Senior Preparatory Weekly Memo

21 February

2025

Dear Parents

This has been an exciting week on all fronts at the Senior Preparatory - academics, sport, culture and co-curricular activities. It has been wonderful to have our grade four parents on campus experiencing our Museum of Me showcases - it really was a highlight of their week.

Here are some video highlights in three minutes from week 5...

Week 5 Memo.MOV

NOTICES

School Hours: Please note that school opens at 7:30 and there is no supervision of learners until 7:30. Please do not leave your children unattended. School is LOCKED promptly at 17h00 daily.

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 academic drop-off and collect 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.

School Uniform: Please note the parent letter on the uniform tab/menu regarding online ordering, quality of items and availability of stock from the school uniform supplier.

ACADEMICS

Formal and Informal Assessments

Formal and informal assessments in the Intermediate Phase (Grade 4 – 6) take place regularly throughout the quarter after certain concepts or skills have been taught.

Informal assessments are usually integrated into daily class activities at any point during the quarter and learners must apply their knowledge and skills learnt in various ways, from oral presentations to written paragraphs that explain their understanding of a concept to research projects that enhance their understanding of a specific topic. All informal assessments are completed at school and no studying is required.

Formal assessments take place on a specific date in the quarter after a larger section of content has been taught. Studying is required for these assessments and it is recommended that a quiet space is set up at home where your child is able to prepare for these assessments. Teachers also do revision in class with the learners before each formal assessment.

The assessment calendars have been populated with the formal assessments for the quarter. Please click on the specific grade on the academic tab to access the Gr 4 – 6 formal assessment calendars. Herein, you will find the specific date and study details of each assessment. The study details are posted at least two weeks before the assessment.

Sample Assessment Calendar Entry

NEWS

Grade 6 News

Our Grade 6s kicked off their Formal Assessments this week, with History leading the way! In PSW, they’ve spent the past three weeks exploring positive self-esteem—what it looks like and why it matters. This week, they read the inspiring poem, The Power of One, and had deep, thoughtful discussions about how even small actions can create big change. Learners had fun reciting prime numbers and using bright colours to help remember them during mathematics — turning numbers into a creative and memorable experience. Meanwhile, in Science and Technology, they put their engineering skills to the test by designing and building hurricane-resistant structures!

Another week of growth, reflection, and hands-on learning!

The Power of One by Ashish Ram

Grade 6 Mathematics

Grade 6 Prime Numbers.mp4

The excitement is building as the Grade 6 camp at Camp Genesis (Ruigtevlei Farm) approaches from 12 – 14 March! This adventure-filled experience promises fun, teamwork, and unforgettable memories in the great outdoors. From exciting activities to bonding with friends, our grade sixes are in for an incredible time. A reminder to please send a hard copy of your child’s medical aid card to their class teacher as soon as possible.

For more information about the camp, visit www.campgenesis.co.za or email your child’s class teacher.

Grade 6 Team

Grade 5 News

This week, Grade 5s dove into the exciting world of storytelling in both English and FAL, crafting creative and engaging stories. In Maths, they explored new addition strategies, testing different methods to find what works best for them. The Science and Technology lessons have been all about endangered animals, with an exciting project underway—stay tuned to see their final creations!

Grade 5 Team

Grade 4 News

The Grade 4s wrapped up their History projects with a spectacular Museum of Me presentation yesterday. Their weeks of hard work shone through in their creative displays, and their teachers were immensely proud of their efforts. Thank you to all of the parents who joined us in the hall to visit the stands and engage with the learners.

In Mathematics, it was all about patterns this week! We explored different strategies for completing patterns and played POP! A game helping us practise our skip counting.

Grade 4 Team

International Day of Kindness

Every year since 1995 on the 17 Feb, Random Acts of Kindness Day has been celebrated. We celebrated this day at our assembly on Monday.

The beauty of kindness is something that doesn’t have to be specific to one day but should be shared and spread each and every day that we have.

Kindness Video.MOV

Science Club

This week in Science Club, we explored acids and bases, creating a natural indicator to distinguish between acidic and alkaline substances and understanding the principles of the pH scale. It was an engaging session where we learned hands-on about chemical reactions and the properties of different solutions.

Outreach

Our Project this quarter is supporting our furry friends of Fallen Angels who are waiting for their forever homes. Our learners were also encouraged to bring dog and cat food this week as another random act of kindness. Our outreach is also an area where we consciously show kindness by giving back to our community.

CO-CURRICULAR

Our weekly co-curricular programme can be found on the Sports and Co-Curricular Tab

SPORT

From the Sports Desk

Parklands College Prep Continues to Shine on the Sports Field!

Another week, another clean sweep of victories for Parklands College Prep in Cricket and Tennis! The growth and determination displayed by our young athletes have been nothing short of inspiring. Watching them evolve from strength to strength has been a testament to their hard work, dedication, and team spirit.

For our Netball enthusiasts, the Knysna Netball squad begins their training this Friday, 21 February, as they prepare for an incredible season ahead. We can’t wait to see their journey unfold!

In Cricket, our U11 team will be taking on their first tournament of the quarter at the Elkanah Sixes Tournament, a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their skills in a fast-paced, competitive setting.

