Dio Today November 2020

NOVEMBER 2020

E hara taku toa, i te toa taki tahi engari he toa taki tini.

My strength is not mine alone but due to the strength of others.

A whakataukī that reflects an important sentiment.

It has been the year when we have relied on each other; our families, our friends, our colleagues, all part of the team of five million.

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

Margaret van Meeuwen, Head of Senior School, at Senior Prize Giving

DIOCESAN.SCHOOL.NZ

EDITORIAL

BOARD CHAIR

Mr Andrew Peterson

PRINCIPAL

Ms Heather McRae

CHAPLAIN

Reverend Sandy Robertson

ASSISTANT CHAPLAIN

Reverend Bryan Haggitt

HEAD OF SENIOR SCHOOL

Mrs Margaret van Meeuwen

DEPUTY PRINCIPALS

Mrs Dian Fisher Mr Simon Walker

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Mrs Kate Burkin

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

Mrs Suzanne Brewin

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL JUNIOR SCHOOL

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

DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS

Mrs Kate Jones

HEAD PREFECT

Maddy Gault

DEPUTY HEAD PREFECT

Francesca Masfen

And so we come to the end of what has been an extraordinary year, a year of events none of us would ever have imagined as we celebrated New Year’s Eve 2019, welcoming in 2020 with all the promise of a clean white page. For many, the year has been extremely challenging in numerous ways and has given much cause for reflection and re-evaluation. Here, in Aotearoa New Zealand, we are fortunate to be in a much better position than most people in countless countries across the globe where more lockdown measures, rising numbers of new COVID cases and escalating death tolls continue to impact on and disrupt lives.

I have read many treatises for us to focus on ‘being present’ rather than ‘buying presents’ this Christmas; to share and relish being together with family and friends in our blessed freedom; but never forgetting the fragile nature of that freedom, and all doing our bit to act responsibly.

In Rev’d Sandy Robertson’s article in the pages of this magazine, she says: “May we find a place of peace within ourselves in which to sit and look at the true reality of our blessed lives, counting not what is lacking, but the richest gift we have each been given – the gift of loving and being loved, for in the end, that is all that truly matters.”

DIO TODAY is produced through the Marketing Office of Diocesan School for Girls and is designed 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) and Peter Meecham (www.petermeechamvisuals.com).

From our Old Girls’ League pages editor, Deirdre Coleman, and me, our best wishes for a happy Christmas filled with joy and some well-earned rest and relaxation over the summer holidays.

Liz McKay, Editor

T R E N Z S E AT E R INTERNATIONAL LIGHTING WeChat

AUCKLAND - 80 Parnell Rd, 09 303 4151 CHRISTCHURCH - 121 Blenheim Rd, 03 343 0876 QUEENSTOWN - 313 Hawthorne Dr, 03 441 2363 www.trenzseater.com

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Cover photo: At Senior Prize Giving, Chloé Hickin was the winner of the School’s prestigious Eliza Edwards Memorial Award.

Photo by Nicola Topping, Real Image.

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LIVING

02 From the Principal

Heather McRae’s Senior Prize Giving speech

04 Senior appointments

Introductions and farewells

07 2021 Head Prefects

Congratulations to our new student leaders!

08 Honorary prefects

Those who serve without a badge

10 Heritage Foundation

Open for business... finally time to celebrate!

42 Chaplaincy

The blessing of the present moment

44 Service learning benefits the Cancer Society and the YWCA

46 The Arts Awards

Our top arts achievers for 2020

48 The Sports Awards

Honouring our top athletes

50 Performing Arts

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The year that was

52 Aria and Concerto Competitions Four events to accommodate Dio’s burgeoning musical talent

54 Senior Arts Showcase

Highlight of Arts Week

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58 International dance

16 Senior Prize Giving

An evening acknowledging our top achievements

22 M YP

Part 3 of our series on the Middle Years Programme

24 Mātauranga Māori 28 Infectious!

opportunities For three Year 12 dancers

60 Sports

End-of-year round-up

64 Parents & Friends of Dio

Supporting the Dio community

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LIFELONG FRIENDS

Dio designers take to the catwalk

67 President’s column

30 Adventure on the high seas Aboard the Spirit of Adventure

Jenny Spillane reports

68 Anna Marsh

A leading lady of a different kind

70 Lynette Skelton

34 Ethics 36 Year 6 Exhibition

A pioneer in the water

A digital platform in 2020

38 M adagascar Jr delights as the first production in our Arts Centre auditorium

40 Global connections

Amigo Bars for rural Ghana

72 Where are they now?

Six Old Girls five years out

76 Founders’ Day events 78 Reunions

Back together after 30 years

79 Milestones

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2021 ACADEMIC YEAR School re-opens for all students on Tuesday 2 February at 8.30am.

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L E A DIN G FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Connecting to

THE WIDER WORLD OF CHANGE Principal’s speech delivered at Senior Prize Giving

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his year the humour circulating on social media and in emails was simply outrageous.

Never before have I instantly cut so many ‘innovative’ photos of COVID masks and removed hilariously inappropriate videos from my phone that I couldn’t possibly share with you in our COVID updates – I did choose carefully! Earlier this year Stuff provided an excellent article about whether it was OK to laugh at Coronavirus jokes.

At that time, the world was facing the tragic side effects of a destructive virus that changed our lives. It was the humour that psychologists say served to protect us from the long-term effects of fear and anxiety accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic. Humour ranks right up there with social support, optimism, and faith that are powerful factors in cultivating personal resilience.

The way our girls showed resilience and adaptability in the face of the rapidly changing and unpredictable events this year was outstanding. I especially thank our senior girls and Head Prefects Maddy Gault and Francesca Masfen, along with the fantastic support from staff, Andrew, and the Board. The great thing is that the ‘Dio Difference’ was on heartfelt display. Ut Serviamus is not just a fussy old school motto, but something patently meaningful.

Despite the huge challenges and shocking revelations for families, there was caring and generosity of spirit that permeated our community. A level of knowledgeable calmness meant that we could take each day as it unfolded.

As leadership consultant Peter Drucker

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said, “the great danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence; it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”

In education, one of our biggest challenges is to use yesterday’s logic to scope out the future. We must identify key issues of today and position this school as we did during COVID, to be in the best position to adapt and respond to the challenges we know about, but also the challenges we don’t yet know about. We see this as our core strategic proposition.

Much of today’s world is a pluralistic minefield where radical views drive keyboard warriors to assert influence into every bedroom, every lounge and every workplace. While my generation had pressures of skinny female models and pornography that was sealed in cellophaned magazine racks, new generations are trying to establish their identity amidst a tsunami of rubbish news, social network gossip, radicalism and freely available porn.

There is doubt and anxiety about what is real, along with scarily convincing scams and arguments that fly in the face of science. The concept of fact and truth seemed to have evaded the once very powerful Donald Trump who was never high on my list of reliable sources. Words like friendship and loyalty have lost their true meaning in the clever manipulations of social media, and privacy is compromised when our every move online is tracked.

While some of our programmes at Dio are creating exactly the level of

resilience and adaptability we want to see, far too many people in OECD countries have more assets and quality of life than ever before, but are not thriving. In her latest book Briar Lipson from the New Zealand Initiative points out that we too often remove difficulty from the lives of our young people rather than teaching them perseverance. Building mental strength is complex but deeply embedded in our thinking for the future. For our students, we want solid values-based foundations, an infrastructure of knowledge, and a roof of self-actualised confidence so that they may house a fulfilled life in the future. Our greatest challenge is their leadership and engagement with technology.

As Marie Curie said, “nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood.

Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” When she discovered radioactivity, little did she foresee the helpful but also tragic outcomes of her discovery – curing cancer, X-Rays, Hiroshima, Chernobyl.

Like many other radical discoveries over the centuries, technologies have both positively and negatively impacted our everyday lives. Artificial intelligence is already sending us Pacific holiday options if we mention a pending storm in the Cook Islands. As we know, our girls will change jobs regularly in the future, but who they work for and how they work might also radically change.

Ravi Kumar, president of the Indian tech services company Infosys, says that digitisation, technological change and

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‘We will be looking for problem finders, not problem solvers – those with diverse interests in art, literature, science and anthropology who can identify things that people want before they even know they want them.’

L to R: Deputy Head Prefect Francesca Masfen, Principal Heather McRae and Head Prefect Maddy Gault.

globalisation just keep accelerating, and two things are happening. The world is being knitted together more tightly than ever, and the half-life of skills is steadily shrinking. With artificial intelligence, the ‘no code software’ will design the code for relatively simple applications and spit it out. However, humans are still needed for more complex programming. As our IT expert Rob McCrae quotes, “I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t trust an AI that programmed itself to decide my end-of-life choice, or when to let the police or military robots intervene in any situation.” Some AI will take away jobs but will also create new ones for the future.

Kumar says that once there were clear lines between employers, employees, government and educators, but “now you’re going to see a blurring of all these lines.” Companies, he argues, will increasingly become platforms that synthesize and orchestrate modular packets to make products and services.

In the process, work will be increasingly disconnected from companies – many are already operating this way by connecting people with products all over the world– Amazon, Uber, Airbnb are classic examples. Companies will

form ‘complex adaptive coalitions’ to take advantage of technologies, education and innovation.

There is great potential here for education. Our aim at Dio is to be connected to this world so that our students get exposed to the contexts in which real-world learning is taking place. If done right, we can become part of complex adaptive coalitions by developing relationships with the innovators and leaders in this space.

Whether they be for profit, not for profit, social services or tertiary educators, we want to connect our school to these worlds in meaningful ways so that our girls can experience how learning applies and how new technologies are emerging. In stark contrast to current thinking, Kumar says that we will be looking for problem finders, not problem solvers – those with diverse interests in art, literature, science, and anthropology who can identify things that people want before they even know they want them.

Our opportunities are embedded in our foundational academic subjects, as well as extending our borders. From next year we are scoping a Diocesan

Excellence and Attitude for Life (DEAL) programme that will include essential elements of financial literacy and economic understanding as well as providing a hub for our Dio Difference programmes - ethics, service learning, cultural understanding and futurefocused leadership. Through our local and global coalition of partners, girls will experience these concepts in practice. They will be fully in touch with new technologies and big ideas such as theories of justice, principles of democracy and notions of public good, environmentalism and how to lead a life of purpose.

We will prepare for flexible use of time online and in holidays for opportunities such as externships. Overall, the importance and challenge of connecting our girls to the wider world of change is one we will adopt with passion to ensure that we continue to provide well-rounded, grounded women who are prepared with yesterday’s logic for whatever turbulence the future brings.

Ko tēnei te mihi aroha ki a koutou – this is my greeting of love to you. Thank you for being such an awesome community - Ut Serviamus.

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SENIOR APPOINTMENTS Katie Glynn (Director of Sport) and Sarah Boasman (Head of Science Faculty) have both moved on recently to new roles. Fortunately, the two new appointments to these senior positions were relatively seamless – Angie because she was already in the acting role, and Bernard because he was able to negotiate a start date that coincided with Sarah’s departure.

We wish both Angie and Bernard the best in their careers at Diocesan.

DIRECTOR OF SPORT Anyone who has stood poolside at a water polo game (or in fact any Dio sports game) will know the distinctive accent that booms out from the Dio coach. Angie came to New Zealand in 2014 with a reputation as a brilliant water polo player and double Olympian for England who was putting that skill and energy into coaching. We were lucky enough to engage her as Sports Manager with responsibility for the water sports of swimming, water polo, sailing and underwater hockey and the land-based sport of lacrosse. Dio already had a pretty good national reputation in all these sports, but under Angie’s guidance this has grown. In terms of water polo, Angie started with the Years 7 and 8 teams. Her aim was to build depth so that the premier teams were not reliant on one group of girls, but could draw on a succession of girls who had tournament experience and a winning edge. Those girls are now leaving Dio as the National Champions of 2019 and 2018. (We were denied the ‘3peat’ by COVID.) With Katie Glynn’s move to the coaching of the Black Sticks hockey team and her subsequent move to England to work with Mark Hager (definitely New Zealand’s loss), Angie has been promoted to the Director of Sport.

Angie is very appreciative of the work Katie did to really streamline the work of the sports managers and ensure consistent messages of selection, 4

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The rate of participation in sport at Dio is 82%, well ahead of the 42% national rate and this is a statistic that Angie is keen to maintain – and build on.

Angie Winstanley-Smith (right) has been promoted to Director of Sport as Katie Glynn (inset) moves on to coach the Black Sticks.

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training and coaching, and she aims to continue that work.

While Angie is passionate about winning, she is equally passionate about the development of skills that can be taken away from sport as lifelong capacities. She has long-term plans to develop the student coaching programme, to develop a common culture of pride and resilience, to foster our New Zealand representatives and to support USA College applications through the many networks that our sports managers have. ‘The Dio Way’ coach development programme will be launched in 2021. The intention is to create a supportive environment for coaches to learn and develop. We can always learn so much from other sports codes, and experiences are always similar – so to enable conversations between our coaches will be invaluable to our overall sporting progression.

Further to this, we will continue in our support and growth of Dio’s own coaches – students who dedicate free time to help our younger generations.

In recent years we have seen many Dio Old Girls return as coaches.

The rate of participation in sport at Dio is 82%, well ahead of the 42% national rate. This is a statistic that Angie is keen to maintain – and build on – as girls have access to the 32 sports on offer. We are enormously proud of all the results Dio girls achieve, but Angie knows from personal experience that providing opportunities to play with friends contributes to some of a girl’s fondest memories of school life. One of the key challenges that Angie sees in sport is retention. While our participation rates at Dio are excellent, the drop-off post school is significant. Angie would love to see us encouraging more involvement in sport once the school journey is done. This does not have to be through playing a sport, but officiating and coaching too. Angie’s driver is a ‘sport is for life’ philosophy.

It is great to see Angie promoted to this role and we look forward to many sporting successes and the fun of being involved for some time.

HOF SCIENCE Our new HOF Science is Bernard Potter who joins us after several years as Teacher in Charge of Biology at St Kentigern College.

The fact that he is a biologist meant he was able to fit neatly into the classes vacated by previous HOF Sarah Boasman. Bernard has had an immediate impression of the Dio girls in those classes – welcoming, enthusiastic, self-managing, focused, independent – and he is looking forward to working with more of the girls across the campus.

It’s not surprising that Bernard values those capacities in his students as they are the same qualities that he brings to his leadership. He is passionate about motivating young people to be informed citizens who will have a positive influence over the future of our planet and he values collaboration and collegiality in the teams that he leads. Bernard says he loves the idea of inspiring students to develop a passion for the sciences,

Inset: Previous HOF Sarah Boasman.

Top: New HOF Science Bernard Potter.

especially when they are surprised by this newfound passion for understanding the world around them. In his classroom he strives to encourage students to think creatively in order to problem solve and continually develop their abilities to naturally collaborate and encourage each other in their learning.

In recognition of his work in science, Bernard was awarded the Sir Peter Blake Trust Environmental Teacher Award in 2014. This involved a DIO TODAY

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two-week trip to the subantarctic Auckland Islands with the New Zealand Navy and a team of climate scientists, marine biologists, botanists and geologists. These scientists were doing preparatory work toward setting up a station to monitor the effects of climate change. The highlights for Bernard were being up close and personal with New Zealand sea lions, royal albatrosses and yellow-eyed penguins on these extremely remote islands. Bernard was also awarded a Royal Society Fellowship in 2001.

We warmly welcome Bernard to Diocesan and look forward to a long partnership together.

Bernard takes over the reins from Sarah Boasman who joined the Science Faculty at Diocesan in 2003 as a biology teacher who had recently immigrated to New Zealand with her physics-teaching husband, Rob, and a young family.

Sarah’s excellent knowledge of science and biology in particular, her warmth and creativity in the classroom and the relationships she fostered with her students made her a popular and successful classroom teacher and team member. Many Dio girls have ventured into sciencebased careers indebted to Sarah’s teaching and the many hours she devoted to them, both in and out of the classroom.

Sarah was appointed to the role of Head of Faculty in 2007 when Jackie Bay moved on to the Liggins Institute.

In her 13 years as Head of Faculty she has overseen the introduction of the International Baccalaureate Diploma and Middle Years Programme and further strengthened the quality of science teaching for girls at Diocesan.

She pushed the School’s involvement in the Science Fair, Bio Olympiads, Brain Bee competitions and the like to extend girls beyond the classroom, and was a strong role model for women in science.

Always keen to demonstrate the need for lifelong learning, Sarah was awarded a Royal Society of NZ Endeavour Fellowship in 2014 and 6

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Bernard says he loves the idea of inspiring students to develop a passion for the sciences, especially when they are surprised by this newfound passion for understanding the world around them.

worked at the Liggins Institute where she enjoyed working in the field, both practically in terms of the experience she had in research and experiments, but also working with world leaders in cancer treatment.

Sarah’s involvement at Dio has extended into the exploration of the outdoors that brought her to New Zealand in the first place. She has been on many Duke of Edinburgh camps and scaled Tongariro and Ruapehu as part of EOTC camps.

She also led a successful mentoring programme, matching staff with

students who needed help managing their busy extracurricular lives.

Sarah is a woman of strong faith and Dio was always a good fit for her in that respect. Her own values match those of the School and she has enjoyed working in a school where people matter. She has made many firm friends and leaves a legacy of excellence in teaching. She moves to Baradene College as Head of Faculty, thirsty for new experiences and challenges and we wish her all the best.

With the other half of ‘Team Boasman’ still at Dio, we know we will stay in touch.

FAREWELL TO JENNY WILLIAMS A long-serving Dio staff member who will be remembered by Old Girls, current students and staff throughout the School, Jenny Williams came to work in the Junior School 26 years ago, in February 1994. She was a very popular and successful Year 6 teacher and was also the Dean of Years 4, 5 and 6 for many years. When then Head of the Junior School Mrs Deirdre McOnie retired in 2008, Jenny took on the role of acting Deputy Principal for three terms.

school chess competitions, achieving great success.

More recently, she has taught different levels in the School and has been instrumental in delivering a component of the Years 1 and 2 physical education and music programmes.

Over the years, Jenny has also enjoyed organising and leading the Year 6 camps to MERC at Long Bay and has always been eager to help with chapel services when called upon.

