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Diocesan School for GirlsClyde Street, Epsom, Auckland, New ZealandP. 09 520 0221F. 09 520 6778E. office@diocesan.school.nz

dioCESAN.SChool.NZ

Board Chair Mr Andrew Peterson

PrinCiPal Ms heather McRae

dEPuty PrinCiPalS Ms Chris Arthur

Mrs Margaret van Meeuwen aSSiStant PrinCiPalS Mrs Kate Burkin

Ms Sue leslie

dEPuty PrinCiPal Mrs Suzanne BrewinhEad oF Junior SChool

aSSiStant PrinCiPal Mrs Amy ThompsonJunior SChool

dirECtor oF BuSinESS Mrs Merle Bonifaceand Planning

dirECtor oF markEting Mrs Rachel Gardiner

dirECtor oF dEvEloPmEnt Mrs Angela Coe

ChaPlain Reverend Sarah Moss

admiSSionS dirECtor Mrs Kate Jones

hEad PrEFECt olivia hyland

dEPuty hEad PrEFECt Stephanie Murdoch

DIO TODAY is produced through the Marketing Office of Diocesan School for Girls and is designed and published by Hunter Creative www.huntercreative.co.nz. For information about this publication please contact the Editor, liz McKay, lmckay@diocesan.school.nz p. (09) 520 0221 ext 7733. Old Girls’ liaison: Georgina rose p. (09) 376 3922. Commissioned photography by real image, www.realimage.co.nz p. (09) 846 8683. proof reading by lexicon, www.deirdrecoleman.co.nz p: 021 132 3446.

14 “Empower me, empower you, empower us. I want you to think about those around you. Are you the hand that helps them to stand up or are you the hand that pushes them down?”

olivia hyland, head Prefect

JO JOHNSTONEM 021 411 107 T 09 523 9103

jo@uprealestate.co.nzuprealestate.co.nz

M 021 411 107 T 09 523 909 523 99103jo@uprealestate.coo.nz

uprealestate.coo.nz

LISTENING FIRST

living46 Chaplaincy

50 Sport

56 performing arts

63 parents & Friends’ association

learning18 Examination results

22 Centre for Ethics

32 The Global Classroom

38 Junior School

leading02 From the principal

06 Heritage Foundation

10 riri Stark’s memoirs

14 Stand Up! Head prefect’s message

editorialWhen looking through the running programme for the prefects’ assembly held in February, i was struck by the closing prayer, written by Year 13 students Ellie McBurney and Tiffany Brown. The Year 13 message for this year is about standing up and being counted; about not being an impassive bystander. The sentiments of this prayer – and message – are certainly worth sharing and taking to heart.

Loving God,We thank you for all the wonderful opportunities and experiences we are given here at Dio.Help us to always lead with compassion and humility; to have the courage and strength to stand up for ourselves and those around us.Support us through the good times and the bad. Give us faith to be resilient so that we are able to overcome hurdles and persevere.May we learn the skill of empowering ourselves, so that we can then empower others, and become more like the incredible people you have planned for us to be.Lord, we ask that our school pride and self-worth will be shown in our everyday actions so that together, we can be a caring school family, today and every day.Amen

Liz McKay, Editor

lifelong friends

64 president’s column

68 alumna Merita 2014, Jackie Grant

70 Graduation Ball 2013

75 News of Old Girls

78 reunions

COvEr:The Owl and the Pussycat by Debbie Campbell, based on the famous poem by Edward lear, is a humorous and entertaining

musical that presents a new look at this well-known story. performed by Year 5, it captured everyone’s imagination as the story unravelled of what really happened when the Owl

and the pussycat went to sea... (See page 40)

photo by Nicola Topping, real imagewww.realimage.co.nz

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One of the greatest assets we have at Diocesan is our independence. We have the ability to respond directly to our community and to their feedback about educational opportunities. We can advocate for our students and parents as well as seeking relevant research and trends to engage in the business of providing what is now proven to be a world-class education. We also pay our own staff – somewhat of an advantage after the well-reported challenges of Novopay!

Of significant interest and cause for celebration is the performance of the New Zealand private schools’ sector in the piSa results. piSa stands for the programme for international Student assessment – an international study that began in 2000. it aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students participating in the study. Typically, the participating countries/economies are members of the OECD – the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. reading, mathematics and scientific literacy are assessed. The number of subjects assessed is narrow compared to what is taught because comparing data across 70 countries is problematic with cultural bias making data from other subjects incomparable. Over half a million students from 65 countries took part in piSa 2012.

The results from piSa 2012 have recently been released and for the first time we are able to assess how independent Schools in New Zealand achieve compared to the rest of the world – and it is great news. independent Schools achieved third in mathematics behind Korea and Shanghai (an economic zone rather than a country), second in reading behind Shanghai and second in science behind Shanghai. Our independent schools achieved 17.6% higher in mathematics, 16.5% higher in reading and 15.7% higher in science than New Zealand’s public sector schools. This demonstrates clearly the strengths of an independent school education.

it is ironic that during my years working in China, there was a large demand for schools from the independent sector in England to replicate their schools in China. Many British schools created brand new campuses in Beijing and Shanghai and 10 years later, the Shanghai schools are outperforming their counterparts. and New Zealand independent Schools are as well. Deborah James, Director of the iSNZ – the independent Schools of New Zealand – recently wrote: “academic achievement has a lot to do with student work ethic, discipline and application. it is also the result of quality teaching and leadership.” The

Independentproud of it and leading the world!

Leading

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From thE PrinCiPal

“The independent sector in New Zealand is creating an outstanding contribution to the New Zealand education landscape.”

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independent sector in New Zealand is creating an outstanding contribution to the New Zealand education landscape.

as an independent School, Diocesan continues to focus on key drivers that underpin work ethic, discipline and application that are part of an exceptional educational experience for our girls. Honouring the rich traditions of the School established by our founders is an essential vitamin for today’s experience at Diocesan. Bishop Neligan’s commitment to providing academic excellence in curriculum and worship was itself an edgy vision for its time. Our exceptional alumni who demonstrate the outcomes of excellence in education are celebrated in our School with the alumna Merita assembly organised by the Diocesan Old Girls’ league. Our most recent recipient was Jackie Grant, an outstanding woman leader in the field of business and hospitality. She established the company Hip Group with partner Scott Brown, developing its annual revenue from $800,000 to $30 million in 10 years. Jackie and Scott have over 400 employees and the company is quickly developing a reputation as a world-class innovator in the hospitality industry. The stories, history and values of Diocesan provide deep inspiration and an aspirational legacy that motivates girls today.

innovation and ideas are rich sources for addressing the future. We have found that the best uses of technology are those that are designed to solve real problems. Technology is not the answer to a great education, but it might help our young people design solutions to global issues. Steve Wheeler, author of The Digital Classroom says: “We are in the age of the learner as their own node of production – it’s exciting to see students working with their teachers to create, organise, repurpose and share content on a global scale through social media and personal devices.”

The establishment at Diocesan of New Zealand’s first Digital Design Faculty and our imagination Station has been designed to support future economic development in design and creativity – the knowledge economy. With a laser

Independentproud of it and leading the world!

cutter and 3-D printers, students can design, experiment and improve on products across subject areas such as art, science, mathematics, food, materials and fabric. as Margaret Heffernan says, “Whatever the carrying capacity of the planet turns out to be, we know that it is limited and this challenges all of us, and our institutions, to devise constructive ways to share its wealth.”

2014 Alumna Merita recipient Jackie Grant and her partner Scott Brown visited a Year 12 hospitality class making butter chicken and spoke to students Sabrina Leung and Tayla Payne.

3-D printer

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at Diocesan, learning is still learning, whether it be enhanced by technology or not, and great results require more than technology – they require commitment, dedication and hard work. These learning attributes are part of our Teaching and learning philosophy, developed by a process of consultation with students and staff to provide a clear vision.

With a vibrant learning environment and excellent facilities, the girls at Diocesan continue to excel, achieving a perfect score of 45 in the international Baccalaureate (iB Diploma) examination. in NCEa, the New Zealand Certificate of Education achievement, 90% of our girls achieved endorsed certificates in levels 1, 2 and 3 – this is 40% ahead of national rates. Our girls achieve better than girls in independent and state co-educational schools by 20-30%. it is understandable that they were also awarded more than $500,000 worth of scholarships to select universities nationally and internationally.

as Thoreau once said, “i have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of her dreams, and endeavors to live the life she has imagined, she will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

Ut Serviamus!

Heather McRae, Principal

Heffernan, Margaret (2014) a Bigger prize – Why Competition Isn’t Everything and How We Do Better. Simon and Schuster, New York (pg 362).

Steve Wheeler is a Web 2 researcher, author of The Digital Classroom and associate professor of learning Technologies at the University of plymouth. For more on Steve, go to steve-wheeler.net or follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/timbuckteeth

“We believe in developing growth mindsets by fostering an environment where we challenge girls to become better people. Girls can make mistakes and learn how to fix them. We encourage them to win and to lose, to be involved and to grow their intellect while developing the characteristics and ways of being they want for themselves.”Heather McRae, Principal

Our five strategic principles

Inspiring Leadership

Growing Knowledge

Meaningful Relationships

Innovative Quality Environment

Purposeful Action

Filming in the Imagination Station

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tEaChing and lEarning

dEvolvE ProFESSional inQuiry

Junior SChool

AnnUAL pLAn 2014

To implement a range of strategies that will enhance learning in the Junior School.

To offer a greater range of sporting opportunities for all girls at all levels.

To ensure there is a successful transition of the Year 6 cohort to new classrooms.

To offer a range of activity-based programmes at all year levels from 3.15–4.30pm on a daily basis and in the holidays.

To ensure the Diocesan Teaching and learning Philosophy guides practice consistently across the School.

To deepen knowledge of digital competencies and their relationship to enhance learning.

To map the curriculum across all areas from Years FC-13 to ensure a seamless curriculum.

To foster resilience, risk taking and optimism in the Diocesan community.

To investigate the possibility of introducing the MYP as a basis for the Junior high School programme.

To expand the extracurricular opportunities across the School to enhance student engagement and learning.

To devolve ownership of professional learning to all teachers through inquiry-based approaches, teacher-led investigations, analysis of student needs, and guided/collaborative teacher learning (BES for Professional Development).

To link the teacher professional development process to appraisal so that teachers report the outcomes of their inquiry and demonstrate improved outcomes for students.

Term 2 datesmonday 5 may – Friday 4 July

6 May Full School Easter Communion Service, SpC10.30am8 May Years 7 and 8 Cross Country9.30am Years 9-13 Cross Country12.30pm10 May School Ball7pm14 May Dilworth/Dio production The Mikado opening

night7pm15 May Dilworth/Dio production The Mikado7pm16 May Dilworth/Dio production The Mikado7pm17 May Dilworth/Dio production The Mikado Finale7pm18 May Eliza Edwards Chapel Service5pm Mary pulling Chapel Service6.30pm19 May Junior High School Concert6pm22 May innes House Bridge and Mahjong Day, remuera

Bridge Club10.30am23 May Years 3-6 Fun run, Dilworth field1.30pm24 May Open Day1pm-3.30pm25 May Selwyn Chapel Service5pm Neligan Chapel Service6.30pm26 May Senior School Father/Daughter Breakfast7am28 May Year 6 production5pm29 May Year 6 production5pm30 May Waikato Dio/Dio Exchange at Hamilton 2 June Queen’s Birthday – school closed3 June Years 4-6 Cross Country1.30pm5 June Year 9 leadership Day6 June Years 9 and 10 Social7pm10 June innes House Chapel and Birthday Dinner5pm11 June Southwell Sports Exchange at Dio Years 7 and 8 Year 9 real Food, real Fast13 June School Birthday Concert1.30pm / for parents 6.30pm14 June School Birthday15 June Cochrane Chapel Service5pm Cowie Chapel Service6.30pm16 June Options Evening for 2015 for current Years

10-126.30pm19 June parents & Friends’ association aGM, School House

Dining room6pm Night of Dance7pm20 June Night of Dance7pm22 June roberton Chapel Service5pm Mitchelson Chapel Service6.30pm24 June parent Teacher interviews Years 7-13 a-K1.30-6.30pm Year 13 play, little Theatre7pm25 June learning journals and mid-year reports FC-Year 6 Year 13 play, little Theatre7pm26 June Concerto Competition7pm27 June parent Teacher interviews Years 7-13 l-Z1pm-7pm aria Competition7pm30 June visit from Somerville House School, Brisbane Scholars’ Dinner, School Hall6.30pm1-3 July Stage Challenge2 July Years 1-6 parent Teacher interviews and goal

setting1pm-7pm3 July Years 1-6 parent Teacher interviews and goal

setting3pm-6pm4 July Term 2 ends3.20pm

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The Heritage Foundation and the School wish to acknowledge the valuable contribution of two retiring trustees - ian Gault and Edwina Mistry. Both have served for seven years as trustees and stepped down from the Foundation by rotation in December 2013.

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Angela Anderson

H E R I T A G E

Thank you to retiring trustees

ian Gault has provided excellent governance and legal advice to the Heritage Foundation whilst also leading the Grants’ subcommittee. The link with Bell Gully from the early days of the Foundation has continued with ian’s trusteeship. His measured and wise responses will be missed.

Edwina Mistry likewise has given outstanding service to the Heritage Foundation. Her vibrant enthusiasm to promote and enhance the culture of philanthropy at Diocesan has been a constant. Her passion especially lies with Dio arts, where she has been a valued member of that subcommittee.

Both have truly lived up to the School’s motto ‘Ut Serviamus’. Thank you for your wonderful contribution and loyal support.

Angela Anderson, Chair of the Heritage Foundation

Our younger Alumnaewho are following their star

the Women2Watch awards celebrate the emerging careers of old girls aged 35 years and under on 31 december 2014.

The Diocesan School heritage Foundation, in conjunction with the old Girls’ league, recognises Diocesan old Girls who are demonstrating excellence in their chosen fields.

Women2Watch invites you to nominate yourself, a family member or friend. Nominations are simple - we only need your nominee’s name and occupation; the Women2Watch committee will do the rest.

nominations close on 12 June 2014 and the 2014 awards will be presented at a special School assembly.

For further information please see the heritage Foundation page of the school website: diocesan.school.nz/heritage-foundationor contact Angela CoeP +64 9 520 9378 E acoe@diocesan.school.nz

Women2Watch is proudly supported by Diocesan School’s heritage Foundation.

H E R I T A G E

a w a r d s

womenwatch

Women2Watch

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Shrouded in white and occupied by men in hard hats, the Diocesan Chapel has been a hive of building activity over recent months. like most other property owners in New Zealand, since the Christchurch earthquakes schools are now much more aware of the potential devastation that could be caused by an earthquake. During 2012 we undertook a full, independent seismic review of all our buildings and are delighted that the majority fully comply with the new building standards. The only building on the campus that was considered a possible risk should a significant earthquake occur, was our historic Chapel.

The Chapel of our Glorified lord has been loved by many generations of Old Girls. Here, over the years, we have gathered for worship and prayer, we have sung in choirs and paused at the start of our school day to reflect upon the things that really matter. Many of

us have been baptised, confirmed or married here and the Chapel continues to hold a very special place in the life of our school community.

Over the years, the Chapel has experienced various renovations and now, in the wake of the Canterbury earthquakes, a number of changes to building compliance standards have required the School to take all necessary steps to investigate our buildings and ensure that they can withstand the forces of nature. reports indicated that the majority of our school buildings would perform well; the Chapel, however, was identified as requiring remedial work to bring it up to standard.

Work commenced in December 2013 with the removal of the Chapel roof and the protective wrapping of the building. as work progressed and various access points were opened, a number of

unexpected structural deficiencies were discovered and it was realised that the internal strength of the Chapel walls was compromised by crumbling mortar and corroded metal ties.

This discovery led to significantly greater strengthening work than was first planned, but what a blessing that nothing occurred – as in Christchurch or Wellington – prior to the present remedial work! Now we can be assured that the Chapel will continue to be at the heart of Dio for another 100 years.

Once complete, you will notice few visible changes inside the Chapel as most of the remedial work is internal, involving the installation of steel beams and bracing inside the walls and under the floor.

The Chapel will be ready for use by the school community again in late May and a Service of rededication will be held at that time.

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Chapel restoration and seismic strengthening

annUal giving

The School greatly appreciates the wonderful generosity of our Old Girls who have contributed $50,035 to the Chapel Fund.

Our sincere thanks go to all of you who have donated to this very worthwhile project – the preservation of a beautiful building so close to our hearts.

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in any large organisation you will almost always discover one or two staff members who work away quietly behind the scenes achieving results that are of tremendous benefit to the enterprise as a whole. Sometimes it takes a long time to really recognise these individuals because, by their very nature, they tend simply to be getting on with their assigned tasks without a lot of fuss. One such unsung hero is Dio Today editor liz McKay who recently observed the 25th anniversary of her employment at Diocesan.

liz began her work at Diocesan in March 1989 when she ‘took up a position to care for the audio visual equipment of the School’. Beginning her duties in a little office in the back of the Hall, liz got to know many of the staff because she had one of the School’s few photocopiers at her disposal.

Over the ensuing quarter century, liz’s role has gradually shifted and transmogrified to where today, as publications Co-ordinator, liz is editor of the Chronicle, Dio Today and our community newsletters.

Diocesan is justifiably proud of its publications. Dio Today in particular, sets a benchmark that other schools struggle to equal. liz’s keen eye for layout and detail, and her expert command of English grammar combine with her amiable personality and her abiding loyalty to the School, ensuring that our outreach to the Diocesan family is of the highest standard; comprehensive, readable and enjoyable.

in the 25 years that liz McKay has quietly and graciously gone about her work, her love for the School and her tremendous talents have ensured that our institutional publications are the best they can be. She has also become a much respected member of the team, valued for her limitless patience and kindness, appreciated for her expertise and for the results she achieves without making a fuss. We wish her every blessing as she embarks upon her second quarter century serving the Diocesan family.

Ewan Lewis, Archivist

Liz McKay’ssilver service

aGreg and Jan abbottCatherine adamslara allanBeverley allenangela andersonpauline andrewsCarol Campbell

BMargaret Bakerrobyn Ballantynepat and Chris BarfootBryan BartleySylvia Beamish-WhiteMargaret BeddekJanet BedfordSue BeedieWinsome BirtwistleSue BlathwaytDahné BonifaceMerle BonifaceSimone BonifaceBeverley BrayFelicia BroadfootMarjorie BrosnahanMary Brown

CBetty CampbellDebbie Cathroangela CaugheyCelia CaugheyChristine Caugheyliz CaugheyNaomi CaugheyShona CaugheyTina ChienNichola ChristieSonja ClaphamJudge Dale Clarksonangela CoeBarbara ConnellSarah Couillaultrose CreightonElizabeth Crompton

dBarbara Dawnann DayJoan de latourpam DonnellyJenny DrummondHelen DufaurJulia Dykes

Erosey EadyDame Sian EliasGwen EmmettBriar Everall

FJoanna Fairweatherrobert and lisa FerrierJenevere Foreman

gMargaret GibbonsDawn Gibsonandrew GillettJo Glenroz Glengarrypam GlenieDr Joan Grantlynne GreatheadDiana Grocott

hJanice Habberfield-ShortJudy HanburyMargaret HardingSusan HerbertsonJulie HillCherrie Holderlaraine HoldomCynthia Hyatt

JFelicity JackDiana JacksonBeverley Johnson

kGillie KennerleyDr. Jill KennyDr. Bridget Kool

lSue letcherMindy leveneElizabeth luptonandrea lyons

mJill MacindoeJocelyn Mackayannette MaiseyDiana MaltbyMary Mandenopenny ManderMary Martinlyndsay MasonDorjean MasseyBarbara McClellanBarbara McintoshJonathan and Juliette MilneSue Mitchell

nval NapierNanette Norris

oprue Olderona Oliphantrosemary Olsonalice Osborneraf Otto

PWym parrMarion patersonlorraine patersonprue peacockMoira phillipsHilary pooleJoan poole

rBetty reedalison reevesHilary reidDr. roma robertsJanet romanesBarbara rowarthErin russell

Sann SalisburyMargery ShepherdElizabeth SimcockSarah SimpsonJean Sissonslibby SmithJanet SmithCatherine SpencerJudith Springrose StanhopeMargaret SuttonTania Sweet

tMargaret TapperElspeth TerryJoan ThompsonMargot ThompsonMargaret Turnbull

Wana WaalkensKerry WaalkensSarah WaitBeverley Wallisval WebsterJoanna WestEnid WhiteMargaret WhitmoreJoy and Grey WhitneyJane WilliamsKaren Williamsleigh WilliamsSue WilliamsSusie WilliamsSusan WillisBriar WilsonShaan Wilson

yJackie Yare

61 anonymous donors

Dio Today editorLiz McKay

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riri, who was born Elefteria Diana Dimoulitsa in 1918 in Greece, began hand writing her memoirs when she retired. They trace remarkable events that shaped her childhood in alexandria, Egypt, through her education in many schools in Cairo, to marriage to a New Zealand soldier and her adjustment to life in faraway New Zealand.

