Dear Parents and Guardians

As the third term draws to a close, I wish to thank you all for your support of the school and the boys as they have navigated a long term. For our Grade 12s, it was their last term of formal school as they wrote their Mock Matric examinations and we wish them well for their results and the upcoming celebrations, the Matric Dance, House Dinners, Prize Giving and Valedictory. We hope this is a fitting end to a successful career at Bishops!

Our Grade 11 boys went on their annual Leadership Conference and my thanks to Mr Angus Firth for facilitating this special event where many lessons were learned as the boys prepared to take over the various leadership roles in the College.

Leadership 2025

Following a proposal from the SRF, asking that the new leaders for the following year are announced in front of the whole school instead of just at Matric Prize Giving, we held a special assembly to make these appointments. Our best wishes go to the following boys who have been entrusted with formal leadership positions for 2025.

Head of School: Luke Carter
Deputy Heads of School: Daniel von der Heyden, Noah Macnab

Heads of Houses:                    

Singa Mayoyo (Founders)
Alex Laspatzis (School)
Daniel von der Heyden (White)
Noah Macnab (Gray)
Joe Bolus (Ogilvie)
Benjamin Koenig (Kidd)
Matthew Maurel (Birt)
Christopher Du Toit (Mallett)

Deputy Heads of Houses:         

John Bassingthwaighte (Founders)
Andoni Augoustatos(School)
Reece Van Wyk (White)
David Lewis (Gray)
Uzoma Ngcwangu (Ogilvie)
Matthew Griffin (Kidd)
Elijah Fisher (Birt)
Jack Buckham (Mallett)

While these boys have been asked to take on these formal leadership roles, all Grade 12s are expected to play a role in the leadership of the College through various portfolios as well as the all-important leadership of mentoring a new Grade 8 boy. We wish all our Grade 11 boys well as they prepare for their new and exciting role in the College.

Council news
Parents are urged to read the separate communication from the Chair of Council, Mr Crispin Sonn, on the composition and structure of Council as well as a new process for nomination of members.

Important dates
In addition to the dates in the school calendar that are unique to Bishops, our community will be celebrating and marking the following occasions:

Heritage Day (24 September) where we acknowledge with pride our different and unique heritages and join together in celebrating unity through diversity.

Rosh Hashanah (2 October) a celebration of the Jewish New Year for our Jewish community and a special time of togetherness.

World Teacher’s Day (5 October) where we acknowledge the role teachers play in our community and the enormous positive impact they have on the lives of our children.   
We wish all those who are celebrating on these days well for what we hope is a special occasion.

Term 4 2024
The new term begins on Monday 7 October with our traditional Eucharist and all boys are expected to be back at school, prepared for the final term. Again, we ask parents to ensure their sons are appropriately dressed and their appearance complies with our school Codes.

Much of the first few weeks is devoted to farewells for the outgoing Grade 12s and I urge parents to visit MyBishopsLife to see when those celebrations will take place.

The usual activities of examinations, Epic, Grade 9 Camps and many others will take place in a busy term and we wish our community all the best for the final few months of the year.

Final thoughts
I was fortunate to be able to attend the annual conference of the Heads of Independent Schools in the ISASA stable in South Africa. At this conference, focus was on wellbeing of Heads of Schools in particular and it was an inspiring and uplifting time in the company of colleagues from around the country as we shared experiences and knowledge with each other.

These moments are critical to those who work in schools and Heads in particular. I heard a phrase at the IBSC conference which best described the value of these gatherings. This was “You improve schools by teachers meeting other teachers and being inspired.”

The effect of colleagues from different schools being together cannot be underestimated and just the comfort of knowing one is not alone with the challenges one faces as well as the obvious wealth of experience that is shared makes these so worthwhile. In all our professional lives, very few understand exactly what it is that we do, unless they themselves are in similar positions. Perhaps unlike the corporate world, schools feed off each other and learn from each other. While we may want to beat each other on the sports fields, we have a deep desire for each other to succeed – for the sake of our children – and the camaraderie is highly valued and cherished.

I wish you a good break as, for the first time we have a two-week school holiday to allow our boys and staff time to reflect and re-energise for the final term of the year. I hope the time you have as parents with your children is a special one and that you too enjoy a short rest.

Kind regards

Antony Reeler
Principal

SA Programming Olympiad 2024

Congratulations goes to Mohamed-Yusuf Davenhill, Arun Nayar, Matthew Griffin, Katlego Setai, Nico Schreuder, Bradley Baker and Nicholas Bosini for participating in this year's edition of the Programming Olympiad where the entrants are presented with a real life problem that tests their problem solving skills.

