Dear Parents and Guardians

With exam season upon us and the end of the year fast approaching, I wish all our boys and parents well for these last few weeks. Our junior Grades are about to begin writing and we trust they are well-prepared. Our Grade 10s have completed exams and the Grades 11 and 12 boys are still busy writing. These times can be hard for boys as anxiety, pressure or boredom is felt. I repeat some of the advice I have given parents previously that may help:

• Give your son a quiet space in which to work, free from distraction
• Make sure he has no devices such as a cell phone, even if he wants to use it for music. The distraction of a flashing message breaks concentration.
• Music should be calm and soothing, preferably without lyrics
• He needs to hydrate often and eat regular meals
• He needs exercise and breaks from studying
• He needs sleep!
• Each boy studies differently. Some can sit for hours on end. Some need to get up and move. Some move around and talk to themselves. Your son must work out his own routine that best helps him.
• Avoid placing undue pressure on him by enquiring too deeply after an exam how it went. There is nothing he can do to change the outcome and needs to move on to the next exam

Above all, keep telling him you believe in him and that you love and support him. Remind him that there is a reward at the end of this – five weeks of rest and fun! But just like a meal where people keep the best for last, he needs to practice delayed gratification! I wish you all the best as parents, knowing from personal experience how stressful school exams can be for parents too!

Epic

Our Grade 10s are busy preparing for their adventure in the Cederberg and we wish them well for this exciting time. I had a chance to address them at the start of their training week and spoke about how wilderness is such an important part of our world and how it can cause us to reflect, think and be truly introspective as we ponder life free from other distractions. I had a chance in my early career to go on the White Rhino trail and still remember what an impact it had on my life. Hours alone, in solitude and in peace gives one a completely different perspective and the Grade 10 parents will find their son returning a different person. I wish them all a safe and special time in the mountains.

Remembrance Day

We held a poignant service in our Memorial Chapel for Remembrance Day with the customary sounds of 11 chimes of the bell at 11:00, the Last Post and Reveille and the laying of wreaths and flags. If parents were not aware, we acknowledge not only those who passed away in World War I and II but also those who have died for a cause, no matter what that cause was. This special plaque is also up on the wall of the Chapel and I encourage parents to have a look at it and read the inscription. The planting of white crosses, one each for every person lost in WWI and II, is a tradition we started two years ago and it is a moving sight to see. These crosses and wreaths will remain in place until the flowers wither and perish, again a symbol of the fragility of life and the futility of war. The boys were wonderfully respectful during the service and I hope they had a chance to remember those in their own lives who have passed away.

Bishops Rowing Centre  

What a special evening we had, opening our new rowing centre! Bishop Joshua Louw started proceedings with prayer and a blessing of the facility, sprinkling water in each space as a sign of blessing. The facility was put to the test by both the 1st eight and a quad and it was a proud moment indeed to see this “tank” as it has come to be known, in action. This is the first of its kind in our country and we are truly proud of those that made it possible. I pay tribute in particular to our rowing staff and the number of committed parents who raised funds over many years to turn this dream into a reality. It just shows what is possible when a passionate group of people work together with the school to build something for generations to come. I am so proud of our rowing community!

End of year thanks

We hosted a function after the last Council meeting on Monday where we invited members of the various sub-committees of Council, the PAs of both schools and the Executive teams to attend to say thank you for their efforts this past year. Not only did we thank those present, but I reminded them of the remarkable year we have had. We opened a brand new building, the Ubuntu Learning Centre, consecrated our Brooke Chapel and dedicated three beautiful stained-glass windows to three special people, re-did the sanctuary in our Memorial Chapel to be tiled in what was the original design of the chapel, opened a new rowing centre, had the school history updated along with a revamped museum, had multiple music events and cultural activities and a host of sports festivals. Add to this the remarkable academic results announced at the start of the year and the achievements of so many boys and we can look back on a special year indeed. It is hard, in tough times, to keep perspective and assume all is lost. It is not. We have had a remarkable celebration of 175 years of existence. Yes, we have had challenges along the way and that is the nature of a school community, but we will deal with those challenges along with celebrating our successes.

Final thoughts

I share with you some final thoughts I shared at the Council meeting as part of my report.

I read recently that, as adults, we often have expectations of our children that we ourselves might battle with. I refer specifically to the oft-quoted “code of silence”. There is something to be said for loyalty as a quality and having loyal friends and family is special indeed. But where does loyalty end?

