Senior Preparatory Weekly Memo
29 May 2026
29 May 2026
Dear Parents
Please take note of the following:
School Arrival
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. Note that other than scheduled early morning activities, there is no child supervision before 07:30.
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.
School Collection
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
Please be reminded that children may not go home with friends or be picked up by another adult/drive unless this has been communicated in writing to their class teacher and copied to reception - prep@parklands.co.za. Please be aware that learners under the age of 13 may NOT use UBER without an adult. Any child under 13 years old may only use an UBER with an 18 year old and above.
Q3 Co-Curricular sign-ups
The Grade 4 - 6 culture and sport programme will commence on Wednesday 22nd July.
All sport, dance, Friday Robotics, individual music selections, Drama Society, Design Society and Marimba continue from Q2. The new sign-up form is only for Junior Chefs and Golf.
Thank you for supporting Slipper Day today! By purchasing a sticker you have invested in the hopes of brave children fighting life-threatening illnesses
A heartfelt thank you to each of you for your contribution to our Ria Abel care packs. We have exceeded our target and are now packing the packs to deliver next week.
Special thanks to our families who went shopping for extra items for us to make our targets.
The future requires people who are innovative, humanity-centered, 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.
Taylor Harrison-Ralph received the Purposeful Collaborator Trophy for consistently showing kindness, teamwork and inclusivity towards everyone around him. Taylor has a wonderful ability to make others feel valued, welcomed and supported. His positive attitude, caring nature, and willingness to work well with others make him an outstanding collaborator and a role model to his peers. from Miss Hodges
Nicholas Kruis: Huge congratulations to Nic, our official Critical Thinker Champion this week! Nic doesn't just do the daily Afrikaans Wordle, he has turned the entire classroom into a high-stakes, word-hunting squad every single lesson! Your energy is contagious, your strategy is unmatched, and your mind is always sharp. Baie dankie for bringing so much curiosity and excitement to our class, Nic. from Ms Prinsloo
Samantha Vilakazi is receiving the Effective Communicator trophy and Mrs Struwig would like to congratulate Samantha for her outstanding effort and confidence in communicating in Afrikaans. She consistently makes an effort to ask and answer questions in Afrikaans during class, showing great determination and enthusiasm for learning the language. Her positive attitude and willingness to challenge herself are truly commendable. We are very proud of her dedication and growth. Well done, Samantha!
Willow Rob is awarded the Creative Agent Trophy for being an enthusiastic and avid reader whose imagination, curiosity and love for books continue to inspire others. Your creativity, thoughtful ideas and passion for learning truly impress us and reflect the qualities of a remarkable young thinker. from Miss Hodges
In PSW this week, our Grade 6 learners explored the rich tapestry of diversity by diving into Cultural Rites of Passage. We discussed how these milestones represent important stages of growth and development in our lives, often celebrated with unique rituals, parties, or symbols. The learners journeyed through various traditions and religions found right here in South Africa—learning about meaningful ceremonies surrounding birth, coming-of-age milestones, weddings, and how different cultures honour life's final chapters. It was a wonderful opportunity for the learners to reflect on their own family traditions while building deep respect and understanding for the beautiful, diverse community around them!
📚English Explorations: Information Texts
This week in English, our Grade 6 learners have been busy exploring and examining a variety of information texts 📚. From learning about the wonderful spekboom and its importance to the environment 🌱, to discovering how the first fireworks were invented 🎆, learners have investigated many fascinating topics. They also had the opportunity to write their own information texts and creatively design them using Canva. It has been wonderful to see their curiosity, creativity, and growing confidence in both reading and writing informational pieces. We are excited to see what else they will create and write in the weeks ahead!
Makerspace
This week in Makerspace, fun and creativity were in full swing as learners focused on building their own water filters. They explored different materials, tested their designs, and brought their ideas to life through hands-on problem-solving. It was exciting to see learners think like engineers as they designed, built, and improved their filters while learning about how water can be cleaned through simple filtration methods.
What a week it was in Grade 5! The class sharpened their maths skills by revising Quarter 1 and 2 work in preparation for next week's assessment, while in English they continued crafting their Legends writing pieces, diving deep into scene-setting and character development.
Afrikaans brought the magical world of Myths to life, exploring how these ancient stories explain natural phenomena and the wisdom they carry, with learners beginning to build their very own mythical characters.
History had everyone thinking in flow diagrams to map out how the first farmers smelted iron, and Geography got hands-on with drawing and labelling different types of mines.
