School Principal

Dru McGovern-Robinett

Message from Our Principal:

Welcome to Nan Clayton Elementary School, one of the newest elementary campuses in Austin ISD (opening our doors in the fall of 2006). I am both honored and thrilled to work alongside our Clayton school and community members in order to realize a vision of a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment that both supports and stretches our students to help them reach the highest levels of achievement. We are extremely fortunate to have such an experienced, highly regarded, and dedicated group of faculty and staff that are always ready to take on this critical work with tremendous hope, enthusiasm, and a lot of extra effort!

Our first year marked an exciting journey for us at Clayton that will continue for years to come. Without question, our expectations for creating a powerful learning environment with a real-world and hands-on approach are very high. Moreover, we recognize that essential partnerships and the commitment of our faculty, staff, students, parents, and community leaders are foundational to our success. We have countless examples of people championing for our students and campus. We are so fortunate!

Since I began as principal of this campus, I have witnessed a collection of individuals and young children become transformed into a vibrant and welcoming learning community that relies on each and every one of our members. Everyone is willing to pitch in and help at Clayton--from our youngest students to grandparents and extended family members. I sincerely believe that our school is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the important strides that can be made to benefit everyone when we all work together.
Clayton's colorful hallways and classrooms are filled with the laughter and smiles of children--huddled together reading favorite stories, with shovels in their hands creating and maintaining our school gardens, or listening attentively to one another's creative writing projects. It is so exciting to see. Admittedly, nothing is better than having a hand in developing young minds.

At Clayton, we take the business of educating children very seriously, but we enjoy having fun, too. Our teachers strive to use a balanced approach that provides learning opportunities that are both engaging and rigorous for all children.
This year we look forward to continuing a journey that our students, teachers, and families will remember and cherish for years to come. Indeed, our future is so bright!

Thank you for supporting us during for this exciting and unique period of "history in the making." Again, welcome to Clayton!

Assistant Principal

Lalla Beachum

I’m so fortunate to have a job that allows me to learn, laugh, and love every day!

* Did you know that King Tut’s sarcophagus was made out of pure gold and weighed 2,500 pounds?  Or that the flu vaccines are grown in caterpillar eggs?  Those are just two examples of information students share with me in the halls and classrooms of Clayton. 
* I laugh a lot at Clayton, mostly because happy students, teachers, and parents spread a sense of joy throughout the building.
* And mostly, I love to see teachers and students challenging themselves to do better than they did the day before, working hard to meet a goal, and questioning their world. 

I’m reminded of a quote from Robert Kennedy:  “There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?”  Yes, I look forward to each new day at Clayton Elementary because I see the face of tomorrow in our Cardinals and it is going to be a bright day beyond our imagination.