Guest Speaker at our meeting this week at Ellerslie was Justine Mahon, Principal of St Cuthbert's College in Epsom.

Justine, an old girl of the school, was appointed Principal of the School in 2018 after being the schools Deputy Principal for 15 years.

Justine, in her address, looked at what is happening at the school both in terms of academic achievement and in terms of activities beyond academic boundaries as the school educates and develops young women so they can survive today's ever changing world.  The schools aim is to make girls amazing.

Justine was appointed principal in January 2018 following a long period as Deputy principal.

She has been given an open brief the board in relation to the direction of the school. Justine is the first old girl principal of the school. Her focus is on joy and excellence and continual improvement in academic sporting and cultural pursuits.

She has two strategies academic achievement followed up by sporting cultural and social achievement.

St Cuthbert’s ranks highly in New Zealand in its academic achievements with girls obtaining outstanding results in IB and NCA.

The academic excellence demonstrated by St Cuthbert’s students derives from the fact the school is knowledge rich. It does not cherry-pick elements of the curriculum in the teaching process as appears to be the case in the public schools.

As St Cuthbert’s is a private school it is free of the dictates of the Ministry of education. That means that St Cuthbert's focuses on knowledge itself as opposed the project focused environment of public schools.

One of the outcomes of being a knowledge rich school is the focus on critical thought which enable students test and challenge propositions put to them.

The aim of St Cuthbert is to educate students so they know who they are and keep their lives in balance in what is a difficult world. Justine's aim is to ensure the students at St Cuthberts are happy and to feel confident in themselves and by doing that the students are able to achieve their personal best.

As well is the academic work students undertake there is a focus on St Cuthbert’s on service programs which as well as helping in the community enable students to produce better academic results.  Students spend considerable time and energy on Service projects, for example, engaging with the Habitat for Humanity build last year, as well as helping out retirement villages and low decile schools in South Auckland.

Justine mentioned the Kahunui campus in her address.  The Kahunui program is a monthly long residential program for year 10s, at the schools remote campus at base of the Kahikatea Range on the banks of the Waiotahe River inland from Opotiki. It is an off the grid experience where students have no access to devices for a month, living working and learning together for that period.  The visit to Kahunui is a circuit breaker for the students as it simply removes them from the distraction of devices and makes them deal with other people in an alien for most environment.

At the conclusion of her address Justine introduced us to this year's Head Girl Tiana Willis-Baker. A remarkable young woman who was given the opportunity of a scholarship to St Cuthberts, an opportunity that she has grasped with both hands. 

Justines address was well received by members and guests and generated a good number of questions.  Thank you Justine.