When a “code of silence” covers up injustice, bullying or harmful or hurtful behaviour, keeping quiet is tacit approval of that behaviour, nothing else. It is then when those people of honour need to stand up and speak out. I have seen this behaviour in so many schools, often passed off as loyalty. I have seen it in both boys and in girls – young and old. And I have seen it in adults too.

If we truly want our boys to understand that a “code of silence” is only honourable if it protects honourable behaviour, then we, as adults, need not only to speak about it but model the behaviour we desire in our children.

We will continue to work hard on our school values and growing good men who feel free to speak out against injustice, to stand up against their peers if necessary. We need to stand together as a community in this regard though and together we can help create a culture where people feel safe expressing concerns or reporting misconduct. Please do not assume I am encouraging telling tales. I am referring to actions that hurt others, actions that hurt the individual himself or the kind of behaviour that is destructive and harmful. For us to eradicate this, requires honour. Honour to stand up and say “no”.

I wish you well for the next few weeks. I will be away on Epic for part of that time and look forward to spending time with the boys in the mountains.

Apology

I wish to offer an apology to the Hindu community and anyone I may have offended through my error in the spelling of the word “Hindu” in my good wishes for Diwali. I used the word “Hindi” which refers to a language, not a religion. I am sorry!

Kind regards

Antony Reeler
Principal

Art

Hayden Smith of Birt House is to be congratulated on being awarded the Accelerated Art Program tie for two years of dedication and positive contributions to the AAP society.

Rowing

Misverstand Regatta:

Bishops Rowing Club values the development of the Western Cape Rowing Community and took the full club to compete in the Misverstand Regatta this past weekend.

Rowing develops an individual beyond the sport and this weekend is a testament to the power of community.

Further, it was a fantastic opportunity to practice for the SA Schools Boatrace in a month!

Interhouse Climbing Results

Our year of Climbing concluded with the much-anticipated Interhouse Climbing Competition, a thrilling event showcasing the skills and determination of our climbers. Congratulations to Kidd House for winning the overall competition, and to Tommy Winfield (Kidd House), who earned the title of Climber of the Day with his exceptional performance of 53 points.

Final results:
Third Place: Birt House 119 Points
Second Place: Ogilvie House 129 Points
First Place: Kidd House 141 Points

1st Team Water Polo News

The 1st Team Water Polo side is congratulated in making the finals at the recent St Stithians Water Polo Tournament ultimately losing to Kearsney College in a very tightly contested match that was evenly poised until the last minute. 

On the way to the finals, they beat
Michael House 14-6
Pearson High 18-1
Kes 16-5
St Johns 9-6
SACS 14-10 (quarter-final)
Hilton 7-6 (semi-final)

The following boys made the tournament team Owen Cross, Timothy Young and Matthew Fenn.
Matthew Fenn was awarded the Attacker of the Tournament. 

Captains of Water Polo for 2025

Congratulations to Heath Blackwell on being named Captain and to Milo Letschert as Vice Captain of the 1st Team Water Polo Team for the 2025 water polo season! Wishing you both a successful and exciting season ahead. 

Cricket

 3rd XI Grand Slam (2024)

Congratulations to Mr. Mofokeng, Mr. Ngcobo and all members of the 3rd XI cricket team who, on Saturday, 2 November defeated Rondebosch on The Oaks, to complete a ‘Grand Slam’ year in which the team recorded Term 1 and Term 4 wins against traditional local rivals, Wynberg, SACS and Rondebosch. This is a rare feat, irrespective of team and/or sporting discipline, and bears testimony to the team spirit and hard work displayed by the 3rd XI from January to November.

Ibraheem Taliep

A special word of commendation to 14A cricket captain, Ibraheem Taliep, who brought the curtain down on his first year of high school cricket with an extraordinary 1138 runs at an average of 103.5. He registered 4 x 100s and 7 x 50s for Bishops during 2024 and, clearly has a bright future ahead of him.

