From the Deputy Principal

On Wednesday morning, the Primary School (Pre-Prep to Year 6) came together for their annual Presentation Day to celebrate the year. I was proud to share the many achievements we have accomplished together and below is an excerpt from my speech. This year there have been many highlights for the students, times of personal achievements, many milestones reached, new friendships formed, personal challenges overcome, and many new experiences offered.  

This year was the first where the vertical House System reached down to Primary and our Year 6’s joined the Secondary Pastoral Care system. As part of our Care@Clayfield transition program, our Year 6 students were cared for by Secondary staff and joined in various events such as Cultural Capers and the Interhouse Swimming Carnival. The Primary Team delved a little deeper into the International Baccalaureate(IB) Program with student agency driving many projects and Social Science and Science led through Inquiry learning. The IB gives us even more opportunities to highlight individual learning needs and have students follow their interests and passions. Learner Profiles were embedded into all aspects of school life, with our assembly awards centred around students exhibiting attributes such as knowledge, risk-taking, balance, integrity, knowledge and care.

The students collectively have done an enormous amount of service-learning, showing their actions. As part of the Primary Years Programme (PYP), students are expected to be active citizens and to take action to show understanding, to apply knowledge and skills, to reflect, and often to make a contribution to a cause or stimulate positive change. Action is embedded in the philosophy of the IB and is promoted throughout all its curricular programmes. In the PYP, action is considered to be both an application of learning and an opportunity for students to engage in the form of contribution or service. It involves an ongoing cycle of reflecting, choosing and acting.

Our Student Representative Council, a student-led initiative borne this year, comprised of a student from each class from Years 1 to 6 meeting fortnightly to discuss ways in which to improve the College and assist those in need. I thank them for their creativity and enterprise.

The Green Team continued their environmental goals and visions for the College. They discussed ways to improve environmental awareness amongst the College community and facilitated a number of initiatives throughout the year such as Clean up Clayfield Day, Wrapper Free Wednesday, Earth Hour, clothing donations for National Recycling Week and EcoMarine Ambassador training day at Tangalooma.

Bush School was a highlight in Prep where for the first year the cohort travelled to nearby bushlands as we flipped the traditional classroom, offering the children an alternative way to learn using the great outdoors as the classroom and nature with all it has to offer as their learning instruments. This hands-on learning experience helped raise self-awareness, develop confidence and gave students the opportunity to initiate learning, take risks and make choices. It also helped them to understand and care for the natural environment. We look forward to the growth of this program and to seeing a significant improvement it holds for students’ independence, self-esteem, social skills and concentration levels which we know are paramount in making a positive start to school. 

Gymnastics and swimming lessons were added to the Pre-Prep and Prep programs, making those days where they ventured through the tunnel under the road, the most special for some of our students. They continued to love their buddy time as they mixed with the older students. 

For the first time, we held a Prep to Year 2 Athletics day with students participating in running and skipping races and obstacle courses. There were too many laughs and smiles to count on this day. 

Creativity and problem solving took centre stage with the numerous clubs on offer, led by our staff. STEM clubs were a particular hit, with our Secondary staff and students sharing their expertise in Science, Technology and Mathematics. I would like to thank Mrs. Mohan, our Director of Teaching and Learning for leading this initiative and bringing so much joy to the Primary students. The students have put together their own list of clubs they would like next year and the staff and I look forward to learning how to master some of those activities! Our inaugural Primary Film Festival was enjoyed by many and my thanks to all the students who made some wonderful movies and to Mrs. Clark and her team of judges who had the difficult job of choosing a winner. Congratulations to Hugo and Alegria Heinemann for winning overall and as their prize, I am looking forward to handing over my Head of Primary role for a day next week! Chess was incorporated this year, not only as an after-school activity but part of the extension program in Years 2 and Year 4. All students took part in lessons helping their mathematical and tactical skills. Year 5 extended their music skills in learning a Brass or Strings instrument as they did in Year 3. 

With Naplan able to go ahead this year, the College once again saw some stand out results not only in Queensland but nationally in our Year 3 and Year 5 cohorts; congratulations to all those students for their effort and to their teachers for their preparation. 

The boys and girls were busy with Britton Shield and Andrews Cup sports, bringing home plenty of silverware and pennants for our trophy cabinet. Our last triumph of the year; three trophies for gymnastics and basketball – not for percentage cup, that was stand-alone wins out of the ten association schools. Next year, we are incredibly excited to add Swimming, Aquathon and Cross Country into the Britton Shield events broadening the range of competitive school sports for the boys. 

With the announcement of our school-going fully co-educational in 2023, our Primary teachers share in the excitement as they have waited in anticipation for this for a while – in Primary we already see the enormous benefits of learning together, where the rich gender perspectives are realised and reflected upon each and every day. 

Can you imagine the possibilities in life beyond school, when children have already begun to understand and welcome all gender viewpoints and differences? 

What an incredible gift to leave school with; you are already a step ahead for the big wide world of life. We are counting down the days when we don’t have to say goodbye to our boys anymore and can watch them continue to grow within our Clayfield family. 

The opportunities that came about this year for the students, don’t just happen. They occur because of the extraordinary dedication and commitment from the staff, a remarkable team who go ‘above and beyond' to create a climate in which students are able to thrive and experience success. They do this with the wonderful partnerships and support from our families. I therefore wish to express my thanks to many people for making this year an outstanding one. Firstly, my sincere appreciation and deepest thanks to all of the staff who work with our Primary students. Thank you for your dedication and your commitment throughout this year. You care so much for each individual child and work so hard to ensure that your students achieve their potential in many areas. Thank you for all of those ‘little extras’ that you do for your students, I see what you do and I am often in awe. Your passion and commitment are unquestionable.

This year our Parent Support Group, led so ably by Beatrice Peters, Alison Chalmers and Daniel Aziz had a goal to bring people together and strengthen the bonds in our community. Together with a group of dedicated, class coordinators they were actively involved in a number of initiatives, including the inaugural Fun Run, Father’s and Mother’s Day stalls. The funds raised from these events helped the College P&F to fund an interactive space for our Pre-Prep’s next year, continue the Story Dogs Reading Program in Year 3 and give our students more opportunities in STEM. 

We value all families’ contributions to the numerous activities in which the children were involved including Music, Sport, and Book Week. Through your involvement, we have been able to work together to provide our students with the chance to accomplish so much. 

To the Year 6 students who are graduating from Primary School: This is your final Presentation Day in Primary School. I would like to thank you for your leadership, and trust that you leave us with many happy memories of your years within the Primary School. I am confident that we have given you a wonderful foundation. You are, and always will be a part of the Clayfield College family, no matter where you find yourself in the world. We pray that success keeps following you in everything you do. We hope you chase your dreams and never stop trying, live your life to the fullest and give it nothing but your absolute best. 

Finally, I wish you all a peaceful and blessed Christmas surrounded by loved ones and my heartfelt thanks to the entire Primary community for your support and the positive impact you have had on our students throughout 2021 and I look forward to another memorable year in 2022.