Dear Parents and Guardians

The past two weeks have been busy ones for me as I have spent most of the time away from school attending sport in Gauteng and a conference. It was a delight to be able to see our boys in action at the KES water polo tournament where the First team emerged victorious winning this tournament for the first time ever! Well done to our coaches, staff and players on this outstanding achievement and their performance both in and out of the pool. They were a credit to our school.

Our rowers enjoyed their best SA Champs yet, coming home as the top rowing school in the Western Cape and seventh overall in SA behind the Gauteng schools. The boys rowed with all their hearts and they can be very proud of their efforts. Again, our thanks go to the support structure of coaches, managers and the parents who made the trek up to Roodeplaat to support the boys.

International Boys Schools Coalition (IBSC)

Every year, the IBSC Southern Africa, hosts a local conference for teachers and leaders at boys’ schools in Southern Africa, both independent and public. This year, the conference, hosted by St Alban’s in Pretoria, was a great success and much was learned. The conference theme of “inkunzi isematholeni”, a Zulu saying “the future bull is amongst the calves” guided the keynotes and breakaway sessions as we explored the complexities and joys of boys’ education. Four College staff attended and thoroughly enjoyed connecting with colleagues from around SA and Zimbabwe, sharing stories and ideas about what works in boys’ schools.

I remain convinced that boys’ schools are great places for boys to learn and the messages from the conference certainly reinforced the value of boys’ education in a single-sex environment.

Highlights for me included keynotes by Gcina Mhlope, well-known storyteller and listening to a panel discussion with Fred Khumalo, SA author and journalist who discussed the arts in SA with fellow panellist Mandla Dube, the award-winning film director. I also attended breakaway sessions on Safeguarding, preparing our boys for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the legislation around bullying in the SA context.

There were inspiring talks by Good Things Guy, Brent Lindeque, as well as input from futurist and trend analyst Dion Chang who introduced two concepts new to me – “sharenting” and “kidfluencers”, the first trying to understand current parenting of Generation Alpha and the second the amazing yet scary impact of social media and how children use this platform to influence and make money. All in all a great conference that inspired and challenged.

I will be attending the annual international conference, held this year in Boston at a school that is part of our exchange programme, Belmont Hill

Next year is an exciting one for SA members of the IBSC as we host the international conference in our own country at St Stithians College in Johannesburg.

Staff appointments

We are in the process of finalising the appointments of the new boarding House Directors and should be in a position soon to make the appointments public. We have also started the formal process of finding a new Prep Head, having prepared for this for the past three years in terms of our planning for the future.

Founders Day

We had a wonderful celebration of our school’s founding, led by Deputy Principal Trevor van Niekerk and with guest speaker and OD Moshe Apleni. The boys enjoyed the day and the sporting contests with the ODs in the afternoon before embarking on their final summer fixtures. Please click here to view more photos.

Sport

The line between summer and winter sport is becoming more and more blurred and we thank our summer coaches and managers for their efforts this past term, as our winter sports season unfolds.

It would be good for us all, and I include members of those schools against whom we participate, to remember why we play sport at school. Sport is part of education and teaches life-skills. It teaches us to win with dignity and lose with grace. To be humble, to succeed and to fail and to learn from both experiences. Yes, there will be some, albeit very few, who will use their school sport experiences to launch a career in sport but that number is miniscule in comparison with the hundreds of boys who play sport for the fun, the camaraderie and the enjoyment of the game they choose. It is so important for us to keep this in perspective as we start our winter season and support our boys on the fields.

Final thoughts

We held our second Ackerman Award assembly to acknowledge boys who try to make a difference in the lives of others. This year we were delighted to be able to recognise Sebastian Robbertse who started a feeding project and has continued to run this project connecting food manufacturers with those in need. We congratulate Sebastian on his selfless venture and his award.

On a personal note, one of the most special gifts I received for my birthday recently was from my children – a box of 200 cards, each with a saying, quote or comment, that is to be taken out and read each day. These small notes are wonderfully inspiring to me and one of the most recent resonated with me in my role as a parent but also as I lead a school. They wrote “You didn’t prepare the road for us, you prepared us for the road.” I share this with parents in this newsletter to encourage you to let your child fight his own battles, blaze his own path and face his challenges on his own. Yes, we want to protect, guide and nurture, but we must always be careful that we do not prevent our children’s growth and development. Being able to stand independently as they leave school is the greatest gift we can give them. Letting them be themselves and having the ability to stand on their own, is surely our greatest responsibility as parents.