In PSW, hearts were warmed as learners wrote and shared kindness letters with special people in their lives, and to top it all off, the space journey continued with work on presentation slides and designing incredible space mining machines in Tinkercad. What a packed and brilliant week!
Grade 5 Robotics: Bumper Bots and Big Thinking
This week, Grade 5 learners used the force sensor on their SPIKE Prime robots to explore if-then statements — programming their bumper bots to detect an obstacle and react all on their own. The thinking, the troubleshooting, and the excitement when it finally worked? Absolutely priceless.
Outing to the Planetarium, Digital Dome, and The Iziko Museum
We are so excited to share that Grade 5 learners have a wonderful outing to look forward to in Quarter 2. The Planetarium, Digital Dome, and The Iziko Museum on 17 June 2026! Please complete the consent form as soon as possible.
🌧️ Science: Grade 4 Explores the Water Cycle in a Bag!
Our Grade 4 scientists have been bringing the weather indoors! To understand how water moves around our planet, learners created their very own mini-atmospheres using sealed plastic bags taped to our sunny classroom windows.
Over the past few days, our Grade Fours turned into ultimate data collectors and sharp analysts. They patiently observed, tracked, and recorded the magic of science happening right before their eyes, from watching the water warm up and turn into invisible vapour to spotting the tiny droplets forming like miniature clouds at the top of the bag.
We are incredibly proud of how our young meteorologists analysed their daily observations with such precision.
We are proud to award the following learners with Mathletics Certificates this week in SP Lines. Well done.
School Attendance
We wish to remind parents and learners that regular school attendance is crucial. Long-term absentees and extended vacations can result in learners missing these key learning opportunities. Please assist us by ensuring your child attends school regularly and punctually.
Please see our Learner Attendance Policy for further details.
Please note that a doctor's certificate is required if a learner is absent for a formal assessment. Please contact the Principal (pmayers@parklands.co.za) or Head of Academics (ldrawbridge@parklands.co.za) to ask for permission for your child to be absent for any other reason.
Informal Assessments
Our learners are in the process of completing various informal assessments, which are integrated into the daily class activities throughout the quarter. All informal assessments are completed at school and no studying is required.
Formal Assessments
A reminder to click on the specific grade assessment calendars on the academic tab to see your child's formal assessment schedule and study details. The study details are posted at least two weeks before the assessment. Please check calendars regularly to stay updated.
Quarter 2 and 3 Co-curricular Sign-up Form
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.
Q3 Co-Curricular sign-ups
The Grade 4 - 6 culture and sport programme will commence on Wednesday 22nd July.
All sport, dance, Friday Robotics, individual music selections, Drama Society, Design Society and Marimba continue from Q2. The new sign-up form is only for Junior Chefs and Golf.
This week we continued to have fun in Science Club with exploding colours, exciting experiments, and hands-on learning. Learners explored how acids and bases react through bubbly, colourful reactions that filled the room with excitement and curiosity. It was wonderful to see our young scientists making predictions, observing carefully and enjoying science through fun and discovery.
WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO…
World Environment Day on 5 June. This annual event is an initiative of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and this year’s host country is Baku, Azerbaijan. Global objectives for 2026 include attention to the protection of vulnerable communities from disruptive weather extremes caused by global warming, as we have recently seen in our own province.
Education about conservation issues plays a vital role in preparing future citizens of the world, and sharing books with conservation themes can be a meaningful family pastime. We are including some recommendations by four multi-award-winning authors that can be found in our library.
BIRTHDAY BOOK
Happy birthday to Zach De Carvalho Smee, and thank you for a most welcome copy of a great favourite, Gangsta Granny by David Walliams. It is the hilarious yet moving story of Ben, who stays at Grandma’s house on a Friday night while his parents go ballroom dancing. Ben is bored beyond belief, but there are things he does not know about his grandma: she was once an international jewel thief, known as The Black Cat, and it is time to execute a daring heist for which she needs Ben’s help - stealing the Crown Jewels!
BOOK CLUB
Our grade 4 learners started a book club on a high note with a much-anticipated and exciting activity we call Book Dominos! We’ve tested how well they know their fiction and non-fiction books, books from the same author, picture books and similarities in characters, book covers and titles. We also had book discussions about their favourite stories, giving recommendations of why we should read those books. Lastly, we tested their knowledge about how well they know their library and library rules. It has been an eventful two weeks of learning about books in a fun environment that cultivates the culture of reading and seeing the value of our library!