The book about the French teacher who inspired hundreds of students with her lively classes celebrates her extraordinary life and also the exceptional culinary skills she shared with devotees including chef ray Mcvinnie.

Mme Stark taught French at Diocesan School for Girls for 25 years until 1980.

When she retired, she took informal French lessons for Francophiles in her parnell apartment living room where she mixed French grammar and conversation with legendary morning teas.

She continued teaching pupils, who ranged in age from eight to 90, until she was 93 herself. past pupils confess that their exercise books were almost as full of her recipes as vocabulary and irregular verbs.

She was the first language teacher to use a language laboratory; it was one of the thrills of her professional life when it was set up in the early 1960s. She worked under five headmistresses and, at the launch, her daughter, Diane Miller, read a

More than 30 years after the retirement of Mme riri stark from the french department, 130 old girls, friends and family attended the launch of her memoirs, Riri - in her own words, in the school Hall on 20 november. What a tribute to a former teacher!

Celebrating French and food…

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Diane Miller, Sally Saunders, Allaine Burkett

Verna Latimer, Nichola Christie, Nicola Thompson

Paul Baragwanath, Diane Miller, Soula Lybery, John Christie

Carolyn Ward, Jenny Brown, Michele Spencer

Simone Schenirer, Suzanne Gibbons, Bridget Kool

Shona Caughey, Tómas Kennedy-Grant, Bonnie Kennedy-Grant

Robyn Want, Manon Trussell-Cullen, Lyn Strachan

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letter from riri announcing her retirement to the Chairman of the Board, with her incisive comments about each one of those women, much to the amusement of those present who knew the principals.

after welcoming the book-launch, guests sipping on French wine, principal Heather Mcrae handed over to former student Celia Caughey who, in excellent French of course, reminded everyone of three of riri’s favourite sayings – from voltaire: “Si Dieu n’existait pas, il faudrait l’inventer.” (if God did not exist we would have to invent him.); from victor Hugo: “Ce n’est rien de mourir, c’est affreux de ne pas vivre.” (it is nothing to die, it’s not to live that’s appalling.); and from la Bruyère: “Ce qu’il y a de meilleur

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…an inspirational teacher’s memoirsau monde, c’est l’amitié.” (The best thing in the world, it’s friendship.)

The value of friendship is a theme that runs strongly through riri’s memoirs and it was vividly apparent as memories were shared.

“i ostensibly went to riri for French lessons and she really knew the language. But i learnt a whole lot more,” says ray Mcvinnie, who studied privately with riri for more than three years.

“riri was excellent at Greek and other Eastern Mediterranean cooking which i did not know much about at the time. She used to feed me her filo cheese rolls. i could never quite get mine to be as light and fluffy as hers.”

riri’s recipe for Greek-style poached pork balls, Boulettes Grecques, is one of several that particularly inspired ray, who demonstrated a version of it at The Food Show.

“That recipe was one of the first to teach me you can make a really good meal from minced meat. The breadcrumbs soaked in milk were less about spinning out the pork than giving the boulettes a wonderful creamy texture which poaching also helps.”

riri’s words were edited by her daughter, Diane Miller, and friend Trish Gribben, one of riri’s adult students (“Get the naughty one to help you,” riri had said!). in her preface Trish wrote: “i have never known anyone to generate more love than riri Stark. it is not an idle word when we think of her legacy. She generated love with a fierce force; love of learning, love for her fellow human beings, love of difference, love of the foibles we all exhibit, love of food and friendship. it was a delight and privilege to work with Diane on this book. riri was our star.”

The book, with its heart-wrenching story and superb photographs and cover picture, designed by Gideon Keith, Creative Director of Seven, has been warmly received.

Copies have been sent all over the world to those whose lives were touched by riri – in Greece, the USa, France, australia and the United Kingdom.

Proceeds from the book, which costs $30, go to Diocesan’s Heritage Foundation.Enquiries to Angela Coe at Diocesan School for Girls:P. 09 520 9378E. acoe@diocesan.school.nz

Georgina Rose, Sarah Couillault, Penny Mander

George Palmer, Kirsty Palmer, Marianne Palmer

Trish Gribben and Diane Miller

Josephine Grierson

Aline Sandilands, Greta Knight, Georgie Knight

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On Thursday 3 april the Diocesan Golf Day was held at The Grange Golf Club, hosted jointly by Diocesan School’s Old Girls’ league and Dio Sport. The Old Girls’ league has previously hosted an annual golf day for women only but this year, in an effort to grow the event, the league combined with Dio Sport to host a golf day for all the Dio Community.

We had an impressive field of 80 players playing an ambrose competition. There was a mix of women only, men only and

mixed teams. it was a truly community affair with even numbers of men and women playing, including several Board members, staff members, community group members, parents and friends from all parts of the School – all working together. it was a fun and enjoyable day for all judging by the laughter during the afternoon.

Working with the Development Office the organisers were very fortunate to gain major sponsorship from some of

DIO Golf DayDiO TODaY

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The day would not have been possible without the support of the sponsors shown below and we thank them all for their generosity and support for the School. The Golf Day was a wonderful friend and fund raiser for the school community and, while it may not be an annual event, it will certainly be held again in the future.

Team McMillan BMW and MINIFuji XeroxSir David LeveneHilton Masters GolfThe Fredrickson familyNellie TierJames Crisp LtdBrittain Wynyard & CoSwiss DeliClassique International LtdHydr8Farro FreshTotal SportNATEdwina and Darius Mistry Mike Moynihan, Golf ProfessionalThe Golf WarehouseNew World, Green BayRemuera Local CaféThe Grange Golf Club

the School’s key sponsors including Team McMillan BMW and MiNi and Fuji Xerox. One of the biggest opportunities on the day included the chance to win a MiNi (supplied by Team McMillan BMW and MiNi) with a hole in one on the 11th par 3 hole. Despite the golfers’ best efforts the MiNi went home without a new owner and we sincerely thank Team McMillan for this opportunity. There were also sought after raffle and silent auction items including a round of golf for two at The Hills, arrowtown along with luxury accommodation at arthur’s point, Queenstown and a golf glove signed by lydio Ko.

Many other prizes were donated by the School community and the winning team will enjoy the use of a MiNi for a weekend, a round of golf for four and course-side accommodation at pauanui lakes resort. The winning team was a women’s team made up of Michelle Dunn, Jane Grigg, Kirsty Hardie-Boys and lexie loof (see photo above). Michelle Dunn (nee Caddie) is an Old Girl so as part of the highest scoring women’s team she won the Bryan Bartley Cup for 2014.

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Coming to Dio in Year 7 was about delving deep into my very large backpack and finding out who i was. When asked about my dreams or my goals i remember feeling that at the age of 12 i should know exactly what my dreams were and where i was going. i remember thinking about what i was actually really good at. Gymnastics, i decided, was not my thing when after months of training i still couldn’t even master the cartwheel. i was in search of a passion, something i could love.

For me this came in Year 9 in the form of a bicycle, which i didn’t at first realise

would become such a big part of my life. although i always had the impression that when you found your ‘thing’, your hobby, your passion, that somehow you would just automatically be brilliant at it and that would be the sign that yes, you were going down the right path.

i learnt that this is not necessarily so the hard way when i competed in my first cycling race ever – the North island Championships along the roads of Ngrauwahia – and finished third to last. For someone who is not a big fan of losing, this hit me like a wrecking ball. in my head i had failed so extraordinarily

Stand

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at a full school assembly led by the prefects in february, Head Prefect olivia Hyland delivered the following address about the Year 13 goal for 2014.

Olivia Hyland

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that for me quitting seemed the only way to go. What helped me realise that this result was just a minor hurdle were the girls on the team, the girls around me who gave me a helping hand up. My ability and passion have grown over the years and now most of the time i end up at the other end of the field. While there have been challenges along the way, hitting the ground a bit too hard, literally, it is all about believing in yourself.

Our goal as the Year 13s of 2014 is for Dio to stand up and stand together, empowered. Empower me, empower you, empower us. The dictionary definition of empower is ‘to equip or supply with an ability; enable’. ‘Stand Up’ is about empowering yourself; the ability is there, find it and enable it to grow. Empower those around you, you can enable them to ‘be more than they ever imagined’, help give them the confidence to pursue their passions.

Stand up and find your passion, empower yourself. Think about what gets you passionate; is it sport or the arts, is it an issue or a cause, is it academics? Stand up, empower yourself and find what you are passionate about. You don’t have to know right now. You can use your time at school to discover it. This is the perfect environment. We might have multiple passions, our passions may change, but we will only know if we go out there and try. Every one of you has amazing qualities within that make you who you are; these are your strengths, be aware of them, use them… there is something out there for you.

Sometimes we are afraid to stand up because we are afraid we may fall. Surround yourself with people who will catch you and help you back up, friends and family who will empower you. it is the times we fall and have to muster the strength to stand back up – with pride and confidence – that make us grow, that make us stand taller. i have seen girls at Dio, including myself, faced

with adversity, with challenge or with failure. While it might be tough, i have seen them accept what has happened and with courage and belief, they have stood back up. it’s the strength that the challenge builds, the strength that failure builds, that develops our characters. in the words of the fountain of wisdom that is Hannah Montana, “it ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side, it’s about the climb.” Failure is not something to be scared of. Stand up and even if you fall or lose your footing, use it as a growth opportunity.

Empower me, empower you, empower us. We can stand up and enjoy the view together. i want you to think about those around you. are you the hand that helps them to stand up or are you the hand the pushes them down? Each of us has the power to enhance someone’s life, to change someone’s life. The littlest actions we take or things we say can have a huge impact; moments that appear insignificant can have such a life-changing effect. You can empower people by just smiling, saying hello, and getting to know them better. Taking an interest, and making the effort to show people that they are worth your time, that they are valued. We are all part of the making of one another. We are all part of each other’s journey. Students from Year 0 to Year 13, teachers and staff, we are all DiO, we can all stand together.

So enjoy it! it’s fun to have a passion, it’s satisfying to overcome challenges and it’s incredibly rewarding to have a positive impact on someone else’s life.

Stand Up Dio!

“Our goal as the Year 13s of 2014 is for Dio to stand up and stand together, empowered.

Empower me, empower you, empower us!”

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COuNCILS PREFECT DEPuTIES

Academic amy Hansen Hannah pitman-Bell, Shantel Smith

Arts ashleigh parton Eloise Chin, Kelly Kim

Community Service Ellie McBurney aimee Wiltshire, rebecca McDonald

Environment annelies Kuypers Maria Burns, Samantha Jacobson

School Culture Nancy Yuan Devyani Sethi, Kate Maclean

School Events Sophie roberts Emily Maclean, Emma Orchard

Sport Beatrice Meadowcroft annabel Harman, Brooke Casey

Student Services Savannah Walker Madeline Wrigley, rachel Small

HOuSES PREFECT DEPuTIES

Cochrane Eliza lantz libby porter, Kate Gatman

Cowie Sarah Jones laura Hadfield, Sophie Baguley

Eliza Edwards Sierra Sewell Bryony Harrison, Madeline Chan

Mary Pulling Sarah reid Kira pitman, Nancy Du

Mitchelson lauren Holmes Sarah Heslin, Chloe Burns

Neligan Kathleen Williams Eliza Wilkinson, Kendall Brown

Roberton Tiffany Brown Gemma Scown, Harriet Gwynne

Selwyn Sarah Holland Sarah Tansey, Tegan Johnson

HOuSES PREFECT DEPuTY

Cochrane lara Cable Sophia Jones

Cowie Geneva roy Jessie lovrich

Eliza Edwards Georgia Gibson Hannah White

Mary Pulling lauren McMeiken ashwini Tittawella

Mitchelson Georgia Thompson amy Hill

Neligan Hannah Easton libby Hutt

Roberton Charlotte Brewer Hannah Brady

Selwyn Sophie Clark ashley Higgins

2014 School LeadersHead Prefect / Councils Olivia Hyland

Deputy Head Prefect / Houses Stephanie Murdoch

Olivia Hyland (left) and Stephanie Murdoch (right) pictured at the 2013 Senior Prize Giving

FIZZ & QUIZTHE MOVIES AND MUSICALS

Dress up and theme your table from any movie or musical and get set for a fantastic night!

SATURDAY 30 AUgust 2014 7pm

Tickets on sale from 2 June

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Learning

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Outstandingfor nCea and diploma students

results10 Scholarships including three ‘Outstanding’. Nina consistently guides her pupils to Scholarship success and we are lucky to have her as part of our academic staff. Of note too are the five Scholarships in technology – and across all the disciplines – food, product and fabric. Only 40 were given out nationwide so for Diocesan to take five is exceptional. Congratulations to Claire Wood and abbie Dingle who taught the programme. Biology (seven) under the care of Sarah Boasman and media studies (five) with Shannon Nelson also consistently achieve at this level.

Scholarship success does not come easily. Staff and students must work outside the existing timetable (we now have a period 0, which is from 7.30-8.30am!) and juggle the myriad of extracurricular activities in which the girls are involved. i know the girls appreciate the support offered by their teachers who go the extra mile to prepare them for this demanding examination. The greatest reward for the staff is to see their students succeed.

This year we will have 10 Gold Scholars – our largest number for some time, as rachel Twyman, april Gourdie, Karen Sue and lily Maclean will be honoured

We are delighted with the results of the 2013 NCEa examinations and especially with the quality of the credits that the girls gained. Between 80 and 90% of Diocesan girls have their certificates endorsed with either ‘Merit’ or ‘Excellence’. Endorsement is a real motivating factor for the students, much more than merely achieving the level, which our girls do with ease. The gap between Diocesan and all schools is significant, but better yet we are about 20 percentage points ahead of Decile 10 girls’ schools in several categories.

The 2013 Diploma results were also outstanding. Karin Ho achieved our first perfect score of 45 and five other girls joined her at the Governor General’s award Ceremony – Madeleine Ballard (44) Evelyn Qian (43) Carena lai (42) Wendy lian (41) and Evie liu (40). We were very proud to have 20% of our candidates in this elite group. Diocesan’s pass rate, average total points and average subject grade were all above New Zealand and world averages.

The results of the separate Scholarship examinations were also very pleasing. Of particular note is the continuing level of academic success Nina Blumenfeld has with her history candidates;

alongside the six girls who achieved the Diploma score of 40+. Each of these girls was awarded three Scholarships.

By the end of 2013 girls in Year 13 had been offered more than $500,000 worth of university scholarships. This is a testament to their hard work and excellent results and has ensured that they start their tertiary life not only in their preferred courses, but with significant funding behind them.

Each year when a cohort is so successful i wonder if the bar has been set at the highest it can be. But the NCEa results in particular have continued to improve. Each year i tell the Year 11s that they have big shoes to fill, and they remain undaunted by that challenge. research has always shown that girls in a girls’ school perform best and our results bear out that research. We can compare our results with the girls’ results from similar coeducational schools and can see that our girls outperform their girls by 20-30% at ‘Excellence’ level.

Thanks also are due to parents who work in the background supporting their daughters. When the combination of home, school and student is in sync, the effect can be powerful. We look forward to another successful academic year this year.

by this stage and april was able to use them confidently to present her ideas.

Head of the Technology Faculty, Claire Wood, says april was a brilliant fabrics student who deservedly gained a Technology Scholarship in 2013 and ‘Excellence’ endorsed at level 3.

a dedicated student, april was often to be found working at lunchtimes and after school in the fabrics room. She was very supportive of other students and would be happy to discuss their work - and hers with them. She entered competitions even though she had a very busy life and would always have a clear idea in her mind as to how she wanted her garments to turn out. april always chose difficult designs and fabrics in order to push herself out of her comfort zone.

Her project in Year 13 was called ‘Fashion Showers’; april wanted to solve the issue of the unpopularity amongst young people of wearing wet weather gear. She went on to design and make two raincoats, working closely with her two clients. along the way she was confronted with many problems, the most complex of which was how to make the seams waterproof. april carried out a variety of trials and eventually solved the problem by using flat-felled seams.

She has a lot to offer the fashion world with her creativity and her ability to problem solve by carrying out in-depth research.

april’s visual eye and creative flair afforded her a natural affinity for media studies, a subject that combines thinking and making, says Shannon Nelson, Head of the Digital Design Faculty. picking up the option in Year 11, april spent three years honing her practical and theoretical talents in approach to the topics undertaken in class. Her appreciation of creative thought and process was invaluable in the pre- and post-production aspects of filmmaking as well as in the theoretical

april Gourdie, 2013 proxime accessit to joint duxes, iB students Karin Ho and Evelyn Qian, was awarded three scholarships: in printmaking, media studies and technology fabrics. april was an outstanding student and a highly creative thinker. recently NZQa requested her printmaking folio for display at the Festival of Education as an excellent example of student achievement.

Shelley ryde, Head of art, says april first demonstrated her very promising artistic potential in her Year 11 level 1 artwork with a sophisticated folio that explored art-making ideas using the washing line and the pattern and movement of fabrics as the subject and theme.

This work revealed her fascination with pattern, colour and textiles, and april has continued to cross reference her love of fabric and materials through her technology subjects and her art making.

at the end of her Year 11 year april was invited to study painting at level 3 and she produced an amazing folio that presented her interpretation of the imagination and fears of a child through an expressive use of pattern, shape and colour. april changed to printmaking for the following year where she quickly began to excel. Her drawing and technical skills were highly developed

Accolades for 2013 Proxime Accessit

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analysis demanded by the subject. april’s research-driven approach saw her reflect and consider political economy, styles and techniques, ideologies and meanings, audiences and reception. Her drive and commitment to think differently was fundamental to her success and ‘Excellence’ endorsements each year. april’s attainment of Scholarship in media studies at the end of 2013 served to underscore her credentials as a creative and critically engaged learner.

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On 18 February New Zealand’s top IB Diploma scholars attended an awards ceremony hosted by their Excellencies, Lieutenant General the Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae and Lady Janine Mateparae at Government House in Auckland. Sir Jerry addressed the assembled students, their families and educators, saying that this event represented three things especially important to them: our young people, excellence and the sense of community. Extracts from his speech follow.

impressively, eight New Zealand students achieved a perfect score of 45. Those eight students are placed in the top 0.2% of candidates worldwide. i believe that this is the first time such a large group has achieved this result in New Zealand.

“On that note, i want to congratulate the schools represented here today. Offering the international Baccalaureate programmes as an alternative educational course is an audaciously progressive thing to do. all of you, the leadership and the communities in your schools, can be proud of your respective achievements – represented today by these Top Scholars, and the foundation of excellence you have provided for them.

“i now want to mention the young people we celebrate today, and the notion of excellence. Each of you is here because of your diligence and determination to be the best you can be. That resolve is a character trait that will serve you well in your future studies and careers. in striving to excel, each of you has provided a springboard for your future.

“Most, if not all of you, will go on to university. Given your achievements to date, it is almost certain that you will all be high achievers in whatever you choose to study. What you have done by working hard throughout your school years, and in the iB programme, is invest in your future; a future that is full of opportunity and full of promise. a word of advice - opportunity and promise are like luck: you have to make them!

“Speaking on community; while each Top Scholar has achieved their award through hard work and merit, there is an underlying support structure that is a critical component of that success. The families behind each student that provide encouragement and a supportive home environment are crucial to learning and achievement. also, the teachers who have been with these students five days a week, throughout the school years, who champion learning, purposeful endeavour and hard work deserve recognition.

“Despite our geographical remoteness, New Zealand is part of a very connected world. New Zealanders are global citizens for whom an international perspective is important in understanding our world, its events and the people around us. The international Baccalaureate programme provides a foundation for connectedness – developing knowledgeable, inquiring and caring young people who are in tune with helping to create better futures for themselves and perhaps the world.

“as an internationally recognised qualification the iB programme, and these Top Scholars awards, provide a benchmark of the calibre of young New Zealanders. We know that our nation’s education is world class, modern and responsive. There are many indicators that confirm that reality.

“a telling marker of education excellence is the proportion of top iB scholars in New Zealand, compared to the proportion of top scholars in other countries. as you will be aware, to achieve the title of an iB Top Scholar, graduates must achieve a score of 40 points or better out of a possible 45. it is a feat achieved by only 6% of the world’s iB students. recently released results for 2013 for the iB Diploma show that 74 of the 451 students who finished the two-year course in New Zealand scored 40 or better. at a little over 16 per cent, this is almost three times the world average.

Speech credit: Government Housephoto credit: Cate rainbow

“a community has given each Top Scholar, being recognised today, the best possible support and encouragement; all of which has had a part in their success. Communities participating in the development of our young people, so they can do their best, achieve personal challenges, work with others and serve our communities underpin capable individuals; and strong, vibrant communities.

