Dear Parents

Embracing Change: Getting Ready for the Year Ahead 

As we move into the final weeks of the year, there is a wonderful sense of excitement around the school. Our boys have grown in confidence, independence and maturity, and we are beginning to look forward to the adventures that next year will bring. 
However, change can bring mixed emotions. While some boys may be excited about a new classroom, teacher and opportunities, others may feel nervous or sad about leaving behind familiar routines, friendships and a teacher who has become an important part of their lives. Both feelings are perfectly normal. 
For young children, moving to the next grade is about more than a new classroom; it is about letting go of what is familiar and embracing something new. As parents, we can help make this transition easier by offering reassurance, encouragement and the confidence that our boys can manage change. 
Here are a few simple ways to support your son: 

• Make space for feelings. Ask what he is excited about and what might be worrying him. Listen without rushing to fix everything. 

• Celebrate the year. Talk about favourite memories, friendships and achievements. Saying goodbye helps boys recognise how much they have grown. 

• Keep the conversation positive. Talk about the opportunities ahead, while acknowledging that it is okay to feel nervous or sad. 

• Encourage independence. Practise age-appropriate responsibilities, such as packing his bag, organising his belongings and following routines. 

• Be his calm. Children take their cues from us. Our confidence and reassurance can help them feel more secure about the changes ahead. 

• Keep routines consistent. Sleep, physical activity, balanced nutrition and sensible screen-time boundaries all contribute to emotional well-being and readiness to learn. 

Every boy's journey is unique, and progress does not always happen at the same pace. For some boys, spending an additional year in their current grade may be recommended as part of their educational journey. We understand that this can be an emotional conversation for families. However, an additional year is not a failure or a setback. It can provide valuable time to strengthen foundational skills, build confidence and develop the emotional readiness needed for future success. Our commitment is to work alongside families to make decisions that support each boy's individual needs and long-term development. 

We know how much we love a good podcast! ** Thriving Kids by the Child Mind Institute**, hosted by clinical psychologist Dr Dave Anderson, offers practical, research-based advice on children's emotional well-being, anxiety, resilience and school-related challenges. It is well worth a listen, particularly if you are looking for ways to help your son navigate change and develop healthy coping skills. 

As we approach the end of the year, let us celebrate how far our boys have come. With encouragement, patience and a little reassurance, we can help them look forward to the next chapter with confidence and excitement. 
We look forward to enjoying these final weeks of term with the boys and celebrating a wonderful year of learning, growth and achievement! 

Kind regards

TARYN BAIN
HEAD: PRE-PREP

Friday 23 October: Blue class
Newslands Forest

Tuesday 27 October: Green class
Curro Castle outing

Wednesday 28 October: Red class
Curro Castle outing

Support Staff civvies day

It’s almost the end of the year and to show our appreciation to the amazing support staff at the Pre-Prep, we are asking parents to participate by contributing either cash or dry goods. 

Boys are able to wear civvies to school provided that they bring either a cash donation and/or dry goods which will be used to create “thank you” hampers for the 3 wonderful ladies who work at the Pre-Prep and our wonderful security guards and groundsman.

NB: If any parents would like to be involved in helping us sort and pack the hampers, please contact Carrie Shepherd: 083 338 2538 or carriehouba@gmail.com

Wednesday 04 November

Public Holiday - Election Day

School closed

Grade 1 & 2 Annual Music Concert: Memorial Theatre @ 18h00

We invite you to join our Grade 1 and 2 boys for the annual music concert. The concert is free and seating is unreserved.

Grade N & R Nativity: @ 17h00

Venue to be confirmed.

Friday 20 November

Extramurals ends

Thursday 26 November

Pre-Prep Carols at 18h00

Information will be sent out in due course.

Friday 27 November

Grade 1 Trading Day

Blessing of the Ties at 11h00 in the Memorial Chapel

Grade 2 Dads and Sons Campout

Monday 30 November

Grade 1 Kirstenbosch outing

Monday 30 November

Grade 3 2027 Induction - for all current Grade 2 parents

Time: 18h30

Venue: Jagger Hall Prep School and Grade 3 classrooms

End of Term 4 2026

A huge congratulations to our staff members who took part in the inaugural Nelson Mandela Marathon. Demonstrating determination, resilience, and teamwork, our colleagues participated across a variety of race distances, each crossing their own finish line with pride. We are incredibly proud of their achievement and the inspiring example they have set through their commitment to health, wellness, and personal growth.
A special congratulations to Joshua Anthony on completing his very first marathon - a remarkable milestone and an achievement to be especially proud of. Your dedication, perseverance, and hard work have paid off, and we celebrate this exciting accomplishment with you. Well done to all our participants! 

This week in chapel, we explored integrity, helping the boys understand this important word through a simple message: doing what is right, even when nobody is watching. Drawing on Jesus’ teaching in Luke 16:10, we reflected on how learning to be trustworthy begins with the small choices we make each day.

For our younger boys, integrity can mean telling the truth when something has gone wrong, returning an item that belongs to someone else, following the rules of a game or keeping a promise to a friend. These everyday moments offer opportunities to grow in honesty, kindness and responsibility.

We also reminded the boys that making a mistake does not make us a bad person. We are all learning and growing. What matters is having the courage to tell the truth, say sorry and try to put things right. God loves us as we grow and helps us begin again.

