AUGUST 2019
Diocesan School for Girls Clyde Street, Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand Private Bag 99939, Newmarket 1149 P. 09 520 0221 F. 09 520 6778 E. office@diocesan.school.nz DIOCESAN.SCHOOL.NZ
“Without a doubt, the nurturing environment fostered here at Dio made me the woman I am today, and for that I am very grateful.” Kimberley Chambers, Alumna Merita 2019
EDITORIAL Welcome to the August issue of Dio Today.
BOARD CHAIR Mr Andrew Peterson PRINCIPAL CHAPLAIN ASSISTANT CHAPLAIN HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL DEPUTY PRINCIPALS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL DEPUTY PRINCIPAL JUNIOR SCHOOL
Ms Heather McRae Reverend Sandy Robertson Reverend Bryan Haggitt Mrs Margaret van Meeuwen Mrs Dian Fisher Mr Simon Walker Mrs Kate Burkin Mrs Suzanne Brewin Mrs Amy Thompson
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AND PLANNING
Mr Paul McDowell-Hook
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
Mrs Rachel Gardiner
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Mrs Angela Coe DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE
Mrs Jocelyn Anso
ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR
Mrs Kate Jones Katie Pearce Jemma Couillault
HEAD PREFECT DEPUTY HEAD PREFECT
DIO TODAY is produced through the Marketing Office of Diocesan School for Girls and is designed by Anna Taylor (annstaylor.nz) and published by Image Centre Group. For information about this publication, contact the Editor, Liz McKay E. lmckay@diocesan.school.nz / Old Girls’ liaison and proofreading, Deirdre Coleman E. d.g@slingshot.co.nz / Commissioned photography by Nicola Topping, Real Image (realimage.co.nz).
Our 2019 Alumna Merita award recipient, Kimberley Chambers, whose story you can read on page 75, is a truly inspirational woman. Kimberley suffered a life-changing accident. With incredible courage, sheer grit and determination, she proved wrong the frightening prognosis delivered to her and not only achieved a remarkable recovery, but went on to tackle the oceans in daring physical feats of stamina and endurance. At the assembly in her honour, Kim talked about personal possibilities. The power of ‘mind over matter’ is a resource that we can all tap into and her remarkable story serves as an example of what can be achieved by positive action and reinforcement, along with commitment and hard work. She acknowledged all those who helped her along the way, both in her recovery and her swimming feats. Kimberley’s quote (above) speaks of Dio’s nurturing environment. Is a nurturing community the very essence of Diocesan School for Girls? In her speech at a full school assembly at the start of this school year, 2019 Head Prefect Katie Pearce introduced this year’s Year 13 theme – Ko Tātou – a concept from an African philosophy: “I am who I am … because of who we all are”. Almost echoing Kimberley Chambers’ words, Katie said: “My experience at Dio has changed my life, made me the person I am today, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunities that have been extended to me, being part of this community.” Long live the Dio spirit of community and how it engenders us to support and nurture one another. Liz McKay, Editor
T R E N Z S E AT E R INTERIOR DES IGN
2018 & 2019
2017 / 2018 / 2019
AUCKLAND - 80 Parnell Rd, 09 303 4151 CHRISTCHURCH - 121 Blenheim Rd, 03 343 0876 QUEENSTOWN - 313 Hawthorne Dr, 03 441 2363 www.trenzseater.com
AUGUST 2019 Cover photo: 2019 Alumna Merita award recipient Kimberley Chambers (1992) – read her inspirational story on page 75. Photo by Nicola Topping, Real Image
LEADING
LIVING
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From the Principal | A humane education – how humans learn will continue to challenge and transform how we lead our schools. 04 Philanthropy at Diocesan through the Heritage Foundation | Who benefits? The growth and distribution of our Heritage Foundation funds. 06 Women2Watch 2019 awards | Recognising and celebrating the achievements of Old Girls Sheryl Tan and Emily Adlam. 10 Past staff reunion | 60 former staff reminisce over a long lunch.
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Faculty focus | Health and physical education in the spotlight. Aiming to change the world, one molecule at a time | Silver for Bio Olympian Academic Prefect Anneke Cummack Compassionate Leadership | Meeting Dr Jane Goodall The Wonder Project is rocket science! Aloha Hawaii! Geographers studying tourism first-hand in a tourist hot spot Students enjoying freedom of ‘no devices’ policy Celebrating the 115th School birthday | Whipping up sweet treats Putting law into practice | The art of mooting Future Problem Solving International Conference Leadership | Being more than we ever imagined Ethics round table | Dio hosts Ethics Olympiad Student on a mission | Olivia Luxon wins prestigious Zonta award Dio hosts the Sir Ray Avery Foundation | Launch of the Amigo bar Festival offers unique hands-on learning opportunity Junior School: Thriving sports community | After-school activities | Year 5 Production | MakerSpace | Farewell to Margaret Cann
Chaplaincy | Exploring wabi-sabi Performing Arts: Shakespeare Festival 45 National Theatrefest success 46 One year on in the Broadway journey | Libby Johnston reports 47 The hammer comes down | auctioneering success for Pippa Morris 48 Beauty and the Beast | Another knock-out show 50 Competition time: RockQuest | NZCT Chamber Music competition | Big Sing | Concerto and Aria competitions 54 Night of Dance 56 House Music and Dance 57 Birthday Concert 58 School Ball | A night in Havana! 59 Sport: Dragon boating 60 Water polo – triple champions! 61 Trampolining 62 World Schools’ Orienteering Championships 63 Pedalling to the podium I Prudence Fowler 64 Sailing into top spot | NZ girls’ champions 65 Equestrian coach profile 66 Sports Scholarships Part 1 70 Parents & Friends of Dio 72 Big Night Out
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LIFELONG FRIENDS 73 74 75 78 80 81 82 84
President’s column Forever a Dio girl | Christine Kindred 2019 Alumna Merita Kimberley Chambers | She’s unstoppable! Just rewards | Fiona Guy Kidd admitted to the Inner Bar Swinging into action I Bryan Bartley Golf Day Fun and games | Annual Bridge and Mahjong Day Welcoming back familiar faces | Staff reunion Milestones
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L E A DIN G FROM THE PRINCIPAL
A humane view of education
Heather McRae
It was a beautiful and warm Sunday afternoon after the cold of winter had earlier in the week gripped Auckland. On a gorgeous walk around Devonport to look back at our glorious city, a concrete plinth with a descriptive plate caught my attention. On closer read, it was about a murderer, Joseph Burns hanged on that very spot as punishment for killing a family. At home, I used Google to source the story – clearly a part of our history – and found a biography of Joseph Burns, an Irish immigrant who had become desperate for money and had killed the family for 12 pounds and made it look like local Māori were to blame. I reflected on how I would have found all this information before – at a library perhaps. But the effort to source it online was light, easy, and available. Such is the power of information at our fingertips and the beauty of what we have achieved. There are some fantastic opportunities that the internet provides, but information at our fingertips does not amount to a great education. It amounts to information that we can choose to access, and for the vast majority of students, education has a much wider purpose than finding out things for ourselves. At our recent open day, a parent was particularly interested in our views on this topic, given recent trends in education where in modern learning environments with a
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range of technologies, students are put in charge of their own learning. While it is true that many inventions that changed the world were incidental, even accidental, most of the work was achieved by experts in their field who had a deep conceptual understanding of what they were trying to achieve. Children and young adults do not have this foresight and are unable to conceptualise easily and realise consequences until the age of 25. An approach to education that leaves the critical input of knowledge, intellectual guidance, social role-modelling and values to the students themselves is a hit-andmiss model of education we cannot afford to condone. Accessing information, even from Wikipedia, has a significant rate of error and liability around accuracy. While knowledge does develop, change and modify with research over time, young people are not blessed with a depth of wisdom to discern the legitimacy of the information.
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A wider approach to education offers views on how knowledge is constructed – the social, political and cultural factors that define knowledge – as well as an understanding of the moral and ethical influences that imbue how knowledge is learned and applied. Developing broader competencies for this level of discernment explains the complexity of education. Measuring and ranking schools simply on examination outcomes demonstrates a flawed view of education where these complexities are ignored. While the wider populace may fall for the lure of seemingly straightforward data to rank schools, it underserves the real value of education for students as well. Results “become prizes for students to win rather than signs that point to actual learning. In the end, grades are the quintessential extrinsic motivator, whereas educational pursuits need to be primarily intrinsic if they are to be transformational” (Eyler, 2018). While an education without grades is indeed idealistic, the question about how to educate our young people in ways that builds on their natural curiosity and prepares them to live
meaningfully in a pluralistic world of change is in constant debate. What we do know is that there is a balance, as Eyler says, between hard-headed pragmatism and poetic idealism. To be truly transformational in education, we must accept the wider human purpose of education and acknowledge that education is so much more than examination statistics. There are attributes, values and competencies that are part of creating great young people who can lead fulfilling and worthwhile lives. Part of this view is about recognising students’ cultural and social knowledge as well as understanding what it means to be a compassionate, ethical and caring member of society. This doesn’t just ‘fall out’ of socialising at school or surfing the internet; achieving excellence is far more than grades and examination results. Excellence comes in many forms, and it is this wider belief about the capacity of human development that is the true meaning of a great education – and this goes well beyond our traditional views of schooling. The data is highly complex and there are many variables
specific to each context, so comparing schools does not give a true picture of what is happening in those schools/ communities. The work we do with our young people is high stakes in the eyes of any community, and we believe it is up to every school to be accountable directly to them. Data is never more important than the people involved and it is our opinion that a narrow focus on data and results cuts across this and promotes a narrow view of education. How humans learn will continue to challenge and transform how we lead our schools in the future. While the technology enables us to find information about a historical murder in Auckland, it does little to explore the cultural impact of the murders, the ethics of capital punishment, the impact on the victim’s families and friends, financial hardship or the missed opportunity for human redemption. These are the ethical dilemmas and the insights we may miss that remain relevant to us all as humans as we seek the deeper benefits of a humane education. Ut Serviamus.
Eyler, Joshua R. (2018) How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories Behind Effective College Teacher. West Virginia University Press.
Amelia Lockley Mechatronics Engineer
BE MORE THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED
Heather McRae, Principal
If you have a daughter in the following year levels, take care of her future by applying today. Junior School Pre-school (3-5 years old) Year 1 Year 5 Junior High School Year 7 Year 9 We also have limited availability for 2020 and 2021. Apply today or find out about our next Open Day at diocesan.school.nz
Now accepting
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2022
Philanthropy at Diocesan through the Heritage Foundation
H E R I T A G E
The April issue of Dio Today outlined the purpose of the Heritage Foundation, the different funds, how those funds are managed, and examples of who may benefit. In this issue, we highlight the growth and distributions from these funds since the Foundation was started in 2001.
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Total funds raised 2002 – 2019 (May) $20.5 million
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The Building Fund has been a major focus for the Foundation with the Dig Deep campaign for the Aquatic Centre and turf project, the Chapel restoration and recently the Arts Centre Grand Circle campaign. Over the period, the Building Fund has raised $11.1m of which $8.2m relates to the Arts Centre (including pledged donations still to be received).
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Excluding the Building Fund, the Foundation’s core funds over 18 years have received generous donations, growing a capital base that today stands at almost $7 million. Over this period, the Heritage Foundation has distributed $2.6m of grants, scholarships and bursaries to students and staff, and for funding projects.
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With the Arts Centre campaign drawing to a close at the end of the year, philanthropy across the School community will refocus on the Foundation’s core funds. The objective is to grow these funds so that they are enduring.
If you wish to learn more or make a donation to one of the Heritage Foundation funds head to https://www.diocesan.school.nz/heritage-foundation or contact Angela Coe acoe@diocesan.school.nz
Flow of funds July 2002 – May 2019 Centennial Fund
Chapel Fund
Student Fund
Arts Fund
Sports Fund
Staff Fund
Building Fund
$3.5m
$0.4m
$1.7m
$0.3m
$0.4m
$0.5m
$3.1m $11.1m
$3.7m
$2.5m
Grants, Bursaries and Scholarships/ Projects
$0.9m
$0.8m
Donations / investment returns
$0.9m $0.6m
$0.1m
$0.2m $0.4m
$0.6m
$0.5m
$0.8m
$8m As at end of May 2019 4
DIO TODAY
Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seat.
The Diocesan Arts Centre has been a dream of the School community since 1995. Together we are making it a reality. Your donation of $1000 will be acknowledged with a plaque on a theatre seat bearing a message of your choice.
Now is the time to play your part takeyourseat.co.nz
Contact: Angela Coe acoe@diocesan.school.nz +64 9 520 9378
Women2Watch awards 2019 The W2W Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of Old Girls under the age of 36. The 2019 winners, Sheryl Tan (2006) and Emily Adlam (2008), were honoured at a School assembly in June.
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Sheryl Tan A neuroscientist, Sheryl is a research associate at the Spinal Cord Injury Research Facility at the University of Auckland. She attended Dio for her last three years of school and is grateful to her parents for supporting her education. Science, in particular biology, was her passion at school. Sheryl was an active member of the Academic Council for science and in her final year represented New Zealand at the Bio Futures Forum in Brisbane with financial assistance from the Heritage Foundation. Sheryl credits her biology teacher, Dr Jacquie Bay, for encouraging her to choose a career in science. Sheryl says she was painfully shy, but despite tears on her first day, she persevered. “I left Dio a little more confident, with
Emily with her parents Professor Tom Barnes and Mrs Julia Barnes after her Cambridge graduation last year with a PhD in Theoretical Physics.
a passion for all things science and resolute in having a career that would benefit others,” she says. Sheryl went on to earn a Bachelor of Science (1st Class Honours) Biomedical Science from the University of Auckland. In 2015 she received a PhD in Biomedical Science and her thesis was on the Dean’s Honours List. She was offered two doctoral scholarships and accepted the Brian de Luen Doctoral Scholarship from the Auckland Medical Research Foundation. Sheryl’s doctoral thesis ‘Towards understanding the structure and plasticity of the human olfactory bulb in the normal and Parkinson’s disease brain’ was ranked among the top 10 percent of doctoral theses for 2015.
LEADING
following a spinal injury. New Zealand has one of the world’s highest rates of spinal cord injury, making the research very significant. Sheryl is also responsible for running laboratory operations for the research group and maintaining health and safety standards in conjunction with others. She also assists postdoctoral research fellows and students. “I hope to be part of the work that will ultimately lead to therapies or even cure diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord injuries and motor neurone disease, to name a few,” she says. “Knowing these projects are part of something much bigger, and the desire to learn something new every day, is what gets me out of bed.” Sheryl also works part time as Deputy Research Development Officer for the Auckland Medical Research Foundation. She processes project grants, invites academics to take part in the review process and helps organise public lectures. Sheryl has co-published and lectured in her field, including at the 2018 Australasian Winter Brain Conference in Queenstown. Outside of work, Sheryl is an under-53kg weightlifter. She admits to not liking sport until about three years ago when she realised she was perfectly built for weightlifting! She placed third in the National Weightlifting Championships in 2017 and 2018.
Dr Sheryl Tan with her partner Andy Plunket
As an honours and doctoral student, Sheryl was attached to the University’s Brain Research Institute – one of very few centres in the world where there is a brain bank. People bequeath their brains to the Institute for research purposes, creating a unique resource. Sheryl says the wonders and mystery of the human brain never fail to amaze her. “That all the parts of the nervous system operate so intricately and harmoniously allowing us to think, move, touch, see and emote – essentially to be – to see this disruption of harmony manifest in awful neurological conditions, robbing one’s ability to be is something I find
quite unsettling and it’s what got me into neuroscience in the first place.” After completing her doctorate, Sheryl undertook postdoctoral research as a fellow at the Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics in Frankfurt, Germany. Since 2017, she has been a research associate at the Spinal Cord Injury Research Facility at the University of Auckland. Her main project is investigating the potential of the drug Tonabersat to modulate spinal cord injury. She is currently researching whether things can be done in the first few hours following an accident to get better outcomes for the patient, aiming to keep people out of wheelchairs
Sheryl acknowledges having experienced and witnessed burn-out, anxiety and despair. “I had to take time away from science in order to fall in love with it again,” she says. “But showing up every day with enthusiasm, determination and the pursuit of excellence in mind really counts for something.” She encouraged those at the assembly to be grateful for the opportunities presented to them. “Pursue them relentlessly with heart, passion and integrity, even in the face of adversity. Don’t be afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve and, above all, don’t forget to smile.” DIO TODAY
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Emily Adlam Emily Adlam lives in London where she is a quantitative researcher at G Research. She was unable to attend the assembly, but her grandmother, Old Girl Christine Wilton (Holdgate), accepted the award on her behalf. Emily started Dio in Year 3 and is arguably one of the most exceptional students the School has seen. She was Dux of the Junior School, and Deputy Head Prefect (Academic) in her final year at Dio. Emily contributed significantly to the arts throughout her school years, playing the violin in various orchestras, composing, and excelling at creative writing (her poetry was published nationally). She represented New Zealand with the Future Problem Solving Team in the international finals three years running, and was held in exceptional regard by staff and students. Emily’s peer year chose her to be the after-dinner speaker at their Leaver’s Dinner. At her final prizegiving in 2008, Emily was Dux of the Senior School, and received the Eliza Edwards Memorial Award and an NCEA Scholar Award. She spoke by video link to the assembly about how much Dio meant to her and how special this honour was. Soon after leaving Dio, Emily won a Styring Scholarship to Oxford University and moved to England in 2009 to do a four-year master’s degree in physics and philosophy. Her favourite part of the degree was the philosophy of physics, and Oxford has one of the world’s best philosophy of physics departments where she learnt directly from some of the greatest philosophers in the field. “Philosophy of physics is basically about trying to understand the conceptual underpinnings of our best physical theories and make sense of the picture of the world they convey to us,” Emily explained. She is particularly interested in the philosophy of quantum mechanics. “Although quantum mechanics is a very successful empirical theory, many things about it don’t seem to make sense and currently there is no consensus about what sort of underlying reality the theory might reflect,” she says. “Instead, we have a number of different proposed interpretations, and philosophers and 8
DIO TODAY
Emily’s grandparents Mrs Christine Wilton and Dr Murray Wilton with their special guests Mrs Suzanne Buswell and Mrs Deirdre McOnie, and Principal Ms Heather McRae.
physicists are still arguing about which is closest to the truth. One of these interpretations is known as the ‘Everett Interpretation’ or more popularly as the ‘many worlds’ interpretation.” Emily wrote her thesis about this in her fourth year at Oxford, arguing that the Everett Interpretation can’t possibly be right because it would be hard to tell a consistent story about the nature of empirical confirmation within that context. “This meant I had the complete opposite opinion to my supervisor on basically every point. So it was actually really fantastic... Dr Wallace brought up pretty much every objection that you could possibly imagine to my arguments and that made the thesis much stronger. It ultimately won the prize for the best final-year Philosophy thesis at Oxford.” Emily then did a short master’s course at the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics near Toronto. There she got to work with one of the founders of quantum foundations, the area of physics she subsequently specialised in. Emily then did a PhD in quantum information at Cambridge University where she studied quantum cryptography – how quantum mechanics can be used to improve our existing computer protocols for information security.
“This is quite important because once quantum computers become available they will be able to break most of our existing security protocols, so there is a need to develop new protocols to secure us in our future quantum world.” Her essay ‘What is Fundamental?’ won a prize and widespread attention. She hopes it might help change how physicists and philosophers think about the law of nature and potentially lead to the development of new physical theories. Emily has won numerous prestigious awards, published widely and presented at many conferences. She plays the violin in several orchestras and enjoys acro yoga, a form of partner yoga that incorporates acrobatics. A keen creative writer, Emily recently completed a sixmonth writing course at Faber Publishers. She looks back fondly on her time at Dio and will always be grateful for the many teachers who went above and beyond the call of duty to encourage her in her academic interests. She had the best possible start in the Junior School and is grateful for the national and international opportunities she experienced during her school days. Congratulations to Sheryl and Emily. What an exceptional and inspirational pair of Old Girls!
