Junior School Bulletin

Year 5 and 6 Learning Hub

Thank you to the many families who joined us last Thursday for our Year 5 and 6 Learning Hub Parent Information Session. It was wonderful to see such strong attendance and to share more about the vision for the Hub and what students and families can look forward to in 2027. 

For those unable to attend, or who would like to revisit the information, please refer to the attached presentation below:

Families can also continue to share questions through this online form, which will help us build our Parent FAQs as we move towards 2027.

Our students are an important part of this journey too. This week, we met with our current Year 4 students as they prepare for Year 5, and next week we will continue the conversation with our current Year 5 students as they prepare for Year 6. 

It is an exciting time for the Junior School, and we look forward to continuing the journey with our students and families.

Lighthouse Live Now

Please refer to the Lighthouse Page above for further details, resources and a message from Dr Cousins as we invite families to explore our new online learning and communication platform, Lighthouse.

Strengthening Parent Engagement

As we move through our final Term of the year, I would like to thank Katie Kennedy, our Class Parent Representative Coordinator, together with all our Class Parent Representatives for the important contribution they have made to their class communities throughout 2026. 

We look forward to meeting with our representatives in the coming weeks. Ongoing feedback and open dialogue with our families are an important part of our continued development as a school, providing valuable opportunities to listen, reflect and learn. 

Strengthening parent engagement will be a clear focus for us in 2027 as we continue to build genuine partnerships between home and school. We look forward to continuing this journey with our families next year. 

Wet Weather and Severe Storm Pick-Up Arrangements

With the recent storm activity, a reminder about our afternoon pick-up arrangements during severe weather may be helpful. 

During periods of heavy rain or storms, students may be moved to the Drama Black Box Studio, beside Circular Drive, to wait safely for collection. When operating from this area, we use a modified pick-up process, with only two or three cars able to be managed at a time. Staff will guide families through this process, and we appreciate your patience as collection may take a little longer than usual, in response to the conditions.

In the event of lightning, hail or other severe weather conditions, such as those experienced earlier this week, pick-up may be temporarily paused until it is safe to recommence. The safety of our students and staff will always be our first priority, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of families as we work to balance safety with an efficient collection process. 

Last Chance to Order Your 2026 School Photos

Term 4 Save the Dates

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

Key Junior School dates are listed below: 

Junior Music Celebration Assembly - Tuesday 3 November (Week 6)

Located in the Assembly Hall from 2:20pm. Further details will be provided in due course. 

Junior School Semester 2 Sports Awards Assembly - Tuesday 10 November (Week 6)

Located in the PE Centre from 2:00pm. Further details will be provided in due course.

Speech Night: Year 6 Attendance - Tuesday 17 November (Week 7)

All Year 6 students continuing into Senior School at Clayfield College will participate in a special Speech Night presentation. Further details regarding bookings will be provided in due course. 

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

Further details and booking information are 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.

2027 Junior School Orientation Day

Today, we had the pleasure of welcoming our 2027 Pre-Prep students for their Orientation experience, along with our incoming Pre-Prep parent community for a parent information session. It was wonderful to welcome some of our newest Clayfield families as they begin their Junior School journey. 

Tomorrow, our current Pre-Prep to Year 5 students will take part in their 2027 Orientation Day, spending time in their next year level, connecting with classmates and experiencing a taste of the year ahead. 

A reminder that the teachers students worked with during Orientation Day may not necessarily be their classroom teachers in 2027. Class placements and teacher allocations for 2027 will be shared with students and families during the final week of this term, before the Christmas holidays.

Chess Mates in Term 4

Chess Mates will be running on Mondays from 3:10pm to 4:10pm (Prep to Year 2) and Wednesdays from 3:20pm to 4:10pm (Years 3 to 12). Our friendly teachers make chess fun while building concentration, problem solving and confidence. Beginners are always welcome. Book online at chessmates.com.au/schools or call 0475 431 622.

A Roaring Good Time at the Powerhouse

If you didn’t attend Pevan and Sarah at the Powerhouse with our Pre-Prep students last week, you definitely missed a party! The joy on the children’s faces said it all as they sang, danced and joined in enthusiastically with Sarah and Pevan the Tiger.  

The children delighted in familiar songs about rhyming words and syllables ('silly bubbles'). Some Like It Loud was a particular favourite, with everyone carefully listening and responding to cues as they adjusted their voices from soft to loud. 

An important message throughout the performance was that making mistakes is a normal and valuable part of learning. What Size Is Your Problem? encouraged children to recognise that not every challenge requires the same level of response. 

We were incredibly proud of the way our Pre-Preps represented the school, modelling their best audience manners and theatre etiquette. Despite the rainy weather, they followed instructions carefully, thought about road safety and stayed together as a group as they walked through New Farm Park between the bus and the theatre. The children are definitely well on their way to being ready for Prep! 

Please refer to the Photo Gallery for highlights.

Discovering our Values Through Art

Recently, we welcomed some of our Year 11 and 12 boarding students to share the meaning behind the artwork at the front entrance to our Prep and Pre-Prep centre. Created by Aboriginal artist Leah Cummins of Bunya Designs, the artwork represents Clayfield College’s values of care, integrity, resilience and respect. 

The students helped the Pre-Prep children discover where these values are represented within the artwork. 

Next time you walk past, you might like to stop and reflect on the values of our school, connecting them to how we care for one another, play and learn together. 

Prep and Year 1 Swimming Showcases

Parents and carers are invited to watch the class swimming showcases on Tuesday 10 November. Details have been posted in year level hubs on Lighthouse. On arrival at the pool, we kindly ask spectators to assemble in the designated areas at the side of the pool.

Year 5 Entrepreneurship Showcase

The Year 5 Entrepreneur Showcase was a wonderful celebration of creativity, teamwork and school spirit. Throughout lessons across Terms 2 and 3, students worked collaboratively within their House groups to reinvigorate and strengthen their House identity. Drawing on the history and traditions of their House, each team developed a new slogan, mascot, emblem and cheer, proudly presenting their ideas to members of the Leadership Team, teachers and parents. The energy and enthusiasm on display during the showcase were truly inspiring. 

What stood out most was the passion and thoughtful decision-making behind each presentation. From artistic choices to marketing strategies, students demonstrated impressive leadership, collaboration and perseverance as they worked towards a shared vision. The showcase provided a glimpse of the leadership potential within this cohort and was a fantastic lead-in to the 2027 Student Leadership process. With so much House pride and spirit on display, selecting next year's Junior House Captains will be no easy task. A sincere thank you to Mrs Chantal Carter, Miss Emily Baigrie, Mrs Penelope Patterson and Miss Maxine Moore for their guidance and support in bringing this worthwhile and enriching project to life.

Please refer to the Photo Gallery for highlights.

Student Technology Guidelines Reminder

As we enter Term 4, we encourage families to revisit our Student Technology Agreement and discuss expectations for online communication at home. In particular, students are not permitted to participate in large group or class chats, send mass messages, or share spam and chain communications. 

While these platforms can seem harmless, they often contribute to misunderstanding, exclusion, conflict and cyberbullying, while also placing pressure on students to be constantly connected. Research has linked these online behaviours to negative impacts on wellbeing, including increased stress and anxiety.  

We encourage parents to remain aware of their child's online interactions and to regularly discuss respectful and responsible digital behaviour. A copy of our Student Technology Guidelines and Agreement can be found on page 7A of the Student Diary and provides a helpful reference for these conversations at home.