Quarter 2 Newsletter 2022

2 Meet our Technovation Global Semi-Finalists! Our Parklands College “Girls in Tech” teams have been working on developing applications to solve real world community problems over the past year in order to participate in the Global Technovation Challenge which empowers girls through the use of technology. We are extremely proud to announce that one of our teams, “The Tech Titans”, has been selected to go through to the Technovation Global semi- finals. They were selected from a pool of over 1700 apps developed by girls from 70 countries and are the only team in South Africa to qualify. They have developed an application called “WorkSpotter” which helps unemployed people find jobs. This app will link unemployed skilled and unskilled workers, who spend much of their time standing on pavements waiting for prospective employers, into an instant job marketplace. We are most proud of what the team has accomplished and look forward to sharing more about their app in the near future. On Friday, 12 August 2022, the Technovation’s 2022 World Summit virtual event will announce the finalists and regional winners. The Summit will celebrate the accomplishments of every single Technovation team and the mentors who have helped them along the way. A very special thank you goes to Ms Cass and Ms Pillay for their ongoing support and commitment to this purpose driven, future ready initiative. “Reaching Outwards, Growing Minds, Building Futures”! Shakespeare Safari In celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday, we saw the welcome return of a tradition here at the College of the Shakespeare Safari which, pre-pandemic, was performed annually as part of the World Book Day celebrations. The Gr11 Drama learners perform Shakespearean monologues at different sites in the campus and the audience follow them around. SECONDARY FACULTY GRADES 7 - 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From the Principal’s Office Sylvia Steyn May was Mrs Smïd’s birthday month - and she loved to celebrate this with other “May babies”, as she called them. Sadly, it was also the month in which she passed away. As an English educator, she loved Shakespear, so it is only right to quote the bard: "Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak whispers the o'er- fraught heart and bids it break." - William Shakespeare (In modern text: "Put your sorrow into words. The grief you keep inside you will whisper in your heart until it breaks.") Here we go: We are sad, because Mrs Smïd was a true humanitarian and we loved being guided by her to get involved in many different causes; we are sad because Mrs Smïd was a caring educator who wanted the best for each one of her learners; we are sad because Mrs Smïd was a mother figure to staff and learners alike, with an extraordinary ability to listen and support. We will miss her sense of humour, her sense of style and her big heart. At the end of the Autumn Quarter our learners had to give account of their studies during the first semester of the year. It was tough for some, but it also provided the ideal opportunity to establish where more input is necessary and for new goals to be set. Well done to everyone who achieved results of which they may be proud. We bid farewell to Mr Joel Dickson (Mathematics) and Mrs Alida Tromp (Dance) and wish them well in their new endeavours. Thank you for your enormous contribution to Parklands College. We look forward to Stage Struck, our cultural production scheduled for 12 & 13 August this year. Be sure not to miss this celebration of music, dance and drama with our talented learners at the College. They have been rehearsing throughout the year and will dazzle you for sure. Our winter sports teams thoroughly enjoyed being able to play matches throughout the Autumn Quarter and will hopefully end the season on a high in the Winter Quarter. We invite parents to come and support our teams. August is our Awareness Month when the whole school gets involved in a charitable project. This year we will embark on a toy drive for disadvantaged children. We wish our parents, staff and learners a peaceful holiday. There is a lot to look forward to next quarter. Stay safe. OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT CULTURE