Jenny has always been a keen sportswoman, playing tennis and squash at the Remuera Racquets Club. She carried her love of those games through to her coaching of padder tennis, tennis and squash teams at school. An enthusiastic chess player, Jenny started up the Junior School chess club, which meets every Friday at lunchtime and organises the

Jenny is retiring at the end of the year and will be sorely missed by all. Her bold personality, positive outlook on life and unparalleled sense of humour have made her a most memorable and popular member of the Junior School staff. Jenny is looking forward to her retirement and spending more time going for long walks on the beach and playing squash and tennis.

L to R: 2021 Head Prefect Charlotte Hulme, Principal Heather McRae and 2021 Deputy Head Prefect Phebe Mason.

2021 School leaders Charlotte Hulme has made the most of every opportunity at Dio. She is an accomplished runner who won team gold at the 2019 Cross Country Nationals, and also does dragon boating, netball, tennis and, until recently, football.

Academically Charlotte has excelled, receiving three board scholarships, Academic Honours (2017, 2018, 2020) and High Distinction in 2019. Last year she won a NZ Bright Education Trust Scholarship and travelled to China to study Chinese.

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In Year 10, Charlotte won the Heritage Foundation CJ Tunks Memorial Award for General Excellence.

She has been an avid member of schoolwide committees and the Community Service Council, and a volunteer after-school tutor at Tuakana Teina in the Junior School.

Outside of school, Charlotte volunteers for the Cancer Society and SPCA. She is about to complete her gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Phebe Mason’s extracurricular involvement at Diocesan includes lacrosse, debating, the Literature Club, several committees, the Community Service Council and volunteering as a chapel server.

Performing arts is Phebe’s passion and she has won numerous awards at the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand National Festival and One Act Play Festival. She was part of the 2018 and 2019 National Theatre Connections Company in London, and represented Diocesan at the International Festival of Theatre in 2019.

Phebe was a cast member in Beauty in the Beast, she has competed in the Senior Aria Competition and is in the Senior Choir and St Cecilia Singers.

She is also a silver scholar who received Academic High Distinction and the Angela Edgington Cup for Excellence in Historical Research Level 3. In 2019, Phebe won the Mary Pulling Award for her contribution to the School.

Phebe was a member of the Young Enterprise business ‘Period’ that created wallets out of 100% repurposed sanitary pad wrappers and donated sanitary products to women in need.

At the Auckland Central regionals for the Young Enterprise Scheme, Period came third and Phebe won Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

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Charlotte is honoured and excited to be Diocesan’s Head Prefect for 2021.

The 2020 honorary prefects from left to right: Kim van den Hurk, Olivia Clark, Sacha Acland, Arabella Loveridge, Deborah Huang, Kristen Hansen and Jemima Forsythe.

Honorary prefects

It has become a tradition to appoint honorary prefects in the middle of each year, to honour the girls who, without a badge, have continued to contribute, often in an understated and quiet way, to the activities of the School and the Year 13 cohort.

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his year the awards were made first to the girls at a special morning tea, with a video of the presentations to their parents, and finally to a full school assembly when we came out of Level 2 for the second time. This year we awarded seven, which is more than most years, but given the year we have had, sharing a bit more love seemed appropriate.

The honorary prefects for 2020 are:

Kim van den Hurk Kim generously gives her time for others and is just such a really nice person. If someone is having a bad day, Kim is always there as a sounding board to help and support them, always making a positive difference to their lives. Her ability to form effective relationships is outstanding and she demonstrates great leadership through her ability to make everyone feel valued and respected.

Olivia Clark Olivia is a bubbly, energetic person with a real sense of purpose and fun.

She always puts her hand up to help, does a lot of coaching and has strong connections across the School with other girls. A fierce competitor, Olivia is the code captain for water polo and through this she is known and respected by many younger girls at Dio. As a voluntary referee, she makes a huge contribution of her time to sport.

We acknowledge Sacha for modelling what this means to us all. Thank you Sacha for your outstanding leadership at Diocesan.

Arabella Loveridge Arabella is someone who always has a smile on her face. If you ask her to do a job, she puts 110% effort into it, never complains and is a super-organised person. Arabella has lots of energy and on the hockey pitch she shows great grit and determination. She is an outstanding role model, very self-aware and selfless by always being ready to help and support others.

Deborah Huang Deborah is an all-around amazing person. She is Deputy Prefect of Mary Pulling house and participates in underwater hockey, debating and every music group imaginable! She does everything to the highest level and demonstrates commitment to volunteering by working in the after-school care programme. An amazing debater, and also head of

the Ethics Council, don’t take her on in an argument! She stands up for what is right and demonstrates all the attributes of honesty, integrity and respect that are true to Diocesan values.

Kristen Hansen Kristen came to Dio at the beginning of last year and has taken every opportunity to engage and form strong relationships. She is incredibly supportive of other students who have needed help and has been a great supporter of Mary Pulling house. She contributed to the huge amount of work required by the Ball Committee and her willingness to engage and commit her time and ideas is outstanding.

Jemima Forsythe Jemima is always working to help and support people. With her delightfully positive attitude and willingness to pitch in, she doesn’t seem to be phased by challenges and her quietly ‘behind the scenes’ approach is awesome and very much appreciated by the girls at Dio. A true servant leader, her attitude to contributing to others is admirable.

Sacha Acland Sacha has been a role model and outstanding contributor to the Diversity Committee by demonstrating what it is to be your true self. She is warm, approachable and supportive, leaving those she interacts with feeling valued. Not afraid to challenge barriers and thinking, Sacha is creative and demonstrates how we can all be equitable and non-judgmental of others. Sacha leads the Queer Straight Alliance and her sense of personal justice is a founding value of Diocesan.

Year 13 group photo After a year filled with a multitude of challenges and, for the Year 13 girls, many disappointments due to the cancellation of events that are usually highlights of their final school year, the Year 13s celebrated having made it through with a special lockdown-themed mufti day in October.

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H E R I T A G E

Donor event, 27 October

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OPEN for business Our newly completed Arts Centre now sits proudly on our campus, marking the northern gateway and opening up the heritage heart of the School. We look forward to welcoming our school and wider communities to this fantastic space as we showcase and celebrate the innovation, talent and vibrancy of our students.

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t was with a sense of jubilation and pride that the Arts Centre auditorium opened to students in September 2020, completing a visionary five-year project that has culminated in one of New Zealand’s leading performing arts and learning facilities.

Students have already been flocking to the new space, with the Junior School claiming the limelight with their performance of Madagascar, A Musical Adventure Jr, the first production to be held in the newly opened 920-seat theatre. This is just the first of many events already filling the Diocesan calendar, from choral events and year-group assemblies through to our end-of-year prize givings.

The building captures the essence of what is special about Diocesan, our strong sense of community and the support provided by so many to give opportunities that will enhance the experience of all Diocesan girls, now and into the future.

The Arts Centre project has seen the whole school community come together to support the creation of this wonderful learning and performance space. It is testament to the generosity and efforts of so many, from private donors to the Heritage Foundation, Dio Arts, Parents & Friends, the Old Girls’ League and more.

On behalf of our staff and students, we thank you for your support.

Three of the first events to be held in our new auditorium were the Year 5 production of Madagascar Jr, the Aria and Concerto competitions and the Arts Showcase.

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FINALLY, A TIME TO

CELEBRATE!

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On a beautiful evening in late October, many of our generous donor families and friends joined us to celebrate and enjoy a tour of the stunning Diocesan Arts Centre. It is an absolute joy to see this final stage of our campus master plan, begun in 1995, completed. And to see the delighted reactions of those whose contributions turned the dream into a reality.

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1 Christine Nolan, Kerry McMillan, Barbara and Ian Goodall 2 Marcus Graney, Deborah and Matthew Malaghan and Jane Anderson 3 Annabelle Voss, Angela Coe and Margaret van Meeuwen 4 Shalini and Prakash Pandey 5 Shelagh Thompson, Jane Williams, Scott Christie and Sue McDowell Hook 6 Dame Sian Elias and Hugh Fletcher.

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7 Maddy Gault, Anna Casey and Francesca Masfen 8 Lynn and Rod Oram, Lynne and Greg Towers, Mary and Jonathan Mason 9 Suzanne Hansen, Jess and Sam Scott and Rosey Eady 10 Edwina and Darius Mistry with Principal Heather McRae 11 Kirsten and Carl Blanchard with Jenny Spillane 12 Simon Lu, Annie Li and Grace Hu 13 Deirdre Cochrane, Catherine Hegley and Harsha Reynolds.

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An afternoon of fun & frivolity...

FINDING YOUR SEAT!

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here was an excited buzz in the air as Old Girls, past and current parents, and the girls searched for their named seats in the theatre. While guests enjoyed popcorn and candy floss, milkshakes and lemonade in the foyer, JP the Entertainer whizzed around on his unicycle and wowed the crowd with his magic tricks and juggling skills – the girls also got a chance to learn some circus arts on the stage. Hilarious props in the photo booth topped off the afternoon, adding lots of fun. Another enjoyable celebration of the Arts Centre!

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L E A R N IN G

SENIOR PRIZE GIVING Diocesan Arts Centre, Friday 13 November 2020.

Chloé Hickin

TOP AWARDS ELIZA EDWARDS MEMORIAL AWARD Chloé Hickin The Eliza Edwards Memorial Award is made to a student leaving the School who throughout her schooling has contributed to many school activities, shown high personal standards, and has exhibited the qualities inherent in the foundation of the School.

Chloé started life at Dio in Year 7 and instantly threw herself into activities at the School, joining service, sports and arts groups, contributing to the school student newspaper, and marking herself out as a young woman of integrity, maturity and responsibility. Even at that stage, Chloé demonstrated the qualities of servant leadership. She works with others in a way that empowers them, rather than pushing herself into the limelight. These same qualities operate in the classroom where her insightful

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approach to learning and her willingness to contribute to the discussion and debate enable others to grow as well.

This year Chloé has been the Student Services Prefect and, despite the limitations of lockdown, has worked on initiatives with her council that supported the wellbeing of others. Their work culminated in a set of resources being produced for each year level and under Chloé ’s leadership every member of the council contributed. Chloé has ensured that student voice around wellbeing issues will be at the forefront of our ongoing work. She stands up for her beliefs and is a strong role model for being comfortable in her own skin.

Chloé is also a successful academic student who has received Academic High Distinction, the Year 13 Service Award and a University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship.

Congratulations Chloé on being the recipient of the Eliza Edwards Award for 2020.

THE DUX AWARD The Dux Awards represent our most outstanding academic achievements.

The IB Dux for 2020 is Deborah Huang Deborah is the well-deserved Dux of the International Baccalaureate class of 2020, but looking at her, you would wonder how she finds time for her studies at all. Deborah is an absolute stalwart of music at Dio, a member of the Dio Symphony Orchestra and the Concert Band and many chamber groups over her time at Dio. She is a deputy prefect in Mary Pulling house, is in the premier underwater hockey team and premier debating team, and demonstrates commitment to volunteerism by working in the afterschool care programme. She is head of the Ethics Council and in the past has competed in the New Zealand mooting competition and has also been part of Amnesty International.

This year Deborah was made an honorary prefect in recognition of the leadership she showed as part of all these groups. However, she receives this award for her academic success – she has been awarded Academic Honours, Diploma Group prizes in economics, chemistry and history and a University of Otago Academic Excellence

Sabreen Islam

Scholarship, and we are delighted to congratulate Deborah as the IB Dux for 2020.

The NCEA Dux for 2020 is jointly awarded to Sabreen Islam and Amy Choi Sabreen has had another excellent year at Dio. With near perfect academic scores, Sabreen has continued to excel in her subjects, which show a leaning towards English, the social sciences and the arts. As a student, Sabreen encourages others with her critical thinking, her drive to explore new and divergent concepts, and a willingness to critique information to distill the truth.

This is complemented by her pursuits outside the classroom where she is a published writer, and a published songwriter with a growing following on Spotify. All of this is completed with Sabreen’s characteristic humility and grace.

This year Sabreen was the Community Services Prefect and she showed amazing leadership around the City Mission food drive we held after the first lockdown. She organised a large team of girls, coordinated the collection, counting and packing of the food items, spoke at both Junior and Senior School assemblies to motivate students, and

Amy Choi

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Deborah Huang

initiated the inaugural House Service cup idea. The end result was a huge success, with over 7000 food items collected for the City Mission and was a great opportunity to build School spirit after the first lockdown. As a result, Sabreen was justifiably awarded the Heritage Foundation Beale Award for Service to the School.

Amy is completing a stellar academic career at Diocesan – Academic Honours each year and the Heritage Foundation Dorothy Shrewsbury Bursary in Year 12 for the top academic performance. As well as the award for NCEA Dux, Amy has received Academic Honours, the Vancouver Award for Physics and a University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship.

In her spare time Amy has been a member of the premier debating team, the Australian Mooting Competition and Young Enterprise. She has given back to Dio as a Mathex coach, a circle leader, a school guide, a chapel reader and offered science help... and who can forget her beautiful dance contribution in the musical Beauty and the Beast last year? This year Amy has been the Roberton house prefect and led the house with much enthusiasm, integrity and superb organisation.

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Amie Cummack

Caption Herexx Sarah Ellis

ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS Presented by the Chair of the Board of Governors, Mr Andrew Peterson, these scholarships are awarded to the top academic students in Years 11 and 12.

These scholarships have increased in value to a 25% reduction in tuition fees for the following year.

Ella Riley

Lucy Russ

Year 11 Amie Cummack Sarah Ellis Ella Riley Lucy Russ Year 12 Jemima Box Charlotte Hulme Natasha Mori Kate Wellington

THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION DOROTHY SHREWSBURY BURSARY Jemima Box

Charlotte Hulme

Awarded to the top academic student in Year 12, this bursary is named after Miss Shrewsbury, a former headmistress. Miss Dawn Jones established this bursary in 1983 with funds raised at the 80th Jubilee Concert.

The recipient of the Dorothy Shrewsbury Bursary for 2020 is Jemima Box Jemima Box

Natasha Mori

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Kate Wellington

ARTS SCHOLARSHIP

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Matilda Hol

Matilda Hol The recipient of this scholarship demonstrates an exceptional level of skill in their chosen discipline and has had success at national level. This student displays a positive attitude and is fully involved in the Diocesan Arts programme, including representing the School in competitions and events, demonstrating a commitment to the wider arts culture within the school.

SPORTS SCHOLARSHIP This year, this scholarship will be awarded at the Junior High School Prize Giving.

PRINCIPAL'S AWARDS Presented by the Principal, Ms Heather McRae. Up to eight Principal’s Awards are awarded for each year level to a student who, through her dedication and contribution to her studies and to others, has demonstrated: •R eliability and commitment •C reative thinking and innovation •R esilience and persistence in accepting challenges •P ersonal excellence •D emonstration of the School motto ‘Ut Serviamus’.

American universities Arabella Loveridge has been awarded a scholarship to Indiana University. This scholarship will cover her tuition fees to the value of US$300,000. She will be playing hockey and studying IT. Alice Waldow has accepted a place at the University of Southern California on a part swim scholarship.

Morgan McDowell has a full four-year sports scholarship to the University of Hawaii.

Year 11 Neve Cobham Amie Cummack Olivia Hardie Isabelle Head Harriet Johnston Katie Parr Emma Wilson Sophia Winstanley

University of Canterbury Emma Badger, Olivia Clark, Milly Johnston and Brooke Vincent University of Canterbury Hiranga Scholarship

Year 12 Lily Bond Jasmine Druskovich Amelia Griffiths (in absentia) Priscilla Huang Lauren Jackson Isabella Landon-Lane Lucy McKinnon Sophia Souloglou Year 13 Luca Andrews Mia Cobham Kristen Hansen Lily Hitchcock

UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS

Lauren Komie Sarina Mackey Stella Murray Ella Russ

AUT Prudence Fowler AUT Academic Excellence Scholarship Lincoln University Helen Dunshea Lincoln University – Future Leaders’ Scholarship Victoria University Dayna Cornwell Victoria University – Tangiwai Scholarship University of Otago Hannah Flacks, Freya Green, Kellie Hageman, Zoe Mercer and Stella Murray University of Otago New Frontiers Excellence Entrance Scholarship

Isobelle Brosnahan, Grace Cocker, Sriya Garamilla, Chloé Hickin, Lauren Komie, Nicole Lockie, Amali Madawala, Hannah Mercer and Olivia Wrapson University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Francesca Reade University of Otago -ori Entrance Scholarship Ma Ana Latu, Mikayla Meredith University of Otago Pacific Entrance Scholarship Abby Allison, Cara Bradding, Katie Crawford, Kaitlyn Mallon, Grace Mellsop and Jessica Woo University of Otago Performance Entrance Scholarship Amy Choi, Deborah Huang University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship University of Auckland Kristen Hansen University of Auckland Pacifica Scholarship Jessica Hunter, Lena Jacob, Francesca Masfen and Aarushi Parasrampuria University of Auckland Top Achievers Scholarship We have two awards from the University of Auckland recognising the outstanding achievements of Year 12 students: Phebe Mason for excellence in history and business studies – University of Auckland Faculty of Arts Award Lily Bond for excellence and passion in geography – Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries Award DIO TODAY

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OLD GIRLS’ LEAGUE AWARDS Mary Pulling was our founding headmistress from 1904 to 1926.

The Mary Pulling Award recognises students who show potential and an outstanding contribution to the School in a wide range of areas. Students currently in Years 11 and 12 who will be continuing their education at the School are eligible for these awards. In making the selection, academic ability is a consideration, but the likely contribution of the student to the School is the deciding factor.

The Mary Pulling Award Year 11 Emma Parton 20

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Jessica Marshall

Heidi van der Peet

Emma Parton

Diane Wang

The Mary Pulling Award Year 12 Heidi van der Peet Ethel Sandford was headmistress from 1926 to 1932. She was noted for her energy and determination as well as her musical abilities.

The Ethel Sandford Bursary for Music Jessica Marshall

OTHER AWARDS Dame Rosie and Michael Horton Prize Lottie Lobb Dame Rosie and Michael Horton have had a long association with Diocesan through the education of their daughter and granddaughters. They have generously donated this prize, awarded annually to a Year 13 student who,

despite challenges, has succeeded in her schooling and in the wider life of the School. The prize will support her as she leaves Diocesan, determined to make a difference.

