Grade 7 Tour to Sugar Bay 2023

March 13, 2023 | Girls’ Preparatory | Author: Mrs Julie Taylor

Through visiting Sugar Bay, our girls learn through personal experience and their perspectives change, allowing them to become better informed on different educational topics. Eco-tourism and environmental talks on the impact that inland littering has on the coastal environment, as well as the beach clean-up, have highlighted the need for conservation and the importance of our marine ecosystem, which links directly to our Geography curriculum. The practical fish dissection at Ushaka Marine world, was an eye-opener for many of the girls which pushed them out of their comfort zones. The valuable talk on sharks by the marine biologist at Sugar Bay, highlighted the many stereotypes we have regarding the species. They were exposed to the ethical questions of keeping the marine life in captivity for commercial gain. The marine biologist’s eyewitness accounts highlighted negative practices that impact marine life, which were shocking, and will shape our girls’ choices in the future. 

The Grade 7s have benefited from participating in Indian and IsiZulu cultural evenings, both specific to the KZN region, encountering new culinary experiences and participating in cultural activities. This developed an awareness, informing the girls of other cultures around South Africa, thereby providing them with positive educational cultural exposure.

Sugar Bay is a perfect platform for students to bond, not only with their peers but also with the teachers. This helps the girls to socialise and get to know each other better outside the classroom. In their Grade 7 year, our girls need to be a tightly woven unit as they take up their position of being the leading force in our school and they grow closer to one another in the Sugar Bay environment.  Awareness and patience are essential traits, important for building a student’s personality.  The girls need to be constantly aware of others and learn to be more diplomatic and empathetic in this environment.  They are involved in various teamwork activities, where they learn about respect and appreciation of similarities and differences amongst their peers. They learn independence, resilience and coping skills.

Leadership opportunities promote independent decision making due to free-choice activities based on personal preferences. Girls benefit from observing their counsellors leading the teams through all the activities. They are wonderful role models for the girls to learn leadership skills.

The benefits of a tour are not always quantifiable, but they are vast and undeniable.

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Visiting uShaka Marine world.

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Learning all about marine life.

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Experiencing a great 'fire' show on their last night.

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Safe flights into KZN!

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Watching the dolphin show at uShaka Marine world.