Pre-Primary Weekly Memo
23 October 2026

Dear Parents,

What a wonderful first full week! Our school has been filled with cheerful laughter, happy faces and plenty of little stories and adventures to share. 

👩‍🍳 International Chefs Day

This week, our little chefs enjoyed decorating their own chef hats and creating yummy treats with Marie biscuits!

A special thank you to Chef Kerry and Rita for all the love and care they put into keeping our little tummies happy every day. We appreciate you! 

🌿 Keeping Healthy

With a few bugs and germs doing the rounds, we kindly ask parents to keep an eye on their little ones and allow them time to recover at home when feeling unwell. Together, we can help keep our school environment happy and healthy!

Cake Sales – A Monthly Treat!

Each grade has the opportunity to contribute to a cake sale, and the children eagerly look forward to their special treat. We ask that cupcakes, popcorn, crisps, muffins, etc., be sent to the class on the allocated cake sale date. Please ensure all items are nut-free and do not include sweets.

To keep appetites in check, we recommend that children spend no more than R2 at the cake sale. You may send R2 on the day in a sealed envelope/packet or prepay for the quarter (R6 per term, R24 for the year).

🍰 Upcoming Cake Sale Date 🍰

📅  30 October: Grade 00 and Grade R (Edward Bear's) 

📅  13 November: Grade 000, Crackerjacks and Grade R (Kanga’s) 

We appreciate your support in making our Cake Sale a success! If you would like to contribute by sending in baked/bought goods or snacks, please complete this form.

Cake Sale Contributions

We have space for 8 parents to help sell treats on the day. If you would like to volunteer, please complete the form below.

Cake Sale Parent Volunteer Sign Up Form

Thank you for your support! 

THE BRAVE LITTLE LION – CONCERT TICKETS (GRADE 000, 00 AND R)

There is much excitement at school as our little performers prepare for The Brave Little Lion, our end-of-year concert!

Both performances will take place in the Junior Preparatory Amphitheatre:

Wednesday, 25 November | 15h30

Thursday, 26 November | 15h30

Tickets cost R60 each and will be debited to your school account. Due to limited seating, each family may book a maximum of three tickets across both performances combined, not three per day.

Please complete the booking form below to reserve your tickets. Seating is unreserved. Once booked, physical tickets may be collected from the Pre-Primary reception and must be presented at the entrance on the day of the performance.

The Brave Little Lion Concert Tickets Order Form 

The Brave Little Lion Concert Photographs (Grade 000, 00 and R) 

THE BRAVE LITTLE LION – CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHS (GRADE 000, 00 AND R)

Please note the revised dates for our concert photographs:

Tuesday, 27 October: Grade 000 to Grade R

Wednesday, 28 October: Grade 000 to Grade R

All concert costumes will be provided by the school.

THE BRAVE LITTLE LION – CONCERT DAY ARRANGEMENTS

All Grade 000 to Grade R children will participate in both performances and will remain at school for the full day on Wednesday, 25 and Thursday, 26 November.

To help our little ones prepare for their busy afternoons, we will have a quiet rest period during the day. Please send a sleeping bag and pillow, along with a favourite soft toy or special blanket if your child would like one. A light snack will be provided to keep little tummies happy until it is time to go home.

Class teachers will dress the children in their concert costumes and help them change back into their own clothes afterwards. Each performance will last approximately 45 minutes, and all children should be ready to go home before 17h00.

Access to the amphitheatre will be via the passage between the Grade R classes only, once preparations have been completed. There will be no access from the front of Christopher Robin Pre-Primary or through Parklands College's main reception.

Crackerjacks will continue with their normal school day and usual collection arrangements.

In the event of inclement weather, Monday, 30 November, has been reserved as a provisional alternative concert date. Parents will be informed should any changes be necessary.

Parents of our Grade R learners are warmly invited to attend the Graduation Ceremony on Friday, 6 November, at 08h45. There is no limit on the number of guests, and grandparents and other special people are most welcome to join us for this special occasion.

Please note that all Grade R children will be involved throughout the entire ceremony, and we kindly ask that families remain until the conclusion of the proceedings.

What a fun-filled week of learning, exploring and getting our little hands busy!  Our little ones celebrated International Chefs Day by making their very own chef hats and decorating delicious biscuits with icing and colourful sprinkles. A special thank you to Chef Kerry and Rita for inspiring our tiny ones and making the day extra special! 

We also explored the magical world of wax and dye art, where the children watched in amazement as the colourful dye glided over their wax crayon drawings, revealing the most beautiful patterns almost like magic! Our little nature explorers then went on a creepy-crawly adventure as we discovered the wonderful little creatures that live in our gardens and brought the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar to life through imaginative acting, movement and lots of giggles! And getting to layer different arts and crafts, making their very own sun that keeps the gardens happy and glowing. 

Our Tiggers and Piglets had a wonderful week exploring the world of books! We brought The Three Little Pigs to life through a fun, creative art activity using different materials to build our straw, stick and brick houses. We also learnt about our school library and how to borrow and care for books. To round off the week, we celebrated International Chefs Day by decorating our own chef’s crowns and delicious Marie biscuits, followed by a lovely outdoor picnic lunch. Thank you to our amazing school chefs for keeping our tummies happy! Wishing all our Tigger and Piglet families a wonderful weekend filled with stories and special memories!

 Over the past two weeks, we have been busy exploring the wonderful world of science! Our little scientists have been curious, creative and full of excitement as they discovered that science is all about asking questions, making predictions, experimenting and observing what happens.

