Dear Parents

I was fortunate to attend the Consecration of the Brooke Chapel and the Blessing of the stained-glass windows by the Archbishop, Dr Thabo Makgoba. It was a simple and beautiful service emphasising again the chapels as the heart of the school.  The stained-glass windows depicted the lives of St Claire of Assisi, as well as Ruth and Isaiah of the Old Testament. All three lived lives of service to others and God’s will. In the case of Isaiah, his words in the scripture stand out: “Here am I. Send me.” in response to God’s call, “Whom shall I send?”.
The windows were dedicated in turn to Mrs Gwavu, a College teacher who passed away in 2022, who did so much to cement isiXhosa as a teaching subject and acted as the spiritual “mother” to many of the first boys of colour to attend Bishops; to Nomalizo Leah Tutu, in recognition of her tireless commitment to her country and support for her husband in opposing injustice; and Archbishop Desmond Mpilo Tutu, acknowledging his humble and principled speaking truth to power throughout his life and promoting peace. He was also the Visitor to Bishops during his time as Archbishop.
Thank you to all our donors, Prep, Pre-Prep and College parents, as well as ODs, who contributed to the cost of these three windows, the last three windows in the Chapel to be completed in stained-glass and dedicated to extraordinary people of faith and service.
This week is the Art Exhibition in the Ubuntu Learning Centre. Prep, Matric and OD art will be on display. This is the last 175th celebration of the year.

IT’S THE COUNTDOWN TO CARNIVAL!

Almost a week to go until the Bishop’s Family Carnival at Rossall on 8th November and we are so appreciative of the exciting line up that the Carnival Committee have worked so hard to put together.

Two thirds of the tickets have already been sold, so if you haven’t already purchased yours, HURRY!
Tickets are only available online at bishopscarnival.co.za.
Ticket sales close on 30 October and there will be no ticket sales at the gate on the day.
Boys will be sent their tickets/ tokens via their class teacher on 4th/ 5th November.

The general access price is R175 and this amount includes access to various games and activities such as:
mechanical bull rides, an inflatable rocket shooter, a velcro sticky wall, a giant inflatable obstacle course, a jumping castle, face painters, balloon artists, jugglers and an inflatable dodge ball arena!  All of these activities are free and part of the access ticket.
There will also be entertainment for adults as well as a licensed liquor bar and lots of different food vendors.
The event is a CASHLESS event and the bar and food vendors will be accepting either card payments or Snapscan.

For the grade stalls, the activities are paid for with tokens. These are valued at R10 each and you can purchase these online now or you can purchase them at a token stall on the day of the Carnival.
Here are some examples of the activities you can expect:
Little ones can try their luck at fun games like Toss the Toilet Roll, Pin the Tie on the Teacher, and the ever-popular Tombola. With plenty of interactive activities, including the Bean Bag Toss, there’s lots to keep the youngest carnival-goers entertained
Get ready for some classic carnival fun with Toss the Ring and Pop the Balloon at the Grade 1 stall.
Grade 3 brings action with the Inflatable Soccer Dart Game and Can Toss or Hand Buzzer challenges.
For those wanting a fun challenge, the Grade 5 stall will feature the classic carnival game High Striker—can you ring the bell? Plus, don't miss the chance to Throw a Pie at the Teacher!  Mr De Sousa, Mr Ncube, Mr Groom and Mr Dudley are all in the firing line!
The Grade 7s have their own chill area (hence their special yellow arm band).
Every grade has different activities as well as snacks (like candy floss, ice creams, sweets, cupcakes etc).  You can read all about these awesome stalls at bishopscarnival.co.za/tickets.

If you are able to assist on the day, please contact your class rep as we always need parents to help us manage the grade stalls. Your boys love seeing you participate, and it adds enormous value to making the Carnival a true community event.

The Bishops Family Carnival is an opportunity for us to come together as a community and celebrate 175 years of Bishops. All of the proceeds raised at the event will be redirected to the various outreach programs supported by the PA. These include feeding programs at Athwood Primary School, stationery drives and upkeep at St Paul’s Primary school as well as supporting the VUSA academy. 

Should you have any queries please cantact Candace Basson candace@thinkspace.co.za or your class reps.

