There was nothing like arriving at school on the first day of tour and witnessing the joy and excitement on the girls’ faces as they kiss their parents goodbye.

hey rushed to their friends and immediately compared the contents of their suitcases, lunch boxes and toiletry bags. As teaches we watched and realised that these 56 girls were now our responsibility - and what a pleasure it was.

The girls were amazing and tackled every task to the best of their abilities. They made us very proud. Getting to know them outside of the classroom is vital for us as teachers as we observe them grow and learn outside of their comfort zones. Witnessing the jubilation they feel when they succeed at tasks like climbing a ten meter rock face, or trying desperately to give directions to a blind-folded team mate is extremely rewarding. Here are some of the girls' thoughts about Kloofies.

• "I thought camp was amazing! It was so much fun. My favourite parts were the bum slide, hiking, seeing the cheetah and being with my friends. Every morning was so beautiful.” Michela Di Benedetto
• "I loved trying to get to the top of the rock climbing." Jo Philbrick.
• "During camp we learnt about cheetahs and stroked one. It was very interesting to find out about them. We also went rock climbing and that was my absolute favourite. When I reached the top I made a stop to touch the carabineer - then I came bouncing down. It was time to leave. I enjoyed camp because I was with my friends." Ashley Simonato
• "My favourite parts of camp were meeting the beautiful cheetah named Yeates and going on the hike. It was long but very relaxing and I loved it." Emma Rippon
• "My favourite part of going to Kloofies was the rock climbing and the bum sliding although I slid straight into a tree - that was sore." Megan Soll
• "I loved the cheetah. I loved the rock climbing and eating the mac and cheese. I also loved bum sliding and the volleyball." Ashley Murning
• "My favourite activities were hiking, rock climbing, mud facial, playing volleyball in the dam, bum sliding and cops and robbers. I loved stroking the cheetah and playing a game before breakfast. Camp was awesome." Gabi Bakos
• "Camp was thrilling; there is no doubt about it. I enjoyed the hikes and the rock climbing the most. The night hike was interesting and exciting. The games were so much fun. I will never forget how to play cops and robbers. The bum sliding was wonderful especially in all the heat! Kloofwaters was just awesome." Ghita Economakis.
• "Camp 2015 was amazing. I got to experience things you would not experience at school. The night hike, art made of things you found and saying hello to a cheetah was too good for words. I would say an awesome start to the year." Issue Spalding