Dear Parents, 

I want to take this opportunity to wish our children and parents all the best for the new year. I look forward to working with our existing families and acquainting myself with the new families joining us. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me, Riette at 021 521 2710 or email me at rpieterse@parklands.co.za

We warmly invite you and your child to attend the Learner Orientation and Parent Information Day on Friday, 16 January:

08:30 - 09:30 Grade 0000 Orientation Day & Parent Meeting (All)

10:00 - 11:00 Grade 000 Orientation Day & Parent Meeting (All)

11:30 - 12:30 Grade 00 Orientation Day & Parent Meeting (All)

13:00 - 14:00 Grade R Orientation Day & Parent Meeting (All)

This will be a wonderful opportunity for your child to meet their teacher, become familiar with their classroom, and for you to receive important information and connect with the teacher. The orientation morning will include a meet-and-greet with your child’s teacher, as well as a parent information session during which important details about the class, daily routine, and the year ahead will be shared, while the children explore the classroom. 

For a smooth and efficient start to the year, kindly complete the forms below: 

Kindly follow the link below to complete the form, which you are welcome to obtain from your class teacher should you wish to use this information to contact parents for birthday parties. 

PARENT CONTACT DETAILS, ALLERGY AND AFTERCARE FORM 

SHOWS

We enrich our curriculum with carefully selected, tailor-made shows that reinforce learning interactively and enjoyably. If you have not yet done so, please take a moment to complete the consent forms for your child.

Grade 0000 Shows Consent Form

Grade 000 Shows Consent Form

Grade 00 Shows Consent Form

Grade R Shows Consent Form  

SUMMER QUARTER EXTRA MURAL SIGN-UP

Please follow the link below to sign up your little one for the Summer Quarter Extra Mural activities. The cut-off date for sign-ups is Thursday, 22 January. After that, the form will be locked for submissions, and extramurals will start on Monday, 26 January. 

Summer Quarter Extra Mural Sign up Form  
Little Chefs Sign-up Form (Grade R only)
First Robotics Sign Up Form (Grade 00 and Grade R)

Due to the wide selection of activities on offer, some extra murals will take place at the same time, and parents/learners will, therefore, have to make a choice. The Grade R daily programme is enriched with weekly compulsory swimming lessons, Robotics lessons, recorder lessons, and isiXhosa lessons, all included in their tuition fee. Should you wish to enrol your little one in beginner piano lessons, a piano at home is not required. Parents are welcome to contact W. Heuer for rental options. To book a piano or for more details, contact Hans: E-mail hans@heuerpianos.co.za or call 021 8872938. 

For more information on the various offered extra murals, kindly follow this link:

PRE-PRIMARY PARENT AND LEARNER INFORMATION DIRECTORY 

Please follow the link to our Parent and Learner Information Directory. 

WHAT DOES YOUR CHILD NEED FOR SCHOOL THIS YEAR?

As we begin the new school year, please find below a brief overview of what each grade will require. This will help ensure that your child is ready, comfortable, and prepared for learning from the very first day.

TINY TOTS AND TOTS:

During your parent-teacher meeting, your child’s teacher will go through specific requirements. In general, please provide:

• Wet wipes

• Nappy cream

• Nappies

• A soft toy (if needed for sleep time)

• Pacifier (if used)

• Milk and bottle (if needed for sleep time)

• A full change of clothes

• Bag

• Hat

• Sunblock

• Water bottle

GRADE 000 - PIGLET'S AND TIGGER'S:

• Wet wipes

• Tissues

• A full change of clothes

• Bag

• Hat

• Sunblock

• Water bottle

GRADE 00 - HONEY BEE'S, POOH BEAR'S & ROO'S:

• Wet wipes

• Tissues

• A full change of clothes

• Bag

• Hat

• Sunblock

• Water bottle

GRADE R - CHRISTOPHER ROBIN'S, EDWARD BEAR'S, KANGA'S, OWL'S & RABBIT'S HOUSE:

• Wet wipes

• Tissues

• A full change of clothes

• Bag

• Hat

• Sunblock

• Water bottle

GRADE R STATIONERY REMINDER: 

Please remember to send proof of payment for the Waltons Grade R Stationery Pack:

The Grade R stationery kit for 2026 is payable via Credit Card, Direct Deposit or EFT to Waltons. This kit will be used daily to support handwriting, literacy, and numeracy in a fun and informal way. All paid stationery packs have been delivered to the school and has been issued directly to your child’s class teacher.

