CNR e-News Term 2

30 May 2025

Dear Parents

The mid-term break has brought a welcome respite from the routines of learning, sport and other school activities, allowing teachers and children to spend valuable time with families and to recharge batteries.

Campus

However, work continued unabated on campus: Mr Kalika and his team worked wonders transforming the old uniform shop into a learning support space, creating rooms for Play Therapy, Occupational Therapy and individual support.

At the same time, the pot-holes near the car park were repaired, and three trees which were in danger of falling were felled.

The Grade 5 classroom project remains a work in progress as the buildings take on their new shape.

The resurfacing of the roads on campus is a major project. Please anticipate that, while underway, this will necessitate dumping piles of surfacing material at strategic points along the edges of the roads. These will not make for the prettiest of sights, but will be temporary and once used to repair the roads, we will all benefit from the improved surfaces, particularly when the summer rains return. Thanks again to Dirk van den Berg, Clare Watt-Pringle and the Capex/Foundation team for their continued support in overseeing projects and work on the estate.

Staff Development

Staff have commented that the development workshops held last week were appropriate and useful. The general feeling is that a number of strategies learnt can be put in place immediately to improve the learning experience of our children.

While the staff attended the development workshops, the Grade 6 & 7 classes participated in a Back 2 Basics Day. Topics including: gathering data for the school, siting trees of significance and importance within the school, and an orienteering activity, a new concept for our children, but one which was met with enthusiasm and wholehearted effort. A brief look at Biomimicary with the theme "If a town grew like a forest”. Food for thought.

read the full article here...

Parent Workshops

Megan Osler presented an insightful talk to Grade 6 parents regarding "anxiety around exams", in which she highlighted strategies to help children cope with the stress of exam writing and preparation. The children will have heard these strategies during their study skills and exam preparation sessions.

Hearts 4 Jesus

The worship evening organised by the parent team was well attended with an inspirational message delivered by Mark Slevin. The boarders and staff certainly enjoyed the service and they participated enthusiastically in the worship. The next Hearts 4 Jesus evening will take place on Sunday, 8 June, please diarise the date and we hope to see you there!

Communication

All parents must download the Clifton Notties App and check it regularly for important updates and information.

The app has recently been simplified, and we kindly ask that you familiarise yourself with the relevant grade/s or section of the school. By browsing and navigating the app regularly, you’ll quickly become comfortable with how it works and where to find the information you need.

The school app is our primary channel of communication and is intended for administration, communication, teaching and learning requirements.

We aim to keep the app as relevant and up to date as possible. Notifications are removed after an event has taken place or once an information message has been displayed for a few weeks. All key information can be found within the main app.

We also encourage you to click on the link to access and review the various school handbooks.

Sport:

The inaugural Inter-house cross country race on our new trail was a festive occasion. The route was well received by the runners and it was a pleasure to see the efforts of all the children as they earned points for their houses.

The week before half term saw our rugby teams compete against Winterton and Cordwalles and our hockey girls played their Winterton counterparts.

Our children have also participated in equestrian events and have been selected for KZN teams in Rugby, Squash and Hockey.

Captains

Congratulations to the following boys and girls who were announced as the Cross Country Captains.

Cross Country

Girls' Captain: Siphesihle Sikhosana

Girls' Vice Captain: Emily McMurray

Boy's Captain: Cayden Flockhart

Boys' Vice Captain: Campbell Turner