Dio Today - June 2022

JUNE 2022

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 W. DIOCESAN.SCHOOL.NZ BOARD CHAIR Ms Nicole Xanthopol 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 Mrs Amy Thompson JUNIOR SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS Mr Ian Walker AND PLANNING DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Ms Shelley Johnston DIRECTOR OF Mrs Angela Coe DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE Mrs Jocelyn Anso AND CULTURE DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS Mrs Kate Jones HEAD PREFECT Emma Parton DEPUTY HEAD PREFECT Ella Riley

DIO TODAY is produced through the Marketing Office of Diocesan School for Girls and is designed and published by Soar Communications Group Limited. For information about this publication, contact the Editor, Liz McKay, E. lmckay@ diocesan.school.nz / Alumnae liaison and proofreading, Deirdre Coleman, E. d.g@slingshot.co.nz / Commissioned photography

by Nicola Topping, Real Image (realimage.co.nz).

“E tū is what we want to see everyone striving to do this year. We want to see all of us standing up for our communities, standing up for ourselves and standing up to get involved. Self-compassion is hard. Being an upstander is hard. But together we can do this, Team Dio! This is us! He Waka Eke Noa. We are all in this waka together.”

Emma Parton and Ella Riley

I have asked permission of Penny Tucker, current President of the Diocesan Alumnae Association, to quote from an excellent piece she wrote earlier this year on the group’s Facebook page that is worth sharing.

are being taught to look out for their peers and not just ‘tolerate’ vulnerabilities and idiosyncrasies but to weave them into social interaction. They are being taught that human frailty can be mitigated through love and compassion.”

“I think today’s Dio is pretty adept at teaching – or perhaps ‘bedding in’ would be more accurate – two important concepts: solidarity and resilience. Girls are actually taught about how to deal with people and situations that are confronting and difficult. They are learning that, while it is often very difficult for others to ask for help, it is never difficult to offer it. They are being taught that there is nothing they cannot do if they are committed to achieving it and truly want to navigate a path to get there. They

In this issue of Dio Today, we hear from our Principal about Dio’s culture code; Ko Tātou, a focus that the Year 13 cohort introduced in 2020; the importance of adaptability and how, after 100 years of physically standing at the heart of the school grounds, the Chapel of Our Glorified Lord is still at the centre of our purpose as we strive to create an environment and an education where everyone belongs and is loved and nurtured.

Liz McKay, Editor

T R E N Z S E AT E R

AWARD WINNING INTERIOR DESIGN

2018 − 2022

2018 - 2021

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

JUNE 2022

LEADING 02 From the Principal The power of culture 2022 School leaders

04 Senior appointments Director of Marketing Shelley Johnston and HOF Arts Zoe Visvanathan

06 Heritage Foundation Give the gift of a Dio education through the Ko Tātou Scholarship

08 The Girl Stands Tall Dio’s new Paul Dibble statue

10 Celebrating the past The summer house refurbishment and the Chapel centenary

12 Educate Plus award For two Dio staff

13 In Memoriam A tribute to Rachel Gardiner

LEARNING

34 Junior School playground Learning with a playful focus Year 4 on the move

38 Whale tales Art meets conservation

LIVING 40 Chapel of Our Glorified Lord Still dear to our hearts 100 years on

42 Service initiatives 44 Ever-popular annual events School Ball and School Birthday

46 Performing Arts Competitions, top instrumentalists – and a baby grand!

52 Shakespeare Festival 54 Sport

a range of codes

64 Junior School sport

18 Aniva Clarke Children’s rights, the environment and climate change

19 Carolle Varaghese Astronomy aficionado

20 Shelley Ryde Art educator, examiner and creator celebrates 40 years at Dio

24 Leading with a strong voice Ethics at Dio

26 Welcome home!

Boarding at Dio

28 International students returning home 30 Canine counsellor Meet Loki, our four-legged friend

32 Junior School Living life to a different beat; the importance of adaptability

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58 National reps compete across 60 Half-year sports round-up

Oxford bound

10

School events

16 Open for business

17 Grace Field

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36 Wheels Day

14 2021 Examination results impress Margaret van Meeuwen reports on the start to the academic year

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65 Sport scholarships

66

66 A facelift for a treasured piece of Victoriana

69 Parents & Friends of Dio

LIFELONG FRIENDS 73 President’s column

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Meet Penny Tucker

74 Bridget Kool A fulfilling career of nursing, teaching, research and leadership roles

76 Bailey Mark Mother and daughter collaboration

78 Judith Milner’s debut art exhibition Raising the Bar showcases trailblazing women in the legal profession

81 Meg Wallace Promoting body confidence in young women

82 Alumnae Breakfast

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83 Upcoming events 84 Milestones

Cover image Jumping for joy! After the COVID restrictions in Term 1, at the start of Term 2 school life returned to a semblance of normality with fun events like the annual House cross country being able to go ahead. Photo by Nicola Topping, Real Image.

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L E A DIN G

“In its simplest definition, culture is a word that describes how we do things, and is expressed by the way people honour traditions, their behaviours, values, and beliefs.”

Heather McRae

True to our vision for education, the establishment of a Culture Code for our staff is matched with a student-led Ko Tātou – two pivotal developments that have been designed and developed from the people within to express how we do things at Diocesan. Students and staff have captured the essence of who we are and how we want to be so that this clarity can be shared amongst us all to underpin our dreams for the future.

Principal Heather McRae

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

OUR STAFF CULTURE CODE

Uncovering the

POWER of CULTURE O ne of our greatest challenges in education is creating an environment of enablement where the strengths and creativity of our people can be optimised. The power of great people working together to achieve excellence is an art where the complementary strengths of each part of the orchestra contribute to the beauty of the symphony. As educator and management consultant Peter Drucker wrote: “Culture eats strategy

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for breakfast, operational excellence for lunch and everything else for dinner.”

In its simplest definition, culture is a word that describes how we do things, and is expressed by the way people honour traditions, their behaviours, values and beliefs. It requires a collective understanding of expectations so that each person has a lived experience of being part of something bigger – a collective sense of achievement beyond what one person can achieve.

Our Culture Code was developed by staff in consultation with people who represent all aspects of school life. Staff established three important areas that are very meaningful for us to describe the spirit and heart of our School. The code also describes our expectations for how we work together, and it enables us all to participate in and be proud of a culture that honours our past, respects the present and sets expectations for the future. We all have a part to play – it is a gift that we can all contribute to and make together.

PASSION FOR LEARNING • We are passionate about learning and growth, both for ourselves and our students.

• We embrace innovation, continually striving to improve our collective future while being guided by our traditions.

OPENNESS AND TRUST • We work together, not against each other. We do this with genuine warmth, friendliness and integrity.

KINDNESS AND COMPASSION • We treat each other with kindness and grace – in both our words and our actions.

• We genuinely care for the wellbeing of our students, each other and our environments.

OUR STUDENT-LED KO TĀTOU The student-led development of Ko Tātou (this is us) over a number of years also represents the voice of many in a set of nine expectations designed to support a culture that encourages aspirational attitudes and characteristics.

The second attribute that received an appropriate focus this term was E tū – standing up for what is right. The aim of this initiative is to reinforce an environment amongst our students that is accepting of diversity and free from bullying. To achieve this, it is important for every student to never turn away from calling out hurtful behaviours, whether they are online or in person.

Expressing a schoolwide approach and ensuring early interventions by students themselves is a fundamental pinion for developing a positive culture that supports the development of confident young people. Students practice E tū conversations about challenging topics to understand the role of morals and

values in how we treat each other and build justice within society.

LEADING

• We value and support each other with empathy, respect and transparency in how we communicate.

• W e have a high level of trust enabling us to collaborate without fear but with vulnerability and courage.

In a world where our students will face many more challenges to their beliefs and ideas, we hope that together we can model how to be responsible people, and how to live our values of honesty, integrity, respectfulness and empathy. Whatever life may bring, and whatever we face in the future, how we treat each other and interact as people unlocks our greatest potential to bring out the best in ourselves and that is why culture eats strategy for breakfast.

Ut Serviamus.

Heather McRae, Principal

2022 School Leaders HEAD PREFECT (COUNCILS) DEPUTY HEAD PREFECT (HOUSES)

Emma Parton Ella Riley

These are: 1. Be genuine 2. Be self-compassionate 3. R espect others 4. Show empathy 5. P rotect the privacy of yourself and others 6. C onsider the perspectives of others by not being mean on purpose 7. Demonstrate pride and integrity in your own work while acknowledging the work of others 8. Use personal devices sensibly 9. S tand up for what is right – be an upstander.

COUNCILS PREFECT DEPUTIES

The Head Prefects this year – Emma Parton and Ella Riley – have shared this vision with the staff and students, outlining their commitment each term to new aspects of the nine characteristics. This term Emma and Ella unpacked self-compassion – a term that they describe as foundational for having the tools to pick ourselves up to overcome challenges. The Head Prefects describe self-compassion as being important to counteract feelings of perfection and performance anxiety that can get in the way of becoming the people we really want to be.

Such wise words that can apply to us all.

HOUSES PREFECT DEPUTIES

Academic Amie Cummack Arts Hattie Johnston Ball Matilda Fletcher Birthday Concert Shreeya Daji Community Service Chantelle May

Environment Sophia Winstanley Ethics Lucy Russ

Media Kika Blaha Brethouwer School Culture Peta Clark

Sport Lauren Batchelor Student Services Lucy Tucker

Anna Hare, Sarah Wong Phoebe O’Neill, Anastasia Sun Evelyn Kerse, Poppy Pett Emma R Wilson, Evie Sleigh Sophie Brosnahan, Isobella Francis Natalie Spillane, Caitlin Tam Grace Field, Madeleine Jorgensen Mia Reid, Josie Christie Penny Clarke, Grace Hilton-Jones Maddie Kelso-Heap, Hannah Bell Lucy Shennan, Sienna French

Cochrane Tiaré Hansen Cowie Holly Mulligan Eliza Edwards Clementine Buchanan

Mary Pulling Phoebe Duncan

Mitchelson Natasha Levene Neligan Jacinta Kelly Roberton Riya Raniga Selwyn Lola Wood

Estie Hamilton, Kennedy Howse Jasmine Soakai, Isabelle Head Holly Hilton-Jones, Daniella Kassir Annabel Gillam Cairns, Bethany Simonds Lara Flood, Josie Torrington Olivia Hardie, Eve Finlayson Amelia England, Lily Loveridge Meg Zame, Sophie Ryan

INTERNATIONAL

Joy Kim

Sophia Zheng

BOARDING

Eve Finlayson

Emma Cunningham

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DELIVERING EXCELLENCE KEY FOCUS FOR NEW DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

N

ewly appointed Director of Marketing Shelley Johnston is bringing enthusiasm, passion and global expertise to her new role as she looks to ensure the School delivers the best possible experience for the Dio community, whether they are students, parents or staff.

With nearly two decades spent in highprofile marketing roles, including for Vodafone, Spark and the Silver Ferns, Shelley brings a wealth of global and national experience to her new position.

“We need to have a strong focus on the Dio community, and that includes everyone who taps into the School,” she says. “We want to deliver the best possible experience for everyone – it’s all part of the unique Dio story, and at Dio we’re striving for the best.”

Shelley replaces former Director of Marketing Rachel Gardiner, who sadly passed away last December. Rachel had been in the role for more than 10 years.

This is Shelley’s first role in education, and she says she is excited about the opportunity to apply her expertise to a new sector, to learn more from a school that punches above its weight in everything it does, and to assist in showcasing outstanding achievements by students and staff.

With Shelley’s previous experience in the fast-moving technology sector, she says it is encouraging to see the

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Shelley Johnston

national education curriculum evolving to prepare students for the growth jobs of the future, with a focus on design, creativity and ethics.

Dunedin. She is still a ‘Mainlander’ at heart and regularly heads to the South Island for the summer and winter holiday seasons to connect with friends and family.

“Education is changing to support a rapidly changing world, and it calls for innovative thinking, resilience, resourcefulness and a strong sense of self,” she says. “These are all traits that Dio supports and encourages in its teaching and learning. It means students are well equipped to meet future workforce needs, and to form a clear vision for the future.”

Shelley now lives with her family a few blocks from the beach in Kohimarama, and can often be found walking Sky, her boisterous Spoodle, on the nearby beach. Being mother to 13-year-old daughter Keira gives Shelley first-hand experience of navigating the demands of a busy household with work, study and after-school activities, but she says she loves the challenge. It helps that she has limitless energy and enthusiasm, and she is looking forward to sharing that with the Dio community.

Shelley, who grew up on the Taieri Plains in Otago, went to school and university in

L

LEADING

NEW LEADERSHIP FOR ARTS FACULTY

eadership of Diocesan’s awardwinning Arts Faculty is changing hands from the start of Term 3, with Zoe Visvanathan moving to head the team, after two years leading the dance curriculum at Dio. Simone Kallil will return to Dio to pick up her former role from Zoe, as Teacher-in-Charge of Dance.

Zoe is a graduate of the New Zealand School of Dance and worked on a number of shows and productions including in the New Zealand TV show So You Think You Can Dance, before a 10-year stint with the Black Grace Dance Company. During this time, she performed at New York City Centre and taught masterclasses around the world, including at some of the top colleges in the US.

As the new Head of Faculty, Zoe will manage visual arts, drama, dance and music, as well as planning for the future of the arts subjects in the context of the new Performing Arts buildings, the last stage of which, the magnificent theatre complex, opened last year.

She said: “The Arts Faculty has a revered industry standard and this is reflected in the high calibre of

performance our students reach across all arts disciplines, and the top-ranking examination results they achieve across all year levels. We are in an incredibly strong position and I’m looking forward to building on what has been created.”

The School looks forward to welcoming Zoe and Simone to their new roles as the Arts Faculty continues to set the world alight.

After having two children, Zoe moved to the role of company teacher with Black Grace, leading the company of professional dancers through rehearsals, performances, national and international tours. She also spent two years codesigning and teaching Black Grace’s education programme, including teaching the current NCEA curriculum throughout schools across New Zealand, and in 2015, she was named on the Honours Board at the New Zealand School of Dance.

In a second string to her bow, Zoe also plays piano as well as violin to teacher level and says her participation in orchestra and choir performances were some of the most rewarding experiences of her own secondary school education.

Zoe says: “I love that the arts teaches valuable life skills to all who are involved. Regardless of whether our students go on to work in the arts industry, participation in these fields fosters confidence, empathy, discipline, collaboration, and communication skills.

Students who study the arts learn skills of relevance to the human experience.

In today’s world, these skills are not only highly regarded but, I believe essential, for a positive future focus.”

Zoe Visvanathan

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HERITAGE FOUNDATION

We are one, and together we can truly impact tomorrow...

“We strongly believe in the value of an education at Diocesan. It provides an amazing foundation for life, which is why we are proud to be a part of it. This scholarship will provide opportunities that they would otherwise be unable to experience. Thank you for enabling us to donate to this scholarship. We know our gift will make a real difference. We encourage others to join us and be a part of this wonderful scholarship.”

Scholarship donor

OUR MISSION The Diocesan Heritage Foundation’s unswerving focus at Dio is to create a genuine and authentic environment that instils in every student the courage and confidence to shape their own future. The Ko Tātou Scholarship will open a doorway for many girls who would otherwise be unable to attend Diocesan, equipping them with the attributes and opportunities to be

the difference. This is a needs-based scholarship.

OUR VISION We will raise $2.5 million to ensure the Ko Tātou Scholarship provides 100% fees for 20+ students new to the School over 14 years from 2023. Each student will receive an exceptional education, setting her on a path to flourish in all her future endeavours.

