Secondary Faculty Weekly Memo

16 August 2024

FROM THE OFFICE

Dear Parents and Learners

Derby Weekend is Here! We invite you to join us at Somerset College this Friday and Saturday for an exciting Derby Weekend. You'll find the event program further down in this message.

Look out for our educators in blue Parklands tops—they'll also have supporter's badges for you to collect.

We look forward to seeing you there!

We are ready ...

VIDEO-2024-08-16-09-01-04.mp4

In addition to the excitement surrounding Derby Weekend, this week has been packed with many other events, which you can read about in this blog. Our learners continue to make us proud across various aspects of College life.

Individual photographs

Should you wish to order additional copies of the individual photographs taken by the professional photographers, please do so by Friday, 23 August.

ACADEMICS

Academic Links

Note the section at the top dedicated specifically to academic links. In this section you will find:

🎓 Winter Quarter Timetables, 🎓Assessment Calendars, the 🎓 Tutorial Schedule, the 🎓 Grade 12 Prelim Exam Timetable, the 🎓Grade 12 Prelim Study Guidelines and the 🎓Grade 12 NSC Timetable.

Grade 10 2025 Subjects

The Grade 9 Learners have started the exciting journey of choosing subjects for 2025. Life Orientation lessons have been a buzz of exploration and discussions about the possibilities out there and discovering possible career fits. Parents and learners are invited to join us for an information evening on 29 August.

Grade 12 NSC Final Oral Moderation

Our Grade 12 isiXhosa learners completed their final oral moderation this week. They impressed the external moderators and made us proud!

Grade 12 NSC Final Dance Practical

The dancers performed their final Dance practical examination on Thursday with a superb display of technique and performance. Well done!

Junior Tour de Maths

Parklands College placed third in the 4th leg of the Tour De Maths at Milnerton Primary and is currently ranked in 3rd place overall.

Barry-John van der Merwe and Akhanya Ngqongwa secured a second place on the evening.

Grade 12 NSC Prelim Music Recital

Science Expo

Congratulations to our learners on their exceptional achievements at the Cape Town Expo. All our teams secured a medal, bringing home a total of 13 medals: 5 bronze, 4 silver, and 4 gold.

Individually, Aisha Salie and Kate Stopforth’s project was recognized as the best in their category. Connor Crighton and Naeha Naidu’s project was awarded the title of Best Energy Project. Additionally, Declan Saul’s project received the Mayor’s Choice Trophy along with a cash prize.

The following learners have also been invited to participate in the ESKOM Expo International Science Fair, which will take place from 23 to 27 September in Johannesburg:

Declan Saul

Mbali Nhuku

Dristhi Ramkelawan

Jarryd Hunt (Reserve)

Here is a breakdown of our results.

Category: Earth Sciences

Bronze: Sujata Naidoo & Jace Sutherland

Category: Energy

Silver: Naeha Naidu & Connor Crighton

Silver: Aisha Salie & Kate Stopforth

Category: Engineering

Bronze: Emily Hoffman & Shakti Manga

Category: Physics, Astronomy & Space Sciences

Bronze: Keshan Kistan

Bronze: Pocharapon Kongthong & Nicholas Rossouw

Bronze: Teneale Moodley

Silver: Rebecca Lange & Hannah Van Zyl

Silver: Hannah Taylor & Dominique Yulli

Gold: Jarryd Hunt

Gold: Dristhi Ramkelawan

Gold: Mbali Nhuku

Gold: Declan Saul

Category Winners

Aisha Salie & Kate Stopforth

Best Energy Project

Naeha Naidu & Connor Crighton

Mayor’s choice Trophy and Cash Prize

Declan Saul

Learners invited to attend ESKOM EXPO INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FAIR 23 – 27 September in Johannesburg.

