6 June 2025

Dear Parents

Please take note of the following reminders

Food Drive - last day for collection 13 June
Join us in supporting Ekhayakidz Educare's feeding scheme by donating food supplies. Together, we can nourish their learners and create a better learning environment. We are collecting instant oats, instant noodles, Cup-a-Soup and tinned food.
Report Feedback Meetings
Reports will be shared with parents on Friday, 20 June. Report feedback meetings will take place from Friday, 20 June – Tuesday, 24 June. Parents will receive an email from their child’s class teacher sharing the link to their Google Calendar page for report feedback bookings.
Last Day of School

Wednesday 25 June is the last day of school and school closes at 13h00. Please make arrangements to collect your child promptly at 13h00 as there are no aftercare facilities on this day.

School Hours
Please note that school opens at 07h30 and there is no supervision of learners until 07h30 outside of planned extra lessons. Please do not leave your children unattended. School is LOCKED promptly at 17h00 daily.
Aftercare
Please assist us by ensuring that your child is collected before 16h45 so that our staff can leave campus to get home to their own families. Note that a penalty of R200 per half hour (or part thereof) will be applied should your child be collected after 17h00 from aftercare.
Access to campus
Please note that for security reasons we request that all parents (outside of drop-off times) and visitors report to reception when coming onto campus. All visitors are required to wear a visitors badge and staff have been instructed to ask anyone without a visitor's badge to return to reception.

Week 9 Q2 Memo.MOV

NEWS

BUILDING FUTURES

Coronation Top Investor Challenge

Our Secondary Faculty Economics learners participated in the inaugural Coronation Top Investor Challenge, an engaging competition designed to teach the basics of investing through videos, reading materials, and simulated investment scenarios. Open to all schools nationwide; teams invested R1 million in virtual funds with no prior investment knowledge required.

We are proud to announce that team Cashflow Copilots (Reuben Rietoff and Mbali Nhuku) won 1st place, and team 877 Fortune Investors (Noah le Grange, Jagger Solomon, Gabriel le Roux) achieved 9th place.

During the prize-giving ceremony, Reuben and Mbali were each awarded R25 000 in unit trust investments and R50 000 for the College.

This outstanding achievement reflects the strength of our Economics programme, which equips learners with practical skills and a deep understanding of real-world financial literacy. We hope this experience inspires all participants to continue their investment journeys, and we look forward to future success in next year’s challenge.

Congratulations to Mr Fortuin (Grade Head and Economics Teacher), Reuben Rietoff, Mbali Nhuku, Noah le Grange, Jagger Solomon and Gabriel le Roux

Grade 6 News

With assessments behind us, our Grade 6 learners embraced a week of creative learning and collaborative fun!

Afrikaans: Trappe van Vergelyking – Sing it, Say it, Remember it!
This week, we explored Trappe van Vergelyking (Degrees of Comparison) in Afrikaans—and what better way to remember them than through music? Learners created their very own catchy songs and rhymes to help cement the rules for groot, groter, grootste and beyond. Whether they were rapping or remixing pop hits, the classroom was buzzing with rhythm and repetition! 🎶

✨ Top Tip: Turn tricky grammar into tunes—it sticks better!

English: Perfecting Our Summaries
In English, we explored the skill of summary writing—learning how to identify the most important information and say it clearly and concisely. Learners practised picking out key ideas, using their own words and keeping things short and sweet. It was all about reading with purpose, thinking critically and expressing ideas simply.

✨ Quick Summary Tips:

Focus on the main idea
Don’t copy—paraphrase!
Keep it brief and clear

Geography: Resources & Trade
In Geography, we zoomed out to look at the big picture—natural and human resources, their uses and their trade value. Learners discussed what we import and export and how different countries rely on each other through global trade. They examined how raw materials like gold or timber are turned into manufactured goods, and why some items are more valuable than others. It was a fascinating dive into how the world stays connected!

In Maths we explored the different characteristics of triangles in a song!