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Waiheke Island +64 9 372 5115
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Past staff reunion On 8 June a past staff reunion lunch was held in School House Dining Room. Sixty past and current staff enjoyed the afternoon renewing friendships and reminiscing together. See also pages 82/83.
Angela Coe, Dian Fisher and Tina Ramakers
Past members of the PE Department, L-R from the back: Alison Schofield, Jean Alpe; Denise Atkins, Kate Burkin, Jan Taylor; Raewyn MacCormick, Sue Rowell, Julie Aitken, Drina McCurran, Chris Arthur; Pat Cartwright, Del Hooper, Jenny Lloyd, Angela Coe, Kelly Leach
Pam Rose is presented with a long-service badge
“What a wonderful day we all had on Saturday, and it was very obvious that Dio holds a very special place in the hearts of the staff and former staff who attended. It is such a wonderful school and it was brilliant to catch up with people who have touched my life so significantly and it made me realise why I had remained at the School for 25 years instead of the five I had originally intended to stay. What is very obvious is that the School is in such great heart and this is a reflection of the leadership team and their hard work.” Glynne Cockerton 1988-2011
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Jenny Lloyd, Raewyn MacCormick. Madeleine Gunn and Sue Rowell
“Thank you for organising a wonderful reunion for us last Saturday. You gave us the opportunity to catch up with past and present colleagues – lots of laughs and heartfelt emotions shared by all. To have been associated with Diocesan School, teaching and having the privilege of walking beside the girls on their journeys fills me with pride and joy. The amazing buildings and landscape, along with the academic, sporting and cultural achievements the School is making, for me, truly reflects the commitment, hard work and concern for the wellbeing of the girls, given by teachers, Senior Management and support staff.” Pam Rose 1994-2012
LEADING
“Last Saturday was a most enjoyable, happy, lively and exciting celebration. It was wonderful to meet again and to appreciate and absorb the heart and soul of Diocesan and all that goes with it. Thank you also to present staff who attended and to all who helped to make this such a compelling event.” Raewyn MacCormick 1987-2008
A large contingent of staff associated with the Junior School attended the reunion. L-R (standing), Jean Alpe, Jane Brothers, Diana Owen, Leona Marsh, Stephanie Keepa, Delys Halford, Gail Duffy, Erika Schaab-Farrant, Jenny Williams, Diane Ripley, and in front, Pat Cartwright and Deirdre McOnie
“Thank you so very much for a wonderful reunion of staff yesterday. It was a very happy and special occasion, chatting with old mates – and it was wonderful to see all those years of service recognised and honoured.” Nan Norris 1989-1994 and 2004-2011, OG peer year 1964
Janne Fell receives her OGL badge from Heather McRae
Vinder Taylor, Fiona Glengarry and Lynn-Elisabeth Hill
Principal Heather McRae, Glynne Cockerton and Lorraine Pound
“Thank you so much for the wonderful event you organised last Saturday. Not only was it fun to catch up with past staff, but what really came through was the love, respect and heart we all have for Diocesan School. It is a wonderful institution and I am so proud to have been associated with it. The day I was accepted as a teacher at the School was the best thing that could have happened to me.” “Thanks to Heather also for the wisdom, dignity and values she instils in all who are involved with the School. It truly is ‘The BEST school of all!’” Leonie Lawson 1975-2013
Jennie McLean, Rosie Ashby and Annette Johnson
Are you a past staff member of Diocesan? If you were not contacted about the reunion, please email your name and contact details to Angela Coe (acoe@diocesan.school.nz) for future reunions. Tell us the role and dates of your teaching at Dio.
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Faculty focus
HEALTH & PHYSICAL EDUCATION Be the change you want to see in the world.” Nelson Mandela With topics ranging from health science and psychology to life skills, sociology in sport, wellbeing, sports science and emotional resilience, teachers in Dio’s Health and Physical Education Faculty are inspiring students to set personal goals to grow and be the best that they can be. Gone are the days when PE was simply about running around a field or playing games; today’s health and physical education curriculum takes a holistic approach, taking into account all of an individual’s needs from physical to emotional, social and cognitive. Real-world experiences are introduced in the classroom to make learning meaningful. Students take classes at Les Mills, participate in events, and hear from experts within specialised medical fields. Scholarship students attend supplementary sessions with the University of Auckland, Unitec and the Millennium Institute of Sport to deepen their knowledge as they develop an analytical report on a relevant and current debate related to health and physical activity. 12
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13SESC and scholarship students have the opportunity to attend the Millennium Institute of Sport to enhance their understanding of exercise physiology and sports psychology.
LEARNING Year 9 Dio Tough Gal Challenge in which students learn about training principles.
13SESC take part in the gruelling Tough Guy and Girl Challenge after completing the eight-week training programme and evaluating its effectiveness.
The purpose of psychology is to give us a completely different idea of the things we know best”. French philosopher, Paul Valery Every year level has a different theme and activities. In the Junior High School (Years 7 to 10) health and physical education remains a compulsory subject for all students. Learning areas are focused on taking purposeful action to enhance wellbeing for themselves, others and society by exploring movement, sports and health science related contexts. In the Senior School, the curriculum follows two streams: health science and psychology; and sport and exercise science. The subject remains compulsory for all students in Year 11, before moving to an elective in Years 12 and 13. Specific topics continue to be covered for all Year 12 students, with classes in life skills, career development and keeping ourselves safe. Subjects range from how to transition from living at home into a flatting situation to nutrition, wellbeing and prevention of violence against women.
12LSK students Seychelle Woolford-Boys, Natasha Dingley and Megan Clark with their home-cooked meals.
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Peter Thorburn (CEP Counsellor, Trainer; Dip Counselling, Grad Dip Addictions), once known as the ‘Gas Man’, one of New Zealand’s most prolific meth cooks, is now a university-trained counsellor and trainer. He has worked with a number of diverse addiction and mental health services and has started his own company, Meth Education and Solution Services. This term he shared his wealth of knowledge around the nature of the health issue in New Zealand and its implications for the wellbeing of people and society, enabling the Year 13HSC students to explore possible strategies to reduce the implications of meth in our society.
HEALTH SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY Psychology is a new topic that has been integrated into the senior curriculum. NCEA achievement standards were introduced in 2017 and it became an approved university subject in 2019. By combining it into the health curriculum, Diocesan is creating more futurefocused pathways to connect students with potential areas of university study. The health science and psychology course involves students developing a greater understanding of relevant issues that many face in today’s society. It covers areas such as health practices used to treat depression, addiction, fertility issues and why humans may behave the way they do, as well as providing the opportunity to create solutions and help advocate for change.
Year 12 sport and exercise science class with Auckland Blues coaches who talked about the impact that the Rugby World Cup has on New Zealand society.
SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE Sport and exercise science is for students who have an interest in learning in, through and about the body and movement. This course incorporates the traditional health science disciplines of anatomical, biomechanical and physiological principles, while also addressing exercise trends, issues of sport and training programmes. It helps to prepare Dio girls for a world where many millions of people are physically inactive and afflicted by chronic disease and ill health, and exercise is prescribed to improve health and wellbeing.
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LEARNING
AIMING TO CHANGE THE WORLD, ONE MOLECULE AT A TIME In her lab coat and protective glasses, 17-year-old Anneke Cummack doesn’t look like an Olympic silver medallist – but then again, she’s not an ordinary Olympic contestant. Anneke was part of the New Zealand team that recently participated in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO), a prestigious global competition designed to challenge the brightest of young minds. The Year 13 student was one of four New Zealand secondary school students who took part in the 30th IBO, held in Szeged, Hungary, in July. Competing against 285 other students from 72 different countries, the team had to complete a range of practical tasks from dissecting chicken wings and keying out native Hungarian grasses to using molecular biology to run gels using electrophoresis. Anneke was awarded silver, with her fellow team-mates awarded a silver, a bronze and a highly commended. This is a huge achievement for the New Zealand team. It’s also a tribute to their dedicated study over 18 months and the support of their teachers, whānau and the NZIBO committee and university partners. Anneke’s training involved reading her way through a “huge” biology textbook, completing numerous online assignments and quizzes, attending biology camps, tutorials and workshops with her Kiwi IBO teammates, doing her own reading and research, and practising her dissection and slide-reading skills in the Diocesan science lab. For Anneke, who describes herself as “a proud nerd”, the competition was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and she was overjoyed to be rewarded with a silver medal. “I never thought I would get to represent the country at an international competition, let alone one for biology. For this competition, I had the mindset that there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. The challenges were really interesting and made me think about biology in whole new ways.”
The competition was intense, with the New Zealand team up against the best in the world for their age group. Time management is vital, with a lot to cover: there were two theory papers, as well as problem-solving and data-handling skills, and four practical exams. Students also had to contend with multiple choice and true/false questions, complete diagrams and flowcharts, and design and carry out experiments.
biomedical engineering degree that incorporates all her scientific interests, plus maths and digital technology.
It wasn’t all hard work though. Anneke and her teammates – Sophia Bebelman from Sancta Maria College, Zi Lin Wang from Maclean’s College and Carlos Mendonça from Onslow College – also went on lab tours, explored some of the local area’s biology, climbed to the top of a cathedral, boated on the Danube and had a go at Hungarian dancing.
“The Biology Olympiad gives students a wealth of biological knowledge beyond the NCEA curriculum,” says Sarah. “It encourages passion and interest in the field, and fosters relationships with young biologists from other countries.”
Fitting in the extra study around schoolwork has been a worthwhile challenge for Anneke. “I’m passionate about biology and everything science-related. I hope I can share this experience with the wider school community and hopefully inspire some younger generations of Dio girls.” At university Anneke aims to study “something science-y” such as a
Diocesan Head of Science Sarah Boasman says Anneke is an outstanding academic student who shows great interest and persistence in all aspects of her school life, and she will benefit greatly from her competition experience.
Part of the International Science Olympiad, the IBO aims to encourage students to see biology as a valued pathway for learning and for a career. New Zealand has sent a team to the Olympiad every year (except last year) since 2005, and has won 27 bronze medals, 14 silver and two gold. The International Science Olympiad is the pinnacle academic competition for 17- to 18-year-olds around the world. Biology is one of seven disciplines in the Olympiad; the others are physics, chemistry, maths, geography, informatics, and future problem solving. DIO TODAY
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Dr Jane Goodall is one of the most inspirational people in the world because she leads with her heart and always displays compassion, allowing her to leave a lasting impact on the lives of those she influences. On 27 May this year, we had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet Dr Goodall at the Youth Leaders’ event at Kristin School. This event was part of an ongoing project where compassionate youth leaders from a variety of schools collaborate and share their passion for the environment, animals and people. On this day we heard the wise words of Dr Jane and spent time with her in a workshop, listening to stories of her experiences
Tanushree Sharma and Chloé Hickin
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and heard about her journey of making an impact on the lives of animals, people and the environment. In particular, She imparted some of her wisdom about leadership and how to get people involved and caring about global issues. One of Dr Goodall’s biggest talents is her ability to tell stories, and by doing so, she makes a connection to the hearts of those listening. This allows her to inspire people to care about issues like climate change, and to take action. We learnt about her Roots and Shoots organisation, which provides opportunities for young people globally to come together to help the
Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com
Compassionate leadership – meeting Dr Jane Goodall Dr Jane Goodall
environment, people and animals, and to make positive change for a better future. We gained a lot of knowledge from this experience, particularly around the aspect of how today’s youth needs to be optimistic and hopeful for the future. Dr Jane said that one of the main reasons she began her Roots and Shoots programme was because she was meeting so many young people who were not hopeful for the future, and she wanted this to change. She believes that change does start with young people being hopeful and actively doing something to help the planet. Dr Goodall was incredibly inspiring and empowering, and from her style of leadership we learned the importance of sharing your passion and empowering others to help tackle big issues facing the world today. At the event, each school presented a project that is currently being carried out by the school to benefit the environment, animals or people. The project that we presented on behalf of Dio was the Fiji Service Trip, a people-focused project. We focused on how Dio strives to give in a way that truly benefits people, through asking the village elders what the village needs. Often this is playgrounds to be used by the village children. Dio has always tried to make this trip as environmentally friendly as possible and this has been done by sourcing local materials and cutting out waste. Building
On the day, it was an amazing experience to meet other youth leaders and hear about their projects. To speak with other like-minded student leaders gave us insight into how they lead their
peers, and the range of projects that is carried out showed us the many creative ways global issues are being tackled. We also did a workshop with Dr Goodall where we learnt about the various compassionate leader traits the youth leaders displayed in carrying out their projects. Some of the traits that particularly resonated with us were those of thinking critically, empathy and acting with a purpose. Thinking critically means seeing a situation from many perspectives and considering these when making decisions or carrying out projects to ensure the work is beneficial to all. Empathy means putting yourself in someone else’s shoes in order to see things from their perspective and how
best to help them. Acting with a purpose means that when you carry out a project, you are doing so to have a positive impact, and everything you do will be done to ensure this is achieved. We think that if you combine all these traits when carrying out any project, you will be able to get support from your peers as well as make positive, meaningful impacts – as we saw Dr Jane Goodall has done in over 100 countries.
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on the project that Dio currently does, we have created a new project called Planting for People. This project involves planting trees in schools where they perhaps do not have the resources to plant their own trees, and by doing this, offset the carbon emissions created by the trip. Trees have been proved to reduce stress levels and make the environment in which one studies more enjoyable, and so this project helps not only the environment, but also the people who work in it.
Overall this was an inspiring experience and we were lucky to be able to learn from such an influential leader who, at the age of 85, still travels 300 days a year to inspire people all around the world and share her passion. Chloé Hickin and Tanushree Sharma (Year 12)
The Wonder Project In partnership with Engineering New Zealand, the Wonder Project works within the New Zealand school curriculum to stimulate interest in the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths) and possibly, a future STEM career. Over the past few weeks, Year 8 science students have been participating in the Wonder Project. Wonder Project engineers from different engineering companies in New Zealand came into the classroom, acting as mentors, guiding students through the project experience. Olive Reynolds (8MI), Kate Green (8RO) and Sophie Cleland (8SE) report on the experience:
Olive Reynolds, Sophie Cleland and Kate Green
“We started by learning about what it takes to be an engineer and how to brainstorm big ideas. Next we learnt about Newton's laws so we could understand what makes a rocket fly, thereby improving our rocket design to make it go further. “Once we had designed and decorated our rockets, we moved on to testing them. We tested different amounts of PSI (pressure) and water to see which combination made our rocket fly the highest. After that we needed to improve our rocket design. We learnt that to get the best version of our
rocket, we had to go through lots of trial and error. We had to change our final design and add a nose cone so our rocket became more aerodynamic. More testing was done and finally our rocket was ready for take-off. “We all enjoyed the process of creating our wonder rockets. It was such a good feeling to see our hard work pay off and our rockets fly. The project definitely has encouraged us to think like an engineer and to dream big. “Thanks so much to the Wonder Project for this amazing opportunity!” DIO TODAY
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Aloha Hawaii! In the April School holidays, 18 Geography students headed off to Hawaii to experience tourism first-hand. The focus was to look at how tourism has developed in Hawaii to make it such a popular tourist destination today, with over 10 million visitors a year. We visited three islands to see how different each island is. On the island of Kauai we saw some spectacular scenery and a more laid-back approach to tourism. On Mau’i we ventured to the top of Haleakala volcano and learnt about the various sugar and pineapple
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plantations that were once the backbone of the Hawaiian economy and the reason why Hawaii is so multi-cultural today. On Oahu we saw what mass tourism is like at Waikiki as well as visiting key tourist attractions such as Diamond Head, Pearl Harbour, Sunset Beach, Iolani Palace and a traditional Hawaiian Luau. Quite a few of the students had been to Hawaii before with their families, but they found themselves experiencing the islands in a different way. Jacinda Andrews (TIC Geography)
“What I really enjoyed was learning about Hawaiian culture, traditions and heritage. On this trip I’ve learnt about how similar Māori and Hawaiian cultures are. I found this really interesting as I could relate to the similarities.”
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“Being able to learn about the culture and history of the island was something I really enjoyed and although I’d been to Hawaii before, I was able to experience new places.” “I was amused by the Americans constantly commenting on our accents and our having to explain why we were there!” “I enjoyed snorkelling at Hanauma Bay because I saw turtles and was able to experience them while I can before climate change makes a massive impact on their habitat.” “I enjoyed going to small towns and seeing how people live in the more rural areas of Hawaii and buying products from them to help with their economy.”
“Going to the volcano on Mau’i Island was wonderful, although it was cold at the top! It was my first time seeing what a real volcano looks like. On the bus to the volcano’s summit, we learned the history of the plantations and how people from Japan, the Philippines and China immigrated here to work in farming.”
“I loved all our busy days – a sunset cruise, mountain climbing, jaw-dropping views, shopping and activities at Waikiki. I loved experiencing travel and learning how to be more independent, organised and aware of my belongings. An added bonus was getting to meet and share experiences with new friends. We were immersed in Hawaii’s culture and doing such diverse things opened my eyes to more than just tourism and shopping.” DIO TODAY
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“Outrigger canoeing was a highlight of my trip as it was an activity I had not experienced before which really appealed to me as it was a lot of fun.”
“Just being able to have this opportunity to go overseas on a school trip was amazing. I’m grateful to be at a school that takes us across the world for a field trip!”
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LEARNING Photo credit: Stuff
Students enjoying freedom of ‘no devices’ policy Despite initial apprehension, Junior High students at Diocesan School are now enjoying the freedom of the School’s ‘no devices ‘policy. With no cellphones during school hours, laptop use only when directed by the teacher and no earphones while on school grounds, the new policy has freed up the students to build and maintain stronger friendships and connections – and it’s turning out to be a win-win for all involved. Diocesan implemented the policy for its Year 7 to 10 students earlier this year, with the aim of encouraging them to get the most out of their time in school academically and socially, and to try to alleviate some of the distraction and anxiety that social media use can cause. Year 7 Dean and languages teacher Neil Cheetham said: “The students have been ‘given permission’ to act their age and enjoy their lunchtimes without obsessing over chats, internet content and social media posts. Instead, devices are merely being used for educational purposes and as an appropriate tool to enhance their learning.” Research has shown that kids with cellphones are more likely to get bullied
or be the bullies1. “So far this year, there has been a distinct lack of issues to do with inappropriate online behaviour while the girls are at school,” says Neil. “And with latest reports linking headphone and smartphone use to hearing loss, our ‘no devices’ policy is also benefitting longterm student health2.” Year 10 student Holly Mulligan says she was happy when she heard about the new policy. “I felt it would stop a lot of exclusion between us. When girls are on their laptops or phones it tends to separate the groups and people get ignored. I feel there is more positivity and more things to laugh and joke about as we are more invested in our friendships.”
Year 7 student Madi Clark says the policy is actually helping students make and keep friendships at an important time in their school lives. “There’s a time and a place for devices. Year 7 is our first year of Junior High School and there are a lot of new girls. It’s a good time to make friends and that’s not so easy if you’ve got your head down in your device.” Neil says teachers have enjoyed seeing the students playing together at breaks, and the policy has led to more impromptu and imaginative games. 1. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=RzBpB7 MAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao 2. National Foundation for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
No Devices Policy Diocesan’s Junior High School students do not have access to their cell phones between the hours of 8.30am and 3.30 pm. If students need to bring a phone to school, then it must be turned off and kept securely (ideally in lockers). Any non-urgent messages can be checked by students at the end of the day, and any emergency messages can be passed on through the School Office or through the Deans directly.