We have reached the end of May and with that comes one of the most exciting events on our school calendar: Open Day! The campus is buzzing, the winter air is crisp, and our Senior Prep athletes are locked, loaded, and ready to put on a show.
If you want to witness true passion, grit, and teamwork, make sure you are on the sidelines tomorrow morning. Our Senior Prep Rugby teams will be out in full force, showcasing their skills, hard hits, and tactical plays for our visitors and supporters.
Kick-off: Tomorrow morning from 10h00
The Mission: Bring your family, your friends, and your loudest cheering voices!
Let’s line the fields, pack the sidelines, and show prospective families exactly what our school spirit looks like in action.
While the Saturday and mid-week match days start winding down in June, our sports programme remains in high gear. All sports practices will go ahead exactly as planned. This uninterrupted training block is incredibly valuable for our Senior Prep teams. It allows our players to step away from the immediate pressure of the scoreboard and focus entirely on:
Advanced tactical structures
Positional training and core skill refinement
Fitness and conditioning
To Our Athletes: It’s easy to get up and play when there is a big crowd and a scoreboard running. But true athletes are defined by the work they put in when nobody is watching. Use these upcoming winter practices to sharpen your skills, master your drills, and build chemistry with your teammates. The work we do in June sets the tone for our success later in the season!
Pack those kits, dress warmly for the winter chill, and we will see you on the rugby fields tomorrow at 10h00!
It was a highly competitive week of fixtures against some incredibly tough opponents. While some of the scorelines didn't go our way, our players showed immense character, fighting until the final whistle.
Rugby vs. Milnerton
Our boys faced a very clinical and physical Milnerton side this week. It was a tough learning experience, but the grit on display was undeniable.
U11: Lost 53-7. Calvin (POTM)
U13: Lost 50-7. Samuel & Nick (POTM)
Netball vs. Edgemead
Our netball squads went toe-to-toe with Edgemead in a series of fast-paced, high-intensity encounters, walking away with some brilliant wins and valuable learning moments.
U10A: Won 3-1. A fantastic, tight defensive game. Busi (POTM)
U10B: Lost 11-3. Azania & Kuhle (POTM)
U11A: Won 9-4. Superb spatial awareness and movement into the circle. Britney & Unako (POTM)
U11B: Lost 8-2. Ajibola & Abigail (POTM)
U12A: Lost 20-2. Faced an incredibly tough shooting side but kept their heads high. Rachel (POTM)
U12B: Lost 8-2. Giovanni (POTM)
A massive thank you to Cape Town Fish Market Bloubergstrand and the Daly family for our new awesome custom Grays Water bottles. Our U12/U13 Hockey Boys sported them yesterday vs Rallim.
Friday Hockey Sports Hour
Please note, all Hockey learners will be transported to the Secondary Faculty for Hockey training on astro at 13h15 - 14h30. All learners will be transported back to Parklands College Senior Prep - no learner will be permitted to be picked up from the Secondary campus.
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
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.
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.
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.
From Klikd in your Pocket this week...
There are a couple of things worth knowing though, especially around the chat function and younger players. When kids play with strangers, that chat window is essentially an open conversation with people they've never met. Easy to set up, easy to miss. And the game's competitiveness can bring out some pretty unkind behaviour too.🤬🤯
The good news? There are simple settings tweaks and four conversation starters that turn gaming time into something genuinely useful. We made it easy for you and broke it all down in our latest blog.
Klikd.co.za/among-us-kids-social-skills-trust-lying/
PARKLANDS COLLEGE PARTNERS WITH KLIKD FOR A DIGITAL SAFETY SOLUTION
Parenting in the digital age presents unique challenges. Balancing your child’s need for online interaction with the responsibility of keeping them safe can feel overwhelming. Excluding your child from the digital world might seem isolating, yet providing them with unrestricted access to smart devices without guidance can pose serious risks.
It is vital to equip our children with the skills they need to navigate the digital world confidently, responsibly, and safely. That’s why we are thrilled to announce our partnership with Klikd, South Africa’s leading digital safety and citizenship company. We will be rolling out Klikd’s Digital Citizenship Programme for Schools for Grades 4-6.
About Klikd
Klikd was founded by clinical psychologist Pam Tudin and social media lawyer Sarah Hoffman, combining their expertise to offer an innovative approach to cyber safety and digital citizenship education.