To make a gift to the Ko Tātou Scholarship, please reach out to Angela Coe, Director of Development at acoe@diocesan.school.nz or 09 520 9378 https://www.diocesan.school.nz/donate Thank you, your gift will last a lifetime.

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THE VALUE OF A DIOCESAN EDUCATION “We are fortunate to live in a blessed country with an abundance of taonga, but the most touching gift is an education that can truly impact on tomorrow. Ko Tātou is a term that has depth of meaning at Diocesan – ‘we are one’. This meaning is inherent in all that we do and reflects our Anglican heritage and Te Tiriti o Waitangi that underpin our core values of service, equity, participation and partnership. Ko Tātou represents the spirit of Diocesan where we grow great young women to be more than they ever imagined.”

Heather McRae, Principal

LEADING DIO TODAY

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THE GIRL STANDS

TALL

“Ko Tātou is a decently genuine way of being that we hope each and every student will embrace and work towards to create a place where we empower others and consistently live by our values.”

Emma Parton, 2022 Head Prefect

In 2003, to mark the centenary of Diocesan School for Girls, the Parents & Friends’ Association gifted the beautiful Paul Dibble bronze sculpture Future Female to the School. She stood in the Centennial Courtyard where girls, staff and visitors to the campus loved and admired her.

Paul no longer had a mould of our girl but was able to complete one he felt would be a suitable substitute.

Sadly, one morning in June 2021, we arrived at school to find her gone. Torn away from her base during the night, she has never been recovered.

We wish to acknowledge John Gow, Gow Langsford Gallery and Paul and Fran Dibble for facilitating this new art acquisition. Thank you – we are delighted.

How would we ever replace her?

The best place to start our search was with John Gow of Gow Langsford Gallery. A past parent of Dio, John has represented Paul Dibble since 1990 and following our approach, met with Paul and his wife Fran to see if there was something that could be done for Dio.

Coincidentally, the statue resonates with the Year 13 theme of the past two years, Ko Tātou, ‘This is us’. This year’s theme is ‘E tū’ which translates as ‘Stand up’ in te reo Māori.

Our new Dibble was installed in March.

The Girl Stands Tall is a striking two metres in height. Geometric yet elegant, she has a real sense of presence where she stands surrounded by trees in the Centennial Courtyard. The Girl Stands Tall has been installed with sophisticated security protection... burglar beware!

May we and our new Dibble continue to stand tall!

Paul Dibble is an accomplished bronze sculptor and one of only a few artists in New Zealand who cast their own works. Many of his works are enjoyed in gardens and homes around the country and our Dibble will be cherished and enjoyed by the girls every day. Paul’s most significant work is the 2006 New Zealand War Memorial sited on Hyde Park corner, Piccadilly, London and titled Southern Stand.

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SUMMER HOUSE RESTORATION To quote the NZ Heritage magazine’s Autumn 2019 issue: “A little sweetie, it’s an architectural confection, the Diocesan Summer House that sits in amongst the large trees at the heart of the School. She continues to be a well-used and muchloved feature by everyone who comes through the gates.”

Left to right: Margaret Ireland, Mary Tietjens, Susie Williams, Sue Williams, Elizabeth Wilson, Mary Stephenson, Sue Willis, Bryan Bartley, Sue Letcher, Janet Smith, Fay Moorhead, Jenevere Foreman, Betty Pritchard, Jennifer Radford, Joan de Latour, Beverley White, Jane Williams, Catherine Spencer.

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Late last year we realised she was looking rather worn and battered. As one of the few remaining 19th Century summer houses in Auckland, she had seen her fair share of summers.

We wanted to ensure the longevity of this iconic gem.

We received overwhelming support and generosity from 107 alumnae and their families to raise the funds needed to restore her. Thank you!

The summer house, more than 125 years old, has now been beautifully restored by expert craftsmen and is again looking resplendent. She is a treasured part of Dio’s history and fondly remembered by decades of past Dio girls. So, our heartfelt thanks to all who supported the Summer House Restoration project; together we have brought her back to life.

LEADING

Sue Williams, Mary Tietjens, Susie Williams

Chapel’s 100year celebration We are looking forward to celebrating this milestone event, the centenary of the Chapel of Our Glorified Lord, on Saturday 6 August. Celebrations will commence at 4pm with a chapel service, followed by cocktails in the Arts Centre foyer.

If you are interested in attending this special event, please rsvp to Development Manager Kate Eatts keatts@diocesan.school.nz.

We look forward to welcoming you and celebrating this special occasion.

In May we celebrated together with the donors. After weeks of beautiful weather, the morning of the Summer House Garden Party dawned rather gloomy, so plan B came into play and the celebrations moved indoors to School House Dining Room.

Despite the weather, spirits were high and everyone was delighted to be back at the School and enjoying time together and celebrating the restoration of this architectural confection.

Bryan Bartley, Jenny Radford and Betty Prichard

Saturday 6 August 2022 | 4 - 6:30pm Diocesan School for Girls

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Recognised for

excellence

Diocesan School’s outstanding Development team – Angela Coe and Kate Eatts – has been recognised at the Educate Plus Excellence Awards in Australia. These awards recognise the important role professionals play in supporting schools: in fundraising, admissions, alumni and community relations, marketing and communication.

Kate Eatts and Angela Coe

Angela Coe, Dio alumna, is well known to many in the Diocesan community for her fundraising work, particularly on the new Arts Centre. She was awarded a prestigious Fellowship Award by Educate Plus, in recognition of her lengthy service, high achievement and outstanding work.

Angela’s work in advancement at the School began in the late nineties when she was Chair of the Board and when the campus development programme was in its infancy. She returned to Diocesan nine years ago to lead the capital campaign for the new Arts Centre – the final stage in the School’s long term campus plan – raising $9 million in the process.

Angela says she loves working with the Dio community and giving back to a place that has given her so much.

“I love the connections and stories that we hear every day from the Dio community and seeing the efforts of past and present generations coming together to create a better future for our students. It is a privilege to be a part of the Development team, helping to redevelop the campus, including the Chapel and the gardens, and making this a beautiful and inspiring environment for staff and students alike.”

Kate Eatts was awarded the Best Newcomer Award, which recognises a member who recently started working in the field of educational advancement.

It recognises that the recipient has made an immediate contribution to their institution through their work.

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Kate joined the Diocesan team in 2020 after previously working as a PE teacher in Australia. She’s already built up a strong list of achievements including developing the Ko Tātou scholarship campaign, building Dio’s LinkedIn from scratch, managing many successful events, beginning a collection of ‘Alumnae Thriving In’ stories and the many phone and personal conversations had with Dio alumnae.

Says Kate: “While having only been at Diocesan a short time, the School feels like family to me. When you are surrounded by wonderful people it makes work very enjoyable. As a team we celebrate the small wins daily, and there are many. Dio is a progressive school that wants to acknowledge its history, but make way for its future, and this is an incredibly exciting environment to work in.”

LEADING

IN MEMORIAM

RACHEL GARDINER

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING 2012 – 2021 In December last year we tragically lost our friend, colleague and the Dio Director of Marketing, Rachel Gardiner to cancer.

A Forest Pansy redbud tree, a favourite of Rachel’s, has been planted at school in her memory.

Rachel’s appointment to Dio heralded significant change for our marketing strategy. Brought into the School on the recommendation of the then Board of Governors member Marty O’Halloran, Rachel was to use her corporate background to deliver a brand solution and marketing campaign that would resolve a declining roll. And in so doing, Rachel changed the landscape of how New Zealand independent schools present themselves publicly.

With the backing of Marty’s DDB creative team, Rachel launched the now-iconic Dio ‘O campaign’. Coupled with a comprehensive media plan, she rationalised the ad placements we’d been selecting at random and went big with radio and outdoor billboards for greater exposure.

Almost 10 years on, other schools have dramatically lifted their game; they’ve had to. Professional advertising campaigns are par for the course across our industry. Indeed, securing the right billboard placement is fiercely fought over during Open Day months, but the cleverness of the O images are as yet unmatched by any other school’s marketing. That roll she set out to improve has never been stronger.

You can only be a good marketer when you believe in the product, and Rachel embodied that. She loved the School and all that it stood for. She believed that Dio makes a difference to the lives of all who come through it. She was fiercely protective of showing diversity and ensuring the photos we used in promotions reflected the true makeup of the School. But of course, no one is perfect, and as a redhead herself, she couldn’t help over-representing redheaded girls in our photos!

Rachel was more than a good marketer.

With a larger-than-life personality, she had no qualms about singing in the office, or demonstrating her yodeling skills if you asked. She had a keen eye for design, often mixing designer clothing with dangly earrings she’d made herself at an afterwork jewellery making class.

Rachel was the sort of person who always left an impression. And Dio is a different – and better place – for her time with us. She is deeply missed.

Rachel leaves behind her husband Marshall and their sons Sam and Ben. A tree was planted at School in memory of Rachel so that her family can visit the school she loved and we can honour her memory.

Clara Irvine, Marketing team

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L E AR N IN G

Cream crop of the

2021 examination results impress NCEA results

This was another year of excellent NCEA results across all levels and we are very proud of the continued success of our girls. The results are a real reflection of the dedication of the staff, and the mahi of the girls during an extraordinary year as they worked both online and within the school environment.

LEVEL 2021 DIO 2021 NATIONAL RESULTS % RESULTS % Level 1 Endorsed Merit Endorsed Excellence

100 22 78

67.6 32.4 21.1

Level 2 Endorsed Merit Endorsed Excellence

100 33 54

74.7 24.8 17.9

Level 3 Endorsed Merit Endorsed Excellence University Entrance

100 35.6 50 100

67.5 26.1 17.8 49.1

International Baccalaureate Diploma

“We’re exceptionally proud of the results that our students have achieved through their hard work and dedication in the face of another disrupted and challenging year” Margaret van Meeuwen

Diocesan achieved the best results ever for the IB Diploma with a 100% pass rate and 66% of candidates achieving a score of 40+ and being named Top Scholars for New Zealand. Diocesan Top Scholar with 44 points was Joomee Choi.

The eight students who scored 40 or higher in the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams include Joomee Choi (44), Priscilla Huang, Lara Johns, Emilia MacKenzie and Esther Oh (43), Matilda Hol and Eloise Robinson (41), and Jessica Marshall (40).

Achieving an IB Diploma score of 40 points or more places these students in the top 6% of students across the

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world. These top achievers would have been recognised at the prestigious Top Scholar Awards ceremony this year, but it was unfortunately cancelled due to COVID restrictions.

Dio Scholarship girls among the top in the country Students at Diocesan School for Girls have again gained exceptional results in New Zealand’s Scholarship examinations, with Esther Oh topping the country in Scholarship history.

Congratulations to Alex Baker and Lisa Mave for their teaching and inspiration.

Esther said in an email thanking them: “As teachers, you have the miraculous ability to inspire unexpected talent in future generations. You not only

NZQA celebrated the success of 2021's highest-achieving New Zealand Scholarship students at the annual Top Scholar Awards Ceremony hosted at Parliament on 11 May 2021.

In addition, Kate Wellington achieved Scholarship in four subjects, including an Outstanding result in biology, and Amelie Thomas also gained four Scholarships. Year 12 student Lucy Russ achieved three Scholarships - an impressive result, considering she took the exams a year earlier than most.

In total, Dio students were awarded 57 Scholarships in 2021, with 10 of those achieving an Outstanding result.

The Scholarships were spread across faculties and reflected outstanding achievements across the broad spectrum of subjects.

an excellent result and we acknowledge Rosie’s visual art teacher Marion Reichert for a board that will be an inspiration to many others.

Other highlights include:

Our graduates from 2021 are now involved in their tertiary studies all around New Zealand and the globe.

They have been offered in excess of $1.5 million in university scholarships across every New Zealand university and several across Australia, the USA and the UK.

• T he Arts Faculty achieved the most of any faculty at Diocesan with 11 Scholarships, two of which were Outstanding. The faculty gained three in drama, three in photography, and one each in dance, painting, printmaking, design, and art history.

• The history and religious studies departments achieved nine Scholarships each with two Outstanding results.

• Six scholarships were obtained in English with two Outstanding results, and five scholarships in biology with one Outstanding result.

We were delighted to hear that Rosie Boisen (13NE, 2021) had her visual art design folio included in the touring 2022 NZQA Top Art Exhibition. This is

LEARNING

guide us towards achievements, but towards empowerment and confidence in ourselves. Please continue to give students a chance to excel beyond their imagination, and to curate in them a lifelong fascination and humility for what history has to teach us.”

“We’re exceptionally proud of the results that our students have achieved through their hard work and dedication in the face of another disrupted and challenging year,” said Margaret van Meeuwen, Head of Senior School. “It’s particularly rewarding to see students win Scholarships in new areas, and in all areas of the curriculum. This is testament to the commitment of our staff who have worked tirelessly to ensure our students’ success.”

Top Scholar Awards Ceremony – Esther Oh second left (Photo courtesy of NZQA)

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OPEN FOR

business

W

e had high hopes for the academic year of 2022 after the warm and settled weather of the summer holiday, but it quickly became apparent with case numbers rising that Diocesan needed to plan for students and staff to be off site, either recovering from COVID-19 or as a household contact. This year we were determined not to have to shut the School and to remain open for as long as possible.

This meant that (once again) staff and students had to learn how to move seamlessly between an online and onsite workspace, and this was often simultaneously taking place.

Unfortunately, the School had to take the early and prudent approach to

EOTC Week and once again this was cancelled. While we were keenly aware of what is lost, we did not want to repeat the 2020 experience of having to cancel the day before the week began.

As it turned out it was the right decision because by the time we reached EOTC Week, numbers out with COVID-related absences would have made it impossible to run the camps and activities.

Head prefects Emma Parton and Ella Riley had this to say about Term 1: “The hybrid learning system has been working very well for the students. We are so grateful for the amazing job that the teachers have been doing to include isolating students in their lessons, as it makes them feel that they are still a part of the school community and

aren’t missing out on their learning.

The way they have adapted has meant a seamless transition from in-person to online learning. We ourselves have isolated and we felt no disadvantage by being at home. Furthermore, it is amazing that school is a ‘constant’ in such a turbulent and uncertain time.

Thank you, Dio for making the hybrid learning system possible. We and the rest of the school community are so grateful!”

And a fairly typical comment from a parent: “I just wanted to say I thought the support my daughter received for home schooling was amazing. She said the Teams classes worked really well and the teachers all made a special effort to ensure those isolating at home were keeping up to date and not falling behind. Teachers even arranged meetings with her separately. She even said some were still actively supporting the girls when they too were sick with COVID. Just wanted to give great feedback and thank the staff during this trying time for everyone – especially schools and teachers.”

The biggest hurdle for the School was managing the contact tracing – once students and their families had alerted us to a positive case, finding out who was considered a close contact (from the bus, the classroom or lunchtime) and then communicating with parents and managing the data base. We were very pleased when this requirement and extra responsibility for schools was suspended.

It has been satisfying that the movement to the orange setting of the Protection Framework has meant gatherings on site, sport recommencing, choirs singing inside and not outside, and families and the wider community being welcomed back to Dio. While we do not know what the year, or indeed the next few years, holds in store for us, there is no doubt that the words of Roman historian Titus Livius will be relevant: “Things turn out best for those who make the best of the way things turn out”. Dio girls and staff have become experts in this approach over the past two and a half years!

