31 October 2025

Dear Parents

This message is applicable to all sporting codes and a good reminder that our agenda as adults should never overshadow what is best for our children. While we all want to win, we would much rather win at building our children’s self-esteem.

We are sharing our sport approach with our parent body as our players are very young and rely on our support to set the stage for positive early sporting experiences. Rather than being disheartening and stressful, our hope is that our learners will try their best, have fun, build some skills, boost their self-esteem and learn how to win and lose.

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

Good Luck to Christopher Robin Pre-Primary!

It has been such a joy hearing the sweet sound of the learners in Christopher Robin Pre-Primary, singing their hearts out as they practise for their upcoming "Zoo to the Sea" concert.

We wish you all the very best and we know it will be gorgeous!

Congratulations!!

Congratulations to our 2017 Head Prefect, Laura Wolvaardt, who absolutely smashed it out of the park in Thursday night’s semi-final!

We’re so proud of you, Laura, and wish you and the Proteas Women the very best of luck for the World Cup Final on Sunday!

#ParkiePride

First Aid: Well done!

A little while back a few of our teachers completed their First Aid course. Well done to them all! As you can see by the picture, Coach Liam is in good hands!

Outreach

We have enjoyed our cake sales throughout the year and loved having our parents and special people involved. Besides it being a lovely treat, it is also about Outreach. This year we have raised a total of R13 022. R6511 has been donated to Red Cross Children's Hospital and R6511 to the SPCA.

Thank you so much for your support in making this possible. We love our PC Families. #OUR BLOOD RUNS BLUE!

Santa Shoebox Project

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 5 November 2025.

If you would like to donate an additional box on your own, please reach out to Mrs. De Aguiar at cdeaguiar@parklands.co.za to pledge a box and receive further details.

Academics

Our Junior Preparatory learners continue to complete both formal and informal assessments throughout the quarter. These are done during the school day and under the care of their teachers.

Learners must meet the minimum requirements set by the Department of Education in order to progress to the next grade:

Home Language: English - Code 4 average throughout the year
Mathematics - Code 3 average throughout the year
First Additional Language: Afrikaans/isiXhosa - Code 3 average throughout the year

The Department of Education also requires learners to have attended school regularly and doctor’s notes given to school when absent for two days or more.

Library News

Giggles could be heard out the Library this week as the Grade 1s had the delightful story of The Chocolate Monster read to them, by Mrs Crouse.

Lucy is always losing things. She loses her glasses, library books, and swimming towels . . . And every time she does, Mum loses her temper. Lucy knows that things can't just vanish into thin air. Then she discovers a strange little monster under her bed. He has taken all her things and won't give them back. But he might just swap them for . . . CHOCOLATE!

Birthday Book

Happy birthday to Lilitha, and thank you for a very special bedtime story, Counting Sheep. When Safia and Sam cannot fall asleep, a little lamb takes them on a glorious adventure where they meet many animals and magical creatures.

Early morning magic in the library

Book Club Fun

The Book Club visited the world of Timmy Failure, a confident yet clueless detective, and his assistant, the (imaginary) polar bear, Total. The first book, Mistakes were Made, has been chosen as one of 100 Modern Children’s Classics by the Sunday Times. We had fun with the remarkable covers of the Timmy Failure series, as the learners displayed their Keynote skills, took photos and created their personal Timmy Failure covers.

Culture News

Art Eisteddfod Prize Winners

Two of our learners were selected as prize winners for the Cape Town Art Eisteddfod this past Saturday. Jessie Kieu took first place under the Design category for her paper weaving and Parah Nyabadza took second place under the Design category for her paper weaving as well. Well done, girls!

We had a total of fourteen learners take part in the Cape Town Art Eisteddfod, achieving 7 Gold Diplomas and 7 High Honours. We are so proud of the creativity of our learners! Certificates will be handed out at a Junior Preparatory assembly later this quarter, with their shining moment celebrated in the blog.

Classroom Highlights

Grade 2 Making Rands and Cents of it all!

Grade 2Rs 'hands-on' money lessons turn learning into fun.

Grade 2L during extra lessons. Also learning about money.

Robotics News

Amended ROBOCAMP 2025 (1).pdf

SPORT

WE ARE IN THE FINALS!

Our ladies have done it - South Africa is in the World Cup Finals! 🇿🇦
We are especially proud of captain Laura Wolvaardt, ex Parklands College head prefect, who delivered an incredible 169 in the semi-finals, turning the tables on England after their earlier win against us at the start of the tournament.

Don’t miss our superwomen in action this Sunday, 2 November at 11h30 - let’s rally behind them and show our support! 💚💛

Junior Prep Sports Weekly Update

This is our final month of sport for 2025, and it’s going to be packed with action, smiles, and sunshine.

Cricket and Softball are in full swing, with our young athletes showing off the skills they’ve been developing all quarter. From powerful batting and quick runs to sharp fielding and strong teamwork, it’s been wonderful to see our learners grow in confidence on the pitch and diamond.

Tennis and Golf are also steaming ahead in Quarter 4, with players fine-tuning their serves, swings, and sportsmanship every week.

And we’re back in the pool! Our swimmers are ready to splash, kick, and glide their way through the quarter as we dive into another exciting stretch of aquatic fun and fitness.

With the summer sun shining, enthusiasm high, and plenty of sport still to come, let’s make this month one to remember - full of learning, laughter, and Parklands pride!

What's coming up: Save the dates

There’s plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks as we dive deeper into our summer sports season!

