Tony Reeler 2020 - 2024
Prep 2020 - 2024
The onset of Covid and the lockdown forced the Prep to transition to being an on-line school by 14 April. Despite the boys being able to return in person to school on 1 June, it was a very restricted return (with masks and social distancing and temperature tests every day) and the disruptions would continue until the end of 2021. The requirement of wearing masks in public places was only dropped on 23 March 2022, and the state of disaster was ended on 4 April 2022. The story of the first two years of the pandemic dwells on the adjustments that the school was required to make, and the resilience and determination to succeed that both the teachers and the boys displayed.
The initial online teaching week was set across four days and the teaching day was divided into four 45-minute sessions, which began at 9am and finished at 1pm. Core academic subjects (Maths, English, etc.) and non-academic subjects such as Art were offered in a newly devised timetable.
But a lot was lost: the opportunities to build relationships, to grow the teacher-student connections, and the absence of rugby, hockey, squash, cross-country, choir or other ensembles, House camps and events, the Grade 7 tour and cricket tour, other festivals and, above all, many of the chances to lead as the seniors of the Prep. Events that had been in-person were continued but as on-line experiences.
When the boys returned to school in June, the Physical Education introduced a sport-skills session for each grade. “Bishops Got Talent” eventually emerged as an online production, but it did take place.
During fourth term, competitive sports were allowed but not with other schools – just within Bishops groups – in hopeful preparation for the following year when normal competition would be allowed. The Prizegiving ceremony had to be cancelled because of the restrictions imposed by the Covid regulations, but a Farewell Service for the Grade 7s in the Chapel was held as the formal farewell. It was only in 2022 that Prizegiving was again possible, but the Farewell Service has continued to be celebrated.
The beginning of 2021 was marked by a quick hiccup of online school before the second wave of Covid receded and normal school started – with masks, social distancing and frequent hand sanitizing. There was a third wave in June/July which subsided by October. Despite all this, the school kept moving ahead as much as it was able. It was a hybrid year – most boys at school and some at home, having to learn how to live with Covid and then start returning nervously to school without Covid. Everyone learnt the value of person-to-person interaction by having to do without it.
The Art department put on a display that lasted a few days, rather than an exhibition. There was still a strong demand for individual music lessons – 297 out of the 380 boys in the Prep took music lessons. Small group ensembles were possible, but no choir. In term 2, two concerts a week to one grade in the hall at a time were possible, and these dropped when the successive waves of Covid emerged, but by term 4, it was possible for there to be concerts to two or three grades at a time, sometimes with parents.
Book week was celebrated with dressing up as characters from their favourite books, and the support staff were also included both as readers and as presenters.
The BSU was able to move into its new home in the converted boarding house venue.
With appropriate distancing, and usually outdoors, Founders Day, Green Day, and Remembrance Day gatherings on the field brought the schools together. Competitive sports were once again possible in the fourth term, even though games throughout the year (until fourth term) had often been cancelled or postponed, which was frustrating and disheartening for the boys.
At the end of 2021, a number of farewell events took place. For the first time ever, the Grade 7 boys hosted the support staff to a formal tea as a way of showing their thanks and appreciation.
The last formal event was the combined Prizegiving and Farewell service.
Following the change in magazine format in 2017, in 2021 the Prep and Pre-Prep got their own magazine, which was distributed to boys and parents in the same way of the other annuals.
The VUSA Rugby and Learning Academy is a registered NPO that creates social upliftment for children in the Langa community through a structured sport, academic and recreational programme. The programme, which was started 20 years ago by Prep teacher Brendan Fogarty, continues to grow and develop, thanks to support from corporates and donors, many of whom form part of the Bishops community. The Bishops Parents’ Association has been an incredible source of support assisting with an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Centre makeover, financial support and donations in kind. Support from Bishops included the incredible cycle challenge fundraiser that took place on Youth Day. Boys and staff embarked on a gruelling 24-hour cycle challenge and raised an impressive R270 000 for VUSA. There has been positive interaction between Bishops boys and the VUSA children through ‘Big Ideas’, sports and recreational outings. The VUSA year would not be complete without the incredible Christmas party, which is arranged by Bishops Prep Grade 6 and 7 families.
Continuing developments included developing the VUSA library project and then introducing the VUSA bus, a 42-seater Scania bus converted into an IT classroom by The Atlas Foundation, in partnership with Cognizant. Coronation Fund managers have been supporting the VUSA programmes as well.
2022 started with the sad news that Archbishop Desmond Tutu, formerly the school’s Visitor, had died during December 2021. His funeral had taken place in the Cathedral. At the start of the year, the Grade 7 boys were taken on pilgrimage to the Cathedral to view the place where his ashes were interred. They went on to the Waterfront to see his statue, and for a walk along the beaches which had formerly been whites only – and the site of protests. They also spent a night on Robben Island.
Later in the year, a building project converted the boarding house building into townhouses for staff accommodation as well as completing the upgrade of the Rossall precinct. This upgrade included the unveiling of the Tutu memorial outside the Grade 3 classrooms. The memorial was erected and dedicated to the life and values of Archbishop Tutu. Each boys in 2022 had decorated a tile which was used to clad the raised planter. There is a quote on the base along with the painted tiles, which reads, “Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realise our need of one another.” The Grade 7s of 2022 gave the school a gift of a fever tree which was planted in the Tutu memorial.
2022 was a year of release – singing without masks, choirs forming and performing, concerts, social gatherings and functions for parents and staff, sports fixtures with spectators, prizegiving camps – all were able to take place, with time to appreciate what was enjoyable and what was important. There was a performance, together with Reddam girls of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in front of Stanmore Cottage.
Most of the normal traditional events were able to be held. The VUSA u13 team was invited to take part in the Independent Schools Rugby Festival. The Grade 7s again hosted the support staff to tea; they were able to go on their KwaZulu Natal tour again, they held the Leavers’ Dinner, and Leavers’ Camp outside Kleinmond – and the school celebrated Women’s day. A Market day was held, with frenetic selling and buying of produce and knickknacks. The Grade 6 held their start of year camp, they went on a tour of Langa, they visited the Heart Museum, and went on a guided Cape Town walk. The Grade 3 Book week went ahead, and they held a Play date with Grade 2s from the Pre-Prep, part of the moves by the Pre-Prep to prepare the Grade 2s for their transition to the Prep campus.
There as a revamp of the Design and Technology classroom, which was to be called the STEM classroom (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)
All the sports were once again active – Athletics, Chess, Cricket, Cross-country, Hockey, Rugby, Swimming, Tennis, and Water Polo – with interschool matches, watched by spectators.
In 2023, the school put on a production of Lord of the Flies in the Memorial Theatre.
