CNR e-News Term 1

17 January 2025

Dear Parents,

The first day of school is a wonderful and exciting time. It is such a pleasure to see happy, smiling faces arriving at school, and to see that some of the little ones who at first were anxious about their new worlds, were soon settled and making friends.

Clifton is indeed blessed with passionate and caring teachers who put children first. I have been inspired by the dedication and enthusiasm of all the adults who will be caring for and teaching your children this year, from the interns to the teachers, the learning support teams, and all the support staff who make Clifton the special place it is.

It is a pleasure to welcome children, parents, and staff, both the new arrivals and the "old hands" to the start of the new year at Clifton. Laura and I also extend thanks and appreciation for the warm welcome we have received from the community.

I look forward to seeing our children thrive and grow as they embrace everything Clifton has to offer this year.

Swimming

Congratulations to Campbell Turner for competing in the KZN Premier Provincial Championships, a prestigious level 3 event. This is the highest level of swimming competition, requiring qualifying times for entry. He competed in six races, achieving his best results with 11th and 12th place finishes in the 200m and 50m breaststroke in the 12-13 year age group.

Staff News:

Please join us in giving our new team members a warm Clifton welcome!

Rebecca Robertson joins our team as the Shongololo Class Teacher. Rebecca brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for early childhood education, making her a wonderful addition to our team.

With a BSc in Speech and Language Therapy from the University of Cape Town and a Higher Certificate in Pre-School Teaching from Stadio Higher Education, Rebecca combines her strong academic background with hands-on teaching and therapeutic experience. She has worked extensively with young children, developing innovative, play-based curriculums and supporting early language, literacy, and cognitive development.

Rebecca’s professional journey includes running her own speech therapy practice, creating language enrichment programs, and teaching in leading pre-primary schools. Her dedication to fostering each child’s potential, coupled with her warm, approachable personality, ensures a nurturing and stimulating environment for her learners.

We are excited to see the positive impact Rebecca will have on the Shongololo class and the broader school community.

Elmari Sliedrecht has joined as the Grade 0 Frogs Class Teacher. Elmari is an experienced and dedicated educator with a strong foundation in early childhood education, honed through over a decade of teaching in diverse settings.

Holding a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, along with a Bachelor of Arts and Honours degrees, Elmari brings a wealth of academic expertise and practical classroom knowledge. She has worked across various grades in both English and Afrikaans medium schools, with a special focus on creating engaging and nurturing learning environments for young children.

Elmari’s passion for education extends to integrating innovative teaching technologies, ensuring her lessons remain dynamic and relevant. Her love for reading, art, and physical activities like mountain biking and swimming often inspires creative classroom experiences.

Her warm, pastoral approach, ensures that each child in her care feels supported and encouraged to reach their full potential.

We are excited to see Elmari bring her energy, creativity, and commitment to the Frogs class and the Clifton community.

Linda Hudson joins our team as the Fireflies Class Teacher and with over 20 years of experience in pre-primary education, Linda brings an exceptional depth of knowledge and a steadfast passion for teaching young children.

Linda's career has seen her teach in a variety of schools, working with diverse groups of children and fostering positive connections with all the boys and girls in her class and their families. Her commitment to creating a nurturing, play-based, and child-centered learning environment is evident in her approach to teaching. Linda treasures small group work and interactive carpet time, using hands-on activities to make learning engaging and meaningful.

As a Psychomotor-trained teacher, Linda emphasises non-violent conflict resolution and empowering children to make independent decisions. She also takes pride in staying updated with the latest educational trends through workshops and professional development opportunities.

Linda’s experience as a Grade Head has equipped her with strong leadership skills, including curriculum revision, event planning, and mentoring younger teachers. Her enthusiasm for collaborating with colleagues ensures a dynamic and innovative classroom experience for her children. Her dedication to her profession is matched by her kind and empathetic nature, making her an invaluable addition to the Clifton team.

We are delighted to have Linda join the Fireflies class and look forward to seeing the positive impact she will have on our Clifton champs and community!

Thea-Elé Viljoen joins us as a highly qualified and experienced remedial teacher who has worked as the Junior Primary as well as Senior Primary Head of Department at St. Andrew's school, where she was also the Intervention Coordinator. She has recently relocated to the Midlands from Bloemfontein to be closer to her family.

Thea worked as a lecturer at the University of Pretoria as well as North-West University. After 30 years of teaching, having identified the need for specialised teaching for children who learn differently, Thea started a learning center. She catered for children from Grade 0 to Grade 7 who experience barriers to learning. Here Thea developed individualised programmes to suit each child's needs. She offered training and support programmes to teachers and parents.

