Cannons Creek Independent High School pupils and staff recently returned from its annual Adventure Week programme. The aim of Adventure Week is to develop grit, cement friendships, and build camaraderie amongst peers in the group. It is the highlight of the year for many pupils. This year, the Grade 9s spent seven days on a coastal walking journey from Elgin to de Kelders; while the Grade 7s went to Wolseley where they did several team-building activities and paddling; the Grade 8s paddled down the Breede River; the Grade 10s and 11s hiked in the Cederberg; and the Grade 12s spent three days paddling 68km down the Orange River. “Another wonderful experience for our Matrics on the Orange River. We paddled a full river that offered much fun, including many challenges. We had big rapids, whirlpools that capsized canoes, camaraderie around campfires at night, a spectacular low meteorite, and great food for all,” said Mr James Currie (Head of Grade 12 Adventure Week).
When it comes to the key skills pupils gain from outdoor education, there are many of them that can’t be taught in the classroom. It goes from friendships, that are very important in the high school years as the socialisation process is important for teenagers, where they actually get to know their peers and their classmates outside the classroom situation. It also involves team building and it’s also very important for them to commune with their teachers in a way that is not necessarily classroom-based. Teachers get to see a different side of the pupils, they get to see their strengths and weaknesses, and learn many things one would not see in a classroom. The kind of leadership skills that are developed in the outdoors are very different to the roles in an academic setting. Often the pupils who excel academically are not always the ones who excel when they’re taken out of their comfort zone into, for example, a mountainous area. It’s very interesting to observe how often children, who are naturally more reserved, actually have the space to show their skills and garner the trust of the group.
Comments from pupils:
- “Adventure Week was so fun, it was probably one of the best camps I’ve had. The food was so good, the camp guys were so fun and I’m actually glad I went there and it was such a privilege to go. All my friends were there and all the teachers were there to help us and have fun together.” – Aran Bosch, Grade 7.
- “Adventure Week was fun but like it was really fun, I did enjoy it. I really liked the experience of hiking but it was long and far but we just did it, I put myself through it. The food was okay, it was actually kind of good – depends on who cooked it. The distance was far but we did it, it was fun and I really enjoyed the nature all the way.” – Muhammad Isma’eel Rinquest, Grade 9.
- “Camp was really fun, I really enjoyed all the rapids. My favourite part of paddling was going down the first rapid, it was really fun and really fast. It was pretty steep and we thought we would fall out but we didn’t.” – Solana Mohr, Grade 8.
- “It was a great experience and very similar to what we did last year in terms of hiking. A couple of highlights were the Cracks, The Arch, and jumping into Malgat which was amazing but I am very stiff. One piece of advice I would say – just do everything that you can if you do go on Adventure Week.” – Liam Ingram, Grade 11.
- “Adventure Week was so much fun this year. My favourite part I think was definitely being surrounded by our grade and having this tribal council vibe and the spirit was really good this year.” – Qaylah Omar, Grade 10.
- “Camp was amazing. I had lots of fun, my arms and shoulders are kind of sore. We had a long time paddling on the river but I had a great time with my friends.” – Luc Nasson, Grade 8.
- “It was a good experience, it was a bit tough, I miss my mom and my house and my bed but I think it was something that I needed to go through, I enjoyed it.” – Oratile Tlale, Grade 9.
- “It was fun, enjoyable, it pushed me to my limits. It really showed me what I can do and what I can’t do as well. It was quite amazing, the views were amazing and a lot of spontaneous things happened. It was memorable, a lot of memories were created.” – Amaar Ebrahim, Grade 9.
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