School

•  Transition Week: students can choose to wear either their Summer or Winter uniforms in the week commencing Monday 31 August (Week 8). 
• Summer uniform compulsory from Monday 7 September (Week 9). 

Please see the key requirements below.

Pre-Prep

• Students continue to wear the Pre-Prep polo shirt and navy shorts.
• Brown sandals may be worn during the warmer months.
• The House Bucket Hat must be worn outdoors and when travelling to and from school.

Prep to Year 6 Girls

• Students may wear the pinstripe blouse with the navy pleated skort, or the pinstripe pleated dress.
• The blouse must be tucked into the skort.
• Plain white ankle socks must be worn with the skort or dress. Short sports socks and invisible socks are not permitted.
• The Panama hat must be worn to and from school, and the House Bucket Hat must be worn outdoors during the school day.
• The House badge must be worn on the left collar of the blouse or dress.

Prep to Year 6 Boys

• The green striped shirt must be tucked into the navy shorts.
• Navy striped crew socks purchased through the Uniform Shop must be worn.
• The Boater hat must be worn to and from school, and the House Bucket Hat must be worn outdoors during the school day.
• The House badge must be worn on the pocket hem of the shirt.

All Prep to Year 6 students should continue to wear polished, plain black leather school shoes. Please also ensure that all uniform items are clearly named.

Thank you for your support in ensuring students transition to the Summer Uniform correctly and continue to represent Clayfield College with pride.

Year 3 Twilight Experience Save the Date

We are excited to announce our Year 3 Twilight Experience, which will be held on Friday 16 October from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. 

Further information will be shared with Year 3 students and families shortly; however, we wanted to provide an early opportunity for families to save the date. 

This experience forms an important part of our students' preparation for the transition to an overnight camp experience next year. Through opportunities such as these, students develop confidence, independence, resilience and stronger friendships, while enjoying a fun and memorable evening with their peers. 

We are very excited about this event and look forward to sharing further details soon. 

As always, thank you for your ongoing support of the Junior School. Whether through reading with your child, attending school events or encouraging them to embrace new opportunities, the partnership between home and school plays a vital role in helping our students flourish. 

Semester 1 Co-Curricular Photo - Ordering

We are pleased to share that orders can now be made via the Studio Kirby online gallery. Please place your order with the link below (Password: CLAY).

All orders are processed by Studio Kirby, with delivery direct to the address confirmed in the order. 

Semester 2 Co-curricular Photos

Term 4, Week 1 - Wednesday 7 October 

Our next Co-curricular Photo Day will be held on Wednesday 7 October 2026. Further information and the photography schedule will be provided to families shortly. 

Photography sessions will take place concurrently across the College, with: 

• Junior School co-curricular groups photographed in the Assembly Hall 

• Senior School co-curricular groups photographed in the PE Centre 

   

To help ensure all students are photographed with their groups, families are asked to note the date in their calendars now. Further details regarding timings, uniform requirements and participating groups will be communicated closer to the event.  

Crazy Hair and Sock Day Youngman House Fundraiser

Friday 9 October 2026

Understanding and navigating AI-Generated Cyberbullying

As technology evolves, so too do the challenges our students face online. Generative AI tools have made it increasingly easy for harmful content such as altered images, synthetic voice clips and fabricated chat transcripts to be created and circulated in private digital spaces. Because these technologies can produce remarkably convincing material, recognising and addressing cyberbullying requires updated awareness from both parents and educators. 

To help our community identify these emerging behaviours, the graphic below highlights common forms of AI-generated cyberbullying and how they typically manifest: 

Source: Optus Digital Thumbprint, "Cyberbullying, GenAI, and keeping your child safe online: A guide for parents and carers," 2026.

How You Can Support Your Child

• Keep Communication Open: Reassure your child that they will not lose device privileges or face immediate blame if they report online issues. Open dialogue makes young people far more likely to seek help. 
• Promote Critical Thinking: Discuss how easily AI content can be manufactured so students learn to question suspicious posts before reacting or sharing.  

• Utilise Digital Controls: Guide children on how to set accounts to private, block harmful profiles and report inappropriate content directly within apps. 

   

If your family needs additional guidance or support regarding online safety, please reach out to the College or explore resources provided by the eSafety Commissioner and Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800). 

Book Week Author Visit

It was wonderful to welcome Morris Gleitzman to our school on Tuesday. He spoke passionately to the students in Years 3 to 6 about 'the secret' - how not to get stuck when writing a story. For a brief time, we became detectives, unpacking the opening sentences of each of his stories, to uncover the truth behind the role of the foreshadowing start. 