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Celebrating the th 115 School Birthday In the cake design industry, it is not uncommon to have to work with clients who have a range of diverse needs, wants and sometimes, totally unreasonable expectations. The role of the technologist is to manage these expectations with their expertise, ensuring a product that is conceptually creative and still functional. In order to stay in business, the final product must look and taste amazing, be delivered on time, and come in on budget. As designers-in-training Level 1 food technology students had the opportunity to work with authentic clients from the wider School community to create cakes for the School’s 115th birthday celebrations on 14 June. The design brief allowed them to have experience balancing the competing factors a designer from any discipline would experience in industry. It was all about extending students technically and conceptually while working to a time deadline. Students needed to consider both the aesthetic and functional aspects of the cake while catering to food allergies and dietary preferences. Making cakes for authentic clients made the students very aware of deadlines, gave them experience in liaising with and managing client needs, and working with industry software, Menucoster, to ensure raw material costs were managed. This large-scale project will be assessed in NCEA Level 1 Achievement Standards covering conceptual design and project planning and management. A total of 10 credits, students present a comprehensive portfolio that documents their design journey. 22
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Students were delighted with their final cakes and the positive feedback and recognition they received. They all felt that this was a rewarding and fun way to complete an assessment. They especially valued the opportunity to work with real stakeholders. “I really enjoyed this unit as it was something new and used real-life skills – dealing with a client. I thought it was challenging, as there was pressure to produce a quality cake for the client. I thought it was valuable to work with a real client and serious, in a good way, and helped us understand what dealing with other people can be like and how you need to stick to the brief that your stakeholder gives you.” (Maeve Diver) Principal, Heather McRae commented: “Year 11 student Sam Huddart had possibly the biggest challenge in meeting with the Executive Team as she discovered that we had a vegan in our midst and took on the task of creating a vegan cake. She was very relieved when she heard that she could use coconut sugar! The cake was a chocolate layered cake with a coffee butter icing and all aspects of the cake were plant based. The decorations included thinly sliced pear dried in a dehydrator, painted green and blue, with gold painting around the edges. They were sweet in flavour and offset the vegan cake beautifully! Thank you, Sam, for the beautiful cake that was enjoyed by our team – and it also felt very healthy!” With three cakes still in the pipeline for the Old Girls’ League, Parents & Friends of Dio and the Ethics Dinner, we haven’t stopped baking yet. Technology is a popular subject at Diocesan. Students use the creative and
analytical process of design in a variety of contexts through the wider Creative Industries Faculty. Design combines creative and critical thinking and gives students the opportunity to experiment, create, gather feedback, redesign and deliver – the ultimate goal being to improve the quality of the lives we lead.
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Elena Wood, Amy Choi and Zoe Zhu who were invited to Bond University.
PUTTING LAW INTO PRACTICE eams from Dio have competed in both the Australian and New Zealand mooting competitions this year. Mooting competitions are an exercise used in law schools to help students learn how to develop a solid legal argument. It is based on the realworld scenario of lawyers presenting the arguments for and against taking a given case to court. While in the real world lawyers would select the relevant legislation and case law to support their case themselves, in the competition students are given this material. This makes the level of research manageable, but also constrains them to find useful parallels between the competition case and the case law provided. Unlike debating, where the focus is on using emotive persuasive techniques and the winning team is often the one best able to destroy the opponent’s argument, in mooting the focus is on knowing the law and building your own argument. There are elements of rebuttal involved, but that is not the key skill required. Putting the oral submission together is a timeconsuming and demanding task, yet 24
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quite esoteric legal principles to concrete situations, then defend their interpretation when questioned by a trained lawyer.
the competitors do not always get to present their argument in its entirety. The judge will interrupt them to ask questions of clarification and to challenge their conclusions, forcing students to think on their feet and draw on their knowledge of the case and the relevant legislation to defend their position. The time limit of 10 minutes is not extended, so if there are too many questions, contestants also have to be able to quickly summarise their remaining points to finish on time.
Elena Wood, Zoe Zhu and Amy Choi were invited to Bond University on the Gold Coast in early May. Having competed in the New Zealand competition last year, they found the experience of a slightly different approach challenging and rewarding. The expectations about following court protocol were enforced more strictly and the judges asked more questions. As in New Zealand, this was all done in a supportive and educative manner, leaving them exhilarated by the experience, despite not making it past the first round.
At the secondary school level, it is seen as a learning experience for prospective law students. Therefore, while it is expected that court protocol be learned and followed, students are not penalised for the occasional mistake. The benefits to students of this competition are manifold, whether or not they decide to study law in the future. They have to distinguish between a purely logical argument and one that is based in the nuances of the law. Learning that there might be a difference between these two things is an education in itself! They have to think on their feet and apply sometimes
A few days earlier, Francesca Masfen, Dianne Ma, Deborah Huang, Aarushi Parasumpuria and Aimee Crosbie travelled to Waikato University for the heats of the New Zealand competition. They had been assisted in their preparations by Allegra Wilson and Helen Kim, who were unable to compete due to commitments to the School production. Francesca, Dianne and Deborah were among the top eight teams in the country and competed in the semi finals on 20 June. Our team performed extremely well in the semi finals, but unfortunately did not get through to the finals.
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FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Dio Future Problem Solving team, from left – Sarah Young, Lara Johns, Mrs Suzanne Buswell, Priscilla Huang and Ava Phillimore.
n late 2018, Diocesan’s 2018 Year 10 Future Problem Solving team of Lara Johns, Priscilla Huang, Ava Phillimore and Sarah Young came first out of the nine teams in the Middle Division booklet competition at the Future Problem Solving National Finals. This qualified them to attend the FPS International Finals from 5-9 June 2019 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. Teams from 14 countries around the world and 37 states across America participated in various division competitions at the Future Problem Solving International Finals. While there were fabulous opportunities for sightseeing in San Francisco before the competition and in Boston after it, the Future Problem Solving Internationals were the main focus of the trip. During the four-day stay at the University of Massachusetts, the students explored the enormous university campus and its buildings. The opening ceremony included the
flag ceremony and inspiring speeches from prominent people in today’s world. The main competition occurred the following day, which included completing a two-hour booklet on the topic of de-extinction and a dramatic presentation of the team’s action plan of their best solution. The next day the students participated in a scavenger hunt around the University, learning more about its history. That evening a social gave them another chance to meet others from around the globe and make new connections. The last day consisted of the closing ceremony, and it was a bittersweet moment when the international finals had ended. While the various experiences from this trip will remain in their memories forever, the opportunity to be truly immersed in the culture of Future Problem Solving was especially valuable for these students. They gained greater knowledge of the Future Problem Solving thinking process and the high level of critical thinking involved in the international competition.
The Diocesan team share their Kiwi mementos with students from around the world at the memento exchange.
Apart from the competition, the students enjoyed discovering more about American culture and the experience of living at an American university. They were overwhelmed by the diverse number of participants involved in this global competition. The memento exchange where they exchanged their Kiwi souvenirs for souvenirs from different countries around the world, was one of their favourite experiences. This Diocesan team returned from the international finals ready to help younger teams work through the Future Problem Solving process and they are keen to see if they can qualify again to attend the 2020 international finals. DIO TODAY
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LEADERSHIP
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LEARNING
BEING MORE THAN WE EVER IMAGINED he phrase ‘be more than you ever imagined’ is encountered frequently at Diocesan. We see it on our posters about future careers, it appears in the School’s advertisements and it’s even etched into the pathway as we pass School House each morning. At Dio we think all our girls are able to be more than they ever imagined and this is made even more likely when we consider ourselves in a future that is very different from the present day. Over the last year, girls across all year groups from 7-13 have engaged in two days of Futures Thinking where they considered how different aspects of our society have changed throughout history. This was followed up with some exploration of the trends that appeared to be shaping the future. This work has continued this year alongside some intense stretching of our imaginative muscles as we begin to explore what else could happen and how life could be different. The future appears to be on our mind more and more these days. Climate breakdown, exponentially accelerating technologies, housing affordability, and a plethora of other threats and opportunities seem to capture our attention on a daily basis. It can be both exciting and terrifying simultaneously. However, history tells us that regardless of the nature of our surroundings, humans find reasons to laugh or cry; to quarrel or love; and to worry or hope. So, this year our students have been exploring a wide range of alternative futures to explore how humans will continue to thrive and strive.
Most recently our Year 11 girls explored the future of Dio as an organisation that exists to support the prosperity of its community. Over the course of a day in June, the girls travelled to a Diocesan of the year 2030. The girls explored four different versions of 2030 through a range of different future scenarios. The scenarios were created to cover a number of possible futures while also showing how the human condition in all its forms remained resilient. The scenarios included aspects of the world of 2019 that have collapsed, been transformed, continued to change in similar ways to how we’ve become accustomed or been shaped by a drive to be sustainable or reach some kind of equilibrium. While in these different futures, the girls developed relevant stories and artefacts. To do this, the girls played a game where their imaginations were stretched to design objects that were found in specific locations of the School and evoked specific emotions in the students. The artefacts connected to the future of the School and also the future scenario in which they were based. After developing some incredibly inventive artefacts and stories, the girls travelled back to 2019 and began to curate four different museums designed to help people in the present get a sense of what Diocesan could be like in each of four futures. The girls then visited all four museums to learn how life had changed and how the various elements of the human condition continue to exist. What makes people laugh? What do people worry about? What do people strive for?
While such a playful approach to the future might at first seem little more than a fun game, the experience had far deeper intentions at its heart. Our exploration of the different futures was an experience in itself, but it was also a fact-finding mission into the unknown. Since the future hasn’t happened yet, it can only exist in our imagination. With this in mind, our ability to imagine is key to our ability to create something better than the present. The resilience of the human condition was also evident in each of the museums. While none of the futures were obviously better or worse than the others, they were all very different and demonstrated how adaptable we humans are to change. This exploration of the imagination also helped the girls explore what kind of ‘more than they imagined’ they would want for themselves and their school. Furthermore, it allowed the girls to become more comfortable with the inevitability of change and how this often leads to the emergence of what makes each of us incredible. So, while the future can be simultaneously terrifying and exciting, it is also important to remember that it only exists in our imagination – it hasn’t happened yet. By equipping our girls with this knowledge, they were able to explore possible futures that were outside their usual field of vision. They were also able to discuss the ways that humans have an incredible ability to adapt. While many aspects of the future might be challenging – this one fact should give us all hope! Chris Clay DIO TODAY
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ETHICS
ETHICS ROUND TABLE Recently, eight students from Year 10 participated in the first ever Ethics Olympiad at Diocesan, along with senior students from nine other Auckland schools. Students were provided with a unique opportunity to engage with the other teams in discussions around interesting and important ethical issues. Each team had to construct good moral and ethical arguments based on a scenario that was given to them. They had to collaboratively form their arguments and listen carefully to the other team, not through debating the points but through clear, concise, respectful discourse.
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Competing in the Ethics Olympiad was an experience that not only allowed students to explore their view of contentious moral debates, but also to expand their knowledge of global issues. Nina Blumenfeld
In preparation, Ms Blumenfeld and Mrs Buswell met with the eight students over a period of about six weeks. The students were Ella Riley, Lucy Russ, Lucy Tucker, Margaret Su, Madeleine Jorgenson, Sarah Ellis, Sarah Wong and Grace Fields. In each session they used one scenario and discussed the issues surrounding the ethical problems within it.
“Prior to the event, our group met up to prepare. Each time, we would start by diving headfirst into a case study about a particular topic. Whether it was ‘China’s social credit system’ or ‘Nazi-saluting pugs’, the studies were as diverse as they were fascinating. After analysing the scenario, we answered questions about it. This was when we decided where we stood in terms of controversial areas of the situation and explained what reasoning we had to validate our arguments. Everyone had an opportunity to participate in the discussions, and by the end of the practice we left with far more knowledge than we came in with, and with our eyes opened to the variety of perspectives on a topic that at first we had seen as transparent.
Here are some comments from the Diocesan participants:
“I must admit, when I was first invited to participate in the Ethics Olympiad,
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I expected to be sitting in a room writing about archaic, hypothetic moral quandaries that I couldn’t relate to or expand on. In reality, the Ethics Olympiad was an interesting and compelling opportunity to think in abstract ways about real, current topics. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience, and I’m confident that all the other participants did as well. “There were three rounds, and in each you sat down with your team, the opposition and the adjudicator. Teams took turns presenting their views on an ethical question, while the other team would critique their argument. It differed from debating in that we weren’t required to disagree with them, just to draw attention to flaws and weaknesses in their reasoning. After
three rounds we had looked at six cases and had participated in some animated conversations. The topics we ended up discussing might seem totally unrelated to the untrained ear. My team were left talking about how corporations such as Love Island and Victoria’s Secret related to our views on private money in Academia, as well as where we draw the line between freedom of speech and hate speech with reference to training pets.” Sarah Wong “The Ethics Olympiad was an event that engaged new parts of my thinking and questioning of knowledge in an exciting way that I never would have discovered without the opportunity to participate in the competition. Being part of a team of like-minded girls and working together to put across our ideas to other teams and the judges stimulated excitement and eagerness to prove ourselves as ethical thinkers. It was really interesting to listen to and understand others’ perspectives on the issues being discussed, showcasing the true extent to which ethical issues can be interpreted in our modern-day society. Working together as
“This was definitely a new experience for me. I did have previous debating experience going into this, but I think that everyone would agree that this was something quite different and experimental. Yet I believe it really gave me a valuable experience to cherish and remember. I am very thankful for the opportunity to represent the School in this event, especially seeing that all the variety of ethical issues really interested me!” Madeleine Jorgenson “The process of preparing for the competition was one in which I learnt many new things about the issues concerning the world in this day and age, as well as learning new strategies and methods to frame my point of view about the matter at hand. The cases we studied broadened my perspective about challenging ethical problems, and how to solve and debate them. The competition itself was a fantastic way to gain insight into the views of other people and put to practice all the new skills we had learned in the weeks running up to the competition. The Ethics Olympiad was a hugely enjoyable event and an overall great experience.” Lucy Tucker
“The Ethics Olympiad was an awesome experience. It was very helpful to practise speaking skills, teamwork, deep thinking and to contemplate topical and controversial global ethical questions. On competition day I worked with a great team of Dio girls. We worked together very well and I think we gave some very plausible arguments in answer to the questions. It also gave us a chance to see another team’s perspectives. Overall the competition was a very enjoyable and interesting experience. I hope to compete again next year!” Ella Riley
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two different teams through discussion to uncover the meaning and ethics behind different situations from a range of genres unfolding all over the world was an experience like no other.” Lucy Russ “On the day, I felt nervous coming into the event, but as soon as the discussions started, I felt at ease. Nobody was excluded or ignored because we were able to peacefully debate the matter at hand while including all ideas and opinions. Both teams respected each other, and we avoided arguing. This helped the more shy members of the group, such as me, to speak with confidence. During the discussion, I was able to learn about the topic discussed but I also gained skills such as listening, note taking, brainstorming and looking at a topic from another point of view. Many of my team’s points were partly improvised, therefore developing our ability to think on our feet and confidently express an opinion. It was fun to be a part of a thoughtful, creative team, and it was a great opportunity for anyone who has strong opinions but is willing to be open-minded. Overall, the Ethics Olympiad was a great experience for me to develop my thinking skills and to gain knowledge.” Margaret Su
Nina Blumenfeld Director of the Centre for Ethics
EAT MY LUNCH
On Friday 14 June, on Diocesan’s 115th birthday, once again the Student Ethics Committee collaborated with the successful social enterprise company Eat My Lunch. This is the fourth year that the Ethics Committee has supported the company, founded by Lisa King and Ian Buchanan in 2015, which focuses on tackling poverty in New Zealand by giving a hungry child a healthy lunch. The members of the Student Ethics Committee support this worthy cause as one in four children in New Zealand lives in poverty and many of these children go without lunch on a daily basis. Furthermore, we have been impressed with the combined entrepreneurial and charitable approach of Eat My Lunch. In less than two years, it has delivered a huge number of lunches to children in decile 1 and 2 schools in Auckland and is in the process of expanding their reach to Hamilton and Wellington. This is a fantastic way for Kiwis to help other less fortunate Kiwis! Thank you to everyone who bought a lunch!
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STUDENT ON A MISSION
Prestigious award will help student give a voice to the plight of vulnerable women.
Congratulations to Year 13 student Olivia Luxon who recently won the 2019 Zonta International Young Women in Public Affairs (YWPA) Award. The Zonta Programme encourages young women to pursue leadership roles in society that will make a difference in the lives of women worldwide. The YWPA Award recognises young women aged 16-19 who demonstrate leadership skills and commitment to public service and civic causes. Olivia was selected first from Auckland applicants, then from the New Zealand winners before being chosen from a group of 32 ‘District’ winners from around the world. Olivia is certainly well-deserving of the award, namely for her role as a Tearfund
Youth Ambassador where she has committed in many ways to helping vulnerable women and speaking out on their behalf. Most recently, she visited Cambodia through Tearfund, and says the trip opened her eyes to life “beyond our everyday bubble”. The trip gave her insight into the deep societal and personal issues that come from intergenerational trauma, in Cambodia’s case the devastation and genocide of the Khmer Rouge under Cambodian politician Pol Pot. She met people who were children under his regime, and who are still affected by the experience, even today. Olivia says seeing the impact of organisations such as Hagar, which
works with trauma victims in Cambodia, gave her hope. Her Tearfund involvement was sparked by a 2015 trip to Manila in the Philippines where she spent time working in the slums. During the trip she visited a home for children rescued from sex trafficking and wrote a slam poem based on her experience, which was then picked up by Tearfund. Last year she travelled to Nepal and Thailand on a Tearfund trip called ‘Journey to Freedom’, to learn more about sex trafficking in those countries. As well as seeing Tearfund’s rescue and prosecution work in action in Bangkok, Olivia also visited remote villages in Nepal to meet women’s action groups – girls aged between seven and 25 years – who gather together to educate their communities about the wiles of the human traffickers. She says it was truly inspiring to meet these women and children and see up close the difference their empowerment could make. “Meeting these girls face to face and hearing their stories was incredibly moving and motivating for me,” Olivia says. “I knew then that I wanted to bring change for these girls and thousands like them not yet saved. I wanted to seize this opportunity to do something about this issue and get to work alongside such an incredible organisation.” Olivia has spoken for Tearfund at numerous events including high-level dinners and the Justice Conference, addressing large and small audiences, and has been interviewed on TVNZ’s morning show The Café. She’s also jumped on a bike to represent Dio in Tearfund’s Poverty Cycle, encouraging
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LEARNING
her school-mates to help her fundraise for Tearfund’s anti-human trafficking cause. She says the role has given her an incredible platform from which to introduce the issue to others, and has helped her grow in confidence, and enhance her leadership and communication skills. Beth Harper, Engagement Manager for Tearfund, says Olivia is a compelling speaker and advocate for Tearfund. “We have got to know Olivia well and feel incredibly privileged to count her among Tearfund’s first Youth Ambassadors.” Olivia wants to continue speaking on behalf of Tearfund, to raise money and help it advance its urgent cause. To others who are considering the role she advises: “You must be passionate and active … [find something that] makes your heart ache and ignites you to want to make change. Be prepared to be bold, take risks and step into an unfamiliar space. Be creative and find ways to spread awareness of your issues and link with organisations that are doing great work in your area of your passion. You don’t need to be perfect in your attempts, you just need to have an internal driving force.” Olivia is delighted the award recognises the importance of young people working for other young people, and says it is an honour to be selected from such an amazing group of international young women working with equal passion for causes in their own communities. “It illustrates that though we are only in our teens, we can have an impact and we can contribute toward changing our world for the better.” DIO TODAY
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Sir Ray Avery Foundation
Amigo Bar School Nutrition Programme Launch Dio was delighted to recently host the Sir Ray Avery Foundation and invited guests at a Gala Event to officially launch the Amigo Bar School Nutrition Programme. The Amigo Bar is the brainchild of Sir Ray Avery, who describes himself as a natural inventor and engineer and has a goal to make a difference through his life-changing work. From an orphanage in England to celebrated inventor, scientist and New Zealander of the year, Sir Ray Avery’s life is a quintessential rags-to-riches story. While his classmates were in school studying, Avery was living rough under a railway bridge in London, making bicycles and radios from parts found at the tip and selling them to people at his school. His childhood education was largely a do-ityourself business, with knowledge gained from reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica at the public library.