“However, in the end, success for each of you Top Scholars has been, and will be dependent on you. You will need to combine your intellect, a work ethic of excellence and motivation and drive to shape your future. You have already proven that you are outstanding students, capable of achieving to a world-class standard, and we look forward to seeing where your efforts and studies take you next.

“So with that thought i will close, by offering my congratulations to the young people being honoured today, and my thanks to the family, teachers and supporters of these bright young people who reaffirm that our country can have confidence in our young men and women and that our future will be in good hands.”

International Baccalaureate Top Scholar Awards

Diocesan’s Karin Ho, one of the IB scholars who achieved a perfect score of 45, with Sir Jerry and Lady Janine Mateparae at the Government House Awards Ceremony.

The final ethics event for 2013 saw Year 10 learning about acceptance of others and how to see past differences, while also embracing them. Facilitators Karen Morrison-hume and Maree Aldridge from the organisation ‘Anglican Action’ were involved, as well as guest speaker Allie Fyfe, recounting her work to reunite a refugee mother with her children who she was forced to leave behind in Burma. Not only was this the last event for the year, but also my last as a student.

it is with great sadness that i leave the Ethics Committee, which has taught me so much over the past two years. i was fortunate to be one of the committee’s leaders in 2012 and 2013 and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. Ethics has equipped me with many necessary tools for the future, including an open mind and the ability to look at things from a number of perspectives. however, i think what i love most about ethics is the absence of any kind of definite answers to questions that we nevertheless feel compelled to ask. For me, the Centre has certainly shaped where i am going next, as i will be including ethics papers as part of my law degree.

over the last two years, i have been exposed to so many new ideas and perspectives on a range of topics. i know the girls have been impressed with speakers such as Sam Chapman, with his kind and humble manner and Chris Mahoney who clearly inspired students with his love for human rights. While we may all have gained something different from each talk, the Centre, i believe, has succeeded in making students think for themselves and build informed opinions. None of this would have been possible without Mrs Syms, whose enthusiasm and vision inspired so many.

Finally, the Committee congratulates Ms Blumenfeld on her appointment as the Centre’s director for 2014. With her incredible passion and commitment i am confident that she will be a wonderful leader.

Amelia Retter Year 13, 2013

ReflectionsoN ThE CENTRE FoR EThiCS

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“Ethics has equipped me with many necessary tools

for the future, including an open mind and the ability

to look at things from a number of perspectives.”

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Finally, the Centre for Ethics aims to support the School’s emphasis on respectful and warm relationships between students and staff. indeed, at the heart of all ethical questions is how people will be affected by the decisions made.

as has happened over the last two years, the Centre for Ethics will develop a programme that involves a series of events across the whole school curriculum in order to raise student, teacher and parental awareness of ethical issues. The integration of ethics into a cross-curricular framework has provided a meaningful context in which students can practice critical thinking skills and allowed for a healthy debate of ethical questions within the classroom. at this point, ethical issues that we hope to address this year are:

•disabilityandthecommunity• theissuessurroundingreproductive

technologies• thecopycatsyndrome–plagiarismand

the stealing of designs• livingasarefugeeinNewZealand•ethicalrelationships• isthereajustwar?•philanthropy–whybother?•WhatdoestheYearoftheFamily

mean for New Zealand?

The Centre for Ethics provides us with a wonderful opportunity to assist students to face ethical obstacles and issues from an empowered and knowledgeable position and act according to what the philosopher Thomas aquinas called a ‘well-informed conscience.’ people have always had to face ethical decisions, yet young people in the 21st century live in a complicated, uncertain world that is technically very sophisticated and changing rapidly. This environment creates novel and unsettling challenges that face us on a daily basis. in particular, with the power of media and social networking over our lives, it is difficult for young people, indeed all of us, to negotiate the difference between appearance and reality. One of my aims is to encourage students to challenge and critique institutions such as the media from a well-informed perspective so that they are not fooled by false images or taken in by artifice.

Ethical questions do not always involve the ‘big’ dilemmas. The Ethics Committee, made up of 26 dedicated students, has stressed to me that ethical questions affect us all on a daily basis. For example, should we tell a friend not to be hurtful to another person? Should we only buy New Zealand-made goods? The programme of the Centre for Ethics 2014 aims to demonstrate that ethical issues can be simple ones and that we face making choices or decisions about them every day.

i feel it is important that students learn to see the issues facing our world in shades of grey and not black and white. Students (and teachers) often feel there has to be a right answer; however, ethical questions demand well-informed answers that may be ‘right’ for some people but not for others. When students are involved in debating ethical questions, they learn to listen to other points of view and reflect carefully about their own set of values. learning to stand one’s ground and justify it logically is clearly a valuable skill for all students.

The majority of these events will involve invited ethics ‘experts’ delivering talks within a range of curriculum areas during the course of the school day. as in the past two years, parents and members of the Diocesan community will be invited to attend and participate in the discussions that arise during a ‘Community Ethics Dinner’.

Having taken over the position as Director of the Centre for Ethics at the beginning of the year, i have not fully developed the programme for the year. i would welcome suggestions from the community for speakers and ethical topics that would engage and challenge students.

Nina Blumenfeld,Director of the Centre for Ethics

ThE CENTRE FoR EThiCS

My visionNina Blumenfeld the new Director of the Centre for Ethics. (Photo credit: Luci Harrison)

Martine abel’s visit to Year 12 eotC Week

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“I personally find the work that Martine does with the Auckland Council inspirational and admirable. It was fantastic for us to gain a different perspective from Martine. She was incredibly knowledgeable and had some very interesting experiences to share with us. Being able to understand the diversity within our community is an important part of being a leader as we must be able to relate others. We were able to gain this insight from Martine’s talk.” Hannah Rice, 12ED.

Martine abel is the programme advisor Disability at auckland Council and was invited to speak to Year 12 students during EOTC Week about the link between diversity and leadership. as a blind person, Martine brings first-hand experience and real empathy to her role, providing advice to colleagues on making council services accessible from the aspects of transport, communications and environment, and linking with community organisations. Her role involves “a mixture of projects and advice”.

She stressed to the students the importance of leaders supporting their teams and valuing everyone as an equal. By doing so, leaders support a team of peers, all of whom have an equal part to play in the running of an organisation or a campaign.

in her quiet and gentle way, Martine answered many questions from the students, illustrating how important it is for society to recognise and consider the needs of the disabled in going about their daily life.

Lord Robert Winston is an internationally renowned scientist and broadcaster, widely known for presenting shows such as BBC’s Child of our Time and The Human Body. Currently a patron of Gravida (a New Zealand centre of research excellence) and a Professor at Imperial College, London, Lord Winston paid a visit to Diocesan biology teachers and students, as part of TALKFEST 2014.

Sophie Scott, a Year 12 biology student, reports:“On Thursday 13 March at 1.30pm, lord Winston hosted an interactive liveChat which was broadcasted throughout New Zealand and the pacific. a select panel of top student bloggers from the pacific and a student audience of Year 12 and 13 biology students joined lord Winston in the Fale pasifika at the University of auckland and discussed the use and ethics around reproductive technology.

“Named ‘reproductive technologies: an issue for our time’, this interactive web event was broadcast via liveChat

reproductive technologies: an issue for our time

through to our own School Hall, where Diocesan Biology students gathered to learn about this interesting topic. We were able to communicate to lord Winston and the student panel online, which made the talk less of a lecture and more of an open conversation encouraging the audience to participate on a much greater level.

“all the biology girls learned a lot from the event, loving the opportunity to immerse themselves in a topic that we may not have otherwise covered. Many girls submitted questions to lord Winston and the student panel, and although none appeared on the big screen we still enjoyed seeing questions from other New Zealand students being answered by this famous and celebrated scientist.

“Many thanks to our wonderful biology teachers for organising this unique experience for us, and to TalKFEST 2014 and to liveChat for enabling us to interact with a world-class scientist and true expert in his field.”

Lord Robert Winston (image courtesy of Gravida)

Nina Blumenfeld and Martine Abel(Photo credit: Joanna Wright)

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on diversityEach Year 12 student was given the opportunity to watch the New Zealand documentary Intersexion, directed by Grant Lahood with the assistance of intersex activist and counsellor Mani Bruce Mitchell. Intersexion follows the personal stories of a variety of people who identify as neither male nor female, including Mani Mitchell’s uniquely New Zealand story.

This was challenging viewing for most of the students as it presented heart-warming case studies of intersex people and their life stories. What is clear from the documentary is that human sexual development is not necessarily straight forward. One fact from the film amazed many students; that one baby in 2000 is born with genitalia so ambiguous that it is very difficult to tell if the baby is male or female.

another group of Dio biology students was lucky enough to attend the actual ‘reproductive Technologies’ live event, which Year 13 student Cecilia Qian describes as “an intimate, interactive discussion”.

“after his short introduction to the topic in which he related his personal experience, he spoke of the joy to be had in assisting would-be parents. after a little of the more technical aspects and biological implications of ivF, he went on to discuss the ethics of ivF. His was a stimulating, thought-provoking talk. His gentle acceptance of different points of view whilst maintaining his own was welcome in a man so admired for his work.

“The student panel presented a variety of well thought out and interesting points of view. His closing address reminded us that the most challenging aspect of biology in the future is the need to determine clear guidelines for the acceptability of a wide range of processes. Cloning, artificial human organ development and increasing choice in genetic determination are all areas in which we need to make careful decisions.”

Julie Watson from the Human rights Commission and Mani Bruce Mitchell then presented a workshop in which students were asked to act out the roles of family members or medical professionals when presented with the scenario of an intersex baby at various points since the 1950s. The unpacking of these role plays helped students to understand why people reacted as they did - and still do today. Mani and Julie dealt with the issues that arose and the many questions that were asked in a sensitive and skilful manner. Students certainly learned to feel and think with greater empathy about the ethical and daily issues faced by intersex people and their families.

The majority of students clearly showed that they were developing their leadership skills of empathy, tolerance and the understanding of diversity.

Julie Watson, Educator at the Human Rights Commission (centre right) and Mani Mitchell, Educator, Counsellor and Change Agent (centre left) with Year 12 girls. (Photo credit: Joanna Wright)

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Soapbox competitionOn Thursday 9 april Year 6 students, Junior High and Senior School students enjoyed a scintillating final to the Soapbox Competition, run expertly by the Ethics Committee.

Michele a’Court, the well-known New Zealand comedienne, began the proceedings with a very funny and entertaining ‘rant’ about feminism which was greatly enjoyed by students and teachers alike. Our MC, Katherine Woods, managed to both make us laugh and think at the same time and ensured that the competition ran like clockwork. The balloons printed with the Dio Ethics instagram, organised by Georgia lala, added to the fun atmosphere of the occasion.

The aim of the competition is to encourage students to take a stand on any topic that is related to ethics in a two minute speech. Sixty-five students entered the competition initially, speaking during a succession of lunchtimes. representatives from the Ethics Committee chose six to eight semi-finalists from each level and from these, three finalists from the Junior

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to think about issues that matter to me, as I’m very passionate about eradicating the stigma around mental illness that is perpetuated in our social language. It was amazing to have won the competition, and I hope that the members of the audience were able to take something away from my speech.” Hope

High and three from the Senior School were chosen. They were Emma Sidnam, Emma Wong She and lara Cable from the Junior High School and Hope Whitehead, Nancy Yuan and Kathleen Williams from the Senior School.

The topics chosen by the students ranged from feminism to international aid, mental illness, New Zealand identity, problems with waste and judging people by their appearance. Choosing the best was difficult for the judges but in the end they chose two winners who showed their passion about their topics and engaged their audience: Junior High student Emma Sidnam and Senior student Hope Whitehead.

i would like to thank the leaders of the Ethics Committee – Sarah Jones, Eloise Chin and Kate Gatman for organising such a worthwhile event and also Georgia lala and others from the committee who came to help set up the Sports Centre. a particular thank you to James Boddy for running the sound/video system.

Nina Blumenfeld

“The actual competition was highly exciting and nerve-wracking, but in the end I just felt satisfaction to be able to share my ethical views with so many people.” Emma

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“like the real world, the cyberworld will never be perfect but parents have the power to reduce issues significantly,” says australian cyber safety specialist and ex-detective, Brett lee.

Brett was at Diocesan recently to demonstrate to Year 7 and 8 students and their parents just how easy it is for online predators to strike up conversations with teenagers. Using an alias (15-year-old Kate), Brett was able to show how an online conversation, initiated by an older man, quickly veered into more intimate and disturbing areas.

Brett, who “has been a teenage girl on the internet longer than nearly any real teenage girl”, has been personally involved in the online investigation, arrest and prosecution of numerous offenders, whose medium for preying on others is the internet. in his investigative role he spent thousands of hours assuming fictitious online identities to locate and remove criminals from the cyber environment.

navigating the sometimes dangerous online world can be tricky for young people.

However, with four children of his own, he still views the internet as largely a positive place and says that it all comes down to learning how to safely navigate the online world.

Parents’ guide to internet useEvery time my child logs on they have access to everything the adult world has to offer – i have to be involved – i may be the only line of defence.

1. always keep lines of communication open

2. Consider monitoring and filtering software

3. Take an interest and have active involvement with kids’ internet use

4. Take control of the internet and mobile phone

5. Have firm guidelines, rules and consequences

6. Keep the internet in a public area of the home

Cybersafety A JoiNT RESPoNSiBiliTY FoR PARENTS AND SChool

Cybersafety specialist Brett Lee with students Grace Knell and Grace Riley who were part of the team that produced the Carol Cakeface video.

Netsafe has identified an escalating problem of cyberbullying amongst primary and intermediate-age students, with it peaking in the intermediate years.

Netsafe Executive Director Martin Cocker says, “These are the years when children are becoming more tech savvy and also the age when parents start to give their children internet-enabled devices such as smart phones, tablets and laptops. However, intermediate-age children still don’t have the maturity to manage their online communications and social interactions and that’s when cyberbullying can happen.”

USa-based social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, are legally required under Federal law to restrict access to 13-year-olds and younger or require parental consent. However, this is not always strictly enforced, particularly in countries outside america.

Netsafe’s message to primary and intermediate school students who are being cyberbullied or who know of cyberbullying is to tell someone – an older friend or sibling, parents or staff at school.

This message is reinforced in the ‘Carol Cakeface’ video that was produced by a group of Year 6 Diocesan School girls in 2013 as part of a gifted and talented programme and inspired in part from Netsafe’s movie entitled At a Distance.

Diocesan has a zero tolerance policy for bullying, including cyberbullying. Students are educated at the start of the year around protecting their digital footprint and about internet safety. Furthermore, students and parents are required to sign an appropriate Use agreement before the students can use iCT in the School. Students who bring in ipads to school are also required to sign an agreement outlining the School’s expectations for their use.

DIVERSITY“I think it is such an important leadership day to be involved in as it opens your eyes to the difficulties others face and really helps you put into perspective how rich your life is in terms of being able to do the things you want to, having control over your body and behaviour and having the ability to achieve what you want to in life.”Sofie Baguley

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Servant Leadership at Diocesan

4 Years on

2011Year 10 ‘Leading and following’ Developing the servant leadership characteristics of humility, empowering others and stewardship.

2013Year 12 ‘Diversity’Developing the servant leadership characteristics of interpersonal acceptance and stewardship through placements in a Special School.

2012Year 11 ‘Discoveries; tapping leadership potential’Developing the servant leadership characteristics of authenticity, providing direction and empowering others.

2014Year 13 ‘Pitch and Project’ Developing the servant leadership characteristics of providing direction and stewardship through working in council groups to plan an event.

TEAMWORK “Through the high ropes and dragon boating we learnt about leadership and followership and the key values of teamwork. The high ropes challenged us and support from our peers was key in overcoming this challenge. In dragon boating we all had to work as a unit to move the boat. These teamwork skills will carry through our lives in the future.” Claudia Lowe

PuSHING PERSONAL BOuNDARIES“One of the most important lessons for me has been to risk a little to gain a lot. In some of the leadership training I have had to push myself hard to get the full benefit from the activity. I have learnt that if I put in one hundred percent, even if the activity is not something I enjoy or am good at, I can get just as much out of it – or even more – than something I love and am good at.” Stephanie Murdoch

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Year 13 students are focusing on Servant leadership as they progress through their last year of leadership learning at Diocesan School. Students will leave Diocesan with the qualities, knowledge and characteristics for servant leadership: to be authentic, able to empower and develop others, to provide direction, and to show interpersonal acceptance, humility, and stewardship, attributes that will set them apart as they leave us to take on a changing – and challenging – world.

The Year 13 students, in their last year at Diocesan, all have a part to play as leaders and role models within the School.

Their focus this year is to build the servant leadership characteristics ‘provide direction’ – to develop skills and understanding to present themselves and pitch their ideas and to gain the tools and knowledge for project management; and ‘stewardship’ – to develop understanding and willingness to take responsibility and act as role models and to go for service instead of self-interest.

participating in two specific leadership days at the beginning of the year, the girls gained skills, tools and knowledge on the first day and then worked together in council groups, tasked with putting together a proposal and plan for a chosen event. Councils and committees now have the opportunity to follow through and make the event happen.

Claudia lowe commented on her experiences, saying, “Over the two days i learnt how to present an idea in an entertaining way but provide the relevant information at the same time. i also learnt many skills in managing events with teamwork and incorporating everyone’s ideas instead of just my own.

“i have also learnt the importance of time management. The courses have taught me how to plan my time and the importance of sticking to the plan.

“Sometimes being a leader may involve not leading from the front but from behind; supporting and encouraging

people is a very effective method of leadership as opposed to giving orders.”

as they have progressed through the years of the leadership development programme, the girls have come to realise that leadership is not a position or a badge but a way of being. By the time they leave they will have learned a great deal more and be ready to take on the world!

appropriately, the last words come from Head prefect Olivia Hyland: “Collectively all the learning opportunities i have had through the leadership programme at Dio have played a large part in developing my ability as a leader and helping me to identify my strengths and weaknesses. it has given me the opportunity to discover so much about myself and how i relate to people. The programme has given me a solid foundation.”

YEAR 13 LEADERSHIP DAYS‘PITCH AND PRESENT’

After four years of developing leadership at Diocesan, we now have a full programme from Years 7 to 13. The current Year 13 students have had four years’ progression through the Leadership Programme and Staff are definitely noticing an increase in student willingness to adopt servant leadership. The girls have also made comment about how certain aspects of the Leadership Programme have had an impact on their thinking and future directions.

Servant Leadership at Diocesan

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Year 13 Camp was full of challenges and new experiences. After driving down to Ruapehu we were shown to our cabins and allocated our rooms. We made a roster for chores and cooking and then went off to get our food supplies for the week. our first challenge was having to cook for 20 people in our cabin!

Camp involved three different activities, all with their own personal challenges to overcome. on the overnight solo we spent six hours by ourselves doing reflection tasks in a tent that we had to set up ourselves and reading a letter from our parents. This was an emotional time for many people as they looked back on their lives and thought about their futures.

The white water rafting pushed many people out of their comfort zones as we flew down the rapids, crashing into rocks and walls. it was a great experience working in a team with people who we didn’t normally work with and we all got to know each other better.

The tramp up to the Ruapehu crater was, for some, the hardest part of the camp. Getting all the way to the top, climbing 1,000m, pushed us both mentally and physically. Everyone encouraged one another to keep going and stay motivated. The rewarding feeling of getting to the top was incredible! Encouraging others meant that we were standing up, empowering others and ourselves to do the best that we could and keep going through the challenges that we faced.

overall, camp taught us a lot about ourselves and working together to achieve a common goal, ranging from cleaning up after dinner to conquering Mt Ruapehu. This week was an experience we all learnt from and we will carry it with us for a long time.

laura hadfield and rebecca mcdonald

Moving beyond boundariesYear 13 EOTC Week

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Leadership summariesone of the reflection activities was to think about all the wisdom and knowledge that the girls have gained since Year 7. What would they do differently if only they had known? two students have shared their ‘first lesson’ so that Year 7s can take advantage of their experiences.REFLECTIONS FROM CLAuDIA LOWEDio has been an important part of my life since before i was five years old when i started in the New Entrants class. it has not only informed me but it has formed me into the person i am today. There have been many challenges, celebrations and lessons learned during my 13 years here but the advice i would give you comes down to three simple things:•Standup•Stepforward•Don’tforgettobreathe

Standing up is my year group’s motto. it is about self-empowerment but also engagement. it is so important to embrace the School and all its opportunities. Sign up for as much as possible – whether it be a sports team, band or poetry club. Trying lots of different things will put you on the path to your passion as you discover what you love to do.

Step forward and keep moving forwards. You must continue to seek your very best. This is the challenge the School will always support and encourage you in – ‘be more than you ever imagined’. it has always been my goal to perform to my ultimate best. But now i realise that the challenge for one’s ultimate best never ends. it is something you will continue to build on for the rest of your life. it is just about putting one foot in front of the other. i will always set my goal higher just to aim for my overall best and have overall success.

