Dear Parents/Guardians
Today is Founder's Day and we celebrate 172 years of history as a College. While we were unable to play sport against the ODs today, we were able to have some activities for the boys on this special day.
We thank those who went before us for their contribution to our school and acknowledge those who gave so much. My brief message to the boys was to remind them that while we are indeed 172 years old, we need to be relevant to the present as we prepare our boys for the future. They too will leave part of themselves behind and will make contributions to the fabric that makes up our school. When they leave us, we hope they leave with satisfaction for a job well done and prepared for the role they will play in our future. They too are the “founders” of the school and can play a vital role in the direction in which we head.
Academic news
On Tuesday this week, I watched the WCED awards ceremony online at which the top achievers in the 2020 NSC Matric examination were acknowledged. You may have read the news on our social media platforms, but I also use this opportunity to congratulate the following boys from the Class of 2020:
Chris Dicey – 1st in Information Technology and in the Top 40 in the Province
Andrew Low – 5th in the Province
Daniel van Nimwegen – 1st in the Province!
In addition, the school received the award for the top Mathematics school in the Western Cape and was acknowledged as the 3rd best performing school overall after Herschel in 2nd place and Westerford in 1st place. This is an outstanding achievement and I congratulate the boys, their teachers, parents and all those who supported them throughout the exams and indeed their school careers.
We have also received news of those boys who were in the Top 10 in individual subjects, and these are listed in the achievements below. I am very proud of the Class of 2020 and all they achieved, often under trying circumstances.
We acknowledged those in Grade 8 – 11 who achieved academic excellence in 2020 at a special prize giving this morning. Their names and awards appear below.
I congratulate these boys on their fine efforts.
Transformation
Some parents have asked that Transformation issues be communicated separately from newsletters and to parents across all three campuses and this will be done on a monthly basis in future. The first newsletter will be published shortly with an update from the school on the progress made thus far.
Covid
The number of infections in the country and the province remains low and we are thankful for the respite that has allowed our school to operate at full capacity. We continue to observe Covid protocols and communicate weekly to our parents on the state of the pandemic at Bishops.
The new Regulations, pertaining to the reduced alert level in the country, have yet to be published and we are hoping that we will be able to resume even more activities for our boys.
Bishops Diocesan College supports President Ramaphosa’s call for vaccination against Covid-19 and will encourage its community to be vaccinated as soon as the opportunity arises.
Term dates 2022
These have been set in consultation with the other independent schools with whom we share families and after studying the Public Schools calendar. They are available on the website.
Vaping
We have noticed an increase in the number of incidents of vaping at College. Boys and parents are reminded that vaping is not permitted and appears in our Code of Conduct as an offence similar to smoking with similar consequences.
We are aware that there is a perception amongst some that vaping is relatively harmless. We are also aware that legislation and information on the harmful effects of vaping is not as comprehensive as for tobacco products. We do not support our boys vaping and ask that parents help us in this regard by discouraging their sons from engaging in this activity.
Next week on Sunday we will celebrate Human Rights Day, a day where we acknowledge the contribution of so many who gave their lives to fight for the rights of all human beings in our country. This is an important date for us to reflect on where we have been but also to look where we are going. I urge parents to get their sons to read the Bill of Rights in our Constitution and to educate themselves on the reason behind us acknowledging the day as one to remember. I shall be doing a special assembly for the boys next week to recognize this date in our country’s history.
I wish you all a pleasant week ahead. There are two weeks left this term, after which we will enjoy a well-deserved break. I urge you to encourage your boys to finish well and close off the first term of the year in a positive and productive manner.
Kind regards
Tony Reeler
Principal |