Dear Parents
We have had a rich two weeks with a number of out of the ordinary events and activities. We started the previous week with a Bishops Praise Service in the Mallett Centre: all grades from 1-11 (the Matrics having had their Valedictory the week before) together with staff (academic and support) from across the three campuses. Bishops Praise is a chance to gather together and give thanks for what we have and enjoy at our school in song and prayer. At the same time our Hindu families were celebrating Diwali and Father Monwabisi referred to that in his opening, wishing them well and reminding us of how that celebration of light over darkness, good over evil resonates with all faiths and is the essence of our humanity.
Pre-Prep and Prep athletes took part in the Paarl Boys Athletics meeting that evening, a track event, and fared very well proudly bringing a number of medals home as they did again later in the week at the Rhenish meeting. For the first time in recent history we hosted the Finals of the Inter-Schools General Knowledge Competition in Jagger. It is a long time since we have entered this competition and thanks to Mr Clayton Turner for taking this initiative. We were very proud of our team consisting of eight Grade 7s who came out tops in the evening with 76 out of 100 correct answers. And these to some very difficult questions across all fields. Well done to that group of boys.
During the last two weeks my garden has been transformed into a fully operational outdoor theatre with a hired mobile stage, highly sophisticated lighting and sound equipment and raised benches from around the school. The weekend was abuzz with rehearsals long into the night and very excited but slightly exhausted cast members. Tuesday night’s dress rehearsal was a great success with a small but highly entertained audience. Sadly a thunder storm, unusual for us in Cape Town, led to the postponement of the Wednesday opening night to Sunday. However, we opened last night to a packed “garden” heralding what is sure to be a great run.
Producing Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a group of 12 and 13 year olds was very ambitious decision but everyone rose to the occasion. Bearing in mind the 16th century language and all the lines that had to be learnt not to mention quite a complicated script with a number of lovers and series of deceptions by the forest “underworld” in what has to be a fast-paced and at all times magical yet believable performance this was no mean feat. We can be very proud of our boys and the girls from Reddam Constantia who have really acquitted themselves so well, delighting us with their mastery of Shakespeare, enthusiasm and excellent characterization. A dramatic production requires a particular commitment for those who participate, long hours over weekends, rehearsal times after sports practices and into the evenings and those seemingly boring repetitions of a cue and entrance, particular movements and so on. But all this leads to enormous growth and a wonderful sense of camaraderie. So a huge congratulations to the cast and production team. The final run requires all staff to put in time assisting but my particular thanks and congratulations to the director, Ms Caroline Duck (her first production at Bishops), assisted by Mr Russell Drury, and Ms Sandee Clapperton, composer of much of the music and training the cast.
After the drought of the last two years it is a real treat to enjoy a production again.
You will be hearing from, or might already have, Housemasters and Form teachers about special House events, outings and the like, and I have written to Grade 7 parents giving them the details of specific events for our Leavers, but please diarise these two whole school events:
- Carol Services on the evening of Tuesday 29 November;
- Prizegiving on Thursday 8 December at 9am; both in the Memorial Chapel.
Enjoy the weekend.
Kind regards
GREG BROWN
HEADMASTER |