Grade 6 Maths Triangles Fun.mp4

Eskom Science Expo Finalists

We are incredibly proud of all the learners who participated in the Eskom District Science Expo and commend their hard work over the past few months. We are pleased to announce the finalists for this year's Eskom Regional Science Expo:

Alyssa & Tshego

Brynn

Casey-Lee

Lily

Michaela & Christiano

Ruben & Callum

Zimi & Lea

Tobi

Grade 5 News

🌍 World Environment Day Poetry Magic!

Our talented poets celebrated World Environment Day by crafting beautiful verses using figurative language like metaphors, similes, and personification. Their poems brought nature to life in creative and meaningful ways, showing how much they care about our planet. Don't miss their inspiring work displayed on the noticeboards - it's poetry that will make your heart sing!

⛏️ Mining Masterpiece Progress! Our dedicated engineers continued their fantastic work building detailed shaft mines, making sure every safety feature is perfectly in place. From sturdy rails for safe transportation to essential ventilation shafts for fresh air circulation, plus all the proper mining gear - these young builders are thinking like real professionals!

🚀 Space Mining Madness! The excitement reached new heights as learners began designing incredible machines for mining in space! This next step in their space adventure challenges them to think about how mining equipment would work in zero gravity and on other planets. Who knew engineering could be so cosmic?

Keep exploring and reaching for the stars! 🌟

Grade 4 News

Our enthusiastic Grade 4 learners have just completed their final assessments and are now enjoying a joyful mix of learning and exciting activities at school. This week, they eagerly practised their grid reference skills by exploring the sunny quad with colourful toys, turning Geography into a lively and hands-on adventure. Cheerful laughter filled the air as Principal Paul strolled by and couldn’t resist the fun—he happily joined in, playing along with the learners. We are not sure who enjoyed it more! In the classroom, the learners dived into imaginative writing as they discovered how to create lively dialogues and practised their storytelling skills. It’s been a vibrant and rewarding time filled with creativity, discovery, and fun!

We look forward to more adventures next week!

Science Club

This week in Science Club, our young scientists had a blast exploring the science behind secret messages! Using simple chemical reactions, they created invisible ink and revealed hidden messages through exciting experiments. It was a fun and hands-on way to learn about acids, bases, and oxidation—all while sparking curiosity and creativity. The learners were amazed to see their messages appear like magic, and it was a great opportunity to show how science can be both educational and fun!

Academics

Report Percentages and Codes For Quarter Two

In Grade 4 – 6, informal and formal assessments for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 are added together and weighted according to the revised CAPS requirements for 2025 as stipulated by the Department of Basic Education. The combined mark is displayed as a percentage and code under the heading called Autumn Quarter on the report.

In order for learners to progress to the next grade, they need to meet the following minimum requirements at the end of the academic year for Grade 4, 5 and 6:

50% in English HL

40% in Afrikaans FAL / isiXhosa FAL

40% in Mathematics

40% in the remaining subjects

Report Feedback Meetings

Reports will be shared with parents on Friday, 20 June. Report feedback meetings will take place from Friday, 20 June – Tuesday, 24 June. Parents will receive an email from their child’s class teacher sharing the link to their Google Calendar page for report feedback bookings. Appointments are usually 15 mins in length. We greatly value our parents’ and teachers’ time and urge parents to be on time in order to ensure that other parents are not kept waiting.

Outreach

This quarter, we are collecting instant oats, Cup-a-Soup, tinned food and instant noodles. Please add these to your shopping list for next time you go shopping so we can continue to support those less fortunate than us. Items can be sent to your child's class by Friday 13 June.

CULTURE

We are excited to announce our upcoming Music Assembly on Wednesday, 25 June! This vibrant event will showcase the incredible talents of our Orchestras, Choirs, and Marimba Bands, celebrating the hard work and dedication of our young musicians. Parents are warmly invited to attend and enjoy the performances—please be seated in the gallery before the assembly begins. We look forward to sharing this joyful musical celebration with you!

Parklands College Preparatory Faculty presents DreamWorks Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR.

DreamWorks Madagascar – A Musical Adventure JR. features original music and lyrics by George Noriega and Joel Someillan, and book by Kevin Del Aguila.

