Dear Parents and Guardians
This is the last newsletter from me for the term as I head off to the US to attend the International Boys’ Schools Coalition (IBSC) annual conference, hosted by Belmont Hill School in Boston, one of our exchange partner schools. Under the central theme of “Better Together”, the conference is a wonderful opportunity to learn and grow as leaders and members of a world-wide educational organisation, specifically created to promote the education of boys in boys’ schools. With the conference dates earlier than usual, I will sadly be missing the Bish-Bosch encounter and the Eisteddfod and Mr Trevor van Niekerk will be acting Principal in my absence. I wish all our boys well for these two special events and will be rooting for them from afar!
I trust the exam session has gone well for the boys, and they are reaping the rewards of their efforts. The June exams are a wonderful learning opportunity for them to see what have been learned effectively, what skills have been mastered and what shortfalls there may be. Using these lessons going forward will be critical for future academic success and I hope our boys make full use of this opportunity.
Sport
There is no question that our winter sports programme has been suffering in terms of results in certain areas and certain age-groups. There is nothing we want more than for significant improvement and we are working hard at doing so. The rugby fraternity held a very good public information session on the plans in this sport going forward in terms of coaching, player recruitment and fixtures and they need our full support.
This is not a quick fix but a long-term, sustainable effort that is needed. Our sponsorship from 10X, the formation of the High Performance Committee and coaching structure, the addition of assistance with mental preparation and the recruitment of players has gone some way towards improving the state of our rugby but we have a way to go and we need to back our boys, our coaches and the structure to deliver what we all want – to see Bishops rugby thriving and growing in a safely managed environment where boys love the game and go on to play after school.
I remain astonished at how many of our recent ODs have gone on to play at National or Provincial level or for Varsity Cup sides. We need now to keep encouraging not only those who excel as individual players but our teams to keep giving their all in training and in matches.
I have been proud of our hockey boys who started the season slowly with very inexperienced teams. They have grown immensely and the performance of the 1st XI against Paarl Gym, a highly rated team, was a testimony to their efforts with a great 2-1 win.
It is clear that performance in sport runs in cycles and we are experiencing a low phase in rugby, in particular. I have no doubt that the plans of the HPC and the rugby fraternity will bear fruit, and they enjoy my full support and the support of the school.
Academic
It was with great pleasure that we formally announced Jacob Fried, OD from 2024, as the latest recipient of the Mary Gray Studentship that allows him to study at St John’s College, Cambridge University. After coming 1st in the world in A Level History, Jacob’s achievements are thoroughly deserved.
Projects
The Executive released the policy on usage of school facilities for Bishops pupils recently, allowing reasonable use of sports fields after hours under certain conditions. In these changing times, our duty of care to those who live on the property has increased significantly and we simply cannot allow unfettered access to the campus. We have to safeguard our boarders and staff who live on the campus, hence our replacement of the perimeter fence, improved access controls and this clarified policy. We have had a number of requests for boys to be coached privately by those not connected to the school and will release a policy shortly that covers this issue. The days are gone when school grounds are open areas for the public to enjoy, sadly, and we have to look after our boys and our facilities that are costly to maintain.
There have been a number of incidents of cyber-attacks recently and as a school that relies heavily on technology, we have to make sure we protect our community and our systems. I am eternally grateful to our IT department for the work they do in providing a safe platform for our boys and staff to use. I encourage us all to be wary of phishing, clicking on unknown links and opening unexpected attachments that can cause disruption to our systems.
The full Executive team comprising the deputies and heads of the Pre Prep, Prep and College, accompanied by the Business Manager, went away for two days to plan a school-wide strategic plan. We have come up with a concept that we think will be over-arching, applicable to all age levels and will guide how we educate our most precious asset and most important stakeholders, our boys. This will be rolled out for comment and input over the next few months, and I ask parents to read the material carefully and feel free to add comment.
Father’s Day
On Sunday we acknowledge our fathers and guardians in a special day. Let us use this time to appreciate our dads and father figures, and to tell them why we do. If your father / father figure is still with you, make him feel appreciated and loved. If he is no longer with you, a moment or two of reflection will honour his memory and what he meant to you. For all the Dad-jokes, the moments of strength and moments of vulnerability. For the times of fun and the times when they held us close, making us feel safe and protected – we thank you, Happy Fathers’ Day!
Youth Day
On Monday, we will be remembering the sacrifices of our youth as we mark Youth Day, a day of remembrance that came from the events in Sharpeville on 16 June 1976 when over 500 children were killed by the police during a peaceful protest. This awful event in our country’s history serves as a stark reminder to us on so many levels. Firstly, that protest is a legitimate way of expressing concern and that opinions matter, even differing ones. Secondly, we need to respect each other’s opinions and engage in meaningful dialogue. Thirdly, that violence can never be a solution to difference.
Our world is, sadly, filled with examples of violence and death, usually of the innocent, in the name of religion, nationalism, power, egos, politics and so many other factors. Sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters killed in the name of a cause – unnecessary lives lost. We remember our youth this day because so often the youth lead times of protest. Young people who are forming their own ideas of the world, what is good, fair and just and what is not. Young people who have little to lose – or so we think until tragedy strikes as it did 50 years ago in our country.
So today we honour the memory of these boys and girls and so many like them that stood up, that showed courage and who, in doing so, paid the ultimate sacrifice. But it is also a day for us to celebrate this same quality of the youth. I love the engaging debate we have in the SRF and the leader groups as well as the times when some of the boys come to challenge me on school matters. I urge them to feel injustice, to speak up. We ask this of them knowing full well that many adults will shy away from doing so but not them. I have shared before the phrase that I will be retiring into a world our youth will run. I want them to be ready for that world and to be good men leading me and so many others into what I hope will be a happy, prosperous and peaceful future.
Click here and enjoy a message from our boys:
Final thoughts
I wish you all well for the mid-year break for our school. I hope you manage to have time with your families as you prepare for the second semester of the school year. For our Grade 12s, this is their last school teaching term before they write final examinations and leave us to go into the wider world after 13 years of formal schooling. While this may be a daunting prospect for some, it marks the ending of a phase of live and the beginning of a new one that will set them further on life’s journey. I wish our Grade 12s well for this final term.
Kind regards
Antony Reeler
Principal
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