Dear Parents
Welcome to all our Grade 3s and new boys in the other grades. I am sorry that we cannot yet have the interaction with you, the parents, that we would normally have.
It’s hard to believe that we have only been back on campus for five days. The enthusiasm and exuberance of the boys have made our start to the year feel full and robust; the noise of boys is real balm for the soul. We have had almost a 100% return to school; I think an acknowledgement that school is a very controlled environment where protocols are implemented, monitored and become part of a new routine. Wearing masks are hardly noticed now but anyone not doing so screams out at us.
I think we have all done a lot of thinking about what we can and have learnt from the pandemic and lockdown with its various levels. As a school we have had to, of necessity, think about what is truly important here, going to the essence of what we are and therefore what we provide. We have really been reminded what relational learners boys are and how important their relationships with peers and staff are, the need for role models, the joy and also potential messiness of social interactions and what they learn through living these interactions.
Sport is a huge part of our lives at Bishops and in three days of this year’s online learning the dominant question from the boys was, “Will there be sport, sir/ma’am?”. And while we have so often focused (parents, boys and staff) on the number of matches we won against SACS, or why we haven’t started rugby practices in February because evidently many other schools were already doing so, we have had to really look again at the essence of what sport is about; fun, physical development, activity, mental and physical skills, a sense of team and collaboration. A fixture against another school is looked forward to and the boys enjoy the competition, but being ready and doing well in the match is only one of the reasons we play sport. Hence, we started physical activity immediately; conditioning, games and swimming. Next week we will be adding cricket and swimming trials.
Underlying everything we have done, we have been reminded of the values of compassion, empathy and community, how to live with uncertainty and how we grow resilience in our boys.
In the background we also have to acknowledge the loss, fear and uncertainty that has surrounded us, particularly during the last eight weeks. We are burning a candle in Stanmore House through the day, remembering all those lost to Covid and those suffering now.
A number of you were online on Wednesday night for Lele Mehlomakulu’s feedback on last year’s Diversity and Inclusion survey. Yesterday Tony Reeler sent out a follow up letter with Lele’s slides attached, as well as further communication. Please do follow and involve yourself in this process of transformation – it is so important as we endeavour to constantly grow and evolve as a community. He provides both his own and Lele’s email for feedback, questions and comment.
Please take note of the following:
Most of our boys returned to school with appropriate school haircuts. But a number did not and they would have been told by their Housemasters that it must be properly cut by Monday. I want to quote here from Tony Reeler’s newsletter last week on the subject of hair: “Each of our boys has a different type of hair which is unique to him. We respect that and understand that one boy’s hairstyle may look different from another’s. We will, however, be insisting on a hairstyle that is conservative by nature, in line with the boy’s culture and hair type, but which fits in with a school that wears a uniform proudly.”
A reminder that caps are compulsory when outside. Please ensure that your son does have a Bishops cap. We also recommend sunscreen and bringing sunscreen to school if he has afternoon sport.
There have been questions about camps (Grades 4, 5 and 6) planned for the end of the month. Detailed information about the camps will be sent out early next week.
The timetable remains the same as this week’s, with screening from 07h30 and school starting at 08h00. However, Friday’s school start is 07h50 to accommodate the test period we have this year.
May you have a restful and enjoyable weekend.
Kind regards
GREG BROWN
HEADMASTER
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