Quarter 2 Newsletter 2020

2 SECONDARY FACULTY GRADES 7 - 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the Principal’s Office Sylvia Steyn What a pendulum of emotions we have all experienced over the past few months! Thankfully, among the daily dose of bad news in the media, we see so many positive things happening at school and in our learners reaching out to others in need. From unforgettable online performances, to interacting with amazing artists online, to spending time with friends while social distancing, to interacting with each other in face-to-face class discussions while wearing masks - we will never forget this time in our lives. We are grateful for our privileged position. Thanks to our outstanding facilities, the technological support from our IT team and the creativity and resilience of our educators, our learners have been able to, largely uninterrupted, continue their learning. This has resulted in us being ahead of the curve in the curriculum requirements at this stage of the year, particularly with our Matrics. We all miss standing next to the sports field supporting our teams, gathering together at assembly to celebrate the week’s highlights and simply being able to hug a person celebrating a birthday! However, we cannot become complacent. The pandemic is not over. While we are doing our utmost to ensure the safety of our staff and learners at home, we need the same vigour to be applied at home. Don’t allow socialising in confined spaces without masks and don’t allow sleep-overs at all during this time. It is a safe option for learners to meet their friends somewhere outdoors for a walk or a run while wearing masks. We are all in this together. Finally, we all need to be aware of each other’s state of mental health, now more than ever. Please reach out if you experience increased anxiety or if you are concerned about a friend or a family member. If we can’t assist at school, we can refer you to professionals who may be able to do so. Don’t be silent. Speak to one of the school counsellors or contact the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG). SADAG offers a fantastic service to those seeking mental health support. To contact a counsellor between 8am-8pm Monday to Sunday, Call: 011 234 4837 For a suicidal emergency contact us on 0800 567 567 24hr Helpline 0800 456 789 Stay healthy and safe out there. Sylvia Steyn ssteyn@parklands.co.za EQUITY AND DIVERSITY LIAISON We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Rachel Manyathi on the Secondary Faculty Management Team as Equity and Diversity Liaison. We are in the process of reviewing our policies and consulting with various stakeholders in the Parklands family to keep ensuring we maintain an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We have created confidential email addresses for learners to reach out with questions and concerns: equity@parklands.co.za ; LGBTQ@ parklands.co.za ; helpme@parklands.co.za (the last one particularly dealing with issues of bullying). We have received positive feedback from learners in this regard. Parklands College is committed to equal opportunities and equal treatment of all. Rachel Manyathi LIFE DURING LOCKDOWN Thanks to our incredible infrastructure and immense technological support, we were able to commence with online teaching and learning from early April. Our Music and Dance teachers successfully continued with online classes as well. We are very aware of how privileged we are and thank our educators and staff for remaining focused and committed throughout the lockdown period. BACK ON CAMPUS What a happy day it was when our Grade 12 and Grade 7 learners returned to campus on 1 June! The buildings came to life again. Yes, it was strange to adjust to wearing masks, not being able to shake hands or hug and keeping our social distances, but it only took a day or two for everyone to get into the new rhythm. By 22 June we had all grades back on campus with around 75% of our learners opting for face to face learning. Our online learning programme continued for those learners who couldn’t return and our educators need to be commended for successfully managing a dual system. Our academic programme is on track with many subjects being way ahead on the year planner for the curriculum. We have been able to conduct assessments and issue reports, even though this is not a requirement from the Department of Education at this stage. We are very happy with our learners’ progress and grateful that we have sufficient time to deal with any gaps that might have arisen during the period of lockdown. We have enjoyed online sports challenges, online concerts, online assemblies and even entered online competitions!