Senior Preparatory Weekly Memo

20 March 2026

Dear Parents

Please take note of the following in this week's memo:

Individual Summer Photos

We will be taking individual photos on Monday 23rd and Tuesday 24th March. Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct summer uniform with their blazer. (see details below).

Reports and Parent Meetings

Reports will be released on Monday, 23 March and report feedback meetings will take place from Monday, 23 March to Wednesday, 26 March. All parents are encouraged to take the opportunity to meet with their child’s class teacher to discuss their report and overall academic development. Your child's class teacher will share bookable appointment slots.

Our Autumn Awakenings Choir Concert on 24 March, at 18:00 will feature senior choirs from Blouberg Ridge, Blouberg International and Table View together with our Junior and Senior Preparatory Choirs. Tickets are now on sale using Quicket: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/314085-autumn-awakenings-choir-festival/

Our Interhouse Gala on Wednesday, 25th March. All Learners are to wear PE kit with their House Colours. Parents are welcome to join us on the sidelines between 10:30 and 12:30.

The summer school quarter closes on Thursday, 26 March at 13:00 and there are no aftercare facilities on that day. Please ensure that your child is collected promptly at 13:00. School reopens after the Easter Weekend on Wednesday, 8 April.

Principal Paul Memo Q1W9 26.MOV

CELEBRATING HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

This Saturday, March 21st, South Africa observes Human Rights Day to honour those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. Often, we view human rights as history lessons or "adult" topics—but today, our Grade 4 and 5 learners saw firsthand that activism has no age limit.

We were honoured to host Ayana Razack, an incredible 11-year-old human rights champion. From her "Rate the Park" initiative, which advocates for safe play spaces, to her work with the WO Project for youth equality, Ayana is proof that children’s rights are a "right now" priority. She reminded our learners that they don't have to wait to be leaders; they already have the power to shape their school and their city today

SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS on MONDAY 23rd and Tuesday 24th March

Please make sure learners are dressed smartly in their summer uniform and wearing their blazers for their individual summer photographs

Monday 23rd March

4P, 5R, 6P, 6R, 6K

Tuesday 24th March

4A, 4R, 5P, 5A, 6A

ACADEMICS

Quarter 1 Academic Reports

In Grade 4 – 6, all assessments for Quarter 1 are weighted according to the revised CAPS requirements as stipulated by the Department of Basic Education. The mark is displayed as a percentage and code under the heading called Summer 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 Home Language

40% in Afrikaans FAL / isiXhosa FAL

40% in Mathematics

40% in all other subjects

Quarter 1 Report Feedback Meetings

The Senior Preparatory reports will be released on Monday, 23 March and report feedback meetings will take place from Monday, 23 March to Wednesday, 26 March.

Please ensure that you have the EDANA MULTI-PORTAL PARENT APP downloaded on your device to access your child's report

We would like to encourage parents to take the opportunity to meet with their child’s class teacher to discuss their report and overall academic development. These meetings provide a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child’s achievements, gain insight into their learning, and discuss ways we can continue to support their growth together.

Class teachers will share the link to their Google Calendar in order for you to book a meeting. Appointments are usually 15 minutes 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. Please contact your child’s class teacher directly should you be unavailable to meet on the specific days and times scheduled.

EDANA MULTI-PORTAL PARENT APP and Notifications

Parents are encouraged to download the Ed-admin Multi Portal App. This platform will be used to send important notifications and updates, and it will also provide access to children’s reports when they are released.

Please enable notifications on the app so you can receive important push notifications from the school.

Ed-Admin_Multi_Portal_Installation.pdf

GROWING MINDS SHIELDS

The future requires people who are innovative, humanity-centred, relationship-oriented, compassion-focused, values-driven, globally-conscious and planet-sensitive, in order to guarantee that this generation will become REAL agents of change. The values necessary to sustain life on earth, as humans and environmentalists, are incorporated in five global competencies across our curriculum under our “Growing Minds” banner: Critical Thinkers, Effective Communicators, Purposeful Collaborators, Creative Agents and Responsible Citizens.

In assembly this week, we awarded the following learner with a Growing Minds Shield. Congratulations to Sinako.

Sinako receives the Effective Communicator trophy for presenting his PSW presentation with such confidence that Ms. Prinsloo’s heart just about burst with pride! Your voice has a special kind of magic that made the whole room stop and listen. (Ms Prinsloo)

SPCA DRESS-UP DAY

Thank you to all our learners who dressed up in support of our fury friends at the SPCA.

