Junior Preparatory Weekly Memo
12 July 2024
General
Dear Parents
What a way to start the quarter with schools closing on our second day back.... some learners were not at all happy about this and said "we want to do school at school!" It is lovely for us to know how much our learners enjoy being at school. Well done to our learners who carried on working at home on Seesaw and Maths Seeds, we are very proud of you!
Despite the cold and rain, we have had a happy start to the quarter and it is wonderful to once again hear the chatter and laughter of our children in our buildings. They certainly make our school come alive and warm everything up.
Important Dates
Dates for 2024
Winter Quarter: 10 July – 13 September
Spring Quarter: 02 October – 04 December
Provisional dates for 2025
Summer Quarter: 20 January - 28 March
Autumn Quarter: 08 April- 25 June
*Mid-term break: 29 April - 2 May
Winter Quarter: 23 July - 01 Oct
Spring Quarter: 13 October - 05 December
Communication
The weekly memo which is sent out on a Friday, is our main form of communication and includes important information regarding the College. Please note that the blog format has changed this quarter and we hope that information will be more accessible and easy to find.
The following tabs are available and this page, which is the main page, will include the most current information for the week:
Calendar and Events
Co-curricular and Extra-mural (Sport and Cultural Information)
Outreach
Curriculum and Learning
Clothing and Uniform
Staffing (All staff and their contact details)
General (school times, aftercare, drop-off, security, lunch/snacks, Houses, P&L Directory, transport, medication, devices)
The Wizard of Oz
Wizard of Oz Behind the Scenes.mp4We are very excited about the Wizard of Oz. Our first performance is on Friday 19 July. Please book tickets for friends and family and bring everyone to enjoy this wonderful production.
WIZARD OF OZ: MATINEE PERFORMANCES: 20 & 27 JULY
WIZARD OF OZ: ALL OTHER PERFORMANCES
In the theatre patrons who give donations to stage a show are called Angels. Sometimes Angels provide cash, goods or services and without their generous contributions the show would go on but without the sparkle that we have come to expect at a Parklands College Musical production. We would like to extend our gratitude and to offer recognition to those individuals and companies that have been so generous in their support of our production of The Wizard of Oz.
Special mention goes to Grant Smee and Megan Ladbrook from Only Realty for their donation towards the set. As Dorothy says at the end of the play, 'There is no place like home', let Grant and his team find you your next home, this is a company with a big heart.
Just as Dorothy needed to realise that everything she ever needed was in her own backyard, the fabulous Zondagh family behind the companies Veldskoen and Plakkies have donated 23 pairs of their fabulous shoes to the show. This company is offering a discount to all of the Parklands family through a QR code and we hope to see their comfortable Veldskoen on everyone's feet. They have a large range of shoes, including school shoes, that are all 100% locally manufactured. Driekie and the team are proudly South African and their success story is one that inspires. They are a company with heaps of courage and boy, has that paid off for them! Buy a pair or two, you won't want to wear anything else.
Last but by no means least, we have to mention our fantastic set building Angel Derek Rocher, a man with an enormous brain, who translates my sketches and drawings into safe structures for the show to be performed upon. Derek gave up two weeks of leave from his job as Display Manager for Shoprite/ Checkers to create the elaborate set for The Wizard of Oz in record time. The learners assisting him have learnt a great deal of practical skills that he generously imparted, earning him the title of Dearest Derek from the crew.
Thank you to these very special people for their amazing contributions to the show, we are very grateful and we can't wait for you to see the show that you have helped create.
With Gratitude
Catherine Dodders (The Wizard of Oz Director)
Cook-a-long
Thank you to Chef Kerry for hosting the Cook-a-long at the end of last quarter. The Rice Crispy biscuits were delicious and it was fun to all be together.
Outreach
Nelson Mandela Day and JP & SP on the Run
Join Us for Our Annual 67' Mandela Day Inspired JP & SP on the Run!
Date: 18th July 2024
Time: 10h30-11h37
Get ready for an action-packed day as we celebrate Mandela Day with our annual JP & SP on the Run event!
Parents, please come and join in the fun by assisting your children in gathering house points. In honour of Mandela Day, we will be collecting canned perishables for charity and running for 67 minutes (or as many laps as possible).
