Senior Preparatory Weekly Memo
11 September 2026
Embedded Files
Dear Parents
Tomorrow we host Open Day across all of our campuses. If you have someone in your world who would like to consider Parklands College, please invite them for a tour between 10am and 1pm. Tours can be booked using the following link: https://www.parklands.co.za/openday/
All of our Grade Six learners and parents are also invited for a tour of the Secondary Faculty tomorrow at 10am. This will be their new home next year!
Please take note of the following dates:
Open Day on Saturday 12 September
Grade 6 "Welcome to Sandown" at the Secondary Faculty on 12 September @ 10:00
Grade 4 Farmers Market on Friday 18 September @ 13:30
We invite all parents to join our Parklands Playgrounds on the dates below:
Grade 4: Monday 21 September @ 08:00-09:30
Grade 5: Monday 21 September @ 13:00-14:30
Grade 6: Thursday 17 September @ 13:00-14:30
SP on the Run Tuesday 22 September
School closes at 13:00 on Wednesday 23 September and there is no aftercare on that day. School reopens on Wednesday 14 October. We will switch to Summer Uniform on the first day back next quarter.
Reminder that if your contact details change (email/telephone/address) please notify prep@parklands.co.za so that we can update our systems.
Principal Paul Memo Q3W8-26.MOVClick on play to view Principal Paul's Video Memo
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Parklands Playground for All Parents
Parklands Playground for All Parents
Join us at the end of the quarter to experience an iPad-powered classroom alongside your child. Discover how technology transforms everyday learning at Parklands College Senior Preparatory!
Mark these dates on your calendar:
Grade 4: Monday 21 September @ 08:00-09:30
Grade 5: Monday 21 September @ 13:00-14:30
Grade 6: Thursday 17 September @ 13:00-14:30
Please meet outside the hall side entrance.
FUNKY SOCKS DAY
FUNKY SOCKS DAY
Thank you to each of our learners who came dressed in their Funky Socks today in aid of to raise awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and show our support for the important work being done to assist children and families affected by FASD. We appreciate your support of this worthy cause.
GROWING MINDS SHIELDS
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 learners with Growing Minds Shields:
The Purposeful Collaborator Trophy is proudly presented to Junior and Isabella for their phenomenal team work in our Art class PBL. Across the five week course they worked together curating their character and touching base on their expectations of the final outcome. During the clay portion of the artwork they encouraged each other and helped to bring the characters to life. During the recording portion of the PBL they worked as a power house team, continuously guiding and speaking positively to each other. They overcame challenges and helped solve problems together. Well done, I'm super proud of how well you work together. From Ms Becker.
The Effective Communicator Trophy is proudly presented to Ripfumelo. This award celebrates the confidence and personality you bring to the way you communicate with others. You have never been afraid to speak your mind, share your ideas or make yourself heard, and that is something that you should be proud of. You have a presence in the classroom that is impossible to miss and underneath all that big energy is a young man with a good heart and a genuine ability to connect with others. I hope you always remember that your voice matters. Continue using it wisely, speaking with confidence and never be afraid to let the world hear what you have to say. From Mr Robyn
The Critical Thinker Trophy is proudly presented to Alero. Alero has really impressed me with the way she has been participating and challenging herself in class this quarter. She is not afraid to ask questions when she does not understand something and always takes part in our class discussions. What I am especially proud of is the effort she puts into her Afrikaans. Alero always tries her best to answer questions fully in Afrikaans, even when it is challenging. Alero, your willingness to learn, ask questions and keep trying is exactly what makes you a critical thinker. I am very proud of you, Alero. Keep up the amazing work. From Ms Pietersen
The Creative Agent Trophy is proudly presented to Jaren. Jaren, this award celebrates the wonderfully curious and creative way you see the world. You have a natural ability to think differently, look at things from another perspective and come up with ideas that are uniquely your own. What I admire most is that you are never satisfied with simply knowing what you already know, you are always asking questions, exploring possibilities and wanting to discover more. Keep that curiosity alive, Jaren. Your willingness to think beyond the obvious and explore the unknown is a gift, and I have no doubt that it will take you to some incredible places. From Mr Robyn
The Responsible Citizen Trophy is proudly presented to Hannah. Hannah has shown wonderful kindness, generosity and care for others by making an amazing contribution to our outreach initiative. She donated three fully stocked pencil cases filled with brand-new stationery, as well as plenty of additional stationery to help those in need. Hannah, your thoughtful contribution shows what it truly means to be a Responsible Citizen — someone who looks beyond themselves, cares for others and takes action to make a difference. Thank you for your generous heart and for being such a wonderful example to your Grade 6 peers. We are so proud of you! From Ms Prinsloo
GRADE 6 NEWS
GRADE 6 NEWS
Grade Sixes Learners and their parents are invited to the Secondary Faculty for a tour on Open Day. Please rsvp to gmckinney@parklands.co.za
🌱 Small Choices, Big Impact – Our Grade 6 Monitors Lead the Way!
