Schools

📽️ Grade 6 camp creates memories beyond the classroom

For many South African primary school pupils, veldskool was a much-anticipated part of the school year, offering something that could never quite be replicated inside a classroom.

Paintball was one of the activities offered at the grade 6 camp at Mankele. Photos supplied: Teachers attending the camp.

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There was a time when the words “Grade 6 veldskool” were enough to make an entire class count down the days. For many South African primary school pupils, veldskool was a much-anticipated part of the school year, offering something that could never quite be replicated inside a classroom.

Archery was a new experience for most of the pupils.

Nature, adventure, teamwork and a few days away from home gave pupils the opportunity to discover different sides of themselves and their classmates. Teachers, meanwhile, had the chance to observe their pupils in a completely different environment, often identifying leadership qualities that were not always apparent during the normal school day.

Although the traditional veldskool system has largely disappeared, Laerskool Barberton Primary has kept the spirit of the experience alive by taking its Grade 6 pupils on an annual camp. This year, the school again made use of the facilities at Mankele, near Sudwala, where the Grade 6 learners spent the final few days of the third term, from September 20 to 23.

Team work was what it was all about.

According to Grade Head and camp organiser Johan Venter Van Zyl, the camp proved to be an amazing experience for both the children and the teachers who accompanied them. “You get to know the children on a whole different level at the camp to what you are used to at school,” he said.

There was certainly no shortage of opportunities for the pupils to step outside their comfort zones. The camp programme included a variety of activities designed to challenge the children while encouraging teamwork and plenty of fun. Among these were paintball, an obstacle course, a zipline across the dam and a hike to the Sudwala Butterfly and Snake Park.

Some of the girls cooling down in the pool, while the boys tried out the zip line into the dam.

For some pupils, the adventure activities may have been the highlight, while others probably discovered that they were braver, more determined or more willing to work as part of a team than they had imagined. Of course, no school camp would be complete without talking about the food, and according to Johan, the meals were definitely one of the biggest highlights of the few days away.

Perhaps the greatest compliment a school camp can receive, however, is that nobody wants it to end. The hardest part of the Grade 6 camp was having to pack up and return home, bringing several days of adventure, laughter and shared experiences to an end. Fortunately, the timing meant that pupils and teachers could head straight into the school holidays, giving everyone a little time to reminisce about the camp before facing the fourth and final term of the school year.

The hike to the butterfly and snake park took them over a river.

For the Grade 6 pupils of Laerskool Barberton Primary, the camp was about far more than simply getting away from the classroom. It was an opportunity to learn through experience, test themselves, strengthen friendships and perhaps discover a few things about themselves along the way.

The teachers that accompanied the pupils were Sarel du Toit, Lelo Mnguni, Anzel Bosch, Suné Bodenstein and Johan Venter Van Zyl.

If the groans at having to leave were anything to go by, it seems that the old spirit of veldskool is still very much alive at Laerskool Barberton Primary.