GRADE 6 NEWS

Adventure, Grit and Golden Moments: The Grade 6 Camp Highlights! 🌲✨

What an unforgettable journey it has been! Our Grade 6s dove headfirst into the ultimate camp experience, kicking off Day One by finding their "tribes" and unleashing their inner artists. The air was thick with team spirit as groups huddled to compose hilarious team anthems and design vibrant flags, which they carried with absolute pride. The night ended on a literal high note with an epic Karaoke; our learners proved they have as much stage presence as they do heart!

Day Two took the adrenaline to a whole new level! Our campers transformed into true warriors, conquering an obstacle course, racing kaskars and navigating the waters with some sun-soaked canoeing. The teamwork was truly inspiring to witness, but the real magic happened at sunset. Our learners became "MasterChefs" for the evening, taking full control of the coals at our Team Braai. There’s nothing quite like the smell of a wood fire and a hard-earned meal cooked by your own hands to celebrate a day of smashing goals under the great African sky!

It’s been a whirlwind of growth, laughter and muddy shoes, and we are so proud of the grit and leadership every single learner displayed. Grade 6’s you made this camp one for the history books!

Grade 6 Outing: Two Oceans Aquarium

The Grade 6s are diving into marine science on 10 April 2026 with a visit to the Two Oceans Aquarium! This hands-on experience will explore South African marine biodiversity, rocky shoreline ecosystems, and the vital importance of seafood sustainability.

Key Details:

When: 10 April (Arrival by 07:30)
Dress: Full school uniform
Bring: A healthy, easy-to-eat packed lunch
Cost: R235

Please let us know if your child will be attending by completing this Google Form: Grade 6 Two Oceans Aquarium Outing

GRADE 5 NEWS

Week 9 was an absolute blast!

In Maths, we dived into factors, multiples, and prime numbers. Our English brains got a workout as we unpacked comprehension strategies and sharpened our reading detective skills.

History and our outing were a match made in learning heaven. We compared the lives of San hunter-gatherers to our own modern world, brought it to life with colourful, creative posters, and then got to actually explore their fascinating way of life on our outing.

In PSW, we reflected on the different kinds of friendships that make our lives rich and meaningful. A week packed with discovery, creativity, and plenty of fun.

GRADE 4 NEWS

This week in our Afrikaans lessons, our Grade 4 learners had great fun planning and creating their own sandwiches. They spent time thinking carefully about the different bestanddele (ingredients) they could use and how to describe them in Afrikaans. 🥪 🥬 🧀 🍅

Some learners built their sandwiches tall with many layers, while others focused on combining ingredients to create delicious flavours. It was wonderful to see their creativity and excitement as they shared their ideas with one another.

Activities like this help learners practise their Afrikaans vocabulary in a practical and enjoyable way. They also encourage creativity, decision-making, and confidence when speaking and describing their choices.

Scan to book Autumn Awakenings Quicket Tickets

CULTURE

Quarter 2 and 3 Co-curricular Sign-up Form

AUTUMN AWAKENINGS:

Our Autumn Awakenings Choir Concert on 24 March at 18:00 will feature senior choirs from Blouberg Ridge, Blouberg International and Table View together with our Junior and Senior Preparatory Choirs. Tickets are now on sale using Quicket: https://www.quicket.co.za/events/314085-autumn-awakenings-choir-festival/

MUSIC:

We invite parents of all current individual music learners, as well as those wishing to commence individual lessons in 2026, to please complete the following enrolment form: 2026 SP Music Form

DANCE:

Please read through the

JP/SP Dance 2026 Enrolment Form information and contact Sylvia Stander sstander@parklands.co.za

if you have any queries.

Assembly Performances:

Art and Design

Here is a glimpse into Grade 6 Art and our Grade 4-6 Design Society learners' flower creations.

Thank you to our Grade 6 Art Teacher Lisa, Espinasse-Gutter.

SCIENCE CLUB

Our Science Club ended the quarter on a high note with two exciting and interactive experiments that had learners amazed and engaged! The “Dancing Popcorn” experiment brought science to life as learners observed popcorn kernels rising and falling in a fizzy solution, demonstrating the effects of gas and density in a fun and visual way.