CSA Schools SA20 Tournament (2024/2025)

The 1st XI, sans Grade 12s, defeated Groote Schuur, Fish Hoek and Curro Durbanville to advance to the semi-finals of the relaunched CSA Schools SA20 knock-out cup, hosted by Bishops, on Saturday, 9 November. Bishops faced Rondebosch in the morning semi-final on the Frank Reid and did very well to chase 145 and move into the afternoon’s final vs SACS on the Frank Reid. Bishops won the toss and, and again opted to chase. This time, though, SACS competitive total proved a bridge too far and Bishops fell 45 runs short to claim the silver medal. Both winner (SACS) and finalist (Bishops), as per tournament regulations advanced, alongside two representatives from both Boland and SWD, to the regional finals, to be played in Oudtshoorn, between 24 and 26 January 2025. The winner of the regional champs will advance as Cobras’ representatives to the national champs, hosted by the University of Pretoria, in March.

1st End-of-Year Awards 2024

Adnaan Lagadien and Waco Bassick were awarded the ‘Player of the Year’ and ‘Players’ Player of the Year’ trophies, respectively, at the annual end-of-year 1st XI dinner on Saturday 9 November.  Adnaan registered a wholly impressive 1544 runs at a very healthy average of 46.8 in 39 innings throughout the year (3 x 100s and 8 x 50s) while Waco’s all-round excellence turned heads by way of 737 runs (average 36.9) and 83 wickets at an average of 13.1 and a strike-rate of 19.1.

WP Representative Cricket Teams 2024

The very good news reached Bishops on 14 November of Litha Mbiko and Michael Kruiskamp’s selection to the 2024 WP U16 cricket team. Litha and Michael will join Bishops head coach, Brad Barnes (WP U16 coach), and Bishops 1st XI coach, Lutho Pohlongo (WP U16 manager), at the CSA Boys’ National Cricket Week, which will be hosted in Tshwane between 9 and 15 December. Thaafier Japhta has been named as a non-travelling reserve. Three Bishops cricketers – the highest number in many years – were named in the WP U19 team to represent the province at the annual CSA Khaya Majola Cricket Week hosted, in 2024, in Cape Town from the 16 to 20 December 2024. Well done to Adnaan Lagadien, Kashief Joseph and Waco Bassick (playing WP U19 as a 16-year-old) on their selections in this regard.

SRF

The outgoing SRF Chairman Caden Chuang (Grade 12) handed over the Westwood Gavel to the incoming Chairman Andoni Augoustatos (Grade 11) following his election alongside the incoming Secretary Hamaad Badroodien (Grade 9). Well done to these boys, and thank you to Caden on his outstanding leadership of the SRF.

My Bishops Life Parent Portal

We remind all parents that all academic reports will be delivered via the parent portal of MyBishopsLife.
Please click here for help on registering if you haven’t done so already.
The administrative staff that verify new registrations will be on leave during the Christmas holidays and therefore registration approval may be delayed until return to school.

IT Help Desk Assistance
The technicians will be available during the following dates during the upcoming Christmas holidays.
6th December and 9th - 12th December 2024.
9th January – 14th January 2025.
If you are needing urgent assistance between 13th December – 8th January for hardware issues, please contact the DELL Call Centre 080 016 7000

Royal Visit Sparks Inspiration in Langa's Young Learners

HRH Prince William's recent Earthshot Prize tour brought him to the Atlas Digibus where he joined young learners – a visit that went beyond royal formality to spark curiosity and purpose. During his visit, the children proudly demonstrated their math skills in the vibrant mobile classroom that empowers them daily. While Prince Williams visit to South Africa underscored the values of sustainability and innovation, it served as a deeper reminder to our learners that positive change can start right where they are—whether through academic dedication, practical solutions in their neighbourhoods, or simply believing in their own potential.

After Prince William’s departure, rugby legends Tendai Mtawarira and Scarra Ntubeni stepped in, offering words of encouragement and sharing their journeys of resilience and self-belief, reminding the children that hard work and determination are essential for success both in the classroom and on the field.

The visit aligned with a particularly enriching term for our Under-13s, who have been exploring environmental conservation through “Lessons in Conservation,” a series of workshops led by Stellenbosch University students. The children’s term culminated in an inspiring visit to SANCCOB, where they learned about the power of conservation efforts in South Africa. We look forward to extending this curriculum to younger age groups in the future, reinforcing the idea that each child has a role in shaping their community and their world.
At VUSA, visits like these become learning opportunities that go beyond the moment—opening our children’s eyes to what’s possible when ambition, purpose, and opportunity meet.