Pre-Primary Weekly Memo
7 November 2025

Dear Parents

What a wonderful week it has been! Our little ones shone brightly on stage during their concert on Wednesday and Thursday. They performed so beautifully, and we couldn’t be prouder of each and every one of them.

I’m sure all the parents will agree that they looked absolutely adorable and confident as they sang, danced, and smiled their way through the show.

A big thank you to all the parents and families who attended and supported the children, your encouragement means the world to them (and to us!).

Well done to our little stars for making us so proud!

Swimming

Our Grade 000 and 00 learners had an absolute splashing time at their first swimming lesson for the quarter this week! The weather played along perfectly, making it the ideal day for some fun in the sun. ☀️

The little ones were so excited to hop into the water, and their giggles and smiles said it all. It’s wonderful to see how confident and comfortable they are becoming in the pool while having so much fun at the same time.

We’re looking forward to many more happy swimming sessions ahead!

💦 Compulsory Grade R Swimming Lessons begin next week☀️

Grade R swimming lessons will commence on the following dates and times:

🗓 Tuesday (commencing 11 November)

08:00 – 09:00 Owl’s House (Grade R – compulsory) – same time

🗓 Wednesday (commencing 12 November)

08:00 – 09:00 Kanga’s House (Grade R – compulsory) – same time
09:00 – 10:00 Rabbit’s House (Grade R – compulsory) – same time

Please remember to pack your child’s swimming costume, towel, swimming cap, and sunscreen on their swimming day, and ensure that all items are clearly labelled.

We can’t wait for another fun season of splashing, swimming, and building water confidence! 💧 Lessons will conclude in the last week of November (27 November).

Grade R Graduation

The parents of the Grade R learners are cordially invited to attend the Graduation Ceremony in person on Friday, 21 November, at 08:45. There is no limit on the number of attendees; all parents, grandparents, and special people are welcome to attend this special event and morning.

The children are involved in the entire ceremony, going up and down.

At just 26 years old, Laura Wolvaardt has already cemented her place in South African cricket history as the country’s highest run-scorer in One Day Internationals, with an impressive 5 121 runs at an average of 50.20. With a decade of cricket still ahead of her, Laura is well on her way to challenging some of the biggest records in women’s cricket — including the 7 805 ODI runs held by India’s Mithali Raj.

Laura’s cricket journey began remarkably early; she made her debut for the Proteas at only 16 years old. Even while balancing her studies and international cricket commitments, she never let her academics slip. In 2017, she missed her matric mid-year exams while representing South Africa at the World Cup in England — yet still graduated from Parklands College with seven distinctions and a stellar 92% average. As head girl and the school’s top academic achiever, Laura proved that excellence on the field can go hand in hand with dedication in the classroom. A proud alumna of Parklands College and Christopher Robin Pre-Primary, she continues to inspire our community.

A remarkable Cricket World Cup campaign recently propelled Laura to the No. 1 position in the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings. She overtook tournament winner Smriti Mandhana following an extraordinary performance — scoring centuries in both the Semi-Final and the Final, in India. Her total of 571 runs is the most ever scored in a single edition of the Women’s World Cup, a record-breaking achievement rewarded with a leap to the top of the rankings and a career-high rating of 814.

Although South Africa finished as proud runners-up, Laura’s leadership, poise, and phenomenal run-scoring inspired a nation and solidified her place among the world’s greats. Her story is one of talent, discipline and heart — a shining example of what is possible when passion and perseverance unite.

Have a look at this article and video on News24: https://www.news24.com/sport/cricket/proteas/laura-wolvaardt-from-straight-as-batting-against-boys-to-carrying-a-nations-hope-20251031-1205

Congratulations

We are so proud of Zama, who achieved an incredible milestone in Goju Kai Karate! Zama had her grading on 29 October 2025 and was awarded the rank of Orange Belt (7th Kyu). What an amazing accomplishment, Zama. We are very proud of you.