Clifton is privileged to have Thea join our dynamic team of learning support specialists. We cannot wait to learn from Thea and benefit from all that she has to offer.

Kathryn Turner, our Alumni and Foundation Coordinator is a published physiotherapist with a Master’s Degree in Sports Science. Apart from working as a physiotherapist, her career journey includes four years in sales and marketing within the pharmaceutical industry and ten years as the primary editor and content creator for a UK based sports medicine journal.

As a mother of two, Kathryn strives to balance her professional life with family, while her husband works in the safari tourism sector. Originally from Durban, Kathryn spent fifteen years in the Zimbabwean lowveld, before returning to Nottingham Road in 2022 where she has strong family ties. When not working and juggling children, she enjoys great food, loves cooking, exercising, beach holidays and travel in general. The Turner's have loved their transition to the Midlands and consider Nottingham Road and its community as truly special. We are so excited to have Kathryn join the Clifton team and we look forward to her contribution to its growth into the future!

Nicola Worrall joins our team as a Grade 6 English and Natural Science teacher. Nicola completed her English degree and PGCE at Rhodes University and then went on to Hong Kong to teach in International Schools for five years, before making her way back to the rolling hills of the Midlands, falling in love with a local farmer and making Nottingham Road her permanent home.

Nicola took a seven year sabatical from teaching to concentrate on raising her three, small children and she is now ready to be back in the game. She kept herself busy with a variety of courses and studying - including a Forest Schools teaching course, a certificate in Montessori and Reggio Emilia, her Life Coaching course through Martha Beck and a Conscious Parenting Course through the Jai Institute.

She has spent the last year developing her coaching business - The Connected Parent - doing talks and having one-on-one consults with parents. Conscious, child-centered education is Nicola's number one passion and she is thrilled to be back in her happy place. She has a real love for nature and the outdoors and is passionate about connecting children with the world around them. We are so looking forward to a wonderful year ahead with Nicola!

Janey Frank, our new Visual Art teacher, who will be based in the beautiful Expressive Arts Centre completed her Art and Psychology degree at Rhodes University and her PGCE at Wits. She brings a wealth of experience, having traveled and worked extensively in Europe and the USA.

She has taught Art for fifteen years, all the way up to Matric and has also taught English, Life Orientation, PE and STEAM. Janey recently completed an Art Therapy course, which she believes will add depth to her approach to Art. In her free time, she hopes to offer ‘paint and create’ sessions and ‘sip and sketch’ gatherings.

Janey grew up in Malawi and attended boarding school in Zimbabwe, an experience she thoroughly enjoyed. She also spent several years living at a school similar to Clifton. Her schooling and childhood closely resembled Clifton Notties. Her husband is an old Treverton boy, so when this opportunity became available, they grabbed it with both hands. Her two daughters are now attending Clifton, and she is confident they will love it just as much as she already does.

As a family, the Franks love exploring, enjoying road trips, adventures, and all things outdoors. Janey is also passionate about trail running and participates in races across our incredible country.

We are so excited to have Janey on board and look forward to her and the family being part of this wonderful school and embracing everything it has to offer!

Phillippa Lowe has joined our Senior Primary as a Grade 5 teacher. She is a retired teacher with many years of rich and varied experience. Before retiring to the Midlands, she taught English and held the position of Senior Primary HOD at Cordwalles Preparatory School. Having taught internationally and locally, from Junior Primary through to High School, Mrs Lowe has a real understanding of the foundation from which her students have come and the path towards which they are heading. Maths and English are her two favourite subjects to teach. They are two very different disciplines, both challenging and yet very rewarding with each student’s successes.

Mrs Lowe is a passionate teacher with a heart and understanding for all children; especially children with learning difficulties. Her goal is to see all her students achieve their personal best. We look forward to seeing the positive impact she will have on our children!

Keep an eye out for our introduction to the new interns in the next few weeks!

This is what you can expect over the next two weeks:

Monday 20 January

Grade 7 Induction Service: 7.30am - all welcome

Tuesday 21 January

Wednesday 22 January

Thursday 23 January

Friday 24 January

JP assembly: 7.30am - Mrs Whitehead - all welcome
Cricket vs Laddsworth
Grade 6 high school presentation in the EAC: 5.00-6.00pm
PA parent welcome evening in the EAC: 6.00-9.00pm (please kindly RSVP on the invite)

Saturday 25 January