This week, I had the privilege of attending the SAHISA Conference in Durban, connecting with fellow principals and school leaders from across the country. It was a wonderful few days of sharing ideas, stories and the realities of school leadership. But, like a true mum away from home, I found myself talking about Parklands at every opportunity! Given half a chance, I could probably have kept everyone entertained with Parklands stories all week. It was such a joy to share our learners’ and staff’s achievements and, quite simply, to show off a little. I came home feeling inspired, grateful and very proud of our school.

Last blog

And just like that, we have reached the final blog of the term! A heartfelt thank you to all our parents for your support and encouragement throughout the term, it is very much appreciated. A special thank you to those parents who have taken the time to send a kind word of encouragement; please know that these messages mean a great deal.

A busy week ahead

Please take a moment to read through the arrangements for next week. We look forward to celebrating our sporting achievements at the Sports Awards this evening, followed by the rest of our awards ceremonies next week. Saturday will be another highlight as our Matrics celebrate at their Matric Dance - an evening of beautiful dresses, smart suits, dancing and plenty of memories to be made.  On Wednesday, we will finally say goodbye to our Matric group at Valedictory. What a lovely, if somewhat emotional, way to end the term!

World Teacher's Day 🍎

With World Teacher's Day coming on 5 October, we are challenging our learners to take a moment amid their holiday break to thank a teacher who has made a difference to them.  And from all of us at Parklands, thank you to our teachers for the care, commitment, patience and passion you bring to our learners every day. Your influence reaches far beyond the classroom, and we are incredibly grateful for all that you do.

NSC Exams 2026

To our Matrics, your NSC examinations begin on Tuesday, 13 October, following a busy period of preparation. We wish you all the very best as you head into this important final stretch. You have worked hard, and we trust that your preparation will stand you in good stead. Stay calm, believe in yourselves and give each paper your very best, we are behind you every step of the way!

Enjoy your break! 

To all our learners, I wish you a well-deserved break. Well done on your hard work this term and, in particular, on the resilience you have shown. Take time to rest, recharge and enjoy being at home with family and friends. Travel safely, enjoy the holidays, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for the final stretch of the year!

WINTER QUARTER REPORT CARDS

Winter Reports will be released on the Edana App by Thursday, 24 September 2026.

As we move into Quarter 4 and the upcoming examination session, we encourage learners to reflect carefully on the marks they have achieved throughout the year. Each assessment completed during the year has provided an opportunity to identify areas of strength, recognise gaps in understanding, and prepare progressively for the final examinations.

Learners should make use of their marked assessments, feedback from their teachers and the learning material covered during the year as part of their revision. Past examination papers are also available on the PI site, while additional revision resources and subject-specific material can be accessed through learners’ Google Classrooms.

We encourage learners to approach the final quarter with purpose and to use the resources available to them to prepare consistently and thoroughly for their examinations.

EXAM INFORMATION

📝 Exam Timetables

Please see the examination timetable below for November 2026.

NOVEMBER EXAM TT 2026

📑 Exam Study Guidelines

Grade 11       Grade 10       Grade 9        Grade 8       Grade 7

Absenteeism during Exams and Assessments

A complete assessment portfolio (SBA - school based assessment), including all November examinations, is required for promotion into the next grade.  

A learner can not be permitted to write the final exam should the SBA component be incomplete.

Should a learner be absent for the final examination without a valid reason, the learner will not be promoted to the next grade.   A valid reason in this context includes the following:

a) illness, supported by a valid medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner;

b) humanitarian reasons, which include the death of an immediate family member, supported by a death certificate;

c) the learner appearing in a court hearing, which must be supported by written evidence; or

d) any other reason as may be accepted as valid by the Head of the assessment body.

• Note that extended holiday breaks and travel do not constitute a valid reason.

SOUTH AFRICAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONS!

What an achievement for our Robotics team! Our learners have been crowned South African Junior Champions!  We are incredibly proud!