Margaret van Meeuwen Head of Senior School

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LEARNING

Grace Fields

OXFORD BOUND Essay on issues facing women in leadership positions wins Dio student Oxford summer school scholarship.

T

he issues facing women in leadership positions was the topic of a scholarship-winning essay for Year 13 Diocesan School student Grace Field, who will travel to Oxford University in July for a twoweek Academic Insights Summer School course to study International Relations.

Grace says she chose the topic for her entry in last year’s global Immerse Education Essay competition because of its lingering regularity, as well as the need for continued awareness of the issues facing women at work.

In her selected submission, Grace wrote about how application discrimination, undermining of women’s authority, and the expectation of women to sacrifice family for career are all significant issues that impact the success of women in leadership positions.

“At Dio we’re very lucky to be constantly encouraged and supported through our student life,” she says. “The way Dio teaches us from a young age to be

confident in our ideas, and not to allow ourselves to be shut down easily will certainly help when we move out into the world.”

Grace, who is currently studying global politics as part of the University of Auckland’s Young Scholars’ Programme, has opted to do an international relations course at the Oxford University Summer School, where she will be staying for two weeks to take part in lectures and tutorials, and to complete a personal project.

Grace says having the chance to take NCEA history a year level ahead and finishing Level 3 in Year 12, helped her advance her studies in the social

sciences and brought the opportunities of the Immerse Education programme to her attention.

“I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity – the Immerse Education competition is a great way to allow people from all over the world to experience life at top universities, especially before we have to decide where we want to study once we leave school.”

Grace, who is one of the School’s Deputy Ethics Prefects and leaders of the Dio-Dilworth Big Band, was awarded an Outstanding result in the New Zealand Scholarship religious studies examination last year.

The way Dio teaches us from a young age to be confident in our ideas, and not to allow ourselves to be shut down easily will certainly help when we move out into the world.

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Children’s rights, the environment and climate change Dio student selected as global youth advisor to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

S

Aniva Clarke

amoan-born Diocesan student Aniva Clarke has been selected as one of 12 global youth advisors on the inaugural Children's Advisory Team, established to facilitate youth consultations on children's rights, the environment and climate change.

The Children's Advisory Team (CAT) will work with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child as they prepare official international guidance about how children’s rights are impacted by the climate crisis.

The information will help shape how governments around the world uphold these rights.

Year 12 student Aniva, who's a Pasifika group leader at Dio, will be supported in her year-long role by Women in Climate Change, an initiative of professionals from across the Pacific region. Aniva became their youth representative after meeting the group's founder at her school science fair five years ago. She went on to found an environment club called Eco-Toa, or Eco Warrior, responsible for Samoa's first Zero Waste Lunch.

"I grew up in Samoa and have been an environmental activist since I was 10 years old," says Aniva.

"The Pacific islands are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis. As the only Pacific Island representative on the Children’s Advisory Team, it's extremely important to me to amplify Pacific youth voices and represent my Pacific cultures, values and beliefs."

Through the Women in Climate Change network and their support for her Eco Toa initiative, Aniva will connect with children from across the Pacific to understand their perspectives about climate change and how it is directly

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impacting their lives. To encourage feedback, she has set up a social media network called Eco Toa Pacific, which can be found on Facebook and Instagram @ecotoapacific.

Aniva recently took part in her first CAT meeting via Zoom with fellow members from all around the world. She says they shared experiences about their background in climate work, and talked about what they planned to do in the year ahead.

"During my year with CAT, I hope to make connections with other young people from across the world and understand how climate change directly

affects them and what they're doing to combat it," says Aniva.

"I'm very proud to be Samoan, so being able to share my culture and Pacific values with the team is a huge honour for me. I want to gain more knowledge about how United Nations committees work and learn how people can engage with the work of the UN." Aniva is the recipient of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples Toloa Secondary School Scholarship for 2022. These scholarships aim to inspire and support Pacific students in their engagement with STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths.

LEARNING

SUSTAINABILITY

IN SPACE

Carolle Varughese, a senior physics teacher at Diocesan School and an astronomy aficionado, is on a mission to get her students inspired about saving our planet, drawing on ground-breaking research she’s currently doing into sustainability in the space sector.

Carolle, who grew up in Dubai and was educated in Auckland, was recently selected to work on a transdisciplinary research project with the University of Auckland. It investigates the impacts of a net carbon zero and sustainable economy for our country's space sector over the next thirty years.

Outside of school, the former astrotourism guide is also working towards her Master of Public Policy, focusing on reducing space debris that New Zealand could produce as the industry grows.

“Managing space debris accumulation is internationally and geopolitically complex,” she says, “and the scientific community has painted a picture of the risks that space debris can pose.

I believe that to sustainably manage the growth of the space sector in New Zealand, there needs to be a long-term plan for the inevitable increase in debris produced by space activity.”

Carolle volunteered at the Stardome Observatory and Planetarium in

Epsom for several years and now runs the Young Astronomers programme for the Auckland Astronomical Society.

She first developed an interest in astronomy while she was studying for a science degree at the University of Canterbury and spent some time as a research observer at the University’s Mt John Observatory at Lake Tekapo.

There, she was able to use New Zealand’s largest telescope to identify planets in other solar systems.

She moved into teaching three years ago as a way to extend her interest in science communication, and to help inspire younger generations to develop an interest in all things scientific, including an awareness of environmental issues and the importance of sustainability.

“Everyone always has some curiosity about space – there are so many questions about black holes and other huge conceptual ideas,” she says.

“We tend to lose that curiosity as we become adults, but I’ve always found space fascinating.”

Despite her passion for all things spacerelated, Carolle is happy to keep her feet firmly on planet earth for the meantime.

“It’s such an exciting time to be involved with space research,” she says. “There are so many interesting things to wrestle with, and so many moving parts.

“I’m back in a place where I’m learning and growing, and I’m happy to stay put for the time being.”

“I love talking to people about science and astronomy,” she says. “The enormity of space reminds us of our responsibility to look after our own planet and the environment of space, and it’s important that we pass on that commitment to our young people.

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LEARNING

40 years

of doing what she loves most Art educator, examiner and creator Shelley Ryde is celebrating her 40th year of teaching at Diocesan School for Girls this year, and at 73 years old, she still loves teaching art.

“When you teach art, nothing is ever the same,” she says. “Students today love the learning about art and they also love the doing, the making and celebrating the outcome – and that’s the most important thing. I still go home at the end of each day enlivened by some of the conversations I’ve had.”

Shelley, who has headed up Dio’s Visual Arts Department for the past 39 years, has always had a passion for best practice in art education. She's been heavily involved in assessments, examination criteria and curriculum development since she first started marking School Certificate Art portfolios in the mid-1980s.

“It helps keep me up to date with current practice,” she says. “Art has always been evidence-based and criteria-assessed, and we’ve built up robust and reliable practices around this to create a level playing field and to help students achieve their full potential.”

Shelley says although there’s been a seismic shift in the perceptions of art education over the past 40 years, learning to think creatively is what defines students.

“With so much choice available to students today it’s time to question

some of the ideas we still have about art and art education.

“The days when an art teacher’s role was to nurture the rare talent of that one student in the year group who is the gifted artist, and to keep the rest of the class busy, are well over.

“Today every child benefits from an art education in a world where knowledge doubles every few seconds and we can’t hope to keep up with the information overload.

“Students need to be prepared for this world and we now know that learning to think creatively is the most important thing they need to learn.”

Learning and teaching art in a COVID world Shelley admits that teaching art online during the COVID lockdowns was one of the greatest challenges of her career, but also one of the most rewarding.

Last year, the combined Arts Faculty achieved the most Scholarships of any faculty at Diocesan with 11 Scholarships, two of which were Outstanding. Among them, Shelley and her team’s students gained three in photography, and one each in painting, printmaking, design and art history.

“As a department, COVID hit us hard,” says Shelley. “Because everyone thought making art couldn’t work, the students thought about their ideas more. It was so exciting. I’m so proud of all my students and what they’ve achieved.”

Shelley’s personal philosophy is never to do the same thing the same way twice. Every year she changes the focus of her courses and updates worksheets in an effort to keep material fresh and appealing.

“I’m always looking at new and different ways of doing things. Variety is important – it’s definitely not a onesize-fits-all approach.”

Art is viewed as a specialist course at Dio, so Shelley’s senior classes are generally smaller than the more mainstream subjects. She also teaches International Baccalaureate students who take a different approach to their work, with more of a focus on practising as exhibiting artists than their NCEA counterparts. Although Shelley takes mixed classes, “every student is taught individually, and I love that,” she says.

Shelley takes pride in creating an environment in her classrooms where creative and high-level thinking flourishes, particularly if the art environment is flexible.

DIO TODAY

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“I’ve always done that at Dio,” she says. “I like encouraging students to be who they are.

“One principal once told me that I didn’t think like a normal person and I took that as a compliment.”

She’s thrilled when her students go on to study art at a tertiary level but is equally proud when they do something different. Students make their own choices, she says.

Her stellar roll call of past students includes film director Niki Caro, performance and video artist Brydee Rood, fashion designer Vicky Taylor and mixed-media artist Stella Brennan, who’s the co-founder of Aotearoa Digital Arts.

“Art educators aren’t here to train them to be artists; we’re here to train them to think and be creative and explore that side of themselves.

It’s the foundation of making selfdiscovery that grounds them so well.

They’ll always be richer for it, no matter what.

“We need to teach our students to think, ask questions, express themselves and be creative. When we do this our students can not only go out and do anything they want to; they can take their place and lead the next generation of visionaries,” she says.

West Coast upbringing fostered a love of art The third eldest of eight children raised near the West Coast town of Greymouth, Shelley had an idyllic childhood spent mostly in gumboots or bare feet, a stone’s throw from the beach.

“I used to love to draw as a kid.

I was always mucking around with drawing and designing houses.”

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When she was 10, her mother arranged for her to have lessons with local painter David Graham, a friend of the legendary New Zealand artist Toss Woollaston, who had relocated his family to Greymouth. She got her first set of paints when she was 11, and a year later, the family moved to Christchurch to find better schools for the children. Art wasn’t really an option at the academic Christchurch Girls’ High School where she attended, but in her final year she did a preliminary course for a Diploma in Fine Arts ... and was hooked.

“Art is something we can always be part of. It’s not elitist or a gift for just the chosen ones. It belongs to all of us.”

Shelley Ryde

“It was in the very early days of recognising people with art skills,” she says.

Shelley had her heart set on going to Ilam School of Fine Arts at Canterbury University. As she had to pay her own way, opted for a studentship, which committed her to teaching at the end of her course.

“When one door opens, you can see the door on the other side,” she says.

She specialised in painting at art school, rubbing shoulders with contemporaries as such the late painter Philip Clairmont, sculptor Chris Booth and photographer Mark Adams. When Shelley decided to do her Masters 20 years ago through a distance programme run by RMIT University in Melbourne, she returned to painting with a new emphasis on abstraction and colour.

She admires the otherworldly landscapes and ethereal figures by painter John Walsh and the narrative works by Liam Barr and Barry Ross Smith. She also lists Francis Bacon and Claude Monet as favourites for the sheer beauty of paint and brushwork.

“Sometimes you just need to go and have a look at their work. It’s unbelievably beautiful,” she says. “You can’t get that from a book.”

After completing her Diploma, she moved to Auckland with husband Andrew and started a teaching career that has spanned more than 50 years and included stints in Papakura, Glendowie and Tauranga. She first took the job of art teacher at Dio on the advice of Rae Hammer, who she’d taught with at Papakura High School – and she’s never looked back.

Beautiful minds and creative kids If COVID hadn’t happened, Shelley and her husband Andrew might have been travelling the world by now.

Instead, Shelley documented the experiences of teaching and working online in her moving journal, Diary of One Hundred Days and Counting.

“COVID changed a lot of people’s lives,” she says. “It was a time of reflection - for some people it was positive, for others not so.

“Being trapped in isolation gave me a glimpse of what retirement would be like, and I have to say, I’m not keen – just yet”, she says. “I still need the feedback of beautiful minds and creative kids. When I know I’m done, I’ll let you know”.

20 years of service Left: The longserving Dio staff pictured here were recognised at a special assembly for 20 years or more service to the School.

From left to right, back row: Susan Marriott (Head of Languages Faculty, IB Coordinator), Katherine Woods (teacher of English and TIC classical studies, Programme Coordinator for Beginning and Subject to Confirmation Teachers), Evan Lewis (archivist).

Front row: Christine Lewis (Dean and languages teacher), Margaret van Meeuwen (Head of Senior School and English teacher), Lynn Tonking (Dean, health and physical education teacher) and Nina Blumenfeld (History teacher and Director of the Centre for Ethics).

Left: Rebecca Abbott (Health & Safety Manager).

humphreyslandscaping.co.nz 09 815 4250

DESIGN AND BUILD

LEARNING

Celebrating

ETHICS

The Ethics Council with Director of the Centre for Ethics, Nina Blumenfeld, and Dio alumnae guests Shania Kumar, Arielle Friedlander and Sabreen Islam who were invited back to Soapbox to speak to the students.

Hayley Liu

LEADING

D

WITH A STRONG VOICE

espite the ravages of COVID-19, the 2022 Ethics Council is a strong group that has been eager to make its mark. It is a creative group ably led by Lucy Russ, Madeleine Jorgensen and Grace Field.

In the past two terms, the students have run a successful and dynamic soapbox competition, invited the Race Relations Conciliator Meng Foon to speak to Years 9 to 13 students and answer their questions, trained for and been involved in the Senior Ethics Olympiad.

UNMUTE YOUR MIC! SOAPBOX 2022 The Dio Soapbox for 2022 was undoubtedly one of our most thoughtprovoking, high-quality years of the contest yet. In this competition, students are encouraged to take a stand and present a structured rant on an ethical issue of their choice. Given our current climate of political and social polarisation, events such as this foster dialogue around tough issues in a healthy and constructive way. Our slogan, Unmute Your Mic, expresses this clearly.

Students with a keen interest in a specific topic are given a platform to share their views with their peers, who, in turn, are exposed to compelling issues they may 24

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not have otherwise considered. This year, subjects ranged from climate anxiety to the housing crisis to the importance of empathy. Of course, the war in Ukraine featured quite often as well. Every single speaker brought an original and meaningful voice to their chosen subject.

There was a wonderfully enthusiastic contribution from Years 7 and 8 students; some memorable rants from Years 9 and 10, and finally, last-minute but very thoughtful viewpoints presented by senior students.

Huge congratulations to all who took part, but particularly to our 2022 finalists.

In our senior division, these were Victoria Wright, Alex Wackrow, Aniva Clark, Bharathi Manikandan and Talia Wood, and in our junior division, Violet Tucker, Anna Lynskey, Emilia Young, Hayley Liu and Eloise Voss. In the final, these girls presented an impressive and dynamic range of speeches, so much so that our judges, Ms Jackson, Mrs Spicer and Ms Rosen, struggled to choose the winners.

In the end, the winner of the Junior High competition was Eloise Voss with an impactful speech about body image, and the Senior competition winner was Aniva Clark with her meaningful speech, from the viewpoint of a Pasifika student, on protecting our oceans. Students

were also given the opportunity to vote on the speeches that they felt spoke to them most, and the People’s Choice Awards went to Hayley Liu and Bharathi Manikandan in the Junior High and Senior Schools respectively.

A massive thank you to everyone who made this competition possible, particularly Ms Blumenfeld and the Ethics Council who put in countless hours organising and facilitating the event. Given the fantastic standard of competition this year, it’s safe to say we can expect great things in the years to come.