All the seven students got distinctions and were awarded with Gold Certificates which will be couriered in due course. They were further invited to take part in the 2nd round where a total of 661 learners from 107 schools participated.

Congratulations again to Nico Schreuder who came among the top in this round and has been selected to take part in the Finals in Pretoria from the 27th to 30th September 2024 to represent Bishops Diocesan College at the Awards Ceremony on 30 September.

In addition to this invitation, as a finalist on the national level, Nico has been awarded a free honorary membership into the Institute of IT Professionals South Africa valid till the end of his university studies.

STEMCO Physics Olympiad

Seven A-level students participated in the prestigious STEMCO Physics Olympiad. The competition saw exceptional performances from all participants, showcasing their strong analytical skills and in-depth knowledge of Physics. Gold Award Recipients: Jonty Bresler: Achieved joint 6th place globally and received a Gold award for his outstanding performance. Brett Jenman: Ranked joint 12th globally, earning a Gold award. Brad Baker: Also ranked joint 12th globally and awarded Gold. Nico Schreuder: Awarded Gold for his exceptional results. Silver Award Recipients: Matthew Griffin Andrew Betty Nicholas Bosini Bronze Award Recipients: Pablo Slaven Avi Nadioo The finalists will now represent the school at the STEMCO International Finals, which will be held in Singapore from January 22nd to 25th, 2025.

Music Certificates

Our Music pupils did extremely well at the recent Kaapse Afrikaanse Eisteddfod. The following boys were awarded Hoogste Lof, which is a mark above 90%:

Travis Turner
Hayden Smith
Aadil Dawood
Liam Chester
Joe Bolus

Travis Turner was also awarded a silver medal for his jazz piano piece - he will collect the medal at a Prestige Evening next term.

The Bishops Wind Band was awarded Hoogste Lof, and the Jazz Band was awarded a Diploma - a mark of 95%.

Congratulations to all the musicians.

Interact

Well done to the boys who have earned their Interact Ties and and welcome the new Committee for 2024/25.

Ties

The following boys are to be congratulated on their Interact ties, awarded based on hours of service and number of events attended:

Matthew Owen
Hayden Smith
Michael Whitelaw
Sam Crookes
Deen Fortune

Committee

The new Interact Committee for 2024/2025 has been selected and we wish the following boys all the best on their new team leading the Interact Club:

President: Pablo Slaven
Vice-President: Matthew Griffin
Secretary: Massi Hunt
Communications and Marketing: Alex Laspatzis
Treasurer: Nathan Leong

Cricket

We wish the 14A and 15A cricket sides well ahead of their respective holiday-time tours to upcountry festivals. The U14As, under the guidance of Mr. Joubert and Mr. Hendrieck, are participating in the annual Charl van Rooyen Cricket Week hosted, in 2024, by KES in Johannesburg starting on the 21st of September. They are scheduled to play KES; Jeppe; Paarl Boys' and Affies respectively.

The 15As, accompanied by Mr. Makwena and Mr. Barnes, head to Gqeberha on Friday the 20th of September and will participate in the annual Grey High School Colts Festival. The team is set to play Grey College; St Andrew's (at St Andrew's); Kearsney and Jeppe whilst on tour.

Water Polo

U15A

The Bishops under 15A water polo team participated in the Ian Melliar Cup at Wynberg over the weekend. The boys were up for the challenge and were drawn into a very tough pool. Despite this, they managed to end up on top of their pool with some exciting and memorable victories. The highlights were wins over Clifton and Reddam which they won 7-4 and 5-4 respectively.

Bishops advanced to the quarter-finals where they faced Hilton and managed to beat them 7-5. The draw meant that they had to face Rondebosch in the semifinals. The boys played their hearts out but unfortunately missed out on advancing to the final. In the third-fourth play-off Bishops easily saw off Wynberg and ended up with the bronze medal. Oliver Badenhorst and Harry Ford were selected for the tournament team. With Harry Ford being awarded attacker of the tournament. Bishops look forward to a great season of successful Polo. Well done to the boys and thank you to out hosts for a great tournament.

U14A

The U14A water polo side competed in the Rondebosch tournament over the weekend and did very well, playing some excellent polo. The side won all their pool games, beating Paarl Boys 8-1, Wynberg 3-2, and Pretoria Boys 6-2, scoring 22 goals, and conceding only 5. This put the boys in a quarterfinal with Affies, where the boys sadly didn’t play at their best, and lost 4-5, despite a strong comeback. The team got a placing qualifier win against Bosch U13s (7-1), followed by another win over Wynberg (on penalties) which resulted in a 5th place finish. The boys defended well, and learned valuable lessons, and had a great time. Thank you to our hosts for a fabulous tournament.

