4 SEPTEMBER 2026

FROM THE OFFICE

At our school, we believe that success does not look the same for everyone. Every young person brings a unique combination of talents, interests, strengths and dreams, and our role is to create a place where each of these can flourish. The feedback we share in our blogs is a wonderful testament to the many opportunities we provide for our learners to discover what they are good at, develop their skills and find their own path.

In support of this, we pride ourselves our utility session offering, but unfortunately, not every learner is making use of the wide variety of opportunities available to them. Therefore we encourage every learner to reconsider, to explore, try something new and take advantage of at least one of these opportunities. You never know where it might lead!

One of my proudest moments at the end of last week was seeing our Prep hockey players take to the field under the lights, supported so enthusiastically by our prefects and senior learners. What a special experience for our younger learners, running onto the hockey field with the encouragement of our older learners cheering them on. It captured something very special about our school: we are all proud to be Parklands, and we support and celebrating one another.

CALENDARS

SECONDARY CALENDAR

SPORT CALENDAR

IMPORTANT DATES

12 September Open Day

18 September Sport Awards

19 September Matric Dance

22 September STCL Awards and Honours & Leadership Awards

23 September Valedictory & Locking the Legacy

13 October Grade 12 NSC Exam Start

FEEDBACK

NINA SCHUMANN PIANO MASTERCLASS

On Friday, our Secondary Faculty Music Department had the privilege of hosting a piano masterclass with renowned pianist, Nina Schumann.

An inspiring opportunity for our young musicians to learn, refine their skills and gain valuable insights from an accomplished performer.

DIGITAL ELECTRONICS IMPRESS ALL AT THE WCED PROVINCIAL SKILLS COMPETITION

We are incredibly proud of our Digital Electronics and Design learners who recently participated in the WCED Skills Competition, competing in the categories of Product Design & Visual Merchandising and Digital Electronics.

A special congratulations to Amelia (Shihan) Huang, who achieved an impressive 3rd place in Digital Electronics category. We are also delighted to celebrate Mrs Marlene Fourie, who achieved 2nd place in the Educator category for Digital Electronics.

The Digital Electronics competition challenged participants to complete a series of practical electronics tasks under time pressure. The brief included designing and manufacturing a printed circuit board (PCB), assembling and soldering the circuit, and testing the completed electronic system.

The Design section of the competition featured two Design categories: Product Design and Visual Merchandising. Learners were challenged to think creatively and demonstrate how design can be used to transform an everyday product into an engaging and memorable experience.

The brief was to develop a product that showcases candy in a creative and innovative way, while also creating an advertisement for a chosen candy. To add an unexpected element to the challenge, learners were given a mystery item which had to be incorporated into their final design.

This required learners to think on their feet, make creative decisions and find innovative ways to combine the different elements of the brief. In Product Design, learners focused on developing a functional and visually appealing product, while the Visual Merchandising category challenged learners to consider presentation, advertising and how a product could capture the attention of a potential customer. The participating learners this year were Grade 11, Batlile Mahuma, Rebekah Esterhuizen, Abraham Gamanya and Keith Nkosi. Puneet Nagendrakumar and Amelia (Shihan) Huang participated in the Digital Electronics section.

We are incredibly proud of all our participating learners for their enthusiasm, creativity and commitment.

THANK YOU TO OUR MASCOTS! 🦄

A very special thank you to our wonderful mascots who are always willing to volunteer, get involved and bring so much energy and spirit to our school events.

We may not be able to reveal your real identities, but we certainly know who you are – and we appreciate you! Thank you for giving your time so generously and for helping to create memorable moments for our learners.

You are a very special part of the Parklands spirit! 💙

HOCKEY UNDER THE LIGHTS - PREPARATORY FACULTY

Our Junior Preparatory's Hockey under the Lights was a special event for the whole school. Well done to all the players and a big thank you to the learners from all faculties who supported the initiative.

a6810838-5397-42b6-a701-8e622630d9f7.MP4

VIDEO-2026-08-28-19-19-36.mp4

ROYAL SOCIETY OF SA - SCHOOL SCIENCE ESSAY COMPETITION '26

Congratulations to Puneet Nagendrakumar who won a 3rd prize for his essay on Nuclear Energy in the Royal Society of South Africa’s Science Essay Competition.

UNICORN AWARDS

Each year our Grade 10's get an opportunity to create a short film for their quarter 3 English project. They write a script, shoot and edit a 4 minute short film. The English educators select the top 10 which then go to external judges to decide on awards.

This year's Unicorn Awards were exceptional. The theme for the awards evening was black, red and gold and the Grade 10s really showed up looking stylish to this years blue-carpet event.

