Magazine 2019

97 GRADE 8 BETTY’SBAY This year’s Grade 8 Camp was at Disakloof in Betty’s Bay, where the surrounding area had recently been devastated by a fire started by someone firing a flare into the surrounding “fynbos”. This provided an opportunity for our Grade 8s to witness and process the effects of an irresponsible act. On arrival, they were welcomed by the VentureForth team of facilitators, who soon had the Grade 8s actively engaged in team building games to encourage them to enter into the spirit of the camp, namely to have fun, learn about each other, enjoy nature and to make new friends. Compiling their grade war cry after supper resulted in many laughs and a lot of foot stomping and singing. The second day started off with 20 Grade 8s participating in a voluntary run with Mr Duffield and Mr Viljoen before breakfast. After breakfast the morning was spent basking in the sun and swimming at the nearby beach. The afternoon activities consisted of a rotation between a “Spiders and Snakes Lecture” and sand boarding on the slopes of a massive dune outside of Betty’s Bay. The afternoon was filled with many screams of joy and much laughter. After dinner, the learners who had been nominated for Class Representatives had an opportunity to make their speeches. The last day started off with a healthy breakfast after camp clean-up. The Grade 8 war cry was practised and then it was onto the buses back to the College. Fun, learning, new friends and a new war cry had all been achieved. “Mission accomplished!” GRADE 9 MATROOSBERG On the Wednesday morning of Camp Week, there was a buzz of excitement as all the Grade 9 learners arrived at 06:00 to board the buses for the camp at Matroosberg. The camp activities immediately got underway upon arrival, with a short hike to an open field where the campers took part in a hilarious group activity that involved mimicking, dancing and singing. The words ‘how funky is your chicken?’ and ‘how loose is your goose’ will be remembered for many a year! After lunch, all of the campers were given some time to settle into bungalows, after which they went off in their four groups to commence the rotation of activities. Over the next day and a half, each group had the opportunity to take part in activities that included walking on high ropes (really high ropes!), learning to fire an air rifle, archery and some basic self-defence techniques. A few of the team-building exercises included raft-building and strategy games in the hall, where each team was given resources to try and reach the other side of the hall through teamwork. Of course, the raft-building activities inevitably included a relaxing swim in the farm dam. In the evenings, the free time sessions were a welcome opportunity to bond and have some fun with friends, old and new. On the last evening before supper, everyone got involved in contributing ideas to, and practising the Grade 9 war cry. One of the highlights of the camp was the night hike and ‘stalk the lantern’ game, before retiring to bed. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, it was time to pack up and return home. The beautiful surroundings, which included pear and apple orchards, the farm dams, forests and mountains, provided the perfect opportunity to engage with nature and appreciate the simple things in life. Everyone enjoyed the camp and arrived back at the College feeling more united as a grade, with some great memories to cherish. GRADE 10 BONAMANZI BREEDE RIVER After an unusually early start for most learners, the bus departed from Parklands College Secondary Faculty. The mood was one of ambivalence: starting a new year in the FET phase juxtaposed with the remnants of the 2018/2019 festive season. This heralded a new chapter and new experience for the FET fledglings. After having driven through the Huguenot tunnel, the buses arrived at the Bonamanzi campsite - a serene location along the famous Breede River, amidst the sculptured mountains. The boys were accommodated in tents under the shady canopy of established trees. The girls were housed in a dormitory in the rustic Bonamanzi Manor House. The learners were split into different groups for the various activities which included river rafting on the Breede River, team-building challenges and volleyball. This was complemented by night walks through the dusty paths where learners bore witness to amazing geomorphological features, ant heaps and scorpions, all underneath the sparkly constellations; class representative speeches; war cry practices; a talent competition where the brave exhibited their craft; lazy afternoon swims in the pool as a reprieve from the intense mugginess and toasting marshmallows around a bonfire amidst the sharing of tales, encounters and experiences.