IB Diploma Learner Profile Award Diane Wang This is awarded to a student in Year 13 who, throughout the two years of the Diploma, has consistently exhibited the attributes of the IB Learner Profile.

This profile can be considered as a map of a lifelong journey in pursuit of international-mindedness. It aims to develop active, compassionate and lifelong learners, and to prepare students to make exceptional contributions both at school and beyond.

The IB mission is to encourage students to be inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, openminded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective, thus educating the whole person for a life of active, responsible citizenship.

EY Visual Arts Prize Sienna Zhang EY has a strong relationship with Diocesan and recognises artistic excellence through this prize. Aptly titled ‘Seeker’, the style of Sienna’s painting, including its emphasis on tones of blue and expressive use of brushstrokes, is reminiscent of Picasso’s famous Blue Period paintings. In a similar vein to Picasso,

Prudence Fowler

Morgan McDowall

Lena Jacob

Siena’s artwork speaks of an issue, in this case ‘histrionic or attention-seeking personality disorder’. The award was judged by Associate Professor Jill Smith, Faculty of Education and Social Work, the University of Auckland, and was presented by Matthew Hanley, partner at EY.

SPORTS AWARDS These sports awards, normally presented at the Sports Awards dinner, were made at Senior Prize Giving this year.

Vicki Hearfield Cup for initiative, enthusiasm and passion for chosen sports Nicole Lockie

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Nicole Lockie – Vicki Hearfield Cup, and Katie Crawford – Barbara Kissling Cup

Allison Roe Award for Service to Sport Lena Jacob Del Hooper Award for Outstanding Individual Sporting Achievement Prudence Fowler and Morgan McDowall Barbara Kissling Cup for Premier Sportswoman of the Year Katie Crawford

The awards listed here are only some of those presented at Senior Prize Giving. A full list of all the awards made can be found on the School’s website: diocesan.school.nz

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Middle Years Programme PART 3 At Diocesan School, assessment is seen as an important part of our three strategic pillars: mātauranga – our education, hapori – our people and kāinga – our place, and contributes to the realisations of the goals contained in our School mission statement.

A

ssessment is a collaborative process and enables students, teachers and parents to monitor the learning undertaken by each student in terms of all-round personal growth. Assessment is a crucial part of the learning process, aimed at determining the learners’ levels of understanding, not only to award a level of achievement but also to identify the learning needs of students and to provide feedback on progress. The Dio philosophy of assessment already complements the intentions of the IB Learner Profile and aligns strongly to our current school practices. At Diocesan we see assessment as a means of developing students who are reflective, knowledgeable and balanced.

MYP assessment is criterion related and is a process ‘based on determining levels of achievement against previously agreed criteria’. (IBO, 2017, p.123) This ‘criterion-related’ approach represents a philosophy of assessment that is neither ‘norm-referenced’ (where students must be compared to each other and to an expected distribution of achievement) nor ‘criterion-referenced’ (where students must master all strands of specific criteria at lower achievement levels before they can be considered to have achieved the next level). (IBO, 2017, p.79) Each MYP subject group has a set of four objectives (A-D) developed by the IBO that correspond to the assessment criteria against which the students’ work will be assessed. The objectives describe 22

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the knowledge, skills and understanding in each subject group. Teachers address subject objectives through classroom teaching and learning as part of the taught curriculum (see fig.1).

Grading is based on the achievement levels attained for each criterion within the numerical bands of 0-8. Students are provided with an assessment rubric that describes the level of achievement required in each band.

The achievement levels for the four criteria are based on the assessed summative work and the teacher’s professional judgement.

Building on our current practices, assessment in the MYP at Dio will be ongoing, using both formative assessments (assessment for learning) and summative assessments (assessment of learning). Through effective formative assessment (assessment for learning), teachers gather, analyse, interpret and use a variety of evidence to improve student learning and to help students to achieve their potential. Peer and self-assessment can be important elements of formative assessment. Summative assessment (assessment of learning) is generally undertaken at the end of a unit of work. It provides students, teachers and parents with an indication of how a learner has acquired and developed the intended knowledge, skills and understanding. Summative assessment is not the purpose of the teaching and learning process; it gives students opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned.

Final achievement levels for each criterion are based on all the summative assessment information, within each of the four criteria, during a learning period. Formative assessment results, however, also play a part in professional decision making when determining an achievement level. This is done using a best-fit approach ‘in which teachers work together to establish common standards against which they evaluate each student’s achievement holistically’.

(IBO, 2017, p.79) Teachers use a wide range of assessment tools to measure student learning. When possible, assessment tasks are designed to have an authentic context where students use and apply their knowledge and skills in a real-world setting. This encourages students to see the wider purpose and application of the work they are learning and being assessed on. As part of the MYP implementation process this year, teachers have been using both formative and summative strategies as they align with the MYP assessment requirements.

In Year 7 PE, the students have been exploring how movement and communication can change in different

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situations. While learning to play flippa ball, the students developed a range of movement techniques, game strategies and effective communication skills. Teachers used the formative strategy of peer and self-assessment to specifically focus students on the skills they were developing. Students were given a detailed assessment rubric linked to the assessment criteria to use as a checklist. Formative feedback was then given by both peers and teachers to help students assess how they were developing their skills and where they could improve. The summative assessment then required the students to play a game of flippa ball, demonstrate their skills, which the teacher summatively assessed using the same rubric.

In Year 7 social studies, the students spent time exploring various perspectives on a range of current events and how they impact people’s lives. The teachers created an authentic assessment task where the students were asked to write a letter to future Dio students in 2040. In the letter, they were asked to share their experiences and perspectives on the impacts of the current global pandemic. By using a current, real-world context, teachers were able to use the students’ prior knowledge when teaching the skills of identifying key facts and expressing opinions. The students commented that they were more able to make connections between what they were experiencing and what they were hearing in the news.

Recently in Year 7 English, the students investigated a range of texts in order to identify the elements of essay structure and formal writing. They then used this to write an essay of their own where

Opposite top: Year 7 English.

Opposite bottom: Year 7 PE. Above: Year 7 social studies.

Below: Figure 1 -MYP Subject Objectives (IBO, 2017, p.81) Language and literature

Analysing

Organising

Producing text

Using language

Language acquisition

Comprehending spoken and visual text

Comprehending written and visual text

Communicating

Using language

Individuals and societies

Knowing and understanding

Investigating

Communicating

Thinking critically

Sciences

Knowing and understanding

Inquiring & designing

Processing & evaluating

Reflecting on the impacts of science

Mathematics

Knowing and understanding

Investigating patterns

Communicating

Applying mathematics in real-world contexts

Arts

Knowing and understanding

Developing skills

Thinking creatively

Responding

Physical and health education

Knowing and understanding

Planning for performance

Applying and performing

Reflecting and improving performance

Design

Inquiring and analysing

Developing ideas

Creating the solution

Evaluating

MYP projects

Investigating

Planning

Taking action

Reflecting

Interdisciplinary

Disciplinary grounding

Synthesising

Communicating

Reflecting

they made connections and compared two texts they had studied. During the assessment week, students were able to plan and draft their essay writing and were given formative feedback from their teachers. They then produced a final version of the essay for the summative assessment using the feedback to improve their work.

common philosophy – a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Dio believes is important for our students. *Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be

Diocesan School for Girls is a Candidate School* for the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The school is pursuing authorisation, expanding its status to a three-programme IB World School. These are schools that share a

granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org

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Mātauranga Māori Some 700 years ago, using the stars and ocean currents as navigational guides, the explorer Kupe ventured across the Pacific in his waka hourua (sailing waka) from his ancestral Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki, and discovered Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. The connection to this land, and a need to survive and prosper, encouraged those early settlers to develop knowledge and to find systems of learning to suit these far-flung islands.

This mātauranga (knowledge) and tikanga (cultural principles) are indigenous and endemic, and they are a taonga (treasure) for us all.

T

he curriculum we offer at Diocesan is one that serves to expand knowledge and capabilities for life beyond school. As our students move into the wide world, and into their adult lives, they will need to be confident in the diverse communities of Aotearoa if they are to make decisions that might positively contribute to our country. We must ensure that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is understood and is woven into our public discourse, and as we become increasingly aware of our own history it becomes evident that our future

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prosperity will rest upon greater enlightenment.

In a wide range of academic, professional and social contexts, Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) is becoming increasingly well represented. There is a greater need for tomorrow’s leaders to have a deeper understanding of tikanga and te reo Māori (Māori language). We are ambitious that our girls will be prepared to lead on social issues and contribute towards building a more equitable society. We want to create a space for students to hear the voice and stories of those who are not often heard and to foster understanding of the root cause of social disparities, and meaningfully consider how they might be reconciled.

Our young country has such growth ahead of it.

In 2021 we will be launching our Mātauranga Māori programme to all students in Year 7 and Year 8, and in 2022 expand to include Year 9 and Year 10. Our students will all have the opportunity to learn alongside our experienced kaiako (teachers) in the school wharenui, immersing themselves in Te Ao Māori.

Mātauranga Māori is a programme designed to educate learners of a Māori worldview and indigenous knowledge systems. The purpose of this course is to give the students a deeper understanding of Aotearoa, as well as decoding the stories, values and beliefs that shape the culture. Māori culture is an integral part of Kiwi life and is the unique, dynamic and foundational element to

“Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi.”

“With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive.”

the national identity of New Zealanders.

Having a deeper understanding of the nation’s first peoples will strengthen our identity and help us to authentically and sincerely embrace the many diverse cultures of Aotearoa today.

Four strands of learning are woven across the year levels to progressively build knowledge and understanding.

This programme will be delivered from a Māori perspective and in Englishspeaking schools represents a first in New Zealand secondary schools. The programme draws upon Te Marautanga o Aotearoa curriculum and the teaching philosophy of Tātaiako.

Te Ao Māori will grow an understanding of how ideas, values and stories are communicated through art, oral traditions, karakia, waiata, poi, haka, moteatea (traditional chants) and whakatauki (proverbs). In Mana Taonga, students will learn of taonga in all its forms, about the characteristics and actions of kaitiaki (guardians) in accordance with kōrero tuku iho (oral traditions) and how these stories, values and ideas are carried out as tikanga in the community. Te Ao Hurihuri will focus on a historical case study and identify the current impact on Māori

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“Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou.”

“Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing.”

society today. Students will learn about the Treaty principles and the process of reconciliation and claims settlement through the Waitangi Tribunal, while also learning about the role of affirmative action initiatives to rebuild communities.

In Tangata Whenua, we will teach an understanding of Māori communities through various topics, such as navigation stories, marae traditions, local iwi and key Māori leaders.

Diocesan School for Girls takes great pride in offering a rich curriculum in which meaningful learning takes place.

Over the last two years, we have taken on the challenge to better incorporate Te Ao Māori into all that we do. Many of our teachers have undertaken language and tikanga programmes through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and we have had a focus on integrating Mātauranga Māori into the curriculum areas across our community of learning. We know that if we wish our students to lead, we must walk alongside them in their learning, for we are on this great journey together.

TEACHER PROFILES Ashley Pīhema He uri tēnei nō Ngāti Kahu ki Awanui Ngāti Whātua ki te Kaipara Ngā Puhi ki Whangaroa Ngāi Tahu ki Te Waipounamu me Ngāti Pākeha.

Nō Aotearoa, Engarangi Kōtirana me Tiamana ngā tūpuna.

Ashley is the teacher-in-charge of Te Reo Māori in the Senior School and has been in the role at Diocesan Girls for nearly eight years. Her academic background is in the arts, majoring in criminology and Māori studies.

Ashley has been working with the team to build the Mātauranga Māori strategy for the School community.

She is committed to the development of cultural competency and creating learning opportunities that foster socially progressive outcomes.

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From left to right: Ashley Pihema, Cydel Peters and Kali Haenga

Kali Haenga Ko Hikurangi me Kirieke ngā maunga Ko Waiapu me Wairuru ngā awa Ko Ngāti Porou me te Whānau-aApanui ngā iwi Kali is a proficient and native speaker of Te Reo Māori. She was brought up on the East Coast, immersed in Kura Kaupapa Māori and bilingual school environments.

Kali heads the language and kapahaka initiatives for the Junior School at Diocesan. She is passionate about the culture and sharing it with those around her. Kali cultivates a positive and dynamic learning environment for her students.

Cydel Peters He uri tēnei nō Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Whātua, Tainui, Rereahu, me Kōtirana Ko Tongariro me Pureora ngā maunga Ko Taupō-nui-a-Tia te moana Ko Waikato te awa Ko Te Heuheu te tangata Tīhei Mauri Ora!

“Mā te kimi ka kite. Mā te kite ka mōhio. Mā te mōhio ka mārama.”

“Seek and discover. Discover and know.

Know and become enlightened.”

Cydel was brought up in Taumarunui in the King Country by her grandmother.

This is where she learnt her Māori language and Māori tikanga, as she was on the marae nearly every day with her grandmother and was schooled in kura kaupapa. Cydel also has an academic background in sports, physical education and health. She has been the Head of the Māori Department at Epsom Girls’ Grammar for over three years and recently worked for Māori television.

Cydel is very pleased to be starting her new career at Dio as the new Mātauranga Māori teacher.

LEARNING World Vision’s Chris Clarke

World Vision & REEMI

I

visit Dio

n preparation for the external examination, our Year 13 health science and psychology classes have been examining the international issue of poverty. A main focal area of learning has been why poverty and poor health are inextricably linked, and the role that the determinants of health may play in further exacerbating health inequities.

In order to consolidate our learning, we were fortunate enough to have World Vision CEO Chris Clarke and the social enterprise REEMI share their knowledge and experience on this international health issue.

During the presentation, Chris gave us an insight into the work of World Vision and the processes the organisation goes through to develop communities affected by poverty. He related first-hand experiences of communities that he has worked with and the strategies used to promote better health and wellbeing through education, infrastructure, resources and forming partnerships.

In a recent interview, Chris Clarke stated: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve for the past seven and a half years as CEO of World Vision New Zealand. It has been a job that I have loved, because of the work we do transforming the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children, the inspirational people who work for World Vision, and the hundreds of thousands of generous Kiwis who do what they can to make a real difference in the lives of so many across the globe.”

unpaid days) due to infections caused by unhygienic menstrual cloth or rags.

Through their collective work in health care and international development, Emily and Ashleigh (founders of REEMI) knew that women’s health was not being prioritised and they wanted to do something about it by starting a social enterprise so that every person could have access to menstrual health education and sustainable, culturally appropriate and affordable menstrual products. All their profit goes towards achieving this goal.

REEMI is a fantastic example of just one World Vision partnership. It is an organisation formed by two young, inspirational females who discovered that approximately 8095% of Bangladeshi women don’t use sanitary products because they are unaffordable or inaccessible. Instead, many women use cloth or torn sari known as ‘nekra’. Another study reported that 73% of Bangladeshi factory workers missed an average of six days of work per month (resulting in

We are so grateful for the time Chris, Emily and Ashleigh took to speak to the health science and psychology classes; they left us feeling inspired, contemplating what part we may play in our futures to create strategies that would give equitable health outcomes for all, adhering to Chris’s underlying message that “our playing small does not serve the world”.

Sriya Garamilla, Gemma Seymour and Caitlin Wilkinson DIO TODAY

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INFECTIOUS!

DIO SENIOR FASHION SHOW Moving towards the end of a very turbulent year with COVID-19 still making its presence felt, it seemed only fitting that the Dio Senior Fashion Show reflect and respond to this. So, on Thursday 24 September Infectious! hit the catwalk in the School Hall to a small but enthusiastic audience of teachers and students while our wider audience of parents, friends and families watched from home via a livestream.

W

ith ongoing issues around the world such as climate change, unethical labour practices, and the over-production and consumption of clothing creating mountains of waste, it seemed only appropriate for the key focus for material design this year to be on the impact of ‘fast fashion’ and how students could contribute to changing the mindsets of others about how fashion can be worn and perceived.

To design a better future for themselves and future generations, students explored tapping into a niche

market within the developing ‘slow fashion’ movement.

We are very fortunate at Dio to receive ongoing donations of deadstock fabrics from Trelise Cooper and more recently, The Fabric Store. We also received a massive donation of buttons and sewing supplies from one of our local Dio family businesses, Sullivan’s.

These donations have made it possible for most of our students to challenge the way they make decisions within the design process when it comes to buying and using new or recycled resources.

The students this year have made a tremendous effort to make their garments either versatile or biodegradable by using natural fibres such as organic cottons and silks. Others have been innovative in the way they have recycled or upcycled old clothing, deadstock fabrics – even chippie packets!

Infectious! was a great success and the students looked amazing on the runway. The quality of the garments was outstanding and the design very innovative with eco dying, embroidery, patchworking, appliqué and other unique construction techniques used.

Special thanks to our sponsors

The show was delivered by Ms Wells (TIC Material Design Technology), Mrs Alexander and Years 11, 12 and 13 students. We were very fortunate to have the support of very generous sponsors: KC Kombucha, Abeeco, Ecoya, Antipodes Skin Care, Loaf and Trelise Cooper who provided us with tasty drinks, sweet treats and beautiful prizes for the girls.

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“Spirit was the most amazing experience. My favourite part was forming new friendships with people from Dio and getting to know more about my own team members, as well as those from other schools in New Zealand.

The team-building challenges were such a lot of fun. I will never forget this experience.”

Sophie

“I had the time of my life on the Spirit of Adventure!

I not only learnt how to sail a ship, but how to form strong connections with other people, some of whom I had never met before. I learnt so many life skills and tried lots of new things - all of which I loved doing. Through the many great activities I learnt valuable lessons that I can now bring into my everyday life, like how to make any situation fun, and to have more self-confidence. I would definitely recommend doing this in Year 10!”

ADVENTURE on the high seas

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Image by The Spirit of Adventure Trust

Lilly

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“The Spirit of Adventure Challenge taught me to enter every opportunity with an open mind and a positive attitude.

Don’t assume that you can’t do something. I also learnt not to be afraid to talk to people I don’t know.

