Junior Preparatory Weekly Memo
23 October 2026
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Dear Parents,
Our Art Exhibition, In the Garden, was an incredibly beautiful evening. The garden came to life in playful clay creations of birds, snails and worms, among exquisite paper flowers and flapping butterflies. There were imaginary bugs and delicate birds in rainbow nests, colourful tortoises and even a vegetable garden with gorgeous seed packets on display. This wonderful picture was completed by the many happy families who attended this special event. Thank you to all our families for joining and celebrating our creative artists.
A special mention to Miss Hartley who has encouraged our learners, nurtured them and helped them create the most beautiful garden artwork.
Well done to all our Junior Prep artists too! We are excited to send the artworks home for display on fridges and family walls.
OUTREACH
As part of our Quarter Four outreach, we are excited to support the Santa Shoebox Project, a wonderful initiative that provides personalised gift boxes to children in need. Each class is responsible for preparing two boxes – one for a girl and one for a boy. Your child's class teacher will be in touch with details about what is needed for these boxes and how you can contribute. Completed boxes are due 3 November 2026. If you would like to donate an additional box on your own, please reach out to Ms. Pietersen at kpietersen@parklands.co.za to pledge a box and receive further details. Thank you for your generosity!
CAKE SALE
CAKE SALE
Roll up! Roll up! Our last Cake Sale for the year is next week Friday. Please remember to send R10 with your child.
Grade 1R and 1K are the hosts and we look forward to a few sweet (and savoury) treats.
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!
MUSIC
MUSIC
Join us for a wonderful morning of music at our Morning Melodies Concert! A selection of our talented beginner learners will take to the stage to share their progress.
Parents of performing learners are warmly invited to come and support our young musicians. We look forward to seeing you there!
We are so proud of Parah as she has now progressed onto the full sized Flute. She has been playing on the jFlute since the beginning of Grade 2. Congratulations, Parah!
Co-curricular Time Table Quarter 4
Co-curricular Time Table Quarter 4
Summer Co curricular Time Table Q4 2026 BLOG.pdfPlease note that Co-curriculars have started from the first day of the new quarter.
Please note that our learners are wearing their summer school uniform this quarter.
Ms Hammond and a few Grade 1s did some group reading in the sunshine in the garden this week.
Grade 1A was also caught reading and by the looks of it, this book is a must-read.
LIBRARY
LIBRARY
FIGHT OR FLIGHT HAS ARRIVED!
There were great celebrations on Tuesday as the much anticipated Wimpy Kid 21 arrived at school. Enthusiastic collectors could be seen everywhere carrying their precious yellow copies of Fight Or Flight, and reading at every available moment.
Library classes watched an interview with Jeff Kinney and got some insight into the book making process. He does all the illustrations directly on his huge tablet, and types the text using the Wimpy Kid font, from where copy is sent directly to the publishers. But before he starts a new book, he first collects 360 jokes. No wonder the readers enjoy the hilarity of the series so much!
Library classes also talked about the meaning of the title, and then followed a video with step-by-step instructions to create our own cover illustrations. Such fun!
BIRTHDAY BOOKS
Happy birthday to Hugo, and thank you for the lovely donation of two books in the Good Dog series. These are perfect for readers embarking on their first chapter books. We cannot wait to have them on our shelves!
IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS
IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS
2026 Dates
Summer Quarter: 20 Jan - 26 March
Autumn Quarter: 8 April - 24 June
Winter Quarter: 22 July - 23 September
Spring Quarter: 14 October - 4 December
Public Holiday
Wednesday 4 November: National Elections
2027 Provisional Dates
Summer Quarter: 19 January - 17 March
Autumn Quarter: 7 April - 23 June
Winter Quarter: 21 July - 22 September
Spring Quarter: 6 October - 3 December
Q4 Spring DatesV3.pdfSpring Quarter Dates has been update: Grade 2 SA Dress Up day: Tuesday 24 November
We are looking forward to our Growing Minds Celebration.
We invite all parents to attend our Growing Minds Celebration - a special occasion where every learner will receive a certificate recognising their hard work and progress throughout the year. We anticipate this celebration will last just over one hour.
Learners may go home with their parents after the celebration, should they wish.
CAKE SALES
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!
Please send R10 to school for your child to enjoy two treats from the cake sale.
If you are able to assist at your class cake sale from 09h40, please notify your child’s class teacher.
NEXT CAKE SALE: Friday 30 October: Grade 1R & 1K Cake Sale
SPORT
SPORT
Parklands Staff on the Move!