Finally, take a moment to breathe! Stress doesn’t always get you where you want

to go. i remember being your age and panicking over a 20-question Spanish test at the end of the year. it turns out i have to do one of these a week all of Year 13! You are only just beginning – you have so much time to improve. i also remember friendships being stressful and confusing at first. Over time people will change. You yourself will change. Eventually everything will work out and once you find that special group of friends you will probably have many of them for life – along with plenty of new people you will meet. You don’t want to lose yourself to stress. Close your eyes and listen to your breathing. Whether short term or long term, things will actually fall into place.

These lessons learnt from school will remain with me as i stand up and step forward in all the stages of my life that will follow my time at Diocesan.

REFLECTIONS FROM LuBA MuRPHYi started at Diocesan in 2009, a little Year 8 student. i have well and truly loved this school; ever since the first Open Day i attended with my grandma and my mum i had the feeling that this was the school i wanted to go to.

at Diocesan i have learned how to communicate and build relationships with both my peers and teachers. My childhood dream was to become a veterinarian as i love animals. This plan has since changed due to ‘physics – enemy # 1’ (sorry Mr Boasman!). physics is not a subject i get along with and because it is a requirement for veterinary Science at university i’ve tried conquering the challenge it presents,

but sometimes you just have to let things go. However, i have developed new passions in business and biology, so now have my sights set on a conjoint degree of Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Science that i may complete at either the University of auckland or Massey palmerston North.

i have some advice for the Year 7s. These are serious:•Makethemostoftheopportunities

here. i know you are here a lot, but as i am now rapidly approaching the end of my Dio career, it seems like only yesterday that i was starting in Year 8.

•Participateinasmuchasyoucanorifyou have a passion, follow it. For me this was hockey. i have played since i was five and have represented Dio and auckland at many regional and national tournaments. You should see the number of medals i have!

•Dreamahead.Wheredoyouseeyourself in Year 13?

•Buildstrongrelationshipswithyourfriends and teachers; it will help you to get to know them better and make your life easier.

•Havefun!Schoolisnotboring.Thinkabout how boring it would be to be at home all day and not see your friends.

and here are some not-so-serious tips:•Liftsareforteachers.Stairsarefor

students. Be aware that if you catch the lift illegally you may be forced to walk back down again!

•Thebuttonsonyourblazeraretherefor decoration. You don’t need to do them up!

•WearblazerstoFullSchoolAssemblies!if you forget you’ll be in trouble.

•FYI–doorsigns.Push=push, pull=pull.Yes,Year13stilldon’tknowthe difference.

•Startlearningtopitchatent.You’regoing to need it for Year 13.

and lastly and most importantly, embrace your time at Dio. it really is the BEST school of all!

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Amy Hansen, Sarah Heslin, Kira Basham and ex-Dio girl Aislinn Faulkner travelled to Germany in the Christmas holidays on the annual exchange to Hans Sachs Gymnasium in Nurnberg. All the girls thoroughly recommend the exchange and suggest that if you are studying German to start saving now for the opportunity to participate in an experience that will be life-changing!

In this article they answer some questions about the exchange:

HOW DID THE SCHOOLING DIFFER FROM DIO?

Kira: First off, it was a co-ed school, so we were taught with a group of boys as well as girls, the ratio of boys being higher than girls. They also had a lot more subjects than we do, up to 15. The school days were often different lengths too – every day started at 8am with the first class, but the day could end any time between 1 and 4pm. They had no houses or sports/music events at their school; school was a place just to go and learn. There were no assemblies or uniforms and the students were extremely punctual – every student would be in class at least two minutes after the bell, and were rarely late. They didn’t have a school field, although a lot of kids enjoy playing football in their spare time. lunchtime is long enough for students to go home, and this happens every day!

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WHAT WAS THE BEST THING?

Amy: Oh, this is a very difficult question! i think that perhaps the best part of the exchange was living with another family from a culture very different – yet very similar – to our own. i love my host family and miss them dearly! perhaps the best activity that we did would be visiting Neuschwanstein Castle, something that i had dreamed of doing.

Sarah: The best thing for me was definitely visiting all the museums and war memorials in Berlin! i visited the altes und Neues Museum, the pergamon Museum, the Bode Museum, Checkpoint Charlie, the Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe and the Documentation Centre Nazi party rally Grounds – just to name a few. i feel that German history prior to WWi is very much overlooked in New Zealand’s history curriculum, which is a shame because Germany has such a rich history!

Kira: i think, for me, the food was the best! Not only was it delicious, but very cheap too! Germans absolutely love to eat, and especially during Christmas and New Year the foods tend to get

a lot sweeter. lebkuchen (a kind of fruity, soft gingerbread coated either in chocolate or glazed sugar) is a seasonal food made around Christmas and the specialised shops around Nuremburg can make your clothes smell amazingly like gingerbread for the rest of the day! There isn’t a shortage of meat, cheese or bread in Germany either, and rarely do you eat a meal without one of those three – Bratwurst, Currywurst, Schweinewurst. Wurst, wurst and more wurst was definitely crossed off my bucket list while i was there!

WHAT DID YOu LEARN THE MOST ABOuT YOuRSELF AS AN INDIVIDuAL?

Sarah: i learnt how to care for myself independently and how to budget. The independence for me was one of the best experiences because i learnt how to deal maturely with freedom, without abusing the trust German adults put in teenagers. i was able to travel on public transport all over Germany by myself, and this definitely gave me life skills that i can use later on – particularly when i move away from home to university.

WHAT DID YOu LOVE THE MOST ABOuT THE GERMAN CuLTuRE/FOOD/LIFESTYLE?

Sarah: Well, other than the food, i really loved the culture and system over there! public transport was incredibly reliable and punctual (very much like the Germans themselves) and it was great turning up to the underground (known as the U-Bahn) and having your train arrive within five minutes, no matter what time you got there. as well as that, Germans love biking around, especially in Southern Germany and i found it really added to the appreciation of the scenery. The history is so deep and vast, and i definitely found that i enjoyed the atmosphere better – going shopping became a thrill for me (something i normally despise) because instead of a large shopping mall, they had open markets and shops lining the streets. Every piece of Nuremburg had a little story behind it, from the last café you stepped into dating back to the 14th Century, to the Nuremburg Castle, approaching its 1,000th birthday in a few years’ time.

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HAS YOuR GERMAN IMPROVED?

Amy: Definitely! i think that my accent and flow has improved a lot, and word placement in sentences comes more naturally to me now. and i’ve found that now that i’ve got into the habit of saying ‘ja’ instead of ‘yes,’ i can’t stop!

WHAT DO YOu HOPE YOuR EXCHANGE PARTNER WILL GET OuT OF COMING TO DIO AND NEW ZEALAND?

Kira: i hope she’ll enjoy experiencing a totally different culture, something i tried to embrace as much as possible in Germany! i’m slightly disappointed they couldn’t come here during the summer, although we have a lot in store for them during the winter when they arrive! We told them a few things about New Zealand while we were over there, and the concept of more sheep and cows than people astounded them!

Amy: i hope that Sina enjoys experiencing both New Zealand’s and Dio’s unique cultures. i think that Dio’s strong school culture in particular will be interesting for her – at Hans Sachs Gymnasium, they have no assemblies, no tutor groups, no houses, no sports teams; they go there to learn, and only to learn. Dio is almost the exact opposite of Hans Sachs Gymnasium in this way, and i think that she will find House Music particularly interesting!

Sarah: Bekka is basically fluent in English, but coming to Dio and experiencing New Zealand culture will definitely help her become completely fluent. She is also an avid fan of Lord of the Rings, so one of the destinations i’ll take her to is definitely going to be Hobbiton! i think the Kiwi experience will also be completely different for her; in Germany they normally learn about British or american culture, and New Zealand is very unique!

Diocesan is currently playing host to Vera Kesälä who is on an AFS (American Field Scholar) exchange from Finland for the year. You may have noticed Vera on Athletics Day. She astounded the recorders in the javelin who were standing nonchalantly at the 10m mark when Vera stepped up and threw the javelin soaring through the air in a graceful arc to the 27m mark! her final result was 32.49m. She finished the last event of the day sprinting down the final 100m in the Senior house relay for Roberton, almost taking the result from Mitchelson. in her hometown Vera is a nationally ranked heptathlete and she has brought that talent – along with her javelin – on exchange.

i asked Vera why she chose New Zealand and she said, honestly, that New Zealand wasn’t her first choice, it was Australia. She had never heard of the All Blacks and didn’t really know where in the world we were. it takes considerable bravery for a 16-year-old to take off to the other side of the world to a place she has never heard of, but Vera tells me it is worth it. interestingly, her sister was an AFS student in the USA last year, so she will have a lengthy gap before they are together again.

her experience of school is much like the one the German exchange students talk of – co-ed; quite small; separate junior, middle and senior schools; no uniform; no rules (by that i think she meant no annoying ones relating to uniform!) and hot school lunches.

When Vera returns to Finland she has two years of secondary education to complete and then she hopes to pursue a sports-related career. in the meantime she is trying to get used to conversations peppered with “oh yeah” and “like”. Vera is being hosted by the Ramsdale family whose daughter Courtney went to Dio.

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We played Coronado High School while we were in San Diego; before we arrived we had been told that they had a good water polo reputation. Dio really stepped up to the mark in this game and i was really proud of how everyone played, especially some of the younger girls. Our team played controlled and united water polo, allowing us to keep the game relatively even, with the final score 6-8. in my opinion this was our best game; even though we didn’t win, the game had impressive aspects such as the range of girls getting counter attacks and goals,

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The aim of this tour was primarily for water polo experience and development, with the opportunity to train and play against teams from some of the finest american West Coast colleges. The girls were exposed to a different style of play and officiating as well as a different culture and work ethic around the sport of water polo. as preparation for their current season, the team shared unique experiences and got to know one another better, consolidating their skills and tactics.

seventeen girls, three adults, three weeks and three cities made up the dio Water Polo California tour 2014.

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the strong defence and great communication. We aim to continue this throughout North island and national competitions this year. The Coronado team provided us with dinner after our game and invited us to ‘decorate’ (spray paint) their school rock which was one of the funny traditions we enjoyed.Annabel Harman, Year 13

COmmenTs FrOmThe girls:

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in their recounts, the girls made mention of Ms Chris arthur, Miss Kylie Biddick, Mr Wiremu Tapara and coaches Mr Kurt Goldsworthy and Miss Katherine Curnow, and thanked them for all the hard work they put into making this trip possible and so successful. They also recorded their thanks for the huge fundraising effort from students and their families over a number of months that allowed them to be part of this experience.

The California water polo tour was an amazing opportunity to increase my water polo skills and to experience america. My personal highlight of the trip was staying with people from the water polo teams we were playing against, who were all so kind and generous. i got the chance to experience California from a unique point of view as billeting gave me an insight into their daily lives, something you wouldn’t see from being a tourist. Getting the chance to go to school with our billets for a day was really interesting as the differences between Dio and their schools were huge, such as their sporting facilities and training, and the subjects on offer. Their schools were almost like those you would see in the movies! Then, being able to play against my billets and compare notes about water polo with them and other locals was really useful, as the sport as a whole is much bigger in California than in New Zealand.Amanda Hall, Year 12

The Diocesan California tour was one of the highlights of my water polo journey so far. i met so many interesting and talented people and athletes and learnt so much from this trip. My main highlights by far were billeting with american families and visiting Stanford University in San Francisco. This has really made me dream big and aspire to go over to the States to play water polo one day!Farrah Mistry, Year 12

a highlight for me and many of the girls was the opportunity to train with the Stanford team and complete a tour of their campus, including their four pools. as a result of the trip, our individual and team games have improved. as we will remain a team throughout this year, we have benefited from the time spent together and have formed a strong bond that extends across the year groups. Everyone in the team has taken away great memories and long-lasting friendships from both our team mates and the american host families. The school experience was just like you see in the movies with cheerleaders in the halls, hair straighteners and make-up in the bathrooms, the café, football and more football!Madison Pronk, Year 11

although there were so many highlights of our California trip, one of the main highlights for me was living a different life for three weeks with a range of families and getting to know what the life of an american teenager is like. The tour through los angeles, San Diego and San Francisco made me realise the huge difference in life and culture between New Zealand and the USa. We visited a number of schools like El Dorado High School in los angeles and Marin Catholic School in San Francisco and this dramatically opened my eyes to the contrast in locations. i attended classes i had never heard of, like ceramics, listened to the students pledge allegiance to the flag and had to get used to continually being asked to say something ‘in my New Zealand accent’. Every day was a new adventure and an opportunity to meet new people and learn more about america. Overall the trip was truly amazing and is something that i will remember forever. Rachael White, Year 11

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drama tripto londonThis exciting opportunity allows the girls to gain practical knowledge about the theatre and its contribution to the world we live in, to appreciate theatre and to understand that it provides significant opportunities for expressing cultural and social identity. This trip will enable the students to experience theatre as practitioners and audience, exploring both roles, which will enhance their understanding for internal assessments and year-end external examinations.

Leaves Auckland Thursday 17 April arriving at Heathrow morning of Friday 18 April.

SAT 19 APRILOrientation walk in the area local to the hotel. all aboard an Original london Sightseeing Bus – Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Houses of parliament, Downing Street, St paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge. Then to the Tower of london, followed by a 30-minute river cruise from Tower pier to Westminster pier. performance of Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre.

SuN 20 APRILBuckingham palace and the National Gallery. Trip to Warner Brothers Studios for a ‘Harry potter Experience’.

MON 21 APRILGuided walk around Theatreland. visit Madame Tussaud’spineapple Studios – Stage Combat WorkshopI Can’t Sing – The X-Factor Musical at the london palladium.

TuES 22 APRILBBC Studio Tour. Great Windsor park – the Queen’s private Chapel Blithe Spirit at the Gielgud Theatre.

WED 23 APRILGuided tour of the National Theatre. Then on to the london dungeons. Jeeves and Wooster at the Duke of York’s Theatre.

THuRS 24 APRILThe london Eye – viewing london from above. pineapple Studios – practical workshop with cast members of The Lion King. Shopping!

FRI 25 APRILDay trip to Warwick Castle and Stratford-Upon-avon.

SAT 26 APRILpineapple Studios – practical workshop with a West End actor. The Winter’s Tale at the royal Opera House. victoria and albert Museum. Harrods and Harrods Foodhall.

SuN 27 APRILvisit lacock village, Bath and Stonehenge.

MON 28 APRILGuided tour of the royal Opera House. pineapple Studios – practical workshop with a West End actor. War Horse at the New london Theatre.

TuES 29 APRILGuided walk of Shakespeare’s london. Globe Theatre – practical workshop and guided tour. Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe Theatre. The Lion King at the lyceum Theatre

WED 30 APRILpractical workshop with an actor from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical. Guided tour of Theatre royal Drury lane. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Theatre royal.

Departs London on Wednesday 1 May, arriving back in Auckland on Friday 3 May.

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Departs Auckland Thursday 17 April, arriving in Madrid on Friday 18 April.

FRI 18 APRILCoach transfer from Madrid to Nerja / meet up with host families.

SAT 19 APRILMalaga day trip – guided walking tour – picasso Museum, Old Town, Gibralfara and the Cathedral.

SuN 20 APRILEaster Sunday in Nerja Old Town – watch the Easter procession.

MON 21 APRILSpanish tuition. pre-historic caves ‘Cuevas de Nerja’ – ancient limestone formations and huge caverns.

TuES 22 APRILSpanish tuition and free time for shopping or going to the beach.

WED 23 APRILSpanish tuition. visit to Frigiliana, a beautifully preserved Moorish mountain village.

THuRS 24 APRILSpanish tuition / Salsa lesson.

languages tripto Spainin the april holidays a group of 13 girls from Diocesan will be travelling to Nerja, a peaceful whitewashed, seafront village in the south of Spain. language is an integral part of culture and vice versa. When teaching language, in this case Spanish or castellano, it is important to also teach culture to better understand the origins, as well as day-to-day ins and outs of how a language works. What better way to learn a language than to immerse oneself in it and the culture surrounding it?

The girls will be staying in homestays for the majority of the trip and will share most of their meals with those families. On weekday mornings they will spend four hours in intensive language classes, conducted completely in Spanish. Then, after lunch with their host families, they will participate in cultural activities such as learning to cook paella and dancing the salsa.

There will be afternoon, day and overnight trips to other important cultural centres in the south such as Granada, Cordoba and Malaga where the girls will learn about the rich history and cultural origins of andalucía. They will also have the opportunity to watch the Semana Santa (Easter Week) processions and see a primera liga football match!

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FRI 25 APRILSpanish tuition / Cooking class, making paella.

SAT 26 APRILDay trip to Granada and the alhambra palace and Gardens.

SuN 27 APRILrest day.

MON 28 APRILSpanish tuition / free time

TuES 29 APRILSpanish tuition / Salsa lesson

WED 30 APRILSpanish tuition / farewell ceremony and lunch / coach transfer to Cordoba.

THuRS 1 MAYCordoba city tour, including the Synagogue and Mosque-Cathedral.

Departs Madrid on Friday 2 May, arriving back in Auckland on Sunday 4 May.

Term 1 Term 2 Term 3 Term 4

Year

3Violin Violin Violin Violin

Terms 1 and 2: Introductory violin Terms 3 and 4: Programme offering differentiation and extension

Year

4Violin Violin/Strings Violin/Strings Violin/Strings

Terms 1 and 2: Violin programme offering differentiation and extension. Terms 2 and 3: A range of string instruments will be taught

Year

5Musica

ProductionRecorder

Essential Elements

Essential Elements

Essential Elements

Term 1: Recorder in addition to the girls’ involvement in a school wide musical production. Terms 2, 3 and 4: Essential Elements programme using wind or brass instruments – flute, trumpet, and trombone, which will feed into ensembles and our orchestra.

Year

6 Ukulele MusicaProduction

Garage band & rock bandexperience

PYPExhibition

Term 4: The culmination of musical experiences presented in their PYP exhibitions.

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extensive studies across the world have highlighted that a child’s education and participation in the arts gives a direct conduit to enhanced creativity, and social and physical development.We live in a world where educational achievement, coupled with creativity and engagement with the community, are significant factors in success for young people. We believe education and participation in the arts is more than an extra; it is an essential component of an holistic education. importantly, in early years’ education, studies in brain development have constantly shown that child and adolescent brain development is dramatically enhanced by active learning in the arts, most notably through music, leading to optimised educational achievement across the educational spectrum.

The Junior School has a very exciting music programme planned for 2014! We have revised our instrumental programme for Years 3 to 6, an exciting new development that will lead to Dio

Music and the arts in the Junior School

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tErm 1 tErm 2 tErm 3 tErm 4

yEar

3Violin Violin Violin Violin

Terms 1 and 2: Introductory violin Terms 3 and 4: Programme offering differentiation and extension

yEar

4Violin Violin/Strings Violin/Strings Violin/Strings

Terms 1 and 2: Violin programme offering differentiation and extension. Terms 2 and 3: A range of string instruments will be taught

yEar

5Musica

ProductionRecorder

Essential Elements

Essential Elements

Essential Elements

Term 1: Recorder in addition to the girls’ involvement in a school wide musical production. Terms 2, 3 and 4: Essential Elements programme using wind or brass instruments – flute, trumpet, and trombone, which will feed into ensembles and our orchestra.

yEar

6 ukulele MusicaProduction

Garage band & rock bandexperience

PYPExhibition

Term 4: The culmination of musical experiences presented in their PYP exhibitions.

Junior School girls being very well placed to continue with their strong involvement in music and choral work when they join the Junior High School. The musical instrumental programme will now involve a range of itinerant teachers as well as rosalind robinson, music specialist teacher, enabling us to cater for the individual strengths and needs of our girls. The table above outlines the programme.

Choral Music remains a very important component of the Junior School performing arts programme and this year Shona Mcintyre-Bull, Director of Choral Music, will support both Chapel Choir and Bella voce. Shona will be involved in helping train the choirs, helping with the selection of music and supporting both Junior School choir trainers. allegra voce will continue as our all-comers Year 3 and Year 4 choir.

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Year 3 students are participating in a new incremental violin programme inspired by El Sistema.

The concept of the ‘paper violin’ gives our younger students a real sense of ownership through the physical creation of their paper and cardboard instrument, which is then transformed into a beautifully decorated work of art. This gives the girls a more effective and meaningful learning experience through a recreational art activity that interacts with their classroom music programme.

Within the classroom programme of the ‘paper Orchestra’ they learn group behaviour, discipline, focus and stage presence through performing. at the end of Term 1 a performance, using the paper Orchestra songs and their handmade violins, was presented to the School and their parents. in Term 2, the Year 3 class will transition to the ‘real’ instrument.