This year's topics were:

1) “2-AM"

2) “Paper Thin"

3) “Interrupted

They were required to create either a motion poem, write a narrative short story and turn it into a creative film or create an original animation.

Thank you to the English department, Mr Dicks for his hosting and organisation, Mr Yalcin/Mr Katts for their IT support and Mr Bridges/Frederick for creating our new trophies.

Please click on the link to go to the Unicorn Awards Site and view the top 10 movies as well as a full list of all the award winners.

Well done to all of our Grade 10 learners - we are proud of all your efforts.

sites.google.com/parklands.co.za/unicorn-awards-2020/2026-unicorn-awards

1st Place - Meredith Chirnside

2nd Place - Jesse Loxton, Eva Sutherland, Zara Gilder, Sabelo Ntuli, Courtney Milleskie

3rd Place - James Chavik, Matthew Ankiah, Enoch Onyems, Jamie Ramalheiro

Our wonderful Grade 10's

HOUSE CAPTAIN PLANNING SESSION

The newly elected house captains for 2027 went through their training and planning day last week Friday. They worked excitedly through the afternoon and have a variety of ideas for their themes and events going into the new year.

THE SUNCHINE PROJECT: LILY HOWE

As part of my Cape Town Junior City Council (JCC) community service initiative, I have started The Sunshine Project, a youth-led project focused on supporting young children through practical resources, learning and play.

The Cape Town Junior City Council is a youth leadership programme that gives young people the opportunity to learn about civic responsibility, leadership and the needs of their communities. Through the programme, JCC members are encouraged to take an active role in creating positive change and developing projects that address real needs within Cape Town.

For my project, I am working with Sam’s Educare in Table View. After speaking with the educators, I identified several areas where additional resources would be particularly valuable.

I am currently raising funds to provide sports and movement equipment and age-appropriate books. I will also be spending time with the children through activities involving music, creativity and play.

The project is about responding to the needs of the organisations I work with and creating something that is genuinely useful to the children. Sam’s Educare is my project under The Sunshine Project, with the intention of continuing to support other organisations in the future.

If you would like to support The Sunshine Project, you can contribute through my BackaBuddy campaign or get in touch to find out how you can help!

Lily Howe

The Sunshine Project | BackaBuddy My name is Lily Howe and I am a member of the Cape Town Junior City Council , a youth leadership programme that encourages young people to engage ...

"EK IS WIE EK IS" by WANGANAE

The Grade 10s are beginning their oral preparations, with a focus on short stories as a starting point. Wangane’s beautiful story is all about being yourself and not being defined by or allowing external factors to determining your happiness.

Ek is wie ek is deur Wanganae Masindi.pdf

STEPPING INTO THE RENAISSANCE - VIRTUAL REALITY

Our Grade 10 Design learners recently stepped into the world of Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance through an immersive VR experience in the Holodeck.

Learners explored da Vinci’s ornithopter, discovering how his observations of birds inspired his ideas about human flight, before virtually exploring the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The experience allowed them to see how art, science, engineering and creativity can work together.

By combining Renaissance innovation with cutting-edge technology, the lesson encouraged our learners to think like designers, curious, creative and willing to explore new possibilities.

WITS MATHEMATICS COMPETITION 2026 - FINAL ROUND

Congratulations to the following learners who have qualified for the Final Round of the Wits Mathematics Competition (WMC) 2026 on Wednesday 16 September:

Caitlin Hunt

Jennifer Zhou

Steffan Hillebrand

Naeha Naidu

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO...

OTHER

GATE TIMES

Please take note of the opening and closing times of the Secondary school gates.

Main Gate: Monday-Friday 07:00-08:00, 14:00-15:30 and 16:30-17:30

Exit Gate: 07:15-07:45, 14:30-15:00 and16:30-17:00

LOCKERS

“Being organised means being prepared, being responsible and giving yourself the best chance to succeed.”

Please remind learners to lock their belongings away between classes and to make use of their lockers responsibly. This will help to keep personal items safe, minimise lost property and keep our classrooms and corridors neat and organised.

GRADE 12 FINAL NSC EXAMINATIONS 2026

Access the Official Timetable

Learners and parents can download the official DBE 2026 NSC Final Examination Timetable using the link below:

2026 DBE NSC Final Examination Timetable

The timetable has been published by the Department of Basic Education and contains all examination dates, session times and subjects for the October/November 2026 examination period.

DIGITAL BOOKSHELF

Q3 EHL Digital Book Shelf 2026

SPECIAL ADDITION - OUR OWN AFRIKAANS BOOKSHELF

Grade 7 Afrikaans Skryfprojek: Our Stories Are Complete!