As the show opens, we learn that Marty the zebra may be celebrating his tenth birthday at the Central Park Zoo with his friends Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo, and Melman the giraffe, yet he longs to experience life outside of the zoo’s walls. When Marty eventually escapes, his animal friends from the zoo pursue him into New York City. After reuniting, the animals are chased by the police, and ultimately felled by tranquilliser darts. They awake, trapped in crates, on a ship, which, through a series of events, is thrown off course. Upon reaching land, the animals discover they have been shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar. Ultimately, it is only in being so lost that they can begin to discover where they really belong.

Every Grade 4 - 6 learner as well as every Grade R - 3 dancer is getting ready to Move it! We hope to see you join in the fun too! Tickets can be purchased on Quicket.

Book here via Quicket

SPORT

From the Sports Desk

And just like that, we enter our final week of matches for Quarter 2!

A massive shoutout to our incredible parents and supporters — rain or shine, you’ve been there, cheering from the sidelines and lifting our teams. To our learners: you’ve shown resilience, skill, and passion throughout the term. And to our dedicated coaches — your energy and commitment continue to inspire excellence across all codes. Thank you!

🔔 Important Note: Our official sports programme wraps up on Thursday, 20 June. After that, no practices until Quarter 3 begins.

🎉 Open Day Hype!
What a brilliant showcase of talent at last weekend’s Open Day! From Rugby and Netball action to Chess boards buzzing with strategy, we made the most of every moment to fine-tune skills and strengthen our teams. Thank you for bringing your children — the spirit and energy on campus were unmatched!

♟️ And speaking of Chess — this Friday marks your final session of the quarter! A big shoutout to all our chess learners who’ve shown up with focus, enthusiasm, and a love for the game each week. You’ve laid a strong foundation for continued growth — we’re proud of you!

📅 Looking Ahead to Quarter 3...
Get ready — we’ve got a full calendar of fixtures, derby days, and festivals lined up! With the momentum we’ve built this term, we can’t wait to see what our learners bring to the fields, courts, and boards next.

💙💛 Thank you again, Parklands family — your support, encouragement, and sideline spirit mean the world. Let’s close out the term with pride and power!

Jared Margetts

🏆 The Week That Was – Senior Prep Sports Recap

As we draw near to the end of an exciting sports term, our Senior Prep teams continue to impress on the field and court with skill, sportsmanship, and passion!

🏉 U11 Rugby vs Blouberg Ridge
An unforgettable performance from our U11 boys who stormed to a 57–0 victory!
Every player made an impact in this total team display. Player of the Match: Bevan – for quick thinking, smart decision-making, and brilliant play throughout!

🏐 Netball vs Reddam Durbanville

U10B sealed a solid 6–1 win
POTM: Abigail – sharp passes and excellent movement!
U10A were on fire with a 13–0 win
POTM: Naledi & Ayo – dominant from start to finish with flawless execution!

⚽ Soccer vs West Riding

U12 edged a close one with a 5–4 win
POTM: Kian – creative play and great goalscoring instincts!
U11 battled hard but went down 5–0
POTM: Jakeem – showed heart and resilience in a tough match.

⚽ Soccer vs Elkanah
Results from our U11 and U12 fixtures are still to be confirmed — stay tuned!

What a way to lead into the final week of Quarter 2 sport! Let’s keep showing up, playing hard, and representing our school with pride.

External Achievements in Sport

Please find a link to the notification letter informing the College of a learner's external achievements at Area/Regional/Provincial level.

External Achievements

Sport Quick Links

SPORTS INFO

TRAVEL CONSENT

EXTERNAL ACHIEVEMENTS

SPORTS CALENDAR

LIBRARY

It is a week of two important days, World Environment Day and World Oceans Day, and Library activities focused on awareness and practical examples of making a difference to our planet. A highlight for our Grade 3 - 6 classes was meeting the talented Heléne Booyens, author, editor, cartoonist, environmentalist and snake catcher! The children were enthralled by all the fascinating creatures that they were introduced to.