The practice of using a paper violin model before graduating to a real violin has proved to be very successful from a pedagogical perspective, allowing students to learn the basics, such as parts of a violin, handling, positioning and musical skills

art skills were also put to the challenge with students using papier mâché techniques to strengthen the cardboard model whilst maintaining the violin shape. Junior School art specialist teacher Kerrie parker says, “We had a lot of messy fun creating them!”

The Paper Violin Project

Samantha Johnson, Sara Shiraz and Siena Fletcher

Ava Leach

Week 11 of Term 1 saw Year 5 present a memorable musical performance of The Owl and the Pussycat by Debbie Campbell.

Based on the poem by Edward Lear, The Owl and the Pussycat is a humorous and entertaining musical that presents a new look at this well-known story. It captured everyone’s imagination as the story unravelled of what really happened when the Owl and the Pussycat went to sea...

The three performances played to packed houses and, as expected, there was an abundance of talent on display from our young performers. The costuming, under the direction of Myshka Wallberg was once again a feature, and special thanks go to the talented group of parents who worked tirelessly to ensure the girls sparkled on the night. Thanks also to all staff who worked so hard to ensure it was an enthralling production.

Year 5Musical Production

The Owl andthe Pussycat

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this was a ‘one day school’ unit that explored the concept of real or not real. Using the Cottingley fairy hoax of 1920 as inspiration, we created a fairy of our imagination and then proof of its existence.

CEL in the Junior School

From left to right:

Alessandra Wilton with her animation of CCTV footage of fairy proof.

Brie Wallberg with her fairy artefacts, proof that fairies exist.

Girls exploring each other’s proof that fairies exist.

Grace Watson and Sophie Shuttleworth working collaboratively on their fairy proof.

Lucy Russ photographing her fairy, creating her proof.

CEl (Centre for the Enhancement of learning) in the Junior School brings together the pastoral and learning needs of students from the Foundation Class to Year 6. The role of CEl in the Junior School, with its oversight of anything that may enhance a student’s learning, is therefore a wide one.

The CEl covers the following broad categories:•Literacyandnumeracysupport•Supportforstudentswithidentified

specific learning difficulties•Ourgiftedandtalentedprogrammes

including Copernicus and •Ournewinitiativethisyear,a

multi-levelled One Day School

The concept of One Day School is inquiry-based learning through an overarching concept or theme. Students have the opportunity to explore the theme, using a variety of thinking tools and frameworks to support their learning, including analytical, creative and critical thinking; decision making and problem solving.

The students have time to independently explore their own ideas and also have the opportunity to work with students from different year levels and others who may be like-minded. Selection of students for this programme is based on a range of criteria including assessment data, formal educational reports, teacher nominations and observations.

andthe Pussycat

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After School Activity

Programme This year the Junior School

introduced an exciting new initiative for the girls, an after-school

activity programme catering for sports, curriculum extension and activities encouraging creativity. it got off to a great start with 254 enrolments in Term 1!

Every afternoon from 3.15-4.30pm the Junior School is buzzing with exciting things happening from a cooking school where the girls are involved in a range of exciting activities like cooking and decorating delicious biscuits, to science experiments and inventions, art classes,

dance classes with Candy lane, ‘xtreme rhythmics’, yoga, Spanish, performing arts and drama, architecture and design – and participating in a range of sports including ball skills, tennis, fitness and conditioning, football academy, hockey skills development, and flippa ball.

it is great to see such a wide range of activities on offer, allowing the girls the opportunity to experience sports and activities they may not otherwise have access to. The activities cover all year levels and a holiday programme will be offered as well. The photos show some of the action!

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The aim was to help the Year 4s understand and put into practice the challenge ‘Make it WOW – a great idea and great technical ability’.

it was a successful shared learning experience for all. Some quotes from the students capture the learning.

“i found having the Year 4s come up to us really insightful! it was such a valuable experience both for us and for them as we were able to use our photographic knowledge from what we’ve been taught over the years and apply it to helping these young girls learn how to take a good photo – which might set them up for when they get to our age and are doing big projects! But while we were helping them, they were also helping us to remember things that we often forget about photography because we get caught up in it all. Seeing how excited they got over the little things like the colour of something or the shape of something helped us remember that those are the things we need to consider when taking photos and being a photographer.”Kate Shepherd, Year 13

this year as part of the Captured Photographic Competition, the Year 13 photography students taught the Junior school Year 4 girls in their senior classroom and, practically, around the school.

Capturing learning

Starting level 3 photography, i felt that i’d finally ‘mastered’ photoshop and that i knew just about all there is to know about my camera. So it was surprising for me to find that a 55-minute session with a group of four very cool eight-year-olds; Kathy, angel, imogen and Sophie, changed the way i am approaching photography this year. it was back to basics: light, focus, zoom, and my eager young students were very keen to go out and take some photos. They brought a totally different perspective; everything was new and interesting and deserved to have a photo taken of it – from road cones to stairs to leaves. The girls were willing to try anything, they weren’t afraid of mistakes and every photo was interesting and unique. Once back in the classroom they looked through their photos and were able to give great feedback and took advice really well. i think there is a lot to learn from the approach these girls had to the task they were given and to photography in general. This is definitely an experience i will take with me this year and that will help me to have a fresh approach to level 3 photography.Year 13 Stephanie Murdoch

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ritu SEhJi rEPortS

The Endeavour Teacher Fellowship scheme allowed me to work with my host organisation Goodman Fielder on a self-designed research project and gain new and up-to-date knowledge and skills, enhancing both teaching and learning. it also gave me the opportunity to develop leadership capability and experience how technology is used outside teaching.

During the course of my teacher fellowship i completed a week-long leadership course at Otago University,

submitted two assessments (gaining an overall Grade a), two fellowship reports and made a final presentation to my host and the royal Society of New Zealand.

On a personal level, the leadership course helped me identify my strengths and areas i needed to work on. professionally, the leadership practices inventory (lpi) and Myers-Briggs Type indicator (MBTi) interpretive reports enabled me to reflect on my observable leadership behaviours, my particular style, how the different facets could help me be more effective and make a more positive difference in the classroom –

Today’s food technology classes at Diocesan School for Girls are a long way removed from the lessons of yesteryear when students were taught how to boil an egg in ‘Home Economics’. 2014 Alumna Merita recipient Jackie Grant says she remembers Dio students of her era having to travel by bus all the way to Glendowie College to do cooking classes!

Now the focus is on creating the next generation of food technologists and scientists, the people who research new food and beverage products and develop ways to produce and improve the quality of the food and drink we consume.

Our Technology Faculty is justifiably proud of teacher in charge of food technology Ritu Sehji who, last year, spent Terms 3 and 4 on an Endeavour Teacher Fellowship with Goodman Fielder, and of three students who have been awarded prestigious Heinz Wattie’s Scholarships in recent years.

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Food Technology

Ritu Sehji

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and community – by understanding others, gaining perspective and using my skills to plan intended outcomes for student learning.

The two main objectives of my Teacher Fellowship project were to gain knowledge about the processes and procedures involved in the development of a new product – from inception to market – and to understand the type and variety of ingredients used in the industry, how they are sourced and their functions.

During my placement at Goodman Fielder i was involved in projects looking at the line extension process of Nature’s Fresh Simply Fibre bread; and the use of an established product’s brand name (in this case ‘Nature’s Fresh’) for a new item in the same product category. i worked alongside my mentor, Martine Harding, to do bench-top trials and upscaled into plant trials at Quality Bakers auckland (QBa).

in the second project i gained an understanding of ingredient substitution and the effect of that altered ingredient on the cost and the sensory aspects of the final product.

i was able to make links with the technology curriculum and current school programmes and a food technologist’s role in industry. i realised that from the food technologist’s perspective planning, processing technologies, prototyping, looking at materials and undertaking technological modelling are all crucial in new product development. i have since revisited the Technology matrix in the New Zealand Curriculum and looked at standards that link to practice in industry and to new product development.

Site visits to QBa, Hot plate and puhoi Cheese Factory (baked products and cheese manufacturing plants), Goodman Fielder and Ernest adams in palmerston North and Champion Flour Milling

in Christchurch gave me an insight into the workings of food product manufacturers. visiting the institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health (iFNHH) in palmerston North gave me an opportunity to look at the research that is being undertaken to develop health-promoting innovative food products, the resources available, career prospects and pathways available to students beyond the food technology course at school.

i would like to take this opportunity to thank the New Zealand Government for funding the New Zealand Science, Mathematics and Technology Teacher Fellowship Scheme, the royal Society of New Zealand, Diocesan School for Girls and Goodman Fielder New Zealand limited for making my fellowship possible.

hEinz WattiE’S SCholarShiP

With less than 1,000 skilled food technologists in New Zealand, demand outstrips supply and qualified food science graduates are well sought after. For last year’s Head prefect, Ginny Dougherty, this is good news.

Now studying at Otago University for science and commerce degrees, majoring in food technology and marketing, Ginny has recently been announced as this year’s winner of the esteemed Heinz Wattie’s Scholarship which is awarded to only one student

each year. Not only does the scholarship help towards the costs of study, it also provides the holder with all-important work experience at Heinz Wattie’s.

ian Mackay, GM research and Development at Heinz Wattie’s, points to Ginny’s outstanding academic record, her engagement in a range of different activities and, of course, her demonstrated passion for food technology and nutrition as the reasons for her being awarded the 2014 Scholarship.

Ginny has always had a huge passion for being in the kitchen and working with food. She picked up food technology as an option in Year 13 and says that having the opportunity to develop a product in response to a stakeholder was one of the highlights of the year.

The move to Otago University has been relatively seamless for Ginny, who credits Diocesan with providing her with the skills for independent study, as well as confidence in new social situations.

Ginny already has a career path in mind and wants to work in product development, taking goods from paper to shelf and then marketing to the target consumer. She dreams of owning her own company – and with her proven drive and passion for what she is doing, we are confident this will one day be a successful reality.

Food technology teacher ritu Sehji says,“ in the past four consecutive years we have had three of our food technology students go on to study food science at Otago University and one at Massey University (albany). We are making a difference and preparing a new generation of food technologists and scientists! Marianna McEwan, who was the first to gain a Heinz Wattie’s Scholarship in 2011, is now out in the workforce at Frucor Beverages in auckland and has just become a Futureintech ambassador, which means she will be visiting local schools promoting her career. Sarah adam won the prestigious scholarship in 2013 and is very excited about the food science course she is doing and where it will lead her.”

Ginny Dougherty

Photo credit: Dept of Food Science, University of otago

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according to Wikipedia, ‘No pain, no gain’ is an exercise motto that promises greater value rewards for the price of hard and painful work. This year Diocesan staff members brought new meaning to this mantra as they took part in the annual Oxfam Trailwalker fundraising event at Taupō. The 100km fundraising walk sees over 1,000 people in New Zealand take part each year. it is one of 17 events held in 11 countries to support the work of international aid agency Oxfam.

Forming teams with colleagues, friends and family, the Dio participants trained hard and raised money through sponsorship. and the whole School community got behind them. With Term 1’s Giving Focus being Oxfam, all money raised by Junior High and Senior School tutor groups will be divided between the teams. While the event itself is the ultimate test of teamwork, endurance and determination, it is also a tangible example of Ut Serviamus and a positive role model for our students to see their teachers and support staff engaged in an act of service.

One of the driving forces behind this mammoth undertaking is teacher and

EOTC Coordinator rebecca abbott, who is also an Old Girl of the School. She is committed to expressing the values of service in adult life, project managing our Senior Fiji Service Trip projects and personally taking part in the Oxfam Trailwalker for the last three years. She is passionate about the work Oxfam does for people around the world and says “i know the money i raise goes to help people who really need a helping hand.” Ms abbott inspired the Dio staff teams this year, encouraging their involvement and motivating all our support by stressing how much can be achieved to meet the needs of the world’s poor. “They need the basic things in life that we take for granted on a daily basis. i know that for every $27 i raise i will be providing an emergency baby first aid kit to help a young family,” she says.

The reverend Sandy robertson is not only committed to the needs of the poor but also to the role-modelling aspect of her ministry at Diocesan. “i did the Oxfam Trailwalker walk because making the commitment to walk 100km is the least i can do to help those in extreme poverty in our world. i also believe it is really important for me, as

a Chaplain, to be a role model for the students at Dio by not just talking about Gospel values and Jesus’ commitment to the poor but also living it in my life.”

This commitment to addressing issues of poverty and injustice is shared by many of the participants. For Teacher in Charge of Social Studies, Heidi Wood, it’s an opportunity to teach by example. “i spend a long time teaching the girls about global inequalities; also encouraging them to be empathetic and contribute their time and effort in service of others,” she says, adding that it is also a great way to get to know colleagues better. The collegial factor is a common refrain and is especially important to English teacher Jane Hart who also sees the event as an opportunity to not only raise money for a cause she believes in but to test herself in a new way.

personal challenge was another motivating factor for most of the staff members taking part. Science teacher Manoj patel saw the event as a good way to help a charity at the same time as extending himself and and he says it was more appealing than a marathon. For most of the staff taking part, walking 100 hours was a fairly daunting prospect. They used phrases like ‘putting my body through the mill’ and ‘seeing if my mind can really overcome my rickety matter’,but it seems that this physical and mental challenge was something they were ready for!

Of course none of the competitors would have been able to even contemplate the task without the knowledge that there were people there to help them. Classics teacher and Dio Old Girl Katherine

NO paiNNO GaiN!dio staff modelling Ut Serviamus

Living

ChaPlainCy

This night image seemed to speak of the waves of pain that many walkers endure to complete the gruelling Trailwalker challenge.

WalkErS:Becki abbottJane HartKate BurkinHeidi WoodSarah MclarenTina ramakersKim allcroftSarah BoasmanSandy robertsonSheeba MatthewChristine Tordichabby DingleSarah Jackson Kit BushellManoj patelChris arthur

SuPPort CrEW: Katherine WoodsMereana McKenzie DowneyNicki andersonNina Blumenfeld lisa vosKathy Frecklington Sue Mc Dowell-Hook

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Woods was one of the official support team. For Miss Woods, showing her support for her colleagues and the cause in a practical way was important. “i could prepare their food, wrap sore feet and give some encouragement when needed. i think that the teams that undertook this challenge are amazing and i really admire their courage and strength and wanted to help them achieve their goal for this worthy cause in whatever way i could,” she says.

perhaps it is a comment that could only come from a pE teacher, but Ms Kim allcroft says she looks back on the gruelling event with fond memories. She also looks forward to knowing that she has directly made a difference in the lives of others. “i also love the idea of staff role-modelling (service) to students at Diocesan; we are ‘walking the talk’ as it were!”

The Reverend Sarah Moss, Chaplain

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Celebratingspecial people

This spread shows glimpses of the happy moments when the girls share their school with special people in their lives – mothers, fathers, grandparents, special family friends, godparents, the wonderful next-door neighbour… people who warm their hearts. At the end of March the Junior School held their annual Mothering Sunday Service at holy Trinity Cathedral, honouring mothers, grandmothers and other ‘special ladies’. in April the school-wide Grandparents’ Day saw approximately 700 grandparents and other ‘special people’ visit the School, some even flying in from overseas for the occasion. in the next two terms fathers have their turn - the Senior and Junior Schools each have a father/daughter breakfast featuring a guest speaker and a hearty meal to get the day off to a good start!

Photos from these events can be viewed and purchased on photographer Nicola Topping’s website - www.realimage.co.nz.

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The first stage of this trial has been to appoint Theo Chapple as our Strength and Conditioning Coach and High performance Sports Manager. Theo has a real passion for high performance sport and seeing students develop to their full potential.

Theo’s experience in the business, sport and education sectors has provided him with a wealth of knowledge and experience in sport and recreation; he brings a professional understanding and knowledge to coaching, strength and conditioning in high performance sport.

Theo spent eight years living in australia, training and coaching in conjunction with the South australian Sports institute and with australian institute of Sport squads.

Spanning the years from 1995 to 2004, Theo has been a five-times national cycling champion in both New Zealand and australia as well as a national rowing champion in the fours and eights. in addition to this outstanding resume, Theo also has experience as a multisport athlete, competing in two of the largest events within New Zealand – the Xerox Challenge and the Mizone Endurazone. These races involve cycling, kayaking and running the length of New Zealand for up to 30 days. Given this breadth of experience we feel very fortunate to have Theo working in sport at Dio.

as part of our strategy for the future, this year in sport we are trialling a programme of support in strength and conditioning, nutrition and psychology.

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summer sPOrTs

Week TOP

resulTs

HigHperformancesportsprogramme

Theo’s role will involve:•workingwithcoachestocreatedifferent

training programmes for the off-season, season and post season periods

•workingwithtargetedhighperformance athletes, ensuring they have good strength and conditioning programmes and are not under or over training

•monitoringhighperformerssotheyfeel supported

•workingwithcoachesofpremierteamsso they are aware of the strength and conditioning needs of the athletes

•workingwithcoachestomonitorfitness levels and implement appropriate fitness testing protocols

We will be offering the services of a sports nutritionist and sports psychologist to assist with this support programme.

Underpinning this initiative will be a tiered structure for sport. This structure will have three distinctive strands: high performance, fundamental / development and (for some of the larger sports) participatory. These strands will each have team membership and selection criteria, guidelines and policies regarding team rotation, practice guidelines and coach development opportunities.

Our vision for sport is to provide a quality experience for all athletes at all levels.

Key to this vision is the need to have quality coaches and to educate them. This year we are implementing the Sport NZ Growing Coaches programme that is designed to support Dio students who wish to learn about the fundamentals of sport coaching. These students will be mentored and supported by trained coaches and will either assist coaches within the development strand, or in sports such as flippa ball they will coach a team under the watchful eye of an experienced coach.

Of course this brief synopsis only touches the surface of what we wish to achieve. it is a very exciting time for sport at Dio, and for those of us who want everything done yesterday it is important to remember that ‘every accomplishment begins with the decision to try’.

Peg Lockyer, Director of Sport

Theo Chapple

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summer sPOrTs

Week TOP

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rowers take silverThe New Zealand Secondary Schools rowing Championships, the Maadi Cup, were held this year in Twizel. The conditions were perfect and the racing very competitive. We are very proud that our team of 25 athletes came away with two silver medals in the Girls’ Under-15 4+ and the Under-16 4X+. (To the uninitiated, 8 or 4 refers to the number of rowers, + means they had a cox and X means they had two oars each instead of one.) To add to this achievement, in each of these events we were the top North island crew.

Overall the team achieved representation in five a finals and three B finals. This spread of finals means we are competing within the top 16 over the whole of New Zealand with over half of the finals within the top eight in New Zealand.

Our silver medal winners were:under-15 4+ (from l to r): Emily Mills (stroke), rosie ireland, Georgia Gibson, Kate poole and anna Burns (cox)

under-16 4X+ (from l to r): Ella Simanu (stroke), alice Grave, Hanne Mellsop, Olivia phipps and Kate leaming (cox) with coach rachel arbuckle

Thanks to the coaching team of rachel arbuckle, Olivia Hartstone, ash McGirr and rebbeca ryall and a special thanks to the team of parents who worked tirelessly to ensure the girls had the correct nutrition and support to last the season and the regatta!

Director of Sport Peg Lockyer reports: if ever i wanted an example of a winning attitude i found it standing on the banks of the lake at Twizel watching the rowers compete. On the way to the start line the crews rowed past a throng of loud supporters and didn’t once flinch. They didn’t look around they just rowed with precision, focusing on the job at hand. although the races were extremely competitive, our silver medals came because our crews kept to their race plans and rowed through the field with grit and determination, never once giving up.

i think this comment from one of the rowers as she reflected on the race sums up what a winning attitude really is. She was really happy with the result, but in the back of her mind was a belief that they could go even faster. She said, “Hmm we were only 0.4 seconds off a gold medal.” She wasn’t disappointed. after all they had just won the silver medal, an outstanding achievement. She was just matter of fact. She knew she and her team had the ability and the work ethic required to be even more successful than they were on that day in that race and was already thinking about what she had learned. Now that’s a winning attitude!

We were delighted that Year 12 student Rose Dillon won a gold medal and national title in the under-16 event at the National Triathlon Championships in Gisborne. This event was held in very testing conditions; the course could only be described as gruelling, with a strong westerly wind that created havoc, upturning IRBs and making the swim leg extremely difficult. It was a hard-fought battle right to the end for Rose.

Later in the day, the team of Rose Dillon, Ariana Ryan and junior team member Katie Pearce came third and won a bronze medal in the under-16 team event. Young Katie managed the eighth fastest 3km run, which was amazing as she was competing in the team to replace an injured participant.

Ariana Ryan gained a silver medal in the combined top team event with two boys from Auckland Boys’ Grammar. Because of a Dio team injury, Ariana competed twice in this event to make up the team of four – a phenomenal achievement.

Collectively all the girls who attended and represented Diocesan had a great campaign. They were all fantastically supportive of each other and a real positive team spirit was evident. Sincere thanks to coach Tony O’Hagan for his work with our triathletes.

gold for rose dillonat the new zealand triathlon Champs

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The 2014 Diocesan Swimming Sports were held on 7 February and it was a day to remember with no less than five records being broken!

