From the Principal’s Desk, 25 June 2021
Dear Parents
We have reached the end of the term. Thank you to our amazing Blouberg families for your support and commitment during the past term.
Thank you, to our teachers, for your hard work and the extra effort put into providing a great education for our students.
We wish all our families a safe, and wonderful, winter holiday.
COVID-19
We will communicate, with you, during the last week of the holiday regarding the arrangements for the new term.
FEATURE PHOTO
Our main newsletter photograph features Mr Riaan Vosloo. Mr Vosloo is our High School Art teacher and started at BIS in July 2019.
- He was the first South African citizen to challenge Section 9, subsection 4 of the South African constitution at the Supreme Court. A short film, entitled “A Still life” about this was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. The New York Times published a follow up article about him.
- He wrote columns for “Die Burger”, interviewed and photographed IFBB SA athletes for sport magazines.
- He acted professionally for Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB). He was always either the antagonist or the “not so smart” character.
- He did conceptual designs for Sun International.
- He was twice in the top 10 of the AngloGold SA jewellery design competition.
Thank you for your commitment to the school.
WEEKLY THOUGHT: Original
“The point is not to take the world’s opinion as a guiding star but to go one’s way in life and working unerringly, neither depressed by failure nor seduced by applause.” – Gustav Mahler
Why do we do the things we do? Have you ever sat down and given this some proper thought?
Like most individuals, we often look around us and ask: “What will people say of this action or this achievement?” It’s a prominent attribute of human beings to want to be accepted by our fellow humans – well at least for the vast majority of us. Wouldn’t you agree?
But Mahler, the famous composer and conductor, warns that if we want to live meaningful lives, we should make less of the world’s opinions and aim to live perfect and committed lives, always trying to do that which we ourselves know to be right.
All too often we do things because of the applause we think we’ll receive from others. The opposite is also true. In many cases, we decide not to embark on a project because of our previous failures, or sometimes even due to the past faults of others.
What Mahler seems to be encouraging us to do is the following: “Live as wisely and unwaveringly as you can each day, not worrying about previous failures or the applause you might receive from the world. Just do what you find to do and do it well.”
If we do this, our journey will certainly be an epic one, not walked by many others. In one word – “Original”!
Have a wonderful weekend, encourage those around you – they need it more than you may think!
Andre