"I like the spiders that have camouflage because you can touch them and not notice that they are there." Khumo

"I got to learn more about meerkats, spiders and snakes and their daily lives. I feel that it could help me in the future and it is nice to know fun facts like that." Jakeem

"I got to see animals that I have never seen before and I also always thought that snakes were out to get me and now I finally know that we are out to get snakes, because we always harm them". Nkosinathi

Copies of Mammal Safari and other books by Heléne Booyens can still be ordered by phoning Nicole at 064 530 6693. Books will be delivered to school.

GRADE 4 BOOK CLUB

In a creative twist on Book Club activities, our learners recently played a game of "book dominoes" that sparked engaging discussions and new discoveries. The task was thought-provoking yet straightforward: choose books based on similarities such as author, colour, genre or characters.

As learners browsed through the shelves, they began to notice connections between books that they haven’t read before. Some grouped books by their favourite genres, while others were drawn to titles with striking covers or interesting characters. The domino effect was evident as learners started to build chains of books that matched in various ways. The discussions that followed were lively and insightful, with participants sharing their favourite books and explaining why they chose certain titles.

Robotics

🌟 Why Coding and Robotics Are Superpowers for the Future! 🌟

Have you ever seen a robot move on its own or a game come to life with just a few lines of code? At Parklands, Coding and Robotics aren't just about screens — they’re about creating, problem-solving, and preparing our learners for a future where technology is part of every career!

From building LEGO robots that can follow a line or rescue a mini-figure, to programming stories and games using Scratch, our learners are developing 21st-century skills in the most hands-on, exciting ways.

🔧 Why It Matters:

Critical Thinking: Every robot challenge is a puzzle that sharpens logic and reasoning.
Creativity: Coding turns ideas into animations, apps, and even virtual worlds.

Collaboration: Teams learn to share ideas, troubleshoot together, and celebrate each win — big or small.

Encourage your child to keep exploring coding skills with these free online tools:

🧱 Scratch

🚀 Code.org

🍎 Swift Playgrounds

💡 Did You Know?

Many jobs of the future haven’t even been invented yet — but coding and robotics give our learners the tools to invent them. That’s why we teach coding like it’s a superpower — because it is!

Quick Links

CALENDAR AND EVENTS

Please bookmark the following calendars and add them to your personal calendar by using the + at the bottom of each calendar. They can also be accessed through the EdAdmin App (more information under the general tab)

Dates for 2025

Autumn Quarter: 08 April - 25 June

*Mid-term break: 29 April - 2 May

Winter Quarter: 22 July - 23 September

Spring Quarter: 14 October - 05 December

PARENT LEARNER DIRECTORY

Our Parent Learner Directory contains all the information you will need. You can find this important document under the General Tab

2025 SENIOR PREP P&L Information Directory.pdf

Update emergency contact details on the Edana Multi-portal App

PARENT BUSINESS DIRECTORY

College parents are able to list their businesses in our Parent Business Directory for free – www.parklands.co.za/parent-business-directory/.

Should you be interested in marketing your business to over 1000 families, email: marketing@parklands.co.za to get started.

All listings will be subject to the College’s final approval.

This week's feature business is...

LOST PROPERTY

Please help us by ensuring that your child's bag and belongings are labeled. We have many items that have found themselves in lost property but some labelled items have been taken home and not returned. Please check your child's items and if your child has mistakenly taken an item belonging to someone else, kindly return it to reception so we can return it to the right child.

LOCKERS

We have installed new lockers in the changing rooms that are big enough to store sports kit. Your child is encouraged to make use of these lockers on the day that they have a sports kit that is not able to fit into their own locker. Note that an additional lock is required that can be purchased from reception for a cost of R85. It is important that these lockers are emptied at the end of the day and locks are removed so that someone else can use them for their sports kit on the next day.

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

We wish all our dancers well in the continuing Dance Eisteddfod over the coming weeks till 12 June.

Wishing our Muslim learners and families a peaceful and meaningful Eid-ul-Adha tomorrow.

Keep warm and have a wonderful weekend.