The highlight of the session was the ever-popular “Elephant Toothpaste” experiment. Learners were thrilled as a rapid chemical reaction produced a burst of foamy bubbles, introducing them to the concept of catalysts and how they speed up reactions.

These hands-on activities not only sparked curiosity and excitement but also helped reinforce key scientific concepts in a memorable way. It was a fantastic way to celebrate a term of learning, exploration, and discovery in Science Club!

LIBRARY

Children’s relationships with their grandparents are precious and very special to them. This is a safe space where they are adored and feel important, and who would not like that? However, our boy in the Gangsta Granny books, Ben, is rather reluctant when he is sent off to stay with his granny on Friday nights while his parents take part in ballroom dancing. His visits are not all that exciting. They play Scrabble and Grandma’s house smells of the cabbage soup she loves to make. Things change completely when Ben discovers his granny’s amazing secret: she used to be a famous jewellery thief known as The Black Cat, and she has always wanted to steal the crown jewels! This hilarious story even leads to an encounter with the Queen herself!

Do not underestimate David Walliams, under the hilarity and nonsense there is often a poignant and touching life lesson. Classes were introduced to the two Gangsta Granny books this week. The first book has been adapted for stage and seen in a West End production. It has also been adapted into a BBC movie.

BIRTHDAY BOOKS

Our Birthday Book donation this week is from Sinesipho. It is called Dork Diaries: Skating Sensation, the fourth book in the hilarious series by Rachel Renée Russell. If you enjoy reading about friendship, funny mishaps and a little bit of romance, this is a must-read!

Thank you Sinesipho for your generous gift to our library.

SPORT

Quarter 2 and 3 Co-curricular Sign-up Form

Senior Prep Sport | Weekly Update

What an awesome week it has been in Senior Prep Sport!

A massive thank you to all staff, learners and families for a fantastic Winter Sports Switch this week - it ran exceptionally well, and it was brilliant to see our learners change gears so smoothly as we transitioned from summer sport into our winter codes. The energy, excitement and enthusiasm on display made for a really positive start to the new season!

Important Reminders for the Week Ahead:

There will be NO afternoon sport for the Senior Prep this coming week.
Please take note and plan accordingly.
We are hosting Netball Trials next week, and all netballers are encouraged to attend as we continue to assess and place players across the various levels/teams. If you’re a netballer - be there and get involved! Parents who have signed children up for netball next quarter have been notified of trial arrangements via email. U10 and U11 netball girls are requested to be at trials Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday .
Interhouse Gala Incoming! 🏊‍♂️🏆

A big one on the calendar next week…

📅 Wednesday, 25 March

⏰ 10h30 start

📍 Annual Interhouse Gala

Our much-anticipated Annual Interhouse Gala takes place next Wednesday, and it promises to be another fantastic event filled with house spirit, racing, cheering and plenty of poolside energy! We encourage families to come along and support what is always one of the standout events on the Senior Prep sporting calendar.

Let’s keep the momentum rolling and finish the quarter in style!

Senior Prep — new season, new gears, same great energy. Let’s go!

Netball Trials - Grade 4 and 5

Mon-Wed: 14h45-15h45

Venue: JP Netball Courts

All Welcome

Inter House Gala

Wednesday, 25 March 2026 @ 10:30-12:30

All learners are requested to come in their PE Kit with House colour t-shirts in support of their houses.

Senior Preparatory Sports Uniform: 2026

Senior Preparatory 2026 Uniform requirements.pdf

External Achievements in Sport

Please find a link to the form to notify the College of a learner's external achievements at Area/Regional/Provincial level. We request that you upload an image to the form where possible. Any queries to our Head of Sport, Coach Jared - jmargetts@parklands.co.za

External Achievements

This past weekend, Jean-Louis competed in the Western Cape Surf Lifesaving Championships, held in Strand on Saturday and Sunday, and delivered an outstanding all-round performance.

Competing across multiple disciplines, he achieved the following results:

• 1st place – Bodyboarding 🥇

• 2nd place – Beach Relay 🥈

• 3rd place – Run Swim Run 🥉

• 4th place – Boards

• 4th place – Surf Swim

• 5th place – Flags

• 5th place – Long Run

• 5th place – Sprint

His consistency across all seven individual events earned him the prestigious title of U11 Top Competitor of the Western Cape Championships 🤩 awarded to the athlete with the highest overall points.