Declan Saul, Mbali Nhuku, Dristhi Ramkelawan with Jarryd Hunt as reserve

NASA HAB Launch

Yesterday our experiment went up on a NASA High Altitude Balloon up to 30 000 m in the Earth's atmosphere. It was being launched in the New Mexico Desert around 15:00.

lbuquerque, NM (KKOB) — From mid-August through mid-October NASA will launch eight scientific balloons at the agency’s balloon launch facility in Fort Sumner. The flights will support 16 missions, including investigations in the fields of astrophysics, heliophysics, and atmospheric research. Andrew Hamilton, acting chief of NASA’s Balloon Program Office, said these flights set the foundation for follow-on missions from our long-duration launch facilities in Antarctica, New Zealand, and Sweden. The Fort Sumner campaign is also a strong focus for our student-based payloads, and is an excellent training opportunity for our up-and-coming scientists and engineers. To follow the missions in the 2024 Fort Sumner fall campaign, visit NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility website for real-time updates of balloons’ altitudes and locations during flight.

Excellent Video https://youtu.be/sPQ-tMoAHkY?si=qlcyfz6YeandQXel

From the English Department

“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.”

This quarter’s book lineup is a rollercoaster ride – packed with mysteries, romances, and everything in between! With the cold weather upon us, there is no better excuse to curl up with a hot beverage and a good book.

Your bookworm-in-training should have devoured two personal picks by now, with another two to go, in order to submit enough book reports for the year. We're crossing our fingers these recommendations spark some curiosity to explore beyond your comfort zone.

Get cozy and dive in! Happy Reading!

Digital bookshelf LINK

Q3 EHL Digital Book Shelf 2024

COMING UP

Cape Junior Ballet

Three of our dancers, Alexa-Rose Schreuder, Ella Frielinghaus and Clara-Mari Vosloo are members of Cape Junior Ballet and will be performing in their production "Bloom" in September.

Tickets can be bought from Quicket.

VIDEO-2024-08-14-17-59-09.mp4

SPORT

external_sports_news@parklands.co.za

Head of Sport: tpillay@parklands.co.za

Rugby and Girls Soccer Coordinator: dviljoen@parklands.co.za

Chess, Boys Soccer & Cross Country Coordinator: mviljoen@parklands.co.za

Netball and Hockey Coordinator: sbloem@parklands.co.za

From the Secondary Head of Sport

Derby Day is Here! After months of planning, Derby Day has finally arrived. For the first time, our entire College family—from U7 to U19—will come together to compete in a wide range of activities and sports. This weekend is a celebration of the holistic and balanced educational approach embraced by both schools.

Parents, please remember to stay in close contact with your children, especially regarding their kits, bags, and arrival and departure times from Somerset College. I hope many of you will make the trip to Somerset to support our teams.

Please see the Derby Day arrangements below.

Derby Weekend

Our sports teams, learners, and educators are ready to take on Somerset College next weekend. After hosting last year, it’s now our turn to return the favor. Although it will be logistically challenging, I’m confident we will all come together to make this weekend a success.

Important Notice: This is one of our "red letter" events of the year, and attendance on Saturday, 17 August is compulsory for all Secondary faculty learners.

Transport: We will provide transport for all learners on both days of competition. Learners playing matches on either or both days must travel with College transport, as Saturday starts very early and Friday finishes very late. A Google form has been sent out for learners who need transport as spectators/supporters on Friday and Saturday. Please complete it promptly.

Bus Times:

Friday

Buses will leave at 12:30. Three buses will return after the concert(18:00 departure). Once the three buses are full, the others will have to wait until the hockey matches are completed which should be around 20:00. Departure straight after the hockey matches

Saturday

Buses will depart from the College at 06:00. All buses will only return after Rugby which should be done by 13:00.

Please click on the link below to see the programme for next week. This is a live document so please read over daily to see if there are any amendments.

2024 Derby Day Programme

Weekly Sport Video

Week 5- Q3 sports video .mov

Physical Education

We continue to actively promote our various sporting codes and integrate engaging ball games that enhance hand-eye coordination. These activities are not only enjoyable for the learners but also foster a lively and fun environment for everyone involved.

Learner Sporting Achievements

Kyle Warrender

Cricket

The Cape Town Cricket Premier League (CPL) draft took place on Wednesday 31 July 2024 at Newlands Cricket Stadium.

