Dear Parents and Guardians

By now you will have received two important communiques from the school, one to address the school’s plan to combat bullying and the other to inform you of the latest situation with the Rhodes School Scholarships. I urge you, if you have not done so already, to read these documents carefully.

My letter to you regarding bullying says it all and I do not want to repeat myself, save to say that I am personally committed to rooting out all forms of violence, physical or emotional, in our school. This includes the Prep and Pre Prep. I am painfully aware that this process does not happen overnight but we will work tirelessly to eradicate this kind of behaviour.

The Rhodes Scholarship letter speaks to the state we are at after almost three years of discussions and negotiations with the Rhodes Trust and we ask that, should you wish, you take up the chance to comment on the form provided in the mail.

Discussion with pupil leaders

I hold meetings every week with the pupil leadership at the College and they have open access to me at any time. Part of our latest discussion has been a matter, raised by the boys, on the levels of respect afforded to our teachers and our female teachers in particular. As one of our core values, respect is vital to our community and we ask for your support in instilling this with your son. Most importantly is how he treats women – his female friends, sisters and his mother. Our men need to model appropriate behaviour towards women for our boys to emulate and our women need to kindly but firmly, insist on respectful interactions with their sons. This takes time, as we all know, but regular discussions at home about how men treat women and frequent appropriate responses when a boy steps out of line, develop a habit in him that helps him on his journey to manhood.

Around the College

Our Grade 10 boys are well in to their exams and I hope they have gone well. They undergo training for the annual Epic, a life-changing positive experience for most, next week and shortly thereafter depart for the Cederberg and their adventure. Our Grade 11s begin their exams on Monday and we wish them well for what lies ahead. Our juniors will begin exams later and, again, I wish them all the very best.

Our Grade 9s embarked on the first Activity Week and, while it was different from previous years in terms of excursions, my feedback has been largely positive. I do want to thank Mr Mouton Joubert for co-ordinating the week and for working so hard to create enjoyable experiences for our boys. We will be undergoing a review of the week and revisiting certain aspects for the next year.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Prep production of Bugsy Malone, in collaboration with our sister school St Cyprian’s. What a special production it was and I am so proud of our little brothers and all the staff for an extraordinary performance. The fact that we had three outstanding shows this year, one each from the Pre Prep, Prep and College speaks volumes about the state of drama in our school.

Staff news

We held a number of farewell functions for staff retiring or leaving at the end of this year and it was a fitting moment to be able to acknowledge Lydia Barnett, Chris Ekron, Aneen Kritzinger and Sally Bowes for their remarkable service. We have a custom that a fellow staff member speaks at the function as a tribute from the school and it was such a joy to hear the words said in honour of these men and women.

We congratulate Mrs Clea Schulz-Mofokeng and Mr Sam Mofokeng on the birth of their first child, a son named Nande, last week. It is such a joyful moment to welcome a new little person to our community.

Kind regards

Antony Reeler
Principal

I attach the message shared with the boys last week in assembly. I hope you enjoy it and are able to have a conversation with your son about his stance on “Comment Culture”.

COMMENT CULTURE

I have a rule when it comes to my own social media activity. Never look at the comments. I broke my own rule the other day when reading an article on the various incidents of violence or bullying that has been reported on in schools around SA and was horrified, not only at the incidents themselves, but also at the kind of self-righteous, mean, nasty and unkind comments that were made by people who had no real idea of what happened. The judgement that happened was thoughtless and without regard for others.

I coined a phrase that may or not be original and that is “Comment Culture”. I think we have become obsessed with making comments about everything we read online. It started with Facebook, then Instagram and various other platforms like news websites that allow comments in the name of free speech. And while people do have the right to an opinion, I just worry that they feel the need to express that opinion, even if means hurting others intentionally or not, in the comment section.

Linked with adult Comment Culture is what some of you do in conversation with each other online. I have seen some of the most awful comments when we have had to review a boy’s phone and his chat history as a result of a disciplinary process. How some of you talk to each other and to girls in particular is deeply disturbing. One should seldom use this kind of language and certainly not when angry. And the fact that these texts are one-dimensional – they don’t show any facial features, a smile, a frown -just text and emojis. There is no body language in the conversation and it reads badly.