Happiest of birthdays: to Mr Mthintsilana on 5th, Emily 14th, Siophan 17th November. We wish you a day full of blessings.

Kind regards

TARYN BAIN
HEAD: PRE-PREP

Coffee Connections
Grade 2 parents are invited to meet the Prep Deputies at 07h30 in the Pre-Prep hall where they will be sharing some information about the Prep as our boys prepare for their transition to Grade 3.

Civvies Day Collection
Civvies Day donations will go towards the Christmas hamper collection for our Support and Security Staff. We once again appeal to you to support our hamper collection. Please click on Here to learn more about some of our special people (and more) and see what each grade will be collecting.  Even one small item will make a great addition to a collective hamper. We thank you in advance. Please could all cash dontations be placed in an envelope and handed to the class teacher. If any parents would like to be involved in helping us sort and pack the hampers, please email Mrs Nicola Holbak: nicola.holbak@gmail.com.

Grade 1 Trading Day

Information has been sent out.

Grade 2 Camp out

Information has been sent out.

Our Grade N and Grade R boys are buzzing with excitement, rehearsing, singing and acting in preparation for their Nativity Play. On Friday 22 November at 11.30, the boys will be showcasing all their hard work in the Memorial Theatre. 

The Lord be with you.
"Encouraging One Another Through the Journey"

This past week, Cape Town came alive with the energy of the marathon—a time when roads were closed and inconveniences were inevitable, but all in the service of something greater. What stood out to me most was how this event gave us the opportunity to witness love, encouragement, and human connection in its purest form.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned is a little controversial compared to what we were taught as children: “Never speak to strangers.” Yet, along the marathon route, thousands of strangers shouted words of encouragement like, “You can do it!” and “Don’t give up!” even though I knew I had kilometres to go. Their support breathed life into weary legs and tired minds, reminding us all of the strength we have within.
In moments when it was easy to doubt ourselves or when we saw others giving up, the simple cheers from people we didn’t even know gave us the strength to persevere. Strangers handed out water and refreshments, offering help without expecting anything in return. It was a beautiful reminder of the innate goodness in people and the hope that we can nurture a world filled with individuals who are always willing to support one another.
Let us pray
Loving God, we thank You for the moments of unexpected grace, for the strength we find in the encouragement of others, and for the beauty of community. As we journey through our own challenges, help us to be sources of hope and kindness for those around us. Remind us that in moments of doubt, we can find strength not only in ourselves but also in the support of others. Amen.

May this message remind us that life’s race is long, but we never run it alone. We are blessed to be part of a world where kindness and support can always be found, sometimes from the most unexpected places. Let's carry this spirit into everything we do as a community.

Poppies for Remembrance Day will be available from the Class Teachers from Monday. Boys to please bring a donation and they will receive a poppy to be worn on Friday 8 November.

It's already the end of week 3 and we have so enjoyed our themes of Transport, Space and Numbers & Measurement!
In between all our art, gross motor and educational games, we've been flying to the moon in pretend space shuttles, opening a garage for repairs on all tricycles using spanners, measuring tapes and screwdrivers. Our boys didn't forget to pump up the tyres! With the warmth of summer approaching, our water play stations are very popular. Mrs Fraser's class did their assembly on the Beattitudes from the book of Matthew. They made a fruit salad to demonstrate that we need a recipe to make something delicious. They explained that the bible also has a recipe to make us happy. Some of these recipes for happiness can be found in the book of Matthew. The boys were intrigued to have a speech therapist and audiologist from Carel du Toit School, to come and chat to our boys about hearing aids. Some of the children from the school who have cochlear implants and hearing aids came to show and tell the boys about them. We are sure you are hearing lots of beautiful songs at home as we are in full swing preparing for our nativity play. Enjoy these special songs in the lead up to our event next month. 

The past two weeks in Grade R have been filled with excitement and energy! We were thrilled to welcome the Hooked on Books theatrical company, who brought stories to life with humor and audience participation, making it a truly engaging experience for the boys. Last Friday, our Fun Sports Day was a big hit, and we were delighted to have our friends from VUSA join us for the races. This week, the focus has been on Science, and the boys have had a blast exploring different elements through hands-on experiments and investigations!