Congratulations to Lisekhona who successfully completed level 5A of the Kumon Mathematics Programme. Well done, Lisekhona!

Peek Into Our Week

Tiny Tots

The Tiny Tots had a fun-filled week! From painting their very own hands to strengthen those fine motor skills and complete their beautiful artwork, to building the tallest towers with jumbo Lego blocks and enjoying some fun in the sun, it’s been a week full of smiles and learning. They also explored our exciting theme, “Garden,” discovering more about plants and nature each day. The children truly enjoyed learning through play, we can’t wait to see what next week brings!

Honey Bee's House

What an exciting and unforgettable week it has been for our busy Honey Bees. Amidst rehearsals and our spectacular concert, we took a wonderful journey exploring Cape Town and South Africa. We “visited” the breathtaking Kirstenbosch Gardens, “spotted” adorable penguins at Boulders Beach, and imagined the colorful sea life at the Two Oceans Aquarium. Our adventures took us all the way to the V&A Waterfront, Cape Point, and the majestic Table Mountain!

We also learnt about the Big 5, and discovered fun facts about each. The children were thrilled when we spoke about our love for sports like cricket, soccer, tennis, rugby, and swimming, especially our proud Springboks! We even explored some delicious and traditional South African cuisines, which made everyone’s tummies rumble.

For art, we explored patterns using beautiful shades of blue, pink, and purple. With spray bottles and water, we watched the colours blend magically to create stunning sunrise and sunset skies. Our little artists then traced and coloured Table Mountain silhouettes, adding texture with pastels and fluffy cotton wool clouds. These activities not only strengthened fine motor skills, but also encouraged creativity, observation, and self-expression.

It’s been a week filled with laughter, learning, and national pride, a true celebration of our beautiful South Africa and our wonderfully curious Honey Bees!

Roo's House

What an exciting week it’s been in the Roo class! Between our concert practices and all the excitement on stage, we’ve also been traveling the world — in our classroom, that is!

We’ve been learning all about cities, countries, and continents, and the children have absolutely fallen in love with the Continent Song. They sing it with such enthusiasm — sometimes over and over (and over!) again — that even our Play-Doh time has turned into a mini world tour.

It’s been such a joy watching their curiosity grow as they discover where we live in the big, beautiful world.

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Grade R

What an amazing week it has been in Grade R! After all of our hard work and excitement, both of our concerts are finally done, and what a spectacular success they were! Our little stars shone so brightly on stage, performing off all the songs, dances, and smiles they’ve been practicing for weeks. We are so proud of each and every one of our little performers! In between rehearsals and performances, we’ve continued to have loads of fun exploring our dinosaur and wild animal themes, learning new facts, creating colourful art, and enjoying playful activities in class. We have also been focusing on teamwork, respect, being kind friends, and continuing to consolidate our skills. Thank you to all our guests who came to share in our concert excitement. What a wonderful way to celebrate the end of our concert season. Well done, everyone! 🐾✨

Library Adventure

Do not let the title deceive you! There is nothing boring about this book. It will have your little one bouncing with delight and wanting to read it over and over. Even though the narrator (a pair of bespectacled eyes on every page) insists that only boring items are allowed in this book, the reader is somehow blamed when irrelevant items just pop up unexpectedly. All this silliness and hilarity make this a favourite that kids just cannot get enough of.

When you can’t stand reading it one more time, here are some similar books:

Do Not Open This Book by Andy Lee and The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak. For ages 3 and up.

Otherwise take a break and just follow the link:

The Most Boring Book In The World by Charlie Leahy, a read aloud read along story by Tippy Toes Nook

Elise Crouse - Librarian

Outreach

Join us in our October/November Outreach Drive! All donations will be shared with the Grace Foundation to bring hope and support to those in need in our community.

Please drop off all items at Reception.

