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THURSDAY 22 February 2024
Dear Parents

Everyone seems to have enjoyed last week’s mid-term break and returned refreshed, having “taken a collective breath”.

CAMPS
Our Grades 4-6 boys enjoyed their camps last week, the Grade 4s spending one night at Rocklands in Simonstown and 5s and 6s two nights, the former at High Africa and the latter at Bonamanzi. These camps, set early in the year, provide a great opportunity to bond and work with their teachers in a different space. Both have a chance to see each other in a new light which enriches the relationship for the year.

Many of the activities are physical, including team building and, in the nature of a camp, outdoors. A good change from the classroom. Boys are supervised but do have to take careful responsibility for their belongings, wash their own utensils, etc – all part of the development of independence. Who manages this best is often a surprise, but it is a good growing experience for the boys.

Some become very homesick and need a lot of help from staff to “push through”. And sharing accommodation, waiting one’s turn, are all experiences that can be challenging, but they are good learning opportunities, the experiences that Cecil Day Lewis describes in his poem, Walking Away – ‘the small, the scorching ordeals which fire one’s irresolute clay”.  They build resilience and a sense of achievement for the boys, an “I can do this” mentality. And staff are there to assist and to counsel the boys through what might be difficult.

Of course, for some boys it is all pure fun and easy, but they will face different challenges, as we all did, the times “that fired our irresolute clay”.

Kind regards

GREG BROWN
HEADMASTER
DIARY Dates
Friday 23 February 2024

Cubs/ Scout Uniform to School

Applicable only to boys who are part of a Cubs Pack or Scout Troop

Tuesday 27 February 2024

Athletics Pentangular

Time: 14h30
Venue: Wynberg High School

Thursday 29 February 2024

Music Parents/Teacher Meetings

Time: 17h30 to 19h30
Venue: Jagger Hall
Please confirm you attendance with your respective music teacher/s

Tuesday 5 March 2024

School Photos

Boys to wear No 1s

TAKE Note
Request from the Music Department

We have become concerned that instruments are not being taken home for boys to practise their music. Sports practices and matches do pose a problem, especially for Strings, Woodwind and Brass instruments.

Please assist your son in bringing his instrument home at least twice a week and for the weekends. Some boys do not take their instruments home at all which is very concerning. For meaningful progress to be made, it is essential that the boys practise frequently, even if these practices are short.

On any sport day, boys may leave their instruments in the classrooms with their suitcases. The classrooms will be locked during the practice. After sport, the classrooms will be unlocked and then all belongings may be taken home.  If your son has a sports match, then please arrange to collect his instrument from school, before the match.

Also, if your son has a few days between lessons, please arrange to collect his instrument from him early one morning, when he is dropped off at school.
Please be aware that instruments should never be left in the sun, the rain or a hot car.

Holiday Clinics

If you are wanting to keep your children busy and active during the school holidays and/or develop their skills, why not send them on a holiday clinic?

Please click HERE for information on the Study Skills Course

Please click HERE for information on the Hockey Clinic

Please click HERE for information on the Soccer Madness Clinic

Please click HERE for information on the Rugby Ready Games Clinic

Please click HERE for information on the Rugby Madness Clinic

For future reference the details will be placed on MyBishopsLife on the Information Page under Extra-Mural Information - Holiday Workshops and Clinics

Second Hand Shop - POP-UP

The Second Hand Shop will host a pop-up shop during second break on the 6th March from 12h30 for winter sports kit. Please send your son along to under the trees on Stanmore Field if they need new rugby and hockey kit (tops and blue shorts). Please check sizes at home for old kit beforehand. Items they’ve outgrown can be brought along too, or delivered to the front office beforehand, for resale.

 

BSU - Insightful Parenting
If you are interested, please RSVP using this link: https://forms.office.com/r/X1zaAkwhQX.
NEWS
House Leadership 2024
Congratulations to these boys on being elected! We wish them all the best as they serve their respective houses in 2024.
Art News

The Artists of the Week were chosen from Grade 5.  They have focussed on how to draw people and their challenge was to draw themselves with their friends playing at breaktime. They looked at “Where’s Wally” drawing for inspiration.  The following boys are recognised for their detailed figure drawings of ‘Friends playing on the field at breaktime.’ Well done to them. Please click HERE to view all the artwork.

5B - Finn Ferguson, Rushdi Hendricks, Liam Khoury and Minggu Xiao
5P - Robbie Baynham, Alex Constantinou, Cole Darné and Nicholas Kalil
5S - Tristan Jordaan, Staten Kettlewell, Pano Protoulis and Adam Turnley-Jones

Quadrangular

Our athletes did us proud in our 175 Quadrangular yesterday winning 9 gold medals, 13 silver and 13 bronze! HERE is the list of our medal winners, congratulations to them all and well done to all our athletes, you were all incredible.
The Athletics Pentangular is being held next Tuesday at Wynberg Boys High. Our team will be announced tomorrow.

Music News

Well done to the musicians that performed at this week's music assembly. Back row: Matthew Wakefield (announcer), Daniel Twycross, Alex Breslin, Nicholas Turck; Seated: Chris de Wet, Thomas McCollum, Evan West; Front row: Luca Laub, Alec van der Merwe

We were also privileged to have the Pre-Prep choir singing with along with the Prep boys during hymn practice this morning.

    BISHOPS PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Fir Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700
Phone:+27 (21) 659 7222 | Fax: +27 (21) 659 7227