- Attire: House Colours & Takkies. Please pack in tracksuits for the cold.
- Target: 670 cans of perishables for charity.
Join us for a day of fun & fitness, as we run for a great cause!
JP & SP on the Run '24 (3).mp4JP & SP on the Run '24 (5).mp4Ria Abel Collection
Cake sales
Our next cake sale is on Friday 30 August and is hosted by Grade 1K and 1R
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 money in advance to be kept safely locked away or send in R6 on cake sale days.
If you are able to assist at your class cake sale from 09h40, please notify your child’s class teacher.
Learner Achievements
Olu had her grading and was awarded the rank of Yellow Belt in the art of Goju Kai Karate. Well done Olu, we are very proud of you!
Please find a link to the notification letter informing the College of a learner's external achievements at Area/Regional/Provincial level.
Library News
Welcome to the Winter quarter! It was wonderful to welcome our readers back this week and introduce them to the feast of new books waiting to be taken home. In the junior preparatory the learners had fun with all the signs leading them to various locations in Oz. They also have an interactive poster which challenges them to count a host of characters and creatures. Please make sure to book your tickets for The Wizard of Oz on Quicket!
In the senior preparatory phase there has been an explosion of great books for this age group worldwide. These series are also popular on television which provides added incentive to read the books. It is heartwarming to experience all the excitement and enthusiasm.
Birthday Books
Siseko and Eli presented their Birthday Books at the final assembly of last term. Siseko shared The Little Raindrop, an excellent book about the water cycle, as well as When Shark Learns To Share which is already being used in our classrooms to facilitate those important conversations about sharing. Eli has donated a lovely book titled Pete Twiddlefeet and the Heart on his Sleeve. This is the first book in a series in which the stories explain the meaning of idioms. We shall definitely be looking out for more! Thank you both for these thoughtful contributions.
Sport
Please refer to the Co-curricular and Extramural page for further details. Sporting activities selected in Quarter Two carry over to Quarter Three to complete the Winter Season. Please get in touch with the Sports Department should you wish to sign your children up for Quarter 3 sport or make a change. The only amendment to the Timetable is the collection time of the girls and boys for hockey on a Monday. This has been changed from 15:45 to 16:00.
Football / Boys’ Hockey / Rugby: Liam Maharage
Netball / Girls’ Hockey: Nadine Marais-Swart
Head Of Department: Jared Margetts
Survey:
What does sport instill in our kids?
Schedule for the Week Ahead
Monday, 15 July⋅15:00 – 16:30
U9 Soccer: Parklands College vs Blouberg Ridge
Schedule for the Quarter ahead
Q3 Sporting Fixture Schedule: U/9-U/13
Keep an eye out for more details about our Preparatory North vs South Festival Day on 27 July 2024
Culture
Enrolments for Music, Drama and Dance also carry over to Quarter Three. Please contact Mrs Sparkly Buckle at rbuckle@parklands.co.za for any Culture queries or changes.
Concluding Comments
With severe weather conditions and keeping the learners' safety in mind, the Grade 1A outing to Rosen Castle has been moved to Friday 2 August.
Consent for Grade 1 Outing to Rosen Castle
The Grade Two outing to Intaka Island today, was also postponed. Further details will be communicated to the parents regarding alternative dates.
Please ensure you have clicked on the relevant links below to give consent for your child to attend.
Grade 1P Outing to Rosen Castle
Consent for Grade 1 Outing to Rosen Castle
Grade 1K Outing to Rosen Castle
Consent for Grade 1 Outing to Rosen Castle
Grade 1R and 1L Outing to Rosen Castle
Consent for Grade 1 Outing to Rosen Castle
Please take note that blazers are to be worn every day to and from school (unless learners are wearing PE clothes.)
Classrooms are only opened at 7:30 when our teachers arrive. To ensure their safety, please do not leave your children unaccompanied.
We wish Alex Wickham a very happy birthday for Tuesday 16 July 2024.
Have a lovely weekend and stay warm!
Chantel Lamb
Junior Preparatory Principal
clamb@parklands.co.za
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Links to other faculty blogs:
Pre-Primary Faculty: https://ppblog.parklands.co.za
Senior Preparatory Faculty: https://spblog.parklands.co.za
Secondary Faculty: https://secblog.parklands.co.za