The first record fell in the very first event of the day with alice Waldow claiming the 50m Butterfly Year 7 & 8 record; this was sign of things to come with alice Segedin breaking the 50m Breaststroke Year 7 & 8 record shortly afterwards. in the afternoon session Gina Galloway claimed two records in the 50m Backstroke and 50m Butterfly Junior Division. annabelle paterson was our final record breaker in the 100m Open Backstroke. These were amazing performances and the girls are very deserving of their entry into the Diocesan record books.

Our swimming champions were also crowned on the day; these girls performed exceptionally through all championship events. in order to place in the top three overall for their division these girls needed to place in a minimum of three championship events.

Congratulations to all of our winners and well done on a brilliant display in the pool!

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Year 7 & 8 House Relay Cuproberton

Year 7 & 8 House Cup1. Mary pulling2. roberton3. Neligan4. Mitchelson5. Cochrane6. Selwyn7. Cowie8. Eliza Edwards

Year 7 & 8 Swimming Champions1. alice Segedin2. Bianca Traplin 3. Jessica Shorter-robinson

Year 9-13 House Relay CupMary pulling

Years 9-13 House Cup1. Mary pulling2. Cowie3. roberton4. Cochrane5. Neligan6. Mitchelson7. Eliza Edwards8. Selwyn

Junior Swimming Champions 1. Gina Galloway2. Conor Tarrant3. imogen rodgers

Intermediate Swimming Champions 1. annabelle paterson2. Jasmine reynolds

Sarah robinson

Senior Swimming Champions1. Juliana Tong 2. Daisy archibald 3. Chelsea Hockenhull

annabel Harman

Junior 100m Medley ChampionGina Galloway

Intermediate 100m Championannabelle paterson

Senior 100m Freestyle ChampionJuliana Tong

Senior 50m Butterfly ChampionJuliana Tong

Year 7 & 8 ChampionsLeft to right: Bianca Traplin, Alice Segedin and Jessica Shorter-Robinson

diOCesansWimming

sPOrTs

The Junior School Swimming Team had an extremely successful day at the remuera Zone Championships on Tuesday 25 March. We successfully defended the Girls’ Championship Cup, which Dio won last year, and then went on to win the Overall Championship Trophy. Dio was competing against 16 other schools. We note that the last time Diocesan held the Overall Championship

Trophy was in the year 2000 – before our current team was even born!

The Remuera Zone Swimming Team members were:Year 5: lucia partigliani, Charlotte adams-Drury, Hannah Bell, Samantha HallYear 6: Marina Segedin, arabella White, Ella Simmons, Emma Nisbet.Well done girls!

new sports corridor unveiledafter months of planning, the newly designed Sports Corridor has been completed in the Junior School. This pictorial shows girls growing with sport, and also represents the many different sports that the Junior School girls participate in. We would like to formally acknowledge Dio Sport for making this possible.

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Swimming Senior ChampionsLeft to right; back row – Juliana Tong,

Daisy Archibald, Jasmine Reynolds, Gina Galloway, Imogen Rodgers, Conor Tarrant

and front – Sarah Robinson, Annabelle Paterson. Absent from photo – Annabel

Harman and Chelsea Hockenhull.

Junior school sport

remuera zone Swimming Champions

From left to right: Hannah Bell, Samantha Lusk, Marina Segedin, Lucia Partigliani, Arabella White, Charlotte Adams-Drury, Emma Nisbet and Ella Simmons

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athletics

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dayThe annual Athletics Finals Day was held on Thursday 13 February at Trusts Stadium in Waitakere. The day saw all championship and non-championship athletes competing to achieve personal bests and gain valuable house points. Staff and students had an enjoyable day watching our many talented athletes and supporting their houses. Some great results were achieved both on the track and the field, with three field records broken on the day.

Congratulations to the following students:

Shot-putYear 7Anna Casey: 7.98m (previous record held by Kim Perry, 7.54m in 1991)

IntermediateClaire Mckavanagh: 10.43m (previous record held by Brooke Casey, 10.31m in 2012)

JavelinJuniorRachel Speir: 24.03m (previous record held by Sydney Fraser, 20.40m in 2012)

Vera Kesälä Lucy Bannatyne

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overall results year 7 Champions1. lucy Bannatyne2. Gabriella de latour3. anna Casey

Cara Bradding

year 8 Champions1. anna Bannatyne2. Ella Cooper3. Olivia Collins

polina Kudrow

Junior Champions1. rachel Speir2. Millie Kroon3. Jessica Hindmarsh

Ella Jacobs

intermediate Champions1. laura Watkinson2. Elenoa Toutaiolepo3. Tamsin Harvey

Senior Champions1. vera Kesälä2. Ella Slane3. Daisy archibald

Sierra Sewell

Senior 100m Sprint Championvera Kesälä

year 7 & 8 house relay CupCowie and Mary pulling

year 9-13 house relay CupMitchelson

athletics house Cup1. Edwards2. roberton3. Mitchelson4. Cochrane5. Mary pulling6. Selwyn7. Cowie8. Neligan

Anna Bannatyne

Laura Watkinson

Rachel Speir

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The ASB Polyfest is an iconic annual event that celebrates the pride and passion of our multi-cultural communities through traditional song, dance, speech and art. it is a place to celebrate youth and all that they bring to the future.

This year our cultural groups performed on the Diversity Stage, just one of the huge performing spaces at the Manakau

Sisterhood of culture Sports Bowl. Groups included the Korean

fan dancers, a Chinese dance troupe, Dio Bollywood and Sri lankan dancers, and a Bharatanatyam South indian classical solo performance by Ashwini Tittawella. it was fantastic to see the girls perform magnificently on this vast stage in front of a huge and appreciative crowd – a real explosion of colour, vibrancy, youthful energy and loud music!

it was also great to see the our girls embracing the opportunity to be part of this national event and to be an integral part of Dio’s ‘sisterhood of culture’.

The

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Musicat DioAt the end of 2013 we released our Christmas CD Music at Dio – A Celebration (CD photo credit: Joanna Wright). The double CD captured the energy and vitality of our very talented musicians here at Dio; from classical to pop/rock; junior to senior students. To be involved at this high level of music making within the school environment is a huge commitment for each and every one of these girls. Juggling academic, sporting and social lives around extra-curricular music is very impressive indeed. i feel very privileged to have the opportunity to coach and mentor so many of these groups, and then to see them achieve nationally, at the very top of their game, is an incredibly motivating experience for everyone.

We really look forward to an exciting 2014; we have the biggest ever numbers in our large ensembles and some 25 girls entered for the Chamber Music New Zealand Competition. We have international competition entries, national entries for composition students, new initiatives to roll out with Dilworth, new and exciting projects trialling in Junior School music... and the list goes on. So 2014 has begun with a bang and we look forward to another exciting year!

Shelagh thomson,director of Performing arts

Photo credit: FairfaxNew Zealand

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after our very impressive year of competition successes in 2013, this year we have accepted the generous offer from Dio arts to commission another New Zealand work, so we will have two senior ensembles performing original works. One group will perform a work by Year 12 student Grace Brebner and the other a composition written especially for them by New Zealand composer ryan Youens. Both original works will premiere at the 2014 New Zealand Chamber Music Competition.

Dio arts has commissioned Aoteroa Spring by ryan Youens, a work for a chamber ensemble of advanced students. after our spectacular success last year, when our septet Conspiratus won the National Statham award, we have fed the money from our win back into commissions for 2014. We are also very grateful for the generosity of Dio arts and they fully support the practice of supporting New Zealand composers working with our students to encourage performance excellence.

new Zealand national secondary schools’ orchestra

Aoteroa Spring is based on american composer aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and will include excerpts from this enchanting ballet suite.

aPo summer school

Chamber Music Groups

Members of the ensemble that will perform this work are: Gwyneth Nelmes (violin), Christine Li (violin), Debbie King (viola), Breeanah McBain (flute), Rebecca Brimble (bassoon), Rachel Sun (clarinet), Clarissa Wei (bass clarinet) and Hannah Kang (piano).

The other senior group will perform a new work written by Year 12 musician Grace Brebner. This work will be eligible for the Original Composition

Our star bassoonist rebecca Brimble (Year 12) has been selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Orchestra. This orchestra draws on New Zealand’s finest young orchestral instrumentalists and the auditions are gruelling and hugely competitive for the players. a woodwind player, rebecca will perform as a solo player in the section, and as there are only two bassoonists selected from throughout New Zealand, competition for these places is fierce. rebecca is the second student in two years to be selected from Diocesan. last year, violinist rachel Twyman was

the first successful candidate from Dio in the past 10 years. So this really is an outstanding achievement and as a winner of the apO Orchestral Scholarship last year, rebecca continues to improve her playing at a very impressive rate indeed.

We congratulate cellists alexander Francis (Year 10) and Emma Uren (Year 9) on their selection for this year’s apO Summer School. The week-long course gave the girls the chance to work one-on-one, pairing with professional orchestral players and learning advanced repertoire, taking part in master classes and being tutored in sectional

workshops. The girls reported:“it was so much fun and such a good experience. all sections of the orchestra had an apO member as their coach/mentor so we learnt heaps in our sectionals. We played some really cool repertoire, including a piece composed by Dio Old Girl Celeste Oram, who is the apO’s current ‘rising Star’ young composer-in-residence. as well as having sectionals and full orchestra practices during the week, there were fun activities on every day – team building, Swiss ball drumming, theatresports, a conducting lesson, a section-against-section soccer match, and the opportunity to listen to a professional violist and the Jade String Quartet. We met so many interesting people and made really good friends. The week was amazing time – we are definitely doing it again next year!”

performance award at the Chamber Music NZ Competition. The group will also perform the quirky and very entertaining Façade – An Entertainment by English composer William Walton, in which poems are recited over an instrumental accompaniment.

Members of this ensemble are: Eloise Chin (trumpet), Claudia Bridger (alto sax), Breeanah McBain (flute), Rachel Sun (clarinet), Sophie Bilj-Brown (cello), Eleanor Carll (double bass), Melissa Tsoi (percussion) and Grace Brebner (vocalist).

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Year 11 violinist Gwyneth Nelmes, who last year was awarded the CJ Tunks Memorial Award for General Excellence, has had a busy summer. She gained Distinction in her Performance Diploma, which is no mean achievement for a 15-year-old.

in May she is entering a very prestigious international violin competition in italy – The Andrea Postacchini Competition, held annually just outside Rome that attracts top-end violinists from around the world. We wish her all the very best in this competition.

Gwyneth made a huge contribution to music at Dio in 2013 and this year she has taken over from Rachel Twyman as Concert Master of both the Symphony and Chamber orchestras. She will perform, as soloist, the Bruch Violin Concerto at the KBB Music Festival in August. in 2015 Gwyneth will take up a scholarship place at one of the prestigious london Music Colleges, where she will concentrate on her violin studies along with her academic programme.

to compete

Starviolinist

Italyin

60 DiO TODaY

Grace BrebnerSinger/songwriter Grace Brebner (Year 12) is branching out this year. Grace had a phenomenally successful year in 2013; she was winner of the National ‘play it Strange’ peace Song Competition, a finalist in the lion Foundation Songwriting award, recipient of auckland University’s Emerging artist Scholarship and a peace ambassador in Japan for seven weeks. She is following her heart with her music this year and has already been inspired to write two songs for our musicians here at Dio. The first is a composition for choir, Shadows of the Wind, which will be premiered at the Big Sing Choral Festival. and the second is an entry for the Chamber Music New Zealand Competition for the Façade Octet, of which she is a member.

“This is something completely out of my comfort zone but i know that to get ‘skilled up’ as a song writer i need to know how to arrange for instrumentalists and vocalists,” says Grace. “i have only ever written songs for myself and my guitar, so this is an exciting new venture for me!”

interactive Music Workshops for Junior High studentsOne hundred and forty students, each with their own african Djembe drum sounds like a recipe for chaos! But on Friday 14 March our Year 7 and 8 students had the chance to be involved in making music en masse with the award-winning group rhythm interactive. The energy and excitement of the girls was impressive. More than just a performance, this was a fun and interactive session where the participation of everyone, led by experienced drummers, contributed to the experience.

in the show, in which not a single word was spoken until the conclusion, students not only practiced their listening skills but were also encouraged to think about the importance of non-verbal communication skills through the theme ‘actions Speak louder than Words’.

This was then followed by a wind/brass workshop in the Sports Centre – ‘Have a go, have a blow’ led by the hugely experienced and diverse performer andrew Uren. assisted by Elsa Holliday, Jill Christoff and eight of our students, the students were entertained, educated and workshopped through a variety of instruments including saxophone, trombone, French horn and clarinet. all the girls got the chance to participate and the workshop concluded with a performance by the groups and volunteers who had never played an instrument before. it was a noisy, fun experience and we hope to encourage this age group to take up brass instruments, which continue to be a real shortage area in our music programmes.

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The Mikado is one of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular musicals. This hilarious comedy is set in Japan and involves a bunch of characters with silly names like Yum-Yum, Ko-Ko, Pooh-Bah, and Pish-Tush. The script has a tradition of being rewritten, allowing the content to remain topical. This version will, amongst other things, lightheartedly poke fun at New Zealand’s Got Talent, Auckland City’s transport issues, the Mayor, rugby players and the Black Caps. This production looks set to be a hit, with a stellar cast and crazy storyline. We promise a great night out for all the community!

Auditions in February brought out some fabulous stars. once again the multi-talented Nathan hauraki (our male lead in Copacabana last year) plays Nanki-Poo alongside our dazzling female lead Sarah heslin as the delicious Yum-Yum. They head a superb cast that includes the finest vocal and dramatic talent from both schools.

our host of charming ‘little maids’ from Dio include three other equally

impressive vocalists: Kelly Kim as Peep-Bo, Nicole Davey as Tammy-Gotchi and hope Whitehead as Petti-Sing.

The extremely talented director, Mr Jason Te Mete, sets this production alight with his professional skills. Jason has directed many musicals around Auckland and is a multi-talented musician and actor in his own right. Musical director Claire Caldwell adds her expertise and superb musicianship to the mix, the live orchestra will combine with the Dilworth Concert Band.

The cast are having great fun rehearsing this all-time favourite and the directors are drawing out the very best from everyone. We look forward to a dazzling night of laughter and entertainment.

The show venue is Dilworth School hall (Senior Campus). Tickets are available from Dilworth School, phone 523 1060 and cost $15 (student concession), $20 (adults) and $30 for the Gala Night on Wednesday 14 May, which includes supper after the show.

DilWOrTH/DiO prODUCTiON

TheMikado

PErFormanCE datES:

Opening Gala NightWednesday 14 May at 7.00pm

Thursday 15 May – 7.00pmFriday 16 May – 7.00pmSaturday 17 May – 7:00pm

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role in Annie for lauren McMeiken

Before the Easter break, Dio took part in the auckland Shakespeare Festival. Heidi Bernard, alex Francis, libby Johnston, alice Manders and Jaimie Godfrey, all from Year 10, won the award for Best Use of Song and Music in a performance. The girls performed an extract from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The music was composed by Heidi and alex especially for the performance. “This is the first time we have entered a Year 10 group in the festival and we are extremely proud of the girls, who are looking forward to taking part again next year,” says Head of Drama, Mrs reynolds. Tiffany Brown and rachel Small were two of six actors nominated from over 300 actors for the Most promising actor in the auckland Festival. The girls performed an extract from The Merchant of Venice. The judges were extremely impressed by their understanding and clarity of the language and their connection in the performance.

Shakespeare Festival

Left to right: Alex Francis, Jaimie Godfrey, Libby Johnston, Alice Mander and Heidi Bernard

Six hundred and thirty girls from throughout New Zealand recently threw their hats into the ring, all vying for roles in the UK production of Annie, one of the best-loved musicals of all time. Dio’s very own lauren McMeiken is one of 48 girls chosen to play the roles of orphans. The girls join a stellar international cast that includes Hi De Hi!’s Su pollard and David Mcalister, a veteran of the West End stage and Tv dramas. inspired by Harold Gray’s famous comic strip Little Orphan Annie, which first ran in the New York News in 1924, Annie is set in Depression Era New York City at a time when the economy looked bleak, government seemed ineffective and the average citizen was desperate and frustrated. With its hopeful message and unwavering belief in a better tomorrow, Annie made its Broadway debut in april

national youth drama SChool

our very talented Year 13 drama student Kendall Brown has been accepted into the National Youth Drama School programme, which runs in Napier over the first week of the April holidays. Kendall will be taking part in workshops focusing on musical theatre, improvisation, acting in theatre and the audition process. in addition, there will be performances, extra speakers and presentations that surround the world of drama. Students apply from all around the country so this is a fabulous opportunity to learn from the highly experienced tutors about working in the performing arts industry. This is a great accolade for our Dio student – well done Kendall!

Mrs reynolds would like to acknowledge Hannah rice who stood in for Sophie Morris in the Year 13 performance of Twelfth Night. Sophie, who was playing the pivotal role of Sir andrew, had an accident that resulted in her not being able to put any pressure on one leg. a consummate actor, Sophie was devastated; however, in the true tradition of ‘the show must go on’, Hannah rice,

with one hour’s notice took over and performed at the Dio Shakespeare Festival and then again at the regionals, with two rehearsals. “Without Hannah’s help we would have had to withdraw from the festival,” says Mrs reynolds, “We really appreciate her commitment to drama and her talent and skill, which meant she went on stage without a script and performed an extremely difficult comedic role.”

1977 and played 2,377 performances before closing in 1983. Now, 37 years after its Broadway debut, the timeless tale of Little Orphan Annie is coming to New Zealand, giving a whole new generation the chance to experience a classic musical about never giving up hope. Annie is a delightful theatrical experience for any age.

Parents & Friends of Dio

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Nicki McDonald

our next P&F event is our annual Father and Daughter Breakfast for Years 7 to 13. it is to be held at the School on Monday 9 June and is a lovely way for our dads to join their daughters at School.

This year’s speaker will be media commentator and blogger Dr Siouxsie Wiles who regularly has a slot on the Nine to Noon National Radio programme and is an excellent and very entertaining public speaker. in 2013 Dr Wiles won the Prime Minister’s Science Media Communication Prize.

The event is always popular so early booking is recommended (booking through iTicket).

With the start of a new school year and many new families joining the Dio community, i’d like to take a moment to introduce the parents and Friends’ association (p&F) and its role within the School community. primarily our role is: •tohelpfosterastrongsenseof

community between parents, •tosupporttheSchoolinitsmany

endeavours, and •toprovideopportunitiestoenhance

the experience all our daughters have while at Dio.

Throughout the year we host a number of events, providing opportunities to meet fellow parents, teachers, staff and students. This year we have already had the pleasure of hosting the New Students’ Buddy BBQ and the New parents’ Cocktail party. Both events offered opportunities to welcome our new students and their families to the School. Our two Father

Daughter Breakfasts and the End of Year Cocktail party are very popular events coming up later in the year. Secondly, we undertake a number of fundraising initiatives to support the School. The Essence of Dio cookbook and the beautiful Dio charms are two such initiatives. Both are available to purchase at the Dio Shop. last year we also ran the very successful Dio House Tour. We will be running this again in November 2015.

The funds raised from these activities go towards projects that will benefit all our girls. Our most recent contributions have been directed towards the School’s pastoral Care programme, the new Erin St court facility and a laser cutter for the Fab lab that has been newly set up.

We are fortunate to have strong support from our School community and always welcome anyone who would like to join our volunteer list. a great way to get involved is to volunteer at the School Cafeteria – p&F run the cafeteria with the aim of serving healthy food for our girls at reasonable prices. parents are rostered on for one day a term. it’s a fun way to meet other parents from all year levels.

if you would like to volunteer, we would love to hear from you. Our email address is pfa@diocesan.school.nz

Put this date in your diaries!

Monday 9 June

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Lifelong friends

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The lifelong Friends pages in this edition of Dio Today bring a varied array of the events and activities the Old Girls’ league undertakes at the end of the year including Founders’ Day and the league aGM, Senior prize Giving, The Year 13 Graduation Ball and the reunion organised for girls who left School the previous year.

after the Graduation Ball held in December, the league has another 165 members that we look forward to keeping in touch with over many years to come. as we have now joined other independent schools in collecting lifetime membership subscriptions when girls first start at Dio, we have included a brief summary of all the things the league undertakes for current pupils at School. We thank those parents of girls new to the School and those entering Year 7 from the Junior School for their commitment to a lifetime membership of the league for their daughter.

President’s column

dioCESan old girlS’ lEaguE CommittEE ContaCt dEtailS

Email oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz for all enquiries.