Grade R Stationery Requirements 

Helping Children Navigate Big Feelings When Starting School 

Children experience strong emotions just like adults do, and when they’re overwhelmed, crying, or frustrated, it can be tempting to say things like “You’re fine” or “Stop crying.” These responses usually come from care and wanting to calm things quickly.

But when feelings are brushed aside, children may start to believe their emotions aren’t important or that they should hide them. Over time, this can make it harder for them to manage big feelings in a healthy way.

What helps most is connection, understanding, and a calm adult presence.

What Supports Children Better:

Acknowledge their feelings
Let them know you see what they’re experiencing:

• “This seems really tough.”

• “I can see you’re upset.”

Stay calm and close by
Your steady presence helps them feel safe enough to settle.

Offer comfort, not pressure

• “I’m here with you.”

• “Would you like a hug?”
  Small gestures help children regulate their emotions gently.
  
  

Name the feeling
Putting words to emotions gives children tools to understand themselves:

• “You’re feeling disappointed.”

• “That made you angry.”
  
  

Guide solutions once they’re calm
When the moment has passed, you can help them think about what might work next time.

A Simple Starting Point:

In any difficult moment, begin with reassurance:

• “I’m here to help you.”

• “You’re safe.”

• “It’s okay to feel this way.”

Children don’t need us to remove their feelings—they need us to support them through those feelings. When adults respond with empathy, children learn emotional confidence and trust that they won’t face hard moments alone.

Outreach 

Summer Quarter 2026

Summer Quarter Important Dates 

SUMMER QUARTER:

1 January: Happy Birthday Sydney Kohn 

9 January: Happy Birthday Rita Kumalo 

16 January: 08:30 - 09:30 Grade 0000 Orientation Day & Parent Meeting (All)

10:00 - 11:00 Grade 000 Orientation Day & Parent Meeting (All)

11:30 - 12:30 Grade 00 Orientation Day & Parent Meeting (All)

13:00 - 14:00 Grade R Orientation Day & Parent Meeting (All)

