Today wasn’t a typical school day. Instead of classrooms and textbooks, our Grade 6 learners stepped into a world of challenges, teamwork and new discoveries on our annual Leadership Day. It was a day designed not just to teach us about leadership, but to let us experience it firsthand.
The morning began with a buzz of excitement as we arrived at Wag ‘n Bietjie, an outdoor adventure camp. Our first task was a team challenge course. We had to work together to get our entire group to build a tower using only paper and Sellotape. It sounded impossible at first! There was a lot of talking and even some confusion but soon we learned to listen to everyone’s ideas. We learned that a true leader includes everyone.
The Spider Web had us leopard-crawling through dust. Many learners scraped their nails. Rope climbing was all about personal courage and encouraging others. One by one, we climbed, chain-crawling. The cheers from our classmates below gave us the courage to take the next step. After lunch, we faced the water challenges. Sitting in rows and passing water buckets over our heads, skidding down the foam slide. Everyone was soaked. The most powerful part of the day was the logic session, where we had to build a cage to stop imaginary lions from eating us. Only 10 minutes to build a shelter. Sitting in a circle, we shared our thoughts. We realised that leadership isn’t about being the boss or the loudest. It’s about responsibility, listening, empathy and lifting others up.
We returned to school, tired, a little muddy, but filled with a new sense of confidence and connection. This one day taught us more about ourselves and each other than we could have ever learned from a book. We’re not just Grade 6 learners anymore; we’re a team of emerging leaders, ready to take on whatever comes next.