🌱 Small Choices, Big Impact – Our Grade 6 Monitors Lead the Way!
This past Monday, our wonderful Grade 6 Monitors: Liam, Elise, Lara, Lukhanyo, Telo, Junior, Ariana and Harvey took centre stage and confidently ran our Grade 6 Assembly. We are incredibly proud of the way they worked together, supported one another and demonstrated leadership as they delivered a meaningful message to their peers.
Their assembly focused on the powerful theme “Small Choices, Big Impact.” They reminded us that our character is not only shaped by the big moments in life, but by the small choices we make every single day, especially when nobody is watching. Whether it is picking up a piece of rubbish, choosing kindness instead of joining in with others, listening to someone else's idea, admitting when we have made a mistake, or telling ourselves “I can’t do this… YET!”, every small decision says something about the person we are becoming.
The monitors beautifully connected their message to our five Growing Minds: Effective Communicators, Purposeful Collaborators, Responsible Citizens, Creative Agents and Critical Thinkers. They challenged every learner to choose one Growing Mind to work on this week and, at the end of the week, ask themselves one simple question: “Did I actually grow?”
Perhaps the most important reminder was that we do not need to be perfect. We simply need to aim to be a little better, a little kinder, a little braver, a little more responsible and a little more willing to grow than we were yesterday. We are so proud of our monitors for leading by example and showing us exactly what it means to be Growing Minds at Parklands College.
SMALL CHOICES. BIG IMPACT. GROWING MINDS! 🌱💚
Assembly Team!
Maths: Dominoes, Angles and Triggers! 🎲📐
The Grade 6s brought out the dominoes again today — but this time with a different mathematical challenge!
After putting their brains to work on a variety of logic, reasoning and number puzzles, we moved on to exploring angles, balance and triggers. Using dominoes, the learners experimented with changing the angles between pieces and creating different trigger mechanisms to set their designs in motion.
Of course, not every attempt worked — and that was part of the learning! When a chain reaction stopped or a trigger failed, we discussed why. Was the foundation stable? Were the dominoes positioned correctly? Was the angle too wide or too narrow? Did the trigger have enough force to start the reaction?
The learners then adjusted their designs, tested them again and learnt from the results. It was a wonderful practical lesson in problem-solving, prediction, cause and effect, and learning through trial and error.
Mathematics certainly came alive today — with plenty of excitement when those dominoes finally fell! 🎲
Grade 6 dominno.mp4🌍✨ Science - Create Your Own Planet! 🪐
This week, our learners let their imaginations take off as they became planet designers and space scientists! 🚀 They had fun creating their very own planets, thinking carefully about what their planets would look like, what they would be made of, what the atmosphere might be like, and whether they could support life.
From colourful alien worlds to mysterious planets with unique features, our classroom was filled with creativity and scientific thinking. 🌌 It was a fantastic opportunity for learners to combine science, imagination and design while exploring what makes a planet truly unique! 🛰️🔭
Congratulations to our Expo Young Scientists who were awarded their certificates in assembly this week.
Isabella & Keyaan
Best in Category &
Best Environmental Project
Gold Medal
Lara
Chemistry Prize
Gold Medal
Haydn
Two Oceans Prize
Silver Medal
Amara
Two Oceans Prize
Silver Medal
Suriya
Biomedical Prize
& Living Maths Prize
Silver Medal
Nkosinathi & Jakeem
Highly Commended
N'wayitelo
Two Oceans Prize
Silver Medal
GRADE 5 NEWS
GRADE 5 NEWS
Our Grade Five classes have been buzzing with curiosity and energy this week as we tackled some truly engaging projects across every subject. In Mathematics, the Grade Fives explored perimeter, area, volume, and capacity—with the highlight being a hands-on activity where they wrote their names in giant block letters to calculate the area and perimeter of each letter.
In English, we worked on strengthening our language toolkits by reviewing core grammar concepts and exploring different parts of speech.
History brought out their creative side as students continued building their ancient Egyptian civilizations in Minecraft Education, constructing impressive pyramids and detailed settlements.
And in the Real Life For Kids programme we focused on practical real-world knowledge; we investigated buying land, the costs of building a home, how medical aid works, and the financial impact of taking leave from work.
⚡ Grade 5 Science – Energy Debate 🌍
Our Grade 5 learners have been exploring renewable and non-renewable energy resources and investigating the advantages and disadvantages of different energy sources. They put their critical-thinking skills to the test as they debated an important question: Which energy power source should South Africa invest in next? 🇿🇦
Learners considered factors such as sustainability, cost, reliability, environmental impact and availability before forming and defending their opinions. It was wonderful to see them engaging in lively discussions, listening to different perspectives and using scientific knowledge to support their arguments! 🌱💡
Grade 5 Camp
Our Grade 5 learners are heading to High Africa Adventures on the Breede River in Worcester for their upcoming school camp from Monday, 23rd November to Wednesday, 25th November.