ETHICS OLYMPIAD The three Ethics Council prefects and nine other senior students regularly met during Term 1 to train for the Ethics Senior Olympiad competition against other New Zealand and Australian schools. Unfortunately, COVID-19 meant that this competition took place online this year in Term 2. This is yet another opportunity for students to express themselves, which in this polarised world, is becoming increasingly vital as a life skill. Students analyse and discuss real-life, timely ethical issues in a competitive yet collaborative manner.

It differs from debating in that students

LEARNING Aniva Clark and Eloise Voss

do not necessarily oppose the other teams’ views but defend their position by showing they have thought more carefully, deeply and perceptively about the eight cases with which they are presented. This event encourages and promotes ethical awareness, critical thinking skills, an appreciation of diverse points of view, and engaging with other students here and overseas in a civil way. Mrs Zoran-Rosen has also been working with this group.

Ms Blumenfeld has worked with all Year 10 students who have had an opportunity to discuss four interesting and stimulating scenarios based on ethical considerations. Students have used one tutor period to discuss each case and early in Term 2, we ran an inter-class competition from which 12 students were chosen to prepare for the Middle School Ethics Olympiad, which is again an international event.

The Ethics Olympiad has a junior competition as well, and 12 selected students from the Junior School are working with Ms Blumenfeld towards their competition to be held in September.

RACE RELATIONS CONCILIATOR MENG FOON The Ethics Council organised a visit

by Meng Foon, the Race Relations Conciliator. However, Alert Level Red meant that the visit had to take place online for students from Years 9 to 13.

Meng Foon emphasised the importance of the relationship between tangata whenua and tauiwi and spoke wisely about his experiences as Race Relations Conciliator. Students also found much to admire in his ability to speak three languages and be a central part in three worlds – Māori, Cantonese and English.

He suggested providing a box into which students can put anonymous discussion questions so they can express themselves and feel there is some safety around raising issues that may involve contentious debates. This is something that the Ethics Council will consider. The three Ethics Council Prefects introduced and thanked Meng Foon and asked him pertinent and thoughtful questions.

This was an enjoyable and important presentation that made students think more clearly about race relations.

OTHER EVENTS In Term 2 we organised EatMyLunch on Diocesan’s birthday and senior students volunteered at the EatMyLunch headquarters.

Bharathi Manikandan

Aniva Clark

Eat My Lunch

We are also preparing for the annual Community Ethics Extravaganza to be held in August and hope to combine with the Material Design students of Mrs Susan Wells in having them showcase their ethical designs. There will be details about this event closer to the date.

Nina Blumenfeld, Director of the Centre for Ethics Lucy Russ, Ethics Prefect DIO TODAY

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Welcome

home

Cathy Kirkman and her team of duty deans are all part of the family at Innes House, Diocesan’s boarding facility, which Cathy has managed for the past five years.

History of Innes House Boarding first started at Diocesan School for Girls in 1903, with dormitories originally located in the main school house, and later expanding to include other buildings.

After boarding facilities were closed in 1984, a group was formed to establish a small, independent boarding facility in a Clyde Street villa bought by Dio alumnae Margaret Tapper (Innes) and her mother Doris Innes (Inglis).

Innes House opened for boarders at the start of 1988, with an additional two-storey building added four years later. Further expansion over the years increased it to the 57-bed boarding facility it is today.

Innes House, which is a quick twominute walk from School, caters to Years 7-13 students and offers daily, weekly, monthly and annual boarding options.

The facilities are available 24/7 during term time, and students have the option of staying in over the weekends, depending on their sporting and extracurricular commitments.

A day in the life of a boarder Innes House also offers non-boarding students the chance to experience boarding, with girls encouraged to come and stay for a couple of nights to see if it would suit them and their families.

“Boarding appeals to those students who have a lot of sporting and extracurricular activities after school,” Cathy says. “It means they’re not having to travel home after evening practices and events, often for long distances.

“We work hard to create a family-like atmosphere at Innes House,” says Cathy. “Living as a boarder is like being with your siblings, and we want to make it a home away from home.”

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“It provides a more relaxed schedule for both the girls and their parents, and they can get more out of the activities the School has to offer.”

Cathy says clearly defined routines are an important part of hostel life, and girls

LEARNING Emma Cunningham and Eve Finlayson, Head boarders.

are expected to make their beds, do their own laundry, keep their rooms tidy and clean up after meals – just like at home.

“As with all families, there are chores that need to be done and Innes House is no exception,” she says. “But they still have fun!”

Breakfast is at 7am during the week, and all girls are expected to do homework after dinner, with younger students in bed – with devices handed in - by 9.30pm.

Lifelong friendships formed Some students struggle with inevitable homesickness to start with, says Cathy, but she always pairs new starters with a senior student to help smooth the transition process, and ensure a warm, compassionate introduction to boarding life.

“For a lot of girls, boarding may be the first time they’ve spent any time away from home and feeling homesick is only natural,” says Cathy. “But once they settle in, they realise they’re meeting lots of new people and having a different experience.

“Girls form lifelong friendships here – the bonds they make tend to go the distance in life.”

The global COVID pandemic has had an impact and several students from China haven’t seen their families since 2020, with border restrictions limiting travel both in and out of the country.

Cathy says they kept Innes House open during all exeat weekends and holidays last year, and arranged homestays over the summer holidays for those girls who weren’t able to return home.

Eve Finlayson Seventeen-year-old Head Boarder Eve Finlayson comes from a dairy farm near Kamo in Northland. Being an hour’s drive from the nearest school meant boarding was always going to be the easiest option for her and her family.

A competitive hockey and tennis player, Eve is busy with sports practices and matches during the week. Living just across the road from School means transport isn’t an issue.

“I’ve developed a great sense of independence in the five years I’ve been at Innes House,” she says. “I’ve learnt self-management skills and it’s great

Innes House staff Cathy Kirkman, Sam von Melville and Orini Hahipene

being able to organise my life the way I want it.

“I’m really grateful for the lifestyle I grew up with. I miss my family and being able to walk around the farm, but I love being in Auckland – there’s so much going on here.”

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International boarders Larissa Lau, Avina Lee, Joy Kim and Snowy Pha

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

RETURNING HOME International boarders at Diocesan School in Auckland have been celebrating since border restrictions started lifting, providing many of them with the opportunity to finally reunite with family and loved ones. For some of these girls, it's been more than two years since they have been home or seen their parents, siblings and friends – celebrations, milestones and family events have been missed, young siblings have grown up and loved ones have passed on.

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Joy Kim from South Korea has been boarding at Dio for the past four years and is now in her final year at school.

Her last visit to her home country was in December 2019 and this was also the last time she saw her parents. With a visit home now planned for the school holidays in just a few weeks’ time, Joy is counting down the days, hours and minutes until she departs.

“It has been very hard not being able to go home or see family, hang out with my friends and eat Korean food. I have two younger sisters – one is now 14 years old and the other is six. She was only four years old when I left! It’s hard being her big sister from afar and I’ve missed out on seeing her grow up over the last two years.”

Social media has been a lifesaver for many of these students who have used Facetime, KakaoTalk, WeChat and other platforms to talk to family and friends back home, often on a daily basis.

Dio has been particularly conscious of the impact the pandemic restrictions have had on its international boarders. A Navigating Life programme was set up to help the girls express and share their feelings, teachers check in with students on a regular basis, and protocols were put in place to keep the boarders safe and well during COVID lockdowns. The pastoral care team was expanded to include a Chinese student guidance counsellor to provide additional support when needed. Staff also sacrificed their own personal time to keep the Boarding

While it has been a challenging few years, there have been some silver linings, including wonderful homestay families who have taken international students under their wings and into their homes during holidays and through the lockdown periods.

Joy said: “They treated me like a member of the family; they were so kind to me. Another homestay has a young daughter who I really enjoyed being with because she reminded me of my siblings - she was so cute.”

Director of International Students at Diocesan, Simone Clark, said: “The girls have shown incredible resilience and have formed very close friendships with other international students in the same situation. They have remained academically successful despite their personal situations and are always looking on the positive side of things.

For many, New Zealand provided a sense of safety and relative freedom compared to their home country.”

Sixteen-year-old Larissa Lau hasn’t been back to her native Hong Kong

since January 2020. Simone says the Year 12 student has remained resolute and pragmatic throughout, doing regular Facetime calls with her family and looking forward to welcoming her younger sister to Dio next year.

“I’m not a big stay-at-home person,” Larissa says. “I love meeting new people and it’s great that the girls in Innes House come from all different parts of the world – it makes things interesting.

“I’ve learnt Japanese and Korean from my friends here, and I keep in touch with my friends back home online. One thing I do miss though is the theme parks!” she says.

For year 11 student Avina Lee from Hong Kong, her last visit home was in November 2019 but she was lucky enough to catch up with her parents when they booked flights to New Zealand in May, as soon as the borders opened.

“I missed my family but I’ve got really good friends in the boarding house and have been able to stay with my uncle during the holidays. I also text my family every day and video call all the time.”

Snowy Pha is from Myanmar and is excited to be heading to Thailand for the school holidays where she will meet up with her parents again, for the first time

since January 2020. “It was very hard not to see family and friends for so long. I felt a loss of connection, missing out on normal, everyday interactions with them.

The Dio teachers have been so kind and we’ve been constantly supported in the school and the boarding house. It’s also been nice to experience New Zealand celebrations such as Christmas and the ‘Kiwi’ summer holidays.”

A number of boarders are from China and, after discussions with family, chose to stay in New Zealand when the borders first closed. Regular WeChat and video calls have helped them stay in touch with family and friends as they count down to their next trip home at the end of the 2022 school year. They say it has been more relaxed in New Zealand than if they were home in China and the experience has helped them become more independent and resilient.

Diocesan first opened to boarders in 1904 and currently has 41 boarding students. The number of international students dropped during COVID as some students chose to move back to their home country, and with other new students unable to enter the country.

The School is now seeing increasing interest in boarding from international students, particularly as border restrictions continue to lift.

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We welcome your call or email for a free, no obligation assessment.

LEARNING

House open for longer, including during the holidays, as well as finding homestays for students who were unable to return home.

NEW MEMBER OF THE COUNSELLING TEAM

M

eet Loki, our new Dio colleague who joined the counselling team during Term 4, 2021. Loki is a 10-year-old male Staffordshire Bull Terrier and he is an extra special companion animal (pet).

Not only is he incredibly handsome, but Loki is also a trained St John’s therapy pet. He and his guardians (owners) Stuart, Ron and Sandra Vandenberg are members of a wider community of volunteer dogs and their guardians who are kept very busy supporting the St John’s Therapy Pets Programme here in Auckland.

This programme was founded in New Zealand in 1988 by Bob Kerridge (SPCA) and his late wife Iris, having been enthused by a similar programme

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running in San Francisco, USA. In 2003 the SPCA partnered with St John to grow the service within the Auckland area and eventually nationwide. St John solely operates the service throughout New Zealand today.

Loki joins us on Mondays for half the day and can be seen in the Counselling Suite (C2.50) and also experiencing the wider school environment – wherever he is needed to provide support. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Loki’s guardians for enabling us to work alongside him. Having Loki help us to support our clients within the therapeutic setting is just wonderful.

St John Therapy Pets Programme has more than 150 volunteers sharing

their pets throughout New Zealand.

Visiting schools, libraries, rest homes, hospitals and other health services, these furry friends can help children with their reading, boost wellbeing, ease loneliness, and provide distraction and comfort. Dogs are not the only animals providing therapeutic support.

Companion animals involved in the St John Pet Therapy Programme also include cats, reptiles, rabbits and birds.

Please do not hesitate to make contact with Clare, Alison or Fiona if you have any concerns regarding the wellbeing of your daughter/s: cnorton@diocesan.school.nz achang@diocesan.school.nz fpritchard@diocesan.school.nz

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BE MORE THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED Riya Raniga Future Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage

How will your daughter make her mark?

Every student deserves the chance to shine. Our Arts Centre offers a professional level experience, with purpose built spaces for music, dance, drama and a specialised recording studio. The addition of our 910 seat auditorium makes Dio the perfect place to take centre stage.

Join us at our Open Day and experience the world-class opportunities awaiting your daughter at Dio.

Open Day

27 October, 9am – 11am

Register at diocesan.school.nz

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JUNIOR SCHOOL

LIVING LIFE TO A

DIFFERENT

BEAT

Since the COVID-19 virus arrived in New Zealand, we have all had to adapt and make shifts, changes and adjustments that we may never have had to before.

Adaptability is one of the most important life skills for us all to develop. As parents, we often focus on our children's levels of attainment, making sure they excel and perform. With our ever-changing environment, health needs and emotional dilemmas, we ourselves may struggle to adapt.

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Sometimes life presents dramatic changes, such as the COVID-19 virus, which tests our adaptability and resilience. When obstacles are presented, we want our children to be proactive and confident, using strategies that can affect them for the better.

Through her research of the latest developments in neuroscience, Madeline Levine, PhD, is a psychologist with over 40 years' experience as a clinician,

consultant and educator. She's also a New York Times bestselling author.

Through her research of the latest developments in neuroscience, Levine identifies the skills that children need to succeed in the future. She notes that adaptability is one of the most important of these skills. In fact, research has determined that adaptability is a better predictor of overall success than resilience. Adaptability refers to a child’s initial response or reaction to new events,

which means they are less likely to rush into dangerous situations and are less influenced by peers.

• Behavioural adaptability involves adjusting one’s actions or behaviour in response to uncertainty and novelty.

• Cognitive adaptability involves adjusting one’s thinking.

• Emotional adaptability involves adjusting one’s positive and negative emotions.

Across your daughter’s lifetime her world will change and change again.

She is likely to see industry reshaped, huge medical advancements, and enormous changes to technology. In her own life, she has begun school, will transition to further education or work, move out of home, begin – or end – relationships, maybe have children, and retire from work. To navigate this evershifting world, your daughter will need to be adaptable.

Children who are more adaptable tend to move smoothly from one activity to the next, they adjust more quickly to change. Children with this temperament seem to go with the flow and be more flexible. They look forward to new schedules, activities and ideas. As parents, we may need to encourage them to slow down and think before they act.

Children who are less adaptable have a more difficult time coping with changes in routines and schedules. They may have tantrums or cry more often than others their age. They may be slow to adapt to new activities, ideas or outings.

They may be less comfortable around new people or even new items in the home. Children with this temperament thrive on predictability of routines,

So, how can we help students become more adaptable? At school, students will often be faced with different ways of learning, a different teacher, new girls in their class, new academic skills and tasks, fluid social group dynamics, and new sporting or creative challenges.

We can encourage students to seek out new or more information or take a different course of action when faced with a new situation. Even just something as simple as thinking about the opportunities a new situation might create or not assuming that change is a bad or undesirable thing can make a big difference. Students also need to be encouraged to learn to minimise

disappointment and maximise enjoyment when circumstances change. There might also be opportunities to explicitly draw students' attention to new tasks as they arise and guide or scaffold them through the behaviours, thoughts and emotions essential to succeed in those tasks. For example, as students make the transition from one year group to another, or embark on a new topic, teachers may identify ways students can adjust their behaviours, such as increasing effort, asking for help, controlling their thinking by challenging pessimism or self-doubt, and managing their emotions through keeping fear or anxiety in check. As with most skills, young people greatly benefit from clear and direct guidance from competent and caring adults.