The Amigo Bar is a result of his life experiences. Sir Ray says: “As a teenager living on the streets of London, food was always top of mind as I begged for the leftovers from the bakeries or anyone who would share.” Numerous studies in New Zealand and overseas have demonstrated a link between nutrition and learning, and have shown the beneficial effects of restoring nutrition to the appropriate level. The Amigo Bar is the result of years of research and development and is New Zealand’s first five-star rated affordable supplementary food bar for children aged four to 14 years old. It contains all the essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals to support healthy growth and brain development, and has received the tick of approval from kids for its name, design and taste.
Sami Edgar, McKenna Chan, Sophia Rodgers
At the Amigo Bar launch, from left to right: Toni Street (TV personality and Amigo Ambassador), Principal Heather McRae, Sir Ray Avery, Vanessa Sorenson (Microsoft NZ and Amigo Ambassador) and Lisa King (Founder, Eat My Lunch)
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Sir Ray Avery
The Sir Ray Avery Foundation aims to establish the Amigo Bar venture as a self-sustaining social enterprise with profits from sales of the $1 bar being used to provides free bars to schools and students in need. The project is kicking off thanks to the generosity of the Ted Manson Foundation, with free samples of the Amigo Bars, together with an Amigo Bar nutrition education pack, being distributed to schools through Eat My Lunch. Diocesan believes in the importance of good nutrition for all New Zealand children and believes the Amigo Bar provides a great, healthy snack for students needing to fuel up for classes, before after-school activities and to support their busy lives. Bars will soon be available in the School Cafeteria for just $1 a bar. Visit the Amigo Bar website at www.amigonutrition.org.nz.
Festival offers unique hands-on learning opportunity From the tuba to the bongo drums, the piccolo to the saxophone, the variety of sound and funkier style of music are making concert bands an increasingly popular choice for musicians, young and old. Concert bands comprise woodwind, brass and percussion instruments. Works available for bands range from movie themes and pop tunes, to marches and lyrical pieces, to full scale symphonic works. Over three days in August, Dio hosted the 2019 New Zealand Concert Band Association National Festival, held in Auckland for the first time in five years. With over 1,300 participants playing in 32 bands, as well as multiple soloist and ensemble entrants, band workshops, conductor workshops and instrument workshops, the New Zealand Concert Band Association (NZCBA) celebrated its biggest festival ever, with numbers up thirty per cent on last year. Performers were adjudicated by a highly renowned group of national and international musical experts and participants also had the opportunity to attend instrumental workshops by members of the APO and band workshops by overseas clinician, Dr Kevin Cameron. One of the youngest musicians to perform was 10-year-old Diocesan student and flautist Ella Zhang. Hot off the heels of her performance in the Lincoln Centre in the USA as part of the Talented Young Musician Olympia competition, Ella played in both the Diocesan Junior High School concert band as well as performing a solo piece. Grace David (Year 12) and Sabreen Islam (Year 12) are two of our performing arts students who played an integral role in this year's NZCBA Festival. Grace assisted as NZCBA Festival Assistant Host Manager and Sabreen as Audio Recordings Technician – recording all the Band Performance Adjudicators’ remarks, and digitally mixing them into 34
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Sabreen Islam and Grace David
but opportunities like this can make that sort of career path seem more realistic and less like a faraway dream."
Ella Zhang
a format accessible to all bands after the festival. "It's great to be getting these experiences at such a young age," says Grace, "especially for those of us looking to pursue a career in the music industry or event management. The industry can often come across as quite intimidating,
Facilitated by Rachael Brand (Dio Performing Arts Development Manager and NZCBA Festival Host Manager), the roles provided excellent hands-on event management and hosting experience for these students and the Dio Arts Council as they involved a high level of responsibility and organisation. "It has been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to work with Grace, Sabreen and our Arts Council on NZCBA Festival 2019 Auckland. We have some incredibly talented young women at Dio, and it is very special to be able to offer them such invaluable industry experience, and to inspire and encourage them to further pursue their dreams of working in the arts," said Rachael.
LEARNING
JUNIOR SCHOOL
THRIVING WINTER PROGRAMME With over 35 competitive teams playing in various sport codes, it’s safe to say that our Diocesan Junior School sports community is thriving. We continue to offer one of the largest sport programmes in Auckland at the primary school level. Over 270 of our students participate in sports during the winter months. The girls are incredibly enthusiastic, and our participation rates are very high. Our winter programme includes netball, hockey, futsal, ski racing, flippa ball/mini polo and gymnastics. Starfish flippa ball girls training with Senior School coaches
‘Most Outstanding Flippa Ball School’ looking to be even better in 2019
Netball girls with Holly Fowler and Senior School student coaches
Futsal by popular demand
Ex-Silver Ferns and ANZ League Super-Stars help out We started our pre-season netball programme with some exciting, fun sessions delivered by ex-Silver Fern Courtney Tairi and ANZ Premier players Holly Fowler, Hannah Ward, Charlie Hodges and Mila Reuelu Buchanan. Holly and Hannah continued to coach our teams in the winter competition league. Some of our girls hit the limelight when Courtney, also a Sky TV Sports presenter, organised a film crew to record our girls in action with these super stars. Our 12 teams are in full swing in the winter competition, with six Years 5 and 6 teams competing at the St Johns Netball Centre and six Years 1-4 teams competing at the Windmill Park Netball Centre in Mt Eden.
Dio Hockey culture passionate as ever! Our hockey programme is led by our very own super star, Kay Anderson, who
Our flippa ball programme is flourishing. As always, it’s a popular option. Our young girls are inspired by our senior Dio water polo prems who are the current New Zealand National Champions. Having won the 2018 award for New Zealand Water Polo’s Most Outstanding Flippa Ball School, we are continuing to refine and improve our junior programme. Our talented senior student coaches have created a vibrant community and our junior girls love it.
Hockey juniors
has many years of experience playing at an elite level and is now passionately coaching our juniors. She is ably supported by her sister, Aprill Anderson, our much-loved Year 5 teacher, who is similarly passionate, accomplished and experienced. Our 12 hockey teams are underway in the winter league and reports indicate great developmental progress, good sportsmanship and some fine results.
Futsal at the Dio Junior School is growing in popularity and, by demand, is now a year-round option. The girls love this fast, exciting, highly interactive code. There is an excellent pathway into the Junior High futsal programme. Our intermediate futsal girls won silver at the National AIMS Games event last year and have been an inspiration for our juniors. Our two futsal teams are competing through the winter months and by all accounts the girls are enjoying themselves immensely, playing some tough competition and developing in leaps and bounds.
Giving back to our programme Over 45 Dio senior students are coaching our juniors in hockey, netball and flippa ball/ mini polo. They collectively provide more than 2,000 hours of service to our junior sports programme. We love the special bonds being built between younger and older students. Our junior girls are part of a wonderful sports community that extends up into the Senior School. DIO TODAY
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Afterschool activities School no longer finishes at 3pm for our Junior School – through a rich range of after-school classes, our students have the opportunity to experience learning in creative, cultural and sporting domains. Since its inception in 2015, the range of after-school classes offered has blossomed – along with the enrolment, with almost 200 girls participating across the week during this term. Students can enjoy three different language classes, art and cooking classes, dance, gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics, science and technology, and hand drumming. This year we have introduced a Japanese language class and Taekwondo classes. Arriving soon are ballet and an extension of our art programme. 36
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YEAR 5
Production Our Year 5 girls excelled themselves once again by delivering one of the most entertaining musical extravaganzas yet, Seussical Jr. In a packed house each night, the audience watched with excitement as their favourite Dr Seuss characters, played by our very talented girls, sprung to life on the colourful and well-designed stage. Audience members were transported from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, while our Cats in the Hat narrated the story of Horton the Elephant, who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called the Whos. Horton bravely takes charge, protecting the Whos from a world of danger and also guards an abandoned egg. He faces challenges and trials but ultimately discovers the strength of friendship and loyalty, and emerges triumphant! A big thank you to the fabulous team who put the show together in just 11 weeks, multi-talented Director Jeremy Hinman, Co-Director Renaye Tamati, Musical Director Mehernaz Pardiwalla and Producer Rachael Brand. And, of course, a very big thank you to our Dio community for all the support behind the scenes!
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MakerSpace This year in the Junior School a new MakerSpace has been developed where students, teachers and the community come together to create and make through hands-on learning. In the MakerSpace there are zones for construction, digital learning, soft materials, green screen, cooking and hard materials. It is filled with an
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incredible range of engaging resources such as Lego, robots, sewing machines, tools and a 3D printer. MakerSpace encourages our students to create and make in order to develop their understanding of their inquiry concepts. Year 2 recently designed and constructed a wharenui in connection with their inquiry into ‘Where we are in Place
and Time’. Year 6, when exploring energy, experimented with different forms of kinetic, electric and magnetic energy in the MakerSpace. Year 1 girls have been making butter and bread, and more recently learnt how to dye fabrics using natural resources. The MakerSpace is open at lunchtime for our students to continue exploring and working on longer-term projects.
LEARNING
Farewell to Margaret Cann Margaret Cann joined Dio in 2008 and has been a valued teacher in the Junior School. She has taught Years 1, 2 and 3 and has always been much adored by her students. Margaret’s classroom and environment was always a delight as she calmly and quietly nurtured her students. This year Margaret moved to our Literacy Support role and her contribution has been invaluable. In this role she has been able to share her love of literacy to support learners. We acknowledge Margaret’s absolute professionalism in her almost 11 years at Dio and we wish her all the best on her next adventure! DIO TODAY
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LIVIN G CHAPLAINCY
Exploring wabi-sabi
Every year during Term 2, we hold Sunday Chapel services for each of our Houses. For Year 7 to 13, the House Prefect and deputies work together to decide on a theme for the service, select Bible readings to support their theme, find a contemporary reading, poem or video clip, and assign serving and reading roles to students in their House. The House Prefect then prepares the homily for the service. As Chaplains, we facilitate all of this and work with the prefect on her homily. We have now come to the end of the eight services for the Senior School and there have been some excellent homilies given by our students. The House Service is the one opportunity that a prefect gets to talk to the students in the House about 42
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something significant that is not about cross country, swimming, athletics or music. Some prefects already have a very clear idea of what they want to talk about and others have to think quite hard about what theme they want to address. The themes we have had this year included ideas around making the most of every opportunity, resilience and moving forward from adversity, being yourself and accepting who you are, believing in yourself, unity, and community and participation. Resilience has been a recurring theme of our House Services over the past few years. One of the enemies of resilience is perfectionism, and perfectionism is a significant issue for many teenage
girls. Roberton House Prefect Lexie Preen uncovered a Japanese concept that has a lot to offer not only our students but everyone who struggles with perfectionism and therefore finds it hard to be resilient, and accept failure and the imperfection of real life. Lexie’s homily was both challenging and engaging. Here it is below. Rev’d Sandy Robertson, Chaplain
Exploring wabi-sabi Is your to-do list spiralling out of control? Do you see nothing but flaws when you look in the mirror? Are you constantly looking to upgrade your
It may not seem natural to find beauty in our flaws, let alone embrace a Japanese concept that celebrates rust and cracks. In fact, the celebration of things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete sounds like the antithesis of our Western notion of beauty as something perfect, enduring and monumental. As we’ve been conditioned to have this definitive view on what has value, and we struggle to find beauty in ourselves, we scrutinise our flaws, our shortcomings and our frailties in the same way we scrutinise fruit that isn’t perfectly round, or cracks in a ceramic bowl, or an elbow patch on a worn jumper. Wabi-sabi presents a different way of seeing these cracks and imperfections. It is in the asymmetrical fruit, the repaired bowl, and the fraying of a wool sweater that we can find the beauty and simplicity of life. Wabi-sabi asks us to cherish these things, as they symbolise the passage of time, and the love and service we have received from these items. This is a powerful change in thinking, as it offers a sense of peace and contentment in yourself as you are now. It is the perfect antidote to a society built on disposable and homogenised goods, as well as the intense critique of ourselves. Once we learn to see a flaw in items as something that enhances value, we can see our own flaws as attributes that enhance our value and beauty. So how do we understand ourselves as impermanent, incomplete and imperfect? We are impermanent. It’s easy to take this statement and feel a sense of existential anxiety. Getting
caught up in our cosmic insignificance is a normal part of the human condition, where we think about being tiny specs of dust in the vastness of our universe, or only a small person amongst billions. This thought is obviously a difficult one to celebrate. Of course, it is only natural to never be satisfied, and be subconsciously anxious surrounding your own purpose, life or death. But if we try to recognise that, yes, while we are tiny compared to such vast, cosmic space, all of us together, interacting and discussing and creating, collectively make a massive difference on this planet, that has a lasting impression. Our actions do matter to individuals. Our words have the ability to change the course of someone’s day for the better. Just because we are impermanent, doesn’t mean our actions are. This recognition of our impact is found in wabi-sabi thinking, as it tries to address our existential anxiety. It reconnects us to the importance of our relationships, and their tangible impact on the world. We are incomplete. Whether you’re starting your school journey at Dio, or it’s coming to a close, we all feel incomplete in some way. We fixate on things like ‘I’ll be happy if...’, ‘I’ll be content if...’. However, when that moment does come, and we achieve what we want to achieve, this feeling of completion quickly dissipates. We constantly seek change, improvement, something new, yet we never appreciate how far we have come and the person we are today. In the readings from Genesis 1:24-28a, and Psalm 139 we are reminded that we are made in God’s image, as a reflection of his love and goodness. So while we do search for experiences and achievements to make us feel complete, it is true that just by living, we are complete, as God has purposefully created us and blessed us with life. We can see, though, how the idea that we constantly need to succeed and upgrade has caused us to always feel incomplete. This is why feelings of completion dissipate so quickly. But, we are actually already complete just by being a person, with thoughts and feelings. Wabi-sabi encourages us to focus on the blessings hiding in our daily lives, in our natural ‘completeness’, and to celebrate the way things are rather than how we think they should be.
We are imperfect. I am the first to admit to being a perfectionist. I was anxious for weeks while preparing this homily, as I wanted it to be perfect. Same with House Music, ruminating over songs and choreography. As much as I understand this is bad for me and can stand up here and talk about how great wabi-sabi is, I am still neurotic and I still nit-pick over tiny things. Learning to accept myself and my flaws is certainly a very, very slow process. It’s almost a rite of passage for teenage girls to overanalyse their actions and themselves, until they realise its unhealthy and aimless. Striving for personal best and quality work is certainly to be commended. But it is our fixation on full marks, E8 or A+ that is the degrading side of personal excellence. Our relentless pursuit of perfection – in possessions, relationships, achievements – often leads to stress, anxiety, depression and hasty judgement. But, of course, while God made us and therefore we are naturally perfect, as we reflect Him, we still hold such an imperfect view of ourselves. Embracing wabi-sabi will help us to accept traits and qualities of ourselves that we view as imperfect, teaching us that they are what distinguish us as perfect.
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material goods? If you answered yes to any of these questions, there is a philosophy that has recently emerged in popular culture that gives a pause to all of this stress and anxiety. The concept is called wabi-sabi and is a Japanese aesthetic that derives from the Zen Buddhist tea ceremony, a ritual of simplicity in which the most prized bowls were irregularly shaped, with uneven glaze and cracks. Appreciation for the perverse beauty of the bowls is where wabi-sabi was born. Wabisabi is a world view and aesthetic that is described as ‘finding the beauty in what the world considers impermanent, incomplete and imperfect’.
Perhaps the best embodiment of wabisabi we’ve seen is Jesus, and his agapeic love. Jesus loved all mankind and could only show this love for us because we had failed him. Romans 5:8 tells us that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He accepts us for all our flaws and our imperfections. While, of course, we see God as perfect, as permanent, and as complete, we should learn to accept that that state of life is one we can never achieve. Seeing our own imperfections and the shortcomings we have in our lives is perhaps the ultimate way to appreciate God’s creation wholeheartedly. After all, as mankind and our universe are a reflection of God, the so-called imperfections we see must be perfect after all. Even the most revered philosophical mage, Professor Albus Dumbledore, saw the importance in wabi-sabi thinking, and I would like to leave you with his wisdom: “Harry, there is never a perfect answer in this messy, emotional world. Perfection is beyond the reach of humankind, beyond the reach of magic.” DIO TODAY
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PERFORMING ARTS
Phebe Mason, Rosie Leishman (kneeling) and Melissa Uren performing a scene from Henry IV Part 1
Shakespeare Festival Over Queen’s Birthday weekend, our Shakespeare Festival students travelled to Wellington with Head of Drama Sarah Spicer. Phebe Mason, Melissa Uren and Rosie Leishman were winners of the Auckland Central regional competition. The scene they performed from Henry IV Part I was an audience favourite, and they received a special mention as only the second group to attempt this scene in the 30 years of the Festival. More impressively, they were the only non-Welsh speakers to take on this challenge, having been coached by 44
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Welsh-speaking staff member, science teacher Elen Haf. We were delighted that the girls survived their very late and delayed roller-coaster flight into Wellington, but especially that they took out three of the national awards. Phebe Mason won the Extraordinary Performance Award donated by Pform.nz. The girls’ performance also won the award for the Outstanding Student-Directed Music/ Song Award, donated by the Morrison Music Trust for the song Calon Lan.
Jemima Box and Phebe Mason were awarded ‘highly commended’ for Costume Design – Jemima for her Cleopatra design and Phebe for her Cassius design. The girls were a credit to the School and engaged fully with the task of learning a London accent and textual analysis with Dr Peter Zazzali. A 2019 Fulbright Fellow from the University of Kansas, he is an expert in actor training in the USA and has been resident at Toi Whakaari for Terms 1 and 2. Being part of such an important event was not lost on these girls and they watched every scene with great attention and a keen focus to learn as much as possible. During the weekend, the girls also went to see Yes, Yes, Yes, an innovative production with video footage and digital audience feedback as part of the action. Rosie Leishman was invited to perform in the production. She did a fantastic job and performing alongside such amazing professionals was a highlight for her.
Agnes of God
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National Theatrefest success
Huge congratulations to the more 100 students who took part in the 2019 Auckland Theatrefest, hosted at Dio in association with Theatre New Zealand. Over four days the girls presented work to adjudicator Hilary Norris. Hilary is an experienced actor, director and teacher, with a speciality in voice and communication skills. This was a valuable learning opportunity for the students to receive critique from a seasoned theatre professional. The varied programme included new writing Ahakoa he iti he pounamu (Although it is small it is a treasure), which will be performed in the United Kingdom in July as part of the Ayr International Theatre Festival; and Sad Club, which was presented in conjunction with the National Connections Festival London. Emily Clelland directed her second entry in the Festival, having won Best Director last year at the National Festival in Wellington, and again received recognition for her play Chaos. The groups chosen to represent Auckland will perform again, hoping for a place in the national final in Wellington in September. Most Promising Performer: Phebe Mason, Rosie Leishman, Charlotte Hill, Hazel Francis, Olivia Luxon, Anisha de Silva, Hannah Flacks, Ella Carter and Sadie Sumich Outstanding Performer: Cindy Bu Best Ensemble: Sad Club, Ahakoa he iti he pounamu and Chaos Best Student Director: Emily Clelland Best Director of a Musical: Merrin Fagan (Sad Club)
White Men
Best Director: Sarah Spicer (Ahakoa he iti he pounamu) Upcoming Actor: Katie Hardie
Chaos
Auckland Representatives: Be My Baby – Year 11, Director Sarah Spicer Shakers – Year 11, Director Sarah Spicer White Men – Year 11, Director Merrin Fagan Queen B – Year 12, Director Sarah Spicer Hang – Year 12, Director Sarah Spicer Chaos – Director Emily Clelland Woman and Scarecrow – Year 13, Director Sarah Spicer Agnes of God – Year 13, Director Sarah Spicer DIO TODAY
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One year on in the Broadway journey Super talented singer, Dio Old Girl Libby Johnston, was accepted last year to study musical theatre at New York’s leading music school, the Manhattan School of Music. We caught up with her recently to hear how her journey is progressing.
