Our Online Campus StCuth’[email protected]
Published September 28, 2021
“Even in a lockdown our motto ‘By Love Serve’ lives strong. It is a chance for us to check in on each other and show our students how they can serve in a variety of ways in our school community.”
— Justine Mahon, Principal
On Monday 23 March 2020, shortly before New Zealand’s first nationwide lockdown, St Cuthbert’s closed our school properties as a precautionary measure to protect students and staff against COVID-19. By 8.30am the very next day our girls had dialled in to a new look St Cuthbert’s from the cosiness of their homes – our very first online campus ‘StCuth’[email protected]’.
StCuth’[email protected] enables students to seamlessly continue to learn remotely, with lessons held via video conference, and teachers only a message away. Students attend online roll calls, study their usual timetable, connect with their teachers, exercise, dance, sing, play instruments and more, just as they would have physically on campus.
A specialised hub on our school intranet was launched to support StCuth’[email protected] with the whole family in mind, including cyber safety information, exercise routines, mindfulness and wellness programmes and FAQs.
Principal Justine Mahon says:
“We know girls and girls’ education, and from all of our teaching experience we knew it was best for our girls to have a routine, to continue learning, stay connected, and keep everything as normal as possible through such an unprecedented time.”
“From the outset it was identified that a strong sense of community and familiarity would be instrumental in ensuring all students and parents felt emotionally supported and secure. As such ‘Wellbeing’ is a key component of StCuth’[email protected] We have elevated access to our counsellors, our Senior School Deans and Year 13 Prefects have initiated programmes such as the ‘Big Sister, Little Sister’ programme, and our Sports Department launched a series of instructional videos to benefit both the body and mind. Parents also have the opportunity to speak with teachers whenever needed.”
An equally important role of StCuths’@home is to keep our St Cuthbert’s community closely connected. This transpires in different ways according to the various needs across our school. In the Junior School students attend classes with their teachers through Zoom each day, and have special guests join them from Olympians to Celebrity Chefs! In the Senior School the Year 7 Homeroom teachers guide girls through a series of fantastic learning and fun activities ensuring balance in their day. Across Years 8- 13, the Vertical Tutor Groups, organised by Houses, provide a natural glue to bond the girls together even though they aren’t at school. The girls themselves also found ways to lead this.
Ms Justine Mahon says StCuth’[email protected] has so many benefits, that will live on for some time at the school.
“StCuth’[email protected] brings together our entire school community and ensures not one person feels alone. I am so incredibly proud of our students, teachers, staff, and wider community for the way they banded together during this time.”
Here are just a few examples of the students’ amazing work from their time at StCuth’[email protected]
