23 May 2025

Dear Parents

We have had another full week at the Senior Prep. Please take note of the important information below:

Open Day - Saturday 31 May between 10:00 - 13:00
We are looking forward to our school's Open Day and hope to see many of you there!
Updating Emergency Contact Details on Edana Multiportal App
Please ensure your child's emergency contact details are up to date on the Edana Multiportal App. See the how to guide on the general tab and below the video.

Winter Uniform
Please note that we have transitioned into winter uniform.

Important Change Regarding Aftercare Collection Procedures
To further enhance the safety and security of our learners, all learners must be personally collected from aftercare and signed out on the register by their parent(s), designated lift service, or caregiver.

Principal Paul Memo Q2 W7.MOV

Book here via Quicket

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.

NEWS

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 growing minds shields. Congratulations to each of you and well done on being nominated for this award.

Creative Agent

Logan

Purposeful Collaborators

Liam, Cooper, Sebastian, Fedde, Jaren, Zach

Responsible Citizen

Tianna

Grade 6 News

Meet the Meervoude Soldate!

This week in Afrikaans, we were joined by three very special “Soldate” who marched right into our lesson to help us master the art of meervoude (plurals)—and wow, did they make it fun!

🪖 First up was Vet Soldaat – big, strong and bold! 💪 When he sees a word like kat, he doubles the last letter before adding “-e”, turning it into katte. Simple, strong, and powerful!

🪖 Then came Tweeling Soldaat – he’s got a twin who always rushes off to the emergency room, so we drop one of the double vowels and just add “-e”. For example, boom becomes bome. Double the fun, but only one stays behind!

🪖 And finally, we met Siek Soldaat – he’s not feeling his best, so he quietly slips off to the emergency room without making a fuss. We simply add “-e” to words like deur, turning it into deure. Gentle and easy does it!

With these three characters guiding us, meervoude suddenly made perfect sense—and had us all smiling and chanting along. Who knew grammar could be this entertaining? 😄🎉

Smart Study Habits in PSW!

This week in PSW (Personal and Social Well-being), our Grade 6 learners focused on something super important—how to study smart, not just hard! We explored what it takes to build an effective study plan and each learner created their own personalised study timetable to help them prepare for upcoming assessments and manage their time like champions!

We discussed the key ingredients of a strong study plan, including:

✅ Determining your goals
✅ Creating a balanced schedule
✅ Breaking down the material into chunks
✅ Using active learning techniques (think flashcards, quizzes, and mind maps!)
✅ Mixing up your study subjects to keep things interesting
✅ Taking regular breaks to reset your brain
✅ And most importantly—getting enough sleep 💤

It was inspiring to see how thoughtfully and creatively the learners approached their planning. With these smart strategies in place, our Grade 6s are building not just good habits for this quarter—but for life! 🎓

Science Expo

On Saturday our talented Grade 6 scientists proudly represented Parklands College in the first round of the Eskom District Expo, showcasing their innovative science projects. Each project followed the scientific method and was driven by a clear aim—to solve a real-world problem or contribute meaningfully to existing research.

These young scientists poured their passion and creativity into topics close to their hearts, impressing judges with their knowledge, confidence, and presentation skills. Their hard work and enthusiasm truly reflected the spirit of scientific inquiry.

Lekker Kos & iMovie Fun in SAL Afrikaans! 🎬🇿🇦

Over the past two weeks in SAL Afrikaans, our Grade 4-6 learners have been getting hungry for learning as we explored the theme of “Kos” (food)!

From fruits to veggies, sweet treats to savoury snacks, we built up our vocabulary and had loads of fun practising how to talk about our favourite meals and grocery lists—all in Afrikaans! But the learning didn’t stop there… 🎥

Learners also showed off their creativity by using their iMovie skills to create short clips featuring their food vocab, conversations, and fun food scenes. These mini-movies brought the language to life excitingly and helped build confidence and communication skills.

Tasty words + tech-savvy storytelling = a recipe for success! 🍇🍔🎞️

Bridge Building in Technology

This week in Technology, our learners eagerly embraced the challenge of designing and constructing their spaghetti bridges for the annual Spaghetti Bridge Building Competition in Technology. After carefully sketching their designs and considering key engineering principles like tension, compression, and load distribution, the classroom buzzed with excitement as the building phase began. We look forward to their final builds!

Grade 5 News

Did you know that Tuesday, May 20, was World Bee Day? This year's theme is "Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all." Our busy little Grade 5 bees have been buzzing with activity this week!

It started with a Bee-yond Amazing Assembly! 5A wowed us all with their "beeeeautiful" World Bee Day assembly, sharing fascinating facts about our important pollinators.

Musical Maestros took center stage during assembly. Special congratulations to our talented Grade 5 piano players who shared their gifts with the school community.

