Quarter 1 Newsletter 2020

7 by those who participated. Learners not only delivered well researched projects, but presented their own intuitive solutions to help combat the effects of global warming. Through this successful endeavour both learner and educator had the opportunity to gain new knowledge surrounding global warming and the importance of our oceans. A GRADE FOUR LEARNING ADVENTURE… “The future belongs to the curious. The ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it, and turn it inside out.” - Anonymous It was with great excitement that the learners began their Grade Four year, ready for all the new adventures that the Senior Preparatory had in store. The learners enthusiastically began to “explore”, “poke at” and “question” every challenge that came their way. Much of their curiosity was piqued during LIT time. The Grade Fours’ newly-found map skills were put to the test when they created their own country. Using stop motion, they maneuvered a figurine around their country, exploring physical features and capital cities. The Science classroom always stimulates curiosity, and whether exploring new ideas, doing yeast experiments or creating animal shelters, the children have been delighted by each experience. Number Sense is a highlight in the Grade Four day. Each day the children are challenged to think out-of-the-box and become effective communicators as they share ideas with their classmates. More curiosity was hidden in the walls of The Castle of Good Hope and as the guided tour proceeded, each nook and cranny held delights and facts to excite the children. Another hidden treasure was the “Donkergat” where gunpowder was stored. As the quarter draws to a close, we hope that the Grade Fours continue to explore our ever changing world with growing confidence, learning a little more each day, about this special planet we call home. A GRADE FIVE LEARNING ADVENTURE… "You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins." – Jim Stovall One of the most important lessons children can learn, one that will continue to benefit them their entire lives, is how to work with others as part of a team. Not only did teamwork improve our Grade Fives’ self-confidence, but also contributed to developing their listening and communication skills. “Vriendskapsweek” was one to remember in the Afrikaans classroom. The learners had to rely on each other to complete various tasks throughout the week. Each class created their very own friendship puzzle and made beautiful posters and videos on Keynote and iMovie showcasing their special friendships. The Grade Five learners are all great team members, but even better friends. The learners continued building on their collaboration skills in the Mathematics lessons from learning all about probability in the Innovation Centre to measuring many objects and surfaces all around the school, as well as building and learning about 3D shapes using the GeoGenius sets. The learners took part in an exciting master class with geometric patterns, which helped to improve their problem solving skills. The Grade Fives thoroughly enjoyed reading their English setwork book this quarter, ‘The Boy in the Girls’ Bathroom’. The learners became self-reflective in their discussions as they engaged with the various themes that came up, such as friendship, bullying, self- concept, self-esteem and emotion. As they engaged with the book, the learners showed their understanding through becoming creative agents on their iPads. They created character profiles on Sketches, designed storyboards on Book Creator and even became journalists in writing their very own newspaper articles using Keynote. Many, many years ago the San people had to work together in order to survive. History lessons were insightful as they taught our learners so much about the San’s way of life. Seeing everything come to life during the Grade Five outing to !kwha ttu really was a memorable experience. For Life Skills, our Grade Five learners had to create their very own survival kits to help them deal with stress and anxiety when starting a new grade. Our learners have created some wonderfully creative survival kits that are very useful not only for the learners, but also for the staff members at Parklands College. Always remember to pause, think and breathe! The above mentioned quote says it all! The Grade Five teachers have witnessed how well their learners acknowledged, applauded and encouraged each other throughout this quarter. Without any doubt they are all winners! !