The opportunities available to a student studying in New York City are endless – currently I have seen 26 Broadway shows (a mixture of musicals and plays). I have access to museums, such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and MOMA, I’ve been able to explore one of the world’s most extensive collections at New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, and I’ve become a member of the Metropolitan Opera students’ programme. The Musical Theatre faculty at MSM (Manhattan School of Music) is outstanding and having the opportunity to study under them is the biggest privilege of my life. Dance is a strong component of our curriculum and we are encouraged to be in top physical condition – our tutors are constantly reminding us we have to be athletes! The programme at MSM doesn’t allow freshmen to audition for the production musical theatre season. The faculty believes it’s more valuable for students to spend their first year fully immersed in classes. This means that we can focus on learning, growing and getting to know our peers and professors without the daunting competitive distraction of auditions. I found this time invaluable as it allowed me to discover more about who I am as a person and a performer by working hard and digging deep. I am constantly blown away by the talent of the upperclassmen and the added opportunities to work with the absolute stars. One of the musicals of the 2019-2020 MT production season is Sweeney Todd and rumour has it that composer Stephen Sondheim will be coming in to work with the cast!
Libby Johnston on far right, back row.
Adjusting to life in New York City has been surprisingly easy thanks to the focus required for school life; and helped by a friendly neighborhood, my friends and FaceTime. We had two weeks of orientation, learning basic survival skills, including navigating the subway, finding the cheapest places to eat, and learning the lingo. My school days (Mondays to Fridays) go from 10am until 10pm, with the addition of masterclasses and workshops on Sundays, so there’s no time to be homesick!
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America offers so many professional opportunities, with a market and high demand for musical theatre in NYC – theatre attendances are currently at an all-time high with millions of tourists flocking to see Broadway shows. My classmates, even those who come from small towns, will perform during their holiday breaks in paid regional productions. I now understand what’s truly required to become a working professional in the United States.
I have three more years of my degree left, starting my sophomore (second) year now. The dream is to be a working actress in musical theatre, so I’ll be taking all the necessary steps and making the most of every opportunity. Now that I’m a sophomore at MSM, I’m allowed to audition for the MT production season and I will spend all my Sundays performing in front of notable casting directors and agents. I’d love to make my professional debut in a Broadway show or US national tour after graduating from MSM in 2022. For the meantime, every day spent in New York City is an absolute dream come true and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!
LIVING Sarah Spicer, Sacha Acland, Grace Riley, Anisha de Silva, Mark Sumich, Pippa Morris, Sophia Souloglou, Kiara Selvaratnam and Julie Rust.
The hammer comes down Congratulations to Pippa Morris, the 2019 New Zealand National Real Estate Auctioneering School Champion for 2019. The event is the pinnacle of auctioneering in New Zealand and it is a new venture for our girls. The team from Diocesan went to the prestigious event to compete alongside the best in New Zealand. Head of Drama Sarah Spicer introduced the programme in conjunction with mentor Mark Sumich as a way to develop communication and presentation skills with senior students in preparation for the scholarship drama examination. It has been a really intense learning experience for everyone, and we now understand the artistry of auctioneering and how these skills are transferable. The live-call event is a tough competition that showcases the theatrical and numerical skills of each contestant – it never ceases to amaze all those watching. Our students have been mentored by the best in the business:
Mark Sumich, chief judge and three-time Australasian Champion; Aaron Davies, 2019 Senior Competition champion; and Julia Rust. We are delighted with all the girls’ performances and can't wait to be involved again next year. “Auctioneering has been around for centuries, but six Diocesan girls (who don't make a century between them) showed that it is indeed a timeless, yet ageless craft. Their spine-tingling displays at the New Zealand Schools’ championship brought adults to tears, gasping at the girls’ vocabularies and mathematical prowess. Their wit and spontaneity proved to be admirable attributes, as they knocked down their offerings in exuberant fashion. Five weeks of persistent training saw all six prove their worthiness to compete, and they dominated the event. In a section of the industry where females have historically struggled to gain traction,
Pippa Morris
this was a small but significant stride for equality. Go Pippa, go Dio!” Mark Sumich, mentor and three-time Australasian Champion DIO TODAY
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Beauty Beast and the
ANOTHER KNOCK-OUT SHOW With a full week of performances at the Raye Freedman Centre, this year’s Dio/Dilworth senior musical proved to be a total hit. An all-time favourite, this timeless Broadway show was beautifully staged and directed by Margaret-Mary Hollins, with a simplicity of style, making the story and songs even more poignant. There were stand-out leads from both schools: Hannah Flacks was superb as Belle; Olivia Francis, a beautifully caring Mrs Potts; Rina Nair a wonderful Madame de la Grande Bouche; Grace Riley as the stroppy Babette; Sophia Souloglou as the plucky Chip; and of course, the Enchanted Rose, danced expertly by Amy Choi, expressing all the emotion and control of a trapped beauty. The outstanding costume design was created by the very talented Chantelle Gerrard, who mentored a team of students. Producer Rachael Brand created excellent opportunities for so
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many students, including: assistant choreographer Emma Wong She, codirector Emily Clelland, co-producer Dilynne Muller, and a team of students working on sound and lighting with industry professionals. This was the largest cast ever involved in a senior show – 50 on stage; 20 in the orchestra pit; another 40 girls, headed by Courtney Elliot, working backstage on make-up, props, front-of-house; and the tech team, all expertly guided by English teacher Rachel Holland. With our own student orchestra undertaking a difficult musical score, the show was directed each night by
Lachlan Craig, who drew excellent performances from the cast on stage and the orchestra. The standard of performance achieved from the combined schools was, as always, extremely high and it was a wonderful production for showcasing the talent across both Dio and Dilworth. All students and the production team worked incredibly hard to transport the audience to another world.
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Competition TIME
The first three weeks of June are always an incredibly busy time for all our students involved in nationwide competitions. Kicking off with RockQuest at the beginning of June, we were thrilled with the results across all disciplines.
ROCKQUEST THREE OUT OF THREE
Lift band
Dio has featured strongly in RockQuest in recent years, but when a number of band members graduated last year, we were unsure about what we would see in 2019. Despite our concerns, we were thrilled to have three bands participate in RockQuest, the national song-writing and live performance competition. From Year 10 we had two bands enter: KamoKaze (an electro-funk inspired keyboard-based band) and Mishka (featuring a more alternative pop sound). Year 9 rock band Lift featured last year in BandQuest, the intermediate competition, and made their 2019 debut at RockQuest with two new players. In term one, all three bands worked hard to finish writing a song and developing their performance skills. At the Auckland Central heats in May, the bands played very well and stood out for their originality and unique sound. The placings at the national final were announced at the conclusion of the performances and the first two slots went to Lift and Mishka. After a nail-biting wait, the final band to be announced was KamoKaze! Dio had three bands through to the regional finals from three entries! We have never had such strong performances by our Junior High School bands, and to have three entries proceed to the finals was also a first! For the finals, the bands had to each write and polish a new song – in just three weeks! Although this was very challenging, the girls 50
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Mishka band
Kamokaze band
did a wonderful job of producing quality pieces that they performed superbly in front of a large and supportive crowd. To top off a great evening, Mishka’s Mia Reid was chosen for the Best Vocals award. Dio’s RockQuest bands are: Lift – Aimee Schnuriger, Victoria Wright, Olivia Turnbull, Olivia Smithies and Grace Wellington. KamoKaze – Lucia Partigliani, Amelia Lockley, Emma Parton and Riya Raniga. Mishka – Jasmine Soakai, Grace Field, Mia Reid, Sophia Winstanley, Kika Brethouwer and Alyssa Callander. In the solos and duos category of RockQuest, we had our largest ever group of entries. Performing original songs as a soloist can be a daunting experience, especially when the material is often very personal. Again, our Junior High girls performed superbly. Tyler Butler and duo See Through (Alex Graney and Pascale Vincent) performed with confidence and expression. Senior performers Sabreen Islam, Grace David, Gracie Scragg and Olivia Luxon each presented unique and highly engaging pieces. Gracie Scragg was chosen for the Best Lyrics award with her impassioned song about the Christchurch attacks. In Term 3, the focus goes on to our Year 7 and 8 bands at BandQuest. We look forward to seeing more new musical talent coming through our band programmes.
Mia with Jasmine and Grace
Mia Reid
Grace Scagg
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NZCT Chamber Music Competition Three more major awards Thirty-two girls were involved in the NZCT Chamber Music Competition at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre. All our groups did Dio proud, competing across the region against 90 other ensembles. As usual, Dio had some exceptional results and broke another record – five groups with Dio students involved made it through to the semi-finals. We were also the best represented school in the region with 12 Dio musicians performing at the semi-finals. At the awards ceremony, Dio groups were thrilled to come away with three of the top awards this year: Aquarelle won the NZ Award (Best performance of a New Zealand work)
Ronesma Trio – Emma Qiu, Esther Oh, Sharon Hung
Trinitas won the KBB Special Award Ronesma Trio won the Highly Commended Award Ronesma Trio went on to perform superbly at the University of Auckland, slogging it out amongst the top 36 in the country for a place with the final 12 groups at the finale in August. As the regional winners of the NZ Award, our Aquarelle octet had the honour of performing at the Town Hall as part of a premiere performance in Auckland of the newly commissioned work by New Zealand composer Ben Hoadley. Ben explained his inspiration for our Dio commission:
“Aquarelle I & II – these two vignettes were inspired by the beautiful transparent watercolours of New Zealand artist Carol Readman, who creates delicate yet vivid works. This ancient technique of aquarelle painting is often realised in only one short sitting – this was both an inspiration and a challenge for me as a composer, and I have tried to capture the capricious nature in these pieces with a similar feeling of free form, simplicity and outbursts of colour within the soundscape. It has been exciting to explore the timbres of the mallet percussion and the unique sound of the hand-bells in combination with the strings to create pellucid textures with splashes of colour.”
Trinitas – Matilda Hol, Hannah Barber-Wilson, Helen Kim
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St Cecilia Singers
Big Sing regionals leads to the National Finale again
Bella Cantoris
Senior Choir
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Once again, Dio choristers excelled at the Big Sing Gala Concert in the Auckland Town Hall. Of distinct note was how upbeat and engaged the girls’ performance was. There were some very special performances by Year 13 students Hannah Barber-Wilson and Doris Dong, both of whom conducted and accompanied our Year 9/10 Bella Cantoris choir. This was part of an initiative for their IB Diploma CAS project. The girls finished their beautiful song to rapturous applause, with Doris and Hannah acknowledging each other and the choir on stage with a hug. It was delightful to see this student-led initiative and the authentic way they engaged the crowd. Choristers and directors alike can feel justly proud of the huge efforts that went into developing such a rich and diverse choral culture here at Dio. Dio choirs achieved the following accolades: St Cecilia Singers – Distinction (directed by Rachel Sutherland). For the seventh consecutive year, the St Cecilia Singers have been selected for the National Finale. Along with the top 24 choirs from around the country, they will compete for gold, silver and bronze awards in Dunedin later in August. Senior Choir – Highly Commended (directed by Rachel Sutherland), selected as a Cadenza Finale Choir to perform in Rotorua. Bella Cantoris – Commended (directed by Lachlan Craig), Runner-up Best Junior Choir (Years 9/10), selected as a Cadenza Finale Choir (Rotorua).
Aria winners
Aria finialists
Junior Concerto finialists
Senior Concerto finialists
In the last week of Term 2, the brightest and best of our vocal and instrumental talent again battled it out in the highclass competition that has become an annual ‘fest of the best’ here at Diocesan. We were treated to two amazing evenings of singing and instrumental performances, and it was a very glamorous and emotionally charged occasion for all these young, aspiring musicians.
concertos. The artistry and talent on display was remarkable. Another treat during the evening was a solo from Dio Old Girl Libby Johnston who now studies at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. It was clear to all just how far she has advanced.
With the addition of the junior category in both events, the first round saw the panel select from more than 70 auditionees, 20 vocal and 24 instrumental finalists, with a dozen different instruments represented.
This competition gets tougher each year as our instrumental and vocal programmes in the Junior School feed through amazingly talented musicians. We feel privileged to witness the obvious dedication and commitment required to achieve at such a high level, from the performers and the work behind the scenes by their music teachers.
The JHS girls in both Concerto and Aria treated us to some very stylish, moving and remarkably mature performances; everyone in the audience was hugely supportive of these younger performers. The older girls tackled some top-end repertoire with mature interpretations of operatic arias and instrumental
The adjudicators, Dr Richard Lui, lecturer in piano at the University of Auckland, and Ms Andrea Creighton, internationally renowned opera singer and vocal clinician at Monash University in Melbourne, both had very difficult jobs choosing the winners of each category from the finalists.
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Concerto and Aria Competitions
ARIA WINNERS Senior 1st prize – Cheilin Xu 2nd prize – Hannah Flacks 3rd prize – Hazel Francis Most Promising Soloist – Rina Nair Junior Years 7/8 – Amanda Yu Years 9/10 – 1st prize Keltie-Kewan Young. 2nd prize – Hattie Johnston. 3rd prize – Sarah Oldham Most Promising Soloist – Arabella Tuck CONCERTO WINNERS Senior Overall instrumental winner – Sharon Hung Violin cup – Anna Casey Brass cup – Jessica Marshall Woodwind cup – Hannah Barber-Wilson Viola cup – Rebecca He Flute cup – Helen Kim Piano cup – Emma Qiu Junior Overall instrumental winner – Elise Ji 2nd place – Bella-Rose Mountford 3rd place – Hannah Wellington Junior Piano cup – Sunny Zhang DIO TODAY
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Sledgehammer
Night of Dance At 6.50pm on a crisp June evening, the Year 12 common room was plunged into darkness and approximately 170 students stood in collective anticipatory silence, a brief but crucial moment of focus and calm before the adrenaline of performance kicked in. The final show of Night of Dance 2019 was about to commence – the highlight of the dance calendar at Diocesan, where the passionate and talented students of dance showcase their work, both on and off the stage. This year’s show was another resounding success, featuring the very best of student choreographic and
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Blessing
performance work, with some pieces taught by an extraordinary line-up of guest tutors. As always, Night of Dance is an important week for NCEA curriculum students, who are assessed across performance and choreographic achievement standards, with external moderators in attendance to view their work. Highlights included Year 12 and 13 students presenting Blooms, an elegant contemporary group dance co-created with renowned New Zealand dancer and choreographer Dan Cooper, and the Year 11 class sharing a sophisticated piece called Conflicted, comprising their own choreography based on conflict in a relationship. Our promising Junior High
dance students in Years 7-10 performed a charming and polished repertoire including Bollywood, Samoan Sasa, jazz and contemporary. Extra-curricular dance at Diocesan is thriving. This year saw the addition of two new theatre jazz troupes performing in Night of Dance, as well as the highly anticipated hip hop crews. Our stunning Kapa Haka group opened each evening with a beautiful waiata and stirring haka, and the Chinese Dance Group graced the stage with a superb traditional fan dance. There was also an impressive array of solo, duo and group dances for audiences to enjoy in contemporary,
LIVING Brooke Vincent and Emma Badger
Senior Hip Hip Crew
Blooms
lyrical, hip hop and jazz funk styles. Behind the scenes, a talented student crew, including stage management, wardrobe, hair, makeup and frontof-house, worked tirelessly to ensure the show ran like clockwork. The preparation for Night of Dance began months in advance for our wonderful dance captain and her team: Polly Davies (Dance Captain), Mackenzie Houghton-Lamb and Sinead Pawlick (Deputy Dance Captains). These dedicated students led the Junior Troupe, choreographing and producing Sledgehammer, an upbeat jazz ensemble featuring Year 7-10 dancers. The girls also contributed to show preparations
Crew
Conflicted
and capably led the cast throughout performance week. Congratulations to all students involved, and especially to our deserving award winners: CURRICULUM DANCE Cup for Outstanding Performance in Curriculum Dance: Mackenzie Houghton-Lamb Cup for Most Improved Performance in Curriculum Dance: Brooke Vincent Outstanding Performance Acknowledgements in Curriculum Dance:
Mackenzie Houghton-Lamb
Year 12 and 13 dance class for their performance of Blooms contemporary group dance Year 11 dance class for their performance and choreography in Conflicted, a contemporary dance compilation of duos and a trio EXTRA-CURRICULAR DANCE Cup for Outstanding Performance in Extra-curricular Dance: Emma Badger Outstanding Performance Acknowledgements in Extra-curricular Dance: Polly Davies and Cassie Gray for their jazz funk duo performance of Crew Dio Senior Hip Hop Crew DIO TODAY
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The winning House – Mary Pulling
Dance winner – Neligan House
HOUSE MUSIC AND DANCE On Thursday 27 June the Dawn Jones Sports Centre came alive with music, dance and an explosion of colour in our annual House Music competition. The theme this year was ‘Awesome Anthems’ and there was no doubt the prefects and their teams rose to the challenge with some brilliant selections. The Own Choice selection included music from Grease, Justin Bieber, Queen and Dolly Parton, along with performances of each House Hymn. As has now become the tradition, Ms McRae reads out the award winners in each category and then the overall placements to rising tension during the 56
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countdown to number one. The adjudicators, Danielle Timbers and Jono Palmer, commented on the extremely high standard and how difficult it was choosing a winner. There were only fractions of a point between the final scores and the judges found it difficult to believe that these routines are put together in one day, so polished were the final performances. After much deliberation the judges gave their verdict. Winner of Own Choice – Roberton Winner of House Hymn – Mary Pulling Winner of Dance – Neligan
Roberton House – winner of Own Choice song
And the final overall placings were: 1. Mary Pulling 2. Roberton 3. Neligan 4. Cowie 5. Eliza Edwards 6. Cochrane 7. Mitchelson 8. Selwyn
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Birthday Concert The Birthday Concert theme for 2019, DiOscars, was brilliantly put together by Birthday Concert Prefect Cindy Bu and her team. It’s an annual opportunity to have a good laugh at ourselves, and this year did not disappoint! Hilarious comedy skits were highlighted by Carpool Karaoke with a number of staff displaying their singing ability and the creative and amusing ‘English Department DIOcumentary’ inspired by David Attenborough. And of course, the ‘Dio Girls Go Wild’ section, seeing who could illicit the most horrified public response to their street antics in Newmarket. Special thanks to Cindy for organising a hugely entertaining concert topped off by some brilliant dancing and choreography. DIO TODAY
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The Dio Ball is an iconic event in the School calendar and every year it just keeps getting better! Our Ball night lit up Alexandra Park with the theme ‘A Night in Havana’. The ballroom was dripping in tropical flowers and lush greenery with accents of fairy lights and sparkles. Our theme was certainly out of the box this year and it was amazing to see everything come together on the night – hopefully we created an event that the Year 12s and 13s will never forget! Everyone looked so gorgeous and we enjoyed good food, great company and attempted to dance in the mosh pit. We had multiple awards this year and the winners walked away with some outstanding prizes, thanks to our generous sponsors. Each and every girl was so deserving of her award. They went to students who embodied the 2019 theme ‘Ko Tātou’, demonstrating pride, personal best and unity inside and outside of school.
Thank you to our sponsors
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Images: White Door Photography
Of course, this event would have been nothing without all the beautiful people behind it. Thank you to the Ball Council, a great bunch of girls who came to each meeting organised and with positive attitudes. You made planning the Ball so much fun and it has been very rewarding getting to know you!