Saturday, 8 November 2025: Parklands College Mini Cricket Festival 🏏
Hosted at our Secondary Faculty, this exciting morning of cricket promises great energy, sportsmanship, and plenty of fun in the sun.
Invited players will be notified by Friday 31 October.

PE AND SWIMMING

We're back in the Pool!

From next week, please remember to pack your Parklands swimming costume, Parklands swimming cap, towel and if you need, goggles and come dressed in your PE attire.!

Please take note that although coaches guide and support learners during swimming in Physical Education lessons, we are not a Learn to Swim School and for their own safety it is critical that learners are water safe and able to swim. Please liaise with the coaches if you need contact details for LEARN TO SWIM schools for your child to attend.

Week that was

Our Junior Prep cricketers had an exciting week on the pitch against Table View Primary! The energy, teamwork, and determination on display were fantastic to see.

U9A – Won by 22 runs 🏆
Player of the Match: Just
U9B – Won by 44 runs 💪
Player of the Match: Adam
U8 – Lost by 20 runs but showed incredible spirit and improvement throughout the match!
Player of the Match: All our U8s – what an amazing effort, boys! 👏

Another week of growth, fun, and sportsmanship — well done, Parkies!

West Coast Cricket Academy

Book your spot for the upcoming December Holiday Cricket Clinic! It will be three days of fun, team spirit, and fine-tuning some cricket skills.

Email: westcoastcricketacademy@gmail.com to book your child's spot!

Summer Co-Curricular Time Table (Quarter 4)

Extra Mural Timetable Q4 BLOG.pdf

QUARTER 4 Co-Curricular sign-ups

If you have missed the sign-up for Quarter 4 co-curriculars, please email Coach Jared jmargetts@parklands.co.za for any Sport queries and Mrs Buckle rbuckle@parklands.co.za for any Culture queries.

Sport Calendar:

If your little one has excelled in a sport outside of school, we would love to celebrate their achievements. Please use the link below to fill in the external achievements form to make us aware of their shining moment.

➡️ EXTERNAL ACHIEVEMENTS ⬅️

Congratulations to Cooper Lawson who received a trophy for being Player of the Year from Table View Football Club.

Well done Cooper, we are so proud of you!

Sport Quick Links

SPORT INFO

TRAVEL CONSENT

EXTERNAL ACHIEVEMENTS

SPORT CALENDAR

UNIFORM UPDATE

Uniform and Sports Attire

Parklands College Grey striped socks for boys

Parklands College white striped anklet socks in summer for girls.

Parklands College striped blazer with braiding

College blazers

Please be reminded that all learners are required to wear the new striped blazer with braiding from the start of 2026. To ensure timely delivery, we advise you to place your order with our uniform supplier, School and Leisure, early.

All new blazers with braiding for 2026 are in stock at School and Leisure.

Second-hand school uniforms

Please contact Tania Fourie if you would like to buy or sell good-quality second-hand uniforms. She is also the supplier of Froggy School shoes.

Contact details: +27 83 631 7683 or tania@sportstudio.co.za

Blog 67

IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS

Dates for 2025

Spring Quarter: 14 October - 05 December

Growing Minds Celebration

We are looking forward to our Growing Minds Celebration.

We invite all parents to attend our Growing Minds Celebration—a special time 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.

Spring Quarter

Friday 21 November: Funky Socks Day

Thursday 27 November: JP Growing Minds Celebration

Friday 28 November: Grade 1 Giraffe House Outing: Consent: Gr 1 Outing to Giraffe House

Tuesday 2 December: Happy Birthday Candice Holder

Friday 5 December: Last day of the quarter. School closes at 11am

Sunday 14 December: Happy Birthday Emma Oxley-Simpson and Carmen Thyssen

Wednesday 24 December: Happy Birthday Caressa Manickum

HEADS-UP: 2026 INFORMATION

2026 dates (subject to change)

Summer Quarter: 20 January - 26 March

Autumn Quarter: 8 April - 24 June

Winter Quarter: 22 July - 23 September

Spring Quarter: 14 October - 4 December

Device Requirements

Please click on the link below to view the device requirements for next year.

iPad Requirements 2026

Discount Voucher

Uniform Requirements:

Uniform and Sport Attire

Textbooks (Caxtons)

Caxton Letter

Grade 3

Grade 3 2026 Caxton List

Grade 4
Grade 4 2026 Caxton list

Learners are required to take either Afrikaans FAL or isiXhosa FAL. Please ensure that you only order either Afrikaans or isiXhosa FAL books.

NOTE: Grade 4 - 6 Afrikaans FAL learners will be issued with an Afrikaans Made Simple workbook @ R230 which will be billed to their account at the beginning of the year.

Stationery Requirements

Waltons "How to Order" Letter

Grade 1

Grade 1 Stationery List

Grade 2

Grade 2 Stationery List

Grade 3

Grade 3 Stationery List

Grade 4

Grade 4 Stationery List

FIRST ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

Our Grade 1 - 3 learners have a choice between Afrikaans FAL and isiXhosa FAL. Please click on the link to complete the form: First Additional Language Choice 2026. If a selection has not been made, it will be assumed that the learner will attend Afrikaans as their First Additional Language.

QUICK LINKS

PARENT & LEARNER DIRECTORY

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

Junior Preparatory Parent & Learner Directory

Information Directory

2025 Junior Preparatory P&L Information Directory.docx.pdf

How to update the Edana app
with emergency contact details:

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

We are excited to gift our Santa Shoe boxes soon. Please remember to send in all the Santa Shoebox Items by this Wednesday 5 November.

We have an exciting weekend ahead and wish our Proteas all the very best for the World Cup Final! Don’t miss our superwomen in action this Sunday, 2 November at 11h30.