Change, uncertainty, variability, transition and novelty are a reality of life. The extent to which young people effectively respond to this reality will have a significant bearing on their life course. Encouragingly, research and practice show that young people can successfully adjust their behaviour, thought and emotion, and can be taught how to be more adaptable. They can then better embrace the opportunities of their ever-changing world.

Sue Brewin, Head of Junior School

LEARNING

people and ideas. There are three parts to adaptability: behavioural, cognitive and emotional.

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LEARNING

Revamped play area a place of learning for all

Diocesan School’s revamped play area is a model in sustainability and is providing junior and senior students across the School with a place to both play and learn.

Rainwater is collected in a tank under the swimming pool and transferred to the new water play feature, while protective playground surfaces are made from recycled, environmentally friendly materials sourced from a New Zealand-based play materials company.

Playground equipment is made of recycled steel, and wooden furniture in the playground and surrounding woodland area is sustainably sourced.

Equipment from the old playground, including the big swing, was donated to a primary school in Penrose, and soil and mulch from the building work was removed and used in new planter boxes on the driveway where students can grow vegetables and herbs for use in classroom learning.

The water in the basins of the playground provides a refreshing form of play for

younger students over summer, while senior students use the playground as a working model for examining the physics of water flowing uphill and to study the myriad of benefits of play in young children. Maths students also study the curvature of the big slide for some of their gradient projects.

“It’s not just a playground,” says Melissa Brady, Diocesan’s Property Development Manager, who oversaw the development of the playground. “It’s also about learning through play.

“I’m delighted by the number of students who have benefitted from the playground, and the fact that it’s sustainable satisfies one of the key elements of the School’s strategic direction.”

grounds team to plant dye plants in a new slimline tank so Creative Industries students can grow their own plants to dye fabrics.

Native trees have been planted in the woodland area, which also features the use of re-harvested cushionfall mulch and recycled pine chips from old wooden pallets.

The reduction of food waste continues to be a key initiative, and the Food Techology Department is working with Aucklandbased We Compost to reduce excess food waste and recycle coffee grounds, with a view to taking the department’s sustainability initiatives school-wide.

The School has also instigated the use of green waste bins that go off site for composting; removing leaves, branches and dead trees.

The playground is just one part of Melissa’s ongoing efforts to promote and practise sustainability at the School.

Under her guidance, the School is about to replace the diesel golf cart with an electric one. She is also working with the

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LEARNING

WHEELS DAY As a lead-in to the Year 4 unit of inquiry ‘How the World Works’, the Junior School held a Wheels Day on Friday 13 May. The inquiry investigates inventions and innovations – and arguably the wheel is one of the world’s greatest inventions.

The school campus was filled with scooters, bikes, skateboards, roller blades, roller skates and even electric scooters and hover boards. Great fun was had as Year 4 enthusiastically launched into their inquiry!

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Whale tales

Whale Tales art trail is a public art trail that celebrates the collaboration of New Zealand art and conservation.

Under the auspices of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), 80 whale tail sculptures were painted by leading and up-and-coming artists and dotted around Auckland for people to discover and enjoy. The sculptures were then auctioned on 2 May to raise funds for the WWF. At the centre of this immersive experience is the plight of the Bryde’s whale (pronounced ‘Broo-dus’) that lives in our backyard, the Hauraki Gulf. The are only approx 135 of these magnificent creatures left. The WWF has a vision of protecting and restoring the mauri (life force) of our ocean that Bryde’s whales need to survive and thrive.

Top: Flora Stevens Oskam (standing) and Zoe Chine, Sophia Liu, Ashley Gan and Grace Umezaki (seated) Top right : Grace Umezaki, Ashley Gan (obscured) and Sophia Liu Above: Ashley Gan and Grace Umezaki

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Diocesan Junior School was lucky to be chosen by Stuff.co.nz and sponsored to paint a mini whale tail. It was displayed inside the Auckland Museum until midApril and then returned to us to enjoy.

Our Year 6 students followed the creative process to research and plan an idea for our mini tail that promoted awareness around our marine environment and the Bryde’s whale.

Junior School staff were invited to vote and, after much debate the winning

entry titled ‘Human Impact’, was by Flora Stevens Oskam (6LS).

In her words: “Until recently, the main threat to endangered Bryde’s whales was collision with ships, because they live in the main shipping channel to Auckland’s port. Shipping traffic started to reduce speeds and use an alert system and for eight years now, no Bryde’s whales have been killed by ships. However, there are other threats on the horizon – overfishing, pollution and oil spills. Human impact causes threats, but human impact can save the whales as well.”

A small group of Year 6 finalists, guided

by Flora, painted the whale tail during their lunchtimes to bring her design to life.

We are all very proud of the masterpiece and to be part of creating more awareness for the Bryde's whale within our School community and beyond.

Another Dio connection with Whale Tales is the work of alumna and past Junior School pupil Talia Pua. Talia painted a fibreglass whale tail for Britomart that weaves in stories of the history of Chinese migration to New Zealand and the ocean that those migrants crossed to get here.

Read Talia's interview about her work at: https://britomart.org/whaletales/.

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L IVIN G CHAPLAINCY

THE HEART OF THE SCHOOL

M

any people who have passed through the School over the past couple of years have asked if we have built a new chapel, or if we have repainted the chapel or somehow made it look more striking. Of course, the chapel has had regular repaints over the years but nothing much has changed in terms of the way the Chapel looks since 1979 when the foyer was added.

However, the area surrounding it has undergone significant change. The Chapel was hidden behind the music buildings and was not the first thing that caught a person’s eye as they drove through the Clyde Street gate. Now, with the addition of both stages of the Performing Arts Centre, teaching block first followed by theatre behind it, the Chapel is one of the first buildings to draw focus when anyone enters the

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School. The rose garden highlights the beauty of the chapel building, which now stands proudly in the centre of the School. The chapel, School House and the School Hall together form the heritage heart of this school.

It is wonderful that this year we are able to celebrate the centenary of the dedication of the Chapel of Our Glorified Lord, the nave of which was consecrated on 3 November 1922 by Archbishop Alfred Averill. Within four years of the arrival of St Barnabas’ Chapel at Diocesan from Bishopscourt in Parnell in 1910, it was already too small for the whole school. Plans were made and a fund was started to build the Chapel of Our Glorified Lord which would open into St Barnabas’ Chapel.

Miss Mary Pulling said the following about the new chapel:

“The Chapel is a message to the generations to come - written in permanent brick and stone and marble – it will be read long after we have gone.

And it will say to those generations from us just this: We believe in God. But more than this, this chapel will tell them that we believed in a God of beauty and of joy. It stands here in the very midst of our school a thing of beauty, and therefore a lasting source of joy and of an increasing sense of loveliness.”

The chancel of the main chapel was added in 1927 and the chapel then remained unchanged (aside from receiving a new organ in 1957) until the foyer was added in 1979, with the large memorial etched window installed in 1981. There is much of historical significance in the chapels; memorial artefacts and windows, with plaques

LIVING The Chapel of our Glorified Lord under construction

outlining who they have been given by and in whose memory.

The Chapel is a significant part of school life for all students who attend Dio, no matter their own faith background. For many years, students attended chapel services every day. Nowadays, we have a school roll of over 1600 students and we can only fit one year level of Year 7 to 13 in the chapel at a time and need to split the Junior School in two! Times have changed, and far fewer of our families belong to churches outside of school. For the past decade our Year 7 to 13 students have attended chapel once every seven days and the Junior School have chapel twice per week. Regardless of the frequency of attendance changing, the chapel remains a constant feature of life at Diocesan School for our whole community. We celebrate the major events of the Christian calendar such as Easter and Pentecost, as well as remembering the Transfiguration for which the Chapel of Our Glorified Lord is named.

This year our centenary celebrations will be on the day that the church remembers the Transfiguration of the Beloved Son, on 6 August. We will also be marking the centenary with the creation of new house banners for the Chapel. The ones we have at present were made 30 years ago by Elizabeth Jenkins and she has kindly agreed to update them for us as the old ones are looking a little the worse for wear. The new banners will be presented at our Founders’ Day celebrations in November.

For some time now, thought has also been given to the need for a new pipe organ for the Chapel, and this will also be a centenary project beginning this year.

In 2019 there was a review of the

The Chapel circa 1950

Anglican Expression of the School conducted by the Director of the Anglican Schools’ Office at the time, Rev’d Anne van Gend, and retired Bishop of Dunedin, Rt. Rev’d Kelvin Wright.

They observed chapel services in action and spoke to both students and staff about their connection to the Chapel and their experience of chapel worship. In their report at the end of the audit, they concluded the following: “The Dio Chapel is in constant use as a place of quiet reflection and through a full schedule of services. Dio girls… attend church far more frequently than the overwhelming majority of Auckland Anglicans. Compulsory chapel attendance can sometimes serve as a lifelong inoculation against regular worship, but this doesn’t seem to be the case at Dio. The deep affection in which the chapel is held by Old Girls, who often return for weddings and baptisms, is a testament to the lasting impression the Chapel makes on girls.”

So many people in our wider school community have a special connection to the Chapel because of school and family events that have happened there over the years. There have been numerous baptisms of students and the children of alumnae, confirmations of students, marriages of alumnae and staff members, and funerals of alumnae, family members of alumnae and staff.

Many Dio families have had multiple generations baptised in the Chapel and married in the Chapel, and it has a very special place in many people’s hearts.

been said, many, many students and staff who have been through this school over the past century have a strong emotional connection to the Chapel, a place of belonging and memories. In a literal sense, driving into the School in 2022 it is impossible to miss that the chapel is at the centre of the physical layout of the School. It’s beauty as a building is obvious and the rest of the school seems to have been arranged around it. This is also a clear reminder to everyone who visits, and all of us who spend many of our waking hours here, that this is a Christian school founded on Christian values and principles. In another sense, the Chapel is the heart of the School because it is a vital part of our strategic focus. In the Identity section of our Strategic Plan it says we are: “Following the way of Christ through love, service, peace, justice and hope.” This is absolutely central to what this School is about and we strive to create an environment and an education where everyone belongs and is loved and nurtured. We teach the way of Christ and we model it in the way we interact with each other. Our Christian faith and beautiful Anglican traditions and way of being cannot be separated from the School and are an integral part of our identity. So, yes, the Chapel is the heart of our School in so many ways!

We hope that if the Chapel is something you hold dear to your heart, you will either express your interest and join us for the centenary celebrations or will pray for us as we plan and hold those celebrations on 6 August.

Blessings and peace,

The Chapel is often referred to as the heart of the School and this is true on a number of different levels. As has already

Sandy Robertson, Chaplain DIO TODAY

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SERVICE INITIATIVES

CAN DRIVE In the first term, the Community Service Council ran a joint event with the House Prefects to organise a food drive for the Auckland City Mission. Led by Chantelle May, Sophie Brosnahan and Isobella Francis, the girls dedicated many hours to coordinating the week.

The Mission is seeing recordbreaking demand for its services – particularly food services – as more people than ever before turn to them for help. Since the lockdown started, it has been giving out more than 2,000 emergency food parcels every week to families who are struggling at this challenging time – more than double the number it was providing before COVID.

Pink Shirt Day Our Student Services Council, with support from our DioVersity groups, organised the wearing of pink tops on Friday 20 May to support Pink Shirt Day, which promotes the thinking around inclusivity and safety while valuing all in our School. Their challenge to their fellow students was ensuring their actions match their words every day here at Dio. They said: “On Pink Shirt Day we are so excited to see you all standing up and embodying the spirit of what this day

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signifies. As you know, this day is about standing up against bullying, in the hope that every single person feels valued and welcome in our school community. As part of Student Services this year, we are working hard to create an atmosphere that includes these positive values and we want to spark conversations that allow our words to turn into actions. You have the ability as an individual student to make a difference in the school culture, even if this is just small daily acts of kindness and upstanding.”

Each morning the House Prefects and their tutor classes entertained us in the Chapel Courtyard with music and costumes, rallying students to donate towards this fantastic initiative. At lunchtimes, the Community Service Council counted and packaged up all the donations.

Our final donation to the Mission filled 114 boxes containing nearly 6,000 non-perishable food items.

Congratulations to Cochrane house who donated the most items and was awarded the Service Cup at a full school assembly. The Cochrane girls joined together in the School Hall (with the doors open!) for a pizza lunch sponsored

by Hell Pizza.

LIVING

Some of the prefects with our Ukraine peace banner (L-R) Isobella Francis, Chantelle May, Emma Parton, Ella Riley.

UNITED FOR UKRAINE Our Head Prefects Emma Parton and Ella Riley wanted to find a way for our School to show unity for the situation in the Ukraine. In partnership with the Community Service Council, they organised for each student in Years 5 - 13 to be given a blue or yellow paper dove on which to write a message of peace and unity. On our Getup for Ukraine Day on Monday 4 April, the prefects unveiled the mural, which was

on display for a week for students to see. The messages, illustrations and poems were very moving and we look forward to this being donated to the Ukranian Society of New Zealand. To boost our donations to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal, the Community Service Council also organised a bake sale that raised $320. Well done to all the students involved for coming together to show our compassion.

Service Learning and Tuia Days In thinking about the purpose of our mufti days, that they are not just a day for students to wear their own clothes but rather days when we dress in a particular theme and raise money for specific charities, we decided that we needed a new name that better reflects the intention behind such days. We want our students to be more aware of the charities that we support and better understand

the needs that exist in the wider community here in New Zealand and overseas. In our search for a new name for these non-uniform days we consulted with Te Whare Huia, our Māori Studies Faculty, and they suggested using the term’ Tuia’. Tuia literally means to sew or to stitch. In our use of this term we are drawing on this meaning in the sense of these days drawing us together as a

community – we are stitched together and united in support for the whatever charity we are supporting. We think this name and concept better reflect our Service Learning philosophy and our diverse school culture. We had our inaugural Tuia Day on 28 June in support of Red Nose Day and Cure Kids, and we look forward to learning about and supporting other charities as the year goes on.

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SCHOOL EVENTS

SCHOOL BIRTHDAY At Dio we have three celebrations of Dio’s founding in 1903 – Founders’ Day on 3 November (celebrated on the nearest weekend to that date); the day that the first lessons were begun on 27 May 1904; and 14 June – the official ‘School Birthday’ and the anniversary of its ‘Dedication to God’s glory and the good of this Diocese', when the Birthday Concert is usually held.

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This year we celebrate 118 years of Diocesan School at the forefront of girls’ education in Auckland and the many thousands of people who have had a part in that.

organising the Birthday Concert. Without a doubt we have set the bar high for future concerts! Our chosen theme this year was ‘DioTube’, and because of COVID we took a more filming-based approach, which the audience seemed to love! I had the absolute honour of leading the best year level to put on such an energetic show. Over the past six months our cohort has worked together through the good times and the hard times to produce a birthday concert that will be one to remember for family, friends, students and the staff of Dio. It was an amazing opportunity and experience, which has bonded our year group.

for a few of the girls! Thank you so much to my deputies, Emma and Evie, you are amazing and it wouldn’t have been possible without you. Thank you to the media team, Kika, Mia, Josie and Hattie, for all the countless hours of editing, filming and planning. And thank you to Mr Thomas for all your guidance and support when we were struggling to edit! Also thank you our staff mentor Mrs Nutsford and the dancers Tiare, Tash, Tyger and Juliet.

Despite the struggles with COVID, the class of 2022 still had the privilege of

Planning the birthday concert even sparked interest in event management

Shreeya Daji, Birthday Concert Prefect

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All the best to the next year’s prefect and year level – without a doubt you will do an amazing job!