So why is it that Comment Culture and text conversations are often fraught with these disturbing messages that the sender or author has no right to post and will probably regret?

The answer to this question may be found in two of our values: Courage and Kindness.

It takes courage to do all sorts of things as we have shared – physical courage, calling a friend out and standing up for what is right, but is also takes courage to look someone in the eye when you speak to them or to be in their presence. I wonder how many of you would have the courage to say what you send in text messages to the person face to face? One saying I read was never trust someone who cannot look you in the eye.

My mother had many words of wisdom for me as a young boy – one was “If you have nothing nice to say to someone, say nothing.” I would advise the same to you, particularly when it comes to messaging each other and your friends. You can disagree for sure, you can argue, but there are ways of doing that which are kind, respectful and do not hurt.

I made my personal rule not to look at comments on social media after being obsessed with them when it came to my school, now and in the past. I wanted to know what people thought. And the more I read, the more upset I became. For self-preservation I made this rule, and have stuck to it – until last week. One of the comments I read about the school bullying was to suggest that the people involved be sent to Bishops. That hurt me deeply because I know we are not that school. I know many of you share my taking offence with such a hurtful, unkind comment that reflects so badly on us all.

We are going to be working really hard to eradicate violence, bullying and intimidation in all forms in our school. We will accept it no more including this bizarre culture of hitting each other or knucking. We will gain a reputation for being a proudly boys school that leads the way in everything we do, including how we treat each other, our peers, juniors, women, people less fortunate than ourselves, our teachers, parents, adults and so on. We will rid ourselves of all unkind practices and it will take courage – great courage – but I am convinced we can do it together.

Confucious is credited with the saying “Before opening mouth, engage brain.” I would change that to before texting someone, just stop and think, engage your brain, try to think if your words are unkind or not and have the courage not to send them but speak to someone facing them.  

SRF

Congratulations to Jeremy Liddle and Sango Kunene, our 2026 SRF leaders!
We are proud to see these two step into leadership and wish them every success as they take on their new roles. Here's to a year of growth, impact, and inspiration!

Rowing

Bishops Rowing Results – WC Championships
The Bishops Rowing Club delivered an outstanding series of performances at the WC Championships, with crews achieving podium finishes across multiple age groups. The depth of talent, commitment, and teamwork on display was a true reflection of the Club. Well done to all our athletes and coaches for their hard work and determination throughout the regatta.

U19 Men:
Eight - 3rd Place
Coxed Four - 1st Place
Coxless Four - 2nd & 3rd Place
Quad - 2nd Place
Pair - 3rd Place
Scull – 1st & 3rd Place

U16 Men:
Eight - 1st Place
Coxed Four – 2nd Place
Coxless Four - 1st Place
Pair – 2nd & 3rd Place

U15 Men:
Oct - 2nd Place
Quad - 2nd & 3rd Place
Double - 3rd Place
Scull - 2nd Place

Special mention to Ben Redfern for winning the First scull and further to the first coxed four who won the event for the first time in 5 years:
Cox - Max Petersen, Bow - Finn Moran, 2 - Edward Potgieter, 3 - Ben Redfern, Stroke - Kai Bacher.

Cricket

Harry Morgan made history on Saturday, 1 November 2025 in the 2nd XI cricket match, vs SACS, on the Frank Reid. Harry, batting at No. 3, registered his maiden century for Bishops and, thereafter, concluded the innings with a remarkable 237* off 143 balls. His innings included 27 x 4s and 9 x 6s. Records have since been checked and Harry's knock has been verified as the highest score ever recorded by a Bishops cricketer in the College's 176-year history (eclipsing the 218* made by Adnaan Lagadien, v Hilton College, in 2024). A stat that, hopefully, puts the magnitude of Harry's achievement into perspective..