Morris was also gracious enough to present certificates to the winners of the Senior Academic Captains' Short Story Competition:

Congratulations to Asher Amarasekara, Olivia Chung and Chase Moulden-Dorr (runners up) and winners Remi Heinemann (Years 3 and 4 Winner) and Imogen O'Connor (Years 5 and 6 Winner). 

Please refer to Week 7 Photo Gallery for highlights

This Friday is our Book Week Character dress-up parade.  

Students are encouraged to dress as a character from their favourite book or movie, and parents are warmly invited to the parade which will start at 9:00am in the PE centre.  

Dressing up and parading are optional and students who prefer not to are encouraged to clap along in support of their friends.  

Easy costume options include:

• Greg (Diary of a Whimpy Kid)
• If you Give a Mouse a Cookie
• Waldo (Where's Wally?)
• Arthur 

Prep Bush School

The Bush School experience has been a highlight for our Prep students this term. During the three Bush Ranger sessions, the children were enthralled to be introduced to a variety of native plants and insects that were new to them. Armed with magnifying glasses, they explored the bush to find as many different species as they could. Finding a giant burrowing cockroach caused quite a stir. It was as big as a Prep child's hand!  

Bush walks and self-exploration opportunities in the three teacher-led sessions saw the children finding natural items in their habitat and observing their features and characteristics. They learnt how to care for the environment and keep it healthy and enjoyed creating their own artworks from natural materials. Bush school culminated in a camera activity where the children drew pictures in a film strip to show their favourite Busch School observations.

Talking to the Preps about their experience, it's clear the outdoor playground helped add to their special memories. 

Please refer to the Week 7 Photo Gallery for highlights.

Katrina: “I liked playing in the playground. There was a picture of a face, and I put leaves on to make hair. I hunted on the ground to find leaves.” 

Atticus: “I loved playing in the playground. In the dark room, I learnt about nocturnal animals. They are only awake at night, not in the day.” 

Beauden: “Last time, I made a Titanic out of leaves and sticks. I got them in the jungle bit.” 

Savanna: “We used magnifying glasses to look at things and make them bigger. We looked at plants. They had yellow lines in the middle. We made faces and trees out of sticks and leaves.” 

Apollo: “We got to see creatures like a big cockroach and a scorpion. When you put a light on it, you can see it and it turns green. When you don’t put a light on it, it turns brown and it camouflages on the branch.” 

Stella: "When we made a camera, we made photos of living things. We went in the dark room. We saw fish."

Jasper: "I loved going in the centre. I saw fish tanks. There were some on this side and the other side."

Nick: "The fish did a sort of trick, spinning in a circle."

Jacques: “We got a plant to bring back to school. We are going to put them in pots outside our classroom. We made an art sculpture with leaves, sticks and rocks." 

Oscar: “We used the grabber claws to pick up rubbish."

August: “I loved exploring the dark room.” 

Pre-Prep and Prep Parent Information Support Session

Monday 7 September, 8:45am to 9:45am 

We look forward to hosting our upcoming Parent Information Support Session for prospective and current Pre-Prep and Prep families. 

Presented by Speech Pathologist Anne Walker, the session will explore practical ways families can support speech, language and communication development during the early years. Topics will include speech sound development and communication strategies, recognising when additional support may be beneficial and understanding the role of speech pathology in early intervention. 

This promises to be an informative and practical session for families seeking to support their child's communication development and readiness for learning. 

Year 3 Archives Incursion

As part of their History (HASS) studies this term, our Year 3 students recently stepped back in time during a fascinating visit to the Clayfield College Museum of Archives. This valuable learning experience brought their classroom investigations to life as they explored how our school’s physical and social environment has evolved over the years. From changes to the built environment, uniforms, sporting opportunities and learning materials, students gained a rich understanding of what life at Clayfield College was like in different eras. 

A highlight of the experience was hearing from a wonderful panel of Old Collegians, who enthusiastically answered the many thoughtful questions posed by our curious Year 3 students. Adding to the occasion, several Year 5 students proudly showcased historical school uniforms, helping bring the stories of the past to life for their younger peers. It was a memorable and engaging way to connect with the rich history of our College community. 

A special thank you to Old Collegians, Deidre Brandon, Annette Fifoot and Meg Graham for organising such a wonderful learning opportunity and creating an experience that brought Clayfield College's history to life for our students. 

Please refer to the Week 7 Photo Gallery for highlights.

Holiday Clinics Now Open for Bookings