With so much action ahead, we look forward to another exciting week of sport at Parklands College Prep! Let’s continue to show our passion, sportsmanship, and team spirit in every game we play.

Yours in sport,
Jared Margetts
Head of Preparatory Sports

Looking Ahead: A Thrilling Week of Sport Awaits!

Get ready for another action-packed week at Parklands College Prep as our learners take to the field, court, and pool in a stacked schedule of Cricket, Tennis, and Softball fixtures!

Midweek excitement builds as we head into the Storzner Gala on Wednesday, where our swimmers will showcase their talent and determination in the pool. This promises to be another fantastic event, and we look forward to seeing our athletes give it their all!

To round off the week, we are looking at hosting a Chess Tournament on Friday, adding a strategic twist to our sporting calendar. A great opportunity for our young minds to compete, sharpen their skills, and enjoy the competitive spirit of the game.

With so much to look forward to, let’s bring our energy, commitment, and team spirit to every match, meet, and game. Here’s to another fantastic week of sport at Parklands College Prep!

Consent to travel for Sport

The Week That Was: A Showcase of Skill and Determination

This past week, our young athletes took to the field and courts, delivering inspiring performances in Cricket, Softball, and Tennis. Their dedication and teamwork continue to make us proud as they represent Parklands College Preparatory with passion and sportsmanship.

Our Cricketers had a fantastic run, securing victories across multiple age groups. The U10 team displayed excellent batting and fielding skills to defeat Monte Vista, with Cooper earning Player of the Match honours. The U11 team brought their A-game, securing a well-earned win against Blouberg Ridge, with Adam standing out as Player of the Match. Our U12 team kept the momentum going, claiming a solid victory over Generations, with Ross taking home the Player of the Match title.

On the Softball field, our teams faced tough competition but showed incredible resilience. The U10 team put up a great fight but fell 4-8, with Tiana recognised as Player of the Match for her outstanding effort. Similarly, the U12 Softball team played with heart and determination, also finishing 4-8, with Nokhanyo earning the Player of the Match award.

In Tennis, our U12 Mixed Tennis team dominated their fixture, securing an impressive 6-0 victory over De Tyger, showcasing both skill and composure under pressure.

Well done to all our players for another action-packed week of sport! Your growth, effort, and sportsmanship continue to inspire us all. We look forward to another exciting week ahead!

Swim Sqaud Training

Reddam Gala Swimmers

Reddam House Gala

Open Day Swim Squad

Open Day Knysna Netball Training

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

CULTURE

ISTD Modern and Tap Results

Congratulations to our dancers who completed their ISTD Modern and Tap exams at the end of last year. We are very proud of your hard work, commitment and

dedication to your dancing.

Awarded for Grade 2 Tap:

Holly

Awarded for Grade 3 Tap:

Kayla & Nthandoyakhe

Awarded for Grade 2 Tap and Grade 2 Modern:

Courtney, Lela & Lara

Awarded for Grade 3 Tap and Grade 2 Modern:

Sisipho

Awarded for Grade 2 Modern:

Miriam, Casey-Lee, Demi, Ardni & Sivangaye

Grade 4 Drama

The Grade 4s are exploring tone, inflection and body language in Drama. They created characters waiting in a queue. See if you can identify the various emotions through their body language.

Save the Date: Autumn Awakenings Choir Concert

Celebrate the start of Autumn with Music! The choirs from Table View Primary, Blouberg Ridge and Blouberg International will join the Parklands College Junior and Senior Preparatory Choirs in this celebration of song!

Bookings can be made on quicket using the following link or QR Code

https://www.quicket.co.za/events/260969-autumn-awakenings-choir-festival#/

ROBOTICS

Celebrating Our Incredible HyperionBots!

This past Saturday, our fantastic First Tech Team (FTC), the HyperionBots, competed in the National Championships and secured an amazing 2nd place finish! 🎉🏆 Their hard work, creativity, and determination truly shone in this year’s "Submerged" theme, where teams were tasked with designing robots to tackle underwater-inspired engineering challenges. 🌊🤖

In the FIRST® Tech Challenge, learners collaborate with mentors to design, build, and program robots, applying their STEM skills to compete in dynamic matches. After programming robots to follow autonomous commands, learners take control in two-on-two matches! HyperionBots showcased incredible teamwork, technical skill, and innovation throughout the competition.

We are thrilled to announce that their remarkable performance has earned them an invitation to the World Championship in Houston, Texas, this April! 🌍🔥 We couldn’t be prouder of their achievement and are excited to cheer them on as they compete on the global stage! 💙

#HyperionBots #FTC #Submerged #Nationals #WorldChampionshipBound #STEM #Innovation

LIBRARY

Close Encounter with a Superhero!

A visit from Riaan Manser is an exhilarating experience for our learners. They adore this hero not only for all his achievements, but for the special way he interacts with everyone and the time he takes to have conversations with individuals. What a super role model for everyone! He entertained us with some hairraising stories from his many adventures. We also know that there is a new book in the pipeline and a new adventure planned for this year which involves swimming…. We shall be looking out for news to share with you. In the meantime, read the books with your children! They are most entertaining and a wonderful way to learn about the world.

Extreme Reading

We are entering the final week of our Extreme Reading challenge. Thank you to everyone who played along and sent in those remarkable photographs. Please keep more photos coming during the next few days.

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)