Please ensure the High Africa and Parklands College indemnity forms (along with medical aid information) are submitted electronically by 23 September 2026.
Any required medication must be handed directly to the class teacher on departure morning in a labelled ziplock bag with clear instructions and a printed medical consent form.
Further information and indemnity Forms can be found in the email sent to parents.
Well done to our Mathletics Stars this week and special congratulations to those who reached Epic Level 1!
And well done to our Grade 5 learners who achieved their Pen Licence this week
GRADE 4 NEWS
GRADE 4 NEWS
🌱 Our Grade 4 Farmers’ Market is coming! 🌱
Next Friday, 18 September @ 13:30, our Grade 4 learners will be putting their entrepreneurial skills into action! After weeks of growing plants, designing products and packaging, exploring sustainability, thinking about costs and prices and learning how to market their ideas, they are ready to share their creations with the grade 4 parents. We would love our grade four families to come along, support our young entrepreneurs and celebrate their hard work!
💭 While you explore the market, ask your child:
“How does your business care for the Earth?” 🌍
“What makes your product special?” 💡
“How did you decide on your price?” 💰
“What would you do differently if you ran this business again?” 🌱
Come ready to ask questions, listen to their ideas and let them show you what they have learned! We can’t wait to see our Grade 4 entrepreneurs in action. 💚
Grade Four Art
Grade 4 artists soared into the world of creative design by crafting detailed watercolour birds inspired by the vibrant illustrations of Benjamin Flouw. Rooted in the principles of the Bauhaus movement, the grade fours learned how to translate complex nature backgrounds into clean, basic shapes before bringing their feathered subjects to life. By experimenting with bold, bright colours and dynamic painting techniques, they explored various bird species while mastering new artistic skills. The result was an engaging, fun-filled project that truly made their artwork pop off the page!
SCIENCE CLUB
SCIENCE CLUB
💎 Gr 4 and 5 Science Club – Exploring Crystals! 🔬✨
Science Club was all about crystals this week! Learners discovered how crystals form and explored the fascinating world of crystal lattices. In a fun STEM activity, they used jelly sweets and toothpicks to build their own repeating crystal lattice structures, bringing the science behind crystals to life!
We also journeyed beneath the Earth’s surface to discover how stalactites and stalagmites form inside caves and explored how beautiful gemstones are created. 💎🌍
It was a hands-on session filled with creativity, curiosity and a little bit of sweetness! 🍬🔬
🔬✨ Grade 6 Science Club Highlights!
Grade 6 Science Club has been filled with hands-on experiments, creative challenges and plenty of scientific discovery! 🚀🧪 Learners have been busy investigating, building and testing as they put their scientific thinking and problem-solving skills to the test. From exciting experiments to STEM challenges, there has been plenty of hands-on fun, curiosity and learning! 🌟
CULTURE
CULTURE
Please complete the Q4 Co-curricular Sign Up Form. The Grade 4 - 6 sports and culture programme will commence on 14 October 2026. (Except Drama Society - Start date: Tuesday 22 September). GOLF sign-ups are limited and will be issued on a first-come first-served basis. Please contact the relevant teacher should you have any questions regarding the programme
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.
LIBRARY
LIBRARY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROALD DAHL!
Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so crazy it’s unbelievable!
Matilda by Roald Dahl
This marvellous quote from the great Matilda shines with the optimism and enthusiasm that make Roald Dahl stories welcome in every classroom and household. As we celebrate Roald Dahl Day this coming Sunday, it is always a joy to introduce a new generation of readers to these fun and inspiring characters and stories.
Interesting Facts:
Roald Dahl (1916 - 1990) was born to Norwegian parents and lived in England for most of his life.
He grew up in a town where there were two chocolate factories, and the school children often had the opportunity to taste new products.
He was a fighter pilot in World War 2 and survived a crash landing in the Sahara desert.
He kept “office hours” and wrote in a little shed at the bottom of his garden.
He invented 393 new words, many of which can be found in the Oxford dictionary. Do you know what these words mean?
scrumdiddlyumptious; crodsquinkled; trogglehumper, vermicious knids, gobblefunk
SPORT
SPORT
Please complete the Q4 Co-curricular Sign Up Form. The Grade 4 - 6 sports and culture programme will commence on 14 October 2026. (Except Drama Society - Start date: Tuesday 22 September). GOLF sign-ups are limited and will be issued on a first-come first-served basis. Please contact the relevant teacher should you have any questions regarding the programme.
We’re in Full Summer Swing!
We’re in Full Summer Swing!