In today’s world, knowing how to handle challenges such as cyberbullying, gaming addiction, inappropriate content, online predators, managing one’s digital footprint and Artificial Intelligence - is no longer optional -it's essential. These aren’t skills that can be taught in a single school talk but require continuous conversations and guidance, reinforced at school and at home.
The Klikd Digital Citizenship Programme for Schools
Through our partnership with Klikd, we will offer a carefully curated programme that provides learners with the tools they need to thrive in the online world. Importantly, it also empowers you, as parents, with weekly practical resources and strategies to support your child on this journey.
Klikd Parent Information Session Recording
If you missed the Klikd Parent Information Session last week you can find the link to a recording here
Klikd in your Pocket: Parent Update Whatsapp Group
Join KLIKD in Your Pocket - a weekly bite-sized update on what’s trending in your child’s online world.
This WhatsApp broadcast group delivers practical, no-fluff insights on topics like:
🎮 Managing devices during playdates and sleepovers
👀 Accidental pornography pop-ups
🎰 Live gambling features on Roblox (yes, really!)
Each week, you’ll also get 4–5 conversation starters to use at dinner, in the car, or while shopping for that “perfect” hoodie — helping you stay connected and informed.
🟢 No group chat, no noise — just super helpful info.
📸 Scan the QR code or tap the link to join:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/H6zTS0hHpaIIHF2G5PigPq?mode=gi_t
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
Please help us by checking that all the items that your child brings home actually belong to them. If they come home with someone else's 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.
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.
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)
We are excited to announce that Parklands College Secondary Faculty will be hosting a Space Educators Conference during World Space Week in October.
Cape Town, South Africa - Former NASA astronaut, educator, and STEAM advocate Dorothy “Dottie” Metcalf-Lindenburger will visit South Africa for the Space Tour 2026, running from 22 July to 4 August 2026 across Cape Town, Gauteng, Durban, and selected remote communities.
As part of the Cape Town leg, Metcalf-Lindenburger will headline a public presentation evening at Parklands College on Monday, 3 August 2026, from 18h00 to 20h30, a rare opportunity for learners, families, and educators to hear directly from a NASA astronaut about life in space and the future of exploration.
Tickets: Book here on Quicket
Presented in partnership with Living Maths, the tour will bring world-class STEM inspiration to schools, universities, science centres, and communities nationwide including underserved and remote areas where learners often lack access to global role models.
Metcalf-Lindenburger flew aboard Space Shuttle Discovery on the historic STS-131 mission to the International Space Station in 2010, serving as Mission Specialist 2 and robotic arm operator. The mission delivered over 27,000 pounds of equipment to the ISS and travelled 6.2 million miles during 238 Earth orbits. She was also part of the first occasion on which four women were simultaneously in space. A former earth science and astronomy teacher, she was selected by NASA in 2004 through the Educator Astronaut Program and was the first Space Camp alumna to join the Astronaut Corps. She later commanded the NEEMO 16 underwater exploration mission and today champions STEAM education globally through Dottie ML, LLC.
Steve Sherman, Chief Imagination Officer of Living Maths, said the tour is about possibility. “When young people in South Africa meet someone who has travelled beyond Earth, it changes the way they think about their futures. Curiosity and talent are universal, opportunity is not. This tour is designed to help bridge that gap.”
Metcalf-Lindenburger added: “Science and exploration thrive when young people are encouraged to ask questions, solve problems, and imagine boldly. I’m honoured to share experiences from space exploration, teamwork, and discovery with audiences across South Africa.”
Tour Dates: 22 July – 4 August 2026
Public Event: Parklands College, Cape Town, 3 August 2026, 18h00–20h30
Tickets: quicket.co.za
Media & booking enquiries:
Steve Sherman, Living Maths
steve@livingmaths.com | +27 83 308 3883
Our Parent Learner Directory contains all the information you will need. You can find this important document under the General Tab
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...
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 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
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
We would like to wish the Chef Kerry a happy birthday for 1 June, our Junior Preparatory Principal, Mrs Lamb happy birthday for 3 June and our Head of Libraries, Mrs Crouse a happy birthday for 4 June. May you have a special day and wonderful year ahead.
Tomorrow we will host Open Day across all campuses between 10am and 1pm. Why not invite friends or family to book a tour of our campus? We hope to see you there.
https://www.parklands.co.za/openday
Have a wonderful weekend
Paul Mayers
Senior Preparatory Principal
Follow us on:
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