People often form the wrong first impression of others – find the courage to talk to others and you might surprise yourself at the strong friendships that can develop!”

Holly

T

owards the end of Term 3, 10 Year 10 students took part in a ‘trophy voyage’ on the tall ship Spirit of Adventure.

Sophie Armstrong, Holly Barker, Tyler Butler, Eliza East, Olive Kirk, Lilly Lang, Caroline McNally, Coco Pett, Isabella Roberts-Yanez and Emma Wilson were selected on leadership qualities and their willingness to work in a team.

Ms Tessa Lambert was the teacher-incharge who accompanied them.

This programme is run by the Spirit of Adventure Trust, in which teams of 10 students from four schools compete against each other. The events include teamwork, problem solving, debate, ship’s handling and aquatic sports in and on the water. Filled with fun and excitement, the teams completed tasks involving teamwork, ingenuity and leadership.

“Initially a little nervous and not knowing what to expect, I soon found that there was no need to worry and the five days on the Spirit of Adventure were undoubtedly some of the best of my life. Every day was filled with opportunities to work and grow as a team and push ourselves beyond our comfort zones. We did lots of sailing and rafting, saw dolphins and shared sunrise swims, and incredible friendships were formed that will remain with us. It was the people that really made the trip for me, each person encouraging the other and always with smiles on their faces. I am so grateful that I got the opportunity to go on the Spirit of Adventure.”

Emma

Each year, the Diocesan Old Girls’ League supports five girls to join a voyage, with the help of a 50% scholarship. For the girls who are interviewed, there is no talk of academic, sporting or performing arts success – it is all about fulfilling their potential and seeking their personal best. The League committee members say that the only thing more heartwarming than being involved in the

interviews is hearing the girls’ stories and reading their notes of thanks when they return.

Our girls had the most amazing time and worked incredibly well together, making the most of each other’s individual strengths. The Diocesan team was overall winner of the challenge and was awarded the Spirit Trophy to take back to school.

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FOR SALE

7/11 Annie Buxton Place, Epsom / Web Ref. NZE11278

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Sir Peter Blake believed in the incredible potential of young people to achieve great things. The BLAKE Young Leader Award recognises young New Zealanders (Years 5-8) who show commitment to leading positive change in their communities that leads to a sustainable future for Aotearoa. At a recent full school assembly, two Dio students received these awards.

Blake Award winners Boh Curran (left) and Poppy Donald (right).

Poppy Donald (6J3) is a natural leader, quiet and understated in the way she inspires others to create positive change. She strives for excellence in all aspects of school life. Poppy is humble in her success and actively seeks feedback in order to improve.

She is a good communicator, listens carefully to others and responds with empathy and compassion. She is also an effective decision-maker and has the ability to think critically about the

LEARNING

SIR PETER BLAKE YOUNG LEADER AWARD outcome of possible actions and then act accordingly.

Boh Curran is a widely respected member of Year 8 who consistently demonstrates a motivated and compassionate approach to life, both in and out of school. She is an excellent communicator who shows empathy for those around her and her warm nature is appreciated by her friends and teachers alike. Boh likes to make the most of opportunities that are afforded to her and she has participated in a wide range of activities since she joined the school in Year 7.

Boh recently worked as a Year 8 Changemaker and in her application for this role she was able to propose an initiative that placed the wellbeing of her year level front and centre – an example of Boh’s empathic nature and inclination to empower others; hallmarks of an emerging leader.

GOLD DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARDS Despite the additional challenges presented by COVID-19, three students were successful in completing their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Awards this year: Deborah Huang, Chielin Xu and Chloé Hickin. Deborah will be presented with hers at an official ceremony in November and the others at a later date.

There were another seven Year 13 girls doing the Gold Award, but unfortunately the lockdowns prevented them finishing before the cut-off date.

Chloé Hickin says of the ‘D of E’ experience: “When I started the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award, I had no tramping experience at all. Fair to say, six tramps later, I have learnt a lot!

“However, there is more to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award than tramping. Each level has a skills section, physical recreation section and the service section. At the Gold Level, there is also the Residential Project. For my Residential Project, I went to the 2020 Rotary National Science and Technology Forum at the University of Auckland, Massey University, and AUT. It was an amazing two weeks, meeting so many new people and it inspired me further to have a career in science. For the skills section, I have grown my musical skills through learning guitar and being a member of the Senior Choir, and for the physical recreation section, I have played netball and been accountable for making progress in my running and strength at the gym. For the service section, I have looked after Sophia who has Down’s syndrome for going on five years now, and it is the best way to spend a Sunday morning. Find something that you enjoy, and it will be rewarding – every time I leave after seeing Sophia, I have a smile on my face and feel I have done something meaningful that day.

Deborah Huang, Chielin Xu and Chloé Hickin with Duke of Edinburgh co-ordinator Kate Pilkington.

“I have gained many important life skills. I know how to set a meaningful goal and work towards it. I have gained independence, organising gear for tramps, sorting out a residential project, and keeping on top of my logs. I have also formed relationships with many people I didn’t know before – as we check gear together as strangers at the start of the tramp, we come out of the track at the other end good friends who have faced a challenge together.

“I highly encourage everyone to give the award a go, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have. It really has been one of the biggest things that has shaped me as a person, and I have such a passion for adventure now – I am excited to keep exploring the world!”

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“The Eat My Lunch fundraiser is an Ethics Committee initiative... when we were finally able to hold Eat My Lunch, it was supported by over 1200 Dio students and staff. This meant that over 1200 children in Auckland received a healthy school lunch as well.” was not only interrupted by the April lockdown, but our delayed celebrations were further postponed because of the August lockdown. However, when we were finally able to hold Eat My Lunch, it was supported by over 1200 Dio students and staff. This meant that over 1200 children in Auckland received a healthy school lunch as well.

Ethics matters Over the course of such an unexpected year of cancellations and postponements, the Student Ethics Committee worked enthusiastically to ensure our important traditions of listening to and sharing the student body’s differing perspectives on contemporary ethical issues continued, even though COVID-19 restrictions meant we had to use innovative methods to connect with the School community.

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ortunately, our long-standing events, the annual Soapbox Competition and the Eat My Lunch fundraiser, were still able to run and were extra special as a result, opening passionate ethical dialogues about the current social, political and economic global climate.

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The Eat My Lunch fundraiser is an Ethics Committee initiative, originally intended to celebrate our School’s birthday.

Eat My Lunch is a social enterprise in Auckland that, for every lunch bought, donates a lunch to a child in a low-decile school. This year we were unable to hold the event on Dio’s birthday as it

The Student Ethics Committee decided that they would end the year on a high note, with a luncheon in School House.

We invited Professor Peter Gluckman, - : The the founder and head of Koi Tu Centre for Informed Futures at The University of Auckland, to the lunch so that we could hear from one of New Zealand’s foremost thinkers. Professor Gluckman is well known to New Zealanders in his previous position as the first Science Advisor to then Prime Minister John Key, and globally as the founder of the Liggins Institute.

- is a think tank that is designed to Koi Tu counter the global rise of misinformation and declining public trust with accurate research and evidence-based findings.

In particular, the committee was interested in hearing about the latest report from Professor Gluckman and the Centre on youth and mental health.

The report described the deterioration in young people’s mental wellbeing as ‘a silent pandemic of psychological distress’. Poor mental health for youth has doubled in 10 years (as it has in other places in the western world) and is worsening. Further, there is an inequitable impact on Ma-ori, Pacific Island youth, rainbow and queer youth, and young women.

Professor Gluckman is particularly interested in researching the role that

maternal mental health plays during pregnancy and directly after a child’s birth, to ensure that young people can become mentally stronger with greater resilience, cultural identity and self control.

Students asked searching questions of Professor Gluckman and were keenly interested in what he had to say. The urgency of his message was clear and the impact of COVID-19 in 2020 on youth mental health is likely to make this problem even greater.

To conclude, Sir Peter linked his discussion on youth mental health with the issue of misinformation that, he says, has never been more important for the community at a local, national and global level to deal with and to be informed by evidence. The unhealthy boom in misinformation is a huge

LEARNING

Professor Gluckman spoke informally to the committee and to Ms McRae, Mrs van Meeuwen and Mr Walker, who were guests at the luncheon, about the factors that he believed might be impacting young people’s mental health. At this point, the research does not point to one factor but to multiple influences that interact, such as changing economic policies in the last 30 years that have made employment and support for the marginalised less secure; the prevalence of social media and the dissemination of misinformation; the lowering impact of youth organisations in children’s lives; parents having to work longer hours, which takes them away from the home; and the role of alcohol and drugs in our culture.

challenge to trust in the institutions of an ethical and democratic society. As the writer Jennifer Egan wrote recently in TIME: “Authoritative lying debases the truth. The resulting confusion of fantasy and reality is the definition of psychosis, a perilously vulnerable mental state…

If reasonable debate devolves into my truth vs. yours, the winner is the one yelling loudest – or holding the gun.

Beneath the false bottom of fraudulent news is the danger of tyranny.”

Sir Peter’s talk was a stimulating and provocative way to end the year for the Ethics Committee. A very big thank you to everyone who got involved this year.

The School motto ‘Ut Serviamus’ has never been more important than during these challenging times!

Nina Blumenfeld, with Deborah Huang, Grace Cocker and Lauren Komie

Cassie Wood, Alex Wackrow, Eleanor Christiansen and Pascale Vincent have qualified to attend the Future Problem Solving national finals in late October. At this event the students will compete with another 10 Years 9 and 10 FPS teams from around the country, vying for the right to represent New Zealand at the 2021 International Finals to be held at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA. Late in Term 3, the students sat the qualifying booklet online and critically analysed a future scene set around the topic of gamification. In late October they competed with other teams around New Zealand to critically analyse and creatively generate futuristic solutions around a scene that deals with the topic of living in poverty.

Future problem solvers left to right: Eleanor Christiansen, Mrs Suzanne Buswell, Pascale Vincent, Cassie Wood and Alice Wackrow.

YEAR 10 FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING

For the first time, the FPS National Finals will be held as a virtual competition and it is a testament to these students that they have persevered and trained throughout the year, despite the disruptions and changes COVID-19 has caused.

They have shown resilience and commitment and we wish them well for the national finals.

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JUNIOR SCHOOL

“I’m proud to share our Year 6 PYP Digital Exhibition with our School community. In groups, girls chose a Global Goal for Sustainable Development to research. Over seven weeks, they carried out the inquiry process, published a persuasive writing piece, completed a statistics investigation and created a digital art character. As a result of their learning, each group then carried out digital action. Some examples are animations, Scratch coding games, Minecraft, raps, iMovies and advice checklists.”

Nicole Lewis, Year 6 teacher

YEAR 6 EXHIBITION T his year keeps on throwing curve balls! Term 3 is traditionally the term the Year 6 girls present their exhibition to their parents and their peers. This year we had to change the format – rather than it being a static display in the hall where guests moved around and the girls spoke about their research and action, it was a digital display. On Friday 21 August the girls had great fun sharing their learning with their peers and then the link was sent to their parents and families.

The exhibition represents a significant event in the life of both the School and student as it synthesises the essential elements of the programme the girls have been immersed in for the previous six years. This year, girls independently carried out an extended, collaborative inquiry project, under the guidance of their teachers. The girls explored case studies of organisations such as UNICEF, Auckland City Mission, World Wildlife Fund and World Vision. This dialogue helped the students to appreciate and explore multiple perspectives.

In the PYP Exhibition it is the process that is most important. The PYP

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Exhibition truly empowers students to work as a team and ensures that all group members learn, as well as encouraging them to be independent.

What better way to graduate from PYP than to show your ability to think and act?

During this inquiry the girls: •C hose a real-life issue or problem to investigate based on the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development •D eveloped questions using the Key Concepts •W rote their own central idea and lines of inquiry •P lanned with their group •G athered the necessary material through research •R eflected and collected evidence on how to demonstrate the Learner Profile and Approaches to learning (ATL) during their Exhibition •D eveloped digital skills to share their new knowledge through multiple platforms •T ook action by raising awareness of their issue, shared their learning with others and aimed to make a difference in their community.

Nicole Lewis, Dean Year 6, Primary Years Programme Coordinator

LEARNING DIO TODAY

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MADAGASCAR

a musical adventure!

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LEARNING

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adagascar, A Musical Adventure Jr is a well-loved story full of song, dance, catchy music and quickfire dialogue, which made it no small performance feat for our Year 5 girls.

In a year where the odds were stacked against them, the cast of Madagascar defied them all to bring together an outstanding production. The first cast to take the stage in the magnificent new Diocesan theatre, the girls sang and acted under the bright lights – in the words of the penguin skipper Zara Nausbaum – ‘with gusto’ – in both their performances.

Special mention must go to our four adventurous Zoosters; Marty the Zebra (Elizabeth Han), Alex the Lion (Caitlin Taylor), Gloria the Hippo (Rayna Thakur) and Melman the Giraffe (Harriette Giltrap) who transported audiences from the New York City Zoo to the fantastical world of dancing lemurs and menacing fossa in Madagascar. On the journey they learn that despite the call of the wild and carnivorous instincts, what matters most is friendship.

Girls, we loved going on this musical adventure with you, and we know it will leave lasting memories for you in years to come. The arts play an essential role in challenging times, and Madagascar showed us how important it is to play, laugh, sing and dance together.

Congratulations on your hard work and impressive performances!

A big thank you to our multi-talented director and choreographer Tiffany Harkess for her flexibility, creativity and unwavering commitment to the production.

Mehernaz Pardiwalla, Junior School Performing Arts Coordinator DIO TODAY

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GLO B

A Year 4 unit of inquiry resulted in providing Ghanaian children with five-star rated New Zealand-made nutrition bars and supporting the development of the first STEM class in rural Ghana!

ight before the first lockdown, our Year 4 girls had decided to organise a charity run to support underprivileged students in a school in rural Ghana.

Building on their unit of inquiry, which looked into the inter-connectedness of our body systems, the girls discovered the importance of nutrition and the global inequalities that come with poor nutrition.

In an endeavour to take action, and realising that Dio parent Sir Ray Avery had developed Amigo nutrition five-star rated bars, the girls, together with their teacher, Mrs Annie Snedden, took up the challenge to raise money to buy some of those bars for children in Ghana.

They got their timing right as they ran on a beautiful Sunday morning, a few days before Auckland was moved to into Level 3 lockdown. Close to 40 girls, supported by their friends and families, ran a combined 200km to raise more than $2,500 for this noble cause. It was wonderful to see the girls put their hearts and souls into this race; walking, running or sprinting to log as many kilometres as possible for their ‘peers from afar’. Thanks

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NS IO

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ONNEC C L T A

to the generosity of Anastasia’s parents, Sir Ray and Anna Avery, the girls were able to buy a significant number of Amigo Nutrition bars.

As you can imagine, getting those bars to Ghana was made slightly more complicated by COVID-19, but nothing stopped the determination of our Year 4 girls and their parents. After weeks in transit and at border facilities, and lots of importation paperwork, the Amigo bars finally made it to the students in Ghana, filling them with joy – and nutrients!

Special thanks go to the Kinet family for their facilitation of this transfer.

But our Year 4 girls did not stop there!

With extra money in the pot, they were able to sponsor the first-ever STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) class in rural Ghana.

The impact of this venture was picked up by Edmund Hillary Fellow Mark Pavlyukovskyy (Founder of Minecraft and Piper Computer Kit). Touched by their initiative, committed to give several Mochi sets and their full story book library (to teach children coding robotics

without screens) to the children in Ghana.

This will equip their classroom, which for now only has walls. Mark had done volunteer work in education in Ghana a few years ago and was touched by our Dio girls’ work.

We are deeply impressed by this initiative from our Year 4 girls.

It illustrates how through vision, entrepreneurship, drive, individual and collective contributions, creativity and collaboration with others, you can have an impact on another’s life – even that of a child you have never met, living on the other side of the planet.

Maybe we can’t make a difference on a global scale, but we can make a huge difference in a small community. This has been a great place to start. Well done Year 4!

To learn more about the benefactors in this story see amigonutrition.org.nz and learnwithmochi.com.

LEARNING

Insect creations Year 1 students used their science knowledge in art to create sculptures of new bug species. Under the transdisciplinary theme ‘Sharing the Planet’, they inquired into the unique features of living creatures. Throughout this inquiry they learnt to categorise living creatures, identify their different needs for survival and talked about our personal responsibility for living things.

As part of their learning in art, students were given the opportunity

to observe and draw insects from home during lockdown. They learnt about a Canadian nature artist, Raku Inoue, and had a go at creating a nature collage. Back at school, the girls created a bug sculpture from recycled containers and packets to show their understanding about the body parts and main features of insects. Recycled containers were used to form the three main parts of their insects, with additional features to represent the legs, eyes, wings and antennae.

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L IVIN G CHAPLAINCY

The blessing of the

PRESENT MOMENT C harles Dickens began his epic novel A Tale of Two Cities, written in 1859, with these words: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…”

One could be forgiven if reading this for the first time, one thought it was written about the year 2020! It has been a year of paradox and uncertainty, with some very important learnings for all of us, but also a lot of anxiety, dissatisfaction and disappointment. Who could have foretold that this year would turn out as it has? It has been a difficult year in New Zealand but even more so in many other countries that have been much harder hit by COVID-19. As I am writing this, we are sitting at the precipice of one million deaths from this virus across the globe. In the USA alone, the number of people dead equates to the population of Hamilton. We have been very lucky to have been led by a government that has been decisive in its decision making and has prevented a large-scale loss of life here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

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One of the things that has become painfully obvious for all of us this year is that we have little control over many things in our lives. As human beings we like to be in control of our so-called destinies and we don’t like it when things don’t go according to our plans. Feeling like we have no control is scary and it causes us a high degree of anxiety. Events like this pandemic show us that no matter how hard we work, whether we have goals or not, whether we are successful or not, a major event can completely derail our lives. Many people have faced redundancies and have had to change the direction of their careers. The tourism and hospitality industries in this country face massive challenges in this time when international travel for leisure is halted and there have been restrictions on going out and gathering together.

