Dear Parents
We were excited to embark on our Winter sport programme at the beginning of this term. One of the key areas we emphasise in our curriculum is gross motor, particularly through a diverse range of sports such as hockey, tag rugby, soccer, and cross-country running alongside the Sports Performance and Wellness programme including Kinderkinetics.Engaging in sports at a young age offers numerous benefits that extend far beyond physical fitness. For children aged 5-8, participating in sports is instrumental in fostering social skills, building teamwork, and instilling discipline. Through the fun and excitement of games like soccer and tag rugby, children learn about cooperation, fair play, and the value of working together towards a common goal. Hockey and cross-country, on the other hand, help to develop individual skills and resilience. They teach children the importance of persistence and personal effort, as well as how to manage both victory and defeat with grace. Additionally, these activities provide an excellent outlet for energy and help to establish healthy habits.
It is during these formative years that children lay the foundation for a healthy lifestyle, and what better way to do so than through the joy of sport?
I encourage you to support and motivate your children to participate in these extra-murals. Whether they are scoring a goal in soccer, running a lap in cross-country, or learning the basics of hockey and tag rugby, each experience is a step towards a healthier, happier, and more balanced future.
Our Grade 1 and 2 boys all participate in soccer lessons during the week. We have 74 boys involved in our cross-country programme, only two race events were held this term, with 23 boys running in these events. 106 Grade 1 and 2 boys participate in the hockey programme each week and we are looking forward to an external match next term. 124 Grade 1 and 2 boys play Tag, and they are so looking forward to their mini-tournament next term. We have introduced contact rugby this term for the Grade 2s to better prepare them for contact rugby in Grade 3. We are introducing the boys to specific skills to remain safe on the field and to be confident in tackling and being tackled. We focus on the correct techniques.
Our Kinderkinetics therapists and coaches (part of our SPW programme) assessed the boys in Term 1, they then embarked on Term 2, focusing on enhancing those crucial motor skills that required additional attention. Our therapists select a thematic approach in each session, alongside fundamental exercises, leading the children on imaginative adventures. Addressing aspects like balance, coordination, midline crossing, and hand-eye coordination, among others. The Kinderkineticists, concentrated on laying the groundwork for the children’s motor development. This groundwork provides them with the necessary tools and stimulation to function optimally both in the classroom and on the playground. We are persisting in nurturing our boys’ abilities through purposeful play!
Last week the Principal, Mr Reeler wrote this about sport at our school. I though it particularly important to share in the light of a number of negative postings that have appeared in social media.
“Our sports programme is very important to us as part of the balanced education of our boys. We encourage our boys to strive for excellence in every area of which they take part, sport included. And they rise to that challenge time and time again. I am so proud of them for giving their all.
There are times though, when things don’t work as well as we hoped and there is a danger of letting this affect us negatively. I refer specifically to rugby, where we have struggled with results these past few weeks.
At the beginning of last year, when we realised we needed to devote more attention to the rugby programme, we introduced a new coaching strategy, “This is Bishops”, where we set out a programme of coaching, headed up by a team of advisors and appointing specialist coaches in key areas. We made it clear at the time that this, coupled with an improved recruitment strategy, was a long-term project that wasn’t going to “fix” Bishops rugby overnight but was going to have long term influence.
I have been saddened and sometimes angered by some of the comments made on social media that criticise our boys, our coaches and our school. The school and the Executive are fully supportive of the rugby programme, securing a wonderful sponsorship deal with our partners 10X, that has helped fund this improved coaching structure. This included paying attention to the Prep schools that provide us with most boys to develop skills and talents at an earlier age. We will overcome, that I am sure, but it will take time and we need the support of all members of our community as we go along this journey.
The rugby programme is an important part of our total offering, but then so are other sports, our cultural programme and the academic side of school life. And I could go on and on, citing areas of excellence that some seem to ignore. We are developing young men to go out into our world as Good Men, men who have reinvented modern masculinity and who are contributors to society as good citizens of our country and our world. We need to show them that we believe in them, we support them. We need to show them that a balanced approach, keeping perspectives in place, will be their best chance for success.
Our rugby boys turn up week after week, trying their hardest to do their best. Our coaches pour their energies and passions into what they do. Let us support them while always retaining the bigger picture of what Bishops stands for – holistic, excellent education in the development of Good Men.”
Let us work together to ensure our children not only succeed academically but also thrive physically and socially. Here is to a fantastic third term of growth, teamwork, and plenty of fun on the field. 
TARYN BAIN
HEAD: PRE-PREP
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