Quarter 1 Newsletter 2020

8 A GRADE SIX LEARNING ADVENTURE… "Education is the most powerful tool we can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela 2020 has been a most eventful year so far. Within the third month of our year, the current situation regarding the Corona virus has tested our tenacity to the limit. It has been amazing to see the incredible character of our children at Parklands Senior Prep. They have faced all the immediate changes head on and have never missed a beat. They must be commended for this sterling attitude. But enough of that! Our Grade 6 learners of 2020 are the most colourful personalities in every way. They are by far the most adventurous and gregarious group in our school. Enthusiasm and laughter are the order of the day. Our year commenced with a wonderful Leadership Programme, which put our learners to the test and taught new skills: mental agility and teamwork through solving puzzles and riddles. On an emotional level, the introduction of Millenium Goals provided a platform for investigating key inequalities in our world today. This provided a challenge, as many of our learners realised just how far removed they are from a reality that most inhabitants of the world face. This resulted in interesting discussions and moments of enlightenment. Our Camp was held at the wonderful Buffalo Drift this year. Learners boarded the bus with great excitement and expectation. The camp programme challenged learners both physically and mentally. It was fantastic to see how everyone worked together. There were night walks and ferocious games of Nuke ‘em, and many other challenges. The Grade sixes thoroughly enjoyed this experience, with some due for a really good shower upon their return. Academically the learners have been introduced to a variety of Project Based Learning areas. The much awaited Science Expo (PBL) was launched. The children have embraced the challenge and are totally engaged with their experiments and hypotheses. Mr Anderson has been instrumental in the launch and the learners really look up to him. Music, Art and Drama launched their own PBL and have given learners the creative space in which to express themselves. The teachers wait with bated breath to see each learner’s masterpiece. In closing, we wish our Grade 6 families a successful and stimulating second quarter. A LIBRARY ADVENTURE… "You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild to pick up a book and read to a child." - Dr Seuss Reading for yourself and being read to are two essential ingredients for life. We are sure Dr Seuss will agree with this piece of wisdom. And so the library programmes are focused on firmly establishing books and reading as a life-long lifestyle. Within the first week of the quarter we launched the Extreme Reading competition which required our readers to submit photographs of themselves reading in extreme places. There were lots of giggles and laughs and amazing ideas. The parents joined in the fun and kept submitting more photos as the ideas got bigger and better. In February we took two Parklands teams to the international Kids Lit Quiz competition. Quizmaster Wayne Mills from Auckland University is an incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining presenter who inspires participants to read even more, and this event is always a highlight on our library calendars. World Read Aloud Day dawned in perfect weather and set the scene for our story picnic. Picnic blankets and treats completed the setting as little groups gathered around moms, dads and grandparents to listen to some much loved stories. It was a magical experience to play a small part in this worldwide event, and very special memories were made. March heralds the birthday of the iconic Dr Seuss, and these timeless stories and quirky characters found their way into all classrooms in the most ingenious ways. Mrs Louw’s class bravely ate green pancakes and biscuits and found it delicious; in Robotics the children built their favourite characters and even Maths in Grade 2 had a Dr Seuss theme. In the library there was a great quiz on Dr Seuss characters and we watched a wonderful animation of Green Eggs and Ham, which is sixty years old this year. The Book Club members each received a kit to create a Lorax scene which now forms part of the colourful bunting in the Junior Preparatory library. A CULTURAL ADVENTURE… The members of our Junior Choir all agree that ‘Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens….. are a few of (their) favourite things.’ The Culture department educators are in agreement that tinkling ivories, beautiful brushstrokes, pointed toes and expressive faces are a few of our favourite things. Our Preparatory learners take their Art and Culture seriously, and this is evident in the number of learners who participate in these activities and the high standard of work that they produce. Both our Design Rooms are always a hive of creative activity. The Grade One learners have been working with the theme 'Big school, our happy new home'. In Art, they drew 'big school' self portraits and constructed a special patterned frame from ice cream sticks. They have also been observing and drawing the dizzying black & white striped patterns on animals such as zebras and white tigers. We have Grade Two scientific illustrators, who have been drawing and painting newly