It was a pleasure to be back at Camp Discovery after so long!  The students were refreshed and well-rested after their August holiday and ready for a fun week.  Our Grade 7 students’ camp focussed on team-building activities and how to work together in groups.

On our first day, the students attended various activities that allowed them to use their navigation skills and tracking abilities. They tied this in with meaningful group activities that lead to developing and enhancing each and every student’s leadership skills and teamwork. It was a very hot day and the swimming sessions and tuckshop breaks were welcomed by all. Tuesday was a very eventful day! Students tackled the obstacle course and really enjoyed getting dirty and very muddy. Many students overcame their fears as they took on the daunting zip-line into muddy waters. The students had lots of fun playing water games and swimming after lunch. The evening ended with a night march and games around the campfire.

Wednesday was our last full day at Camp Discovery. The Grade 7s started the day with a personality test, followed by rifle shooting and archery. They continued to compete in group activities that showed what great spirit our Grade 7s have. After lunch, the students enjoyed a scavenger hunt and volleyball. Lastly, they ended the night with an entertaining fashion show and incorporated a variety of acts including a comedy skit, singing and dancing. On Thursday, everyone ate their breakfast, made their way to the tuckshop and packed their bags before returning to school. One thing is for sure, Camp Discovery never disappoints and it will be a trip to remember for years to come!

Gr 7 camp archery Olwethu Nyembe

Gr 7 camp Hailey Thema, Kelechi Meribe, Leya Bechoo, Shivaag Jhagaroo

Gr 7 camp Swimming time

Grade 7 Camp

The Grade 6 students sat next to their friends and waved at their parents as they departed. Everyone chatted and nibbled on their snacks whilst swopping stories about their holidays. The bus was even more electrified as they arrived at Camp Discovery. They hopped off the bus and followed their councillors, Grace and Fresh to their dormitories. Waiting in anticipation, they all ran into our dorms to choose bunks and changed into their swimming costumes and had a refreshing swim.

They were then split into two teams and the first team went on a game drive. It was so interesting learning about different types of animals especially since we all live in the city. After that it was lunchtime. Everyone was waiting for this…the food was nothing but delicious! After lunch the students went to the tuck shop and it had everything a child could ever dream of…lots and lots of sweets! They then went into the conference room and were taught about leadership because it is after all a leadership camp. When they were done they were split into their teams to do both intellectual as well as physical challenges.

Dinnertime, amazing food yet again! After a few more mental challenges in the conference room, it was time for the activity most of them were dreading…the infamous night march and stalk the lantern. When they returned to camp, it was lights out. Eventually we all fell asleep. After a restful night’s sleep, the students bathed and had a hearty breakfast. Next was archery and target shooting with an air rifle. The students showed impeccable accuracy. Lunchtime…more yumminess! The Bundu race sounds exactly as enjoyable as it was. Here they had to follow directions in the bush, write descriptions of the camp, write the activities, write the lessons they learnt and compose a song all from scratch!

Ahhh! Mud my old friend. There is no camp without mud. The students waded through muddy water, crawled through mud, swam under a net covering and survived the obstacle course. It was such an amazing activity! After a well deserved shower, they had a delicious dinner with dessert as a treat. After dinner was preparation for the big production. This was the perfect platform to showcase their talents. The program ranged from acting, singing, dancing all the way to a fashion show. Wow, such a talented group. Lights out! Our last morning at camp. The students bathed, packed their bags, ate breakfast and went to the tuck shop. Sadly, they loaded their bags onto the bus and with a heavy heart said a fond farewell to their councillors and beautiful Camp Discovery. This was an experience they most certainly are not going to forget in a hurry.

The excitement for this year’s trip to Camp Discovery was palpable. After a short ride on the bus, we arrived at the destination and met our councillors. Once we completed our orientation, the fun began with a game drive where we saw golden wildebeests, black impalas and other beautiful animals the bushveld had to offer. Thereafter students took part in team-building activities, where communication and cooperation helped them learn about themselves and their peers in tricky situations.  After a hearty lunch of fish and chips, the learners took on the muddy obstacle course. Learners had to wade through the murky ‘snake pit’, a semi-covered canal. Next they climbed a rope bridge over ‘crocodile gorge’, and then finally swung into ‘hippo falls’ using a rope swing. Covered in mud from head to toe, the Grade 5s hit the showers and got ready for an evening of soccer and netball games on the camp courts. Dinner was served  and the evening ended with a drumming session under the stars before lights out.

Students woke up early to the calls of hornbills around camp and ate a tasty breakfast sausage with pap and gravy for the big day ahead. Starting with something artistic, students used bits of nature (twigs, stones, etc) to build beautiful shrines that displayed their love for camp. A scavenger hunt was next on the agenda, no one was done until every item on the list was ticked off. As a sunny afternoon appeared behind the clouds this meant water fun, a pool party! After splashing each other, the students dried off and headed back into the obstacle course for more technical team challenges. Dinner consisted of delicious braai chops with pap and pumpkin fritters which preceded an evening walk back to the dorm rooms. Thank goodness for our torches, else we would have missed the sleepy nyalas bedding down for the night. Tired from the adventurous day, we crept into our dorms and slept.

After breaking our fast with scrambled eggs and toast, we then hurriedly cleaned our dorms and tried hard to get the sleeping bags back into the carry bags (camping makes you buff). Tired but not beaten, we climbed onto the bus and headed home, taking with us fond memories of our awesome stay at Camp Discovery.

Early morning camp fire

Getting dirty!

Muddy fun

Working together to get across the divide.

The 2022 Grade 4 group was blessed to enjoy the camp experience. Camp Discovery, in all its splendour, natural beauty and upgraded glory, did not disappoint our excited troop of 58. Under the expert care of Lego and Laurel, our students enjoyed the adventure-filled experience that their parents had signed them up for. Orientation activities, obstacle courses, mini games, a scavenger hunt, night march and game drive – all were approached with the group’s signature enthusiasm, delight and positive spirit.

Camp was, in the words of the happy campers themselves: life-changing, exhilarating, different, exhausting, too short, thrilling and messy. I couldn’t have said it better if I tried! Cheers to a super-fun experience enjoyed by an amazing group of students…

Grade 4 camp orientation

Grade 4 campers with their facilitators