Magazine 2017

How will we remember 2017 when we look back a few years from now? Let’s hope that strange politics, out-of-form national sports teams and bad weather will fade from memory and we will tell stories of our year at Parklands, when Laura Wolvaardt became the youngest player in the Protea Women’s Cricket side at the World Cup and Parklands produced its first Cra- ven Week selected rugby player in Ian Kitwanga. Maybe we will remember it as the year when Parklands produced the first Mathematician to obtain national colours when Emile Tre- doux represented South Africa at the Pan African Mathemat- ics Olympiad. We may even remember it as the year of Alice in Wonderland or the year in which we hosted the first ever ParkFest. Whatever the case may be, this magazine is filled with positive and uplifting stories to remember – another year of cel- ebrating excellence. Receiving your education from an institution like Parklands College sets you up for a successful future. Young people are exposed to many different spheres of life, are guided to making good choices, keeping our core values in mind and are supported and encouraged on their journey towards adulthood. It brings us much joy and satisfaction when our past learners return to thank and compliment us on their preparation for the world of study and work. Testimony of the appreciation of a good start in life is found in the many past learners Parklands College em- ploys, the feedback from past learners who complete their prac- tical teaching components with us and most importantly, past learners who enroll their own children with us. We are most excited about the future developments on the Sandown Campus. Building on a solid foundation of excellence and innovation in teaching, we are in the process of planning and designing new spaces for learning that will inspire learners and educators alike. When the building of the new wing commences some time next year, it will be unlike anything we have seen before. In the meantime we will be starting with the expansion of our sports fields, which will add two more fields and an additional cricket oval to our facilities. May many young sportsmen and women rise from here to become super stars like Laura and Ian. As we have journeyed through the year, we have filled our memory banks with experiences, impressions, celebrations, achievements and maybe some disappointments. However, the wonderful thing in life is that the good experiences tend to drift to the top and when we pick through our memories in a few years' time to reflect on 2017, those are the ones that will jump out. It has indeed been a great year to be at Parklands College. We wish our family members a happy festive season. Thank you for your loyalty and support throughout the year. A very spe- cial thank you to the Board of Directors for our fabulous school and especially to the Managing Director, Lorraine Roth, for her attention to detail and her commitment to make this a unique place to work, learn, play and develop. May 2018 bring lots of new surprises, exciting challenges and more amazing achievements. Sylvia Steyn 87 www.parklands.co.za