Senior Preparatory Weekly Memo
25 October 2024
2025 Grade 7 Invite for parents and learners
Grade 4 - 6 Growing Minds Celebration
Dear Parents
Thank you to Mrs Wells who headed up our Tour de Maths events this year. We are proud of our learners achievements and look forward to creating the Tour de Maths as an annual event on our calendars. Please see the Academics tab for more information on this year's Tour de Maths.
Thank you to Kayden Biernacki, Grade 11, who designed, printed and mounted our Tour de Maths Trophy.
Class Placements
It is impossible for the school to accommodate all class requests, approximately 50 different requests in each grade, and it would be unfair to allow some parents to make requests and not others. An example of these requests would be:
Johnny's mom has asked for him to be with his best friend Mark, however, Mark's mom has asked that they are not placed together. Mark's mom would like him with Peter and Paul, however, Paul's mom would like him to be with Johnny and not Mark. Peter wrote on his friendship slip he would like to be with Johnny, however, Peter's mother does not want him with Johnny or Mark. All with an added request that we don’t tell the other parents.
Should a parent make a request for placement as shown in the above example, we will need to share the request with the other parent in order to avoid unfair parent conflict with the teacher. Unfortunately, parents can sometimes be aggressive and rude to teachers when their requests are not met even though this could be due to many conflicting requests.
With this in mind, we ask that you trust the teachers’ ability to place your child in the most suitable class. Class placements are a mammoth task and many hours are spent deliberating over the most suitable combinations for the learners.
We trust that you will support our decision, as it is based on our professional evaluation of each learner within their learning environment. We promise to do our very best to ensure each child is placed in a class in which they will thrive.
Extra Mural News
Learners artworks that were entered in the Western Cape Art Eisteddfod and Cape Town Eisteddfod.
Learners' artistic achievements were celebrated in assembly and were called to
stage to receive their certificates from the Cape Town Art Eisteddfod.
Sports Announcements
Notes and Reminders:
Please contact the Sports Department should you wish to sign your children up for Quarter 4 sport.
Liam Maharage
Nadine Marais-Swart
Jared MargettsPhysical Education
Swimming is back! Please pack in Parklands swimming costumes / swimming Cap / towel and sunblock. Whilst we are still playing it by
ear, we’ll make a decision on the day regarding swimming for PE.
SAVE THE DATE
U/10 Cricket: 6’s Cricket Tournament
Date: 1 Nov ‘24
Venue: Elkanah House Sunningdale
Time: 14h15-18h30
Sport Practices and Matches in the week of 11-15 November 2024
Please see below for sport practices and matches in the week of 11-15 November:
No Gr 4-6 Softball practices or matches in the week of 11 - 15 November
No Gr 4-6 Cricket practices or matches in the week of 11 - 15 November
No Gr 4 - 6 tennis practices or matches in the week of 11 - 15 November
No Gr 4-6 Water Polo practices or matches in the week of 11 - 15 November
No Squad Swimming practices or galas in the week of 11 - 15 November
Dance, Junior Chefs, Drama Society, Design Society, Chess and Golf will continue during the week of 11 - 15 November.
Marimba, Choir and Orchestra lessons will continue, however, will end slightly earlier in the morning during the week of 11 - 15 November.
Sports Results
On Friday, 11 October 2024, Parklands College made a splash at Laerskool Jan Van Riebeeck's friendly gala! To say our swimmers did exceptionally well would be an understatement. Out of the 24 events we competed in, we proudly secured 16 first places and 8 second places.
A special shoutout goes to our incredible U10 boys relay team, composed of just three swimmers (a relay is typically 4 x 25m). Despite the odds, our team, including Taylor Harrison-Ralph (U10), Sebastian Fourie (U9), and Jean-Louis Kroon (U9), remained undefeated on Friday. What an inspiring performance from these young athletes!
Congratulations to all our swimmers for making Parklands College proud! Your hard work and dedication truly shone through. Go Parklands!
Sport Fixtures
Please look at the Calendar and Events tab for the Sports Calendar.
Sport Uniform Requirements
Boys Hockey: College Hockey shirt (same as soccer), College PE shorts, Long blue sports socks, trainers, shin pads, gum guard and hockey stick.
External Achievements: District, Regional & Provincial Sports Achievements
The External Achievements form must be utilised by parents of learners who have been selected to represent an official Regional, District and Provincial team outside School. This document serves as a communication tool between the parents and the School to record a child’s External Regional, District and Provincial selections and achievements.
Please note that only District, Regional or Provincial selections and achievements will be recognised on stage at the weekly assemblies, as well displayed in the weekly School Blog.
We will keep record of learners’ external achievements for recognition purposes at the end of the year. The form must also be submitted along with an official letter from the respective sports body confirming your child’s selection or achievement.
Please also submit a high-resolution photo with your child wearing his or her District, Regional or Provincial uniform.
Learners will only be recognised once all documentation has been received
Please only submit this form if your child has been selected for an official District, Regional or Provincial team.
Cultural acknowledgements will be recognised for exceptional achievements in external examinations, Eisteddfods and theatrical productions.
This form, along with the supporting sports or culture documentation must be emailed latest Tuesday afternoon to be recognised in the Friday’s assembly and Blog. External achievements communicated after Tuesday will be recognised at the next week’s assembly and Blog. For any other cultural achievements, the class teacher must be emailed with the details.
Link for External Achievements
Please note that the cut off date for external achievements to appear in the magazine 2024 is 31 August 2024.
Any entries after that date will appear in 2025.
Library News
WIMPY KID FEVER
It has been a festive week in our libraries and what fun it has been! On Tuesday the new Wimpy Kid novel, Hot Mess, was released and our readers could not wait to get their hands on a copy. They were not disappointed. The cover is so striking and the quality of the book superb - children commented on how good it feels to hold. Books were rushed back to school and photos taken in our stunning gardens. It was indeed a red letter day!
LIT QUIZ
On Friday two teams took part in the last interschools Lit Quiz. Participants faced ten categories of five questions each, together with around thirty other Cape Town teams. Well done to our learners for their hard work and dedication to the team.
Learner News
Well done to Olivia Huang who competed in the 43rd Freda Barnard invitational gala 2024 in Oudtshoorn Western Cape between 17-20 October 2024.
She Won:
Gold : girls 200 medley relay
Silver: mixed 200 free relay
Bronze: mixed 200 medley relay
3 personal best times
We wish our families a Happy Diwali for 31 October.
Parent Business Directory
Parklands College and Christopher Robin Pre-Primary parents who are in business are able to list their businesses in our Parent Business Directory – www.parklands.co.za/parent-business-directory/
LISTINGS ARE FREE and include contact information as well as the opportunity to include a business logo or advert. Listings are available 24/7 on the College website and will be updated each quarter.
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...