1st Team

Our 1st Team Water Polo will be taking part in the SACS Water Polo Festival from the Saturday 21st to 23rd September.
We wish the 1st Team Water Polo side and their coach Mr Jabulani Sibiya all the very best for the weekend's water polo.

Pool Matches:

Day 1: 09H10 - 09H30 vs Grey College (Game 7) 12H10 - 12H30 vs Grey High (Game 16) 15H50 - 16H10 vs Clifton (Game 27) 18H30 - 18H50 vs Pretoria Boys (Game 35)
Day 2: 07H30 - 07H50 vs St Davids (Game 42) 12H10 - 12H30 vs Hilton (Game 56) 15H30 - 15H50 vs St Stithians (Game 66) 17H50 - 18H10 vs Jeppe (Game 73)
Day 3: 09H50 - 10H10 vs Rondebosch (Game 90).

Soccer Interhouse Winners

Over the past few weeks, we successfully hosted the Interhouse Soccer, which saw competitive and spirited performances from all houses. In the Junior Interhouse Finals, Ogilvie faced off against White House, with Ogilvie emerging as the champions. The Senior Finals featured a match between Founders and Grey House, where Founders claimed victory. Congratulations to both Ogilvie and Founders on their well-deserved wins, and a big thank you to all the houses for their participation and sportsmanship.

Interhouse Surfing

The 2024 Inter-House Surfing Competition was held on Friday 30th August at Blouberg Beach in 3-4 foot cross shore conditions that proved to be quite challenging.

After the initial round of heats, the two finals were held.

Junior final

The junior final was contested by Nick Mclagan (Founders) and John Dingley (Ogilvie) with Nick winning by a narrow margin.

Senior final

The senior final developed into a tight battle between Birt house represented by Anthony Lampe and William Prestage, and Kidd House represented by Josh van Wyk. Josh, however, emerged as the overall winner with the highest points score not only in the final, but also over the whole event.

The Interhouse surfing trophy for 2024 is therefore awarded to Josh van Wyk and Kidd House.

Congratulations on this impressive performance.

Life Saving

Joshua Huntingford has just returned from competing in the Lifesaving Interclub World Championships held on the Gold Coast of Australia. More than 90 clubs from over 25 different countries were represented, and Clifton Surf Lifesaving Club (Joshua's club) came 8th overall in the Youth Competition.

He competed in 12 events between beach/surf and pool, managing to reach the A-finals for 4 of the events and the B-finals for 2 events.

Congratulations to Joshua and the Clifton Surf Lifesaving Youth Relay Team on winning the Gold Medal for the Beach Relay. This is an incredible achievement. Well done Joshua.

Sailing - Distinction Tie

A distinction tie is awarded to Theodor Scheder-Bieschin who represented South Africa in sailing. He sailed in three separate world events (firstly in Kiel, Germany), a 29er Eurocup (A boat class specific event in Gdynia, Poland), and Warnemünde Skiff week (A medium-sized event in Warnemünde, Germany).

Bishops Rugby Colours for 2024

After the close of the 2024 season of winter sports, the Rugby club has awarded the following colours to a number of its senior players.

Half Colours:
Yusuf Ahmed
Jack Campbell
Iviwe Dadamasi
Ammar Laatoe
Jordan Petersen
Daniel van den Heever

Full Colours:
Wa-keem Fortuin
Aza Gabada
Kashief Joseph
James Le Feuvre
Gareth Mckinon
Lucca Mynhardt
Alex Newton
Alexander Smith

Our congratulations to all!

Bishops Hockey Colours 2024

Congratulations to the following boys on achieving colours for the 2024 Hockey Season.

Half Colours:
Andrew Betty  
Adam Diggle
David Handley
Bryn Parry

Full Colours:
Mu'aath Ganief       
Christopher Gray
James Grieve (Re-award)
Thomas Ludlam
Thomas Malan
Joshua Mettler (Re-award)
Andrew Raubenheimer                             
Albert Steyn     
Carl Van Wyngaarden
Robert Veldtman (Re-award)

We also acknowledge the following boys for their service to hockey umpiring over the past 3 years and award them with service ties.

Joseph Lappin
Albert Steyn
Michael Kotze

Squash Colours 2024

Congratulations to the following who have been rewarded for their hard work during the Squash season.

