Dear Parents and Guardians

The changing weather over the past two weeks has certainly signaled the start of winter in Cape Town! With the second term well under way now, I hope your son has settled into his preparation routine for the upcoming mid-year examinations and is enjoying his winter sport.

Speeding on campus

We have noticed some vehicles driving at excessive speed down the avenue and ask parents to please abide by the 20 kmph speed limit. Our boys are not very good at being aware of vehicles and are often in their own headspace as they cross the road! The last thing we need is an injury as a result of a speeding car so please make sure you drive carefully in the grounds of Bishops.

Lutgensvale fields

For many years we have granted access to the general public to the fields at Lutgensvale for children to enjoy outdoor activities, playing without much worry in a beautiful open space and for those with dogs to enjoy a stroll, exercising their animals. Sadly, we have had a few incidents of people walking their dogs off a leash and there have been times when dogs have attacked other dogs or even hurt children.

We have wrestled with the issue of compliance with our simple rule that dogs remain on a leash as there are some who do not comply, spoiling the opportunity for others. We simply cannot police the area with additional staff and it remains the responsibility of those who are granted access, to work within the rules covering that privilege. If there continue to be incidents of people taking this for granted and not following the rules, one of the sad consequences will be the closure of the fields and denying access to the public. This is not a route we want to go and have communicated our concerns to those who do have access.

School support for sport

We made a big effort to improve the support of the boys and the general Bishops community on weekends at sport and it has started to show in terms of the numbers of spectators at the Wynberg games. My thanks to those who came out to support and we ask for your continued attendance as we encourage our sportsmen to do their best.

My message to the boys last week was a simple one – we support each other no matter what the results or outcome. It is not about the result as much as showing the public what being part of a Bishops community is about and the pride we have in supporting our boys through thick and thin. This week we are away at SACS for most fixtures and we encourage parents to attend the fixtures and enjoy watching the boys play.

Freedom Day

Last week we celebrated Freedom Day with a special assembly and a different start to our sports games. It was wonderful to see the teams acknowledging each other before the game and the start to the 1st XV game was preceded by a short but powerful address from rugby co-captain, James le Feuvre and the singing of the National Anthem. It was a moving and special moment indeed! I have attached the assembly message I gave to the boys for your interest.

Robert Gray Award

We were privileged to be able to acknowledge the last of our Robert Gray recipients, Blaine Tomlinson, at our assembly this week. Blaine’s philanthropic work over many years was recognized through the award and we commend him highly on what he has done to change the lives of others.

Final thoughts

While there are many times I appreciate the advances of technology in our lives and the ease with which we access information and are able to communicate with loved ones through video calling for example, I do sometimes yearn for the days of pen and paper! This rather strange comment is as a result of my thinking and reading over the past few weeks.

While there are advantages with instant communication, this also creates the expectation of instant response. In the days of writing letters, there was something that had to happen between communiques – time. It took time to write, it took time to deliver the message and time to respond. While this is not always desirable, the one advantage of time was considered thought and space to think more deeply and fully about an issue. One of the phrases I have shared with boys and parents is “between action and reaction lies consequence.” To me, if we are able to insert some time between any action and our reaction to what has happened, often our response is more considered, balanced and thoughtful.

There are many times when I have received mail from family members, colleagues and parents when I have thought how the mail would have been different if we didn’t have instant communication available to us. There are many times I have sent such mail, often followed by regret that I didn’t mull more over what I wanted to say.

I share this thought today, not to berate or judge others, simply to make us aware of the dangers of immediate response to issues that might be handled better if we took a small moment of time to reflect before pressing “send”.

I wish you all well for the upcoming two weeks.

Kind regards

Antony Reeler
Principal

Freedom Day Assembly

On 27 April 1994, all South Africans 18 years or older, gathered at voting stations around the country to vote, for the first time in our history, as common citizens with equal rights. Previous elections had been limited to either white adults or as part of a separate system of government under the Tri-Cameral system where different race groups voted but only for one of their own race. This was truly a special moment in our country’s history and, while none of you were alive in 1994, many of your teachers were and indeed those just close to 50 years old would have voted themselves. There are many iconic photographs from that day, the two that stick with me being the picture of a man white South Africans had been taught to hate, Mr Nelson Mandela,  casting his vote with a gentle and warm smile after 27 years of incarceration and the aerial picture of long lines of people snaking backwards and forwards at polling booths, waiting for up to the whole day to cast a vote – something that had been denied them for so long. This was a special moment indeed.

This is why we celebrate Freedom Day. We celebrate the efforts of those, black and white, who fought against oppression and who helped set South Africa free.

But it is also a day where we look at where we are now, what we have achieved and where we need to go. It is a day where we celebrate our difference and acknowledge that difference can actually be a strength if we come together for the good of the country. It is a day where we should be proud of who we are – Africans together no matter what our race, language, belief or culture. It is a day for us to unite in a common purpose of the betterment of life for all of our citizens.