Our Grade 5 mathematicians performed Math Magic with special guest Mrs. Wells, who transformed numbers into excitement and fun.

Mathletics Champions continue their impressive streak, with learners earning certificates each week as they steadily accumulate points. Their persistence is paying off!

We also have a number of Grammar Gurus are emerging in English class as grade 5s put their knowledge to the test, focusing on the building blocks of writing legends.

What a productive week for our Grade 5s! Their enthusiasm for learning continues to shine through in everything they do.

Grade 4 News

Our Grade 4s embarked on an exciting journey through the fascinating world of maps and provinces.

They began by exploring political and physical maps. The learners were curious as they compared the different types of maps. Learning how political maps show borders, cities, and provinces, while physical maps highlight mountains, rivers, and other landforms.

The highlight was discovering that South Africa has nine provinces.

To help them remember all nine, we introduced a fun and quirky mnemonic:

“Lions Never Grab Moving Kudus From Naughty Elephants on Wednesdays!”

Each word in the sentence stands for a province:

Limpopo, North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape

and Western Cape"

The learners loved this sentence and had great fun chanting it out loud and trying to match each animal and action to a place on the map.

We extended the learning into our English lessons, where the children practiced summary writing. Using what they had learned, each learner wrote a short summary. This was a great way to reinforce their knowledge while strengthening their ability to pick out key information and write clearly.

Overall, the combination of maps, memory tricks, and meaningful writing made for an engaging and memorable learning experience this week. Our Grade 4s are quickly becoming confident young geographers and writers and we couldn’t be prouder!

JUNIOR CHEFS

Last week, our Junior chefs played a game called “What’s in the box?” while they waited for their lemon drizzle cake to bake. They took turns guessing which ingredient could be under the box. (complete with Lufthansa glasses!) They asked some interesting questions to try and discover the secret ingredient!

Tour de Maths

On the evening of Tuesday, 20 May, Parklands College proudly took part in another thrilling Tour de Maths competition, facing off against teams from Sunningdale, Milnerton, Elkanah, and The Green School.

We are delighted to announce that Parklands College placed first, securing a narrow lead of just 10 points in the third round—but widening the gap to an impressive 375 points overall ahead of the second-place team!

This is a remarkable achievement, and I am incredibly proud of our learners’ focus, teamwork, and mathematical flair. Their dedication is paying off, and it is wonderful to see their hard work reflected in these results.

I encourage all participants to keep revising the Maths Olympiad papers, as these continued efforts are clearly leading us toward a strong and consistent performance. Let’s keep the momentum going, aiming for confident first-round starts and a powerful finish to the season.

A special thanks to Mrs Wells for training and motivating our team!

Congratulations... A+ Students Abacas Maths (External Achievements)

A number of our learners participated in the A+ Students Cape Regional Championships held on Saturday 17th May 2025. Thank you parents for sharing these achievements with us.

Congratulations to the following:

Elise was the champion in level 6th Kyu

Liam achieved silver in level 8th Kyu

Ariana achieved bronze in level 9th Kyu

ACADEMICS

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 on a regular basis to stay updated.

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.

OUTREACH

Once a year, South Africans join forces for Slipper Day, in the name of fun, hope, and making dreams come true! By simply buying a sticker, wearing your slippers, and showing your support, you can help us bring joy to children with life-threatening illnesses.

These simple acts of kindness serve as a poignant reminder of the daily struggles faced by these brave children, many of whom spend their days in slippers while undergoing treatment. By purchasing a R20 Slipper Day sticker, you can help us turn their biggest dreams into realities, giving them precious moments of joy and hope when they need it the most.

Supporting Slipper Day is about so much more than simply wearing slippers to work or school. When you purchase a sticker, you invest in the hopes of brave children fighting life-threatening illnesses.

Every sticker sold helps turn dreams into reality, whether it’s meeting their hero, flying in an airplane, or receiving something they’ve dreamed of. And the impact doesn’t stop there! A fulfilled dream lifts an entire community, from loving parents and siblings to dedicated doctors and nurses.

Together, we can show these children that their Dreams Matter.

Reach for a Dream

Your child is encouraged to wear slippers with their sports kit and tracksuit on 30 May to join in on this day. R20 will be billed to your school account. Reminder to pack in shoes for sports hour!

This quarter we are also collecting instant oats, cup of soups 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 brought to your child's home room class.

CULTURE

With Madagascar Jr around the corner everyone is getting involved with making costumes, building props and sets and even looking for pallets... see the video below where Mrs Wells (our Maths subject leader) goes hunting for pallets...

Pallet Scavenger Hunt

Pallet scavenger hunt

Contact Mrs Buckle if you can assist: rbuckle@parklands.co.za

REUSE AND RECYCLE

Are you in the Nautical Industry? Can you help us with thick 'nautical rigging' or an old buoy for our Madagascar scene 3 set?