Six teams are involved in this tournament. The event provides a platform for our young cricketers to showcase their talent.

This year there were more than 180 entries into the U17 category. Kyle Warrender was selected as a first round pick to play for the Bo-Kaap Phantoms team in the CPL tournament.

Well done Kyle and good luck with the training ahead.

Learner Sporting Achievements

Luke Cloete

Cross Country

Congratulations to Luke Cloete who made the U15 Northern Zone Team for Cross Country. Luke competed in terrible conditions last weekend (10 August) at the Western Province trials. Unfortunately, the competition was tough to make it into the Western Province team, but Luke ran an excellent race. We can't wait to see what the future holds for this young man.

Learner Sporting Achievements

Luca Van Tonder

Karate

Luca has returned from competing at the South African Karate Championships – he achieved a bronze medal in Unison (Cadet division), and a silver medal in Jiu Kumite (Cadet division). Well Done and congratulations Luca.

Weekly Sport Results

Weekly Sport Programme

Sport Uniform

Debating

Our Senior and Junior debate teams prepared hard for the provincial debating league that was held both two weeks ago and last weekend.

Throughout the course of their training they made strong connections within the teams and with other fellow students across many different schools throughout the tournament. Their ethics of hard work managed to get them as far as the break in the Provincial League. I am so proud of my teammates, our junior team breaking 1st in the province while our senior team broke 5th. Although both teams were eliminated in the Quarter Finals, we still had amazing results in speaker rankings. Aisha Salie - 6th in the province, and Connor Crighton - 1st in the province. Many of the members were also selected for Western Province team trials.

We as a team have formed strong connections and we have all worked so hard to be in the position that we are currently. We thank the school for this amazing opportunity.

-Caitlin Smith

Provs 2024.mp4

MUSIC

This week has been an incredibly enriching and fulfilling experience, filled with pride, appreciation, and reflection. As you browse these videos and pictures, you'll have a small taste of the joy we experienced through the gift of music-making.

We celebrated the start of August with a performance at Vue du Cap Retirement Village.

We were received by the most vibrant audience to date!

Bravo!!!

Our matric learners made us, and themselves, incredibly proud at last night’s recital. Congratulations to Serena Govender, Jemimah Tshabalala and Daniel Roux.

It was a spectacular evening that beautifully captured the essence of their high school music journey as it nears its conclusion.

From soulful renditions of John Mayer to the elegance of Ella Fitzgerald transcriptions, the evocative soundscapes of Thomas Guarna, and the timeless charm of Mama Afrika's jazz standard, "Ntyilo Ntyilo," the evening showcased a vibrant spectrum of musical styles.

Each performance left the audience more impressed and deeply immersed in the experience. A heartfelt thank you to these hardworking young musicians for their spirited dedication and unwavering enthusiasm. We are so proud of all you’ve accomplished.

Yesterday we had the privilege of hosting the Namakwaland High School choir, comprising 125 learners, who had the opportunity to collaborate with our Euphonics Vocal Choir throughout the day. In addition to this musical partnership, the learners engaged in a day of exploration, participating in various activities led by our dedicated educators. These included sessions in Robotics, a glimpse into our Experium classroom, Drama classes, a Marimba group session, and a guided tour of our campus. We had a fantastic time connecting with these enthusiastic learners!

VIDEO-2024-08-16-10-15-08.mp4

Open Day Vibes… We spent the morning with our Marimba and Jazz Band rehearsals, gearing up for our Derby Day showdown! Go Parkies!

Want to learn an instrument? Let's Go!!!!!

Should you be interested in starting an instrument. Please complete this form: https://forms.gle/MMYD7bH2Ak2iVXgL7

Music Department Educator Contact Details

EQUITY & DIVERSITY

SERVICE

During August Awareness Month we are celebrating women: the mothers, sisters, daughters, caregivers and breadwinners.

We are collecting clothing, blankets, tea, coffee, sugar, long life milk and cleaning products. The three communities we are supporting are all largely influenced or led by women.