While we must celebrate that all people are seen as equal in the eyes of the law we must also be concerned that inequality is still rife in areas such as health, education, employment, provision of basic services and housing where the wealthy still enjoy significant advantage over the poor.

The Gini coefficient represents the correlation or relationship between wealth and equality. A coefficient of zero indicates absolute equality no matter whether rich or poor. A coefficient of one shows absolute inequality. South Africa’s Gini coefficient is currently at 0,63 – the highest in the world. Despite us having arguably the best constitution in the world which guarantees individual rights, that has yet to translate into common practice and much work lies ahead for us to fix this. It is no good at all that those of us in positions of relative wealth, able to afford housing, education, medical care, electricity, security and food sit back. Our success as a nation depends on all of our citizens having access to these basic rights. If we don’t fix this together, we will fail together.

You see, with freedom comes responsibility. You have rights as part of your freedom as a pupil at this school and as a young person in our country, but you have responsibilities too. You have the right to education, but you have the responsibility to allow others to exercise that right too by behaving properly in class. You have the right to be treated with respect, but you have the responsibility to return that respect to teachers, classmates and friends. You have the right to be educated in a safe environment free from bullying and intimidation, but you have the responsibility to act yourself in a proper manner. You have the right not to be spoken to in a derogatory manner by those in authority, yet you have the responsibility to behave respectfully towards those who have authority over you and over whom you have authority. You cannot have freedom and rights without accepting the responsibilities that accompany those freedoms.

“The price of greatness is responsibility.”

Winston S. Churchill

I remain optimistic about our country and about our school, but I worry that we are not taking personal responsibility for that future. I worry that we sit back and say it must be the government, school management or our parents that must take responsibility when in fact it must be all of us. I worry about the levels of interest in the upcoming elections – a massive symbol of freedom in our country and, arguably, an election more important than in 1994 when the result was largely known. This year is probably going to be a year of coalition politics and deep wisdom that will be required for those coalitions to work together, putting personal and party differences aside for the good of the community they will be serving. I am so pleased with the efforts that have been made to increase awareness of politics and various parties’ positions this past week. This is all part of being free – learning about others and hearing them as they speak.

I close with the words of a remarkable man who is so special to South Africans and indeed the world, Mr Nelson Mandela, who had this to say about 27 April 1994:

“As dawn ushered in this day, the 27th of April 1994, few of us could suppress the welling of emotion, as we were reminded of the terrible past from which we come as a nation; the great possibilities that we now have; and the bright future that beckons us. And so we assemble here today, and in other parts of the country, to mark a historic day in the life of our nation. Wherever South Africans are across the globe, our hearts beat as one, as we renew our common loyalty to our country and our commitment to its future.”    

Big Ideas - E Waste

A Big Ideas group worked hard last year to get permission to trial an E-Waste drop off facility at Bishops. E-Waste is very problematic when it enters landfills, and it needs to be disposed of and recycled correctly, but appropriate facilities for the recycling of it is limited.

This group, in collaboration with the E-Waste Recycling Authority organised for one of their bins to be inserted onto the Bishops Campus. The bin is located next to the Woodlands Astro in the parking area and it is open for drop off of all of your E-waste (including old computers, cables, appliances etc.) and will be there until the 12th of June.

DEB

An evening of conversation.

African Relations Society Ties

African Relations Society ties awarded to the following boys for participation and loyalty:
Bulumko Maki, Matthew Arends, Lulibo Nyawula, Harry Morgan and Munya Mtombeni.

Debating

National Debating League; Round 3 Results

The junior team (Hamaad Badroodien, Jack Townshend and Yuvi Gihwala) debated against Fish Hoek High, opposing the motion that this house supports the use of ad-blockers on the internet.

Hamaad Badroodien was also awarded best speaker of the debate.
The senior team (Zac Rosenberg, Oliver Frankel and Daniel Bursey) debated against Westerford, proposing the motion that this house, as the government, would engage in negotiation with the construction mafias. Daniel Bursey was awarded best speaker.

We look forward to the next round of debates which will be taking place in May.

Ben and Jacob in Canada

After a week of being shown around the academic sights of Toronto and preparing with their Australian and Canadian debate partners, Ben Anderson and Jacob Fried took part in the finals of the Re:Solved Debate Competition hosted by Branksome Hall and Munk Debates. At the end of a closely contested debate, Ben Anderson was declared the overall winner of the competition.
We are very proud of our Head Boy for this phenomenal achievement.

Distinction Ties

Congratulations to these gents who have earned their distinction ties through hard work and dedication to their sport.

1. Thomas Truter who was selected to the SA Men’s U18 Water Polo Team who will participate at the Water Polo World Championships in Argentina from the 2nd to 9th July.

   We acknowledge Jordan de Sousa for his selection to the SA team. He has already received his distinction tie.

2. Daniel Von der Heyden who competed at the recent ASA Senior Athletics Championships held in Pietermaritzburg and won the gold medal in the U18 men’s decathlon and set a new South African record in the process.