We have had so much fun experimenting with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar, adding lemon juice and food colouring to our creations, and watching white flowers change colour as they absorbed coloured water. We also explored the magic of Skittles and their beautiful colours spreading through water, as well as the exciting reaction between Mentos and Coke and many more experiments!

Each experiment brought plenty of wonder, excitement and those special “WOW!” moments as the children watched their predictions come to life. We have been learning about what scientists do and how experimenting helps us discover new things about the world around us.

It has been wonderful to see the children so engaged, eager to participate and excited to share their observations with their friends. Their natural curiosity has made these past two weeks an absolute delight, and we have loved watching our little scientists explore, investigate and learn through hands-on experiences.

What an exciting first full week of extra-murals! Our Grade R learners jumped straight into the fun, eager to discover new talents and build confidence across a variety of activities. Here is a quick sneak peek into our wonderful week:

Ball Skills & Tennis: Developing spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, and teamwork on the court.

Art: Unleashing creativity and fine-motor skills with stunning artwork featuring majestic giraffes in the savanna.

Robotics: Igniting curiosity, problem-solving, and logical thinking through hands-on discovery.

Ballet: Practising grace, posture, and rhythm with wonderful enthusiasm.

Recorder: Exploring music, pitch, and melody with bright, eager smiles.

We are so proud of our superstars and look forward to another week filled with discovery, laughter, and learning.

Please follow this link to view our Grade R video:  VIDEO

Our office has been full of little moments that make us smile! After waking up a little unsettled, one little girl was offered a colouring picture by Kim. With a big smile, she simply replied, “That will do!” and happily went on her way. 

We’ve also received our third locker-change request of the year from a little one who has decided that her locker’s colour is no longer to her liking! 

And then there was our little Honey Bees friend who announced as we walked into the classroom, “We want to go to the beach today!” 

We absolutely love our office and all the little sayings, sweet cuddles and wonderfully honest answers that come our way. One thing is for sure… our little ones never disappoint! 

24 October: Happy Birthday Liezl Stander 

26 October: Happy Birthday Miseka Mqoto 

27 October:   Concert Photographs (Grade R)

28 October:  Concert Photographs (Grade 000 and 00) 

30 October: Cake Sale: Grade 00 and Grade R (Edward Bear’s)

6 November:   Grade R Graduation 08:45 - 11:00 SP Hall 

7 November: Happy Birthday Erin Liggett 

12 November: Happy Birthday Khanyo Rafisa-Tabo

13 November: Cake Sale: Grade 000, Crackerjacks and Grade R (Kanga’s) 

16 November: Happy Birthday Tali Maltz

21 November: Happy Birthday Brenda Dingile 

23 November: Principal Chantel reading to Grade R’s

25 November: Grade 000 - R Concert 15:30 - 16:30 JP Amphitheatre

26 November: Grade 000 - R Concert 15:30 - 16:30 JP Amphitheatre

26 November: Jurassic Adventures Grade R

27 November: Jurassic Adventures Grade 00

25 November: Grade 000 - R Concert 15:30 - 16:30 JP Amphitheatre

30 November: Provisional (inclement weather) Grade R Concert - 15:00 - 16:00 JP Amphitheatre

30 November: Class lists released 

2 December: Bop Boppers - All grades (End of the year show)

3 December: Disney Dress-up and Class Parties

   Reports sent to parents 

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

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 

2027 Grade R Information (Current Honey Bees, Pooh Bears and Roos House) 

The Grade R stationery kit for 2027 as detailed below is payable via Credit Card, Direct Deposit or EFT to Waltons, before Friday, 11 December 2026.  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 2027. 

Grade R Waltons letter 

Dear Parents

The Junior Preparatory Faculty cannot wait to welcome your little one to Grade 1 in 2027. 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 little "pop in" during the school day to meet their teacher on Monday 30 November 2026, there will also be a special Orientation for them to spend some time with their teachers on Friday, 15 January 2027 from 8:00 - 9:00. 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 19 January to Friday 22 January 2027. 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 from Monday 25 January 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 timetables will be shared by the class teacher next year and the sporting and extramural programme on offer will be sent to parents in our Weekly Memo.

Our Grade 1 - 3 learners have a choice between Afrikaans FAL and isiXhosa FAL. Both isiXhosa and Afrikaans assessment outcomes are similar, please make your language choice based on the support available at home. Please click on the link to complete the form First Additional Language Choice 2027. If a selection has not been made, it will be assumed that the learner will attend Afrikaans as their First Additional Language.

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.

Please refer to the Welcome Letter, Frequently Asked Questions, Stationery list and letter as well as the Uniform (sport clothes are worn at least twice a week) and iPad Requirements. Please refer to the uniform list when purchasing to ensure you do not purchase items that are not needed.

We look forward to meeting you and your child at the Orientation/Parent Meeting on Friday 15 January 2027 and welcoming our Grade One learners to the Junior Preparatory for the first day of school on Tuesday 19 January 2027. 

Kindly find the following important information below: 

WELCOME 

Grade 1 Welcome Letter

UNIFORM AND SPORTS ATTIRE 

Grade 1 Uniform and Sports Attire 

DEVICE REQUIREMENTS 

Grade 1 - 6 Device Requirements 

Device Discount 

WALTONS 

Grade 1 Waltons Stationery Requirements 

Waltons Letter 

Waltons Discount 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

Grade 1 Frequently Asked Questions 

We wish Liezl and Miseka a very happy birthday weekend! We hope you both enjoy a special time celebrating with your loved ones. Ladies, may the year ahead be filled with joy, happiness and many wonderful blessings!