Serving our Community

With ‘By Love Serve’ in mind, it’s been another busy year of giving back.

Across both the Junior and Senior School, our girls are always happy and willing to dedicate their time to giving back to the community. This year our girls have participated in a number of initiatives and events with a focus on giving back to our local communities and those in need. Here’s a snapshot of the ways in which the girls have given back this year…

Baking for good

The highly anticipated Fairtrade baking competition always proves a popular way to shed light on the importance of choosing Fairtrade ingredients. Students and staff are invited to enter their homebaked goods in the hope of winning a prize for their creations. All cakes are auctioned off, with the percentage of proceeds being donated to Fairtrade, whilst the rest supports ongoing Global Citizenship projects.

Serenading the neighborhood

With so many talented musicians at St Cuthbert’s, it seems only right to spread joy and delight through music. Our girls frequent the Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital, located just metres from the College gates, where they perform beautifully for the aged residents.

Foodbank fruition

You’ll be well accustomed to the Foodbank appeal which we hold each term. This year, one of the charities which benefited from our donations included the Presbyterian Support Northern, who will distribute food parcels and services to those very much in need.

Down to the roots

Our Junior School students have enjoyed numerous tree planting excursions this year. One of the trips saw our Year 6 students, teachers and parents spending the day at Brookby Equestrian club. By planting trees, they helped restore and preserve the habitat of the longfin eel as part of ‘The Brookby Project’.

Waste not, want not

One service initiative, saw some of our girls collecting chip packets for an organization which reuses them to create quality survival blankets for homeless people across the country. Bins were placed around the campus to make it easier for students to donate their empty chip packets. We love this initiative and how easy it is to save rubbish from landfill whilst helping others!

All cakes are auctioned off, with the percentage of proceeds being donated to Fairtrade.

Every year, each House embarks on a new community service project. Each House chooses a charity to support via various initiatives. This year’s projects were:

Iona – Girls in Need

This involved fundraising to make up hygiene bags. Iona, with the Donations from Chapel and donations brought in from the girls, packed these bags and Rev Joubert delivered them.

Elgin – De Paul House

This involved a blanket and PJ drive where girls brought in these goods which were delivered to De Paul House along with a donation from their Chapel Service which went towards Appliances.

Durham – So They Can

Durham hosted a bake sale at school and alongside their Chapel donations, they raised money to purchase reusable period packs.

York – Presbyterian Support Services

York House researched and designed a natural play area involving local schools and kindergartens. Donations from Chapel went to support this initiative.

Melrose – Painga Trust

Melrose students took part in a service weekend in which each girl undertook an act of service for her Parents/Grandparents/Neighbour. She received a small donation for this which alongside the Chapel funds, was used to purchase Stationery Workbooks for a school in South Auckland.

Lindisfarne – Manurewa East Primary School

Lindisfarne House raised donations to supply stationery items to Manurewa East Primary School. They accomplished this with their Chapel Donations and a school sausage sizzle.

Kelso – Camp Quality

Kelso House hosted an Art Exhibition at the College over one weekend. They also took part in a service weekend in which each girl completed an act of service for their Parents/Grandparents/Neighbour and with the donation received from this, and the Chapel donations, money was gifted to Camp Quality who run camps for children with cancer.

Dunblane – Presbyterian Support Services Northern

They donated sports shoes, and other supplies in the way of blankets and clothing and gave their chapel donations.

Trees for Survival

Caring for the environment has never been more important, and this August, Year 9 Science pulled on their gumboots and picked up their shovels to show their support for ‘Trees for Survival’.

Charitable trust ‘Trees for Survival’ works with over 150 local schools and communities across the country with a focus on planting native trees along waterways and environmentally at-risk sites. This worthwhile programme offers a hands-on opportunity for school children to make a positive impact on the environment whilst learning and having fun outdoors.

A bunch of 22 St Cuthbert’s students travelled to Bombay for the day, to get ‘deep rooted’ into the project. The students planted a total of 739 native plants around a fenced waterway on the property. The species planted included Mahoe, Ti Kouka, Karamu, Harakeke and Manuka.

After a productive planting session, the girls climbed the hill on the property to admire their handy work, knowing that their efforts would have a beneficial and long-lasting impression on the planet.