Half Colours:
Arun Nayar
Kiyan Govender
Zuhayr Sirkot

Full Colours:
Nicholas Basson
Alex Savva
Tristan Swanich

Tennis Colours

Congratulations to Carl Van Wyngaarden who has been awarded Full Colours for Tennis. He has led by example as Captain and all his efforts and contributions to Tennis are appreciated.

Fencing

The Service Cup award was presented to Thomas De Waal at the Fencing Champs evening.

Mountain Biking

This past weekend, Joe Manicom and Matthew Ratcliffe represented the newly established Bishops Cycling team at an interschools cross country race in Durbanville. This was a huge event comprising over 800 scholars from primary and high schools all over the Western Cape. Both boys did very well and secured top 15 positions amongst a large field of riders with fierce competition from the likes of Sacs, Paul Roos, Paarl Boys and Stellenberg just to name a few. Matthew Ratcliffe got a podium finish in 4th Place. Well done to Joe and Matt on their outstanding achievements.

All-Rounder's Tie

Congratulations to Hayden Smith and Daniel-Reid Deidericks on achieving their All-Rounder's Ties.

First Aid

Congratulations to the following boys who are awarded service ties for their reliable First Aid cover at sports matches:

Gordon Alexander
Alex Beach
Matthew De Jager
Daniel Heyneke
Benji Koch
James Koen
Christian Pfende
Alex Tadross
Michael Whitelaw
Tommy Winfield

Half Colours for service to First Aid are awarded to:

Pablo Slaven
Yanga Soyaya
Landa Tsobo

Benefits of Being a Dual-Athlete with a Focus on Teen Male Pupils (Part 2)

Engaging in multiple sports can particularly benefit teen boys, addressing their unique developmental needs and challenges. Here are some key benefits:

Academic and Cognitive Benefits
1. Improved Academic Performance: Physical activity is linked to better academic performance, as it can enhance concentration, memory, and cognitive function.
2. Time Management: Balancing multiple sports with academics teaches valuable time management and organisational skills.
3. Enhanced Focus and Discipline: The discipline and focus required in sports can translate to better focus and discipline in academic pursuits.

Long-Term Benefits
1. Lifelong Healthy Habits: Developing a love for various sports can lead to lifelong healthy habits and an ongoing commitment to physical activity.
2. Versatility and Adaptability: Learning to adapt to different sports environments fosters versatility and adaptability, skills that are valuable in many areas of life.
3. Career Opportunities: Exposure to multiple sports can open up diverse career opportunities in fields such as coaching, sports management, physical therapy, and more.

Behavioural Benefits
1. Positive Role Models: Coaches and older teammates can serve as positive role models, providing guidance and mentorship.
2. Reduced Risk of Negative Behaviours: Being engaged in sports can reduce the likelihood of engaging in negative behaviours, such as substance abuse or delinquency, by providing a structured and positive outlet for energy and time.

Psychological Well-being
1. Improved Mood and Mental Health: Regular physical activity is known to improve mood and mental health, reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
2. Healthy Body Image: Participation in sports can promote a healthy body image and self-perception.

In summary, participating in multiple sports offers numerous benefits for teen boys, supporting their physical, mental, emotional, social, and cognitive development, while fostering lifelong healthy habits and skills.

We are thrilled to share our latest VUSA newsletter with you. In this edition, you'll find updates on our recent activities, including the fantastic support we've received from the Bishops community. We are incredibly grateful for the ongoing involvement of staff, parents, learners and ODs, which allows us to continue making a positive impact to 1400 children in Langa.

Your support truly makes a difference, and we thank you for being part of the VUSA journey!  To view the newsletter please click HERE.

Congratulations to our 2025 Head of School Luke Carter, and his two deputies, Daniel von der Heyden and Noah Macnab. We wish you all a successful year leading our school in 2025.

We wish our heads and deputy heads of houses well for their House leaderships roles.

Heads of Houses:  

Singa Mayoyo (Founders)
Alex Laspatzis (School)
Daniel von der Heyden (White)
Noah Macnab (Gray)
Joe Bolus (Ogilvie)
Benjamin Koenig (Kidd)
Matthew Maurel (Birt)
Christopher Du Toit (Mallett)

Deputy Heads of Houses:

John Bassingthwaighte (Founders)
Andoni Augoustatos (School)
Reece Van Wyk (White)
David Lewis (Gray)
Uzoma Ngcwangu (Ogilvie)
Matthew Griffin (Kidd)
Elijah Fisher (Birt)
Jack Buckham (Mallett)