2018 ‘KEYS CAMP’ AT THE WATERBERG GAME LODGE
Last year we introduced the ‘Keys Camp’, as part of our new Leadership Programme at St Peter’s Girls Prep. The camp is scheduled to take place early in the year, in order to allow the Grade 7s an opportunity to create strong bonds amongst themselves and their teachers. This is also a time in which to set out clear expectations for the final year of prep school and prepare the girls for high school.
A team of teachers accompanies the girls and they are involved in a host of leadership, academic, sporting/wellness/fitness activities. The girls are, for a large part of the camp, able to structure the timing of their day as well as the choice of activities – along the lines of the Flexible Learning Programme principles.
Leadership underpins the purpose of the camp and so, for this reason, the girls are placed in situations where they have to communicate with their peers, problem solve and, at times, work outside of their ‘comfort zones.’ Personal growth is an important aspect of the camp. Some of the activities include:
Spending time in solitude
‘Survival’ activities – raft building and cooking their food in their own solar ovens
Orienteering
Obstacle course and a variety of leadership games
Talk – regarding leadership, goal setting and personal growth
This year, the girls undertook a new initiative on camp. This was an environmental challenge from our camp hosts:
Each House group was to see how many water lilies they could clear out of the dam. The dam was becoming inundated with water lilies and these, if left would soon ruin the dam's visual and recreational benefits and interfere with oxygen exchange.
Please look at the attached aerial photos of the dam – focus on the right hand side of the dam. The first one was before the girls did anything and the next one is after they had cleared the lilies. They made an amazing difference!
When asked to describe the ‘Keys Camp’ experience, the following are some of the words our girls chose: spectacular, unforgettable, unique, powerful, spiritual, diverse, memorable, uniting. These adjectives sum up a happy, memorable week with our Grade 7 girls and teachers. Thank you to all the teachers who gave of their time and expertise, but most importantly formed lifetime bonds with the girls. A camp we will all remember for years to come.