Congratulations to Tianna for obtaining 4x gold medals, 1x silver medal and broke the record for 100 IM. She also beat all 5 of her persoal best times!

Sport Quick Links

SPORTS INFO

TRAVEL CONSENT

EXTERNAL ACHIEVEMENTS

SPORTS CALENDAR

OUTREACH 2026

We are collecting marshmallow eggs / boxes / strips or individual packs. These will be shared with senior citizens in our community as well as our neighbouring schools. We would love you to be part of sharing opportunities as we get closer to Easter time.

GENERAL

Drop off & collection

Please ensure that learners arrive on time for the start of the academic day. Parents are welcome to drop their children off between 07:30 and 07:45 and are requested to use the Drop and Go Zone on the SP Campus in Wood Drive.

Parents may pull into the yellow zone for learners to get out and walk into school on their own. Please do not park or leave your car in the Drop and Go Zone.

All learners must be clocked in and ready for the day before this 07:45. Learners who attend early morning activities must clock-in before attending their session in order to avoid being recorded as 'Late Arrival' on the biometric system.

Note Learner Attendance Policy

Aftercare

Aftercare is a combined group of Grade 4-6 learners. Parents, please inform the College via email should you wish to make use of our aftercare facility. Learners may wear their Parklands College sports uniform. Learners attending Aftercare will be escorted to the venue. Parents who wish to make use of our aftercare facilities must please inform us via e-mail.

School is LOCKED promptly at 16h45 daily. Please assist us by ensuring that your child is collected on time allowing our dedicated staff to return home to their own families. A late collection fee of R250 per half-hour (or part thereof) will apply for children collected from aftercare after 17h00.

Security & Car Stickers

For safety reasons no learners are permitted to wait outside the College gates at any time.

Parents entering our campus are required to have a car identification sticker, which can be collected from reception. By displaying the sticker on your car, you will gain easy access to the College premises. Vehicles that do not have a sticker will be scanned. ‘At the Gate’ Access Solution is used by the College and involves drivers' and car license discs being scanned. This information is stored on a secure database off-site for future reference should the need arise. Pedestrians are also required to produce identification.

We request, for the safety of our learners, that parents and visitors who are on our campus during academic time also sign in at reception and receive a visitors badge. The badge must be returned to reception before leaving campus.

Quick Links

SCHOOL HOURS

UNIFORM

Uniform Requirements (link)

School and Leisure offers free delivery to school. To take advantage of this when ordering please insert school name and address in the address block and add discount code before check-out.

- - - Junior Preparatory - 91 Raats Drive, Parklands 7441
    - Senior Preparatory - 50 Wood Drive, Parklands 7441
    - Secondary Faculty - 1 College Avenue, Sandown 7441
    - Discount Code : PKLSCHOOL (both upper and lowercase works)

Please ensure that the uniform is the correct size for your child, in particular the blazer

Second hand school uniforms
Please contact Tania Fourie if you would like to buy or sell good-quality second-hand uniforms. She is also the supplier of Froggy School shoes. Contact details: +27 83 631 7683 or tania@sportstudio.co.za

Lost Property

Please help us by checking that all the items that your child brings home actually belong to them. If they come home with someone's elses item (such as an extra shoe, hat, etc) please send it to reception the next day so that we can return labelled items to the owner.

It is important that all items are labelled clearly so that lost items can be returned. Parents are welcome to come in to reception to view lost property items. Items not labelled will be in lost property and donated to the second hand shop at the end of each quarter.

MEDICATIONS AND IMMUNISATIONS

Should your child have a medical condition/ allergy /require prescribed medication to be administered, please e-mail Meagan Kotze on mkotze@parklands.co.za.

Please ensure that your child’s immunisations are up to date and forward a copy of the updated immunisation record to the secretary once your child has received the vaccine.

Immunisation_schedule.pdf

Immunisations2.pdf

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)

PARENT LEARNER DIRECTORY

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

20260112 SENIOR PREP P&L Information Directory.pdf

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...

