Junior Preparatory Weekly Memo
21 February 2025
Dear Parents,
As this quarter progresses, we continue to see each classroom filled with exciting learning opportunities and meaningful connections. Looking ahead, we are excited to take part in the Van Riebeeckstrand Mini Cricket Festival tomorrow, Saturday the 22nd of February - 08:00 - 13:00.
Please take a moment to read the section on healthy lunches, as proper nutrition is key to supporting learning and development. And boy do we want the best for our children!
Contact:
Staff email addresses: Staffing
General Preparatory email address: prep@parklands.co.za
IT queries: Christian Oertel, Network Manager - choertel@parklands.co.za
Diphtheria.PDFDiphtheria
The Western Cape Department of Health has issued an alert regarding an increase in diphtheria cases in the Cape Metro District and Province. Diphtheria is a highly contagious and potentially life-threatening bacterial disease that can be prevented by vaccination.
The recommended vaccination schedule for diphtheria is as follows:
Primary series: 6, 10, and 14 weeks of age
Booster doses: 18 months, 6 years, and 12 years of age
Please ensure that your child is fully vaccinated to prevent the spread of diseases.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
Open Day
Our Open Day was a success with the Junior Preparatory buildings filled with a buzz of activity and visitors. Thank you to the parents and learners who took part in the morning's festivities.
In the Art room, Design Society learners created their own paper mobiles, learning different folding techniques to construct their colourful creations.
U8 and U9 had a fun-filled morning with Coach Jared and Coach Liam, attending a Cricket Clinic on Open Day.
Healthy Packed Lunches
Providing your child with a nutritious lunchbox helps fuel their energy, concentration, and overall well-being throughout the school day. A balanced lunchbox should include a variety of wholesome foods from different food groups to support their growth and development. Limit processed and sugary foods like chocolates, chips, sweets, and fizzy drinks to encourage healthy eating habits.
Thank you for supporting your child's health and learning through nutritious choices!
🥕 Fruits & Vegetables – Pack a mix of colourful fruits (apple slices, grapes, berries or banana) and crunchy veggies (carrot sticks, cucumber, cherry tomatoes or baby corn).
🥩 Protein for Strength – Lean meats (chicken or ham), boiled eggs, tuna, hummus, cheese or yogurt help keep them full and focused.
🥪 Healthy Carbs – Whole grain sandwiches, wraps, or pasta salads provide long-lasting energy. Try whole-wheat bread, rice cakes or homemade muffins.
🧀 Smart Snacks – Cheese cubes, popcorn, biltong or homemade granola bars make great nutritious options.
💧 Hydration – Water is the best choice! Avoid sugary drinks and opt for milk or diluted fruit juices if needed.
🥜 Please be mindful that we have learners who have nut allergies. Please avoid packing nuts and peanut butter lunches as a preventative measure to keep these learners safe. If your child has any food allergies, kindly inform the school to ensure a safe eating environment for all.
Play time!
Learners enjoying their break time!
Lost Uniform Items
Not a blue Monday for Miss Mvulana and Mrs Oxley-Simpson as they were twins in their outfit choices!
Teacher Feature: Mrs Buckle
Mrs Buckle was recently interviewed by Marisa the Mindset Coach on her podcast and Youtube channel. The interview explores the power of drama and communication in education and how it can unlock confidence and creativity in students. Follow the link below to listen to this interesting conversation around the benefits of incorporating drama into the classroom and the positive impact it can have on student development. Alternatively, the talk can be listened to on Spotify.
Teacher_Mindset: The Power of Drama & Communication in Education
Classroom Features
Grade 1R Afrikaans FAL Lesson
Mrs Naidoo's class had great fun during their Afrikaans FAL lesson learning about “kleure”. While using the Seesaw app, they listened to the Afrikaans colour in a voice recording and then took photos of things they could find to match.
LIBRARY NEWS
A Close Encounter with a Superhero!