Thank you in advance for your kindness.

Blisters for Bread in association with Lucky Star: Walking towards a Hunger-Free Future

The Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) is delighted to announce that our much-anticipated annual family fun walk, Blisters for Bread in association with Lucky Star will take place on Sunday 25 August at the Green Point Cricket Club.

Blisters for Bread in association with Lucky Star is not just a walk; it’s a symbol of solidarity and commitment to ensuring that no child goes to school hungry. With the generous support of our participants, sponsors, and volunteers, PSFA aims to raise awareness of childhood hunger and funds to provide nutritious meals to impoverished children at schools across the Western Cape.

The event, which will start in Stephan Way, Green Point and end at the Green Point Cricket Club, will include two routes along the scenic Sea Point Promenade, a 10km walk starting at 07h30 and a 5km walk starting at 08h15. Every person who enters will receive a medal and refreshments sponsored by Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages.

In addition to the walk, participants can look forward to exciting entertainment featuring top Cape Town singer, Jarrad Ricketts, food stalls, and activities for all ages, making it a perfect morning out for the whole family. Plus, every step taken and every Rand raised will make a tangible difference in the lives of children who rely on PSFA’s feeding programme.

Entries are now open, with various registration options available to accommodate individual and group entries. The entry fee is R100 which will enable PSFA to provide 28 school children affected by poverty with a nutritious breakfast and lunch for an entire day. Only online entries will be accepted. Entries are limited to 6,000 people, so please enter early to avoid disappointment.

For any enquiries, contact Top Events at info@topevents.co.za or WhatsApp at 0661394210.

LEARNER SUPPORT

Mrs Scott (C block): sjscott@parklands.co.za

Mrs Kistan (Resource Centre): skistan@parklands.co.za

Psychometric Assessments - currently a waiting list available

The learner support department offers psychometric assessments at the school for subject choice and career counselling. This process includes an initial interview with the learner, aptitude, personality and interest assessments, as well as a feedback session with an assessment report that is a useful guidance tool for informed decision making and clarity in one’s career or subject choice process. The assessments are done at school and during school time.

Please contact Samantha Scott sjscott@parklands.co.za for more information or to make a booking. There are limited assessment slots each quarter so please enquire early to avoid disappointment. (Please note assessments are a billable service). The assessment slots for Quarter 3 and 4 are fully booked

If you are interested please let us know and we will put you on the waiting list should an assessment slot become available.

TERTIARY STUDIES

WSAS: International Study Seminar

Date: Saturday 24th of August

Time: 90 minute time slots available for booking ,by appointment only

Venue: Protea Hotel Breakwater Lodge

https://www.wsas.co.za/our-team ( highly experienced Tracey Morgenrood will be running the seminar)

Students can either apply at www.wsas.co.za by completing an online assessment or email us directly at enquiries@wsas.co.za or wsasservices@mweb.co.za

STELLENBOSCH SPORTS BURSARIES

Maties Sport Performance Bursary Applications are now open

If you would like to apply, be sure to read the below criteria and guidelines on our website regarding our sport bursaries for 2025.

Apply here >> https://sport.sun.ac.za/bursary-applications/

For more details and enquiries, contact the Maties Sport office.

#matiessport #whoyoubecome

CRIMSON EDUCATION

Join us for the webinar:

Former Admissions Officer Tour - Cape Town 2024

Friday 30 August 2024 17:00 - 19:00 (SAST/CAT)

Click HERE to register for the event

Parent Business Directory

Parklands College and Christopher Robin Pre-Primary parents who are in business are able to list their businesses in our Parent Business Directory – www.parklands.co.za/parent-business-directory/

LISTINGS ARE FREE and include contact information as well as the opportunity to include a business logo or advert. Listings are available 24/7 on the College website and will be updated each quarter.

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

Have a great weekend! We hope to see many of you at Somerset College!

Kind regards

Sylvia Steyn

ssteyn@parklands.co.za

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Blogs from other faculties:

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

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

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

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