Dear Parents and Guardians
With our Grade 12s writing examinations and Grade 11s attending Leadership Camp and Job Shadowing, the cycle of change is fully under way! I had an opportunity to address the Grade 11s on their expectations of their Matric year and it was insightful and enlightening to hear these young men as they realised the challenges that lie ahead of them, the responsibilities they carry and the opportunities they have to lead our school very soon.
By now the Grade 10 parents will have been informed that our A level programme is being launched next year, subject to a minimum number of pupils. This will be an important moment for our boys as they take up a new academic challenge that will stretch and challenge them. To remind parents, it is envisaged that a group of between 15 and 25 boys take up the programme, in parallel with the existing curriculum, still playing a full part in the life of Bishops.
In 2024, Bishops will be celebrating its 175th year and plans are already underway to acknowledge this auspicious occasion. A small committee of staff from the three campuses and a representative from the ODU have met and started the planning process which will go through 2023 as we plan ahead for the following year. We will expand this committee as needs arise. Our current Grade 10s will be in Matric that year and we will be addressing them on their role in this time and on what they feel could be done to mark the occasion.
Your son may have told you of the changes to our cell phone policy that prohibits having a cell phone in class for Grades 8 – 10 pupils. We are aware of the challenges of cell phones, their awesome power and usefulness but also their distraction factor. We are also mindful that we need to educate boys on responsible use of electronic devices so the balance is important to try to attain. I read a very interesting article recently from education specialist Doug Lemov, who authored “Teach like a Champion” amongst other books. I quote extensively from his article below and refer you to the full article for your interest as parents.
Covid-19, he says, “occurred amid a broader epidemic.” In the years before schools shut down, there were troubling increases in teen depression, anxiety, and isolation, and these coincided “almost exactly” with soaring use of smartphones….
Lemov quotes researcher/author Jean Twenge on what’s happening: “The smartphone has brought about a planetary rewiring of human interaction. As smartphones became common, they transformed peer relationships, family relationships, and the texture of daily life for everyone – even those who don’t own a phone or don’t have an Instagram account. It’s harder to strike up a casual conversation in the cafeteria or after class when everyone is staring down at a phone. It’s harder to have a deep conversation when each party is interrupted randomly by buzzing, vibrating notifications.” In the words of psychologist Sherry Turkle, we are now “forever elsewhere.”…
And even as the pandemic wanes, says Lemov, screen time is at a level that is “catastrophic to the well-being of young people.” Twenge believes we’re “on the brink of the worst mental-health crisis in decades.”…
Lemov believes this points to a post-pandemic imperative for schools: setting and enforcing cellphone restrictions. “An institution with the dual purpose of fostering students’ learning and well-being,” he says, “cannot ignore an intruder that actively erodes a young mind’s ability to focus and sustain attention and also magnifies anxiety, loneliness, and depression. Cellphones must be turned off and put away when students walk through school doors. Period.”
I found the article insightful and gave great food for thought. If parents wish to access the original article it can be found at “Take Away Their Cellphones” by Doug Lemov in Education Next, Fall 2022 (Vol. 22, #4, pp. 8-16)
I urge parents to work together with us as we navigate our way out of the past two years, particularly when it comes to the use of devices like cell phones. We will continue to educate and help our boys and may have to adapt our policy further to try to address the issues Lemov raises.
Our current Chair of Council, Mr Simon Peile, steps down at the end of this year and you have received notice of his successor. I will have opportunity to pay tribute to Mr Peile at a later stage this year when he ends his term of office but would like very briefly to acknowledge the wonderful job he has done over a number of years. He has been fully supportive of both Principals with whom he worked, the Executive and the school, leading the Council with great wisdom and compassion. I would like to welcome Mr Crispin Sonn as the new Chair and wish him well for his term of office. I have got to know Mr Sonn in various roles and am looking forward to working with him as he leads Council. Our very grateful thanks to both of them for their willingness to serve Bishops!
Finally, we congratulate Mr Julian Vincent on his appointment as the new Head of Department in the Economics Department. Mr Vincent takes over from Mr Campbell Smith and we wish him well for his tenure and for this exciting opportunity.
Our term closes off in two weeks’ time with our Matric Dance and final assembly. Next term, our Grade 12s will have two days of school before final assembly and some exams start. These include the AP exams and some practical exams. The second week will have Matric Prizegiving and Valedictory – a special moment indeed for these young men as they bring a close to 13 years of formal schooling. We wish them and their parents well for the final few weeks.
Kind regards
Antony Reeler
Principal
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