CNR e-News Term 4

10 October 2025

Dear Parents,

And, before we know it, we are back at school. It is always lovely to hear the excited chatter of children as they meet again before assembly and to welcome everyone back to Clifton. The regular barefoot brigade endured their shoes only for a while, discarding them as soon as they exchanged their Greys for their Reds and Blacks.

The grade 7s will be ticking off a number of ‘lasts’ and preparing to move to their high schools. Likewise, the Grade 3s will be eagerly anticipating their move to the world of the Senior Primary and Greys.

I trust you enjoyed special moments with your children this holiday and I was pleased to hear that a number of you were the recipients of breakfast in bed, as promised at the final assembly last term. I hear that the new breakfast in bed is coffee in bed. I hope whatever version was delivered to your bedside matched your expectations!

The holiday weather was kind enough not to disrupt the Cricket Festivals before that final (we hope) sting of winter made itself felt. While cold and miserable, the days were perfect for planting the next phase of the forests and Ouhout thickets below the Junior Primary school. These trees will enjoy the full benefit of the growing season and will soon be making their presence felt.

The next seven weeks (yes, the term really is that short) will be filled with Co-Curricular activities, a rigorous academic programme with exams for the senior children, full report cards, planning for 2026 and end-of-year celebrations. We look forward to hosting Jason and Cathy Brown as they visit to meet the staff before joining the Nottingham Road community in December.

During the holiday we heard the sad, although not untimely, news of the death of Dr Jane Goodall DBE. Jane spent her life enhancing our understanding of the natural world and the amazing creatures with which we share our spaces. Her messages of hope along with her empathy for the Earth has inspired generations of scientists, activists, and admirers who credit her with reshaping humanity’s relationship with the natural world. One of her famous quotes: “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make”, resonated well with the assembly message this week: “you can’t undo what has been said”.

I expect a number of Clifton children will one day join the ranks of inspirational adults in the same league as Jane Goodall. I am sure that many of these will also be caring for the Earth in one way or another and I look forward to following their journeys, wherever they may be.

Overheard on a Sunday..........

"Dad, is it a school day today?"

Dad: "no"

"Oh no, Mrs Robertson will be so sad"

Dad: "I think she'll be alright"

New Arrivals

This week we welcomed Matthew Fairweather, Head of Sport and Charmaine Holloway, Head of Expressive Arts and Drama teacher to Clifton.

The following children joined Clifton this week: James Hartslief (Grade 6) Courtney Venning (Grade 1) and Michael Fairweather (Grade 0).

We wish all our new arrivals wonderful fulfilling years at Clifton!

Sport

Matthew Fairweather shared, by way of introduction, some of his vision for sport at Clifton below:

Dear Parents,

As we begin Term 4, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you all and to thank you for your continued support of our pupils, coaches, and sports programme. It is a privilege to have been appointed as the new Head of Sport at Clifton, and I am excited to work alongside you as we guide our young boys and girls through another term filled with growth, learning, and competition.

At Clifton, we believe that sport is far more than the result of a game, it is a vital part of a child’s personal development. It teaches grit, teamwork, discipline, humility, and courage. These values are most powerfully learnt not only in moments of success, but also in times of challenge, the dropped catch, the missed shot, or the tough match. Each experience offers a chance for our young kids to learn, reflect, and grow.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the space to develop independence through sport. Allowing them to make mistakes, to find their own solutions, and to learn through experience helps build confidence and character. While it is natural for parents to want to guide or correct from the sideline, real growth often happens when we step back, when we let them play, explore, and even fail, knowing that each moment contributes to their development. So please could we refrain from coaching and shouting from the sideline.

I would also like to kindly remind all parents of the importance of positive sideline behaviour, whether it’s on the cricket field, basketball court, side of the pool, or at a horse-riding event. The tone we set as adults profoundly shapes how our children experience sport. When they hear encouragement, respect for referees, and calm support, they learn sportsmanship, respect, and composure. When they sense anger or criticism, they play with pressure and a fear of losing rather than passion.

This term let’s commit together to fostering a culture where effort is celebrated, respect is modelled, and learning is valued above results. By working together staff, parents, and children, we can continue to grow a sports programme that develops not only skilled children but confident, respectful young people who understand the true spirit of competition.

Thank you for your continued support of Clifton sport. I look forward to a positive, spirited, and inspiring term ahead.

Kind regards,
Matthew Fairweather

Sport Results:

Athletics

Well done to Welmud, Zian, and El Van der Merwe, who competed in an ASA (Athletics South Africa) event in Durban over the holidays and achieved some outstanding results!

Welmud Van der Merwe

80m Hurdles - 1st
200m Hurdles - 1st
Highjump - 3rd with a height of 1.5m

Zian Van der Merwe

60m Hurdles - 3rd
80m Hurdles - 3rd
600m Hurdles - 2nd

El Van der Merwe

60m Hurdles - 5th
80m Hurdles - 5th

Congratulations to both Welmud and Zian who have qualified to compete at the ASA KZN championships in Durban which will be held on the 22 November.

Cricket

Jamaal Maleka, Rex Sclanders, and Trae du Plessis played in the PSI National Indoor Hockey tournament last week in Durban with the Midlands Stallions team, finishing third in their group. Well done, boys!

Swimming

Annabella Mitchell-Innes, Campbell Turner, and Harrison Turner competed in the Seagulls Winter Long Course Championships in Durban during the holidays and achieved the following results. Well done to all three of our swimmers!

Harrison Turner (U9)

50m backstroke - 6th

100m breastroke - 5th

Campbell Turner (U13)

50m backstroke - 5th

100m breastroke - 5th

Annabella Mitchell-Innes (U13)

50m backstroke - 4th

200m backstroke - 6th