At St Cuthbert’s, we are dedicated to nurturing happy, capable and resilient young women who recognise and celebrate their unique talents. An important pillar is the expansive education outside the classroom programme at all levels of the school, from as young as five years old. The highlight is our Kahunui Life Skills Experience, now into its second decade, which takes place at St Cuthbert’s own remote campus.
Kahunui—meaning ‘big hawk’ in te reo Māori – is a St Cuthbert’s owned and operated 141-hectare rural property located in the Bay of Plenty, where our Year 10 girls spend close to four consecutive weeks, making the most of the amazing, natural location. St Cuthbert’s is the only girls’ school to offer a life skills experience on a separate school-owned campus.
It’s a truly transformative adventure during which our students are challenged and learn many important life lessons. The programme is designed to advance all levels of girls’ fitness—social, physical, emotional, and intellectual. During this time, the girls are unplugged—no phones, laptops or devices, with the only communication back home being via post.
Run by a dedicated team of academic/outdoor instructors, Kahunui welcomes groups of approximately 24 Year 10 students in a number of intakes across the year. Groups of eight students live in and manage their own house including their own cleaning, laundry, menu planning, budgeting, gardening and cooking.
In addition, students take part in an all-encompassing outdoor education programme designed to strengthen essential life skills. They throw themselves into outdoor activities ranging from tramping, kayaking, and blow-carting to fishing, small boat handling, are lighting and solo survival camping.
Principal Justine Mahon says: “Kahunui is a unique and very special part of what we offer at St Cuthbert’s to develop confident young women. The experience helps our girls become aware of just how resourceful they are, how they can achieve whatever they put their mind to, how they can feel the fear and do it anyway, and how to be at one with the environment.”
Every Year 10 student spends close to a month at Kahunui and we can say without exception that our girls love this facet of their education. Our girls emerge with new-found resilience and self-confidence, and a fresh appreciation of their home and family. Parents and their daughters returning home invigorated for the challenges ahead.
“The girls were all glowing when we picked our daughter up from Kahunui. They’ve had a life changing, irreplaceable experience. It’s hard to sum up our elation that our daughter has had the opportunity to participate in such an amazing adventure.” — Parent of a St Cuthbert’s year 10 student.
To learn more about Kahunui please view our video at stcuthberts.school.nz/kahunui