On 21 May over 500 staff, students and guests flocked to the Ellerslie Events Centre for the annual School Ball. This year’s theme, ‘The Met Gala: Kaleidoscope’, paired the extravagance of the Met Gala fundraising ball with the vibrant evening we had in mind. The ‘kaleidoscope’ also doubled as the name for a group of butterflies, of which there were no shortage this year. Before you entered the ballroom, you were met with a cascading kaleidoscope of butterflies, guiding you to the entrance. From there, twinkling lights drew you down into the ballroom, where an array of floral arrangements elegantly juxtaposed the chaos of the dance floor.

Our aim this year was to create an environment where everyone felt included and could have a good time. This was something we tried to reflect in our theme as no two butterflies are the same.

‘Kaleidoscope’ incorporates the School’s focus ‘Ko Tātou’ by focusing

LIVING

SCHOOL BALL on and celebrating the uniqueness of all members of our whānau.

In keeping with last year’s initiative, the Ball Committee decided to include a $20 donation to a selected organisation in the cost of each ticket. This year we decided to support Gandhi Nivas, a men's refuge based in Tāmaki Makaurau that provides a place for men to stay while allowing the victim(s) of domestic violence to remain in the family home. Its aim is to break patterns of abuse through a community-focused approach.

Gandhi Nivas does important work for our community, and we hope that our donation of over $6,000 will support them in working towards their mission.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this night possible! The Ball Committee was especially pleased with how the evening went and has loved hearing from students about the fun they had at the ball.

Above: Ball Committee: standing from left to right: Olivia Turnbull, Hazel Faire, Sara MacGillivray, Isobel Fletchers and Charlotte Elliott Seated – Mrs Wilson and Mrs van Meeuwen Seated on the floor – left to right: Poppy Pett, Jasmine Soakai, Matilda Fletcher

Photos courtesy of White Door Event Photography.

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PERFORMING ARTS Without a doubt, Term 2 presents our busiest time in the Performing Arts calendar. Once again, our groups have risen to the challenge after last year’s cancellation of so many competitions. Already many of our students have been involved in nationwide events, kicking off with the annual regional competitions for the Shakespeare Festival, NZCT Chamber Music Contest, Rockquest, Hip Hop and Big Sing. We have been thrilled with the results across so many disciplines and look forward to more fabulous successes at both regional and national level later in the year.

JHS Concerto Competition We ran our first arts event in the second week of Term 1 this year and there was no doubt the display of talent from our JHS instrumentalists was nothing short of phenomenal. The competition was brought forward, and this was the first time our students, and the community, had the chance to hear Dio’s beautiful new Steinway piano.

Despite last-minute withdrawals, down to the wire decisions and continual disruptions, this ‘third time lucky’ event was indeed very exciting. There was some precocious talent on display and

Iris Guo

Chanelle Huang

the adjudicator, Tim Wayne-Wright, was blown away by the technical assuredness and musicianship of these instrumentalists, not to mention the stunning new Steinway concert grand!

Arriving one day before lockdown last August, this magnificent piano has been waiting for an opportunity to be played ever since, and our JHS students were the first to be given the honour.

Eva Zheng

The event was live-streamed to ensure families who were unable to attend due to COVID restrictions could enjoy the event.

Ella Zhang

Overall Winner Chanelle Huang – piano (Year 7) Most Engaging Performance Eva Zheng – guzheng (Year 8) Junior Piano Cup Iris Guo – piano (Year 8) Junior Woodwind Cup Ella Zhang – flute (Year 8) Mika Kurosawa

Meredith Leu

Years 7 and 8 1st prize Chanelle Huang – piano (Year 7) 2nd prize Ella Zhang – flute (Year 8) Years 9 and 10 1st prize Mika Kurosawa – cello (Year 9) 2nd prize Meredith Leu – violin (Year 9)

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LIVING

SENIOR CONCERTO

AND ARIA COMPETITION At the beginning of Term 2, the brightest and best of our senior vocal and instrumental talent battled it out in this annual competition.

With many withdrawals due to COVID, it was decided to combine both singing and instrumental performances, with five vocal and five instrumental finalists drawn from 30 auditionees.

Adjudicators Ms Andre Creighton and Mr David Gordon both commented on the impressively high standards.

CONCERTO Overall Senior Concerto Winner Elise Ji (Year 13) Piano Cup Erica Hu (Year 13) Violin Cup Eleanor Christiansen (Year 12) Brass Cup Hannah Wellington (Year 11) Viola Cup Elise Ji (Year 13) Woodwind Cup Casey Lam (Year 11) ARIA 1st place Keltie-Kewan Young (Year 13) 2nd place Emma Parton (Year 13) 3rd place Amanda Yu (Year 11) Most Promising Vocalist Eva Wen (Year 12)

Above right Senior Concerto winners (L-R) Elise Ji, Eleanor Christiansen, Casey Lam, Erica Hu and Hannah Wellington.

Right: Senior Aria winners (L-R) Keltie-Kewan Young, Emma Parton, Amanda Yu and Eva Wen.

Chamber Orchestra

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Angel Tao

Talented young instrumentalists Year 7 violinist Angel Tao is one of our younger cohort of incredibly talented musicians here at Dio. At the end of 2021 Angel won first prize in the International online competition ‘American Edition’ organised by World Talent Raking (USA), Fiestalonia international (UK) and Open Italy. This was quite an achievement for Angel, who was a Year 6 violinist at the time, to compete against world-wide talent.

Angel also achieved her ABRSM Grade 8 violin exam with one of the highest national marks and her Grade 7 piano exam with 147/150, the highest marks in the country.

Angel is also an extremely talented dancer and singer, having won many competition cups in these disciplines.

For Chinese New Year celebrations, she performed a stunning traditional Chinese dance to high acclaim.

Year 8 student Eva Zheng is a star on the guzheng and having won many outside-of-school competitions, she is about to embark on her professional grades on this beautiful and highly complex instrument. The guzheng has been around for over 2000 years and is hugely popular in China due to its versatility and beautiful haunting sound.

Part of the technique is the very special nail extensions used to pluck the strings

and create different timbres. Eva was singled out by the adjudicator at our recent JHS Concerto competition. He said: “This was an incredibly beautiful and sophisticated performance, painting clear images and creating a hauntingly atmospheric sound-world. I was captivated from start to finish.”

These young, talented instrumentalists are our up-and-coming Dio stars.

Eva Zheng

“This was an incredibly beautiful and sophisticated performance, painting clear images and creating a hauntingly atmospheric sound-world. I was captivated from start to finish.”

Tim Wayne-Wright

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LIVING

STEINWAY

CONCERT GRAND SETTLES INTO DIO The Rolls Royce of pianos, these are simply the best and we have been very fortunate to have had our Dio instrument hand-picked from the Hamburg factory in Germany last year.

Steinway and Sons still dominates the market with over 4000 of the world’s top pianists owning and performing on its pianos, and 95% of all major venues worldwide owning at least one Steinway Concert Grand piano. Carnegie Hall in New York owns 32!

After 25 years of fundraising and with some generous benefactors contributing along the journey, finally Dio is the proud owner of a magnificent

Steinway Concert D grand piano. It is only fitting that our world-class auditorium, designed to provide the school community with the very best facilities has, at its heart, a piano of this stature.

It is an integral component to any performing arts programme and will be used in all aspects of music making from solo piano recitals, chamber music, collaborative dance, orchestral concerti and opera to rock, pop and contemporary music. Our highly talented students deserve an ‘A grade’ instrument to match the quality of the build and our top-end programme. As a school, we feel very lucky indeed.

We will give this grande dame the launch she deserves – when COVID restrictions allow. A promotional video, using our talented Diocesan students, has recently been filmed. This project is one of two school-wide promotional videos that will be released in 2022.

The girls were very excited to be part of this project and were amazed at the filming process and just how long it takes to get that one shot right! It was wonderful to see our theatre stage turned into a mini film set. The behind-the-scenes shots illustrate the illusions and magic that can be created using lights, dry ice, a mini trampoline, crash mat and some very expensive camera gear!

As Principal Heather McRae said in her scene: “Inspiring creative young women is part of our mission for the future. This stunning investment sits at the heart of our beautiful space. It will become part of our history, connecting us through music, dance and drama, through every genre of music past, present and future.

A legacy in the making...”

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COMPETITIONS

HIP HOP

Our junior and senior hip hop crews performed over Queen’s Birthday weekend in Tauranga at the Project Youth Hip Hop Competition.

Rehearsing during the holidays under the supercharged mentorship of Ashley Metcalfe, these girls really pumped out some energy, and the results were fabulous.

Our junior crew took first place and the senior Mega Crew, who also choreographed much of the dance, took fourth place in a really competitive category with over 14 entries from around the North Island.

We are really proud of the girls and everyone who contributed to getting this show on the road so early in the year despite illness, absence and general fatigue. Well done team!

EXCITING DIO AND DILWORTH JOINT PROJECTS FOR 2022 DuringTerm 1 some exciting collaborative projects with Dilworth were established. We have created three cross-campus ensembles – Divinitus, Concert Band and Big Band, all which involve staff and students from both schools. Dio and Dilworth have a long history of collaboration in the arts across musical productions and choirs, and we are thrilled to see this grow and flourish.

In Term 1, rehearsing these ensembles separately – and outdoors – with all the correct protocols was a priority. With restrictions finally lifted in Term 2, we were able to make music together once again and we all look forward to a great year!

Project Youth Hip Hop Junior Crew

Rockquest

Project Youth Hip Hop Mega Crew

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Our contemporary music programme has been in full swing again this year. We have many new groups at Year 7 and 8 levels, all of whom have participated in outdoor lunchtime concerts in the Chapel Courtyard. These concerts have been supported by enthusiastic crowds and they provide a great performance experience for our younger bands, who get their chance to perform at BandQuest later in the year.

In Term 2, four of our senior bands – Lift, tv_racket, 2nd World Problems and No Signal - represented the School at this year’s Rockquest, showcasing their funky original compositions. Fantastically, two of these bands made it through to the regional finals – they then had three weeks to prepare a new song and submit their video for selection into the national finals.

With 18 girls over five different instrumental combinations, our talented Dio musicians performed magnificently at the regional round of this competition. This year has been particularly challenging with every group being affected by COVID disruptions.

We are particularly proud to be the only group in the competition

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NZCT Chamber Music Competition

featuring an all-girl brass quintet – DioQuin Brass performing a recently composed New Zealand work. And we are also the only group using a harpsichord – our JHS groups are going all-out with Baroque music this year!

Year 8 flautist Ella Zhang won the Adjudicator’s Award at the Auckland finals in June.

Members of all five Chamber Music groups, L to R – Angel Tao, Madeleine Christiansen, Ella Riley, Sammy Smith, Hannah Wellington, Eleanor Christiansen, Iris Guo, Elly Lau, Meredith Leu, Mika Kurosawa, Eve Lu, Ellan Zhang, Lotosina Tavui and Catarina Young.

tv_racket - Hattie Johnston, Mia Reid, Ella Reid

Lift - Olivia Turnbull, Eleanor Tenbensel, Victoria Wright, Olivia Smithies, Georgia Burns

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Richard III – Taipuhi King (Dilworth School) as Richard and Kennedy Howse as Anne.

Shakespeare Successes Congratulations to all the Diocesan girls who entered the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand Regional Festival in the final week of Term 1. The festival was held online this year, but this did not deter our Dio thespians, who once again entered scenes from across Years 7 to 13.

We were delighted that Diocesan won both the 5-minute and 15-minute categories, advancing to the national festival. Only four scenes from the Auckland Central region were picked for the nationals, so this is a huge achievement and well deserved.

Kennedy Howse and Lizzie Peters (director) were joined by Dilworth student Taipuhi King in the winning performance from Richard III. Their work also included live music from Amanda Yu. Ella Riley and Phoebe O’Neill were also winners with their modern version of a scene from The Taming of the Shrew.

Amanda Yu’s Desdemona costume won the Supreme Costume Design award.

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Libby Nicholls’ costume design won silver.

Talia Pua

MORE NATIONAL FINALISTS IN THE COMPETITIONS WERE: Costume Design Competition Isobella Baggaley – Highly Commended Video Title Card Competition Georgia Galloway, Alice Graham, Charlie Sawden and Amelia Porter Poster Design Competition Hannah Flay, Katie Lott Representing Dio, 12 students travelled to the nationals in Wellington over Queen’s Birthday weekend. The experience for these young people, with workshops and performances from 50 schools from around the country, is always second to none. As an added bonus, our students brought home the awards listed below.

RICHARD III DIOCESAN/DILWORTH PRODUCTION, DIRECTED BY LIZZIE PETERS AND KENNEDY HOWSE: The Taming of the Shrew – Ella Riley as Katherine and Phoebe O’Neill as Petruchio.

Oustanding Music/Song Award (student- or adult-directed) Outstanding Student Direction Award Lizzie Peters and Kennedy Howse Outstanding Presentation of a History Play KAM Actors’ Talent Contract Best Actor Award Taipuhi King (Dilworth School)

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Amanda Yu (for the second year in a row) and Libby Nicholls also achieved success as finalists in the costume competition. Their designs are being made by professionals and will be taken to the Globe Theatre in the UK to be displayed in July this year.

SGCNZ/DAWN SANDERS SHAKESPEARE COSTUME DESIGN COMPETITION Amanda Yu – Supreme champion and National Costume designer for National Shakespeare School production 2022.

Libby Nicholls – Bronze Isabella Baggaley – Commended SGCNZ / ADAM FOUNDATION SHAKESPEARE VIDEO TITLE CARD COMPETITION Alice Graham – Gold Charlie Sawden – Silver Georgia Gallaway – Bronze Amelia Porter – Commended SGCNZ / ADAM FOUNDATION SHAKESPEARE POSTER DESIGN COMPETITION Katie Lott – Gold Hannah Flay – Silver

CONTINUED SUCCESS

FOR TALIA PUA Dio alumna Talia Pua has received an award in the 2022 Playwright’s b4 25 Competition with her play Pork and Poll Taxes. Playwrights b4 25 recognises the best new writing for the stage by writers under the age of 25. Through this competition Playmarket has nurtured young writers to successful seasons of their work both in New Zealand and internationally.

The play is a rich poetic family drama inspired by the history of the Chinese market gardeners. Set in 1891, during the poll tax era, it depicts changing family dynamics, migration and racism in Aotearoa. (See article in Dio Today, December 2021) Talia was awarded direct entry to the National Schools’ Shakespeare Production in 2016 and she also won the Most Original Concept Award for her interpretation of a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She was selected, nationally, for London’s Globe Theatre two-week intensive training course.

Many will remember Talia as one of Dio’s outstanding students, whose talents embraced so many platforms during her time here. Talia was one of Dio’s stars both academically and across the performing arts. As an academic highflyer, she was Dux of both the Junior School and Senior School.

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SPORT

SCHOOL EVENTS Mitchelson House took out top honours on Athletics Day.

ATHLETICS DAY We were delighted to actually be able to hold our annual Athletics Day in Term 1! The first full school event of the year, complete with food trucks, coffee and smoothie carts, it brought home to us how we have missed the energised atmosphere driven by Dio students and their House spirit! It was great to see many parent supporters in the stands – a special thank you to all those who helped with transport. A huge thank you too to all the staff who assisted on the day in so many ways.

Jacqui Nasrabadi

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We saw a total of seven school records broken; a phenomenal achievement as the girls emerged from the pandemic issues of the last two years.They were: Hannah McManus – Junior javelin and Junior 800m, Jacqui Nasrabadi – Junior

triple jump, Junior 200m and 400m, Indie Williams – Year 8 1500m, and Maddie Kelso-Heap – Senior 400m.