A big thank you to everyone for a smooth transition this week as our learners got stuck into their new codes.
It was great to see them getting back into the rhythm — fine-tuning their Tennis stroke play, Bowling actions, and Softball pitching and catching. There’s always something to work on, and the learners have made a great start to the Summer programme!
We’re at it again next week for the final week of Sport for Quarter 3, so let’s finish the quarter strongly!
🏏 U12 Cricket Tour Preparation
🏏 U12 Cricket Tour Preparation
A quick heads-up for our U12 Cricket Touring Team — the boys will have a special practice session during Open Day on Saturday, 12 September, from 11h30–12h30.
With the Hermanus Cricket Tour coming up on 18 September, this is an important opportunity to get some final preparation in.
Good luck, boys! We’re behind you all the way! 🏏
🏃 SP On The Run – House Points Up for Grabs!
🏃 SP On The Run – House Points Up for Grabs!
And finally, as we close out Quarter 3, SP On The Run is back on Tuesday, 22 September!
This is another fantastic opportunity for our learners to earn some valuable House Points while getting active and supporting their House.
So, Parkies — come dressed in your House colours, bring your energy, and most importantly, bring plenty of CHEERS! 📣
Let’s finish Quarter 3 on a high!
See you on the fields, courts and tracks!
GRADES 4 – 6 SUMMER QUARTER CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME 2026
Please ensure that learners participating in outdoor activities have sunblock in their bags for application. ALL learners MUST wear their school caps when outdoors. NO HAT, NO PLAY!
Where practices and matches are affected by inclement weather, learners will be involved in indoor training sessions from 14h45 – 15h45.
Parents must collect learners after their session. If a parent is late and unable to collect on time, learners will be sent to aftercare and parents billed.
Reminder that the campus buildings are locked at 16:45.
Cricket Clinics
Cricket Clinics
Sign up link for the WCCA: https://forms.gle/bSzinu9V3Uy5mYXG7
EXTERNAL ACHIEVEMENTS
EXTERNAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Lara achieved 2 Gold Medals and 1 Silver at the recent South African Aerial Championships.
She was also selected to represent South Africa in the World Championships in Greece at the end of the year.
Competed at the CTA Qualifying Gala #4, on 5 September 2026, at UWC Aquatics Center. Kathryn achieved the following: (1) 50m Breaststroke - new PB of 45,18 second, 1st place in her age group. (2) 50m Butterfly - 39,08 seconds, 3rd place in her age group. (3) 100m Freestyle - new PB of 1:20,45, 2nd in her age group. (4) 100m Backstroke - new PB of 1:31,37, 2nd place for her age group. (5) 100m Breaststroke - 1:38,56, 2nd place in her age group
Congrats to Sing Yuet finished 1st in the SABOD & REVIVE Dance Competition
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
Sport Quick Links
Sport Quick Links
GENERAL
GENERAL
CALENDAR AND EVENTS
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
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
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
2026 Dates
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 12 September:
Open Day
Grade 6 Welcome to Sandown (Secondary Faculty) @ 10:00
Monday 14 September:
Readathon Week
Wednesday 16 September:
Readathon Week: Lit Quiz Event Grade 3 & 4
Thursday 17 September:
Readathon Week: Lit Quiz Event Grade 5 & 6
Grade 6 Parklands Playground @13:00
Friday 18 September:
Grade 4 Farmers Market @ 13:30
U12 Cricket Tour to Hermanus
SP Report Feedback meetings
Saturday 19 September:
U12 Cricket Tour to Hermanus
Matric Dance
Happy Birthday Amy Dean
Sunday 20 September:
U12 Cricket Tour to Hermanus
Monday 21 September:
World Space Week
Grade 4 Parklands Playground @08:00
Grade 5 Parklands Playground @13:00
SP Report Feedback meetings
Tuesday 22 September:
Ticket To The Moon Theatre Company 08:30 in the hall: Thabo the Space Dude
SP on the Run
SP Report Feedback meetings
Wednesday 23 September:
Last day of Quarter @ 13:00 - no aftercare
Friday 2 October:
Happy Birthday Simoné Prinsloo
Monday 5 October:
World Teachers Day
Wednesday 7 October:
Happy Birthday Roché Buckle
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
We look forward to welcoming our Grade 6 parents onto our campus at 13:00 on Thursday 17th September to join your child in a learning journey with iPad at our Parklands Playground. Please meet outside the hall side entrance. Come and see what makes learning so special at Parklands College Senior Preparatory. We welcome Grade 4 and 5 parents into our classes on Monday 21st September.
As Rosh Hashanah begins, we send our warmest wishes to our celebrating families. May this New Year be blessed with peace, health, and many sweet moments shared together. Shanah Tovah U'Metukah!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Paul Mayers
Senior Preparatory Principal
Follow us on:
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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
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