The Old Diocesan Issue 10 - Magazine - Page 11
SCHOOL NEWS
SCHOOL SNIPPETS
DANIEL VON DER HEYDEN PHOTOGRAPH CRAIG WATSON (1979S)
Lots of new solar panels. And
the Learning Commons under
construction, February 2024.
SCHOOL UPGRADES
As noted in the principal’s
letter, construction on the
new Learning Commons,
a major addition within
the heart of the school,
began in mid-2023 and
is due for completion in
July this year. Another
175 project scheduled
for completion this year
is the new stained-glass
windows in the Brooke
Chapel. These iconic
pieces of art will symbolise
all the school stands for in
one of its spiritual homes.
Meanwhile, the school
reports that the extensive
new solar generation
system is operating as
intended. There are now
12 sub-systems spread
across College, Prep and
Pre-Prep buildings, with
a total of 960 solar panels
between them, connected
to inverters that vary in
size from 6kW to 66kW.
For the school to go
completely off the grid, it
is estimated that another
60% of generation would
be required, with suitable
storage capacity. Besides
cost considerations, one
challenge would be finding
sufficient space for panels
without requisitioning
a playing field!
As it stands, disruptions
to the school day caused
by loadshedding have
been largely minimised.
Combined with its water
supply and filtration
system, Bishops is
increasingly self-reliant.
SPORTING NEWS
Bishops has started
the sporting year with
remarkable results in
two areas – one team
and one individual.
On the cricket field,
the school boasts one
of the strongest First XIs in
years. As of mid-February,
it was ensconced at the
top of the national school
rankings, with 12 wins
from 14 matches, including
victories over the schools
ranked 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Adnaan Lagadien (B),
in particular, has been
in scintillating form,
breaking the school’s
individual score record
with 218* against Hilton.
The previous record, 217,
was set by Haldane Murray
(1989W) in 1989. In the
same match, Peyton Leigh
(K) took seven wickets,
including a hat-trick.
And in athletics,
congratulations go to
Daniel von der Heyden,
who helped White House
win Sports Day 2024
with one of the most
dominant track-and-field
performances at Bishops
in memory. Daniel broke
the school’s longeststanding Sports Day
record, for U19 long jump,
set in 1950 by Vernon
Staegemann, leaping
6.71m to pip Vernon’s
74-year-old mark by 3cm.
While Aidan Sylvester
(1991G) still holds the
school record, of 7.12m,
Daniel’s feat is all the more
remarkable for what else
he got up to on the day:
he won the U19 100m in
11.1 seconds; 200m in 22.8
seconds; and shot put with
a distance of 14.17m. What’s
more, he’s still in Grade 11!
Shot! Daniel von der
Heyden in action.
To read the Bishops Vision, visit bishops.org.za/VisionStatement.aspx
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 9