Dear Parents

Please note that school opens at 7:30 and there is no supervision for learners until 07h30. To ensure everyone's safety, please do not leave your child unattended before 07h30.

Contact information:

All the staff and their email addresses are included in the tab called staffing and on the link below:

STAFFING

The general Preparatory email address is prep@parklands.co.za

VALENTINE'S DAY

Who better than our very own, loving little learners, to tell us their thoughts about Valentine's Day! 

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP TALKS:

On Monday morning, each grade joined Mrs Lamb and Mrs Oxley-Simpson in the Drama Room to start the quarter off with some important digital citizenship reminders. 

Learners were reminded of the following:

• The only iPad, headphones and Apple Pencil you touch is your own.

• No sharing of passwords. 

• You must ask permission to take a photo or video of someone.

• There should be no photos of naked bodies, people in underwear, people in baths or on toilets. This is inappropriate. 

• Just like at school, where there are lots of eyes watching iPads, there should be eyes watching at home. 

• We encouraged learners to speak to a trusted adult if they see something inappropriate or feel uncomfortable. 

• Games like Fortnite and Roblox have age restrictions for a reason: to help keep everyone safe. There should be no screenshots or videos of these games on any school iPad. 

These reminders are essential in raising wise learners who make good choices when using their devices.

FRIENDSHIP DAY CAKE SALE

Thank you to Grade 3P and 3A parents for making our first cake sale of the year such a special and fun one and for all the delicious treats. It made our Friday Friendship Day even better. 

Besides the yummy eats and fun, the cake sale is about outreach and R2045 was made at the cake sale this morning. We will inform parents later on in the year which charity our outreach committee has selected to donate our cake sale profits to for the year.

LIBRARY 

2026 Library Challenge

CAKE SALES

Classes will all have an opportunity to host a cake sale and there is much excitement as the children eagerly look forward to this treat.  Cake sale money is used to support various outreach projects.

We request that items such as cupcakes, popcorn, crisps, muffins, etc. are sent in by the classes that are hosting the cake sale. Please ensure that items donated for cake sales do not contain nuts. We love healthy goodies, especially popcorn!

Parents are welcome to send the year's money in advance to be kept safely locked away (i.e. 6  cake sales x R10=R60.00) or send in R10 on cake sale days.

If you are able to assist at your class cake sale from 09h40, please notify your child’s class teacher.

ROBOTICS
Architects of the Future: Coding Logic and Creative Agency in Junior Prep

It has been a spectacular start to the term at the College! Our Junior Prep learners have stepped into the world of Robotics and Coding with a sense of wonder and a drive to innovate. By aligning our activities with the Growing Minds values, we aren't just teaching technology; we are nurturing the thinkers of tomorrow.

Collaboration & Critical Thinking: The "Human" Code

Our first Robotics After-School Club saw our Grade 1,  2, and 3 learners engaging in a high-energy exploration of pseudo-code and logical thinking.

In a display of Collaboration, learners worked in pairs to "code" their friends to navigate specific paths. This required immense Critical Thinking, as they had to translate physical movements into a precise sequence of instructions. Watching our learners debug their "human programs" with patience and logic was a testament to their growing resilience and analytical skills.

Creative Agency & Responsible Citizenship with Scratch Junior

In our Grade 1 classrooms, Educator Nikki has been fostering Creative Agency through the use of Scratch Junior. This platform allows our youngest learners to move beyond being spectators of technology to becoming its masters.

As they build interactive stories and games, we emphasize:

• Creative Agency: Learners take ownership of their digital worlds, deciding how characters interact and how stories unfold.

• Responsible Citizenship: From the very first click, we discuss the importance of using digital tools to share positive stories and treat the digital space with the same respect we show our physical classroom.

By turning logical sequences into digital art, our learners are proving that at the College, the only limit to technology is their own imagination.

OUTREACH

SCHOOL HOURS

GRADE 1

START: 08:00
END OF DAY: 14h00. 

Collection from the ampitheatre. Learners who are not collected at this time will be sent to aftercare and billed.

