Dear Parents and Guardians
It is hard to believe, given the weather of the past few weeks, that the 1st September is upon us shortly, signaling what is supposed to be the start of Spring. Our thoughts are with those who have been hardest hit this winter, in make-shift homes and low-lying areas. Let us hope for a break in current conditions and the beginning of warmer and dryer times!
Our school has held up relatively well and I am pleased to say that the Ubuntu Learning Centre stood up to the weather test! It is always a relief after construction to have a building withstand tough conditions. With wet and cold winters now seemingly with us, we have spent a great deal of time looking at our stormwater systems and how best we can channel water away safely.
The Rowing Facility construction is coming along nicely but, as with the ULC, the project has been delayed by the weather. I went for a site visit last week and was so pleased with what the building looks like and what it will be able to do for our rowers and their development.
Staff news
While we welcomed our newest member of our teaching staff in assembly, I neglected to introduce Mr Trinity Dhaver to parents in a newsletter and my apologies for that oversight. Mr Dhaver joins us from KZN as an IT teacher who can also cover Mathematics and Technology and we welcome him, his wife and two children to Cape Town and to Bishops.
Vusa Cycle Challenge
What a wonderful community event this was! I was so proud of all who took part – many regulars but also a large group of boys from both the College and the Prep. Not only were much-needed fund raised for a very worthwhile cause that has become so much a part of Bishops, but the camaraderie and “can-do” spirit of the participants was a joy to see.
We are not sure of the final amount raised but at last count it was well in excess of the R1 million mark! I extend my very grateful thanks to Mrs Nikki Matthews who oversees the entire event, going without sleep for almost two days as she made sure the Challenge ran smoothly.
Thank you to all parents, boys, staff, ODs and friends of the school and of Vusa who took part.
Second hand clothing
The School Shop runs the secondhand clothing program at the College. They are appealing for all saleable used clothing that is no longer required to be delivered to them.
This is done as a donation – there is no reimbursement to College parents for second hand items donated. The revenues from secondhand items sold from the shop form part of the monthly payments and the annual profit the shop remits to the school - this is in turn credited into the bursary and scholarship fund administered by the school. This valuable source of income allows us to support our Diocesan Scholars with learning materials, clothing, sports equipment and so on.
Please support the shop so that they can build up adequate stocks of secondhand clothing for the back-to-school requirements in January 2025 and beyond.
Pluralism and schools
On Wednesday I shared some thoughts with staff about a concept called “pluralism” which is “a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc, coexist”. Simply put, we discussed under what conditions schools or teachers should or could make public statements on current affairs.
This discussion emanated from the IBSC conference and the dilemma many schools face about if and/or when, they issue a public statement on anything. The complexities of this discussion are far reaching indeed.
The presenters based their input on three “pillars” that held up pupil authority and self-determination on a base of learning and inquiry. These pillars were:
Expressive Freedom – allowing pupils a voice but understanding the impact of that voice on others, giving them the ability to respond to views that appeared unreasonable or unsettling and encouraging a willingness to listen deeply and with patience, even in the face of provocation.
Disciplined Non-partisanship – teachers affirming values that are kind, caring and inclusive without endorsing a particular philosophy, using considerable discretion when expressing their own views only doing so when it supports a pupil’s intellectual agency.
Intellectual Diversity – exposing pupils to a wide range of ideas and debates with intentional inclusion of competing arguments and theories.
This concept challenges schools about when and if to make statements and how to guide pupils in their understanding of current affairs and their questioning and reasoning, being able to listen actively to opposing viewpoints and guided by teachers who do not impose world views but facilitate debate.
It is clear that as teachers we have enormous influence on pupils and can shape thinking often and it is equally clear that we need to remain careful in these matters, taking a stance when necessary but still encouraging pupil self-determination.
Do schools ever take a stance on matters? I think the answer is “yes”. Should we do so carefully and with much consideration? Again, my answer is “yes”.
Given this approach, when we do make any form of social comment on matters of the day, this has been done with the greatest amount of thought and consideration for the most important question: “How does this benefit the boys?”
Schools are places of teaching and learning and part of that learning must help our boys debate current affairs, appropriately and with compassion for others’ views, according to the principles of expressive freedom.
Cell phone policy update
I can report that a small committee of representatives from various stakeholders has been set up to discuss our current cell phone policy and propose changes for next year. It is clear from the literature that is out there, based on authentic research, that change is needed in our school and in our world, as teachers but also as parents, when it comes to helping our children manage these devices.
While we are engaged with this process, I urge parents again to relook at how they manage their own children and their use of technology and smart phones in particular. At the risk of being repetitive, this is an issue requiring joint participation. Some tough decisions may have to be made, at school but also at home, to protect our children and give them the environment that is best for them.
In this week’s assembly I spoke of the concept of “Simplicity” and how we need, when the world becomes a busy place and our minds are racing, to take time in places of solitude and simplicity, to reflect and recharge.
Kind regards
Antony Reeler
Principal
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