THE Quest

Our 150th year (2021) marked the launch of The Quest, a 21day wilderness adventure in the southern Cederberg. A rite of passage, the Quest takes place at the end of the Grade 9 academic year and has at its core, the framework of character development. This age group finds itself at a turning point of young adulthood, ready to start individuating, leaving behind their early teens and preparing for senior high school. It is a time for self-discovery, exploration and growing agency. A time to start thinking of self in a social community, seeing beyond self and to consider how they can contribute and converge for the benefit of others. ‘I lift my eyes and all is born again’ wrote Sylvia Plath, apposite words as The Quest will afford each student a chance to lift her gaze and clear her head.

During The Quest, our students were exposed to a range of exciting activities including hiking, cycling, running, kloof swimming, alien vegetation clearing, outdoor education, community partnerships, leadership opportunities, and team building. The Quest is foremostly an opportunity for girls to discover more about themselves and test themselves in a variety of situations. There were opportunities for each girl to learn new skills and develop emotional, organizational, and practical intelligence, all equally as important as physical prowess or intellectual ability.

Each student had at least one opportunity to take the lead –managing group wake up times, map reading, meal schedules, camp set-ups and strikes, and overall planning. They did absolutely everything for themselves – from washing clothes daily, cooking food, to navigating and resolving conflict.

“There exists within everyone a grand passion, an outlandish thirst for adventure, a desire to live boldly and vividly through the journey of life.”

- Kurt Hahn, Round Square founder and educational philosopher