Dear Parents and Guardians
I trust you enjoyed the previous long weekend and had time to relax with your families but also time to reflect on the significance of the weekend, Freedom Day in particular. For many of us, it was the first time that we voted as an entire South African community on 27th April 1994. I can still remember standing in the voting line and trying to capture the importance of the moment.
Our oldest boys in the College were born around 2005, almost a decade after democracy and we tried to make the moment relevant and special for all our boys through a Freedom Day service, created by Father Monwabisi and the boys and staff in the Diversity, Equity and Belonging portfolios and attended by all the staff at the College.
A brief history of the event was given by Matric pupil, Franklin Sonn, followed by a recollection of life during the apartheid era from current parent Mr Essa Rinquest in which he described his family’s experience in the time of the struggle. The service was simple yet moving, and I hope our boys left with a deeper appreciation of the freedoms they enjoy as a result of the efforts of others. My thanks go to all who made this possible.
The Diversity, Equity and Belonging staff and pupil committees have been busy and one of the tasks given to the boys across the College is to use their creative skills in their Tutor groups to try to capture what the concept of “human rights” is and what it means to them. They have been asked to create presentations to share with their Houses next Friday and we are looking forward to seeing their interpretation of this issue. It is hoped that by taking a significant moment each month such as Human Rights Day, Freedom Day, Youth Day, Women’s Day and so on, we can highlight these days as not just public holidays but days of significance and meaning.
At our termly Evensong this week, we had the privilege of hearing Father Michael Lapsley preach as he wove the Prayer for Serenity into his own life’s story. This deeply moving sermon was greatly appreciated by all at the service and I know he caused many of us present some deep introspection and reflection.
Robert Gray Award
This Friday saw the awarding of our second Robert Gray medal for the year, awarded to an Old Boy of the school who fulfils the following criteria:
- The recipient must be a living OD.
- The achievements must be of a nature that exemplifies the philosophy, values and spirit of Bishops and the ODU. The characteristics of courage, compassion, a willingness to fight for truth and justice and a genuine concern for his fellow man must be present.
- The contribution/achievements must be of such a nature that it has had a significant impact for the good of society.
- The contribution/achievements must have been made over a sustained period (at least ten years).
While the recipient’s achievements might have brought personal material gain, this must not have been the driving motivation for the endeavour.
At this assembly, we recognized the work of OD, Dr Greg Mills, whose achievements thus far can be read in the attached citation, prepared by Dr Paul Murray. We commend Dr Mills for his outstanding contribution to our country and to society and hope that he and other recipients serve as inspiration for our boys as they start their adult lives.
Quality Assurance
We have been busy for the past month preparing for a visit from the quality assurance organization that is tasked by ISASA to assess its member schools. This organization, the Office of Independent Schools Evaluations, Southern Africa (OISESA) conducts this process through the collection of data from the surveys done last term with Council, parents, teachers and boys, combined with a school self-study process and a three-day mentor visit. The mentor visit took place last week.
The final report is expected in a few months’ time, in which successes are noted as are areas for improvement and attention. These areas are taken from the survey, the self-study and are guided by the mentors. This helpful process, which gave us very useful data, will allow us focal points for the following two years.
ONE75
The committee steering the 175th year celebration, led by Mr Joc Wrensch, has been busy considering a number of activities that will form part of our year acknowledging this milestone. We have tried to involve all areas of school life, academic, spiritual, cultural and sporting as we put on a year that shows what Bishops is about. Further details and a proposed plan of action will be ready by the end of this term and shared with the community. Our steering committee consists of representatives from all three campuses and the ODU as we look to celebrate 175 years of Bishops’ existence amongst the whole school community.
Bishops vs SACS 150th year of rugby
This Saturday we will be celebrating 150 years of rugby matches between our two great schools, Bishops and SACS. We will be streaming and recording the game as part of our history and will also have a special moment before the game to mark the occasion. This is a compulsory event for the College boys and we hope to see all our supporters at the matches to celebrate the occasion.
Closing Thoughts
As there was no assembly this week, I close with a short thought I had as a result of a staff development session I attended, presented by our own psychologists, on neurodiversity and how different brains work. In this session, Mrs Marileen Harrod spoke of the impulsive behaviour of so many of our boys who often act without much thought, yet upon reflection often concede they could have acted differently.
Sometime ago I heard a phrase that I was reminded about: “Between action and reaction lies consequence.” Simply put, the longer the time between an event and our boys’ reaction to that event, often the better the consequence for them and others. I share that thought with you this week and ask that you encourage your sons to sometimes step back before making a decision, to give some time to come up with a better way. I know spontaneity is also a special quality and allows us to “seize the moment” if you wish, but perhaps just sometimes, that moment can wait…!
I wish you well for the upcoming fortnight and ask that you spend some time with your sons, helping them plan and prepare for the upcoming examinations.
Kind regards
Antony Reeler
Principal
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