Dear Parents

We are excited to invite you to tomorrow morning’s Coffee Connection session. These gatherings provide a valuable opportunity to connect with fellow parents, Mrs Essa, our educational psychologist and myself to gain insights from expert speakers on topics that are crucial to our children's well-being and development.
Tomorrow’s Topic:
Children Need Boundaries: The Importance of Effective Discipline, Positive Communication, and Encouraging Resilience for Future Challenges.

Speaker: Anne Cawood, renowned expert in child development and parenting. Anne is an experienced  social worker who worked at the Parent Centre for several years and who has worked and counselled at some of the top secondary schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. Trained to run Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) she’s been involved in workshops on a host of topics. Anne is a popular speaker and is often invited to do presentations at schools, parenting   workshops and on radio shows. She has written many articles on parenting for print  media and has presented lectures and workshops at  the UCT Summer and Winter Schools. In her work, Anne places a strong emphasis on problem-solving and life-skills training, and her workshops for children on topics related to self-esteem, assertiveness and peer relationships are very popular. She was also nominated for the “Woman of the Year” Award in 2010. Anne is married with four children and now has four grandchildren.

Boundaries play a critical part in the healthy development of children, particularly our pre-prep boys. Setting clear boundaries during these formative years is essential for several reasons:

1. Security and Predictability: Boundaries provide young children with a sense of security, helping them understand what is expected of them. This predictability allows them to navigate the world more confidently, knowing that certain behaviours are consistent and expected.
2. Development of Self-Control: By understanding and adhering to boundaries, children learn self-control. They begin to grasp the idea that not every impulse needs to be acted upon, which is a crucial skill as they grow and encounter more complex social situations.
3. Healthy Relationships: Boundaries teach children about respect—for themselves and others. They learn that while they have the freedom to express themselves, there are limits to ensure that their actions do not harm others. This understanding is foundational for building positive relationships throughout their lives.
4. Resilience and Problem-Solving: When children encounter boundaries, they also face challenges. Learning to cope with these challenges, within the safety net of parental guidance, helps them develop resilience. This resilience is key to handling future challenges, both big and small.

Anne Cawood will offer practical advice on how to implement effective discipline, foster positive communication, and build resilience in our children, ensuring they grow into well-rounded and capable individuals.
We hope you can join us for this insightful discussion and take away valuable strategies to support your son's growth.

Happy birthday to Kelly Kotjie for the 19th August, Linda Brombacher on the 22 August, Mrs Bird on the 29August and Mr Tsotso on 30 August.

Kind regards

TARYN BAIN
HEAD: PRE-PREP

Time:               14h00 to 16h00 
  
Venue:             Western Province Cricket Club Astro 2  

Time:               14h00 to 16h00 
  
Venue:             Western Province Cricket Club Astro 2  

Kindly click on link to RSVP.

175 Pre-Prep Cultural Celebration and Grandparents' Day

Our Grade 1 and 2 Grandparents and Parents are invited to join us for this celebration which begins at 09h15 in the Memorial Chapel. Tea will be available from 08h45.

Kindly click on link to RSVP.

TAG Rugby - Grade R mini festival

This year the Grade R boys will be having their own mini, internal Tag tournament to end off the season.  

This will take place on their last day of Tag, from 12:30 – 13:15. 

Parent feedback meetings

The Simply book me link will be available from 29 August.

VUSA challenge Pre-Prep Team

ROCKING FOR A REASON. 

The Pre-Prep staff will be cycling, please come and say hello and give your support, we would love to see our boys cheering us on! Please support our Backabuddy.

BackaBuddy link: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/rocking-for-a-reason

This year, the funds will go toward building a library, refurbishing classrooms, and enhancing the skills of our incredible coaches and facilitators.

Thank you to everyone who dropped off recycled goods for our VUSA Market Day which took place on Saturday 17 August,2024 at Langa Sports Grounds. The children were busy all week preparing their items and were so excited for the event.
Of all the VUSA programs, the impact of this one is particularly close to our hearts. Over seven months, the children work closely with Capitec and VUSA facilitators to develop entrepreneurial skills. They start by identifying a problem and work their way through budgeting and marketing culminating in "Shark Tank" pitches to teams of scary Capitec corporates. ( actually lovely, encouraging, and wise Capitec volunteers but, to a 13-year-old, it can feel quite intimidating!)

A few reports of head lice/nits had been detected in a few classes. I would like to request that you check your son’s head thoroughly. This is a seasonal problem and all schools have outbreaks from time to time.  A good place to check for nits is in the hair behind the ears.
Please note that should you find your son to have lice, we request that he be stay home until his head has been treated and is clear.  
Please speak to your pharmacist who will be able to advise you on the correct treatment for this problem.  A word of advice though is that the head should be washed over and not in the bath as very harsh pesticides are used in some of the lice treatments.

Please click HERE if you are interested in attending holiday Mrs Kingwill's holiday club (23rd - 27th September)

The Lord be with you.
Finding Completeness in God
We frequently find ourselves amidst blessings in life, having received everything we could ask or hope for. Even with everything, there may still be a nagging sense of unfinished business—a sensation that something is lacking. Our need for a closer relationship with God, the giver of all good things, is the cause of this emptiness.
Sometimes we let the objects and situations around us determine who we are, forgetting that our connection with God is the only place where we may find true fulfilment and identity. King Solomon's life is a magnificent story that illustrates this reality. Solomon understood that even though he had riches, power, and intelligence at his disposal, these benefits would not truly satisfy him unless he acknowledged the hand of God on his life.

Let us pray:
We are grateful to You, Almighty and Gracious God, for all of Your blessings. Please remind us that a strong, lasting relationship with You is what leads to true fulfilment rather than having an abundance of material belongings. Give us the discernment to seek Your will in everything we do, just as Solomon did, and to use our benefits to glorify and serve You. May You be the only source of our genuine identity and wholeness, and may we never let the things going on around us define who we are. O Lord, help us to live lives that honour Your name by reflecting Your grace, wisdom, and love. Amen.

May this message encourage us to seek God's presence in every aspect of our lives, knowing that it is only in Him that we find true completeness and peace.

Kinderkinetics is Pediatric Exercise Movement Therapy focusing on gross motor and underlying skills of a child. We develop customised programs to optimise age-specific movement development according to the child’s motor milestones. With remedy and correction of atypical movement behaviour we strive to develop a strong, healthy and holistic Bishops boy.

There has been a slight hint at the arrival of Spring with more light in the mornings and slightly warmer weather. Our Grade Ns have loved exploring the outdoor area on our new bikes, lots of opportunity for sensory play through the means of warm water, cornflour (goop) and spaghetti. Of course, our dinosaur  theme has been a big hit this week and we have heard many different theories from the boys as to why they no longer exist, how we know what colour they were and what sounds they might have made. We are also prepping for our upcoming Grandparent's Day which we are very excited about. We look forward to learning more about dinosaurs next week.

Over the past two weeks, the great Rs have been busy learning all about fire safety. They discovered what makes a fire, the dangers it poses, and the important role it plays in our lives. The boys also got creative, making model fire engines and painting pictures of fires.

The highlight of their learning was a trip to the local fire station. There, they got an up-close look at fire engines and all the tools firefighters use in emergencies. They watched firefighters slide down the fireman’s pole and were thrilled to spray water from the fire hoses and enjoyed a ride in the fire truck.

This hands-on experience not only made learning fun but also gave the boys a new respect for the firefighters who keep us safe. It was an outing they won’t soon forget!