2026 Dates

Summer Quarter: 20 Jan - 26 March

Autumn Quarter: 8 April - 24 June

Winter Quarter: 22 July - 23 September

Spring Quarter: 14 October - 4 December

Proposed 2027 Parklands College Dates

Summer Quarter: 19 Jan 2027 - 18 March 2027

Autumn Quarter: 7 April 2027 - 23 June 2027

Winter Quarter: 21 July 2027 - 22 Sept 2027

Spring Quarter: 6 Oct 2027 - 3 Dec 2027

Saturday 21 March:

Public Holiday: Human Rights Day

Monday 23 March:

Grade 4-6 Individual Photos

Reports Released

Report Meetings

Tuesday 24 March

Report Meetings

18:00 Autumn Awakenings Concert (Tickets on Quicket)

Wednesday 25 March

Inter-house Gala (Inter House Gala Sign Up Form)

Report Meetings

Fallen Angels Drop Off

Thursday 26 March:

Last Day of the Quarter (school closes at 1pm, no aftercare)

Sunday 29 March:

Happy Birthday Sisanda Mvulana

Friday 03 April:

Public Holiday - Good Friday

Monday 06 April:

Public Holiday - Family Day

Wednesday 08 April:

Autumn Quarter commences

Sports and Co-curricular start

Friday 10 April:

Grade 6 Outing: Two Oceans Aquarium

Wednesday 15 April:

Happy Birthday Meagan Petersen

Friday 17 April:

Chamber Choir Performance City Hall 18:30

Saturday 18 April:

Happy Birthday Julia Holliday

Tuesday 21 April:

SP Hooked on Books

Thursday 23 April:

U12 Knysna Netball Tour Departs

Friday 24 April:

U12 Knysna Netball Tour

Saturday 25 April:

U12 Knysna Netball Tour

Happy Birthday Liam Maharage

Sunday 26 April:

U12 Knysna Netball Tour Returns

Monday 27 April:

Public Holiday - Freedom Day

Tuesday 28 April:

Normal School Day, including Sport and Co-Curriculars

Wednesday 29 April:

Normal School Day, including Sport and Co-Curriculars

Thursday 30 April:

Normal School Day, including Sport and Co-Curriculars

Friday 1 May:

Public Holiday - Workers Day

Monday 4 May:

Change to Winter Uniform

Star Wars Day

Friday 8 May:

Happy Birthday Samantha April

Saturday 9 May:

SP Choir Rehearsal for ATKV 9-12

Sunday 10 May:

Mothers Day

Wednesday 13 May:

Happy Birthday Coach Jared

Saturday 16 May:

SP Choir Rehearsal for ATKV 9-12

Wednesday 20 May:

Happy Birthday Serena Domingo

Thursday 21 May:

ATKV APPLOUS CHOIR competition @ Gene Louw Primary

Friday 29 May:

Reach for a Dream Slipper Day (bring shoes for sports hour)

Saturday 30 May:

Open Day

Monday 1 June:

Happy Birthday Chef Kerry

Wednesday 3 June:

Happy Birthday Chantel Lamb

Thursday 4 June:

Happy Birthday Elise Crouse

Friday 12 June:

SP Choir Performance (TBC)

Monday 15 June:

Special School Holiday

Tuesday 16 June:

Public Holiday: Youth Day

Happy birthday Thurloe Ernstzen

Wednesday 17 June:

Grade 5 outing (Planetarium)

Thursday 18 June:

SP Music Concert 18:00

Friday 19 June:

SP Reports released to Parents

SP Parent Report Feedback Meetings

Sunday 21 June:

Fathers Day

Monday 22 June:

SP Parent Report Feedback Meetings

Tuesday 23 June:

SP Parent Report Feedback Meetings

Wednesday 24 June:

School Closes at 13:00, no aftercare

Monday 6 July:

Happy Birthday Gary Gilder

Wednesday 15 July:

Happy Birthday Trisha Govender

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

We look forward to welcoming our learners back to school on Wednesday 8 April in Summer Uniform. We will switch to winter uniform on Monday 4 May 2026.

To all our families celebrating Eid al-Fitr this weekend, may this special occasion bring peace, joy, and blessings to you and your families. Eid Mubarak!

Wishing all our Parklands families a happy and restful holiday.

Paul Mayers

Senior Preparatory Principal

pmayers@parklands.co.za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ParklandsCollege/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParklandsTweet

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parklandscollege

Links to other faculty memos:

Pre-Primary Faculty: https://ppblog.parklands.co.za

Junior Preparatory Faculty: https://jpblog.parklands.co.za

Secondary Faculty: https://secblog.parklands.co.za

Page updated

Report abuse