PassIT - GET K53 READY!

Interhouse Sandwich Drive

CHOIR NEWS

Congratulations to Mr Erntzen and our chamber choir on winning their category at the  recent Cape Town Eisteddfod!

CAPE TOWN OPEN - DEBATING

Connor and Caitlin competed in the Cape Town Open, a university-level debating competition that attracts students from across the country. The competition uses a different debate format from the one they are accustomed to. They adapted brilliantly and performed really well against some very experienced university debaters. What a fantastic opportunity to stretch themselves, think on their feet and continue developing their debating skills. Well done, Connor and Caitlin!

WHEN LEARNERS BECOME TEACHERS

The flipped classroom approach was introduced to our Grade 7 learners to create a more engaging, interactive, and learner-centred learning experience. Learners were given specific topics to independently research, analyse, and interpret before presenting their findings to their classmates. What made the experience particularly exciting was seeing learners take ownership of their learning and confidently step into the role of the teacher as they explained concepts in their own words. Through this process, learners developed valuable 21st-century skills, including critical thinking, collaborat problem-solving, research. The classroom became a space where curiosity was encouraged, ideas were shared, and learners learned not only from their teacher, but also from one another.

GRADE 7 AFRIKAANS CHILDREN'S BOOK ANTHOLOGY

As part of the Grade 7 Literature Research Project, learners were challenged to plan, write, illustrate and publish their own original Afrikaans children’s books.

At the start of the project, we announced that two stories would be selected as the “winners” and printed as hard copies to be donated to the Junior Preparatory and Senior Preparatory libraries. However, the standard of the final submissions was so impressive that choosing only two proved almost impossible.

We therefore decided to create a special anthology featuring ten selected stories. These books reflect the learners’ creativity, originality and the many skills developed throughout the project, from research and writing to editing, digital design and the responsible use of AI.

The hard-copy anthology will be printed soon, and we will share an update once copies are available in the JP and SP libraries.

For now, we are excited to introduce the ten selected authors and share a little more about the young writers behind the stories.

LITERACY DAY

Assembly was filled with books, reading and a love of literature as we celebrated Literacy Day, a reminder that a good book can open up new worlds, spark curiosity and stay with us long after the final page.

WHEN MATHS NOTES COME TO LIFE

Math notes don’t have to be boring! A little colour, creativity and personality can make even the trickiest concepts more memorable. These are some of the colourful notes from our Maths classes, where learners have been encouraged to find their own ways of organising and presenting their thinking.  A little inspiration going into next quarter: your Maths book is yours to make your own.

CELEBRATING OUR LEARNERS DURING ASSEMBLY

Assembly was a wonderful opportunity to recognise our Science Expo achievers and celebrate their hard work and achievements. We were also delighted to present Punteet Nagendrakumar with her certificate for being awarded third prize in the Royal Society of South Africa’s 2026 School Science Essay Competition, in the category: “Is a return to nuclear power, due to the spiralling energy requirements of the AI boom, the way to go?” Fantastic achievement and a wonderful reflection of the depth of scientific thinking among our learners.

AFRO DAY CELEBRATION

This week, we celebrated World Afro Day with a special visit from Kelly Manus, qualified educator and founder of proudly South African natural hair care brand K for Kurls™.

Kelly shared her passion for natural hair, encouraging our learners to embrace their curls, coils, braids, locs, waves and everything in between.

A celebration of identity, individuality, culture and self-expression!

SUPPORT TO OUR WATER POLO TEAMS

BREAK TIME

Livestream Links:

Leadership Induction 2026

https://youtube.com/live/M5h3Zm6kVas?feature=share

Sport Awards 2026

https://youtube.com/live/DCcqTdY6jJ8?feature=share

STCL Awards 2026

https://youtube.com/live/Fe8AywiHqpg?feature=share

Honours Awards 2026

https://youtube.com/live/tst-wYNu36o?feature=share

Valedictory 2026

https://youtube.com/live/2N9OHnrlA0o?feature=share

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

CONTACT

Please contact us for any learner support queries or information:

Samantha Scott: sjscott@parklands.co.za

Serlina Amy Kistan: skistan@parklands.co.za

FROM THE HEAD OF SPORT

Tonight, we gather for one of the highlights of the sporting calendar, our annual Sport Awards.