It has been a very strange year at Dio, and in some ways it feels as though we have spent a lot of energy and a large part of the year planning events that we later had to cancel. It makes sense that there is some sense of disappointment around what has had to be done differently, postponed or cancelled.

Along with the challenges we have faced, we have also had the opportunity to remember some things that perhaps we had all but forgotten. For example, we live in a community and have a responsibility to our neighbours to ensure that we are all safe; our families are extremely important and we need to ensure we have quality time with them; the world is a better place when we are kind to one another; we need time to breathe and to rest. We have grown in appreciation for the people who work in essential services – health care workers at all levels, supermarket workers, cleaners, care workers, some of whom are at the bottom of the pay scale in our society. There are many more things that could be added to this list.

Our Year 13s have certainly not had the year they were anticipating and excited about. However, I think we need to be proud that, as a community, we have faced the challenges with courage and hope and have had the best year that we possibly could have, given the circumstances.

The whole experience this year has brought home to me once again the importance of focusing on the present moment. It has been a year of planning events and then cancelling them, of missing out on things that we had looked forward to. If I were to dwell on what has not been able to happen, then

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I might fall into the trap of regret and wishing things had been different. But, that kind of negative thinking about what is past is helpful to no one. There is no way to change what has already happened and feeling regret about it achieves nothing. At some point each of us has to give up wishing things had been different and accept that this is the way things are right now. We could also fall into the trap of thinking only of the future – of wishing this year to be over and focusing only on either what we plan to do when all this is over, or worrying about what the future holds.

As we have learned this year, we have less control over how things are going to turn out than we thought we did, and worrying about something we can’t control is simply futile.

Alan Watts, who was a writer and thinker from the middle of the 20th century wrote this: “We are living in a culture entirely hypnotised by the illusion of time, in which the so-called present moment is felt as nothing but an infinitesimal hairline between a causative past and an absorbingly important future. We have no present.

Our consciousness is almost completely preoccupied with memory and expectation. We do not realise that there never was, is, nor will be any other experience than present experience. We are therefore totally out of touch with reality.”

Considering he wrote this over 60 years ago, it is still pretty accurate of our lives now.

There is nothing we can have an effect on at any time in history aside from right now. Whatever we regret or grieve has passed and we can’t do anything to change it. We can certainly plan for the future but there is no guarantee that whatever we plan for, yearn for or long for is necessarily going to eventuate, as so much is out of our control.

LIVING

“May we find a place of peace within ourselves in which to look at the true reality of our blessed lives . . . of loving and being loved, for in the end, that is all that truly matters.”

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SERVICE LEARNING So, we can only truly find security in the present moment, and we can only do that by being present in that moment rather than living either in the regrets of the past or the hopes for what the future might bring.

What our Christian faith offers us in this most mixed-up and paradoxical of times is radical peace. In John’s Gospel, Chapter 14, we hear Jesus speaking at length to his disciples about the time of great paradox in which they are about to find themselves, on the eve of Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus says to them, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” When we trust in Christ, we also find this peace that passes all our understanding.

When we give up regret about the past and we give up worry about the future, all that remains is the blessing of the present moment and our response to it.

American author Sarah Ban Breathnach said this: “Both abundance and lack exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend… when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present – love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature and personal pursuits that bring us pleasure – the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience Heaven on earth.”

As we approach Christmas and make time to remember once again the birth of Christ, may we give thanks for the simplicity of Jesus’ birth and life, for his focus on love, inclusion and justice during his ministry. May we commit ourselves to playing our part in the ushering in of the Kingdom of God where all are loved and valued, where we care for earth and strive for peace and justice. May we find a place of peace within ourselves in which to sit and look at the true reality of our blessed lives, counting not what is lacking, but the richest gift we have each been given – the gift of loving and being loved, for in the end, that is all that truly matters.

Reverend Sandy Robertson, Chaplain 44

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me... you... us....

SERVING OTHERS

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he Year 10 Service Learning is centred around the Cancer Society and raising funds to help support the Cancer Society’s services, health promotion programmes and cancer research.

We were touched when we discovered that everyone in our year level had known of either a loved one or a close family friend whose lives had been affected by cancer; everyone had a connection to someone who had

been through cancer or was going through cancer and they wanted to make a difference to help reduce cancer in our community.

Sadly, the annual Relay for Life event that the Year 10s had been looking forward to organising this year had to be cancelled due to COVID-19.

This did not stop the Year 10s from coming together as tutor groups and a year level to put their own personal touch on ‘their event’ to raise funds in creative ways that circumvented the restrictions in place at the time.

LIVING

“Ma tini ma mano Ka rapa te Whai” “Many hands make light work, unity is strength”

Each tutor group’s reflection board held messages and photos that were special and meaningful for each student.

We were still able to celebrate cancer survivors and carers, remember loved ones lost to cancer and fight back by raising awareness and funds to support the work of the Cancer Society.

We were united in our desire to do the best we could to help the Cancer Society and to date have raised a total of $40,000; a wonderful team effort for a wonderful cause.

MUFTI DAY

Term 3 Mufti Day fundraising was in support of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and their Period Poverty initiative, supporting young girls and women who do not have access to sanitary products, most often due to financial difficulties. This can have an immensely negative effect on self-esteem and become a barrier to attending school and going to work.

The Senior School students dressed up in the theme of their favourite female heroines. In the image (above left) the student on the left came as Katherine Johnson, an American mathematician who worked for NASA. The student on the right is dressed up as Kelly Wilson, a New Zealander who works with horses and who wrote the book she is holding, Taming the Wild.

Mufti Day in the Junior School was about empowering our young women, with proceeds also going towards raising funds for the YWCA to help with their initiatives to help young women in Auckland and around New Zealand.

In Year 6 we had girls dressing up as teachers, various inspiring sporting

heroes such as Laura Langman, activists such as Jane Goodall, Malala and Greta Thunberg, as well as inspiring women like Mother Teresa and Margot Frank. It was lots of fun and wonderful to hear the girls share why they chose these fabulous women and how they inspire them every day. We loved the mini Mrs Brewin!

Altogether $2211.40. was raised for this worthy cause.

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2020 ARTS AND SPORTS AWARDS

ARTS AWARDS

Despite its disruptions and uncertainties, 2020 has produced outstanding successes in the arts. Some competitions were lucky enough to run, others were cancelled, but what we wanted to celebrate was the remarkable journey taken, against the odds, to participate, explore and achieve at an incredibly high level.

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he dedication students have shown in all areas of the creative arts has resulted in success at regional, national and international levels. All the awards acknowledge work beyond the academic curriculum and we also acknowledge the tremendous contribution of dedicated staff who coach groups and encourage individuals to achieve at the very highest level.

For the first time, the event was held in our new theatre, with our newly formed Clyde Street Jazz Band

Jessy Berman Diocesan Dance Cup for Excellence in Choreography and Performance

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performing in the foyer. The multimedia presentations looked and sounded stunning. It really was a night to remember and captured the zeitgeist of this COVID-19 year.

to get involved and displaying a really positive ‘can do’ attitude. In the eight years I have known her, Anna has never let me down; her loyalty and reliability will be a hard act to follow.”

During the evening, Director of Performing Arts Shelagh Thompson paid tribute to the Arts Prefect Anna Casey, saying: “Anna has played a big part in making 2020 move forward in a very positive way, leading with warmth and generosity, always smiling and upbeat, always there for everyone. She led her Arts Council during lockdown with maturity, encouraging everyone

The evening included the presentation of certificates for achievement in various arts categories and the recognition of representation and achievement at regional and national levels. Ending the proceedings, the highlight of the evening was the presentation of the cups, awarded to girls with an exemplary level of commitment, ability and participation.

Sophia Souloglou Terri Crouch Award for Most Promising Vocalist in Year 12

Zoe Zhu and Pippa Morris (in absentia) The Averill Award for Services to the Performing Arts

LIVING

Hannah Flacks McCabe Cup for Excellence in School Music

Stella Murray Mannion Speech & Drama Cup

Emma Qiu Jean Gallagher Cup for Commitment to Instrumental Music

Hazel Francis and Chielin Xu Hazel Kinder Cup for the Most Committed Choristers in 2020

Anisha de Silva Sandy O’Brien Cup for Excellence in Drama Performance

Anna Casey The David Gordon Cup for Excellence and Commitment and the Diocesan Instrumental Cup for long-term loyalty and leadership

Deborah Huang (in absentia) Jennifer Macdonald Cup for Contribution to Debating

The full Arts Awards list can be found on our website diocesan.school.nz Sabreen Islam The Rosey Eady Cup for a special individual who makes a difference

Hazel Francis Imogen Wells Award for all-round excellence in the Arts

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SPORTS SPECIAL AWARDS AWARDS 2020 certainly has been a very different year for sport across the board. The first lockdown landed just before our summer season really got off the ground, and the second pretty much stopped any form of winter sport happening.

However, we did have some success to celebrate in between lockdowns and alert level restrictions, and also had a number of girls who achieved selection at international level.

The Dio Sport Student Coach of the Year Fuji Xerox Staff Contribution to Sport Award In any school, staff are crucial to the success of its sports programme, and this award recognises outstanding contribution by a staff member – this year the very deserving winner cricket manager extraordinaire Bryan Haggitt.

His ability to set a positive and supportive atmosphere within the team is highly valued by all members of the cricket 1st XI.

This year there were joint winners – Olivia Clark and Laura Whitley.

Olivia is an exemplary student coach for our Years 7 and 8 water polo programme, is our code captain for water polo and has always made time to give back to the sport by coaching our younger students. Laura has also been an outstanding student coach within the water polo programme. She has coached multiple teams across various age groups and has allowed the girls’ passion for the sport to develop while also challenging them to be their best while still having fun.

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he Sports Awards, held in the Arts Centre auditorium on 30 October, celebrated those results we were able to achieve.

We are so proud of the resilience and determination the girls have shown throughout this crazy year.

First up, badges were awarded to this year’s Sports Council who have done a great job staying motivated throughout the year. These were followed by premier team badges, awarded to all our athletes who made and competed in a premier team this year. Then a number of special awards were made before the ceremony finished with recognition of our national representatives.

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The Dio Sport Student Official of the Year This year’s winner, for the second year in a row, was Gabby de Latour. Gabby has been the go-to umpire for Diocesan netball for the past two years and has been an incredible asset. Our lead umpire on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Gabby also assists many of our junior umpires and encourages them to be confident and positive.

The Spraggon McFarlane Cup This is awarded each year to an outstanding sports captain. This year’s winner is equestrian Francesca Masfen. An accomplished rider herself, Francesca is a phenomenal role model to our younger riders, setting a culture of enjoyment and inclusiveness in the equestrian team that has seen the sport grow to its biggest numbers during her two years as code captain.

National representatives, from left to right: Back row Chantelle May, Lena Jacob, Aimee Crosbie; middle row – Ella Russ, Zoe Dawson, Katie Crawford; front row – Georgia Hair, Prudence Fowler, Sienna French, Sarah Young, Jessica Finnegan. (Absent from photo – Alice Rabbitts, Lizzie Shapland, Morgan McDowall)

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES These students were selected for national teams but were not able to compete this year due to COVID-19.

Prudence Fowler Prudence was named in a 13-strong team to contest the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships that were to be staged in Cairo, Egypt, in August. She would have been a part of the endurance team on the track.

Lena Jacob Lena qualified for the Asian Junior Fencing Championships in Jakarta (Indonesia), and also for the World Junior Championships in Salt Lake City (USA). Both competitions have been tentatively delayed but are likely to be cancelled.

Chantelle May Chantelle was selected to compete for New Zealand in a number of international fencing competitions this year, including the Asian Cadet Championships, Asian Junior Championships, World Cadet Championships and the World Junior Championships.

Ella Russ Ella was selected for the U-17 World Cup Football Qualifiers in April. Due to the cancellation of the event, the New Zealand team was automatically awarded the Oceania spot to compete at the 2021 U-17 Women’s World Cup in India next year.

Alice Rabbitts Alice qualified into the senior international stream for New Zealand gymnastics, which is an 18+ category.

Alice was meant to travel to Arizona

in July to represent New Zealand.

Sienna French Sienna was selected to represent New Zealand in Australia at the Pacific Rim Championships, a biennial event that gathers the best of artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics from the Pacific nations.

Sarah Young Sarah was selected to represent New Zealand at the 2020 Australian Gymnastics Championships, yet another COVID cancellation.

Lizzie Shapland Lizzie performed outstandingly well at youth trials held at Manly Beach in October, again winning the Youth Females category with her sailing partner. In a normal year they would have gone on to compete in the Youth Worlds in Brazil in December, but due to the pandemic this event has been cancelled.

Jessica Finnegan Skier Jessica was selected for the New Zealand Youth Team to compete in Europe (December/January 2019) and Canada (March 2020), her second season with the team. After some more racing during the year, Jessica has again been selected for the NZ Youth Team and is number 2 seed.

Aimee Crosbie Aimee represented New Zealand at the 2019 McDonald’s Queensland Championships in Brisbane (December 2019) and is a member of the 2020 Swimming New Zealand National Development Gold Squad. Aimee was also selected for the High Performance

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Sport New Zealand Pathway to Podium Programme, and as a Target2024 Squad Athlete, targeting the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Georgia Hair Earlier this year Georgia received the great news from TRI New Zealand that she had been selected as part of the team to compete at the World Championships ITU Grand Final in Edmonton, Canada, in August.

Morgan McDowall Morgan was selected in the New Zealand Women’s Water Polo team due to play in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Trieste, Italy, in May, her fourth with the NZ Women’s team.

The team is now awaiting confirmation that this tournament will go ahead in January 2020.

We had two student athletes who were lucky enough to represent New Zealand and compete in their chosen fields this year.

Zoe Dawson Zoe was able to compete in some sailing competitions this year, including the Harken Youth World Match Racing Championship in February. She also competed in the NZ Open Teams’ Racing Nationals in May/June. She has been selected to represent New Zealand at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Young America’s Cup in Feb/March of 2021, a World Sailing WC grade event.

Katie Crawford Katie was selected for the New Zealand Winter Youth Olympic team to represent the country in Alpine Ski Racing and competed at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland, in January. She placed 30th in Slalom and 31st in Giant Slalom from a field of 78. Katie won the 2020 Slalom National Junior Champion Title (U-21) and placed second in Slalom at the 2020 National Alpine Championships (open grade) – both competitions in September.

The full Sports Awards list can be found on our website diocesan.school.nz

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PERFORMING ARTS

From the

DIRECTOR OF PERFORMING ARTS

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LIVING Below: Anna Casey & Shelagh Thomson

T

here is no doubt this has been the strangest and most challenging of years, with few of our original plans coming to fruition. It has been especially tough for our Year 13 students who have worked incredibly hard over the years to achieve such a high level of performance in their chosen disciplines. They were so looking forward to the gala opening of the Diocesan Arts Centre and all those promised performance possibilities... alas, not to be.

But what ensued was something very unexpected, and few will forget 2020.

This was clearly demonstrated by our Arts Council and I especially want to acknowledge Anna Casey as Arts Prefect during this fragmented year.

She has been an exceptional leader and is someone for whom nothing is ever too much trouble. Her kindness and commitment in all areas of leadership have been exemplary, the support and mentoring she offered to younger students was exactly what we required during these unsettling times. She led the council during lockdown with maturity, always encouraging everyone and displaying a real positive ‘can do’ attitude. Her opening speech at Showcase summed up the support and creativity her council displayed over lockdown and how much they achieved.

“At times we thought there would

be no performances at all – especially for choirs who were banned from singing altogether during Alert Levels. Nearly all our competitions, festivals and national events were cancelled, so keeping everyone motivated has been a big challenge. But our theme for the year ‘Tuwhera’, ‘to be open’, became something we wanted to explore; what it meant to be open-minded, open to new challenges and experiences, open to developing ourselves as artists, encouraging others to get involved.

“We all kept practising our instruments, learning new dance moves, writing poetry, painting and drawing, making things. I think everyone got more creative and our new Arts Instagram page definitely kept us connected.

The Arts Council found this social media presence opened up the arts to so many more students, with Instagram challenges, virtual videos, ‘isolation creations’ and profiling our amazing Year 13 student leaders across the disciplines.”

Thanks Anna, you’re going to be a hard act to follow and we will miss you!

So as the year draws to a close, and despite the challenges, there have been some exceptional achievements across the few competitions that

have taken place. We are especially proud (and very grateful to have the necessary resources) that some 600 girls continued over lockdown with their extracurricular dance, drama and music lessons via digital platforms. Simply none of this could have happened without the commitment of parents, the community and the expertise of our highly skilled team of professional teachers, tutors and coaches. I know students and staff have been surprised and delighted with the journeys taken this year, despite the alert levels put in place.

From me and the team, thank you everyone for your on-going contribution to our arts programmes. Enjoy the summer recess and roll on 2021!

Shelagh Thomson DIO TODAY

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Concerto Senior finalists

Aria and Concerto COMPETITIONS This year we had over 100 auditionees across aria and concerto, and for the first time ever had to divide the competition into four separate events in order to accommodate the burgeoning talent.

Aria Senior finalists

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Aria Years 7-10 finalists

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This year presented an added poignancy as no one had had the chance to sing publicly; productions have been cancelled, Big Sing was cancelled, and four of the 10 finalists – members of the national choir NZSSC – were supposed to embark on their big European tour. Adjudicator Catrin Johnsson, internationally renowned Swedish opera singer and vocal clinician at the University of Auckland, commented that the “students presented some moving and remarkably mature performances and the talent on display at Dio was impressive.”

Returning after the second lockdown, we were treated to our first performances in the new Diocesan Theatre. There is no doubt that this is a world-class facility and our Senior Concerto finalists were so proud to be the first to perform on the new stage.

Finalists across strings, brass, woodwind and piano performed superbly, and although not permitted an audience outside of the School bubble, we tried our first livestreaming from the new theatre (having only been connected to wifi on the day).

Adjudicator Dr Sarah Watkins, lecturer in piano at the University of Auckland,

commented that in a year of so many major disruptions and disappointments through cancellations of events, she felt privileged to witness the obvious dedication and commitment required to achieve at such a high level from both the performers and the work behind the scenes by their music teachers.

