Can Do Christmas for St Andrews students
The University of St Andrews is laying on a host of special events and activities for students who are staying in St Andrews over the Christmas break.
It is expected that around 1500 students will be remaining in St Andrews over the holidays, some through choice, others because travel restrictions make it impossible for them to get home to their families.
Among the events for students is a brunch in ancient St Salvator’s Quadrangle where guests can see Santa’s reindeer up close and in person, crazy golf, beach activities and wreath making.
A special Microsoft Teams group has been set up to keep all students staying over the break in touch with each other and with the University, which will have staff on duty round the clock to support them.
The Students’ Association building and the Can Do Marquee will stay open over the holidays.
St Andrews was the first university in the UK to launch an innovative Can Do initiative, a collaboration with the Students’ Association to support students, and staff, with creative solutions and resources to attend and develop educational and extracurricular activities in a safe way. The Can Do initiative supports student societies and clubs to develop Covid-safe activities and socialising.
St Andrews Students’ Association President Dan Marshall said:
“This is going to be a strange Christmas for lots of people, but perhaps none more so than students who can’t get back to see their loved ones because of the pandemic. We’ve had a fantastic response from our staff at the University and the Students’ Association who are making sure we do everything we can to support and look after those members of our student community who in many cases will be thousands of miles from home this Christmas.”
Can Do Christmas events and activities for students include:
- Blitzen’s Brunch in the Quad with real reindeer
- Pitch and Play golf events in collaboration with the world-famous St Andrews Links Golf Academy
- Land yachting, beach kayaking ands up paddling and other beach activities with local specialist Blown Away
- A wide range of fitness, gym and personal training packages
- Wreath making workshops
- Putting competitions
- Gingerbread decorating
- Plastic-free present making
- Silver ring making workshops
- Can Do reading lunches
- Goalsetting session for 2021
- Lamp shade making workshops
Teaching will resume in St Andrews from 25 January 2021 in accordance with the Covid Protection Level (Tier) in force in Fife at that time.
Students coming back to the University of St Andrews after Christmas have been asked to stagger their return to the town to help reduce the risks of Covid transmission.
Some students will begin in-person teaching from 25 January, while others may be asked to take classes remotely until 7 February.
The staggered start to the new semester will run alongside a comprehensive asymptomatic Covid testing programme under which students in St Andrews will be offered free lateral-flow Covid tests on their return.
Issued by the University of St Andrews Communications Office.