From the Principal’s Desk, 20 August 2021

Dear Parents

DROP AND GO

We would like to remind parents that children should always exit/enter vehicles on the left hand side. We would like to ensure that our students remain safe at all times.

COVID AND ONLINE LEARNING

Due to the Covid situation in the Western Cape, our hybrid teaching will continue for the remainder of this term.

Please ensure that if your child learns from home they are committed and attend every lesson. Sadly, we do have students who take advantage of the situation.

Every BIS student has an iesmail.com email address. Students are reminded that this address is for school related matters only. All private chats should be done using a private email address.

FEATURE PHOTO

Mr Brian Sizani is our Mathematics and Physics teacher at the High School. He has been at BIS since October 2017.

Did you know…..

• He only reads novels by Martina Cole. He has quite a collection of them.
• He aspires to be an Astrophysicist.
• He was part of the UWC choir for 4 years, singing tenor. He is also a choir member at church, singing tenor solos and at times he gets to conduct the choir.
• He loves traveling and exploring/learning about various cultures, especially indigenous cultures.
• As much as he admires the natural beauty of this planet, he has not been able to overcome his fear of the ocean yet. One day!

Thank you, Brian, for your commitment to the students and the school.

WEEKLY THOUGHT: Discipline in Life

“Only the disciplined ones in life are free. If you are undisciplined, you are a slave to your moods and your passions.” – Eliud Kipchoge

Freedom to do what we want to, when we want to, is usually the type of freedom that the majority of people wish for. But what does this “freedom” mean and how does it manifest practically in everyday life?

For us to better understand what Kipchoge – the world record holder in the marathon – is trying to bring across, let’s take a simple example that most of us can relate to:

Each of us believes that we are free to eat whatever we like. We also believe that we have the choice to exercise as much or as little as we want to. “Yes, we are truly free,” some will remark. But wait, there is a catch…

We all know that if a person eats without any restraint and does no exercise whatsoever, chances are very good that he/she will gain weight. If this continues over an extended period of time, they will gain a lot of weight. This lifestyle has long-term implications, including susceptibility to certain diseases and a variety of other health risks. People in this category are also often not able to participate in many activities, both indoor and outdoor. Though sad and unfortunate, these are facts.

Life gives us many examples like these, proving that exercising our “freedoms” does not always lead to true freedom.

Let’s look at Kipchoge’s words again. He is in fact saying that if we are not slaves to our moods and passions, but live lives of discipline, we will find true freedom.

This may not be the most encouraging message; but when it’s applied, it can be life-changing indeed.

Question: What “freedoms” in your life could lead to circumstances that you would rather avoid?

Have an amazing weekend, let’s remember to be grateful for all the privileges we enjoy daily.

Andre