A Close Encounter with a Superhero!
A visit from Riaan Manser is an exhilarating experience for our learners. They adore this hero not only for all his achievements, but for the special way he interacts with everyone and the time he takes to have conversations with individuals. What a super role model for everyone! He entertained us with some hair-raising stories from his many adventures. We also know that there is a new book in the pipeline and a new adventure planned for this year which involves swimming…. We will be looking out for news to share with you. In the meantime, read the books with your children! They are most entertaining and a wonderful way to learn about the world.
Book Bingo
Mrs Niemand popped into the library just as the Book Club was about to start a game of Book Bingo. She found that irresistible and joined in the fun. The Book Clubbers focussed and earnestly scanned their sheets to fill those rows, and the first prize, of course, goes to the readers who stayed afterwards to borrow some of the books that they had seen.
Birthday Books
We are wishing Liam a wonderful birthday . Thank you for this lovely Birthday Book, which is all about the power of friendship and being a generous helper.
Extreme Reading
We are entering the final week of our Extreme Reading challenge. Thank you to everyone who played along and sent in those remarkable photographs. We are looking forward to some more photos during the next few days.
ROBOTICS NEWS
Celebrating Our Incredible HyperionBots!
Celebrating Our Incredible HyperionBots!
This past Saturday, our fantastic First Tech Team (FTC), the HyperionBots, competed in the National Championships and secured an amazing 2nd place finish! Their hard work, creativity, and determination truly shone in this year’s "Submerged" theme, where teams were tasked with designing robots to tackle underwater-inspired engineering challenges.
In the FIRST® Tech Challenge, students collaborate with mentors to design, build, and program robots, applying their STEM skills to compete in dynamic matches. After programming robots to follow autonomous commands, students take control in two-on-two matches! HyperionBots showcased incredible teamwork, technical skill, and innovation throughout the competition.
We are thrilled to announce that their remarkable performance has earned them an invitation to the World Championship in Houston, Texas, this April! We couldn’t be prouder of their achievement and are excited to cheer them on as they compete on the global stage!
#HyperionBots #FTC #Submerged #Nationals #WorldChampionshipBound #STEM #Innovation
CO-CURRICULAR TIMETABLE
For Blog 29 Jan.pdfSPORT
FROM THE SPORTS DESK
Exciting Sporting Moments at Parklands College Prep
The sports season is in full swing, bringing with it a wave of excitement and participation across multiple disciplines.
The recent Open Day Cricket Session was a resounding success, setting a strong foundation for the upcoming festival. A heartfelt thank you to all the learners and parents who participated and supported this event - it was a true display of commitment and enthusiasm.
Please note that there will be no sport for Grade 3 learners between 14:00 and 15:00 - 7 March 2025 due to a gala. During this time, they will remain with their teachers for scheduled classroom activities.
With passion, commitment, and a spirit of excellence, we look forward to another incredible week of sport at Parklands College Prep!
We need your consent for sports travel to away fixtures/practices. Please click the link below and select "Agree."
Keep practising, keep smiling, and let’s keep the momentum going!
Yours in sport,
Jared Margetts
Head of Preparatory Sports
The Week That Was: A Showcase of Determination and Team Spirit
This past week saw our young athletes in action as our Cricket and Softball teams took on Sunningdale and Table View Primary in an exciting round of fixtures on Thursday. The energy, teamwork, and sportsmanship displayed by all players were truly commendable!
Our U8 Cricket team put in a strong performance, securing a victory over Table View Primary by 10 runs. Well done to Micah, who was our Player of the Match.
Meanwhile, our U9 Cricket team showed resilience and skill, claiming a 19-run win over Table View Primary. A standout performance from Renier earned him Player of the Match.
Our U9 girls fought hard against Sunningdale on the softball field, displaying fantastic commitment and enthusiasm. Although they fell 6-11, their determination was evident throughout the match. A special mention to Sherifat, who was Player of the Match, for her outstanding effort.