Our Grade 7s have reached the final stage of their Afrikaans writing project, and we could not be prouder of the stories they have created! From mysteries and adventures to magic, humour and unexpected twists, their creativity has truly impressed us.

Below, we are excited to share just a small selection of the wonderful books submitted by our learners.

Please note: The books shared below are the learners’ original submissions and have intentionally been left unedited to showcase their work exactly as it was submitted.

Ek wens - Nina Davies.pdf

Elke hond, oral, tegelyk - Nathan Vildjoen.pdf

Die ster wat verdwaal het - Logan van Deventer.pdf

Rosie, die rooikop speurder en die vermiste lekkers Zimi Mdebuka.pdf

Die appeldief - Ted Fan.pdf

LEARNER SUPPORT

CONTACT

Please contact us for any learner support queries or information:

Samantha Scott: sjscott@parklands.co.za

Serlina Amy Kistan: skistan@parklands.co.za

STUDY ABROAD EXPO - 9 SEPTEMBER

STUDY ABROAD EXPO:

The expo will bring together representatives from 20+ leading universities across the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Europe, giving Grade 10–12 students and their parents the opportunity to explore international study options and speak directly with university representatives.

Event Details
Venue: Lanzerac Wine Estate, Stellenbosch
Date: Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Time: 14:00–19:00

Students and parents will also be able to receive guidance on university admissions, student visas and the wider study abroad process. Our Sports Recruitment Team will be available to advise talented student-athletes on overseas scholarship opportunities.

IAM360 FREE CAREER ASSESSMENT - DEADLINE 7 SEPTEMBER

FREE Career Assessments for your Grade 10, 11 & 12 students

As part of our school's partnership with ISAM360, our Grade 10, 11 and 12 students have been given access to an ISAM360 Career Assessment FREE of charge (normally valued at R1,200 per student).

The assessment is designed to help you better understand your strengths and interests, explore potential career paths and make more informed decisions about what you may want to study after school.

To request your FREE Career Assessment code, visit:

https://isam360.com/career-assessment/

Complete your details and select your school. ISAM360 will verify your registration and email your individual assessment code and instructions directly to you.

Requests must be submitted by 17:00 on 7 SEPTEMBER.

DIVAS & DUTES IN DATA SCIENCE - 22 SEPTEMBER

SPORT

FROM THE HEAD OF SPORT

This week saw the start of our summer sports programme back in full swing, with learners returning to training and getting stuck into the new season.

While the early morning temperatures are still on the chilly side, our water polo programme has moved to afternoon training sessions to make the most of the warmer conditions. It has been great to see our learners back in the pool, building fitness, developing their skills and preparing for the season ahead.

With tennis, cricket, softball and water polo now underway, there is plenty happening across the College as we look forward to an exciting summer of sport. We wish all our learners and coaches a successful season and look forward to seeing our teams representing Parklands with Communication, Commitment, Competition and Community.

SPORT TROPHY DONATIONS

We have identified a specific trophy need in one of our sporting genres. Parents willing to make a donation, please email Mr D Hunt (dhunt@parklands.co.za) or Mrs G Braham (gbraham@parklands.co.za). Your generosity would be greatly appreciated and will help us recognise and celebrate the achievements of our learners.

LEARNER ACHIEVEMENTS

We always love to hear of our learners' external sports achievements. Please email a short blurb along with 3 high-quality photographs (1 Mb minimum) to External Sport News.

Padel

Finlay Ferguson (Grade 10) received the exciting news that he has been selected to represent Australia in padel!

In November, Finlay will travel to Indonesia to compete in the FIP Junior Asia Padel Cup. This is a particularly special achievement, as he will be the first junior from South Africa to compete in the FIP Cup.

Being selected to represent a country is a tremendous honour and a wonderful recognition of Finlay’s talent, hard work and dedication.

Well done Finlay.

Water polo

Madison Coleman (Grade 11) recently took part in the Polo Premier League (PPL), held from Friday to Sunday at Rondebosch Boys’ High, where she represented The Kings in the U17 division.

The Kings had a fantastic tournament, going on to win the U17 division.

Madison played an impressive role in her team’s success, winning every swim-off for the ball throughout the tournament and scoring a goal in the final. It was a fantastic opportunity for Madison to compete at a higher level alongside South African and provincial water polo players from across the country. She thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we are incredibly proud of her achievement.

Coming up: Water polo pre-season on Friday 11th September.

On Friday, 11th September, our U19 water polo players will participate in a pre-season friendly tournament at Elkanah. The current format is shown below (subject to change). Boys teams are shown in green.