20 January: First day of school 

26 January: Extra murals commence

30 January: CRPP group photograph at 09:00 (Grade 000 - R) 

30 January: Cake Sale: Grade R (Rabbit’s, Owl’s and Kanga’s)

31 January: Ballet Basics Uniform Fitting - 7B Sandown Campus
09H00 - 11H00

2 February: Happy Birthday Annastacia Mvulana 

4 February: World Read Aloud Day - Bring your teddy and read in garden 

6 February: Happy Birthday Chloe Mathee 

13 February: Friendship Dress-Up Day @R20- donating to Casual Day (People with Disabilities)  

13 February: Group Photograph at 9:00 Crackerjacks 100 Aker Wood Garden 

14 February: Happy Birthday Ingrid Lubbe

14 February: Open Day 

16 February: Happy Birthday Olivia Arendse

17 February: Playlab (Grade 000) 09:00 - 10:00 

18 February: Playlab (Grade 0000) 09:00 - 10:00

19 February: Playlab (Grade R Edward Bear’s / Rabbit’s) 08:00 - 09:00 

19 February: Playlab (Grade R Kanga’s / Owl’s) 11:00 - 12:00 

20 February: Playlab (Grade 00) 08:00 - 09:00
20 February: Playlab Grade R (Christopher Robin’s House) 11:00 - 12:00 

20 February: Cake Sale: Grade 00 and Grade R (Christopher Robin’s House) Cake Sale 

27 February: Making Fruit Kebabs (All grades) 

1 March: Happy Birthday Nadine Fourie 

2 March: Happy Birthday Vuyo Raqa 

9 March: Happy Birthday Abigail De Witt

11 March: Happy Birthday CRPP 46

Everywhere Experience - Circus Performance 

Evening Sunset Picnic 17:00 - 19:00 in the garden 

13 March: Cake Sale: Grade 000, Crackerjacks and Grade R (Edward Bear’s) Cake Sale 

15 March: Happy Birthday Riëtte Pieterse and Eric Mkangeli

16 March: Grade R Reports sent to parents

16-20 March: ExtraMural Open Week 

17-25 March: Grade 0000 - 00 Feedback meetings & Grade R Report meetings

21 March: Public Holiday - Human Rights Day

26 March: Last day of the quarter (school closes at 13:00 - No Aftercare) 

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 

STAFFING

As we look ahead to 2026, we’re excited to share our staffing for the new year. Our teachers and support staff will continue to bring their warmth, care, and enthusiasm into each day, making sure our little ones feel safe, loved, and ready to learn. We’re also welcoming a few new staff members, and we know they’ll fit in beautifully and add something special to our school. 

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Grade 0000

Shannon Marx - smarx@parklands.co.za

Olivia Arendse - oarendse@parklands.co.za

Ingrid Lubbe - ilubbe@parklands.co.za

Grade 000

Erin Liggett - eliggett@parklands.co.za

Lauren Medcalf - lmedcalf@parklands.co.za

Grade 00

Chloe Mathee - cmathee@parklands.co.za

Sydney Kohn - skohn@parklands.co.za

Nadia Leitao - nleitao@parklands.co.za

Grade R 

Tali Maltz - tmaltz@parklands.co.za

Abigail de Witt - adewitt@parklands.co.za

Chanay de Klerk - cdeklerk@parklands.co.za

Nadine Fourie - nfourie@parklands.co.za

Jerusha Ismail - jismail@parklands.co.za

Chef

Kerry Kemp - kkemp@parklands.co.za

Nurse
Amy Dolley - adolley@parklands.co.za

Office
Liezl Stander - lstander@parklands.co.za

Deputy Principal:
Kim Truebody - ktruebody@parklands.co.za

Principal: 

Riëtte Pieterse - rpieterse@parklands.co.za

Theme Discussions

We are passionate about a creative, rich, authentic, and layered approach to learning for our little ones. Theme-related learning allows for the child to learn about their world and the world around them. Below is an overview of our Summer Quarter weekly theme discussions and learning focus, as well as an overview of the 2026 themes.

Please click on the link below for details on our summer quarter theme discussions in each grade:

Grade 0000 Theme Discussions 

Grade 000 Theme Discussions 

Grade 00 Theme Discussions 

Grade R Theme Discussions 

Conclusion

As we prepare to begin this exciting journey together in 2026, we look forward with great anticipation to all the special moments, growth, and achievements that the year will bring. Thank you for your continued trust and support as we work hand in hand to make 2026 a memorable and fulfilling year for every child and family in our school community.

For parents whose little ones may need extra support with settling in, we would like to share a few gentle and practical tips from “Worries and Fears” by Dr John Pearce:

• Say goodbye confidently and without delay. A warm smile and a big hug go a long way in building your child’s confidence.
  
  

• Be mindful of your own emotions—remaining calm and positive helps your child feel secure.
  
  

• Avoid too much reassurance, as this may unintentionally suggest that there is something to worry about.
  
  

• Help your child form a positive connection between growing up and going to school.
  
  

• Establish a special goodbye routine, such as a secret handshake or hug, to create a reassuring daily ritual.
  
  

• Trust your child’s teacher and feel free to ask for daily feedback until your child has settled.
  
  

• Acknowledge your child’s feelings—learning to work through emotions is an important part of growing up.
  
  

• Arrive on time or a little early to help avoid overwhelming starts to the day.
  
  

• Encourage friendships by arranging playdates to strengthen class connections.
  
  

With patience, consistency, and support, you should begin to see positive changes within a few days.

Here’s to a wonderful start and a year ahead filled with confidence, growth, learning, and joy. We cannot wait to share this special year with you all.