Spring Quarter 2025

Spring Quarter Important Dates

SPRING QUARTER:

12 November: Happy Birthday Khanyo Rafisa-Tabo

16 November: Happy Birthday Tali Maltz

19 November: Grade R Graduation Rehearsal

20 November: Grade R Graduation Rehearsal

21 November: Happy Birthday Brenda Dingile

21 November: Grade R Graduation 08:45 - 11:00

25 November: Grade R Outing: Wonderdal Edutainment Centre (All Grade Rs)

28 November: Interactive Circus Show in the JP Amphitheatre @09:30

28 November: Grade 000 and Crackerjacks Cake Sale

1 December: Class lists released

2 December: Disney Dress-up and Class Parties

3 December: Reports sent to parents

5 December: Last day of the quarter - School closes at 11:00

2026 Information

2026 Dates

Summer Quarter: 20 Jan - 26 March

Autumn Quarter: 8 April - 24 June

Winter Quarter: 22 July - 23 Sept

Spring Quarter: 14 Oct - 4 Dec

Labels

A friendly reminder to please label your children’s clothing — every hat, jersey, sock, and jacket! 🧦✨

Labelled clothes have a magical way of finding their way back to their rightful owners (and homes!) 🏡, while unlabelled ones often go on unexpected adventures in our lost-and-found box.

Let’s help those runaway jerseys make it home safely

2026 Grade R Information (Current Honey Bee's, Pooh Bear's and Roo's House)

The Grade R stationery kit for 2026 as detailed below is payable via Credit Card, Direct Deposit or EFT to Waltons, before Friday, 12 December 2025. The kit will be used daily to promote handwriting, literacy and numeracy in an informal and fun manner within the classroom. The paid stationery will be delivered to the school and issued to your child’s class teacher before the Summer Quarter 2026.

Grade R Stationery Letter

Grade 1 2026 Information

Dear Parents

The Junior Preparatory Faculty cannot wait to welcome your little one to Grade 1 in 2026. I look forward to getting to know them and will visit their class near the end of the year to read a story and introduce myself.

Although the children will have a "pop in" during the school day to meet their teacher on Wednesday 26 November, there will also be a special Orientation for them to spend some time with their teachers on Friday, 16 January 2026 from 8:30 - 9:30. During this time we invite parents to join us for a Parent Meeting which will outline important information about the daily activities and requirements in Grade One.

The Grade One school day begins promptly at 08:00 (school opens at 07:30 for drop-off) and ends at 14:00. However, to support our Grade Ones in adjusting to the change in routine, their school day will end at 12:00 from Tuesday 20 January to Friday 23 January. If your child is enrolled in aftercare, they will stay with their teachers until aftercare starts at 14:00. From the following week, school ends every day at 14:00, and you may collect your children from their classrooms or aftercare. Sport will start on Tuesday 27 January 2026 and takes place on a Tuesday and Thursday from 13:00 to 14:00, during the school day. On these days as well as PE days the learners may come to school dressed in their PE Kit. Please note that the learners all swim in their classes during PE.

If your child is unable to swim, please enrol them in a reputable swim school. Class specific timetables will be shared by the teacher and the sporting and extramural programme on offer will be sent to parents in our Weekly Memo.

Please refer to the Welcome Letter, Frequently Asked Questions, Stationery and Textbook (Caxtons) letter and list as well as Uniform (sport clothes are worn at least twice a week) and iPad Requirements and Discount Voucher. 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. In addition to this 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. 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. In addition to this 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.

Welcome Letter

Frequently Asked Questions

Grade 1 - 6 Device Requirements

Device discount voucher

Uniform Requirements

Grade 1 Waltons List

Grade 1 Stationery Letter

We look forward to meeting you at the Orientation/Parent Meeting on Friday 16 January and welcoming our Grade One learners to the Junior Preparatory on Tuesday 20 January 2026.

Second-Hand Uniform Requirements

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

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.

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...

Conclusion

A big happy birthday to our lovely Khanyo, who will be celebrating her special day on 12 November! 🥳 We hope your day is filled with lots of laughter, fun, and happy memories with your loved ones.

Have a lovely weekend.

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Pre-Primary Weekly Memo7 November 2025