Families can continue this conversation at home by noticing and affirming moments of honesty, especially when telling the truth has been difficult. A helpful question to ask is: “How did you show that someone could trust you today?”

This incredible Bishops community continues to show us what can happen when people come together to make a difference.

What started with a call from Bishops parent Craig Bowen to Mrs Bain, has helped hundreds of children and community members in Langa see the world a little more clearly.

To celebrate World Sight Day, the OneSight Essilor Luxottica Foundation brought its team to Langa for three days of free eye testing and glasses.
An initial screening was conducted with learners at Zimasa Primary School, identifying those who needed further testing. Over the three days, 486 children and community members required additional screening and received comprehensive eye tests, with 480 pairs of glasses provided free of charge.

For many of our VUSA families, an eye test and a pair of glasses are luxuries they simply cannot afford. Yet something as simple as being able to see clearly can change the trajectory of a child's education. Imagine trying to learn when you're sitting at the back of a classroom with 50 children and struggling to see the board. Or trying to complete your homework in a poorly lit home.  Sometimes, the barriers to learning are things we haven't even thought to look for.

A special thank you to Craig and his incredible team for identifying a need we have never addressed and reminding us that supporting a child's education means looking at the whole child and all the factors that influence their ability to learn.

This is what makes the Bishops community so special. Parents, families, staff and friends who generously share their time, expertise and connections to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children in Langa.

Sometimes, changing a child's future starts with simply helping them see it more clearly. 

A New Chapter for VUSA's Coronation DigiBus!
On Tuesday, 13 October, VUSA Rugby & Learning Academy celebrated the launch of its brand-new Coronation DigiBus, a purpose-built mobile digital classroom bringing English, coding and digital learning directly to children at five primary schools in Langa.

The launch marks another exciting chapter in VUSA's long-standing partnership with Coronation, who have committed to supporting the programme for a further ten years.
We were delighted to welcome Western Cape Minister of Education, Jaco Londt, alongside representatives from Coronation, Bishops, our partner schools and the many people who helped bring this wonderful classroom to life.

A special thank you to Advanced Engineering, Tafelberg Elektries and Parrot Products for their contributions, and to Bishops for its continued support of VUSA and the children of Langa.
The DigiBus is about far more than access to technology. It's about building confidence, strengthening foundational skills and giving children opportunities to thrive.

To see more photos from the event, please click HERE
Photo Credits: Paul Reichle

ECD ANGELS – CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS

Join the ECD Angels!
The ECD Angels are a group of volunteers who regularly visit Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in Langa, spending time with children aged 4–5.
Through fun, play-based activities such as arts and crafts, storytelling and games, we support their early learning and development while giving them some extra love and attention.
How does it work?
When: Tuesdays during the school term

Meet: 10am at the College main office parking lot
Travel: Carpool to Ikhaya le Langa and Likwezi
Activity: Spend approximately an hour teaching, playing and engaging with the children
Return: Back before 12 noon
Do you need to commit every Tuesday?
Not at all! Join weekly, monthly or whenever your schedule allows. No teaching experience is needed, and activities are organised for you.
It's a wonderful way to give back, connect with other mums and make a meaningful difference in the lives of these little ones.
We'd love to welcome more volunteers! Even a couple of hours now and then can make a difference.
Pop a message to aoifedoherty1@gmail.com  if you'd like to join one Tuesday or find out more!

Jurassic Adventures and a love for learning!
What an exciting time it has been in Grade N! Our boys were treated to a spectacular visit from Jurassic Adventures last week, where the most amazingly realistic dinosaurs came to life right before their eyes. The excitement was contagious, with wide eyes, big smiles and plenty of enthusiastic chatter as the boys marvelled at these incredible prehistoric creatures. Even our teachers were wowed by just how realistic the dinosaurs looked! We uncovered T-Rex bones like real archaeologists, and as a special keepsake, each boy made his very own dinosaur fossil, to take home and treasure. 

This week, we turn our attention to the exciting world of numbers and measurement. Our curious little boys will be exploring three important areas of measurement: time, capacity and length. Through playful activities, practical experiences and plenty of opportunities to investigate, the boys will discover how numbers and measurement form part of our everyday lives. 

We welcome back all the Grade R boys after the holidays. Everyone seemed to have a lovely holiday with their families and friends. This term has started off with much excitement around the building close to Grade R and the boys have enjoyed watching the progress. We look forward to being able to use this space next year, especially the boys who play hockey. While playing outside and welcoming the warmer weather, we have been lucky to get a new water trough. Here we can measure, mix and pour water into varying container sizes and funnels. The Grade R boys have also started up with their regular swimming lessons and have been delighted with the warmer pool water. Their swimming skills and technique have shown much improvement since the beginning of the year. Well done, boys!

The Grade 2 boys have had a busy start to the term, working hard on their termly assessments while continuing to explore, discover and create in the classroom.

Our current theme has taken us on a journey of exploration as we learn about explorers and their adventures. We also ventured outdoors on an outing to Newlands Forest, where the boys worked together to build shelters. This hands-on experience encouraged teamwork, problem-solving and creativity as they considered how to use the natural materials around them to construct their own shelters.

Back in the classroom, our phonics learning took a creative turn as the boys designed their own astronauts to explore the “au” sound. It has been wonderful to see them bringing their learning to life through practical activities and imaginative creations.

As we move further into the term, the boys are continuing to work hard, embrace new challenges and make the most of the many opportunities to learn both inside and outside the classroom.