GRADE 2

START: 08:00
END OF DAY: 14:00. 

Collection is in the Grade Two and Three Quad. Learners who are not collected at this time will be sent to aftercare and billed.

GRADE 3

START: 08h00
END OF DAY: 14h30 (except for a Monday - the school day ends at 15h00)

Collection is in the Grade Two and Three Quad.  Learners who are not collected at this time will be sent to aftercare and billed.

School is LOCKED promptly at 16:45 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.

MEDICATIONS AND IMMUNISATIONS

Should your child have a medical condition/ allergy /require prescribed medication to be administered, please e-mail Sisanda Mvulana on smvulana@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.

Department of Health recommended schedule: Childhood Immunisation Schedule

SPORT

Junior Prep Sport | Week 2 Momentum Builds

We’re into our second week of sport, and the energy across Junior Prep continues to grow!

Our learners have been hard at work in Swimming, Softball, Cricket, and our PE Swimming Programme, building confidence and developing their skills each session. It’s been fantastic to see the commitment levels rising as routines settle and match confidence improves.

Looking ahead, our U9 Softball and Cricket teams are back in action next week as they take on Reddam Durbanville and Riverside College. We’re excited to see our learners continue applying what they’ve been practising and embracing the thrill of match day.

Week That Was

A big milestone this week as our U9 Softballers played their first competitive matches of the season!

• U9 Softball vs Blouberg
  Result: PC won  12 - 10
  Player of the Match: Layla/Lumakhe

• U9 Cricket vs CBC
  Result: Won by 18 runs
  Player of the Match: Savio

It was wonderful to see the girls stepping up with courage and teamwork, learning through real match situations, and supporting one another throughout.

At Junior Prep level, our focus remains firmly on participation, enjoyment, and growth. Success isn’t only measured by the scoreboard - it’s seen in learners who try again after a mistake, who encourage teammates, and who show resilience when things get tough. Staying motivated, attending practices consistently, and giving your best effort are what truly build strong sporting foundations.

We’re proud of the progress being made each week and look forward to another exciting round of fixtures as our learners continue representing Parklands College with enthusiasm and pride.

Let’s keep the momentum going!

On Monday 26 January, a Sport Parent Meeting was held at the Senior Prep. Thank you to all parents who attended and engaged so positively. The presentation slides from the meeting have been attached below for your reference. 

Should you have any questions or require clarity, please feel free to contact me at jmargetts@parklands.co.za 

SPORTS AND MATCHES 

Sport in the younger grades is developmental, and our programme is designed to build the foundational skills needed for various sport. Our Grade One programme uses fun games to build strong, healthy bodies and develop fundamental skills.

Ad hoc internal/external matches begin in Grade Two once the Sports Department has determined that learners are adequately prepared and all safety considerations have been met. Game selection is rotational to give as many learners as possible the opportunity to develop their skills and get “a little taste” for the game. Key players will be selected for festivals. 

The Grade Threes will have opportunities to participate in internal/external matches. We will field an A Team, while our B Teams will be selected using a rotational basis. This approach allows as many learners as possible to develop their skills and experience playing the game. The A Team will primarily participate in festivals, and we will enter additional teams where possible.

Junior-level sports (Mini cricket, hockey, netball, rugby, softball) have specific rules set by associations which are different to the rules of the various codes in the older age groups. The goal is to allow children to try different positions and build a wide range of skills before specialisation begins in Grade Four.

PARENT & LEARNER DIRECTORY

Please read through the Parent and Learner Directory, which includes important information about Parklands College and the Junior Preparatory learners.

2026 Parent and Learner Directory

QUICK LINKS

EdAdmin Portal

CONCLUDING COMMENTS

Tomorrow is our Open Day and tours are from 10:00 - 13:00. Please invite friends and family who may be interested, to view our school.

We would like to wish Nikki Niemand a very happy birthday for Tuesday the 17th of February and Kirsten Hartley for Wednesday the 18th.  

We wish all our Muslim families a peaceful Ramadan and our Chinese and Asian families a Happy Lunar New Year.