Finally, to Mrs van Meeuwen, Mrs Wilson, Charlotte Blakey and Emily Hernon, thank you for everything. The endless chains of emails and late-night phone calls were certainly worth it in the end! Thank you for making this a year to remember. Ella Carter, School Ball Prefect
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SPORT
DRAGON BOATING Dragon boating is a variation of rowing that originated in China. It’s now a worldwide team paddling sport, using either 10- or 20-person boats decorated with dragon heads and tails. The length of the races can be 200m, 500m, or 2km, and the normal crew number is 22, including 20 paddlers, one steerer and a drummer. It is still associated with the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival or Tuen Ng Festival in Hong Kong. Dragon boating at Dio has been going from strength to strength over the past few years. The season is a quick six weeks and runs from February to March for our Year 12 and 13 girls who want to compete in a sport that is social and a little bit different. The girls train three times a week – two sessions are on the water at Lake Pupuke and the third is at Greyman Fitness Solutions in Parnell where they work on fitness and practise their technique on dragon boatingspecific ergs. At the end of March, the Auckland Dragon Boating Championships are
held at Lake Pupuke. With about 15 schools competing, it’s a big day of racing with a huge atmosphere. This year our Dio girls placed second in the 200m race, third in the 500m and sixth over the 2km distance. From their success at the regional competition, the team had another two weeks to train before they travelled to the NZDBA national championships at Lake Karapiro. The girls went into the competition with plenty of determination to do their best. Nationals was a step up from the regionals, with the team was up against adult teams. However, our girls pushed through, giving many of the adult teams a run for their money. Dio made the final of every race and achieved some amazing results:
3rd Junior A Women’s Standard Boat – 500m 2nd Junior A Women’s Standard Boat – 200m 2nd Junior A Women’s Standard Boat – 2km 1st Junior A Women’s Short Boat – 200m The highlight of the competition was the win in the Junior A Women’s Short Boat race, as they beat Epsom Girls’ by milliseconds – the first Auckland team to do so in 15 years. Congratulations to our 2019 dragon boating team for their amazing work this year. A huge thank you to our managers, Michelle Ogilvie and Rose Robson, as well as our passionate coach, Oli Garside, who made the season so great!
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WATER POLO TRIPLE CHAMPIONS! While most of us were still settling into school life for 2019, the premier water polo team’s season was well and truly underway. After a great 2018 season, the girls were raring to emulate that success and show the progress they had made in the off-season. Having started training in the summer holidays, the girls were well drilled going into the North Island Championships and took out the tournament, leaving pool play unbeaten and taking out the final against Rangitoto College 9-1. Special mention to Maddy Gault and Charlie Hooke, who were both individually recognised as Tournament Most Valuable Player and Tournament Best Goalkeeper respectively. The team then took out the Auckland League final 7-4 against St Cuthbert’s 60
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College before finally reaching their end goal, the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Championships. The tournament was held in Auckland this year and we were lucky enough to play all our games at our home pool. With great home support, Dio was the highest scoring team in the tournament, with everyone contributing to that tally. The final also took place at the Diocesan Aquatic Centre against classic rival St Cuthbert’s College. The girls played an incredible team game and came out on top with a 15-5 win, an amazing result to cap off a brilliant season. Team Dio scored an incredible 106 goals and only conceded 11 throughout the national tournament. It is the first time in history that a girls’ school has successfully defended all three titles
on offer. The Senior A and Senior B teams showed the incredible depth and breadth of the Dio water polo programme, with players of all year groups competing very strongly at the senior level, especially the Senior A team who played extremely competitively in the top division, finishing in ninth place at the North Island Championships. At Nationals, the team beat Baradene College, who subsequently finished in fourth position. (The Senior A team was not allowed to place higher than eight as it was a second school team). Morgan McDowall was Nationals’ Most Valuable Player and Charlie Hooke did the double, winning the Tournament Best Goalkeeper. With these performances, the Dio Senior water polo programme wrapped up another tremendous
Congratulations to the following girls who have been selected to represent New Zealand in various age-group teams to compete at water polo championships being held around the world during the next few months: Morgan McDowall, Charlie Hooke, Sophie Shorter-Robinson, Eleanor Spillane, Maddy Gault, Abby Allison, Millie Quin, Jess ShorterRobinson and Isabella Broadmore. Morgan McDowall will be heading off to Japan in preparation for the FINA World Championships to be held in South Korea from 14 – 28 July. This is the fourth senior major event in which Morgan will represent New Zealand, but her first Senior World Championships. Team New Zealand will match up against the Olympic gold medallists in their first game. Charlie Hooke and Sophie ShorterRobinson have been selected to represent New Zealand at the World Junior (U-20) Water Polo Championships in September in Funchal, Madeira (Portugal Island). This is Charlie’s second tour at age-group level and 15-year-old Sophie will be making her New Zealand debut. Eleanor Spillane, Maddy Gault, Abby Allison and Millie Quin have been selected to tour with the World Youth Squad to Europe in August. The aim is to prepare the squad for the World Youth Championship in 2020. The girls will head to France to play official test matches against the French national team, then on to Greece to train with the Greek national team and play in a six-nation tournament against Hungary, Italy, Greece, Serbia and China. Jess Shorter-Robinson and Isabella Broadmore have been selected to represent New Zealand on the Junior Development Tour to Australia, and will compete at the Australian Interstate Championships in Sydney in July. Well done to all these girls on their national selections, and the very best of luck for an exciting and successful representative experience.
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season. Congratulations to all the players, and a big thank you to all the support crew – from coaches and managers to parents and friends – for all their encouragement during the season.
Abby Mills (left); Halle Rankin-Hastie (second from left); Sienna French (fourth from left)
TRAMPOLINING The 2019 Australian Gymnastics Championships were held in Melbourne recently, and included a trio of Dio trampolinists. Sienna French (Yr 10), Halle Rankin-Hastie (Yr 11) and Abby Mills (Yr 12) competed in the individual and synchronised trampoline disciplines, coming away with an impressive collection of results. Halle and Abby competed as a duo in the Junior (U-22) Synchronised category, finishing fourth and narrowly missing out on a medal against very accomplished competition, which included Youth Olympians. They then placed second in the Trans-Tasman Teams category. Halle also collected a silver medal in the U-17 Individual category, while Abby did extremely well to secure a place inside the top 10. Sienna medalled in all three of her events: silver in the Trans-Tasman Team Female – Individual category; bronze in the Youth (U-15) Individual category; and bronze in the Junior (U-22) Synchronised category. Sienna and her Christchurch partner, Brooke, competed against athletes close to eight years older than them. Sienna also achieved a new personal best score of 43.265in her individual ‘set’ routine. All three girls train out of the Icon Trampolining Club in Mangere, and spend 10-12 hours a week on the trampoline. This means a rush from school to training, working under some of New Zealand’s finest ever trampolinists (including our first trampolining Olympian, Dylan Schmidt) and then
rushing home to complete homework and assignments. The girls find balancing school and elite training a challenge. But Halle says it pays off in more ways than one: “It almost forces you to be proactive around schoolwork. Training doesn’t leave a lot of time to procrastinate.” The girls have all trained together for around six years, with Sienna and Halle previously partnering up to claim awards at New Zealand Nationals, and representing New Zealand together at past World Championships. Trust is clearly an important component in the synchronised category and being able to pair up with a schoolmate is a bonus for the two older girls, as Abby points out. “We both have to be on top of our game to get the best out of each other. Being schoolmates means we’re comfortable with challenging ourselves to aim for the best results.” And that’s exactly what they’re doing. All three girls have their eyes firmly set on the future, with the 2022 Youth Olympics in Tokyo at the top of the list for 14-year-old Sienna. “To qualify for Tokyo, you have to place first in the Australian Gymnastics Championships. Then a New Zealand trial process takes place, so it’s tough getting there. I have a couple of years to get it, though.” The rate at which these three are competing and improving, it’s not an unrealistic goal. DIO TODAY
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WORLD SCHOOLS’ ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The team pose at the finish line
Orienteering is a sport where competitors use maps to complete navigational challenges in unfamiliar areas. The sport involves both physical and mental challenges, and rewards competitors with a unique adventure on an ever-changing playing field. In the April school holidays, the Diocesan senior orienteering team, consisting of Jessica Sewell, Olivia Collins, Georgia Skelton, Cara Bradding and Katie Ryan, was selected to represent New Zealand at the World Schools’ Orienteering Championships in Otepää, Estonia. This competition is held every two years in the Northern Hemisphere.
The team with their coach, from left to right: Jessica Sewell, Katie Ryan, Olivia Collins, Gene Beveridge, Georgia Skelton and Cara Bradding.
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Getting there involved 30 hours of travelling, including the world’s longest flight from Auckland to Doha. We spent our first day looking around the beautiful Tallinn old town. Our coach had us run a sprint map around the old town. Sprint maps are short courses around 2km in length and involve orienteering around urban areas. Running on the cobbled streets was a cool new experience for us, and the area had great scenery too. We then headed three hours south to Otepää, a sporting area famously known for cross country skiing and other snow sports. This is where the competition was being held later that week.
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Once we arrived, we started training in the surrounding forests to help acclimatise ourselves to the Estonian terrain. The forests are very dense compared with New Zealand forests, with many marshes and lakes throughout. Fortunately, only one of us was unlucky enough to experience the local ticks that live in the forests. We had all been warned to pack tweezers for this reason! We stayed in accommodation on site with teams from Italy and Israel. Even though it was spring, the weather was very changeable: sunny and 25 degrees one day and then two degrees and snowing he next! One of our races was held in these freezing temperatures, with sleet and snow making for a new and exciting experience for us. A total of 23 countries was involved in the competition, with more than 800 competitors racing. The competition consisted of both a long- and middle-distance race, as well as the ‘friendship event’ where we were put into relay teams with orienteers from different countries. Having to work together as a team in the friendship event proved challenging without a common spoken language. We were excited with our fifth placing in the senior girls’ division of these World Championships, behind Sweden, Finland, France and Estonia. All the hard work training and competing paid off for our Diocesan orienteering team. Thanks to our coaches, team managers and parents for all their hard work supporting us on this trip. Orienteering at Dio has provided us with amazing opportunities whether that be the various places we have visited or the countless friends we have made along the way. The sport has provided us with very strong connections, not only in Auckland and New Zealand, but all over the world, and our passion for the sport continues to grow. This competition was an amazing and rewarding experience for us and allowed us to get a taste of competing internationally.
PEDALLING TO THE PODIUM Prudence Fowler has again started 2019 in fine form with some extremely impressive cycling results. So far this season she has collected numerous titles at regional, North Island and national level, including the following: • • • • • • • •
1st U-17 Auckland Secondary Schools’ Pukekohe points race 1st U-17 North Island Secondary Schools’ road cycling road race 1st U-17 North Island Secondary Schools’ road cycling criterium 1st U-17 North Island Secondary Schools’ track cycling championships scratch race 1st U17 National age group criterium cycling championships 1st U17 National Cycling Club Championships 15k individual time trial 1st U17 National Cycling Club Championships 63km road race 1st U17 National age group track cycling championships points race
Footnote: Dio’s senior orienteers continue to excel. Jessica Sewell and Cara Bradding were recently selected for the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ team competing in the 2019 Australian Championships at the end of September in Wagga Wagga, Australia.
These are only a few of Prudence’s achievements so far this season as she continues to go from strength to strength. Her incredible determination and work ethic have also seen her rewarded with selection into the New Zealand U-19 team that will be competing in the Oceania Track Cycling Championships in Invercargill in October. Here she will compete against some of the best from Australia and the Pacific in a four-day competition.
As well as the NZSS team, Jessica has also been selected as a reserve, together with Georgia Skelton, for the team travelling to the Junior World Orienteering Championships in Aarhus, Austria, over the July holidays. Congratulations to our orienteers, and good luck for these competitions!
Prudence continues to support our School cycling team which has seen some great growth this year under the leadership of Jose Fowler and Code Captain Emily Bashford. She is a great role model for all of our young cyclists; we are extremely proud of all that she has achieved and look forward to seeing what the end of the year has in store for her. DIO TODAY
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SAILING INTO TOP SPOT
NZ GIRLS’ CHAMPIONS This sailing season has been extremely eventful and exciting for the Dio sailing community. Numbers have increased dramatically, with the largest intake of sailors we have ever had, which is super exciting. It’s great to see so many girls of all ages giving sailing a go and finding out why it really is the best sport around. We have girls sailing all different classes of boats to suit their age and skill level – our premier racing team sailing 420s, our Feva racing group and our Optimist group. All teams sail out of the Royal Akarana Yacht Club at Okahu Bay.
a part of the team that helped the New Zealand team win the Interdominion Trophy, the Dio sailing team was ready for a smashing 2019 season in Term 1. The girls trained hard and their efforts began to show at their first regatta, the South of the Bridge Auckland Regionals. It was tough racing over two days, and the team was challenged in the gold fleet, however the tricky conditions and competitive teams meant for good racing practice. Overall the team finished first girls’ team – a tremendous achievement given the hard conditions.
We have such a great sense of team spirit, as girls of all ages help each other out and learn different skills from one another. It is amazing to have the senior girls helping and coaching the younger Junior High School girls.
The team continued their competitive training to prepare for their biggest regatta of the season, the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Teams Racing Nationals, held in Algies Bay over the second week of the April school holidays. This six-day regatta involved long days on the water and the weather was a mix of thunderstorms and beautiful sunshine. The girls sailed consistently throughout the week – however, the final day of
The premier sailing team reached new heights and achievements this year. After finishing 2018 with the Interdominion Championships and being
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racing decided who would become the overall top girls’ team in New Zealand. The pressure was really on to perform and sail to the conditions. The girls did a magnificent job, winning five of their six races on the final day, making the Dio premier sailing team the New Zealand Girls’ National Champions. Their hard efforts throughout the season to improve their tactics and racing had paid off. The last time Dio won the trophy was in 2013, so this was a very exciting achievement for the girls. The team should be extremely proud of their results. The development teams have also improved dramatically. It is awesome to see so many girls take an interest in sailing; it is an amazing sport and a skill for life. The Dio sailing community want to wish Alice Haslett and Lizzie Shapland good luck for their individual sailing endeavours as they head overseas to compete in world regattas. Sail well!
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EQUESTRIAN
Simone Kann and Balmoral Henton
COACH PROFILE Equestrian at Dio has continued to succeed this year, with both our dressage and eventing teams placing third in their respective North Island competitions. All our riders performed exceptionally well, with many of them placing within the various disciplines. We have a lot of promise coming through in our younger riders, as we found out earlier in the year when we held a camp for our equestrian girls at the Hunua Pony Club. This year we introduced a new coach, Simone Kann. Simone has represented both Australia and New Zealand, and brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to the equestrian team. She has successfully trained riders and horses from lower to Olympic levels to reach their own individual goals and potential. We are very lucky to have her in the team and have asked her some questions so everyone can get to know her.
When did you first start riding and how did you know it was what you wanted to pursue? I started riding when I was nine years old. I made the decision to pursue my riding career when I turned 17 and went to wor for some high-profile Australian riders. My first Australian representation was for the Australian Trans-Tasman young rider eventing team when I was 20. From there I went on to produce 18 upper-level eventing horses, as well as two World Cup show jumpers. During this time I was named in four ‘A-listed’ Australian teams. Who has been a big influence throughout your career? There have been many influential people who have made an impact on my career. My parents are number one for supporting my vision – they kept supporting me, not only when I did well, but also when the chips were down. I was lucky enough to have access to endless Australian thoroughbreds retired from racing, which I produced as competition horses as well as breeding our own named with the prefix Balmoral.
What is one of your best memories? The best memories I have are of representing Australia and New Zealand, as well as producing horses and selling them on to represent countries such as Thailand, England, Japan, Malaysia, the USA, New Zealand and Australia. What do you enjoy most about coaching? While I enjoyed competing on the world stage, I now get so much more satisfaction from training and developing our young riders of the future. I am very focused and passionate about their development and progression as I believe this is the age where the training is most influential to their riding success – both now and the future. Why did you choose to coach at Dio? When the Dio equestrian coaching job became available, I was coaching in Kunming, China. Dio has a very good reputation and I wanted the opportunity to be involved in the future performances of the equestrian team and to develop a winning team formula. DIO TODAY
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SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS PART 1
Sporting opportunities beyond Diocesan are continuing to grow and over the past few years we have seen an increasing number of our sporting students offered scholarships to some very prestigious universities in America. This is a great opportunity and an amazing experience, so we have reached out to several of our Old Girls to see how they have found the past few years Studying overseas. If you have been contacted by any universities and feel this is something you would like to explore, please feel free to contact the Careers Development Centre or the Sports Department for further advice and assistance. Part 2 of this feature will appear in the November issue of Dio Today.
Annabelle Paterson Annabelle left Dio at the end of 2016 and is currently on a swimming scholarship at Harvard University, Massachusetts. What inspired you most to study overseas? In New Zealand it is very difficult to study at a high level and continue 66
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swimming competitively. I wanted to do both, and an American university provided this opportunity for me. The universities in the US combine sport and study, and work together with sport to help student athletes achieve in the classroom and in the sporting arena. In New Zealand, sport and study are separate and don’t work together cohesively. In America, I compete for Harvard and my coaches work with me
and my professors, to work out a plan to achieve my academic and sporting goals. Also, in America, college swimming has turned swimming into a team sport, unlike in New Zealand where swimming is solely individual. I now swim for something bigger than myself – I swim for my team and my school and we collectively compete against other universities. This adds another layer to the sport and more motivation to do my best.
Tayla Parkes-Hemera
What are the hardest things to adjust to? That’s a hard one. Personally, I found the transition fairly smooth. The swim team and school created an environment that felt very comfortable and welcoming. There were so many people around me offering help and support that I never felt lost or too concerned. I did miss my family a lot, but as I was so busy from day one, I didn’t have much time to think about anything other than what was going on in the Harvard bubble. The food in America is not as good as our beautiful country and I miss the beach. What are the best things about college abroad? My favorite thing about college is the people I have met and the fact that everything and everyone is so accessible all the time. At Harvard we live on campus for all four years, so I am always surrounded by my friends. The environment is challenging, coping with the school work and training, but there are so many people there to help you through any difficulties you may have. As soon as you arrive on campus – even before you arrive – you are walking into a family, the swim team and the college, and that’s what I love the most. What things from sport at Dio made your transition easier? Probably the ability to manage my time well is the main thing that I took away from Dio. The study and life skills that I was taught I still use today. In sport specifically, in my last year of school, we tried to simulate swimming for something bigger than yourself at my last school nationals. I saw my teammates stepping out of their comfort zones and swimming at their best, and this is when I knew that the team beliefs at Harvard were going to be successful.
What are your next steps with sport? I am going to finish my four years swimming at Harvard and then stop after that. I am now focusing on building a life for myself outside of swimming as well. I know I will be forever involved with swimming and water polo but I’d like to explore life out of the pool. At the moment though I’m focusing on helping my team win two more Ivy League Championship titles! What would your top five items in a care package from home be? Only five? That’s hard! I would say a bar of Whittaker’s chocolate (any flavour), a bag of Pascals’ marshmallows, a bag of Pineapple Lumps, a letter or drawing from my niece and nephew, and a New Zealand-themed card from my mum, dad and the animals. What would you say to anyone at Dio considering following in your footsteps? Firstly, I would say to start the process early and do your research, so that you know what needs to be done. Also do things yourself and don’t get your parents or someone else to do it for you. Second, anything is possible if you believe in yourself and work hard for it. You can’t just believe but not work for what you want. As I was looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to go somewhere I would be academically challenged as well as pushed in the pool. Make sure you talk to people from the school, maybe even visit campus before you commit to going there, so you have a good idea of what you are walking into. That being said, go in with an open mind, be open to new challenges and opportunities. It’s an awesome environment over there and I would highly recommend it!