In Week 7 it was the turn of the young singers. These girls represented the best of our young vocal talent in Years 7 to 10, and once again, due to all the disruptions, very few had the chance to sing publicly this year. Adjudicator Catrin Johnsson spoke about the commitment and bravery of these young vocalists, how they expressed their story-telling with such conviction and kept their nerve singing on a vast stage to an empty auditorium.

Week 8 saw our young instrumental finalists, representing the best of our Years 7 to 10 talent, competing on stage.

Adjudicator Dr Sarah Watkins had a very difficult job choosing the winners, saying the standard amongst these young instrumentalists was extremely high.

COVID-19 restrictions meant that there was no audience for all three events, so livestreaming to families was very important as parents were extremely disappointed not to be there in person.

It was definitely well worth the effort to run these events, which most schools cancelled completely. We strongly believe that encouraging students to get on the stage and enjoy the experience of performing live in such a beautiful space was worth a million video uploads! Huge congratulations to each and every one of our 2020 Concerto and Aria Competition finalists for not losing their nerve performing to an empty auditorium and for showing such commitment.

WINNE R R U

S

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he panel selected about 50 finalists across the Senior and Junior High Schools and we were to run our finals in the first four weeks of Term 3. Unfortunately, we were plunged into a second lockdown on the very night of the first of the four events, the Senior Aria competition. But the audience was treated to an evening of beautiful singing from our finalists who represent the brightest and best of our vocal talent.

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Concerto Junior finalists

YEARS 7/8 ARIA 1st place Sophie Marshall 2nd place Ann Kyle 3rd place Ella-May Manks

YEARS 9/10 ARIA 1st place Alex Graney 2nd place Amanda Yu 3rd place Sarah Oldham

YEARS 7/8 CONCERTO 1st place Mika Kurosawa 2nd place & Piano Cup Jenny Seo

3rd place & Brass Cup Lotosina Tavui

YEARS 9/10 CONCERTO 1st place & String Cup Eva Wu 2nd place Eleanor Christiansen 3rd place & Woodwind Cup Casey Lam

Overall JHS Concerto Cup Eva Wu

SENIOR ARIA

1st place Hannah Flacks 2nd place Sophia Souloglou 3rd place Keltie-Kewan Young Most Promising Vocalists Rina Nair, Emily Paramore, Hattie Johnston

SENIOR CONCERTO

Overall Winner Helen Kim (flute) Piano Cup Emma Qiu Violin Cup Esther Oh Brass Cup Jessica Marshall Viola Cup Matilda Hol Flute Cup Helen Kim DIO TODAY

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Hip Hop trio

Senior Hip Hop crew

SENIOR ARTS

SHOWCASE W

ith the gala opening showcase abandoned in August due to lockdown, we made a snap decision after the second lockdown to run a mini Senior Showcase during Arts Week.

What transpired was something special – all the Senior School came together in the beautiful new space (some for the first time) to celebrate the arts, with a programme that enabled groups to share their achievements in this fragmented year.

Arts Prefect Anna Casey delivered a heartfelt opening speech, describing the difficulties encountered, the disappointments for this Year 13 cohort who were so looking forward to a grand gala opening of the wonderful new auditorium, but she also emphasised the resilience shown by all to ‘make do’ and get creative in other ways.

We started the programme with orchestras playing themes from film and musical theatre, featuring three of our 54

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prefects Hazel Francis, Lucy Bartlett and Hannah Flacks (all of whom had lead roles in the senior production, cancelled earlier in the year) singing along with the Symphony Orchestra.

Then came our newly formed Clyde Street Jazz Band belting out some all-time favourites and getting the crowds rocking.

This was followed by a set from our choirs. As we know all choral singing around the world ceased during the pandemic, so this was the first time they sang publicly this year – a poignant moment of peace, tranquility and reflection.

We finished the afternoon with our dancers – again with the cancellation of the ever-popular Night of Dance, we have seen little of our co-curricular dance except in the lockdown videos.

So it was a real treat to watch the award-winning Hip Hop crews and the Years 11, 12 and 13 dance troupes all delivering varied genres from jazz,

funk through to contemporary styles.

With nearly 1500 students/staff coming through the theatre over the afternoon, the space was packed, and Principal Ms McRae gave a heartfelt thank you to round off a very hectic, stressful and fragmented term.

Once again we have so many multi-talented girls performing across genres but special mention must go to our outstanding singer/ instrumentalists from 2020’s Year 13 cohort; gold-award-winning pianist, percussionist and singer Emma Qiu, Arts Prefect and Concert Master of the Symphony Orchestra Anna Casey, Jessica Woo, Zoe Zhu, Deborah Huang, Kaitlyn Mellon, Hazel Francis, Kristen Hansen, Grace Lin, Rachel Liu, Holly Meyers and Teresa Gu. These students have created the core of the Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Senior Choir, Concert Band and St Cecilia Singers and with their departure at the end of this year, a legacy goes with them.

LIVING Singers

Choirs

Year 13 dance

Jazz band

Year 11 dance

Year 12 dance

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HIP HOP TEAMS QUALIFY FOR NATIONALS

D

espite the cancellation and postponement of dance competitions at both regional and national levels, Diocesan was able to enter two of their three Hip Hop teams into two competitions this year – the NZCAF Regionals and DanceBrandz Nationals – both held in Auckland.

Sunday 9 August saw the Senior Hip Hop crew (Years 12/13 students), Junior Hip Hop team (Years 7/8), and a newly formed Hip Hop trio (Years 8 to 11), competing at the NZCAF Regionals at Green Bay High School, their first competition of 2020. In what was their first performance as a team for the year, all three teams performed incredibly

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well during the heats, further improving their performances and upping their game in the finals.

All three teams qualified for the NZCAF Nationals in Wellington, but unfortunately were unable to attend due to COVID restrictions. Then Saturday 19 September saw our Senior Hip Hop crew (Years 9 to 11 students) compete at the DanceBrandz Nationals at Eventfinda Stadium in Auckland. This was the first competition this troupe were able to contest in 2020, and they were thrilled to take out first place.

creating choreography for and with the girls for their performances this year. Also a very big thank you to the Senior Hip Hop crew team manager Mindy Levene, and Junior team manager Anna Fisher, for all their hard work coordinating and facilitating these teams being able to compete in such a challenging year.

THE RESULTS Senior Hip Hop crew 1st in the Mega Crew category

Girl Scouts (trio) A huge thank you to Ashley Metcalfe who has done a fantastic job mentoring these talented dancers, as well as

2nd in the Mini Crew category

Junior Hip Hop team 3rd in the Mega Crew category

Only two days before the country went into lockdown for a second time, three Diocesan groups performed at the Chamber Music national finals in Wellington on 15 August. We were the best represented school at the finals, making up an impressive quarter of all groups through to the nationals across New Zealand.

This is now the sixth national final in seven years at which Diocesan musicians have been represented. All these winning groups are coached

by Performing Arts Director Shelagh Thomson and it is without a doubt a great honour for these young musicians to be performing with the very best of New Zealand’s instrumentalists and to be representing the School.

Of the 10 Dio musicians selected for national awards, we were the only all-female group awarded Gold at the finals – a coup for Dio!

LIVING

CMNZ NATIONALS IN WELLINGTON NATIONAL FINALISTS GOLD AWARD Trio Glivenko

NATIONAL FINALISTS SILVER AWARDS Dioctesan, Aquarelles

NORTHERN REGIONAL WINNERS Trio Glivenko

DREAM DESIGN Year 10 student Aimee Schnuriger was one of four finalists in the 2020 Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand Costume Competition.

This is a huge achievement for Aimee, especially as she is only a Year 10 student and traditionally the finalists have been in Years 12 and 13.

For the brief, students needed to discuss cost and budget, concept design breakdown and how the garment related to the text – A Midsummer Night’s Dream – and where it would be performed, so competition entries demanded a comprehensive understanding of the costume design and concept.

Her costume for the character of Titania was created by a professional costume maker at Toi Whaakari in Wellington.

Well done Aimee!

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Alex Bailey

International dance

OPPORTUNITIES This year three of our very talented dancers, Olivia Blanchard, Alex Bailey and Jessy Berman, were offered ‘the dream’, after some initial disappointments.

A

t the beginning of the year, Year 12 student Alex Bailey was accepted into a four-week Professional Division Summer Intensive Programme with the Alberta Ballet School in Canada. This is a highly prestigious and internationally recognised school, and an impressive achievement for any dancer. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Alex was unable to take up this opportunity. But the good news is she recently found out that she has been accepted into their full-time dance programme! As Canada has reopened boarders to international

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students, she will be off as soon as her visa comes through. Alex will continue her academic studies while getting firstclass dance training.

Year 13 Dance Captain Jessy Berman has been accepted into the prestigious Brent Street Academy 2021 Performing Arts Programme. This academy has been leading the way for more than 35 years, creating Australia’s most employable and versatile performers.

It has an impressive history of successful graduates across the entertainment

industry and Jessy can’t wait to start and make her mark in the world of dance.

And here’s what Olivia Blanchard (Year 12) had to say about her awesome offer: “Back in February 2020, I attended an in-person audition in Auckland with the Artistic Director of the Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary, London.

I was subsequently offered a full-time place in the school’s three-year Bachelor of Arts (Hons) programme, receiving one of only 12 places available to international students following auditions in the USA, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

LIVING

AUCTIONEER COMPETITION Jessy Berman Olivia Blanchard

“This was my dream come true, the culmination of so many years of hard graft and intense rehearsal schedules.”

Olivia Blanchard

“But as the world went into lockdown, I gradually realised the possibility of this dream might have to be put on hold. Swallowing my disappointment and knowing that all the normal dance competitions and events nationwide had been cancelled, I looked to Zoom for ways to keep dancing.

“I undertook a Zoom audition class with the Artistic Director at the Joffrey School of Ballet in New York and following the class, was offered a full-time place and a merit scholarship in Joffrey’s Bachelor of Fine Arts programme specialising in jazz and contemporary dance.

“Despite these opportunities, the uncertainty of COVID means that I have decided not to commit to anything just yet. In September I finished my final dance exams by sitting my last Royal Academy of Dance exam, concluding 11 years of ballet exams, as well as completing Solo Seal for Contemporary.”

For all three dancers, the culmination of so many years of hard graft and intense rehearsal schedules have made them strong and resilient.

As ambitions for so many young dancers around the world are now on hold due to the pandemic, these offers are a dream come true. We wish them all the very best on their dance journeys.

Congratulations to Pippa Morris who won the Auctioneering Competition held on the last day of Term 3. Rosie Leishman came second, with Phebe Mason in third place. These girls, along with three other students, took part in the REINZ National New Zealand Championships during the recent school holidays. All six students received ‘highly commended’ for their performances. Pippa Morris won the only place offered in the professional competition as a novice auctioneer. She will be competing in November.

DRAMA Congratulations to Anisha de Silva who won a place in the exclusive Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand National Shakespeare Schools Production this year. Only 48 students are chosen each year from over 2000 top actors and directors.

The students spent half of each day doing workshops with high calibre tutors, and the other half rehearsing a 40-minute scene from a Shakespeare play. From being cast on their first day, they had just five half days of rehearsals before their public performances!

Anisha performed in King John and was highly praised for her talent and commitment to the work by the directors and CEO Dawn Sanders.

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Fun at flippa ball training

Futsal training with coach Dilraj from Auckland Futsal

Junior School

WINTER SPORTS Overall, it has been a very challenging winter sports season with lots of starting and stopping and waiting for information and decisions. The girls are very lucky to have access to such great facilities on-site at Dio; our pool, turf, courts and the School Hall. These facilities and our great team of senior student and external coaches enabled the girls to re-engage whenever it was safe to do so. It was with renewed gratitude that we witnessed our girls playing sport with such joy and enthusiasm.

L

ate in Term 3 the Government eased the restrictions imposed during the second lockdown period due to the COVID-19 pandemic so the Junior hockey season was able to restart. The girls made the most of this and participated with great enthusiasm. The hockey season was extended to make up for lost time and our girls continued to field teams during the September school holidays. We managed to capture some fun moments at training with our senior student coaches and the juniors. All in all, a great finish to a challenging season.

The Auckland netball season did not fare quite so well, as the restrictions in gathering sizes meant that it was too challenging to hold competition leagues.

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Our girls played in just two league games. The Years 5 and 6 girls played at the St John’s Netball Centre and the Years 3 and 4 girls played at Windmill Park in Mt Eden. We did manage to continue our trainings at school as soon as it was considered safe to do so and the girls were able to fully participate in this.

The Epsom Flippa Ball League managed to deliver a couple of games in Term 3 and our girls were able to do some training at the Dio pool. It was a joy to see their enthusiasm and energy levels at training. Our senior coaches reported that the girls were bubbling over with excitement at being able to train together once more.

Mercury hockey team with coaches Hannah Bell and Estie Hamilton

The Auckland futsal competition restarted in Term 3 and our girls jumped back into training and league games as soon as they could. This code continues to be extremely popular – they seem to love the Auckland futsal coaches and the fun, relaxed vibe that this code brings.

Our Years 3-6 rhythmic gymnastics girls got underway in Term 3, undeterred by not being able to attend school-based training sessions. Instead, we hosted an online training programme using Zoom meetings. Each girl had their own apparatus to use at home including balls and hoops so they could practise and follow our coach during online sessions.

They are working towards a competition in November.

LIVING 1st XI team Bella Armstrong, Lucy Bannatyne, Mimi Bond, Lily Bond, Clementine Buchanan, Georgia Charvill, Eve Finlayson, Jasmine Ha, Holly Hilton-Jones, Arabella Loveridge, Lottie Mandeno, Lucy Pettit, Mackenzie Robertson, Katie Ryan, Jess Wech, Olivia Pearce and Shreeya Daji.

HOLIDAY HOCKEY I n the second week of the school holidays, the Dio 1st and 2nd XI were fortunate enough to be able to enter the Upper North Island Hockey Festival, hosted by North Harbour. This tournament was able to go ahead following the cancellation due to COVID-19 of the Secondary Schools’ Tournament Week, usually held in August. Schools from Auckland, North Harbour and Whangarei participated.

The 1st XI played consistently good hockey all week and gave themselves a great chance to be in the final.

They didn’t lose a game until the semi-finals, where they were unlucky to lose in a penalty shoot-out.

They played a strong Westlake team, and won the game for third place 2-1.

This was the final farewell game for our Year 13 leavers Lucy Bannatyne, Arabella Loveridge, Bella Armstrong, Georgia Charvill and Mimi Bond. Thank you, girls, for your contribution to Dio hockey.

The Dio 2nd XI got through to the finals and won the silver medal. They had two close struggles with Westlake Girls’ 2nd XI during the tournament, and lost 1-0 to them in the final after a late Westlake goal.

2nd XI team Felicity Bannatyne, Hannah Bell, Tiffany Charvill, Alexandra Fletcher, Anais Hamilton, Estie Hamilton, Isabelle Head, Maddie Kelso-Heap, Suzannah Kennelly, Casey Lam, Nikita Parag, Sofia Phillimore, Zara Preece-Twose, Sophie Ryan, Lucy Shennan, Victoria Wright.

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Smooth sailing Although 2020 has proved to be difficult for most sports to get up and running, our Diocesan sailors have managed to compete and had some awesome results.

Moving forward, Lizzie will be competing at the National Youth trials, which acts as a qualifier for the World Youth Championships in 2021. Good luck Lizzie!

Year 10’s Lizzie Shapland certainly hasn’t let COVID-19 ruin her plans.

In July, Lizzie and her crew mate Lucy (from Rangitoto College) won the Youth Female division at the 29er Nationals. Lizzie and Lucy were competing against women in the Youth class who are up to 19 years old, making this feat even more impressive. The girls also placed second female team overall, second to Alex Maloney and Molly Meech who are current Olympic champions and full-time sailors. This was an outstanding result for the girls.

Further to Lizzie’s success, Dio has more sailing news to celebrate.

Current Year 13 student and code captain Zoe Dawson, alongside Dio Old Girl Charlotte Porter, have been selected to represent New Zealand in the Youth America’s Cup Team.

Initially the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron received 88 applications for the team and after a series of fitness testing and interviews this number was reduced to the final team. The event will take place in Auckland next year and we can’t wait to see both girls in action!

KATIE CRAWFORD WINTER YOUTH OLYMPICS LAUSANNE 2020

2020 wasn’t all doom and gloom for our top Dio athletes. What seems like a lifetime ago, in January, Dio’s own Katie Crawford represented New Zealand at the Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland.

This was truly an incredible achievement.

Two days before she was due to compete, Katie suffered a fall that required seven stitches in her upper right arm.

But that didn’t stop her. Katie competed in the slalom events and finished with 30th and 31st placings.

Katie discovered skiing at a young age, following in her sister’s footsteps. She often spends months at a time in Queenstown training hard whilst juggling her schoolwork – and she does an exceptional job!

We are very proud of Katie and after many years of commitment to Dio wish her the best of luck in her future endeavours – on and off the snow.

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LIVING

Q&A WITH

Ella Russ E lla is the 2020 football code captain and has played a very important part in the 1st XI football team throughout her time at Diocesan. She consistently leads by example, while showcasing her speed, skill and technique on the football field. Ella is currently involved in the Future Ferns Domestic Programme and continues to train and play at the most elite level in Auckland. Ella’s most recent national team accomplishments include being selected for the New Zealand U-17 Women’s Football team to qualify for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. After an automatic qualification process, New Zealand will attend the FIFIA U-17 Women’s World Cup in India in 2021. Ella continues to stay involved in the New Zealand U-17 Women’s World Cup set-up, and is ready to make her mark on the world stage.

How did you get into sport?

My family has always been really sporty, so I think that I was brought up with it. My older brother played football, so I was signed up to play when I was about five years old. Being in the Dio Junior School, I was also really lucky to have the opportunity to try out lots of different sports over the years. I had a lot of energy when I was younger, so I think that played a factor too!

What other sports do you play besides football?

I’ve been involved in athletics, tennis, futsal, water polo, cross country,

triathlon, orienteering, cycling and netball over my years at Dio. I love running and I still play futsal, however football is my main focus now!

What or who has been your greatest influence?

Someone I’ve always looked up to in football has been Rosie White, who plays for the Football Ferns and also went to Dio. What are the positives that you get out of sport?

