Magazine 2017

I once read a quote that said, “Change is the only constant in life”. I guess it is fair to say that this quote has not really applied to me for the past 14 years. Every single day of the week, for 14 years in a row, I have been waking up at the crack of dawn. I have been eating cereal in the car along the same route and I have seen the same familiar faces in every classroom. Parklands College has been my home away from home for all these years, it is my safe haven, it is the place where I have grown up with my classmates, my friends, and it is definitely the place where I learnt that we can achieve anything if we really put our minds to it. When I think back to where it all started, in Grade 00, I must admit that I was quite a helpless little creature. I couldn’t read, I couldn’t write. The teachers used to call me ‘reserved’ – little did they know that I only spoke Afrikaans at home and that I actually had no clue what they were saying to me. Anyway, I had to learn fast–so I worked on my grammar and spelling, learnt about people skills, kindness and compassion; I made new friends and starting playing cricket with the boys. With the help of many wonderful teachers and principals along the way–I grew up. Fast-forward 14 years and here we are… This class of 2017 has become my family. They were the kids who played ‘Kiss-Catch’ with me on the jungle gym in Christopher Robin–a game where I learnt the values of being athletic and running fast. They became the teenagers who I spent hours gossiping with during break time–this was where I learnt from my girls in Booty Patrol that karma is real and that true friendship does exist. Throughout our schooling, we always strived to achieve the best we could, in the hope of leaving a legacy. We started this journey not realizing how quickly it would be over. I mean, it feels like yesterday when we were complaining about how much HSS and Natural Science homework we had to do...we would soon learn how foolish we were when Prelims came along and studying was taken to a whole new level. I will leave behind so many wonderful memories in this building, many that I will never forget. Like the day when Ian Kitwanga (who was apparently 14 at the time) walked, more like crouched, through these doors. He taught me to never judge a book by its cover, as he is one of the kindest human beings I have ever met. Or like the time when Kristine taught me that shoes were overrated… at any and every event. There are so many people that have had an impact on my life during my time here at Parklands. Firstly, I would like to thank the whole prefect body again for their work ethic. Under the guidance of the wonderful Ms Strauss, nothing was ever impossible for you guys and your teamwork, dedication and tons of hard work were remarkable. Thank you Sija–I have never met someone who doesn’t like you. You helped us see the positive in every situation and your persuasion skills were quite extraordinary. Connor Fick–you truly are the man who never fails to surprise me. Where are the days when you were using our House Captaincy to campaign for Head Boy? You were an enthusiastic and driven partner and I loved having you by my side. To the other Head Girl, Thandi, you are amazing. You have kept me on my toes throughout high school, always made me study a little harder. You have really had my back this year and did it all with a smile. You put together a spectacular Matric Variety Show; thank you for everything. To Lauren–the person who I can count on to sit next to me in every single class, my best friend for as long as I can remember. You’ve taught me the value of being kind, of working hard and you are one of the funniest people I know. You have made me a better person and I’m voting for you as president. They say “it takes a village to raise a child” and there are truly so many people who have made our wonderful Grade’s journey through the College a success. It started with Mrs Lamb in Christopher Robin and Mrs Dean in the Junior Prep – thank you for teaching me the values of being kind and humble. On a more recent note, Mr Duffield, you have taught me that there is so much more to school than just lessons and homework. That the more I understood, the more there was to understand. Your class also taught me that the tables in the Science Lab can carry an adult male and that no explosion is ever too loud. All of my matric teachers have been absolutely incredible. So often this year, they had to move tests and exams around, they marked my work late, gave me endless tutorials to catch up work I missed, all with a smile on their faces every single time. Thank you all so, so much for your kindness and for allowing me the opportunity to both stay on top of my school work and play cricket at the same time. Mrs Swida Reid – “Merci pour votre patience et votretemps.” Some teachers have had an influence on my life even though they only taught me for a short time…like Mr Pillay. You’re pretty cool, Sir. To our grade heads Mr John and Mrs Smïd, thank you for having our backs this year. We love you to the moon and back. Mrs Steyn opened my eyes to what it was like to truly have a passion for something. I have never seen anyone work harder, ever. She’s the glue that keeps this school together and there wasn’t a single event throughout my entire high school journey that she didn’t attend. Does this lady ever sleep? Mrs Steyn, you have been like a second mother to us this year and we will keep all your advice and guidance close to our hearts forever. There is one person who I owe a very special ‘thank you’ to. Mrs Vosloo –you have been my rock this year. You organized my entire school calendar while I was on the cricket field. Come rain or shine, nothing was ever too much to ask. With you in charge, there was never chaos–you kept me calm and organized. You even picked up some cricket terms along the way–very impressive… Let me leave you with a quote by Nelson Mandela: “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” To the Matrics of 2017–yes, things are about to change and yes, that is quite scary, but this College has taught us everything there is to learn in order to have a successful life. The greatest adventure is what lies ahead. We shouldn’t cry because it’s over, we should smile because it happened. Thank you. Laura Wolvaardt 162 Parklands College, Twentieth Edition, 2017