Congratulations to all our players for another week of dedication and growth on the field. The improvement journey continues, and we look forward to even more exciting matchups!
U8s Cricket
U9s Cricket
U9 Softball
U9 Softball
Reminder:
We have back-to-back cricket festivals: on 22 February and 1 March 2025, our U8 and U9 cricketers will take to the field at the Van Riebeeckstrand Cricket Festival (22 February) & Table View Primary Festival (1 March) - a great opportunity to test their skills and enjoy the game. Keep an eye out for match day notifications and get ready to cheer our young cricketers on as they take to the field.
Splash-Tacular: Friday, 14 March 2025
All Grade 3 learners are invited to a fun Splash-Tacular swimming event for all learners. This will take place during their usual sport time on a Friday between 14h00-15h00. Parents are welcome to pop in and enjoy the fun.
Sport Quick Links
IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS
Every quarter our school collects items for our local community in need. For the first quarter, we will be collecting food for animals in need at Fallen Angels.
Friday 21 February
International Mother Language Day
Saturday 22 February
VRS Mini Cricket Festival
Saturday 1 March
TVPS Mini-Cricket Festival / Curro Century City Mini Cricket Festival
Sunday 2 March
Dr Seuss' Birthday
Friday 7 March
Gr 3R, 3L,2L and 1L Cake sale
Tuesday 11 March
Happy Birthday Christopher Robin Pre-Primary
Friday 14 March
Happy Birthday Nadia Rabe
Grade 3 Splash-tacular from 14:00-15:00
Final Day for outreach collection: Fallen Angels
Monday 17 March
Monday Gr 1 "My First Photograph in Gr 1" in JP library
Tuesday 18 March
Grade 2 and 3 Individual Photographs
Wednesday 19 March
18:00 'Autumn Awakening' Choir Concert
Friday 21 March
Public Holiday: Human Rights Day
Tuesday 25 March
Reports Released
Report Feedback Meetings
Wednesday 26 March
Report Feedback Meetings
Thursday 27 March
Report Feedback Meetings
Friday 28 March
Last day of the Quarter
Saturday 29 March:
Happy Birthday Sisanda Mvulana
Dates for 2025
Summer Quarter: 20 January - 28 March
Autumn Quarter: 08 April - 25 June
*Mid-term break: 29 April - 2 May
Winter Quarter: 22 July - 23 September
Spring Quarter: 14 October - 05 December
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.
Friday 7 March: Grade 3R, 3L, 2L and 1L Cake Sale
Friday 9 May: Grade 2R and Grade 2K Cake Sale
Friday 30 May: Grade 2P & 2A Cake Sale
Friday 19 September: Grade 1P & 1A Cake Sale
Friday 24 October: Grade 1R & 1K Cake Sale
QUICK LINKS
Ed-Admin Multi Portal Installation
The new Ed-admin Multi Portal App (Ed-admin MP) is now available on the Google and Apple App stores. The features include access to your child’s reports, calendar activities and daily attendance records to mention a few.
To install the App please follow the below instructions:
1.) Download the Ed-Admin Multi Portal App by using the relevant link below:
● Apple App Store:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ed-admin-multi-portal/id646910856
OR
● Google Play Store:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edana.edadmin&hl=en&gl= US
2.) Enter 230034 (Parklands College Code) and your email address to log in. For your convenience, please refer to the image below:
3.) The next step will require you to enter the login code sent to you via email. For your convenience, please refer to the image below:
Please ensure that you keep this App updated otherwise you will be logged out and will have to repeat the above process to regain access.
PARENT & LEARNER DIRECTORY
Please read through the Parent and Learner Directory, which includes important information about Parklands College and the Junior Preparatory learners.
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
Thank you for your continued support in making this a wonderful quarter for all our learners. We are so proud of their hard work and participation in all the activities on offer, from academic to cultural and sport.
Wishing all our families a wonderful weekend!