Herewith the evolution of the highest score registered by a Bishops cricketer:

Hugh Roy: 200 v Wynberg (1953)

Andy Pycroft: 213* v Cape Town 2B (1973)

Haldane Murray: 217* v SACS (1989)

Adnaan Lagadien: 218* v Hilton College (2024)

Harry Morgan: 237* v SACS (2025)

Bishops cricket teams enjoyed a successful first day of November with the 14As; 15As; 15Bs; 2nd XI and 1st XI registering wins to follow the 3rd XI's lead in yesterday's day-night encounter on the Frank Reid. The day was dominated by James Gray's five-wicket haul (6-0-18-5) for the 15Bs and two extraordinary innings by Bishops batsmen. Ibraheem Taliep followed his 100, v Wynberg, last week with 152 (123) - (22 x 4s and 2 x 6s on Memorial) and Harry Morgan scored his maiden ton for Bishops in the 2nd XI match on the Frank Reid. Harry proceeded to carry his bat to conclude the Bishops' innings with a remarkable 237* (143). Harry's innings included 27 x 4s and 9 x 6s with a strike-rate of 166.

Cricket Awards

James Gray took 5-18 for the U15B team against SACS. He receives a mounted ball. Ibraheem Taliep scored another century this past Saturday. He receives a signature bat for his 152 off 123 deliveries for the U15A team against SACS. Harry Morgan scored 237* off 143 deliveries on the Frank Reid for the 2nd X1 against SACS on Saturday. This is the highest recorded score by a College batter since 1849 – a record! Well done, Harry!

PR Boys

At this time of the year, we pay tribute to the Grade 11 pupils who have served on our school’s PR Group since the beginning of the first term. Time and again, these boys have done sterling work when selflessly representing the College in so many ways. We thank them for their tireless effort and for the many sacrifices they have made along the way, whenever tour guides were needed or when duties had to be performed. It is a pleasure now to award each member of this team with the prestigious PR Tie. Well done, young men!

Alexander Beach
Sam Bey
Daniel Bursey
Bradley Christian
Matthew Couves
Matthew de Jager
Aarav Desai
Jack Hibling
Ethan January
Benji Koch
James Koen
Matt Kriel
Michael Mafunda
Bulumko Maki
Chris Mclagan
Derek Meyer
Azania Mogale
Naethan Mol
Harry Morgan
Landi Moyo
Billy Oriander
Zuhayr Sirkot
Troy Stockdale
John van den Heever
Dylan Vorwerg
Andy Ward
Michael Whitelaw
Tommy Winfield

Music Ensemble Leaders

Congratulations to the following boys for being elected as Music Leaders for 2026.

Head of String ensemble & Orchestra - Zuhayr Sirkot
Head of Jazz Band - Benji Koch
Head of Wind Band - Tommy Winfield
Head of Simply Blue - Derek Meyer
Head of Choir & Brass - Gordon Alexander

Interact Ties and Committee 2025/26

Congratulations to the new Interact Committee of 2026:

President:  Samuel Crookes
Vice President: Alex Tadross
Secretary: Tommy Winfield
Admin & Communication: Michael Whitelaw
Treasurer: Reuben Futter
Marketing: Uzayr Johaar
VUSA Co-ordinators: Zuhayr Sirkot and Benji Koch

The following boys have also been awarded Interact Ties:

Tommy Winfield
Zuhayr Sirkot
Reuben Futter
Alex Tadross
Michael Whitelaw
Aarav Desai
Samuel Crookes
Benji Koch

My Bishops Life Parent Portal
We remind all parents that all academic reports are delivered via the parent portal of MyBishopsLife at the end of the term.
As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all students, we would like to remind you to review and, if necessary, update your son's medical information on MyBishopsLife.

This information is critical for several reasons:

• Catering arrangements: Staff rely on the centrally stored data for accurate dietary and allergy-specific needs.
• Medical circumstances: Up-to-date details enable us to manage any specific medical requirements effectively.
• Emergency preparedness: Ensuring medical aid and doctor information is current allows us to act swiftly and appropriately in case of an emergency.

Your prompt attention to this matter will help us maintain the highest standards of care for your son.
Please click here for help on registering for MyBishopsLife if you haven’t done so already.
The administrative staff that verify new registrations will be on leave during the Christmas holidays and therefore registration approval may be delayed until return to school.

Bishops IT Technical Desk
Operation Hours during School Holidays
Closed: Monday 15 December 2025 – Monday 05 January 2026
Open: Monday 08 December 2025 – Friday 12 December 2025 and Tuesday 06 January 2026 – Tuesday 13 January 2026