At the end of the day, it was Mitchelson that took top honours, leading in House points over Neligan.

Our athletics winners for 2022 were: Year 7: 1st Charlotte Waite, 2nd Isabella Turner, 3rd= Yasmin De Spong and Grace Larsen Year 8: 1st Indie Williams, 2nd Addison Hewlett, 3rd Emily Keene Junior: 1st Jacqui Nasrabadi, 2nd Hannah McManus, 3rd Sophia Haines Intermediate: 1st = Chloe Luo and Amy Shennan, 3rd Iris Tooman Senior: 1st Maddie Kelso-Heap, 2nd Lucy Shennan, 3rd Amelia Brawn

LIVING Charlotte Waite

Hannah McManus

Ms McRae getting into the spirit of the day with Neligan supporters!

Amy Shennan

Chloe Luo

Maddie Kelso-Heap

Neligan House was runner-up to Mitchelson at the end of the day’s events

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CROSS COUNTRY

Junior winners (L-R) – Sophia Haines 2nd, Hannah McManus 1st, Sophie Pearce 3rd

Congratulations to all Diocesan students who ran in this year’s cross country, held at Diocesan on Friday 6 May. A course change from previous years allowed students to run on all sorts of terrain. The day provided us with some seriously fast running as well as an electric energy from all students. We were delighted to get a fun day under our belts to start off Term 2 and, more importantly, to see the students’ camaraderie across all year levels.

Year 7 winners (L-R) – Luisa Haines 3rd, Grace Larsen 1st, Chloe Ulmer 2nd

Year 8 winners (L-R) – Maddie Worrall 2nd, Indie Williams 1st, Tessa Lepionka 3rd

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Intermediate winners (L-R) – Imogen Worrall 2nd, Amy Stafford 1st, Chloe Luo and Molly Sherrard 3rd

Senior winners (L-R) – Lucy Russ 2nd, Amelia Green 1st, Anei Todd 3rd

LIVING 2022 Swimming Sports champions (L-R): Frankie Dodunski, Queenie Lang, Abby Welsh, Hannah Tse, Millie Quin, Eva Allan, Alex Campion, Indie Williams, Grace Jeromson, Arabella Duncan, Hollie Lawson, Anna Lepua, Sophia Ng, Celest Vo, Chanelle Huang.

Swimming sports Our annual Swimming Sports took place on 11 February in the Diocesan Aquatic Centre. The event ran slightly differently this year due to COVID restrictions, which meant we only held competitive events.

The day saw Diocesan’s top swimmers competing for the podium across all age groups with a few new faces added into the mix. For the first time, our Year 7s and 8s competed at the same time as the Years 9-13 age groups and it was amazing to see all our top swimmers competing one after the other.

Our Years 9-13 age group did not disappoint with some of New Zealand’s top swimmers competing. While the event may not have had the colour of weird and wonderful costumes, banners and the loud support of House

chants, a great day of competition and fun was clearly enjoyed by the girls. Congratulations to all those who competed in the 2022 Swimming Sports.

The results were: Year 7 1st Chanelle Huang 2nd Sophia Ng 3rd Queenie Lang Year 8 1st Indie Williams 2nd Hannah Tse 3rd Hollie Lawson Junior 1st = Grace Jeromson and Frankie Dodunski 3rd Celeste Vo

Intermediate 1st Alex Campion 2nd Kara Chan 3rd Abby Welsh and Arabella Duncan Senior 1st Eva Allan 2nd Millie Quin 3rd Anna Lepua Champion of Champions Alex Campion Mary Pulling won the House Swimming Cup for 2022 with a runaway victory of 396 points over second-placed Eliza Edwards (220 points) and third-placed Cowie (219 points)!

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NEW ZEALAND SELECTIONS A number of Dio students have achieved sporting success this year, gaining selection to represent New Zealand in a variety of sports.

Chantelle May was selected to represent New Zealand at the World Junior Fencing Championships in Dubai in April. She said of her experience: “World Juniors was a challenging but fantastic opportunity to get back to competing internationally. While we have been isolated from the rest of the world, most of the other competitors had been competing internationally for the past 10 months. I drew a tough poule with five fencers ranked in the World U-20 top 25 and one in the top five.

While challenging, there is no better opportunity to grow and learn as a fencer. Since World Juniors I have been selected to represent New Zealand in August in the U-20 and Open age groups at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in London. Back home, I was part of the Dio team that won the 58

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Auckland Secondary Schools’ Women’s Foil Teams competition in May, retaining the title for the seventh year in a row!”

Maddie Kelso-Heap and Lucy Shennan represented New Zealand at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Mackay, Australia, in June. Maddie reports: “Unfortunately I got COVID the week before I few to Australia, which made competing quite challenging. I didn’t get the results or times I was after, however the experience was amazing and I had a really great time! And it was super cool wearing the fern!”

Lucy Shennan came third in the U-18 Women’s 400m final with a personal best time of 56.08. Maddie and Lucy, with their other two New Zealand teammates, Marielle Venida and

Kimberly Walsh, came second in the U-18 Women’s 4 x 400m relay.

Also in June, Rebecca Hounsell represented New Zealand at the Australia Youth Climbing Championships in Sydney. We were delighted to hear that Rebecca defeated all the Australian rock climbers in the Youth A Female Bouldering discipline in front of their home crowd! We are waiting to hear if Rebecca will compete in the World Championships in Texas in August.

Congratulations Rebecca!

Mackenzie Marlo (12MI) recently travelled to Melbourne with the New Zealand Equestrian Team for the Oceania Championships held in Victoria at the Melbourne International 3-Day Event early in June. After four hardfought days of competition, Mackenzie’s

Chantelle May

Rebecca Hounsell

Mackenzie Marlo

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Chantelle May

Isla Barker

team won the competition against Australia, and Mackenzie was the youngest rider in the competition! Well done Mackenzie – we are all so proud!

Millie Quin was selected to represent New Zealand at the FINA World Championships in Budapest in June. Millie was joined by Dio Old Girls Morgan McDowall, Libby Gault, Sophie Shorter-Robinson and Isabelle Jackson as the travelling reserve.

The Head Coach of the team is Dio’s Director of Sport, Angie Winstanley-Smith.

Sienna French will participate in the World Trampoline Cup series in Portugal and Switzerland. The competition is scheduled for June and early July.

Lizzy Shapland will represent New Zealand at the World Youth 29er

Championships in The Hague, Netherlands early in July, an event in which many of our sailing sporting heroes have been notable winners.

Also in July, fellow Dio sailor Isla Barker will travel to Denmark to represent our country at the European Championships after picking up the national Opti title.

Millie Quin has also been selected for the World Youth Water Polo Championships in Serbia in August. She will be joined by fellow students Lauren Batchelor and Sophie Gardiner, with Kasey McDowall named as a non-travelling reserve.

We congratulate these girls and wish them well as they challenge themselves to make their mark on the international sporting stage.

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SPORT

HALF-YEAR SPORTS ROUND-UP

Rowing The Diocesan Rowing squad travelled away to their first overnight regatta of the season to compete at the North Island Secondary Schools’ Championships at Lake Karapiro.

Gale force winds affected the first day of racing, with the afternoon’s racing being called off, meaning that the finals day format was changed, and the competitors raced in time trials to determine final placings.

Based on the time trials, we had 13 crews achieve top 10 placings and we also achieved a silver medal in the Girls’ U-16 coxed quadruple sculls with the crew of Rosie Wiseman, Alexandra Fletcher, Georgia Haskell, Imogen Worrall and coxswain Paige Rose.

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a tropical cyclone on one day and the regatta being classed as a location of interest the second time, we finally completed racing and came away with the Top Girls’ School points trophy for the second year in a row!

Our medal winning tally was: 6 Division – one gold medal, 4 Division – one silver medal, 5 Division – one bronze medal.

We also had a number of crews place in Division 2: 4 Division – two first places, 2 Division – two second places and 1 Division – two third places.

We are extremely proud of how our team performed given the circumstances!

The Maadi squad travelled down to Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel to compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Championships, otherwise known as the Maadi Cup, over Summer Tournament Week. With the 2020 Maadi Cup being cancelled, this was the first time any of the rowing team had been down to Twizel to compete!

The squad also competed at the Head of Harbour regatta, which was split across two days due to gathering restrictions. While the second day of the regatta was delayed twice due to

The team raced hard against some strong competition, and with limited racing available this season it was great to get the U-16 and U-18 Coxed Quadruple Sculls to the A final, and

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several crews to the B finals. The U-16 Coxed Quadruple Sculls with Rosie Wiseman, Alexandra Fletcher, Georgia Haskell, Imogen Worrall and coxswain Paige Rose achieved 6th place, with the U-18 Coxed Quadruple Sculls with Rosie Wiseman, Isobel Fletcher, Natalie Spillane, Alexandra Fletcher and coxswain Sophie Ryan achieving 5th place.

Our B finalists were: Natalie Spillane and Sofia Phillimore in the U-18 double (5th place) Rosie Wiseman, Isobel Fletcher, Alexandra Fletcher, Imogen Worrall and coxswain Sophie Ryan in the U-17 Quadruple Sculls (2nd place) Eva Pritchard, Eva Cope, Isabella Clayton, Harriet Hope and coxswain Paige Rose in the U-16 Coxed Four (5th place) Emily Cosham, Lucy Irwin, Xanthe Williams, Georgia Haskell and coxswain Sophie Coombes also in the U-16 Coxed Four (6th place) Sofia Phillimore and Sophie Collins in the U-17 Pair (2nd place) Jessica Barclay and Grace Allan also in the U-17 pair (4th place).

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WATER POLO

Our water polo teams had a busy first term with all our senior teams playing in the College Sport League, and we had three teams representing Dio at the North Island and national competitions. Our younger teams saw great development over the season, even with all the difficulties around COVID isolation. Our Dio Blue team came second in the Senior B grade and our Senior White team, the first social water polo team, placed third in the grade. Congratulations to these two young teams!

Premier water polo team: Back - Georgia Daly, Ruby Helm, Sophie Gardiner, Ava Darbyshire, Lauren Batchelor, Millie Quin, Isabella Dalton, Kasey McDowall. Front - Louise Masefield, Vita Yarrell-Stevenson, Jenna Veal, Billie Frecker-Netten, Hannah Bell

Congratulations Senior B on an extremely successful season.

Diocesan Senior A and Diocesan Senior B placed first and second in the Senior A grade. The Premier team picked up the gold medal in the Premier Grade, making this the fifth year in a row they have come out on top.

Senior A played in the Division 1 North Island and national championships where they competed against the country’s top teams. The team worked tirelessly through both tournaments and their improvements were tremendous.

The girls placed sixth in the North Island competition and tenth at nationals after not being able to progress into the top eight.

Senior B played in the Division 2 North Island and national championships, winning gold at the North Island event and placing fourth at nationals.

The Premier team played in Division 1 at both championships. The Prems went all the way through to take the gold medal in the North Island final, beating St

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Cuthbert’s 10-1 in emphatic fashion. The girls continued this form all the way to the national final in Wellington where they met a strong and determined Rangitoto College who took out the final. With high expectations on their shoulders, the girls couldn’t help feeling disappointed, but being able to turn up year in and year out and fight for a national medal is something of which we are very proud.

Thank you to all of the managers and coaches who have continued to support the Diocesan water polo programme this season and good luck to all our senior athletes who are moving on to club water polo and other age groups.

Our Dio sailors managed to get in two regattas over the course of the season.

They raced in the Auckland 420 Teams racing regatta, where they were in a bestof-three race girls’ school final against Westlake Girls. Dio finished ninth overall and second girls’ school.

Then Dio had two boats compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Keelboat Championships on the Waitemata Harbour.

This was a completely different type of boat and skill set than what they usually use in a single or double-handed boat, but the girls made an excellent transition into the Elliott 7s (a five-crew boat), each having a crucial role on the boat. After a tough few days racing with very little breeze, our girls finished fourth and tenth in Silver Fleet.

Above: Dio Sailing team, from left to right: Georgia Rae, Arabella Gimeno-Wood, Sophie-Jo Hawkins, Lizzie Shapland, Annabel Duff and Lydia Zhu.

Well done to Lucy Tucker, Mia Barker, Lizzie Shapland, Sophie-Jo Hawkins, Georgia Rae, Zara Tucker, Annabel Duff, Mielene Schuetze, Arabella Gimeno-Wood and Isla Barker!

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SWIMMING Six of Dio’s top swimmers competed at the College Sport Champion of Champions competition at West Wave at the end of the first term. The girls had a great day of competition racing against some of Auckland’s best schoolaged swimmers and they produced amazing results.

Grace Jeromson – 1st 50m breaststroke, 3rd 50m butterfly, 3rd 50m backstroke Alex Campion – 2nd 50m butterfly, 3rd 50m backstroke, 3rd 50m freestyle, 3rd 50m breaststroke Eva Allan – 2nd 50m freestyle Our swimmers continued to have great success with many girls competing at the New Zealand Age Group Swimming Championships in Wellington.

2022 swimming co-code captain and senior swimming champion Eva Allan won silver in the 100m freestyle, bronze in the 400m freestyle, 200m freestyle and 50m freestyle (16-years category).

Alex Campion won gold in the 400m individual medley, silver in the 100m butterfly, 200m individual medley, and bronze in the 100m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle and 50m breaststroke (15-years section). Grace Jeromson won bronze in the 200m breaststroke in the 14-years group.

Anna Lepua placed fourth in the 200m backstroke in the 16-years category.

Champion of Champions competitors, from left to right, Anna Lepua, Eva Allan, Alex Campion, Kara Chan, Frankie Dodunski and Grace Jeromson.

Frankie Dodunski attended the Division II New Zealand Age Group Swimming Championships in Dunedin and won gold in the 200m individual medley and 100m butterfly, and silver in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle.

In mid-June our Dio swimmers took part in the North Island Secondary Schools’ Swimming Championships in Wellington.

The relay teams took out gold medals in the 13-18 years 6x50m freestyle relay, the 13-18 years water polo relay and the 16-18 years medley relay, finishing top girls’ school in relays on points.

Individual medal winners were Grace Jeromson, Alex Campion and Eva Allan.

Congratulations to all these girls!

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Back row: Genevieve Howe, Emma Li, Frankie Dodunski, Grace Jeromson, Leila Ibrahim, Arabella Duncan Front Row: Celest Vo, Audrey Tse, Alex Campion, Vita Yarrell-Stevenson, Eva Allan.

The Premier Touch team finished sixth in the College Sport Competition. Led by code captain Gracie Thomas, this is the second year that the team has competed in the Premier Grade. There is a strong presence of Year 9 and 10 players, which bodes well for the future.

Those players will continue to build on their Premier experience in Term 4 when they play in the Junior High competition.

TRIATHLON AQUATHON

Team Dio kicked off the College Sport season in style at the aquathon and found themselves on the podium in the individual and relay events throughout the morning.

Top placings were: U-14 Girls’ Individual – 2nd Indie Williams U-14 Team – 2nd Diocesan Rockets (Celest Vo, Sophia Haines) U-16 Team – 1st Diocesan Magic (Alex Campion, Hannah McManus) U-18 Team – 2nd Diocesan City Thunder (Eva Allan, Lucy Shennan)

Gymnastics

Sienna French continued her amazing school career during Term 1, picking up more national titles.

Sienna placed first in the Open Senior Trampoline and the DMT, winning her the overall Senior title for the fourth year in a row. What a way to end her Dio career!