Hockey

Congratulations to the following boys who have been selected to represent WP hockey for 2024. 

WP U18A: James Grieve, Josh Mettler, Robbie Veldtman
WP U18B: Andrew Raubenheimer
WP U16A: Callum Anderson, Luc Dicey, Litha Mbiko, Harry Morgan
WP U16B: Matthew Edwards, Callum Jones
WP U14A: James Arckoll, Cuan Cadiz
WP U14B: James Cowen, Waseem Dalwai, Ethan Totaram-Jacobs

We wish them all the best for their provincial tournaments in the June/July holidays.

Soccer

Leardership

Congratulations to Calum Daniels who has been chosen as captain of Soccer for the 2024 season, while Nic Deckenbrock fills the role of Vice Captain.  

Wynberg Freedom Festival

Three Bishops Soccer teams showcased their prowess at the recent Wynberg Freedom Soccer Festival that took place from 26 – 28 April.

The U19 side played some competitive football, securing 2nd place in the Plate division and finishing 6th overall out of 12 teams. Despite facing tough competition, the team’s perseverance and teamwork lead them to a commendable position in the standings.

The U17 team also clinched 2nd place in the Plate division, concluding the tournament at 6th position out of 10 competing teams.

It was the U15 team that truly stole the spotlight, emerging as the young stars of the tournament, with 4 wins and 2 draws from their 6 matches played. Not only did they dominate the Cup division, but they also secured the coveted first place overall, proudly hoisting the winner’s cup, along with their gold medals. The U15s also conceded the least amount of goals throughout the tournament, while also scoring the most goals, showcasing their balanced gameplay and skills.

All teams displayed great skill, determination and sportsmanship over the weekend and are commended for their behaviour and conduct, both on and off the pitch.

Hat Tricks Scored

Well done to the following players who have all scored hat tricks in recent soccer matches: Khanyi Sixaba in the U17A game vs Pinelands. Joshua Rolfe and Tim Deckenbrock both scored their hat tricks for the U15A side at the Wynberg Festival.

Water Polo

Six Bishops Boys in South African Water Polo Teams

We are especially proud of six of our 1st Team Water Polo players who have been chosen to represent South Africa in the upcoming U16 and U18 World Water Polo Championships.

Michael Mafunda, James Malan, Matthew Fenn, and Timothy Young, who were part of the WP U16 Team that recently won the Currie Cup, have been selected for the South African U16 Team to compete in Malta in June.

Especially, we congratulate, Jordan De Sousa, the Goalkeeper, and Thomas Truter, the Centre Forward, on their selection for the South African U18 Team to play in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the start of July.

Swimming

Luc Bestel represents Bishops at multiple championships

The results are as follows:
SA Junior Nationals
This is the most important event of the season for young swimmers competing against the best swimmers in South Africa. Luc had a fantastic U16 competition winning 3 Gold Medals for (200 back, medley relay, 50 free relay) and 2 Bronze Medals (200 IM, 100 free relay).

SA Schools
Luc was part of the team who represented Western Cape Schools and achieved some outstanding results: 2 Gold Medals, 2 Silver Medals and 2 Bronze.

We are proud of Luc’s achievements and await his official SA ranking for the 2023/24 season.

Cycling

Joe Manicom is the 2024 captain of the Bishops Cycling Team. We wish this team every success as they represent the school on Sunday at an Enduro Race.

Winter Road and Trail Running Captain

We wish to thank our outgoing Summer Road and Trail Running captain Aiden Marsh for his service to the running club, as well as congratulate Zac Miller of Birt House on his appointment as captain for the Winter season. We wish Zac well for the busy season ahead.

Injury Process

1. Friday evening- Injury sent to the managers/coaches.
2. Concussions- All suspected/Confirmed concussions MUST be filled in BY THE MANAGER as they happen or after the game via the injury report link.
3. Sunday morning- managers, please send the injury report link to the players' group, where players will report all other injuries sustained, accompanied with a reminder for them to attend injury assessment during Open Period on Monday from 12h45 at the Physio’s practice.
4. Monday open period- All injured boys attend injury assessment on Monday during the open period. Physios will make note of all injuries sustained, including the following information:

• Boys name
• Sport 
• Age group
• Injury sustained 
• Severity of injury           

1. Tuesday- 10h00, the injury list will be finalized, and then at 14h00, the injury list will be sent out to the different sporting codes. 
2. Boys are classified into one of four categories.

• Red - Injured/ill - NO SPORT
• Yellow - Returning to training (RTT) - Integrating back into Gym/training - Not cleared for Return to Play. 
• Blue- RTP (Load Management / monitoring / integrating back into competition)
• Green – RTPerf - Cleared for Practice and Matches.

1. Mid-week injury - Any boy injured mid-week MUST go to the San Sister, who will collect the same information in point 4 and update the SPW team on WhatsApp.