There is no assembly message this week as we held the Ackerman Award assembly. I wish you all well for the final few weeks of this term.

Kind regards

Antony Reeler
Principal

The Ackerman Award

CRITERIA

The Ackerman Award for entrepreneurship and innovation in the service of others

This award is named after Raymond and Wendy Ackerman in acknowledgement of their selfless contribution to South African society and their support of both individuals and communities to improve their situation. The award acknowledges and recognizes both a spirit of entrepreneurship or innovation and service to others. Raymond Ackerman was a student at Bishops from 1944 to 1948. 

Criteria:

1. The nominee must be a current pupil at Bishops.
2. The nominee must be in Grade 9 or above.
3. The achievement(s) of the nominee must be innovative by nature and in service to others. The actions and behaviour of the nominee must exemplify the values of the school.
4. While the achievement(s) of the nominee may have brought personal gain, this must not have been the driving motivation for the endeavour.
5. The achievement(s) may be over a short period of time but must have a lasting and significant positive impact on the lives of others.

THE ACKERMAN AWARD – 2024
CITATION
SEBASTIAN ROBBERTSE

This award is made in acknowledgement of Raymond and Wendy Ackerman’s selfless contribution to South African society and their support of both individuals and communities to improving the situation of others. 

Raymond Ackerman was a student at Bishops from 1944 to 1948. 

The recipient of the award is Sebastian Robbertse, at the time of the award being made, a 2024 Grade 10 student at Bishops, for his remarkable vision, perseverance, and selfless commitment to supporting the children of the Langa community.

In 2023, as part of The Big Ideas Project, Sebastian and his group visited an orphanage in Langa, where they discovered a severe shortage of food and essential supplies. Motivated by this challenge, Sebastian, alongside his two peers, took immediate action to address the orphanage’s needs. They formed a partnership with Food Lover’s Market and received invaluable support from Markets of Cape Town, enabling them to collect and deliver fresh food and necessities to the orphanage at no cost.

However, Sebastian’s dedication did not stop at the completion of The Big Ideas Project. Driven by a genuine desire to make a lasting impact, he continued to explore new avenues for supporting the orphanage and its children. His collaboration with Food Lover’s Market, as well as his vision for expanding the scope of his efforts, led to the creation of Feeding Futures, a Non-Profit Organization (NPO) dedicated to providing ongoing assistance. Through this initiative, Sebastian is also hoping to partner with Food Forward SA and the Amy Foundation, furthering his mission to improve the lives of vulnerable children.

In addition to his ongoing efforts, Sebastian is planning a Winter Blanket Drive to ensure that the children receive warmth during the colder months.

For his unwavering dedication, innovative thinking, and tireless efforts to improve the lives of others, Sebastian Robbertse exemplifies the qualities of leadership, compassion, and community service. We proudly award him the Raymond and Wendy Ackerman Award for 2024, in recognition of his outstanding contributions and positive impact on the Langa community.

Public Speaking

Matthew De Jager and Cruz Sun took part in the Online African Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships and performed exceptionally well. Cruz Sun was placed first in the Persuasive Speaking Category, and Matthew De Jager was placed first in the Impromptu and the Debating categories. Well done, boys!

College Production

Congratulations to Mr Tucker, the cast and crew for a spectacular rendition of The History Boys. The audience was entertained with many incredible performances, and we appreciate all the time and effort that went into making this production. We are extremely proud of our boys and staff and their dedication to our annual College production. Well done all.

Water Polo

The U14 team showed immense growth and resilience. After finishing second to Rondebosch at the Pitcairn Cup, they dominated the Jeppe Festival, going unbeaten throughout. Their momentum carried them into the semi-finals of the Western Province League, where they overcame Wynberg to set up a rematch against their nemesis Rondebosch. In a superb defensive effort, Bishops turned the tables and secured a convincing victory in the final, claiming gold and lifting the prestigious Phillips Trophy.