President: Deb Yates

Vice President: Sarah Couillault (Willis)p. 021 489 102

Treasurer: Felicity Buche (Olson)p. 521 8387

Secretary: Jo Turner (appleby)p. 620 5100

General: Becky Buckley (perkins)p. 368 1442 Emma Cleary (Dillon)p. 522 9564 rosemary Hitchcock (Hartson) p. 021 657 042 penny Mander (Michaels)p. 361 6306 Sarah McKay (Spring)p. 575 2350 Emma pettengell (Macnicol) E. epettengell@gearplus.co.nz Kim Sharp (ryan)p. 524 0844 anna Wight (Franklin)p. 522 4099 Sarah-lee Wilson (Sharp)p. 522 4909

Dio Today Editor - League pages: Georgina rose (Shaw)p. 376 3922

Published by: Diocesan School Old Girls’ leaguepO Box 28 382, remuera, auckland 1541

Sarah Couillault and Deb Yates at the Dio Golf Day

The One Year Out reunion is always held at the premises of one of the Hip Group establishments in auckland. Hip Group is owned by Old Girl Jackie Grant and her partner Scott Brown. Jackie is the alumna Merita recipient for 2014, recognising the impact she and Scott have had on the hospitality industry in and around auckland. The alumna Merita assembly was held at School on Monday 17 March and was a wonderful occasion celebrating significant achievement – you can read about the assembly in more detail in our pages.

in addition to a busy year-end for 2013 for the league, 2014 has also started with a full calendar. plans for reunions for year groups with a leaving year ending in four e.g. 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2004 are underway and we look forward to welcoming back to school all Old Girls attending their reunion. please note the dates of upcoming events in this edition of Dio Today for reference later in the year.

please also note that if you are interested in applying for an Old Girls’ league Hardship Bursary, the closing date is Friday 29 august. One of the most rewarding activities the league undertakes is assisting descendants of Old Girls to attend Dio and we encourage applications annually.

The league has started the year in sound heart and we now well underway with another busy year of events and fellowship for league members. The current committee and i look forward to seeing you at events during the year.

Ut serviamus.Deb Yates

Our current president agreed to serve one more year as president and was duly elected unopposed. anne Wilkinson stepped down as vice president and Committee member Sarah Couillault (Willis) was elected unopposed as vice president. anne remains on the Committee and was elected Fellowship Secretary. Three new Committee members were elected: Sarah-lee Wilson (Sharp), anna Wight (Franklin) and Emma Cleary (Dillon).

From the floor, Kathie McGarry (palmer) raised the issue of the Millicent Hayward altar, given by the Hayward family to St Barnabas in 1913, which was removed in 1986 during the Chapel’s modernisation and lent to St Mary’s Cathedral. The circumstances surrounding this matter had caused angst for decades within the Old Girls’ ranks and needed resolving. president Deb Yates undertook to pursue the matter with principal Heather Mcrae and the reverend Sarah Moss early in the New Year.

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Old Girls’ League BursaryThe old Girls’ league Bursary is intended to assist families who would otherwise have difficulty financing their daughter’s education at Diocesan.

the bursary pays 50% of a year’s tuition fee for a maximum period of three years. it is open to daughters or granddaughters of old Girls who have a place at Diocesan and are or will be in Years 9 to 13 in 2014. The primary criterion is hardship.

The closing date for applications is Friday 29 august 2014.

Please contact Deb Yates, President, or Sarah Couillault, Vice President, in confidence via email oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz for an application form.

Dear readers,You will have seen the nomination form in the Heritage Foundation pages of this publication calling for nominations for the Women2Watch Awards 2014. These awards celebrate the emerging careers of Old Girls aged 35 years and under as at 31 December 2014. i am sure many of you know of a suitable young Old Girl to nominate, but for one reason or another don’t get around to formally doing it before the close-off date. please feel comfortable emailing me with a name and a few details and, as a W2W Committee member, i will take it to the Committee led by Board Member and Old Girl Jane latimer. We watch the progress of as many Old Girls as possible in all fields of endeavour, sometimes for several years.

Contact me in confidence atfrandgs@xtra.co.nz or Ph 376 3922prior to 12 June 2014.

Georgina Rose, League Pages Editor

See also ‘Leading’ page 7

Women2Watch

The foundation of the School was commemorated on Sunday 3 November 2013 with a service in the Chapel at 9.30am. reverend Canon Caroline leys, who is also a member of the School Board, gave the address and the virtuoso voce choral group sang. after morning tea in the School Hall, the league held its 102nd annual General Meeting.

president Deb Yates spoke to the annual report, highlighting the key points. The league and its Trust are in good heart with the league having $65,000 in net assets and the Trust funds exceeding $2,000,000 for the first time, still in the capable hands of Old Girl angela anderson’s investment company. principal Heather Mcrae attended and addressed the assembled Old Girls; her words and sentiments are always appreciated by, and of interest to, the Old Girls. Current Board Member and Old Girl Mindy levene (Olde) spoke about the Board’s work and in particular the things of special significance to the Old Girls.

Founders’ Day and AGM

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On behalf of all members of the Diocesan School Old Girls’ league thank you to parents who have recently paid a lifetime membership subscription to the league for their daughter. The Old Girls’ league is delighted to welcome all our new members and we look forward to seeing them enjoy the benefits of being a member of the league both during their school days and beyond. Once your daughter leaves school she is a lifelong member and remains connected to the School and with her fellow pupils.

The Old Girls’ league, representing more than 11,000 former pupils, is a special part of the school family, working in a collaborative way with the School, parents and Friends and other key community groups. The league, led by the Old Girls’ league Committee, runs a number of events and will be involved in numerous others during your daughter’s time at school and we hope to see her and you as her family at some of these occasions.

alumna mErita aSSEmBly – this Full School assembly is attended by all girls from Year 4 to Year 13 and honours the achievements of an Old Girl who has been outstanding in her chosen field of endeavour. read about this year’s recipient in these pages.

WomEn2WatCh aSSEmBly – this Full School assembly is attended by all girls from Year 4 to Year 13 and celebrates the rising stars among our younger Old Girls.

annual graduation Ball – for all Year 13 girls, this is the final event of their school life and a special occasion for all the graduates and their families.

ChaPEl FEStival – the occasion commemorates the consecration of the Chapel of Our Glorified lord and Year 13 girls and their families join with Old Girls on the first Friday in august for this very special event in the calendar.

Who we areand what we do

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tyPE oF aWard no. oFFErEd FundEd amount SElECtion CritEria

OGL Hardship Bursary 5 at any time 50% fees for up to 3 years Descendant of Old Girl, entering Years 9-13

Year 12 Scholarship 2 at any time 50% fees for 2 years New pupil to School entering Year 12

Mary Pulling Awards 5 each year $1,000 each Entering Years 9-13

Doris Innes Memorial Boarding Scholarship 1 at any time 50% Boarding fee for 2 years New/existing boarder entering Year 12

Ethel Sandford Music Bursary 1 each year $1,500 Current students in Years 10, 11 or 12

Ethel Sandford Music Prize 1 each year $750 Current students in Years 7, 8 or 9

Spirit of NZL Trust Voyage berths 5 each year $900 each Current Year 11 or Year 12 students

Eliza Edwards Rosebowl 1 each year Gift Year 13 student

Junior School Eliza Edwards Rosebowl 1 each year $500 fees in Year 7 Year 6 student

Eliza Edwards Award winner 2013, Bianka Covic (Year 13)

Dio families needed for homestaysThe School currently has application enquiries for international students who are not only looking for a Diocesan education but homestay families to live with.

if you are interested in accommodating an international student and would like more information please contact the director of international Students, mrs Simone Clark by emailing sclark@diocesan.school.nz or phoning 550 2904.

A generous weekly reimbursement is paid to homestay families to cover their expenses.

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FoundErS’ day ChaPEl and morning tEa – this occasion is held on the first Sunday in November and is a Chapel Service that anyone in the Dio community is welcome to attend to remember the foresight of the Founders of Dio, and then join members of the league in the School Hall afterwards.

in addition to hosting several events annually, the table below left outlines the bursaries, scholarships and prizes that the Old Girls’ league funds for current pupils (or pupils about to enter the School) and we include this as a reminder of what the league can offer your daughter while she is at Dio. The league’s financial contribution to the School for the bursaries, scholarships and prizes outlined below is in the region of $75,000 per annum.

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This year boarding scholarships have been awarded to the following students:

Pat BarfootBoarding ScholarshipBreeanah Mcbain (Year 11)from Kerikeri

Noeleen PalmerBoarding ScholarshipGrace Michie (Year 9)from patumahoe

The Old Girls’ league also awards a boarding scholarship:

Doris Innes Memorial Scholarship for Boardingisabella pollock (Year 12)from Hikurangi

at the time of its founding, Diocesan was established as a day and boarding school to serve the educational needs of girls in the auckland diocese. For its first 80 years the School provided boarding accommodation for hundreds of girls, but in 1984, for a number of reasons, the decision was made to close the boarding facilities.

a group of Old Girls was concerned at this decision and led by Mrs Margaret Tapper, oversaw the commissioning of a joint feasibility study into establishing an independent boarding facility. Margaret, together with her mother Doris innes, then purchased the villa at 20 Clyde Street and the vacant section next door at number 22, where innes House is now located. The Doris innes House Trust was established and in 1988 innes House took its first boarders.

The Doris innes House Trust continues to support boarding and awards boarding scholarships to girls who the trustees believe will benefit from the opportunities available at Diocesan. Each scholarship bears the name of one of the women instrumental in establishing innes House.

Boarding scholarships

Eliza Edwards Award winner 2013, Katie Bridgeman (Year 6)

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on Monday 17 March the school and the old girls’ league held a full school assembly

in honour of a special old girl, Jackie grant (Class of 1980), who received the 2014

alumna Merita award for services to business, in particular the hospitality industry.

AlUMNA MERiTA 2014

Jackie Grant

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SErviCES TO BUSiNESS – THE HOSpiTaliTY iNDUSTrY

Jackie and Scott

St Heliers Bistro

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Joined by a group of family and friends, including a number of school friends, Jackie received her badge, a bouquet and gift from principal Ms Heather Mcrae and Mrs Sarah Couillault, vice president of the Old Girls’ league. Ms Mcrae welcomed everyone to the assembly and read out Jackie’s citation before the presentation was made and Jackie addressed the assembly.

Jackie and her partner in life and business, Scott Brown, are the founders and directors of Hip Group, the company responsible for hospitality premises such as Takapuna Beach Café; Kohimarama Café, Store and Bar; richmond road Café; St Heliers Bistro and Café; The Store, The Diner, Ortolana and Milse in the Brittomart Quarter and, most recently, Waihi Beach Café and provenance Matua valley. The farm-to-table concept combined with stylish premises, excellent service and delicious food have led to Hip Group having a deserved reputation of creating world-class establishments.

a slide show featuring shots of the Hip Group premises and some menu items set to pharrell Williams’ song Happy was shown. The girls loved that, and Jackie talked about still having more plans to grow and of the importance of having both vision and passion; of how vital and integral the staff are, like a family, all having valued input and a career path. She and Scott love employing Dio girls because they have “the right attitude”.

Jackie started at Dio in Form One, commuting for 45 minutes from Manurewa. aspects of Dio schooling were foreign to her (and most of us!) including indoor and outdoor shoes, garters, hats, gloves, colour-coded bags, no jumpers worn on the street and rules for everything. She soon settled in, made lifelong friends and enjoyed her time at school. She left planning a science-based career, but one thing led to another and she ended up working for many years in the hotel industry where she met Scott in 1996. They travelled and worked together internationally in beautiful hotels and Jackie loved being in the ‘experience’ business. Scott shared this passion.

looking for a change in 2004 they decided they wanted to create their own business and make it world-class within its community. That was the Kohi Café and they only ever intended to have the one café. Fast forward to 2014 and in 10 years the business has grown from eight to 450 staff, from revenue of $800,000 to $30 million.

in addition to the cafés and restaurants listed above, they run their own artisan bread and pastry bakery, an award-winning gelato and sorbet manufacturing business, a dessert-only restaurant and they have 12 hectares of orchard, produce and grazing farmland in Kumeu. They are presently strengthening the farm-based supply side of their business by opening a butchery, creamery and brewery.

Jackie says the farm-to-table concept was a quantum shift dating from 2010. “We began to get very serious about sourcing as much as we could locally, making as much as we could in our own kitchens and looking to grow our own produce, all part of the journey to

becoming fully self-sufficient and creating a world-class experience. We have become more and more aware of what we are buying, preparing and serving our customers; the interest around the world regarding origin and sustainability of how it’s been grown, harvested, produced, distributed and prepared. Our farm-to-table business model capitalises on this growing market demand.”

a source of added joy for Jackie was that her parents were there to share the occasion, as was her sister, Tracy Grant, who received the alumna Merita award in 2006 for services to the arts. This makes the Grant sisters the first family of Dio girls to get the award. in Jackie’s speech she credited her parents with having the foresight and making the sacrifices to send their girls to Dio for what they perceived to be the best education. and Dio for “teaching you principles and values that you take with you for a lifetime”, for empowering her by giving her “confidence that i had received a world-class education and it was a privilege to have been at Dio and an understanding that it would always be my responsibility to make the most of what i was offered, i just needed to go and explore and find out what i was passionate about.”

at the conclusion of the assembly – and thanks to Hip Group – every girl was given a macaron as a sweet treat; a very popular move!

it was very memorable and special assembly for an Old Girl who is, with her partner Scott Brown, making a world-class contribution to the hospitality industry.

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Jackie with a group of school friends

Jackie recieveingher award

Jackie and Tracy

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This event was again held in the Guineas room at the Ellerslie Convention Centre, Ellerslie race Course, Greenlane on Friday 6 December with 152 girls graduating out of a possible 170 girls in the year group. it was a special evening for the Year 13 leavers and their families.

The Committee put a great deal of work into this event and special thanks go to Kim Sharp and Sarah-lee Wilson who were responsible for the Ball this year. it is a huge amount of work throughout the year, especially doing the seating plan, although using iTicket for the first time made that job a bit easier. after a very busy lead-up day and night, everything went off without a hitch. The Class of 2013 was a colourful and highly enthusiastic bunch of girls who enjoyed the event to the full. Crackerjack promotions managed the event for the league Committee (as in previous years) and pam Glaser and her team did an excellent job. Kim and Sarah-lee decided on a hot pink and orange theme, bright and feminine, and used 600 old jars, tea lights, pink and orange roses and hydrangeas and ribbon to great effect, with balloon table centrepieces and wall fairy light curtains to decorate the rather difficult shaped space.

Our Master of Ceremonies was Mark leishman - his eighth year - and as usual he did a wonderful job, professional and personable. The formal Graduation Ceremony started at 7.30pm with our principal and league patron Heather Mcrae and our league president Deb Yates on stage congratulating each girl personally and giving them a graduation scroll and an Old Girls’ league badge.

Shortly after the Graduation Ceremony the graduates and their fathers or special person crowded onto the dance floor for the traditional father/daughter dance – this year to Paradise by Coldplay – and

then a buffet dinner was served. after dinner the band Tongue and Groove got the whole ballroom dancing until late.

The girls are noticeably more relaxed at the Graduation Ball, very few bring partners and they see it as their last chance to be all together before they go their separate ways. We encourage them to wear something they already have rather than go to the expense of a specially made or purchased outfit and this does allow them to be themselves to a much greater degree.

Gino Demeer and his team from Cactus Photography photographed each girl on arrival with her family, with their graduation certificate on stage, then again after they left the stage. You can still go to Gino’s website www.cactusphotography.co.nz to view and order photos from the Graduation Ball if you missed out purchasing them on the night or want some more copies. Or email info@cactusphotography.co.nz for further information. Cactus photography has kindly provided a selection of images from the evening for you to enjoy. We thank Gino and the team very much.

The next event the league will host for this year group is the Class of 2013’s One Year Out reunion, which will be held on a Wednesday in mid December this year when as many girls as possible are back in town. We will contact the girls by email and through Facebook later in the year.

Graduation Ball 2013

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Dio Survivors 2013

Old Girls’ League Committee

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The 42nd archery New Zealand indoor Championships saw 108

of the country’s best archers competing over two days at the

arena in palmerston North. The Waikato was well represented by a

team of 11 archers from Hamilton’s river Glade archers, rosanne’s club,

led by head coach and 2012 National Champion Scott Collett.

For many of the archers this was their first experience of a major national tournament, and the amazing performances put in by so many of the club members who are relatively new to the Olympic sport of archery comes as no great surprise to head coach Scott Collett. “We have a really great supportive archery club here in Hamilton”, he says. “We have a few top archers and coaches who have the experience to help the many hardworking new archers reach the highest levels. We have archers with real Olympic potential and the dedication to back it up!”

as Neroli Fairhall showed when she became the first paraplegic athlete (in any sport) to compete in the Olympic Games representing New Zealand in los angeles back in 1984, archery really is a sport for all. Newly crowned National Champion rosanne Berryman, like many parents, initially came on the archery beginners course to support her 12-year-old son rhys (now 14), but soon found that they were both hooked. rhys has been achieving New Zealand ranking scores this summer season as an intermediate recurve archer. Now, roseanne’s husband, Mark, has caught the archery bug and the family, like many others in the club, shoot and compete together. archery is one of the few sports in which both sexes and all ages and levels of ability can be competing on the same field of play at the same time.

rosanne and Mark both compete in the Open Division rather than the Master’s division where they come up against the very best archers in New Zealand.

Two and a half years ago rosanne Berryman (ashworth, Class of 1980) had her first archery lesson at an archery beginners course in Cambridge, having never shot a bow before. in august 2013 she became the New Zealand indoor archery Women’s recurve Champion, following in the footsteps of such greats as Commonwealth Champion Neroli Fairhall and Olympic Gold medalist Jo Sun Kim.

addicts

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archery

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rosanne describes them as “archery addicts” and says, “archers are a wonderful group of people, supportive and friendly. it is a small group but there has been a large influx of juniors in the last two years due in part to the number of films and Tv series such as The Hunger Games, Brave, Lord of the Rings, Arrow and Avatar and the Olympic Games Tv coverage all featuring recurve archery.

in November 2013, rosanne was named the Metzo Matamata piako District Sports award 40+ Sportsperson of the Year. She says it was a wonderful year and she credits her coach Scott Collett and his wife, Sarah, who have both represented Great Britain, as being integral to her success and her ongoing improvement. Sarah designed a training programme especially tailored for her. in addition, rosanne credits her friend Deb Marsden, formerly the Guidance Counsellor at her workplace Te aroha College, for helping her with her mental attitude, relaxation techniques and self-belief. Her close relationship with her sister Margo Burton (ashworth, Class of 1979) has also been a source of great strength, positivity and support.

The outdoor season began in September 2013 and rosanne trains five evenings a week after work or on weekends, improving her technique and fitness. Shooting outdoors uses larger targets and longer shooting distances, up from 18 or 25 metres (indoor) to 70 metres (outdoor) for rosanne. and you deal with the vagaries of the weather!

in December 2013, rosanne was ranked sixth in New Zealand; her husband Mark and son rhys are working their way up the rankings too. rhys is currently ninth and Mark also rising up the ladder.

Ultimately, rosanne would like to be ranked in the top five in New Zealand and be involved with coaching to share her love of the sport. But it takes tremendous dedication to work on improving your ranking, which has to be combined with work and home life. rosanne, Mark and rhys travel throughout the North island to weekend tournaments and they hope to shoot overseas if they can work out the logistics.

This year she plans to continue with training, but work more on the outdoor distances of 30 to 70m. The main tournament shoots for women are done at 70m and 60m, then to a smaller target face at 50 and 30m respectively. Training needs to be balanced with

her job as the Student Centre Manager at Te aroha College. Mark works all over the world and as the bow, arrows and equipment are difficult to fit into a suitcase and shooting venues are widespread, he has limited opportunities to train while travelling.

The couple also has two adult daughters. Emma (24) is a geologist in a coal mine in australia, and Frances (21) is in her last year of nursing study at Massey University.

rosanne has been the Junior Convener for river Glade archers since she joined and has recently completed her first stage aNZ coach’s training. For anyone interested, archery New Zealand clubs and coaches can offer quality beginners’ courses and will provide all the equipment needed to get started so there is no need to buy equipment until you are sure you are hooked and have developed a style that will ensure you can get a bow that suits you.

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For those interested in taking up the sport or wanting more information about the club please see:

hamilton/Waikato area:

www.archeryexperience.co.nzor email Scott Collett at archeryexperience@hotmail.com or for other districts in New Zealand go to:

www.archerynz.co.nzand click on the ‘my club’ tab to find a club near you.

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Briar Mark (Class of 2008) graduated from aUT University in 2011 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design. Her work is a continuation of her final project at university, which explored the relationship between craft and design. Upon graduation her project was selected for the annual Best in Show exhibition at Objectspace Gallery, was a finalist in the New Zealand Best Design awards and, earlier this year, it was selected for an international exhibition in Munich, Talente. Her work has also featured in magazines such as Urbis, Metro and Threaded. Briar currently works as a graphic designer at Sanders Design and does freelance graphic design under her own name.