I love everything about playing sport.

I’ve met some of my closest friends from other schools and different places around New Zealand, which I’m so grateful for.

Playing sport has taught me a lot about hard work and working in teams, and in recent years has also been great for relieving stress.

What is your biggest achievement/proudest moment?

Playing in China with the New Zealand U-17 team in 2019 was an amazing experience. Scoring in our first game against Chile was unreal and the atmosphere in the stadium was something that I’ve always wanted to be a part of.

How do you balance sport with your other commitments?

This is definitely still a work in progress for me, as balancing training with school

is always quite challenging. But I try to get work done when I can and the occasional late night or early morning seems to work! Planning out my week to see when I’ll have some time to study has also been something that I’ve found really helpful.

What has 2020 been like for you?

This year has definitely been a bit different, as it has been for everyone!

But I’ve been lucky enough to continue playing sport in some capacity. We had a very short club season but it was great to get a few weeks of games in, as well as a couple of school games.

What are your goals for the future?

In the future I’m looking at studying and playing football overseas, which is a really exciting opportunity. After university I definitely want to continue playing football and my dream would be to play for the Football Ferns.

Finally, what is your greatest memory of Dio football?

There have been many great times over the years, but the 2015 AIMS Games definitely stands out. We made the top 8 and had such a great team culture with Shivy and Gerald Anthony as our coaches. 2019 Winter Tournament Week, playing with the 1st XI, was also a highlight – it was great seeing the progress we had made as a team, getting our highest placing in many years.

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P&F Committee at the Welcome Picnic

Supporting the

DIO COMMUNITY T

he year 2020 has certainly been one we will not forget as we have all worked together to manage daily challenges and in turn have grown stronger within our communities.

In Term 3, I was asked by a Junior School teacher to prepare a short video clip for her class on the Dio community.

As part of their PYP learning, they were investigating what makes a community, and so I was to reflect on what the Dio community used to be like when I attended school many years ago.

What once would have been a parent visit to the classroom to share some stories of days gone by was now a video presentation. Technology and lockdowns to be considered, the Dio 64

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community is already vastly different to how it was – not just a generation ago, but even a year ago. Nonetheless, I sent along my thoughts to the girls, sharing memories of the landscape of the School and how it has changed and what the Dio community means to me.

Most Old Girls will remember at some time taking the plunge into the freezing outdoor pool, the icy cold concrete changing sheds bordering the sports field, playing field hockey on a field, and a very wee tuck shop seemingly always surrounded by seagulls.

Memories need not stretch back that far to remember when teachers battled for parking spaces on the side streets, the rose garden was well out of sight, and our beautiful Chapel was hidden by temporary music classrooms. How

indeed the landscape has changed! The plan that began with the development of the Dawn Jones Sports Centre over 30 years ago, has since seen the rise of numerous buildings, including Centennial Building, the Aquatic Centre, the hockey turf, and of course the Arts Centre. This well laid-out plan of development and growth is one the Dio community can be immensely proud of, for though these buildings are not the community, they are the foundations that foster the community and were built through the efforts of many.

Buildings and facilities are not the true community I think of when recollecting the school I once attended, and I hope are not what my daughters will think of when they too reflect upon their school days. For me, it was always the

LIVING

teachers who made up the heart of the Dio community. I felt very fortunate to be surrounded by teachers who cared and took a great interest in the allround education of the students of Diocesan. I remember the teachers for their inspiration and their commitment.

I see this continued today, from the Foundation Class through to Year 13, and beyond into the management of the School, executive team, property teams and pastoral care. There is a community of teachers, staff and leaders who truly have the best interests of the students in their hearts and minds. When I look back on the Dio of yesterday, I remember this, and when I look at the Dio of today, I feel such pride to see that this community continues to be strong.

The Parents and Friends’ Association works within the School to support this community throughout the year.

At times our actions may be big, such as a large fundraiser and subsequent donation to a new facility, and at times our actions may be small, such as greeting new parents at an Open Day, or serving meals in the cafeteria. Whether big or small, it is always our intent to foster this special Dio community spirit and help engage parents in the School.

We look forward to closing out 2020 with a successful year-end cocktail party, a chance to bring parents together in celebration. More so, we look forward to 2021, as we are already making plans for the Welcome Picnic in January, our Father Daughter Breakfast on 17 May, and even an Eagles Tribute Concert on 4 December. We are also excited to host a P&F reunion for past members, giving an opportunity to come back to the School and enjoy a tour through the many new facilities

and reminisce on what once was and what is to be within our Dio community.

Last of all, while the girls sun in the summer breeze, we will be hard at work with plans to relaunch the Dio café in 2021 – new menus, a new look and new ideas afloat.

Wrapping up this year, we at Parents and Friends extend our best wishes to all within the Dio community for a healthy and happy summer and express our thanks to all the teachers, staff and management of Dio for continuing to make this school a wonderful place to be.

Happy Holiday!

Robin Bell

As always, we welcome any feedback or interest in volunteering. Please email us at PFA@diocesan.school.nz DIO TODAY

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L I F E LON G F R IE N DS

JOIN THE

Auckland Dio Old Girls’ League

DIOCESAN OLD GIRLS’ LEAGUE COMMITTEE CONTACT DETAILS

FACEBOOK PAGE

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

STAY CONNECTED. Join us online and be part of a 6000-strong community of former students, staff and parents sharing news, opinions, updates, profiles, photos and Dio memories. OGL Committee member Penny Tucker runs the page and would love to hear your stories and updates.

PRESIDENT Jenny Spillane (Orsborn) M. 027 603 6990 TREASURER Felicity Buche (Olson) P. 09 521 8387 SECRETARY Tania Fairgray (Railley) P. 09 529 1736

Bursary applications open

FELLOWSHIP SECRETARY Emma Cleary (Dillon) P. 09 522 9564

The Old Girls’ League Bursaries are intended to help families of Old Girls that would otherwise have difficulty financing their daughter’s education at Diocesan.

The bursary pays 50% of each year’s tuition for a maximum period of three years.

Bursary recipients must be in Years 9 to 13. Applications are open to daughters or granddaughters of Old Girls who are either currently a student, or who will be attending Diocesan. The primary qualifying criteria for the bursary is financial hardship.

Applications are now invited for bursaries for the 2022 and 2023 academic years.

Application closing date: 26 February 2021.

To request an application form, please contact Jenny Spillane, OGL President, in confidence via email: spillanej01@gmail.com

COMMITTEE Sarah Couillault (Willis) M. 021 489 102 Annabel French (Smaill) P. 09 575 1175 Penny Tucker (Macdonald) E. pennydtucker@gmail.com Kimberly Sumner (Wragge) E. kimberlysumner@happinessblindspot.com 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

Ph: 09 356 7107 admin@lcl.co.nz Level 3, 125 Vincent Street, Auckland 1010. www.lindesayconstruction.co.nz

LIFELONG FRIENDS The OGL Committee (L to R) – Tania Fairgray, Annabel French, Penny Tucker, Emma Cleary, Melanie Eady, Jenny Spillane and Kimberley Sumner.

President’s column It’s fair to say that 2020 has been a year like no other and I’m sure most of us will be looking forward to bidding it farewell. Like me, many on the Dio Old Girls’ League Committee are also mothers of current Dio girls. As such, I wanted to let you know how proud you, as Dio Old Girls, should be of your old school this year of all years.

The Diocesan senior management and staff have shown resilience, adaptability and flexibility above and beyond what they surely thought would ever be expected of them. At 9pm on Tuesday 11 August, we all watched as Auckland was given less than 24 hours’ notice of the impending Level 3 lockdown.

While I immediately wondered if we had enough pet food in the house, not once did I worry about my daughter’s education over the following few weeks. I had the highest confidence that we would receive timely, clear communication about the plans for the days and weeks ahead, and that the girls would be fully supported with their education. It was a confidence that had grown out of the School’s tireless performance during Lockdown 1.0 – and

not once was I given cause to question it during Lockdown 2.0.

As parents, we’ve received regular communications that have been clear, informative and human, showing concern for the welfare of all the girls and their families above everything else. At the same time, the girls were guided through their online learning by teachers who appeared to seamlessly adapt to the new forum. I have no doubt many felt a bit like ducks – paddling like mad underneath the water while presenting a calm presence to their classes. A huge bouquet goes to Heather McRae and all the staff. It has not been Dio as you would remember it, but it is a Dio that you can be no less proud of.

I’m hopeful that, as you receive this publication in November, many of you will remembering fun Founders’ Weekend celebrations. Like so many, the League has been bereft of celebrations this year, with all events coinciding with the COVID-19 restrictions and so having to be cancelled. We feel for all our members

“It has not been Dio as you would remember it, but it is a Dio that you can be no less proud of.” this year, much like we do for all the current Year 13 girls who have been forced to miss many things that make their final year at school so special. It’s our fervent hope that we will be able to host them all at the Graduation Ball in December and welcome them to the Dio Old Girls’ community in the manner that they deserve… and with that, we will hang our Christmas decorations and look forward to welcoming everyone back in 2021.

Ut Serviamus.

Jenny Spillane, Old Girls’ League President DIO TODAY

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A LEADING LADY of a different kind

This Dio Old Girl living in France has been appointed CEO of StudioCanal, one of Europe’s leading film and television production and distribution companies.

I

n 1895 the Lumière brothers held the world’s first public movie screening in Paris. Their short film Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory astonished audiences and marked the birth of cinema. Fast-forward 125 years and it’s a Paris-based New Zealander at the helm of one of the world’s most prestigious film and TV production companies.

Having been with StudioCanal since 2008, Anna knows the company and its people inside out. But taking the reins at such a pivotal and tumultuous time has meant the last six months have sometimes felt like six years.

Anna Marsh (Class of 1996) started her new role as CEO of StudioCanal in December 2019. Thanks to the impacts of the global pandemic, it’s been a challenging and eventful year, but she’s taken it all in her stride.

“It’s a busy field, especially right now when the world is evolving so rapidly. The virus has accelerated change, so much so that a lot of what had been predicted in the industry has finally become a reality. Streaming platforms have come in and swept us all into a different way of consuming content, and some major films are now skipping their theatrical run entirely and going straight to digital, like you’re seeing with Mulan – all of that was supposed to happen gradually over the next five or six years, but it’s happened almost instantly with COVID. It’s a time of change and challenge, but it’s exciting, forcing us to be on our toes and to think and act quickly.”

Owned by Canal+ Group, StudioCanal has 450 staff in offices in France, Germany, the UK, US, China, Australia and New Zealand. It produces films and television series, distributing the rights to that content globally. With an annual turnover of around ¤500 million, StudioCanal owns a catalogue of 6000 titles, some of which date back to the 1930s.

Its recent titles include the Aardman animated film Early Man, and the Paddington and Shaun the Sheep movie franchises. StudioCanal also focuses on high-end drama, romantic comedy and some action or horror films with franchise potential, co-producing and/or distributing titles such as Bridget Jones’s Diary, the Johnny English series, John Wick and the newly released Radioactive about the life of scientist Marie Curie.

“We have a very strong European positioning,” explains Anna. “We’re actually alone in this space as there really are no other independent studios of our kind in Europe. We endeavour to make quality, ambitious films that have broad, global appeal.”

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“You only have one choice: to face the challenge head on,” she says. “It’s all about problem solving on a daily basis.

Anna’s focus for StudioCanal over the coming years is to navigate the company through these industry changes.

“In a CEO tenure, you want to be remembered for something. And obviously we all want to be successful, so it’s about protecting the company and taking us to the next level, while embracing the wider corporate vision.”

So what kind of response does she get as a New Zealander running a French company? “I’ve lived in France since 2001 and last year I finally received my French passport. The French are really respectful, particularly to those who speak the language and share a passion for their culture. StudioCanal is a French company with global ambition

and it has only been welcoming towards an anglophone woman managing the company.”

Back to where it all began After leaving Dio, Anna studied at the University of Otago Business School, which has strong connections to some of the European business schools. She specifically wanted to go to HEC Paris because of its excellent reputation and her love of all things French. She was awarded the John Waddell Hayward Scholarship in Commerce from Otago University and moved to Paris to study at HEC. “In France, all students must undertake work experience as part of their degree, so I got an internship at a TV production and distribution company in Paris, and that’s how I fell into this business.”

The internship was followed by a job at TF1, a large commercial TV company that also produces and distributes films. Keen to get into movies, Anna continued working in the TV business but added film as a layer. Her involvement in the 2007 Edith Piaf film La Môme really solidified Anna’s love of the industry. In 2008, she moved to StudioCanal to work in sales, marketing and distribution.

“I knew that’s where I wanted to be. I’d always wanted to work for the Canal+ Group because it’s a real reference of quality with a unique edge. I’d always admired the types of film makers they collaborated with and their high standards in production. The company strongly embraces talent and provides ongoing staff training.”

Saving Paddington Among her career highlights at StudioCanal, Anna says a few deals stand out, but no doubt the toughest

“It was one of the biggest learning curves of my career. The movie – now the best reviewed film of all time – was in danger of never being released in theatres in America due to the looming bankruptcy of initial distributor TWC (The Weinstein Company). Our firm was tasked with unravelling a very complex situation and finding a new distributor (Warner Bros) before it was too late. With so much at stake, I learnt a lot about thinking fast on your feet, perseverance, and creative thinking in business.”

Anna has also loved mentoring junior staff. “That’s something I feel really proud of. In your career it’s give and take, and sharing enjoyment of the work we do and a passion for cinema is so important.”

Just before taking on the CEO position, and with 10 years in the StudioCanal Paris head office under her belt, Anna moved her family to London to manage the UK office.

“I was attracted to the challenge of running one of our businesses abroad and I thought it could be beneficial for the UK team to have someone from head office come and help rethink some of the processes. So we left in July 2019 and rented out our house near Versailles.”

When the best-laid plans go awry Just a couple of months into what was supposed to be a five-year secondment, Anna was called back to Paris and eventually took on the role of CEO of StudioCanal in December 2019. With her eight-year-old twins, Valentin and Amélia, newly enrolled at school in London, Anna was obliged to commute between the English and French capitals. But then COVID struck and changed everything.

LIFELONG FRIENDS

was the negotiations around the Paddington 2 film saga.

we were driving towards the EuroStar, we were really scared they might close the borders. It was like a movie, with the clock ticking. We had to move out of our London house virtually, instructing the movers what to take via Zoom and then try to politely convince our tenants to leave our house a year early.”

From March to June this year, Anna has worked from home, gradually returning to the office in July. She says the new Zoom culture has helped unite StudioCanal’s teams around the world.

As it has for many of us, the pandemic allowed Anna to spend more time with her children and her French-Dutch husband, Maxime.

“I’ve never seen my kids so much as I have in the last six months. During the lockdown we were at their grandparents’ place in the south of France.

Their school in London was fantastic. They kept classes going via Zoom so they had proper school from home the whole time. Once lockdown ended, and we could go out again, we made sure they saw friends to counteract that cabin fever.”

Before COVID changed the world, Anna, Maxime and the twins returned to New Zealand each Christmas, with Anna’s parents visiting them during the European summer.

“It’s really important for the kids to feel that part of their culture and their roots are in New Zealand,” she says.

“Lockdown in the UK happened in March and we felt that it was coming to Europe too, so we filled our car up one Sunday and on the Monday morning we drove back to France at the crack of dawn. The French Government announced that France would be locking down the very next day. As DIO TODAY

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A PIONEER

on the water

Diocesan is known for its track record of rowing success. What is less well known is how the efforts of Dio Old Girl Lynette Skelton (PY 1959) made New Zealand women’s rowing possible in the first place.

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Lynette (front row centre) with the New Zealand women’s coxed four team.

F

the Union of Oarswomen in NSW. Over the years many have benefitted from her coaching at the Mossman, Balmain and Sydney Rowing Clubs. She had a reputation as a firm, perceptive coach with a good sense of humour.

And joust she did. For the first time ever in 1967 the New Zealand Amateur Rowing Association decided the following year to include one women’s race, the coxed fours, at the championships held at Lake Waihola in the South Island. Lynette’s pestering had cracked the glass ceiling!

Later, Lynette’s passion lay in masters rowing and she has over 400 medals to prove it – these are no weekend rowers.

Lynette has rowed most rivers and lakes in the United Kingdom and Europe, including the Po, the Douro, and the Venice lagoon regatta. She even won at the Henley Veterans’ Regatta and also competed at the 2012 World Rowing Masters Regatta in Duisburg, Germany.

rom the moment 18-year-old Lynette Skelton dipped her oar into the water on the Tamaki River she was hooked. At university she had been drawn to the notice in the cloisters on the Auckland University Ladies’ Club Notice Board encouraging women to try rowing.

Lynette remembered many happy hours rowing the family dinghy at Titirangi Beach and signed up. The year was 1959 and her club, Auckland University Ladies’ Rowing Club, was the only club for women rowers at that time.

However, the women were only allowed to race over a distance of 1000 metres – 2000 metres was considered too arduous for them. For those familiar with the 1000m mark at Lake Karapiro, it is always windy. There was no held start. If they were a little late to the start because of the conditions, the women had to put up with sexist comments like, “What were you doing? Powdering your noses?” If the weather was bad or the regatta schedule was delayed, the women’s race was always cancelled – the men were worried they might sink!

In the fifties and sixties, rowing was a male domain and definitely didn’t include events for secondary school-aged girls. In this confronting environment, everything was a challenge that young women like Lynette stood up to, and up for. Men considered rowing far too strenuous for ‘the fairer sex’ and it was even believed to affect a woman’s ability to have children. While there were a couple of pockets of women rowers around the country, they were usually not allowed into the clubs while the men were there, they could not be club members, and they had to beg to borrow a boat. For someone like Lynette, whose Diocesan education had taught her that women could do and achieve anything, this did not go down at all well.

In 1966 the first New Zealand Women’s crew, a coxed four, was selected to compete in Adelaide at the Australian Championships. Lynette stroked the crew to victory ahead of the Australian crews, setting a surprising 39 rating and steadying it to 37.