The 2nd Team continued their fine form after winning the Pearson 2nd Team Tournament in Gqeberha a few weeks ago. They carried their winning form into the league finals, defeating Paul Roos 8-4 in the semi-finals. In the final, they were simply unstoppable, delivering a commanding 8-3 victory over Rondebosch to remain unbeaten for the entire season—an incredible and well-deserved achievement for the team.

The 1st Team has had a truly memorable season. After securing bronze at the St Andrew’s Tournament, they went on to win the fan-favourite SACS Nite Series, once again overcoming Rondebosch. Their journey continued at the prestigious KES Festival, where the top 16 teams in the country competed. Bishops advanced to the quarterfinals, defeating KES with an emphatic 16-8 victory. In Sunday’s semi-final, they put in a resolute performance over Rondebosch with a 6-4 win, setting up a potentially thrilling final against Hilton—the only other unbeaten side in the tournament. In a match that had spectators on the edge of their seats, Bishops emerged victorious in a dramatic penalty shootout, winning 12-10 and claiming a well-earned championship title. This was the first time Bishops had won the KES Tournament since its inception in 1981!

Congratulations to all the players, coaches and managers.

Cricket

The 1st XI cricket team brings the curtain down on a long (and extended) season this week by way of its participation, as Western Cape champions, in the eight-team Schools SA20 National Championships/'Final Showdown' at Tuks in Pretoria.

Bishops is joined by Northwood (KZN); Saint Andrew's School (Free State); Pearson (Eastern Cape); Graeme College (CSA focus school); a CSA Hub XI; St David's Marist Inanda (Gauteng Central) and Garsfontein (Titans) and will play round-robin fixtures as per the schedule below:

Thursday: Bishops beat Pearson
Thursday: lost to Hub XI
Friday14th Bishops vs St David's Marist Inanda at Tuks Oval. 09:30. Live on DSTV Channel 216.

Knockout games follow thereafter on Friday afternoon (14:00 starts) ahead of the final at Tuks Oval on Saturday morning at 09:00.

The Bishops Community wishes coaches, Visser Gildenhuys and Lutho Pohlongo, captain, James Robb-Quinlan, and the other 12 members of the team a happy, safe and successful tournament. We will be following the team's progress, from afar, very keenly.

Congratulations to Mr. Visser Gildenhuys who took charge of his 100th game as 1st XI coach, v Rondebosch, on Saturday, 08 March. Thank you, Mr. Gildenhuys, for the inordinate amount of time, energy and passion that you have bought to the position since assuming the role in January 2023.

The following cricketers achieved centuries recently, and receive a signature bat:
Shaun Norris 102 off 53 for the U15A team against Reddam
Aadam Van Graan for the U15A team against Reddam
Joe Edwards 103* off 114 for the 3rd XI against Reddam
Luc Dicey 126 off 55 for the 2nd XI against Hurstpierpoint (UK)
Luke Hofmeyr 119 off 72 for the 2nd XI against Pearson High
Daniel Perold receives a mounted cricket ball.  He took 5 for 10 for the 1st XI against Paul Roos MPW

Rowing

Congratulations to our rowing leadership team for the 2025 / 2026 season. We wish you well leading the boys on the water.

Max Petersen: Boatman (vice captain)
Kai Bacher: Captain
Ben Davidson: Head of Communications

Congratulations to the following boys for achieving a top-three finish in their grades for the Bishops SPW Testing.

A special mention goes to the SPW Best Athletes of Term 1: John Weir-Smith (Grade 8), Ibraheem Taliep (Grade 9), and Caleb Clark (Grade 10).

Keep up the hard work, boys!

Gr 8 SPW Top Performers: (from left to right) Keanu Croy / Lodewijk Weve (Tied 3rd), Alex Venter (2nd) and John Weir-Smith (1st)

Gr 9 SPW Top Performers: (from left to right) Julian Edwards (2nd), Yusuf Patel (3rd) and Ibraheem Taliep (1st - Absent)

Gr 10 SPW Top Performers: (from left to right) Elihle Tsobo (3rd), Caleb Clark (1st) and Conner Rogers(2nd)