Her work can be seen as a response to the computer’s dominance in almost every aspect of our lives, which in recent years has led to a revival of craft as a gesture of resistance. Everything about handcraft makes it the complete antithesis to the digital world we now live in.

One of the most obvious aspects of craft is the sheer amount of time it takes. Something that could be done in under a minute on the computer would take a few hours – if not days – to stitch. in a world where time is a commodity, rather

than become obsolete, craft has perhaps reached a higher level of appreciation, as tactility is something we tend to crave in our increasingly digital lives.

The chance of mistakes in craft is endless in comparison to the perfect nature of the digital world. Everything we see nowadays is expected to be flawless, whereas craft welcomes the accident and even the knotted back of a piece of stitched work can become an interesting reflection of the workmanship.

Briar’s body of work makes a statement about the digital world we now live in. Using both humour and parody, it encourages the viewer to slow down and reflect on our increasingly technologically reliant society.

http://urbismagazine.com/articles/faces-to-watch-briar-mark/

vimeo.com/42881612

cargocollective.com/briarmark

Astitch in time

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Newsof Old GirlsSuE monk (hitChCoCk)ClaSS oF 1974

Sue Monk has set up a business called voice Matters that specialises in making voice recordings of people’s memories. Sue has experience in history, publishing and nursing and has a Master’s Degree in History. She is running the company with Jon who comes to the business of interviewing and voice recording from a background in science and law.

There is a very informative website detailing the services the company offers; www.voicematters.co.nz

Both Sue and Jon have strong backgrounds in oral history projects and they enjoy interviewing people, making them feel comfortable and drawing their stories out of them. So often, people have such interesting lives and stories that for one reason or another are lost through the passage of time. voice Matters gives people a chance to record these memories and experiences for their families and for historical reasons.

Sue says, “voice Matters is founded on the firm belief that everyone has a story to tell or interests to share that others will value, especially when spoken in their own unique voice.”

SuSan thomaSClaSS oF 1976

On 4 March 2014 NZ Lawyer reported the announcement by attorney-General Chris Finlayson of the appointment of District Court Judge Susan Thomas as a Judge of the High Court. Justice Thomas graduated with a Ba and llB (Hons) from the University of auckland in 1982 and joined the auckland firm of Holmden Horrocks as a solicitor.

The following year she travelled to london and was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales, working mainly in private practice acting for a large development company undertaking major property developments and also spending two years as an in-house counsel for Marks and Spencer plC, then the largest and most profitable UK retailer.

On her return to New Zealand in 1995, Justice Thomas joined Minter Ellison rudd Watts as a Senior associate working primarily in commercial property, construction and resource management. She was admitted to the partnership of that firm the following year.

in 2005, she was appointed a District Court Judge. During her time as a judge she has been involved in solution-focused judging and in 2012 she started a Special Circumstances Court in Wellington to focus on the most challenged and marginalised offenders. The new High Court Judge sits in auckland.

amanda Skoog mzm (PriCE)ClaSS oF 1980

amanda Skoog was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MZM) in the 2014 New Year’s Honours for Services to the arts, namely ballet. amanda is currently the Managing Director of the royal New Zealand Ballet, a position she has held since 2006.

amanda left Dio at 17 to pursue a career as a classical ballet dancer, touring Europe extensively before accepting a position with English National Ballet where she met her husband Matz. amanda has worked in arts administration for the past 20 years. She was Education Officer with English National Ballet, the Development Manager at london’s Design Museum,

assistant Director at the Central School of Ballet and visitor Centre Manager at the roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre where her responsibilities included the trading operations of the museum.

She has a post-graduate Diploma in arts administration from City University, london. amanda began her role with rNZB in 2006 and says the most satisfying aspect of her job is enabling talent from throughout the company to shine – be it dancers, production or any area of administration.

amanda visited Dio in august 2012 and featured in an article in the 2012 October Dio Today in which she commented that it was 33 years since she had been there and although there had been huge changes, many parts of the School brought back vivid memories, especially the old School Hall, venue in her day for everything from assemblies to school balls. in the article she was quoted as saying; “One of the things i have really taken from Diocesan is good, faithful friends who have stayed with me forever, even though i have lived overseas for much of my adult life.”Source: www.nzballet.org.nz

http://urbismagazine.com/articles/faces-to-watch-briar-mark/

vimeo.com/42881612

cargocollective.com/briarmark

Amanda Skoog with Yayoi Matches (centre)

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growing in popularity and is particularly prominent at Oxford. My thesis supervisor, Dr David Wallace, is one of the world’s leading proponents of this interpretation. However, i chose to argue against the Everett interpretation, because the evidential basis for quantum mechanics does not remain secure when we reinterpret probabilistic concepts in the way required by the Everett approach.

“i am now spending the 2013-2014 academic year at the perimeter institute in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, for the perimeter Scholars’ international programme. This is a one-year Master’s level course in theoretical physics designed to bring highly qualified, highly motivated graduate students to the cutting edge of theoretical physics. it’s a highly selective course that comes with a full scholarship covering all fees and living expenses, and will lead to an MSci degree.

“Following the completion of this course and with a second Master’s degree, i will return to the United Kingdom in July 2014 to take up a place offered to me at Trinity College, Cambridge University to do a phD with the Department of applied Mathematics and Theoretical physics, under the supervision of Dr adrian Kent. i will be working in the area of quantum foundations, which is the study of the conceptual and mathematical underpinnings of quantum theory. i have been awarded the Krishnan-ang Studentship, an award given to exceptional overseas students in the Natural Sciences. The scholarship covers all fees for the course and provides a maintenance allowance. My parents are very pleased that i am

no longer a drain on their financial resources! it will be nice to be in Cambridge, a little closer to our london home, and where my brother, Jonathan, is in his third year of medical studies.”

SuSiE gommClaSS oF 2011

Susie Gomm, who is in her second year studying a Bachelor of Commerce with Engineering at the University of Melbourne, has been awarded the prestigious McKinsey & Co Women in leadership Scholarship 2013. She resides at Trinity College and Susie was interviewed for that college’s news. The award includes a $15,000 scholarship for further personal and professional development and an eight-week internship in the company’s Melbourne office. The application process involved a number of interview rounds in Melbourne and Sydney where applicants were tasked with rigorous problem-solving tests and impromptu hypothetical consulting challenges. During the internship Susie will receive mentor support to help develop her leadership profile, skills and career orientation. in addition to excelling academically Susie was also selected for a Goldman Sachs summer internship, working in their Sydney office during the 2013/2014 summer period.

Susie is also the president of the University’s inter Collegiate Committee for 2014, has represented the University for the past two years in women’s football and is active on other committees. Susie is very happy to talk to any Dio girls considering attending university in Melbourne.

tara CoPPlEStonEClaSS oF 2007

Tara graduated from Diocesan in 2007. She was captain of the Diocesan Equestrian team and continued as assistant coach after leaving, assisting Trudy Boyce. She attended the University of auckland and graduated in 2012 with a First Class Honours degree in archaeology. She has been involved in several projects managed by the University, including archaeological digs at Great Mercury island, Urapukapuka island (Bay of islands), Easter island and three separate projects in Egypt.

Tara has a particular interest in modern archaeological methods using technology for three-dimensional /sensorial modelling, and database development using agent-based modelling has led her to the world-renowned York University to continue her studies. She is studying for her Master’s there and is one of only four students focused on this area of archaeological study.

The Copplestone family have moved to Norfolk and should you wish to make contact with either Tara or the family, please contact the league Editor and i will provide contact details.

Emily adlam ma (oxon) ClaSS oF 2008

Emily writes: “i have just graduated from Oxford University with First Class Honours in July this year (2013). My degree was a four-year course leading to the award of an Mphysphil (Master of physics and philosophy) degree. i won the Gibbs prize for the best performance in philosophy in the final year exams for this degree and was also joint winner of the Elizabeth anscombe Thesis prize for the best undergraduate philosophy Thesis.

“My thesis was called ‘The problem of Confirmation in the Everett interpretation’. The correct interpretation of quantum mechanics is a highly controversial subject in the philosophy of physics. The Everett interpretation (popularly, although somewhat misleadingly, known as the Many-Worlds interpretation) is

Emily Adlam with her family

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SammiE FungClaSS oF 2013

Sammie, a very new Old Girl, attended the Harvard Model United Nations in 2013 as one of 48 delegates selected to be part of the non-governmental organisation programme. She was the only New Zealander and represented Oxfam. While there she heard about ‘birthday pledging’. She pledged her 18th birthday to Charity Water, a non-profit organisation bringing safe water to people in developing nations. Over 50,000 people have pledged their birthday to the organisation since it started the project. She asked people to donate money rather than giving her birthday presents and she raised $1200. it costs $20 to give a person access to drinking water and 100% of the money raised goes to funding clean water projects.Source: Eastern Courier, auckland Jan 2014

yayoi matChES,ClaSS oF 2014

in late 2012, Yayoi left Diocesan at the young age of 15 to pursue a full-time ballet career at the New Zealand School of Dance in Wellington. She is the youngest student at the Wellington school and even though she was still in her first year and two years off graduating, Yayoi was selected for the lead role in Solitaire, a highlight of the School’s 2013 graduation season, a significant achievement and honour. Because of her young age Yayoi had to do NCEa by correspondence until she turned 16 in april last year. Yayoi will spend three years at the School before competing for a place dancing with the royal New Zealand Ballet or with overseas companies. The high-pressure competitive auditions mean the difference between getting a place at a company or not, and many graduates miss out on a place. Her days are physically demanding with back-to-back classes. Yayoi was quoted in a New Zealand Herald article in November 2013 as saying: “You need to be an athlete and an artist at the same time. You have to be really dedicated and committed to doing it, because it’s a hard life.”

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short and sweet… VICKI TAYLOR (Class of 1988) Fashion designer with her own label and shop, Taylor Boutique, and winner of a Diocesan W2W award in 2006, has been appointed as a judge of the 2014 Wearable arts awards to be held in Wellington in late September.

Gisborne-based GILL PITTAR (Fisher, Class of 1965) creator and author of the Milly Molly branded range of children’s books, dolls and Tv shows was featured on an episode of the recent Tv One series This Town.

TIFFANY OLIVER (Class 0f 2009) has taken up a place at auckland Medical School. She finished near the top of the Biomedical Science course and was also offered a place at the perth and Otago medical schools. it’s all the more remarkable given that Tiffany didn’t start any science subjects until she was in Year 12!

CHARLOTTE BENNETT (Class of 2005) a student of history has been awarded a Clarendon Scholarship at the University of Oxford to complete her doctorate under the New Zealand historian professor James Belich.

MELANY SuN-MIN PARK (Class of 2004) who has been studying History and philosophy of Design at Harvard has been accepted into the phD programme there.

ELIZABETH CHAN (Class of 2006) Elizabeth emailed one of her former teachers: “Just wanted to let you know that i got a call from Yale this morning to say that i’ve been accepted into its law school! i can hardly believe it. Yale is the #1 ranked law school in america and only accepts 22-25 people each year into its llM programme.” Elizabeth was a Woman2Watch award recipient two years ago and a finalist in the 2012 Young New Zealander of the Year awards.

The winning team at the Dio Golf Day on 3 april was a women’s team made up of Michelle Dunn, Jane Grigg, Kirsty Hardie-Boys and lexie loof. MICHELLE DuNN (Caddie) is an Old Girl, and as part of the highest scoring women’s team she won the Bryan Bartley Cup for 2014.

pictured below is the OLD GIRLS’ SWIMMING TEAM who competed in the friendly race at the Senior Swimming Sports in February against a team of staff and a team of prefects and were victorious. Thanks to Fiona Mcleod for organising our team. Congratulations ladies!

Source: New Zealand Herald article Lead Role at 16 points to bright future by Jamie Morton Friday 15 November 2013.

From left to right: Fiona Macleod, Anne-Marie Avis (Butler), Sarah Couillault (Willis), Emily Chin and Juliet Bevis

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Upcoming reunions1954 third FormErS

it’s time for our 60-year reunion, planned for November this year. Details will be sent to you soon. if you have not been in contact yet please email Julie Hunt at juliehunt@xtra.co.nz

ClaSS oF 1964

a reunion luncheon is planned for Saturday 2 august in School House. See separate notice.

ClaSS oF 1974

a reunion lunch is planned for Saturday 14 June in School House from 12 noon -3pm.

ClaSS oF 1984

Casual drinks and canapés to be held at a private house in St Heliers on Friday 9 May at 7pm and dinner at School House on Saturday 10 May from 4pm. See separate notice.

ClaSS oF 1994

reunion Saturday 13 September, time to be confirmed. Coordinator: Emma Griffiths (ashman), M. 021 481 654, E. emmagriffiths01@hotmail.com

ClaSS oF 2004

reunion Saturday 1 November, time to be confirmed. Coordinator: Sophie Gilmore, E. sophie@birdonawire.co.nz

30-year reunionClaSS oF 1984

if you attended Dio any time from 1971 and would have graduated (7th Form) in 1984, then please join our reunion on 9 and 10 may 2014.

it has been great to see word spreading about this reunion through networks of old friends. Please do keep sending information through to anyone who you think might be interested. Email us at dio1984reunion@gmail.com so that we can add everyone to our email distribution list.

A closed Facebook page is also up and running at dio1984reunion. To join in, just ‘friend’ Melissa Fletcher or any other friends who have already joined the closed group and they will add you in. only those who are members of the closed group can see any posts or post anything. There are some great old photos so it’s definitely worth a visit!

For further information please contact:lucy Powell m. 021 242 5041, lesley Brown m. 021 227 9344, Bridget romanes m. 021 615 280 or melissa Fletcher (olson) m. 021 424 888.

Reunion

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Updates

50-year reunion

ClaSS oF 1964

it’s 50 years since we left school and a reunion luncheon is planned for Saturday 2 august in School house.

Coordinators: Susan Newbegin (Gyllies), E. newbegin@xtra.co.nz, P. 09 520 1733 and Nan Norris (Winstone), E. mnnorris@xnet.co.nz or P. 09 524 0290.

Many of you have already expressed interest, which is fantastic!

We are missing contact details for the following. Can any of you help? Susan ChildsMargaret BegbieKaren de WillimoffDiana SlyfieldJane (Debbie) Craig (Powell)Christine RoutleyCatherine Menzies (Foot)Christine Floyd (Clark)Coralie irvineErena ChiversMuriel BeltonElizabeth Sadler (Fowell)Karen Wright (Slater)Priscilla SheriffChristine AndersonRosemarie WardPam Buddle (Cooper)

Registration/payment of $70.00 may be made online. Go to www.iticket.co.nz and search Diocesan/1964 Reunion. Ticket sales will close Wednesday 30 July when numbers for catering purposes are needed. if you have any problems, call Sharissa Naidoo, Development Coordinator, P. 09 520 0221 ext 7620.

More details, meeting place and time and a request for updated profiles from all willing, will be emailed at a later date.

reunion contact:E. reunions@diocesan.school.nzp. 09 520 9344

one Year out reunion

On 18 December 2013, the Class of 2012 met at the richmond road Café for our One Year Out reunion. it was a fantastic evening with many stories shared and lots of laughs over glasses of bubbles and delicious nibbles. With many of the 2012 Class not having seen each other since they left school, the reunion was a brilliant opportunity for everyone to catch up after their busy and exciting first year out of Dio. it was amazing to hear about the many diverse activities the girls had got up to. a lucky few spent the year exploring Europe and South america on gap years and working holidays, while some became full-time workers and first-time flatters. For many others the year was spent experiencing the endless thrills (and perils) of being a first-year uni student.Annelise Hassall

The Class of 2012 would like to sincerely thank the wonderful women of the Dio Old Girls’ league for organising this event for us. We really had a marvellous time and it was so nice to have so many of our Year 13 cohort back together again – like old times!

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term 2Class of 2009 Five Year Out Reunion: This year’s event will be held on a Wednesday (venue TBC) from 6.30- 8.30pm. Drinks and nibbles will be provided by the Old Girls’ league. There will be a Facebook page about the event. You will also be notified by group email.

term 3Chapel Festival will be celebrated on Friday 1 august. The exact timing will be advised in this column in the July issue of Dio Today but it is anticipated to be around 11.45am. all Old Girls are invited to attend the service and a light lunch in the School Hall afterwards. please rSvp to the Committee Secretary (see over the page).

Upcoming events continue over the page 

Upcoming events

Samantha Harding, Kate Voss, Tracey Brown and Paige Young

Olivia Rose, Vicky French, Hannah Bartley, Kate Inkster and Jen Gregory

Sally Whineray,Kerry Mackereth

Lucy Smith, Christine Jensen

Sophie Armstrong, Ali Hawkins, Rebecca Beveridge, Katherine Blackburn, Victoria Dickson and Amanda Wood

Amelia Ewan, Annelise Hassall

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Milestones

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BirthsEmily Brewer (Winstone, 1995)a son on 05/04/2013Victoria Cranwell (1993)a son on 09/05/2013 Amanda Cuthbert-Irvine (irvine, 1990) a son on 17/09/2013Lucy Farrugia (de villiers, 2000)a daughter on 04/11/2012Brigitte Moore (Marshall, 2001)a son on 25/08/2013Olivia Rybicki (Harvey, 1998)a daughter on 04/07/2013Nicola Svirskis (Middleton, 1998)a daughter on 02/10/2013Natalie van Beurden (2003)a son on 03/03/2014Helen Warner (1995)a son on 17/10/2013

engagementsKate Allen (1997)to Hayden rogersAlbertine Gysberts (2006)to Scott EatonKristy Hall (1997)to reece HarrisonJess Nolan (2004)to Simon pilkintonNatalie Pitcher (2004)to Jerry Kemp

MarriagesLee-Anne Barnes (1995) to Michael Collins on 09/11/2013 in the Dio ChapelTamsin Bishop (1999) to annixon Kar-Shing Tong on 05/10/2013Maureen Margan (1974, formerly Maxwell)to James Conquer on 03/08/2013Rachael Maxwell (2002)to Edward Hunt on 23/03/2013Elizabeth Russell (1993)to Emanuele Croci on 23/11/2013 in the Dio ChapelLily Wang (2002)to David partridge on 01/12/2012Sarah-Jane Westbrooke (2004)to andrew Simpson on 22/06/2013Emma Whiteside (2005)to Mark Woods on 02/03/2013

deathsCharlotte Dawson (1983)on 22/02/2014Louise Everard (Browne, 1973)on 11/03/2014Judith Mary Gair (Jolly, 1952)on 04/07/2013Cynthia Hyatt (Stevenson, 1946)on 25/11/2013Judith Ann Lawson (Wrightson, 1950) on 18 March 2014Pauline Mallory (Cropper, 1938)on 17/04/2013 aged 92 yearsShirley Neary (Hart, 1940)on 03/03/2014 aged 91 yearsSuzanne Horrocks (Neary, 1946)on 12/10/2013Dr Roma Roberts (Chatfield, 1936)on 06/03/2014 aged 94 years

achievementsMadeleine Brett-Williams (2007)Ba/llB (Hons) with First Class Honours, University of Canterbury, april 2013.

Rebecca Dearing (2000)royal NZ police College, 2010. prizes for3rd=inWing,MelterAwardforWeapon Training and Sony Ericsson practical prize

Marianne Lian Ma (2007)Ba/BCom, The University of auckland, May 2012.

Millie Nakatsuka (2007)Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery, Bond University Brisbane, December 2013.

Justine Paddison (2006)BSc, The University of auckland,May 2011.

Lily Partridge (Wang, 2002)MBChB (Medicine), Otago University, 2008.

Charlotte Yarnton (2008)Bachelor of Consumer and applied Sciences, Otago University, May 2012.

The Women2Watch Awards Ceremony will be held in august. The event is a Full School assembly in the morning followed by lunch in School House Dining room. invitation only.

The Senior Old Girls’ Morning Tea is tentatively scheduled for this term. Further details will be in the July issue of Dio Today and all Senior Old Girls living in the greater auckland area whose current addresses are on our league Database will be contacted by the league about the exact details. in the meantime any communications can be directed to our Committee Secretary via email – oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz. Old Girls from throughout New Zealand and overseas are also very welcome to attend.

term 4Founders’ Day Service and our Annual Conference/Annual General Meeting are to be held on Sunday 2 November. The Service is likely to be at 9.30am followed by morning tea in the old School Hall. The aGM will start at approximately 11.15am.

Graduation Ball for Year 13 leavers and their parents. This has been provisionally set down for Friday 5 December. This group will be contacted directly through the School.

One Year Out Reunion Class of 2013. likely to be mid-December on a Wednesday but the exact date will be advised. For all those known as the Class of 2013, whether or not you completed or did your total schooling at Diocesan, your Year 13 year was or would have been 2013, this is your event! Details will be advertised by email and on Facebook.

For more information about any of our upcoming events please contact our Committee SecretaryE. oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz

Upcoming events(continued)

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