LIVING
Tayla left Dio at the end of 2017 and took up the offer of a field hockey scholarship at Rutgers University in New Jersey. What inspired you most to study overseas? When I was in my final year at Dio I wasn’t 100 percent sure what I wanted to study or where I wanted to study. I had a few friends who had decided to study in the States and play hockey. This definitely sparked my interest and led me to find out more. The one thing that really appealed to me was the fact that I could combine my studies and sport, while still competing at a high level. This is something that’s unique to the United States and something I really value. What are the hardest things to adjust to? I found the weather the hardest thing to adjust to! Spring semester is freezing during the first few months, and with snow and minus 16-degree weather, it can make walking to class very difficult. I’m not a big fan of the cold. But on the flip side, during pre-season, which begins in August, we get the other extreme of their weather, the summer heat. Training in two four-hour blocks a day in 33-degree heat isn’t easy. But you adjust pretty quickly, and I would take the heat over the cold any day. Lots of water and ice baths in summer, and lots and lots of layers in the winter.
Tayla Parkes-Hemera, centre
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such team players. It was nice for me to come into a team at Rutgers that valued the same things, and this helped me choose Rutgers when deciding which university to go to. What are your next steps with sport? Training and playing for Rutgers is my main focus right now. I’m excited to go back in August and see what happens this season. Last season was one of the best Rutgers has had in a really long time as we earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. It was fun and so rewarding to be part of the programme’s growth and I’m excited to keep our progress going!
What are the best things about college abroad? The best thing about going to college in America is the people you get to meet along the way. I have made some amazing friends and have already created so many incredible memories and experiences with them. It’s fun to be part of a different culture; it definitely opens your mind up and you are able see so many different perspectives. It allows you to learn new things about their culture as well as yourself. It’s also super fun being from New Zealand – our accents seem out of this world to basically all Americans, and most think we are from Europe. It’s fun because they learn more about our culture and where New Zealand actually is in the world, and I get to learn and experience their culture with them. It’s good to have friends from different sporting backgrounds, and because we are able to all relate to one another, it creates a really fun environment for all the student athletes. It’s exciting to be able to go and watch different sports as well. The basketball games are my favorite to watch as the atmosphere is crazy! There’s a student section and a pep rally band in the bleachers, as well as cheerleaders. It’s honestly like a scene from High School Musical – even the colours match! The other thing that is super cool about the sports teams at Rutgers is that we are all a part of the Big Ten Conference (which is the highest competition). Our university’s athletes are sponsored
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by Adidas. At the beginning of each season we get the latest gear, from new sticks and new shoes to sports bras and everything in between! Another advantage of being sponsored by Adidas is that if we win important games, we get new gear given to us as a reward for our hard work, and we get a first look at their new range before we begin each season. What things from sport at Dio made your transition easier? My sporting memories from Dio are so precious to me and definitely made my transition easier when I moved to the States. Firstly, my coaches at Dio were always super supportive of me and my teammates, yet competitive at the same time. They taught me hard work and self-discipline, not only during training and games but in life as well. Training four hours daily and having classes before and after training in the States definitely requires some grit and perseverance. Being fortunate enough to be involved with the First XI from my first year at Dio in Year 9 to my last year, and captaining the team, brought me so many values and taught me a lot about what it takes to be an athlete. I’ve definitely taken these values with me and have grown even more since being in the States. Being involved in a team sport is something that I really love. All the teams I was involved in at Dio always created such a great team culture. Valuing team culture is super important; the girls were always motivated and
What would your top five items in a care package from home be? Number one would have to be Tim Tams. Secondly, Marmite – it’s a classic and definitely something that reminds me of home. Thirdly, salt and vinegar Peckish crackers (in the pink packet), and of course chocolate chip oaty slice bars. Lastly, would have to have some Cadbury chocolate, of course the black forest flavour. America’s chocolate just doesn’t taste as good – trust me! What would you say to anyone at Dio considering following your footsteps? I say, go for it! But definitely do your research about the college you’re considering. It’s a big commitment and it’s hard work so make sure you’re confident in your decision and the university you choose. Be open minded, prepared to work super hard and, most importantly, enjoy it and have fun. It really is an experience of a lifetime!
Nicola Prebble LIVING
Nicola Prebble left Dio at the end of 2016 to take up a hockey scholarship at the University of California – Davis. What inspired you most to study overseas? Having past teammates go to America on full hockey scholarships was inspiring because it showed that it was possible. I think the cash incentive really makes it worth putting in the hours to contact/Skype coaches and research universities. The ability to play hockey (up to three hours a day) while getting a top education is a big plus too. What are the hardest things to adjust to? The portion sizes. Having to tip. Playing in 40-degree heat. Big cars. The imperial system. Not knowing the correct way to spell certain words anymore. Saying ‘fall’ instead of ‘autumn’. Having to say I play ‘field hockey’ and needing to confirm that no, I don’t play lacrosse. What are the best things about college abroad? The travel – not only does playing hockey give me the opportunity to
travel all over the country, but it also provides connections to friends around the US and the world. Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to visit Europe, Mexico, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Michigan with teammates, and I’m sure there’s a lot more to be done in the years ahead.
What things from sport at Dio made your transition easier? The level of hockey and the intensity is very similar. I found transitioning actually really easy (except the transition from our winter to a ridiculously hot California summer), partly because joining a team gives you instant friends – this made moving to a foreign country seem much smaller. What are your next steps with sport? I’m still unsure about my next steps. I have two more years to accomplish as much as possible with my UC Davis team and then will look to come back to New Zealand, enjoy a much-needed break and then probably dabble in some club hockey. What would your top five items in a care package from home be? To be honest, I’ve never really been sent one. But it would definitely include Marmite, Oaty Slices, Cheese and Bacon Shapes, Chocolate Thins and Whittaker’s chocolate (hint, hint Mum!). What would you say to anyone at Dio considering following in your footsteps? In the scheme of things, four years is not a very long time. Definitely go for it and be persistent. If you don’t like it, you can always come home!
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PARENTS & FRIENDS
It will be spectacular. It might be a little bit tricky. It is sure to be glamourous. Most of all, it will be…BIG. It is the Dio Big Night Out – Saturday 7 September at the Dawn Jones Sports Centre. Prepare for a fantastic night of fun, quizzing, auctions, prizes, delicious food, dancing, entertainment and more. Doors open from 6pm with delicious nibbles from Baduzzi, Stumpy’s Pizza and Double Dutch Fries, to name a few. The bars will be open, the music playing, and we can’t wait to see your costumes as you tackle the theme ‘Be more than you ever imagined’. Have you ever imagined you were an astronaut, a circus performer, a princess, Batman or Elvis Presley? Dust off that costume now. Theme your team, maybe your regiment of Star Wars stormtroopers will thrash that stuck-in-the-’70s Star Trek crew. There will be prizes for the bestthemed team. Whether it’s the Marvel superheroes that inspire you or The Village People, now is the time to go wild and be ‘more than you ever imagined’. Tickets are $45 per person and are on sale now at iTicket. www.iticket.co.nz We hope you can join us on the night. But if you can’t, you still have an opportunity to bid on some of the amazing prizes online at our Silent Auction. Visit www.galabid.com/diobid from Friday 30 August. Register via your phone, computer or tablet by following the instructions on the website, then you can start bidding. We have some wonderful auction prizes, including travel courtesy of House of Travel Parnell, magnums of Moët Champagne, dining experiences from Baduzzi, unique Dio Sport coaching experiences, getaways at exclusive luxury baches, wine from Craggy Range, luxury gift hampers, and much, much more. This event is to raise funds for the Norfolk Pine Redevelopment. This 70
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Father Daughter Breakfast guest speaker Ruud Kleinpaste
major landscaping redevelopment is a significant project in the area formerly occupied by the iconic Norfolk pines. It will provide extended room for outdoor learning, music and recreation, including innovative play spaces, together with modern playground equipment. Our next event is going to be big… unlike our last event, which definitely included some of the smallest guests ever. At our annual Father/Daughter Breakfast on 19 May we were delighted to host Ruud Kleinpaste, aka The Bugman, who brought along some of his tiny friends. Ruud let Dot the weta crawl all over his head and face while he spoke, and even popped her into his mouth, eliciting some delighted gasps and squeals from the girls. Principal Heather McRae also provided a great climbing frame for this inquisitive weta. Despite the hilarious antics of Ruud’s ‘friends’, his message to us and the world was a serious one. Ruud explained to the breakfast attendees that all insect life on our planet is under threat and
without insects the whole life chain of the planet could collapse. The event’s theme was one of sustainability and giving back, and our breakfasts were provided by Eat My Lunch (EML). For every breakfast served, a lunch was donated to a lowdecile school in Auckland. EML have a lengthy waiting list of schools and students, and we were very happy to partner with this worthy charity. In keeping with the theme and to reduce our environmental footprint, we used reusable or recyclable cups, boxes and utensils on the morning.
LIVING
Would you like to get involved with Parents & Friends? We are actively recruiting for new committee members, as well as volunteers keen to lend a hand. If you enjoy events, and love meeting people and getting involved with the School, we are just the community group for you. You never know what you might be doing on P&F – from hosting a barbecue for 150 new students and parents, to taking a tour of the new Arts Centre construction site, or rounding up red-backed spiders and wetas for The Bugman, there’s never a dull moment. We meet once a month on a Monday evening at 7pm. For more information, please contact Robin Bell at robinbell99@me.com
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
BE MORE THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED
DIO SCHOOL SPORTS CENTRE C ASH BA R WITH CHAMPAGN E / GOU R MET FOOD TR U CKS / T H E QU IZ / D J & DA NCI NG / S I LE N T AUCTIO N
ALL FUNDS RAISED GO TO THE NORFOLK PINE LANDSCAPE OUTDOOR EDUCATION REDEVELOPMENTS
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
R 20 72
YOU MUST BE 20 YEARS OR OVER TO ATTEND
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LIFELONG FRIENDS
LI F E LON G F R IE N DS
President’s column When I reflect on the activities of the Diocesan Old Girls’ League, I’m once again struck by the Diocesan Old Girl alumnae and the diverse range of women that it comprises. We are incredibly lucky to have amongst our numbers so many generous, capable and accomplished women who are interested in being involved with the League’s activities and in giving back to the School and other Old Girls. Without exception, I come away from League events with a heart that is just a bit warmer than before. Recently, we hosted the Alumna Merita Assembly and also the Bryan Bartley Golf Day. This year, we celebrated a sportswoman, Kim Chambers, who is an internationally recognised open-water marathon swimmer. Even though Kim’s achievements are truly outstanding and have seen her inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, her message to the girls at the assembly was not one of celebrating sporting success; it was one of facing fears, being brave and saying ‘yes’ when ‘no’ is the easier option. Kim spoke about pushing through mental and physical barriers because she is not your typical sportswoman. She began swimming as rehabilitation after suffering a dreadful accident.
Bryan Bartley Golf Day. It was very chilly for those of us who were there pre tee-off. But it transformed into a stunning day, with Remuera Golf Club looking amazing and playing the role of perfect venue. Our greatest thanks go to Melanie Eady, League Vice-President and event organiser extraordinaire. Players were treated to an incredibly well-organised event and some wonderful treats to get them through their games. This year, for the first time, we presented the League trophy to the highest scoring team and were delighted that our patron, Heather McRae, was able to join us to present the award. September 3 brings one of my favourite events for the year, the Senior Old Girls’ Chapel Service and Morning Tea. Each year we organise a small item of entertainment for the attendees, however sometimes I wonder whether that may actually intrude on their time catching up. The chatter is always so loud and vibrant.
DIOCESAN OLD GIRLS’ LEAGUE COMMITTEE CONTACT DETAILS Email oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz for all enquiries. PRESIDENT Jenny Spillane (Orsborn) | M. 027 603 6990 VICE PRESIDENT Melanie Eady (Perkins) | E. melanieeady@me.com TREASURER Felicity Buche (Olson) | P. 09 521 8387 SECRETARY Amber Oram (Railley) | M. 021 757 504 FELLOWSHIP SECRETARY Emma Cleary (Dillon) | P. 09 522 9564
Once again, the Alumna Merita Assembly and presentation gave our current Dio Girls an insight into the world of possibilities for them and a chance to hear the message that their vision of their future is just the beginning.
Accomplished, inspirational, giving and involved – any of those words can describe so many of our Dio Old Girl alumnae. We are always keen to hear from Old Girls who are interested in being involved with the League, whether as Committee members, or simply helping at our second-hand uniform sales from time to time. Please feel free to contact us at 027 603 6990 (Jenny Spillane) or oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz.
This year we were again blessed with a beautiful autumn morning for the
Ut serviamus Jenny Spillane
COMMITTEE Sarah Couillault (Willis) | M. 021 489 102 Annabel French (Smaill) | P. 09 575 1175 Penny Tucker (Macdonald) | E. pennydtucker@gmail.com Tania Fairgray (Railley) | P. 09 529 1736 Kimberly Sumner (Wragge) | E. kimberlysumner@happinessblindspot.com Kirsty Eady (McDonald) | P. 09 522 2652 Dio Today Editor, League pages Deirdre Coleman | E. d.g@slingshot.co.nz Diocesan School Old Girls’ League PO Box 28 382, Remuera, Auckland 1541
NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is given that the 108th Annual General Meeting/Conference of the Auckland Diocesan School Old Girls’ League (Inc) will be held on Sunday 3 November at 11.15am in the School Hall in the grounds of Diocesan School for Girls, Clyde Street, Epsom, Auckland.
Amber Oram (Railley), Secretary PO Box 28-382, Remuera, Auckland 1541 M. 021 757 504
It will follow the Founders’ Day Service, starting at 10am, which will be led by Reverend Sandy Robertson. Old Girls’ baptisms will take place in the Chapel of our Glorified Lord at 12pm.
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ALUMNAE NEWS
FOREVER A DIO GIRL We recently received a delightful letter from Old Girl Christine Kindred (Fraser, 1946). Christine left New Zealand 56 years ago when she married an American and has never been back. But she told us how much she loves receiving her copies of Dio Today magazine and staying up to date with what’s currently going on at our School. She says, “Dio is a wonderful school – such lovely, smart, talented young pupils.”
Young people’s understanding of what is involved in the workplace for most jobs is generally very limited. To this end, the School’s Career Development Centre is looking for assistance from locally based Old Girls who might be able to offer work experience, job shadowing or information sharing to our current students to help them develop a better understanding of what is involved in particular job areas.
Miss Edwards was headmistress when Christine was at Dio, and she was in the same class as Bryan Bartley. She grew up in Remuera and was crazy about horses.
MINI SCHOOL REUNION “There were plenty of paddocks near home to keep my horse in,” she writes. “It was like living in the city and country. There were a couple of sheep farms and a dairy farm. My girlfriends and I would help the farm hands bring the cows to the cowshed to be milked.” Christine recalls taking her horse for swims at Point England and cantering along the path at the Remuera Golf Course, not far from where she lived. Her niece, the late Vicki Sandman (1964), was a Dio Old Girl. Christine has two daughters, four grandchildren, and three intermediate-aged greatgrandchildren who all live in and around Boston. Although she’s not fond of the cold Boston winters, she enjoys travelling to Florida for a few weeks of sunshine.
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Can you help?
In late April, Dio Old Girl and current Director of Development Angela Coe happened to be in Boston. She was there to attend the wedding of Dio Old Girl Melany Park (2004) to Travis Hughes at the beautiful MIT Chapel. Both Mel and Travis are PhD candidates at Harvard and MIT respectively. While there, Angela visited Christine at her apartment in Brookline, southwest of downtown Boston. Angela says they had a wonderful afternoon together, sharing stories of Christine’s days growing up in Auckland and attending Dio. They even managed to get a selfie together! Thank you for writing to us, Christine, and for continuing to support our School. We hope you enjoy this issue of Dio Today magazine.
We would like to establish a database of contacts for this purpose and would welcome emails outlining: • area of work • qualifications gained and where • details of your career progression to date • what level of involvement you would be prepared to offer (work experience/ job shadowing/general chat about your area of work/ lunchtime talk to a group etc) • contact details
If you are willing to share your expertise and time, please email careers@diocesan.school.nz
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SHE’S ! E L B A P P O T S UN Do something that terrifies you – that’s the message Dio Old Girl Kimberley Chambers (1992) delivered to a Full School Assembly held in her honour on 9 May at the Dawn Jones Sports Centre. Kim travelled from her home in San Francisco to be presented with the Diocesan 2019 Alumna Merita award for her incredible achievements as an open-water swimmer, philanthropist and conservationist. Facing fears is certainly something Kim has put into action in her life. Following a terrible accident in 2007, she almost had to have her leg amputated. After being warned she would never walk again, Kim embarked on two years of physical therapy and took up swimming to regain her strength. This led to a series of deep-water swim challenges around the world. Today Kim is recognised as one of the world’s top
marathon ocean-water swimmers. She holds four world records and is among just 15 people – and the only New Zealander – to complete the Oceans Seven Challenge of the planet’s most difficult stretches of water. During these events, wearing nothing but a swimsuit, cap and goggles, Kim has encountered poisonous jellyfish, sharks, strong currents and frigid waters. In 2015, Kim became the first woman to swim from the Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge – a distance of 30 miles through the most sharkinhabited stretch of water in the world. The 2017 documentary Kim Swims follows her endeavour. Less than a month later, she and five teammates from Night Train Swimmers broke the world record for the longest continuous swim in history. Over five days and nights for 91 hours, they swam 500km non-stop. In 2016, the same team swam across the Dead Sea from Jordan to Israel, and in 2017 they swam from the USA to Mexico.
Earlier this year, Kim was officially inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. She is the first New Zealand woman to achieve this honour. Born in Te Kuiti, Kim attended Dio from 1988 to 1992, moving to San Francisco when she was 17. She says, “Without a doubt, the nurturing environment fostered here at Dio made me the woman I am today, and for that I am very grateful.” Since leaving Dio, Kim has continued to live the Ut Serviamus motto. She’s raised more than $1.7 million for charities supporting veteran causes such as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in honour of her grandfather who fought in both the Africa and Italy campaigns of WWII, and also for the Semper Fi Fund and the Colibri Centre for Human Rights. Kim also helps raise awareness for the pollution watchdog the San Francisco Baykeeper. She now works full-time as a public speaker and is writing her first book. DIO TODAY
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Kim kindly took some time out to tell us more about her life-changing accident and the swimming challenges she’s undertaken.
Tell us about your accident I was late for work and I slipped down my staircase, hitting my leg and head. My leg began to swell and I eventually passed out from the pain. My next memory is waking up post-surgery in a San Francisco hospital. I’ll never forget the fear as the surgeons told me they’d saved my leg but didn’t know how much functionality I’d have. I was completely broken, both physically and mentally, but I was determined to prove all the medical experts wrong. I endured multiple surgeries, and spent two years in full-time physical therapy learning to walk again. I owe so much
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of my recovery to the incredible team of therapists who gradually transitioned me from a wheelchair to crutches and then to a leg brace. But after two years I still walked with a limp and I certainly couldn’t run. I just wanted to move; I craved a sense of physical and mental freedom that instinctually led me to a local pool. The water saved me.
bad – and, given the choice, I wouldn’t change a thing. Those two years gave me a precious glimpse into the realm of personal possibilities; anything is possible when you set your mind, body and heart to a goal. But I didn’t achieve this medical miracle alone. As with my swims, it was a team effort all the way. That’s the secret to beating the odds.
