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THURSDAY 9 May 2024
Dear Parents

FREEDOM DAY

Having used last week’s newsletter to give information about Klikd, I want to give you some feedback on our Freedom Day celebrations.  Our assembly on the Friday focussed on the origins of the day explained through a short video with boys seeing the visuals of that momentous election day and the significant break with the past that it signalled. Prayers were delivered in isiXhosa, Afrikaans and English and, while they expressed gratitude, they also hoped for an improved future for all our citizens. The National Anthem, sung with great enthusiasm by all, concluded our assembly.

Together with Wynberg Boys, we had planned something out of the ordinary for our Saturday morning rugby. Wynberg had had a large South African flag painted in the middle of their main field. To emphasis our togetherness and unity as a people – previously divided by apartheid – our boys shook hands with their counterparts before each game instead of just after the game. Later in the morning, Mr Cedric Poleman, WBJS Headmaster, addressed the crowd on the significance of the day and how playing together was such a good way to celebrate our democracy. Singing the National Anthem together – not something we often do with another school – was a really moving experience.

On a personal note, as a Wynberg old boy I was moved, on this special day, to observe the differences between my time there and now. I well remember playing on the same fields in the 1960s and the 1970s and how different our community was then: all white boys, mostly Christian (although there was a significant number of Jewish boys due to the large Jewish community then in Wynberg), all white teachers and, during my high school years, predominantly a male teaching complement. In fact, there was only one female teacher. How different it is now. All races, religions and cultures together in one school, boys, teachers and parents, and women coaching rugby, such a far cry from my time.

And while thirty years into our democracy there is still so much broken in our country, with still so much to be done, and with so many politicians interested in self-gain rather than the needs of our people, seeing the change in our school is really a symbol of hope, hope for what can be accomplished. In my day I was fortunate enough to be taught by a number of politically transformed teachers who managed to fit in an alternative curriculum to that of the national one. But there was no certainty of real change then, in fact the government was redoubling its efforts to retain white minority rule. So many of my classmates sadly left the country convinced that it would never by transformed. So, from that hopelessness of the 1970s to what we had on Saturday gives me hope for our future – how much can be achieved if the will is there, if our leaders make moral decisions and we all do whatever we can, small as it might be, to create a better future.


Kind regards

GREG BROWN
HEADMASTER
DIARY Dates
Wednesday 15 May 2024 Beginners' Music Concert

Time: 19h00
Venue: Jagger Hall
Friday 17 May 2024 House Outings/Functions

Time: 17h30
Further details will be communicated
Wednesday 22 May 2024 Ensemble Concert

Time: 19h00
Venue: Memorial Chapel
Friday 24 and Saturday 25 May 2024 Durbanville Exchange

Venue: Durbanville Primary
Wednesday 29 May 2024 National Elections

School Closed
Friday 31 May 2024 Inter-House Chess

Time: 13h30
TAKE Note
Rugby on Saturday - Assistance Required

We will be hosting Sun Valley and Kirstenhof at Lutgensvale on Saturday and we will once again be offering refreshments.

Please can you volunteer your services for just 30 minutes so that these refreshment stations can function optimally.

Please click HERE to book your shift.

Please click HERE for the fixture information.

Invitation for Grade 4s

Total Ninja has invited Bishops Grade 4s and VUSA learners for another outing in the last week of term.  

 Details of the event:

  • 11 June 2024
  • 15h00 to 17h00
  • Transport will be provided to the venue and parents can either collect from Total Ninja or back at school.
  • There is no limit on the number of Grade 4s who can attend. (There will be 30 VUSA learners attending)
  • The cost is R270.00 which includes 1 hour of play, socks, meal and a drink.

If you would like your son to attend, please register HERE and pay using this link: https://pos.snapscan.io/qr/PRqUFqgU

Hockey Fundraiser
Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity!
BSU - Insightful Parenting
Last call - if you would like to attend this discussion taking place tomorrow, please click HERE to RSVP.
NEWS
Grade 4 News
The Grade 4s showed great skill and creativity constructing the layers of the earth using modelling clay. Please visit our Facebook page for more photos.
Spelling Bee

Spelling Bee Champion Record Holder!

Congratulations to the indomitable Grade 5 speller, Ande Mogotlane, for winning and therefore holding the new school Spelling Bee Championship record: 3 years in a row! Unbee-lievable!

The remaining Bee Finals finish this week, good luck to all spellers!

Hockey News

There was another exciting afternoon of round robin hockey matches for the U9 boys at Hartleyvale this week. Matches were played against Rondebosch, SACS and Western Province Prep School. The boys are developing their skills more and more each week and having lots of fun.

Music News
Well done to the boys who participated in Music Assembly this week.

Back row: Mr Luke van Eeden (drums), Alex Breslin (vocal group), Gus Moran (announcer), Tariq Eskinazi (vocal group), Liam Khan (saxophone)
Middle row: Adam Shaik (saxophone), Noah Kihlstrand-Spencer (piano), Aarik Sukha (piano), Ming-gu Xiao (piano), Samuel Yazdanpanahi (vocal group & flute), Sam Burchell (piano), Luca Laub (piano)
Seated on the floor: Xander Chu (piano), Michael McCollum (clarinet), Kwamena Sam (piano), Mingjun Qiu (piano)

Weekly Winners
Artists of the week: The following boys were chosen for their Egyptian Cartouche designs.  They mastered the hieroglyphics and printed successfully at least ten times! Please click HERE to view all the artwork.

5B: Jasper Garratt, Joshua Joubert, Nic Reyburn and Daniel Tywcross
5P: Harry Edwards, Ethan Hodgins, Jonathan Kotze and Matt Warner
5S: David Ebbs, Staten Kettlewell, Nicholas Kimberley and Luke Kuttel

The Hockey Husky this week goes to the U10 E team who played so well in their match last week. Well done, team!

Rick the Bear was awarded to the U12C for a game filled with commitment! Well done, team!

Chess Player of the Week: Congratulations to Hugo Bonadei for his outstanding performance leading to the U13B victory! 

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