Magazine 2017

“Every adventure requires a first step.” - Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland A new chapter in our Preparatory tale commenced when we welcomed our 2017 families at the start of the school year. Our Grade One learners with school bags in tow, entered their new classrooms with shy smiles and enquiring minds. Their blazers with cuffs too long, shiny new shoes and pristine uniforms signalled the start of an exciting journey into formal education. As we look back over the past year, we are consumed with pride at the rapidity with which our learners have settled into their daily routines. They have been actively engaged in all areas of school life, and uncertainty has been replaced with sighs of contentment. Similarly, our Grade Fours have demonstrated a seamless transition to the Intermediate Phase and its extended offering. It has been heartwarming to observe the new friendships forged amongst classmates and peers, and the joy of sharing special moments and break time chatter. With excellence in mind, our academic programmes have been designed to provide differentiated, integrated and innovative experiences for our learners. The extensive offering has challenged and enriched these young minds towards success. It has been particularly rewarding to observe the individual growth and achievements of each child within our care. Our media centres continue to be a hub of literary activity. Magical lands and fantastical book characters came to life on World Book Day and during Readathon Week. Dress Up Days, Lit Quiz events and visiting authors, have all fostered a love of reading. Science Week in the Senior Preparatory involved a very successful Grade Six Science Expo with esteemed adjudicators, as well as participation in a Mobile Science Show, Science Movie Day and a Science Olympiad. The event culminated in a Parent Expo, where parents were suitably impressed with the Science projects on display. Our Innovation in Learning Open Mornings provided our learners with the opportunity to demonstrate their technological flair and creativity. It was evident that our parents enjoyed the experience as much as their children did, and learnt a few new skills too! Outings and shows captured the attention of our nature loving learners who have embraced the programmes on offer and revelled in the activities abounding in their outdoor classrooms. Boat trips around Intaka Island, the scenic offering of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens with its tree canopy walkaway, a wildlife experience at Giraffe House, and colourful brilliance of Butterfly World have been attractions along the way. Excursions to The Castle, Fossil Park and !KhwaaTtu were opportunities to explore the history and culture of our land. Our Grade Five and Six camps were a highlight, exposing our learners to a variety of action packed activities that instilled confidence and trust within a group and team setting. These memorable events will be treasured for years to come. Our Grade Six learners have embraced the leadership opportunities, and benefited tremendously from their participation in the Lead4Life and Apprentice Tasks. The greatly anticipated Farewell provided an opportunity to reflect and honour the growth and contribution of the 2017 Grade Six class. Our young ladies and gentleman impressed in their finery, and we wish them success as they embark on a new adventure in the Secondary Faculty. Our sporting and cultural activities have provided opportunities to observe our talented sportsmen, artists, dramatists, dancers and musicians participating in a varied programme where they are spoilt for choice. The Junior Preparatory building extension has provided additional cultural venues, whilst our impressive new water polo pool on the Senior Preparatory campus, played host to its first events. Our Cultural Department has achieved numerous accolades during the course of the year. Our learners were acknowledged in top categories for art, drama and music at the Cape Town Eisteddfod. Over a hundred Preparatory artworks were on display at the Sea Point Civic Centre, and our Nelson Mandela charcoal collage received a special commendation at the awards ceremony. We are extremely proud of our Junior and Senior Choirs who received recognition in the Tygerberg Eisteddfod, ATKV Applous Competition and KykNET ‘Sing in Harmonie’. It has been a privilege to observe the development of our musicians who have entertained us at Assemblies, concerts and cultural events. The sporting calendar has been jam- packed with events, match fixtures and festivals. Our talented young sportsmen and women have embraced the sporting codes with determination and commitment. Our Junior Preparatory learners have worked hard at acquiring the foundational skills, whilst our Senior Preparatory teams have spent extended periods honing their tactics and becoming more familiar with strategic positional play. Our learners have had the opportunity to adopt and practise the core values of compassion and humanity through various outreach initiatives. We have continued our affiliation with Dunoon Primary, Home of Hope, SPCA, Sunflower Foundation, and the senior citizens in our community. The partnership we share with parents in guiding young minds towards their potential, is one of enormous responsibility and unimaginable reward. Thank you for joining us on this educational journey of curiosity and wonder. 45 www.parklands.co.za