At Parklands College, pushing boundaries isn't just something we ask of our learners - our staff live it, too!
Huge congratulations to our dedicated teachers and Sports Department coaches who recently took on two major races: the Nelson Mandela Marathon and the Slave Route Challenge! From early morning starts to grueling kilometers through historic routes, our staff showed remarkable determination, resilience, and heart.
It’s always inspiring to see our educators lead by example, proving that the commitment to health, fitness, and personal growth extends far beyond the classroom and sports fields. Kudos to everyone who completed these incredible races - you’ve made the Parklands community proud!
Congratulations
Congratulations
We are super proud of Liam who also took part in the Nelson Mandela 10km Marathan on Sunday, and received the most beautiful medal. Well done, Liam. Keep running!
Junior Prep Sport Weekly Update
Junior Prep Sport Weekly Update
Our first full week of sport has come to an end, and our Junior Prep learners are officially back in full Summer Sport swing!
U9A Cricket Under Lights
U9A Cricket Under Lights
On Friday, 16 October, our Parklands U9A Cricket team took to the field at the Rallim Under Lights Mini Cricket Festival. What an awesome event under the stars, with some fantastic competition and a great atmosphere!
Eight of our learners represented Parklands, playing three fixtures against Rallim, Reddam Durbanville and Milnerton. While the results didn't quite go our way this time, the boys gained valuable match experience and made a great start to Quarter 4.
Well done, boys! We’re proud of you for getting out there, competing and representing Parklands with enthusiasm. Plenty more cricket to come!
Good Luck, Swimmers!
Good Luck, Swimmers!
A big good luck to all our swimmers taking part in the Parklands Inter Schools Gala at Senior Prep today! Give it your best, enjoy the experience and swim your hearts out. We’ll be cheering you on!
Looking Ahead
Looking Ahead
Next week, we gear up for our first Cricket and Softball fixtures of the quarter. The bats, balls and gloves are out, and we’re ready to get going!
Here’s to a fantastic Quarter 4 filled with opportunities to learn, improve, compete and, most importantly, enjoy our sport.
See you on the fields, courts and in the pool! 💙
Key Dates to Remember
Key Dates to Remember
Home Gala: Friday, 23 October @ Parklands College Senior Prep (selected learners)
Parklands U8 & U9 Mini Cricket Festival: Saturday, 7 November
Let’s get out there, have fun, and make it a fantastic summer sports season!
➡️ EXTERNAL ACHIEVEMENTS ⬅️
If your little one has excelled in a sport outside of school, we would love to celebrate their achievements. Please use the link above to fill in the external achievements form to make us aware of their shining moment.
LOOKING AHEAD: 2027 REQUIREMENTS
Device Requirements
Please click on the link below to view the device requirements for next year.
Textbooks (Caxton Books)
Caxton Letter (2027) (This has a coupon code for a discount)
Grade 3
Grade 4
Gr 4 Caxton List (2027)
Stationery Requirements
Books DO NOT need to be covered as the children will make the covers in class and the teachers will cover the books
with the slip-on plastic covers. Please ensure your child has a combination lock, an old T-shirt to use for Art and a set
of headphones compatible with their iPad.
Gr 1 Waltons Stationery List (2027)
Grade 2
Gr 2 Waltons Stationery List (2027)
Grade 3
Gr 3 Waltons Stationery List (2027)
Grade 4
Gr 4 Waltons Stationery List (2027)
QUICK LINKS
QUICK LINKS
Woolworths has recently introduced its new MyDifference loyalty programme, replacing the previous MySchool system.
To continue supporting Parklands College & Christopher Robin Pre-Primary through your Woolworths shopping, please follow the steps below before 31 October to select us as your beneficiary in the Woolworths app.
Thank you for your continued support and for helping us make a difference.
Download or update the Woolworths App on iOS (Apple App Store) or Android (Google Play Store).
Log in or register for a Woolworths account and activate your MyDifference profile.
Tap the "Loyalty" tab located at the bottom menu of the app.
Select "Causes" or "My Causes" to manage your chosen beneficiaries.
Choose "Choose My Own" and search for your specific school by name.
Select your school from the search results and choose Parklands College as your active cause.
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...
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
CONCLUDING COMMENTS
It has been a beautiful week with the highlight being our wonderfully colourful Art Exhibition: In the Garden.
We wish Nadine Marais-Swart a very happy birthday for Tuesday 27 October.
A reminder that next week Friday is our last Cake Sale for the year, please remember to send R10 with your child.
We wish everyone a happy weekend.
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