Dear Parents
IBSC CONFERENCE
Last week I attended a conference of the national International Boys’ School Coalition in Gqeberha. These are always very good conferences to attend – they include staff from both State and Independent schools across the country. The presentations and discussions always confirm the answer to “Why a school for boys?” which the IBSC website sums up perfectly:
Schools for boys:
- understand and celebrate boys;
- seek first to develop good men;
- know that boys develop and learn in different ways;
- teach in ways that boys learn best;
- help boys discover and explore their full potential;
- foster brotherhood and lifelong friendships.
Through all this, we know that boys are wonderful to teach: spontaneous, open, active, vibrant, curious and adventurous, but also impulsive, experimental and experiential, capable of doing “dumb things”. We work around and with all these characteristics, helping them to navigate what will most likely come their way at different stages of their journey.
As staff and Heads shared the challenges that face our boys, there is certainly a commonality across all schools: abuse of technology, social media, exposure on YouTube and TikTok to racist, sexist and homophobic rants from the far right posing as the champions of masculinity and the rights of men, very easy access to pornography as well as peer pressure.
Education is critical here as we take them on their fourteen year journey, keeping parents informed, and above all, continuing to relate to our boys, holding them when they are down, disillusioned or in trouble. Everyone leaves such a conference determined to meet the challenge and mindful of the privilege and the joy that comes with teaching boys.
TERM DATES 2024
A month ago, we published our term dates for 2024 after consultation with the other independent schools in our region. Subsequent to that, a number of schools have changed their calendars and we have debated whether to follow suit or not, given the significant number of children that attend both Bishops and these schools. We have therefore decided to amend our calendar to include a two week break between the third and fourth terms.
The new dates for 2024 are thus:
Term 1 Wed 17 Jan to Wed 20 March (unchanged)
Term 2 Tue 9 April to Wed 12 June (unchanged)
Term 3 Tue 9 July to Fri 20 Sept (unchanged)
Term 4 Mon 7 Oct to Fri 6 Dec (one week later)
We are confident that we have not compromised the academic programme of the school in any way as we have also considered that most public holidays for 2024 fall in the school holidays.
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
As we prepare to enjoy a four day weekend, we are mindful that Tuesday is Human Rights Day. In assemblies from tomorrow we will be reflecting on our rights within society and our awareness that we are all responsible for ensuring that the rights of others are not compromised wherever our sphere of influence lies.
RAMADAAN
Next week the holy month of Ramadaan commences and so I wish all our Muslim families a Ramadaan Mubarak.
Kind regards
GREG BROWN
HEADMASTER |