We are still collecting newspapers to use in Art and Makerspace. We also welcome bottle tops, off cuts, stockings, boxes, cans, buttons and more to make Madagascar Jr props and costumes. Please send to school to reuse and recycle.

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.

Cultural Tour for Juniors to Paris in September 2026

Parklands College is planning a Cultural Tour to Paris in September 2026 for our current Grade 5, 6 & 7 learners.

Should you be interested in your child participating in the tour, or require further information, please email Mme A Bailly at abailly@parklands.co.za. A truly memorable cultural experience awaits!

SPORT

From the Sports Desk

From the Sports Desk: Senior Prep Sports: The Final Stretch of Quarter 2!

As we sprint toward the final part of Quarter 2, it’s safe to say this has been an action-packed term of sport at Parklands College!

From non-stop fixtures and thrilling festivals to standout performances, our learners have done us proud. A massive shoutout to our Footballers, who remain unbeaten across the U11 and U12 age groups - what a streak of teamwork, resilience and goals!

We’re also thrilled to announce that our U10 Netballers have qualified for the Western Province Play-offs! We are behind you all the way - good luck as you prepare to take on the best in the province!

In assembly last week, we added a fresh twist as our Yale House Captains, Ntando and Mukundi, joined the Sports Desk to share results and celebrate success. You both led by example - well done!

And now, it’s time to get ready for our Open Day on Saturday, 31 May! Here’s a quick look at the sporting line-up:

U9–U12 Netball (except our Madagascar cast!) will be in action with Coach Nadine leading the charge.
Rugby Skills Session will be pumping with Coach Liam bringing the energy!
And our Hockey players are heading to a 5s Tournament with Mrs Ncapayi and Coach Courtney!

With so much happening, sport continues to speed up - and we love the momentum!

Finally, best of luck to our U12 and U13 Rugby stars, who take on yet another tournament this weekend at Milnerton. We’re rooting for tries, line breaks, and smashing tackles!

Let’s finish Quarter 2 strong, Parkies! 💙💛

Players of the match

🏆 The Week That Was – Senior Prep Sports Recap

As we sprint toward the end of Quarter 2, our Senior Prep sports stars continue to impress with grit, teamwork, and standout performances!

⚽ U11 Soccer extended their unbeaten run with a dominant 7–1 win over Blouberg International.
Player of the Match: Khwezi – cool, calm, and clinical!

⚽ U12 Soccer got to winning ways with an emphatic 6–1 victory over Blouberg International. Player of the Match: Declan
A massive shoutout to Ariyan, who netted a double hat trick – six goals in one match! Phenomenal!

🏉 U13 Rugby battled through cold and wet conditions in a nail-biter against Blouberg Ridge, narrowly going down 22–17. Despite the result, the boys showed real heart and hunger. Player of the Match: Mvelo & Raffa – but the team effort was undeniable!

🏐 U10 Netball Girls were on fire 🔥 at the Camps Bay Netball Tournament on Saturday, 17 May. The girls flew the Parklands flag high and walked away undefeated - winning 5 out of 5 matches! Your teamwork, hustle, and sportsmanship made us all incredibly proud!

🏑 U10 A Boys Hockey delivered a spectacular performance with a 10–0 win! Player of the Match: Zak – outstanding work on the turf!

🏑 U10 B Girls Hockey faced a tough match and went down 3–0. Player of the Match: TBC – effort and perseverance never go unnoticed!

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

Our Library Monitors, Brynn, Miriam, Lily and Callum, shared some of their favourite books to encourage others to read adventurously. . Lilly loves the Starfell series which is very popular in our library. Calllum is encouraging everyone to explore the brilliant Warriors series. Another great favourite is the Keeper of the Lost Cities, perfect for Harry Potter fans, and Brynn is also enjoying Starminster. Miriam’s current favourite is When Fishes Flew - you can never go wrong with Michael Morpurgo! Thank you for your enthusiasm and commitment to reading and the library.

This week the learners had fun with trivia from Liz Pichon’s Tom Gates fiction books. They had an exciting time creating their own epic bookmarks, finding answers to questions about the fantastic life of Tom and the awesome people in his life.

UNIFORM REMINDER

This week we have reminded learners to wear their uniform with pride. In particular learners have been reminded that they may not chew gum on campus or while in school uniform. Earrings may only be a single stud or small sleeper as per our code of conduct. Learners may not wear any bracelets other than a medical alert bracelet if required. Learners have also been reminded about our policy on makeup. Today I addressed all our grade 6 learners and reminded them that they need to lead by example and the grade 4s and 5s follow their example. Thank you parents for your assistance in this regard.

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 the 12th of June. All the best to our U12 and U13 Rugby teams who take part in the Milnerton festival this weekend.

Have a great weekend and see you next week.