This is an opportunity to recognise not only the results and achievements of the past year, but also the values and lessons that sport teaches us.

From the quiet moments of dedication at practice to the loud celebrations on Derby Day, every sporting code has its own stories of hard work, growth and achievement. These moments remind us that sport is about more than the final score. It is also about the experiences we share, the challenges we face and the people who help us along the way.

As we honour our learners, coaches, managers and parents this evening, we will also reflect on the bigger role sport plays in our College community. Sport gives our learners opportunities to challenge themselves, develop leadership, represent their College and create memories that will stay with them long after their school days are over.

We look forward to celebrating these achievements together tonight.

Please note that there will be no sport training next week. We trust that our learners will enjoy the break and return refreshed.

We wish our 1st XI Cricket Team every success as they take on Rondebosch 1st XI in the Coca-Cola High Schools T20 Tournament at Rondebosch on Wednesday, 14 October. Training for all teams will resume on the same day.

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.  

Sailing

Congratulations to Benjamin Fourie (Grade 7), who finished 3rd overall in the Optimist A fleet at the ZVYC Southern Charter Cape Classic Regatta, held at Zeekoe Vlei Yacht Club from 12 to 13 September.

Despite moderate winds on day one and light, shifty conditions on day two, Benjamin completed all four races to secure a well-earned podium finish. Well done Benjamin!

Water polo

We would like to recognise Leigh Maharage (Grade 11) for an excellent season as part of the Western Province Schools Water Polo setup. As a provincial reserve, she has shown tremendous commitment, attending three pool sessions a week alongside school sport and academics, while embracing every opportunity to develop her game.

A highlight was competing in the Hell Fire Cup, where she played alongside provincial, club, university and SA-level players, as well as representing the Panthers under SA Polo coach Cameron. Her team currently sits second on the log, with playoffs coming up next week.

Leigh has also given back through the Learn to Polo initiative, hosted by Polo SA and Western Province Water Polo, helping introduce young athletes to the fundamentals of the game and sharing her passion for water polo.

We are incredibly proud of Leigh and the commitment and enthusiasm she has shown throughout the season.

Hockey

Congratulations to Ruben Roux (Grade 7), who was selected to compete in the Cape Town Premier League (CPL) Hockey Tournament over the weekend. His team finished 3rd in their division. We are very proud of Ruben on this achievement. Well done!

Pre-season 5-a-side water polo tournament

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...

2026 DATES

Summer Quarter:  20 Jan - 26 March

Autumn Quarter:  8 April - 24 June

Winter Quarter:  22 July - 23 September

Spring Quarter:  14 October - 4 December

Proposed 2027 Dates for Learners

Summer Quarter: 19 Jan 2027 -  18 March 2027

Autumn Quarter: 7 April 2027 -  23 June 2027

Winter Quarter: 21 July 2027 - 22 Sept 2027

Spring Quarter: 6 Oct 2027 - 3 Dec 2027

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Please follow us on social media

Parklands College & CRPP on Facebook

Parklands College & CRPP on X

Parklands College & CRPP on Instagram

MEMOS FROM OTHER FACULTIES

PP: https://ppblog.parklands.co.za

JP: https://jpblog.parklands.co.za

SP: https://spblog.parklands.co.za

Wishing all our Jewish families a meaningful and peaceful Yom Kippur.

Enjoy the holiday, take time to rest and recharge, and we look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Wednesday, 14 October, ready for the final stretch of the year!

Ancia Vosloo

Principal: Secondary Faculty

avosloo@parklands.co.za