A newspaper article from 1966 reads: “She is a pert petite blonde from Auckland who is described as a mixture of Don Quixote and a crusading Emily Pankhurst. Her name is Lynette Skelton and her positive approach and inflexible spirit have been responsible

In 1971 Lynette decamped for Sydney where she was thrilled to find many women’s rowing clubs. For the next 40 or so years, she continued to row, winning a few Australian titles and involving herself in all levels of the sport, including becoming President of

Reflecting on that race, Lynette later described it as her most memorable moment in rowing. “There were many races that were memorable but really when our first New Zealand women’s crew went to Adelaide in 1966, coached

by Eric Craies, we won the Australian Women’s Fours race to the amazement of Australia and New Zealand when nobody had taken us seriously. Women were not the respected sportspeople that they are today in New Zealand.”

LIFELONG FRIENDS

for the formation of a New Zealand Women’s Rowing Association of which Lynette is President. Lynette is 26 and is now preparing to throw down the gauntlet and joust with men in a man’s world.”

In 2015, Lynette was interviewed for a story in the West End Rowing Club newsletter. Asked to name her best rowing achievement, she said: “There are so many races over the 55 years to choose from, I can’t say that I can pinpoint one race that meant more than so many other races that were all hard work and you go over the line with a huge grin, and feel so proud and emotional to have pushed yourself to the limits to beat the opposition. There are over 400 trophies in my lounge to remind me of the wonderful elating instances of success in the best sport in the world.”

Lynette’s last race was the 2017 World Masters Games at Lake Karapiro where she won a bronze medal. So what kept her love of rowing alive for 50 years?

“It’s like a drug,” says Lynette. “You get in a boat and you just adore it so much that you can’t help but keep rowing forever. It’s the water, it’s the challenge, it’s the companionship of other people in the crew boats. The challenge really is the main thing.”

To this day Lynette continues to espouse the value and the joy of rowing as a sport. It has been the great love of her life and Lynette’s contribution to the sport has been immense. Diocesan School for Girls can be justifiably proud of its former pupil’s role in the delivery of rowing to the women of New Zealand.

Our sincere thanks to Lynette’s close friend Sheryl Wells for her help in compiling this story.

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E WS

ALU

MN

Hannah Rice performing in a German play called The Visit.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Five years after they graduated, we talked to these Old Girls from the Class of 2015 about what they have been up to since they left Dio, and how they are navigating the challenges of COVID-19.

HANNAH RICE Hannah Rice was Deputy Head Prefect in 2015. In an action-packed final year at school, she gained an NZQA Scholarship in drama, got her ATCL Diploma in Performing from Trinity College, earned a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, and was involved in tennis and dragon boating. Hannah plans to study acting in Los Angeles.

“After graduating from Dio, I studied economics and cognitive science at Northwestern University in Illinois and was also involved in student film and theatre.

“The most rewarding experience during my time there was volunteering as a tutor with the Northwestern Prison 72

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Education Program at Stateville Correctional Centre, a male maximum security prison in Chicago. It gives Stateville inmates the chance to take classes with university professors who volunteer their time to teach at the prison. As part of the programme, Northwestern undergraduate and postgraduate students tutor at a study hall at the prison. It was a humbling experience to work with people from different backgrounds and help them better themselves through education.

“Despite gaining a degree in economics and cognitive science, I’m pursuing a career in acting and writing. Acting has always been my passion and I want to explore this as a career while I’m young and have few responsibilities.

I was admitted to the New York

Film Academy with a merit-based scholarship and was due to move to Los Angeles in September 2020 to pursue postgraduate study in acting for film. Due to COVID-19, I’ve had to defer my place until January 2021. After coming home from Chicago in March, I’m enjoying being back in Auckland and spending time with friends and family.

“Dio really instilled in me the value of having a good work ethic and being creative. One thing I love about the Dio community is how you can randomly run into people from school and there is instantly a connection. It’s been lovely to catch up with friends from Dio and I was really lucky that quite a few of them came to visit me when I was in the States.”

An accomplished bassoonist, Rebecca Brimble won the Lawson Cup for Excellence and Commitment in Music.

She is thrilled to have been accepted into the highly competitive course at Auckland Medical School.

“In my first year out of school I completed the first year Biomedical Science course at the University of Auckland and was then accepted into Auckland Medical School. I did two pre-clinical years in Auckland and spent the first at Auckland Hospital. This year I am at Middlemore Hospital and in 2021 I will complete my trainee intern year at Rotorua Hospital. After leaving school, I learnt how to be a barista and continued to work at a local café during my preclinical years. I’ve also kept up with music, playing bassoon in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences Student Symphony Orchestra and I’ve started a new hobby of trail running.

“At school, the sciences were my favourite subjects. I always knew that whatever I ended up doing, I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives and make the world a better place. I wanted to spend most of my career working with people, and the idea of life-long learning also

appealed to me. Becoming a doctor satisfied all these goals.

“2020 has definitely been a challenge.

I was in Perth doing a six-week placement in obstetric medicine at King Edward Memorial Hospital when everything started taking off. In week two of my placement, the university advised all medical students currently overseas to return to New Zealand as soon as possible.

I booked a flight home the next day. Two weeks later, we went into Level 4 lockdown and were all sent home from clinical placement. I was doing my psychiatry rotation at the time and had to have patient consultations on Zoom. Thankfully, my plans next year have not changed too much, although I will no longer be able to do an elective in Samoa to experience and develop my skills in Pacific health.

“Dio really instilled in me the value of service and treating others as you would like to be treated and it’s a principle that I will always live my life by. I don’t think I would have chosen medicine as a career if I didn’t have this awareness. My experience at Middlemore Hospital this year has made me see how devastating poverty is in New Zealand. I’m now motivated to help change this injustice.”

“I always thought I would study medicine, but when I arrived in the United States, I fell in love with international relations and Middle Eastern studies. I found like-minded friends in the college’s student government and mock-trial programme, and a mentor in a professor at Duke’s School for Public Policy. I worked as a research assistant for this professor for almost all my time at Duke. In my final year of college, this work extended to a chance to collaborate with the Former Chief Justice of South Africa, Dikang Moseneke, while he completed his fellowship at Duke.

GEORGIA LALA Allrounder Georgia Lala was named Proxime Accessit to the Dux, served on the Ethics and Human Rights Committees, was prefect for Eliza Edwards house, and coached, played and umpired netball. She won a prestigious University of Auckland scholarship and began a Bachelor of Science there before attending Duke University in North Carolina on the Robertson Leadership Scholarship.

LIFELONG FRIENDS

REBECCA BRIMBLE

“Studying abroad opened up some amazing opportunities for travel. In 2018 I studied human rights in Chile, Nepal and Jordan. I spent one summer backpacking in Europe to create a podcast on the European Refugee Crisis, and in 2019 I spent a week in Morocco studying the American and British North African campaign of World War II. “I came home in mid-2019 for a few months to work for the Helen Clark

“Dio really instilled in me the value of service and treating others as you would like to be treated and it’s a principle that I will always live my life by.”

Foundation, and also co-authored a paper advocating for drug policy reform in New Zealand in the lead-up to the 2020 Cannabis Referendum – the topic has sparked some interesting debates in my personal life!

“With COVID-19, I returned to New Zealand in early March after my college had to close its doors. I spent the last two months of my degree finishing my honours thesis via online learning and graduated in May with majors in political science and international comparative studies and a minor in Arabic. Since then, I’ve been working on a local election campaign in Auckland. It’s been a whole new experience and a heap of fun.

“My biggest lesson from school is always to try new things. For me, that meant taking a step away from science and into politics, governance and human rights. I’m excited about the new opportunities that might present themselves in the future.”

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ALICE TILLEY 2015 Head Prefect Alice Tilley received the Eliza Edwards Memorial Award for her contribution to school activities, high personal standards and demonstration of the qualities on which Dio was founded. She was also named Best All-round Sportswoman in her final year of school – and her recent sporting achievements show how well deserved that accolade was.

“Last year I completed my final year of study at the University of Auckland, gaining First Class Honours in Science. During my time at university, I was involved in the High Performance Sports Programme, representing New Zealand in the Junior World Orienteering Championships in both Switzerland (2016) and Finland (2017). In late 2019, I also represented New Zealand at the World Orienteering Cup Championships in Guangzhou, China.

It was the first time China had hosted a World Cup Orienteering event and it was exciting to be an athlete at the inaugural competition.

HOPE WHITEHEAD Singer, actor and filmmaker Hope Whitehead was Dio Arts Prefect in 2015. She won the Imogen Wells Award for Outstanding Performance in the Arts, and credits doing World Challenge in Year 12 with helping develop her leadership skills. She’s put them to good use while studying at Cambridge University.

“In October 2016, I left to study English literature at the University of Cambridge.

I became involved in many extracurricular activities, including being a choral scholar for the Queens’ College Chapel Choir, singing roles for the Cambridge University Opera Society, and putting on my own recitals in Cambridge. I also got into student politics. In my first year, I ran for President of the JCR, the committee that represents the 500-odd undergraduate students at Queens’.

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second term, so I held the role for two years, learning a lot about leadership in the process.

“A highlight of my time at university was being invited to meet the Queen when she visited Queens’ College in her capacity as its patroness. I’m also proud of the work I did reviving the Queens’ College Amateur Dramatic Society. My goal was to bring back the summer Shakespeare play (a tradition that began in 1948), and I was stoked to have my sister Piper as director. We approached notable Queens’ alumni to help with the production and worked with film director Iain Softley. Stephen Fry even ran a session with our cast.

“In 2019, I graduated and moved to Los Angeles for four months, studying on exchange at the University of Southern California’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts.

“I studied at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, under the University of Auckland 360 Student Exchange Programme. In addition to my studies, making new friends and settling into Canadian culture and tradition, the highlight was being selected to join the Queen’s University Marching Band.

After being a member of the Symphony Orchestra and Stage Band at Dio, I was thrilled to again be in a big band environment, attending rehearsals and performances for all-university sporting fixtures and playing an important part in homecoming traditions. Queen’s Bands comprise a pipe band, brass band, cheerleaders, highland dancers, drum corps, and colour guard. We perform at Queen’s football games, appear at major university ceremonies, and represent Queen’s at parades and events across Canada and the United States. It was an

“2020 was always going to be a gap year to gain work experience in between degrees. I’ve spent the year in New Zealand working across a range of industries. I did a brief stint at a healthcare recruitment company, completed an internship at publishing firm Allen & Unwin, then worked at advertising agency HeyYou doing copywriting, PR and strategy. I also volunteered for South Auckland Riding for the Disabled and sang with the choir of Holy Trinity Cathedral.

“In October I returned to the University of Cambridge to complete a master’s degree in Film and Screen Studies.

I’d already begun working as Chief Media Strategist and leading a student ambassador programme based in the US for the Cambridge international student film festival, Watersprite. I was planning to move to London after finishing my MPhil, so it will be interesting to see whether that’s still an option.”

LIFELONG FRIENDS

incredible experience to be part of such a long-standing and respected tradition.

“I returned home to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in geography and environmental science. During my studies, I developed a passion for GIS (geographical information science), water science and environmental management. I’ve always been interested in the value of water in our environment, how fluvial systems integrate in our society, and subsequent land and groundwater contamination.

After graduation, I enrolled as a postgraduate and completed a First Class Honours degree focusing on fluvial management.

“Early this year, pre COVID-19, I began the graduate programme at Tonkin + Taylor, working as a contaminated-land consultant. My job is a mix of field and office work and I enjoy the combination of practical and theoretical work.

“In my spare time, I’ve been making the most of weekends with trail running adventures including the Pinnacles and the Tongariro Crossing.”

This image: Annabelle Paterson (second from right) with friends at the annual Harvard versus Yale football game.

Inset: While visiting Spain with her class, Annabelle ran into her Year 7 and 8 dean, Mrs Mary Guyan.

ANNABELLE PATERSON Annabelle was a stand-out swimmer at Dio and represented New Zealand in the biennial World Junior Championships and Commonwealth Youth Games in 2015. Annabelle has continued to swim for Harvard University where she’s just begun her senior year virtually.

“In August 2017, I went to America to begin my four-year degree at Harvard University. I moved into Straus Hall, into the same room Mark Zuckerberg had in his 2004 freshman year! In my second year, I declared a concentration in the history of art and architecture – architecture design studies, with a secondary in computer science.

“I was recruited to swim for the Harvard women’s swim and dive team and we won the Ivy League championships my freshman [first] and sophomore [second] years. In my last two years I played for the Harvard women’s water polo team.

“I’ve had the most amazing time at Harvard. Highlights include travelling to Spain and journeying the Santiago de Compostela (by bus) and going to Italy for my art and architecture classes. I also went to Fuerteventura, Dublin and Hawaii for swim training trips, and to Sydney for water polo.

I’m part of the Harvard Women in Business Club and involved in events and classes at the Graduate School of Design.

Hope Whitehead graduating from the University of Cambridge.

“One of the best things about Harvard and studying at a US liberal arts college is that you don’t have to declare your major until halfway through your second year. I’ve taken a range of classes to meet

my general education requirements, which exposed me to different fields of study. These include CS50, Introduction to Computer Science, one of the largest and hardest classes at Harvard. In an engineering class called Innovation that I’m taking virtually this semester, we hear from some of the world’s most amazing innovators, including the COO of Ferrari and the creator of LEGO Friends.

“2020 has been very different to what I’d planned. In March, we were given three days to get off campus.

I arrived in New Zealand and went into self-isolation two weeks before the first lockdown. I was able to finish my semester at home but had to live on Boston time with classes at 1am some days.

“I’d been offered an internship in Huntington Beach, California, where I was planning to be from June to August. I did what I could remotely and I’m now beginning my senior year virtually from New Zealand.

I’m also coaching a junior squad at Parnell Swim Club and enjoying being safe at home with my family.

After college I am thinking of either going to architecture graduate school or venturing into the management consulting industry.”

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OGL FOUNDERS’ DAY EVENTS

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LIFELONG FRIENDS

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n Saturday 7 November members of the Old Girls’ League gathered at the School for the Annual General Meeting of the League, prior to which they were able to meet with archivist Evan Lewis at the School Archive. After the AGM, a High Tea was held in the School Hall for senior Old Girls, followed by a Chapel service led by the School Chaplains. Then Old Girls of all ages had the opportunity to view the newly completed Arts Centre while enjoying cocktails and canapes. It was a most enjoyable afternoon of catching up and sharing memories.

DIO TODAY

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REUNIONS

BACK TOGETHER after 30 years O D

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R E U NIO

Akarana Eatery, Auckland

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n Saturday 1 August, 51 Dio Old Girls from the Class of 1990 gathered for their 30-year reunion at Akarana Eatery. Unaware that in just 11 days Auckland would go back into Level 3 lockdown, they could not have timed their gathering more perfectly in a year that’s seen so many events cancelled.

Organiser Fiona Houghton, who works as Events Manager at Fletcher Building, said the reunion was a fabulous evening with several of the attendees travelling up from Queenstown, Hamilton and Tauranga for the night. Another even changed her return flight to Hong Kong so that she could join the group.

In the true spirit of 2020, there was even a Zoom call with some Old Girls in Australia so that they could share in the vibe of the reunion. Fiona says there are plans in place to get together again in the near future, COVID-19 permitting.

UPCOMING REUNIONS

The coronavirus pandemic has made gatherings of any sort tricky in 2020, so Dio reunions have been few and far between. A couple of year groups have events planned, but these are subject to alert levels allowing large gatherings to take place in New Zealand.

CLASS OF 2010 Friday 11 December 2020 Drinks and nibbles from 5.30pm in the Diocesan School Hall.

RSVP via the Diocesan School for Girls – ‘Class of 2010 Confessions’ Facebook page Organiser Tessa Vincent Tessa.vincent92@gmail.com CLASS OF 2000 Proposed date and location to be confirmed, but a reunion event is likely to take place in June or July 2021.

Organiser Anna Meyer (Theobald) annatheobald@gmail.com

LIFELONG FRIENDS

MILESTONES Births Sarah Sundman (2004) a daughter on 19 June 2020

Deaths Alix Tylden (Jones, PY 1952) on 10 October 2020 Dorothy Watkins (Wynyard, PY 1959) on 15 July 2020 Esther Cashmore (Stoddart, PY 1947) on 19 August 2020 Elspeth Grant (Overington, PY 1969) on 13 October 2020 Gail Hall (Wight, PY 1969) on 5 September 2020 Kenwyn Campbell (Barling, PY 1958) on 1 June 2020 Kristin Leek (Williamson, PY 1954) on 8 September 2020 Margaret Evans (Hamilton, PY 1965) on 1 August 2020 Margaret Maxwell (Palmer, PY 1945) on 20 September 2020 Mary Mendoza (Johnson, PY 1948) on 22 July 2020 Pamela Fowler (Davenport, PY 1939) on 24 July 2020

Patricia Lock (PY 1969) on 2 October 2020 Patricia Malloy (Gould, PY 1948) on 12 July 2020 Penelope Hannan (PY 1978) on 11 October 2019 Priscilla Matthews (PY 1958) on 11 August 2020 Rosemary Worley (Kissling, PY 1950) on 18 September 2020 Susan Trotter (Bull, PY 1966) on 20 September 2020 Suzanne (Sue) Wayne (Lewisham, 1959) on 13 September 2020 Suzanne (Sue) Wayne (Lewisham, 1959) on 13 September 2020 The Right Reverend James Andrew White (Jim), Assistant Bishop of Auckland, on 30 September 2020.

Chaplain at Dio from 1989-1991, Jim will be fondly remembered by many of the Diocesan community.

UPCOMING EVENTS DIOCESAN YEAR 13 GRADUATION BALL Saturday 12 December Cordis Hotel, Symonds Street ALUMNA MERITA ASSEMBLY NEW DATE Wednesday 10 March 2021 Due to restrictions around gatherings as a result of COVID-19, the Alumna Merita Assembly that was scheduled for September regrettably had to be postponed.

It will now take place on Wednesday 10 March 2021 in the Dawn Jones Sports Centre.

Attendance by invitation.

Achievements Mikaela Russell (PY 2013) Master of Design, Auckland University of Technology, August 2019 / Bachelor of Design (Digital) 2017

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Note: PY is short for ‘Peer Year’ and indicates the year an Old Girl would have been in Form 7 (Year 13) had she continued her schooling at Dio through until the end.

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