How has this experience changed your outlook on life? I had moments when I felt angry, depressed and overwhelmingly despondent. Events like that can be consuming. But I now know that there’s always a gift on the other side of trauma. If you let yourself surrender to what you can’t change or control, and you work hard at what you can change, you’ll emerge transformed and forever grateful. My heart is full because of all of this – the good and the
What’s been your most challenging swim to date? Hands-down, the 13 hour and 6-minute swim across the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland that I did on 2 September 2014. I was stung by hundreds of Lion’s Mane jellyfish and had to put up with the frigid 12-degree water. I’ve learned that the human body is an amazing machine. I gained 20kg for this particular swim and it saved my life. My training regimen included bulking
LIFELONG FRIENDS
“Anything is possible when you set your mind, body and heart to a goal.”
up, swimming in the San Francisco Bay regularly, and sitting in pools of ice water for hours at a time (no warm showers for six months prior). When I finally completed the North Channel swim, I was hypothermic and vomiting uncontrollably due to the toxicity from all those jellyfish stings. I was admitted to a specialised respiratory ward in Northern Ireland and then flown back to the US where I was put in a cardiac ward at a San Francisco hospital. I nearly died. It really brought a sense of perspective to everything I do. How do you remain calm during your swims, especially in waters inhabited by sharks? Many of the stretches of water I’ve swum are populated by different species of shark. These apex-predators serve an important role in maintaining a balanced marine ecosystem; the ocean is their living room, not mine. I’m merely a guest passing through and that’s the mantra I’ve clung to in my countless moments of self-doubt and fear. For me, the hardest part of any swim is believing in myself and my body’s ability to keep up with the goals and expectations of my mind. The training and the hard work is the easy part. What’s your proudest accomplishment? This year I was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. As the first and only New Zealand woman to be honoured by this organisation I appreciate the opportunity to show young girls that we’re all capable of far more than we think we are. Marathon open-water swimming and mountaineering are the only two international sports where men and women ‘compete’ on an even playing field.
Kim emerges from the water at the end of the gruelling Farallon Islands swim.
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Just rewards Congratulations to Fiona Guy Kidd (1986) who was appointed to the rank of Queen’s Counsel by the Attorney General in November 2018. In February this year, Fiona was called to the Inner Bar at a ceremony held in the High Court at Invercargill and presided over by then-Chief Justice of New Zealand, the Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias. The rank of Queen’s Counsel was introduced into New Zealand in 1907. The overarching criterion for appointment is excellence as a barrister. It is a hardearned, lifetime rank held by fewer than one percent of New Zealand lawyers. Fiona describes being made a QC as the highlight of her career to date, and a very special acknowledgement of a lot of hard work over the years. But that hard work is far from over. “In being called to the Inner Bar, I made the undertaking to serve to the best of my knowledge and ability,” she says. “This is a weighty responsibility and it means I can’t slacken off!” It was fitting that a fellow Dio Old Girl, the Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias – herself one of New Zealand’s first two female Queen’s Counsels – should preside over Fiona’s admission ceremony. Fiona says Dame Sian has lived the Ut Serviamus motto and given so much of her time to the law.
L to R: Emma Gibbs, Fiona Guy Kidd and Charlotte Findlay. Fiona wears the special black silk gown of a QC, rather than the wool/cotton gown worn by a standard barrister and solicitor. The first time the gown is worn by the new QC is at the ceremony calling them to the Inner Bar, hence the term ‘taking the silk’.
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“She has been a supporter of those working in the area of criminal law, and she is brave – she was never afraid to express a different opinion to other judges. Having Dame Sian preside over the ceremony added a significant link to my childhood in Auckland.” Two more Dio Old Girls, Emma Gibbs, barrister in Manukau, and Charlotte Findlay also attended the ceremony. “Emma, Charlotte and I all went to the University at Otago, and have been friends through the years, so it was fabulous to have them with me at the ceremony,” says Fiona. “I don’t think Dame Sian realised our shared Dio background until my
Two Dio Old Girls, the Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias and Fiona Guy Kidd, have both achieved outstanding feats in the legal profession. Powerpoint presentation at the Bar Dinner that night when I put up a photo of myself, Emma, Charlotte and Debra O’Neil from the 1980s in Dio school uniform.” Emma sat in the front of the court with the other lawyers, while in the jury box to witness the ceremony were members of Fiona’s family. They included her parents, Anne and Kerry Guy, along with her husband Hamish and sons Robert and Cameron.
A powerful endorsement In her address at Fiona’s Admission to the Inner Bar, Dame Sian explained that the rank of Queen’s Counsel is reserved for those who are upright, learned and brave.
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“Those admitted to this tradition are our very best,” she said. “They are expected to demonstrate it in everything they do for as long as they practise law. This is not a prize. It is a responsibility.” Dame Sian commended Fiona for her thorough preparation, solid grasp of legal principle, and skills as an advocate. “You have a reputation for sound judgement and tenacity when it is needed. Your views are sought when questions of competence are raised about the conduct of legal proceedings by other counsel, matters requiring maturity and sensitive judgement. You are someone who is trusted by your colleagues and in whom the judges can feel confident.”
In a special ceremony at the High Court in Invercargill, Fiona is admitted to the Inner Bar. Dio Old Girl and former Chief Justice of New Zealand, the Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias, seated centre, presides over the ceremony.
A varied career Fiona specialises in criminal and regulatory law and undertakes criminal appeals from around the country. She practises from chambers in Invercargill and Christchurch and is the first Queen’s Counsel appointed in Invercargill. Fiona was admitted to the bar in 1992 after graduating with First Class Honours in Law from the University of Otago. She joined the litigation department of Russell McVeagh and then took up a scholarship from the University of Virginia, where she completed a Masters of Law in 1995. On her return to Auckland, Fiona worked with Sir David Williams on some difficult civil cases at the High Court and appellate level, including litigation arising out of the Equiticorp failure and the Wine Box Inquiry. She moved to Wellington and took up a position at Luke Cunningham Clere, the Crown Solicitor’s Office, appearing in a wide range of criminal trials and appeals to the Court of Appeal. After four years, Fiona was lured to Crown Law where she progressed to become Criminal Team Leader, a practice widely considered to be the most exciting in New Zealand. During her extensive appellate practice in the Court of Appeal, Fiona represented the Crown in appeals and also appeared as Crown counsel in many criminal trials in Nelson and Blenheim. She also acted for the Department of
Corrections in appearances before the Parole Board. Fiona’s work for the Crown saw her involved in a range of significant cases including civil proceedings, judicial review proceedings, habeas corpus applications and Bill of Rights matters. She moved to Invercargill with her Southland-born husband in 2011, becoming a partner at AWS Legal. Moving to the other side of the legal playing field, Fiona defended those facing serious criminal charges, including murder and drug offending, and appeared before the Parole Board. She also undertook civil trust cases – making for an extremely varied and challenging workload. Since 2016, Fiona has practised at the bar in Montrose Chambers in Invercargill. She has been appointed amicus curiae, a role that sees her assist the court by offering information, expertise and insight on cases.
School days paved the way For Fiona there is so much about her Diocesan education that has fed into and influenced her career. “Dio instilled a very empowering belief that if you set your mind to it and worked hard, you could do anything,” she says.
During her senior school years in the ’80s, Fiona loved debating, school productions, choir and speech and drama – she fondly remembers the late Elspeth Hitchings, her speech and drama teacher. “All these things gave me the skills I use as a courtroom advocate. I also enjoyed geography all through school taught by Miss Bellamy and Mrs Johnson. I wasn’t great at French but I loved Mrs Cranfield’s French classes – she was fun, with a zest for life and for learning about and connecting with other people and cultures. Curiosity and empathy for others is important in the Law.”
Giving back Putting the School motto, Ut Serviamus, into practice, Fiona has always been willing to share her knowledge. She has mentored and encouraged less experienced lawyers, particularly young women. For several years, Fiona helped organise the valuable litigation skills programme for Pacific Island lawyers for the Pacific Island Law Officers Network. She has been active in continuing education programmes for the Law Society. Fiona is a long-term member of the New Zealand Law Society Litigation Skills programme, including as its director. Her standing in the profession has seen her sought after for various committees and she is currently vice-president of the Criminal Bar Association. DIO TODAY
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SWINGING INTO ACTION On a beautiful early-May day, 75 players took to the greens of the Remuera Golf Course for the Bryan Bartley Golf Day. For the second year, the event was enjoyed by both men and women (with a strong contingent of Dio Old Girls) – a popular move that’s seen player numbers steadily increase. During their round, players enjoyed water, fruit, sandwiches and Dio Brownie, served from the golf cart by Angus from Rawhiti Estate. And if they hadn’t eaten enough out on the course, a light platter-style lunch was served at the end of the day. Among the fun post-game activities was the Gold Golf Ball lucky dip, with those drawing balls numbered 1 to 9 receiving prizes.
Penny Knight, Sue Fletcher, Christina Cashmore, Phillipa Lawrence and Heather McRae
It was lovely to have Bryan Bartley there to award her trophy. The Bryan Bartley Cup for Women’s (Old Girl) Best Stableford Points went to Jenny Johnson. This year, the Old Girls’ League provided a new prize, the Teams Trophy, which Heather McRae presented to the Brett Meyer team (comprised of Brett Meyer, Rob Harris, Barry Walker and Craig McGarr). The Eady Cup for Men’s Best Stableford Points was awarded to Guy Eady. Sisters-in-law Melanie Eady (Perkins) and Kirsty Eady (McDonald) once again expertly organised the event, and would like to acknowledge the generosity of the many individuals and businesses that regularly support the Bryan Bartley Golf Day. Hobson Wealth Management kindly gifted each player a fabulous lined hessian bag, which was filled
Craig McGarr, Brett Meyer, Rob Harris and Barry Walker
The day will begin with a service in the Chapel at 10.15am, followed by morning tea in the School Hall. Senior Old Girls on our database will be contacted and invited to this favourite of events. If you have friends who might not be on our database, or whose contact details may have changed, please encourage them to email oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz to ensure we remain in touch with them. 80
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Other raffle prizes included: vouchers from Hip Group, Pullman, the Eatery at Eastridge and Farro Fresh; umbrellas from Kensington Swan; a case of Aix Rosé from Euro Vintage; and golf balls from the Golf Warehouse. Old Girls Kathy Bartley and Penny Tucker also generously donated wine, pink gin, whiskey and Cognac. A huge thank you to the event’s sponsors Rawhiti Estate and Hobson Wealth Management.
Margot Thompson, Rosemary Wylie, Carol Fulton, Vicki Salmon and Heather McRae
UPCOMING EVENTS SENIOR OLD GIRLS’ MORNING TEA AND CHAPEL SERVICE Tuesday 3 September – Diocesan School Hall
with goodies. Farro Fresh, New World Botany and New World Milford donated hampers for the raffles, which raised a total of $1276. These funds will be put towards Old Girls’ League bursaries.
Kirsty Eady and Guy Eady
LIFELONG FRIENDS
“It’s wonderful to see more younger attendees come along each year,” says Barbara. “If you have any friends who play bridge or mahjong, tell them to consider putting together a couple of tables for next year’s event.”
Five of the original founding DIHT Trustees and event organisers, L to R: Pat Barfoot, Nina Crawford, Margaret Tapper, Hilary Reid and Bryan Bartley.
FUN AND games The Doris Innes House Trust (DIHT) held its annual Bridge and Mahjong Day at the Auckland Bridge Club on 23 May 2019. In addition to being a great opportunity for Dio Old Girls and their friends to gather and have some fun, the event is designed to raise money for the Trust’s scholarship fund. The DIHT was formed in 1988 by a group of Dio Old Girls determined to raise money to build a boarding facility after boarding was closed at the School. DIHT’s mandate is to ensure that Bishop Neligan’s founding vision for Diocesan is made possible – making a Dio education attainable by girls in all parts of the Auckland region, not just by those close enough for daily access. Today, DIHT fundraises to help selected Diocesan students with their boarding fees.
DIOCESAN YEAR 13 GRADUATION BALL Save the date! Saturday 7 December 2019 – Pullman Hotel More details to follow.
This year’s Bridge and Mahjong Day kicked off at 10.30am with morning tea (and home baking). The nearly 100 attendees played through until lunch when they enjoyed a bowl of iconic DIHT curried kumara soup and savouries, accompanied by a glass of wine. Play resumed for another hour until afternoon tea. The Doris Innes House Bridge and Mahjong Day is managed and catered entirely by volunteers, who help serve lunch and ensure that everything runs smoothly. DIHT Board member Barbara Stuart says attendance was good this year, with 23 tables (of four); 21 of bridge and two of mahjong.
OLD GIRLS’ YEAR GROUP REUNIONS The following class reunions will be celebrated with a cocktail function at 6.30pm in School House: Thursday 19 September – 1999 Reunion (tickets on sale from 1 August) Friday 18 October – 2009 Reunion (tickets on sale from 2 September) Tickets for these events will be available through iTicket. CLASS OF 1969: 50-YEAR REUNION Saturday 19 October – School House Fifty years after leaving School and 52 years after sitting School Certificate, the Class of 1969 is gathering to celebrate these significant milestones. This reunion
As in past years, there was a fabulous array of prizes available as part of raffles and for the competition play winners. This year the main sponsors were once again the very generous Farro Fresh and Diocesan’s Parents & Friends, who kindly donated beautiful hampers. “We would particularly like to acknowledge the generosity of Farro,” says Barbara. “They support schools throughout the country and have provided a hamper for us on request each year. We’re extremely grateful for their support.” A number of people also provided donations of small luxury items to give away as prizes. If you’d like to donate any prizes for next year, please contact Barbara, barbara.h.stuart@gmail.com The 2020 event will take place on Thursday 21 May. The organisers would love to welcome new players so if you are interested in attending next year, email Nina Crawford (nina.reid@xtra. co.nz) and she will add you to the list and notify you nearer to the time.
is for Dio Old Girls who were in Form 6 in 1968 or Form 7 in 1969. If this is your year group, don’t miss out! Contact your friends and let them know too. Tickets are now on sale at www.iTicket.co.nz 11am – Meet and greet with tea/coffee in School House 11.45am – School tour 12.45pm – Chapel service 1pm – Lunch For further information, contact Christine White (Mitchelson) M. 021 882 333. E. chrismitch@orcon.net.nz or Sonja Clapham M. 021 411 477. E. sonjaclapham@gmail.com DIO TODAY
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REUNIONS
Karen Mason (1987-2008) held a variety of roles during her years at Dio and after leaving, continued her association with the School, volunteering in the Drama Department. A Science Department reunion: Beverley Reeves, science and biology teacher (1980-1985) with Cecil Wong, HOD Science (1975-1986), Meg Bayley, head of biology (1968-1998) and Lynette Quin, dean and science teacher (1990-2016).
Judy Hanbury taught German at Dio for more than 20 years (1968-1989).
Deputy Principal and geography teacher Annette Johnson (1967-1997) receives her long-service badge from Heather McRae. Pat Cartwright, who taught in the Junior School from 1974 to 1995, with former Head of Music Leonie Lawson (1969-1999).
Art teacher Shelley Ryde is well known to many past and current Dio students. Starting at Dio in 1983, she is still on the staff as HOD Visual Arts.
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LIFELONG FRIENDS
Welcoming back some familiar faces
Past staff reunion In early June, Diocesan held a reunion lunch for former staff. It was a wonderful opportunity for old colleagues to catch up and have a look around the School grounds. It was also a chance for the current Diocesan leadership team to acknowledge the long and much-valued service of some past staff members.
Raewyn MacCormick joined the staff in 1979 working as a teacher and Admissions Director before leaving 32 years later in 2011.
Long service teaching at Diocesan is recognised after 10 years, but there were some staff members who had reached milestones far beyond a single decade. After 10 years’ teaching/working at Dio, staff become Associate Old Girls (yes, even the male teachers!). Sixty guests attended the Dio Staff Reunion and 35 of them were honoured for long service and presented with a commemorative badge. Between them, they had clocked up an astonishing 708 years of service to the School. Six of these long-serving staff members – Meg Bayley, Jane Brothers, Nan Norris, Rosie Ashby, Judy Hanbury and Angela Coe – are also Dio Old Girls.
Much-loved PE teacher Jenny Lloyd (1966-1991) is acknowledged for 25 years’ service.
Former Dio students from the 1970s and 1980s are sure to remember a few of these famous faces. See also pages 10 and 11.
Old Girl Rosie Ashby was a teacher of humanities and English from 1982 to 2005.
Jenny Cutler (English teacher and Library manager 1988-2008), Merle Boniface (Director of Business and Planning 1999-2016) and Madeline Gunn (Academic Principal 1993-2005).
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MILESTONES
Births
Tracey Chaney (Thomson, 1999), a son on 21 September 2018 Bronwyn Erickson (Holmes, 2001), a daughter on 19 June 2018 Shanell Le Loux (Gregory, 2000), a son on 12 March 2019 Anna McDonald (Elvery, 2003), a son on 6 December 2018 Sarah Minhinnick (Raudkivi, 2000), a son on 11 January 2019 Ella Murley (Frater, 2000) a son on 21 December 2018
Marriages
Sarah Bradfield (2004) to Tony Sundman on 26 January 2019 Rose Frater (2004) to Matthew Alpe on 8 March 2019 Bronwyn Holmes (2001) to Timothy Erickson on 25 January 2019 Sarah Jecks (2003) to Sean Greenway on 5 April 2019 Tracey Thomson (1999) to Rex Chaney on 17 March 2017
Deaths
Yvette Corlett (Williams) on 13 April 2019. Yvette is a past Dio staff member who won gold in the long jump at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, breaking the Games record in the process. She was also one of New Zealand’s most versatile athletes, winning gold at the Empire
Games for long jump, shot put and discus, and representing New Zealand in basketball. Yvette is fondly remembered by many an Old Girl as an inspirational and extremely supportive teacher who taught PE classes and coached a range of sports groups at Dio from 1979 to 1991. Pat (Patrichia) Cussen (Budd) on 24 May 2019. Pat was a past President of the Old Girls’ League, and a former staff member who was a Junior School ‘games mistress’ (PE teacher). Barbara Dawn (1945) on 15 December 2018 Briar Haughton (McRae, 1950s) on 9 October 2018 Diana Sydney Wilson (Wilbur Smith) on 21 April 2019 in her 84th year. Diana started Dio in 1947.
Achievements
Tracey Chaney (Thomson, 1999) gained a Graduate Diploma of Commerce from the University of Auckland in 2015. Katie (Kathryn) Collins (2005) recently graduated from the University of Canterbury with a PhD in Biological Sciences. Catherine Eaddy (2013) graduated from the University of Otago with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (with Distinction) in 2018. Bronwyn Erickson (Holmes, 2001) graduated with a BSc in Biological Science from the University of Auckland in 2008, followed by a Post Graduate Certificate in Health Science and Nursing. She graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Nursing in 2015. Sarah Greenway (Jecks, 2003) graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2006.
Proudly supporting DIOCESAN COMMUNITY
Caitlin Hollings (2009) has been awarded the FMB Reynolds Scholarship in Law to Oxford, where she will study towards a Masters in Law beginning in late 2019. Zelda Hollings (2008) has completed a Masters in Engineering, graduating top in her class at the University of NSW. She recently accepted a highly sought-after position at McKinsey’s Consultants in Sydney. Chelsea Lind (2011) gained her Bachelor of Nursing from the University of Auckland in 2018. She also won the University of Auckland School of Nursing Prize for ‘The most distinguished academic performance throughout the Bachelor of Nursing programme’ and the Wolters Kluwer Prize for ‘The most distinguished performance in both clinical and academic work’. Anna McDonald (Elvery, 2003) graduated with an MBChB, Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, from the University of Auckland in 2016. Rebecca Sherie (Dearing, 2000) was awarded the New Zealand Police District Commander’s Certificate for Bravery in 2018. Ariana Ward (2012), graduated with a Master of Commerce in Global Management and Innovation from the University of Auckland. In 2017, Ariana was awarded Top in Course for the ‘Competing Internationally’ paper. She also won a Top Student Award in 2016 while studying a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor of Communications conjoint degree at the Auckland University of Technology. Ariana completed two simultaneous and highly coveted internships for Kea New Zealand and Mediaworks. She now works as Crew Planner at Air New Zealand for the airline’s 777 and 787 fleets.
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