Anika Wood also represented Diocesan and finished in fifth place in the Junior category.

Grace Wellington came first in the NZSS Artistic Gymnastics competition and won the All Round competition.

Well done girls – we are amazed at what you do!

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Touch

CRICKET

The 1st XI entered the Auckland 20/20 tournament during Summer Tournament Week. They played some very close matches but weren’t fortunate enough to make it to day three of the tournament.

Maddie Kelso Heap

ATHLETICS

Led by Dio’s newly selected Oceania reps, code captains Maddie Kelso-Heap and Lucy Shennan, Dio again showed their strengths across multiple events at the Auckland Champion of Championss athletics days. Our results were: Junior Jacqui Nasrabadi – 2nd 100m, 1st 300m, 2nd long jump Hannah McManus – 3rd javelin, 3rd 800m Intermediate Amy Shennan – 2nd 400m, 3rd 800m Chloe Luo – 1st long jump Senior Maddie Kelso-Heap – 1st 300m H, 2nd 400m Lucy Shennan – 1st 800m Amelia Greene – 3rd 1500m, 2nd 3000m Anei Todd – 1st steeple

TENNIS

Chloe Rawlence

In the midst of the Omicron outbreak our Dio girls rallied and produced some fantastic results to place first in four divisions: Premier (Pool A), Senior A, Junior 1 and Junior 2.

Chloe Rawlence placed second at the Auckland Individual Tennis Champs (Junior). Chloe is only in Year 8, so we look forward to following her future progress.

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Year 6 hockey practice

Full steam ahead

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FOR JUNIOR SPORT

t seems nothing can curb the enthusiasm of our junior sports girls.

Despite participation restrictions imposed by COVID management regulations earlier in Term 1, our afterschool sports programme is now running full steam ahead in Terms 2 and 3. The girls have returned to their chosen sports codes and wasted no time, jumping back in with great enthusiasm.

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codes such as junior netball. Diocesan has one of Auckland’s largest school netball communities, with a total of 56 teams participating from the senior to the junior level. This includes around 110 girls from Years 1-6 competing in 16 junior netball teams at the Windmill Park and St John’s Netball Centres.

We are delighted to see so many of our girls out on the turf, in the pool and on the courts; laughing, positively interacting with others, learning, full of joy and excitement. Apart from the obvious health benefits for our girls, these are the gifts of our Junior School sports programme.

Running such a sizeable sports programme is possible with the help of a large base of external coaches, volunteer parent and student coaches, volunteer parent team managers and umpires.

We are very grateful to our wonderful parents who step in to manage teams, coach and umpire when required. In fact, there are over 110 personnel involved in the delivery and facilitation of our winter sports programme.

We did expect high participation numbers with our Junior School roll now at maximum capacity. We are currently offering nine codes during the winter terms including netball, hockey, flippa ball, futsal, artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, playball, jump jam and ski racing. Taekwondo is also offered as an after-school activity. There are around 40 competitive teams in action during these winter terms.

Of this number, 50 are senior student coaches. These student coaches form a special component of our programme as they’ve chosen to give their time in service and leadership to our juniors.

They are keen sportswomen in their own right, full of enthusiasm and current knowledge. Our student coaches deliver around 2500 coaching hours per annum to our juniors. We simply could not offer our programme without them.

We have yet again broken records with our participation numbers in certain

We support and develop these student coaches as they, in turn, develop and

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support our juniors. Not all primary schools are so lucky to have access to a community like this and it is part of what makes our programme so special. Many of these student coaches are doing their Duke of Edinburgh International Service Award and many were Dio Junior School girls themselves. They are great role models for our juniors.

Wrapped around this is our community of parents, giving positive sideline support to both players and coaches, providing logistics, half-time oranges and post-game hugs. We are very grateful to have such a large and supportive parent community encouraging our sports girls.

We are also grateful for our communities’ general understanding and patience as we navigate a very challenging time with winter illness as players and coaches alike fulfil the requirement to isolate for a period of time while they recuperate.

This has had a significant impact on our winter programme, with player and coach availability affected at trainings and games. More than usual we’ve had to pull players in from other teams to cover games, and our coaches have also stepped in to cover other teams as needed. We do appreciate the support and understanding of our parents as we navigate this weekly challenge.

Issy Jackson

Diocesan School for Girls is celebrating another year of high-performance sporting achievements, with three athletes set to take up sports scholarships this year at universities in the United States.

Eleven of the student athletes have represented New Zealand in their chosen code, either in age group competition or at world championship level.

The student athletes include 18-year-old Issy Jackson, who is set to take up a four-year water polo scholarship at the University of Michigan in August, where she will study for a Bachelor of Sports Management.

“High performance sport is incredibly rewarding, but also a lot of hard work,” says Diocesan’s Director of Sport, Angie Winstanley-Smith, who has led Dio’s highperformance sports programme for the past eight years.

Issy has recently been named as a member of the travelling National Women’s Water Polo team to represent New Zealand at the World Aquatics Championships in Hungary in June.

As the current National Women’s Water Polo team coach, Angie is well placed to help Dio students navigate their way through the rigorous scholarship application process in the US. She says the support for high-performance athletes comes from all areas of the school, with former student athletes and current staff members Gabby Oloapu, Hayley Bowden and Francesca Rowley all providing advice, guidance and mentoring.

In addition, Aimee Crosbie will take up a swimming scholarship at the University of Virginia; while Lauren Williams has been awarded a rowing scholarship at Stanford University.

School Principal Heather McRae commented, “We have a rich history of Dio girls achieving sporting scholarships at US universities, and we are so proud of their commitment to excellence.

“Being a high-performance athlete takes incredible grit and perseverance, and we have loved supporting them on their journeys.”

Over the past seven years, Dio students have been awarded 17 sports scholarships to a range of US universities, including Ivy League universities Harvard, Dartmouth, Brown University and Princeton. Seven scholarships have been awarded for water polo over that time, followed by hockey, swimming, rowing and football.

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CELEBRATING ANOTHER YEAR OF SPORTING SCHOLARSHIP SUCCESS SUPPORT FOR OUR HIGHPERFORMING ATHLETES

Aimee Crosbie

Angie works collaboratively with the School’s careers advisors to ensure the students have both sporting and academic pathways. She says friends and family also provide invaluable support, and often act as a sounding board as the students settle in.

“Once in the States as a student athlete, the pressure can be high with having to perform both academically and in the sporting world. It’s great for the girls to have the support from home.

“I’m so excited to see what they can achieve as athletes and wherever their future takes them,” says Angie. “We’re all very proud of their outstanding accomplishments.”

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A facelift for a treasured piece of Victoriana

One thing we can be sure of is that the words ‘gazebo’ and ‘pergola’ do not apply.

Gazebo is a contrived word officially dating from the 18th century, but in fact probably originating in the Elizabethan era. The word is a Latinisation of the English verb ‘to gaze’. We might think of gazebo as meaning ‘gaze about’, and properly speaking, gazebos were built on relatively high ground where there was a view to be enjoyed, whether of the home paddock or of the eccentric neighbours’ back yard.

Pergola is another word of uncertain origin but seems most likely to derive from Italian ‘pergolato’ meaning an ‘arbour’. It was possibly brought into English in the 1670s when the British aristocracy began to indulge in the Grand Tour, which was the sensible habit of spending as much time as they could away from rainy Britain enjoying the culture and climate of Italy. In modern 66

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usage a ‘pergola’ is best defined as a trellis, possibly designed with a degree of architectural consideration, but fundamentally a support for attractive and often fragrant trailing plants such as wisteria, jasmine or honeysuckle.

The summer house, as we know it, is a descendent of an ancient tradition of garden pavilions known in gardening cultures all over the world. This word ‘pavilion’ however raises another semantic problem as the word actually comes from the French ‘papillon’ referring to a large, elegant tent with wings like a butterfly. However, in architecture, the word pavilion can refer to any relatively open tent-like structure – whether adorning a chateau tower, a Chinese tea garden, the terraces of a Mughal palace, or the seaside retreat of George IV at Brighton. Typically a pavilion features a canopy-like ornamental roof supported on pillars above an

open space intended for recreation and relaxation in hot summer weather.

The bandstand found in public parks all over the world is really a kind of pavilion – a summer house made broad and tall enough to accommodate the brass bands that developed in the wake of the industrial revolution.

But big or little, summer houses as we know them tend to be characterised by a wooden deck enclosed by a low wall or balustrade supporting benches for seating, and pillars supporting a decorative roof structure.

Our summer house responds very well to this definition – especially if we consider that up until the 1960s, it boasted a kauri floor rather than the present concrete slab. It is not, of course, big enough to accommodate a brass band, but it does boast a highly

LIVING

For nearly 120 years, here at Diocesan, we have used the words ‘summer house’ to describe the pretty little timber structure, close to the old totara tree on the southern side of School House lawn. But when asked just what a summer house is, and what is it for, most people seem to struggle.

Far left: School House with the summer house behind the tennis lawn.

Middle and left : The renovated summer house – February 2022.

The summer house roof detail.

banished to the back of the main house.

Looking at the site plan of 1903, the Hesketh estate included gear sheds, stables, a vinery (an early form of hothouse for growing tender fruits later than the usual season), pig styes and a number of water tanks. These utility structures were all tucked behind the house and were not immediately visible from the Margot Street frontage.

elaborate pyramidal timber roof, with its four small cross-gables and central summit each topped with elegant finials.

Our Summerhouse was already here in 1904 when the School first opened, and had already been part of the Hesketh family homestead for some 20 years, being built, as far as we can tell, in the years between 1884-1892.

During this time, we know that the Hesketh family remodelled their house and grounds known as ‘Saint John’s Wood’. During this renovation, a significant proportion of what we now know as School House was demolished, leaving just the four front rooms and verandas, and adding spacious new rooms behind. Much of the first floor was raised about six feet above its original upstairs floor level in order to accommodate a more lofty dining room.

Stained glass windows, a new front

doorway and grand stair were added, together with three bathrooms (two of them ensuite), an organ chamber and a schoolroom. Also included were a new kitchen and scullery as well as better bedrooms for both family and servants alike. Downstairs where our photocopyist is presently located, there was even a boudoir, which, if we take the French literally, was a room for sulking in!

Clearly, as a leading figure in the Auckland judiciary, Edwin Hesketh had prospered and, in keeping with 19th century custom, he upgraded his house to reflect his success. Just as the Hesketh’s homestead was enriched and enlarged, so too the prospect of the house and garden viewed from its Margot Street frontage was carefully managed to give an impression of affluence and charm.

Anything utilitarian and workaday was

In the 18th and 19th century lawn had become a status symbol in its own right.

Lawn was land that did not need to be cultivated or grazed but instead was kept clean, weed-free, rolled and mown to carpet-like shortness by a small army of paid servants. In colonial New Zealand lawn became even more of a status symbol because our native grasses were not as inclined to form a carpet-like sward, so to have a green English lawn required imported grass seed and the affluence needed to pay staff.

Visitors arriving at the Margot Street drive would have seen a vision of colonial elegance. The driveway was strewn with crushed shell and bordered with box hedges containing garden beds full of flowers and shrubs imported from England and accented with one or two carefully situated sculptures. The house with its verandas overlooking the lawn was surrounded by carefully placed trees, and the summer house nestling amongst this carefully manicured ‘front of house’, was the perfect setting for afternoon DIO TODAY

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Left: A boarders’ tennis party photographed in front of the summer house circa 1913.

Sadly, a number of the summer house's original features have perished and are yet to be replaced. Notably its leadlight windows and doors. These appear to have been damaged and removed back in the 1930s and, without glazed windows and doors to keep out the rain, the original kauri timber floor also perished and was replaced with a concrete slab in 1964. Despite these losses, the summer house is not so altered that it has lost its colonial charm.

tea outdoors or games of croquet, tennis or cricket and all part of a larger project to display a little of the Hesketh family’s success to their fellow settlers in colonial Auckland.

tennis matches or the next round of croquet.

In the 19th century, gentlewomen distinguished themselves from their sisters among the toiling masses by This brings us to what the summer maintaining their pale blush-pink ‘English’ house was actually for. Clearly our complexions, and this meant avoiding summer house is not big enough for too much exposure to direct sunlight. an oompah band, but it was big The summer house, while facing north, P&F - Abba ad_edited.pdf 1 22/06/22 11:08 AM was nevertheless a shady retreat from enough to accommodate the women of the family and keep them out of the afternoon sun and this was because of its harsh New Zealand sunlight between leadlight windows and doors.

Like many status symbols, the summer house is almost over-ornamented for its diminutive size. Like many colonial structures it is dwarfed by our more recent buildings. But for over 140 years it has graced School House lawn and been a place of special affection for our younger students.

Recently donations from our school community have enabled us to refresh and repair the structure to manage the wear and tear of past years. Now this little piece of Victoriana and memory of the Hesketh family’s place in early Auckland, is all set to face its next 140 years.

Evan Lewis, Archivist

DANCING QUEEN A TRIBUTE TO ABBA 4 NOv 2022

IN THE DIO ARTS centre BROUGHT TO YOU BY SHOWTIME AU, P&F PROUDLY HOST THE CONCERT OF THE YEAR. RECENTLY TOURING THROUGHOUT CANADA AND AUSTRALIA. GET YOUR FRIENDS TOGETHER AND MAKE THIS A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

TICKETS ON SALE 7 JUNE VIA I-TICKET DOORS OPEN 6.15 pm | SHOWTIME 7:30 pm CASH BAR | R 16 TICKETS THROUGH i-TICKET

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SMIZING INTO 2022

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ou may not know this, but the word ‘smize’ was coined in 2009 by Tyra Banks on the TV show America’s Next Top Model. I happen to know, as I admittedly loved the show and in fact remember her coining the term. Well, here we are over a decade later all working hard to smize (smile with our eyes) behind masks and, I must say, Dio girls have got it! After spending almost half of 2021 at home and behind screens, the girls were welcomed back in 2022, masks on and smizing beautifully. It has been wonderful to have students back on campus and amazing to see the adaptability and understanding the girls displayed in the first two terms as they navigated the ever-changing traffic light requirements and their schedules.

For the first time, we held a Welcome Morning Tea and Year 7 Picnic in late January for students only, as parents were not able to come on campus.

The girls had a superb day with all the Dio students who came in to act as buddies, House leaders and guides. We were pleased to be a part of that event and appreciate all the hard work of the Dio property team and once again the excellent catering of O’Catering.

Pleased to open our café again in 2022, the roster of student helpers has been fantastic, and these girls have been

extremely responsible, courteous and friendly in carrying out their jobs. With the ever-changing landscape of health and safety, combined with pandemic rules, the café staff have had to keep the doors closed to parent volunteers, and so have greatly appreciated the number of girls keen to join the crew.

We were also thrilled to see the completed water play area on the Junior School playground in Term 1.

The final piece in the development of this beautiful space, P&F were keen to donate to this project and see it through to entirety.

Always at the ready and looking forward to the chance to bring Dio parents back on campus, when the School asked if we were willing to host four cocktail parties in Term 2, we eagerly jumped on board.

Combining with the fantastic food of Brown’s Eatery, we were delighted to host parents of Year 9, Year 7, Years 1-3 and Years 4-6 at these events.

Understanding that many parents have not been able to connect and meet one another, these evenings were a lovely opportunity to bring people together.

The committee all agreed it was great to be back on campus, especially after many months of Zoom meetings, so we were pleased to be able to wrap up Term 2 with our AGM. Extra thanks

must be expressed to Tina Tsui for all her hard work as Treasurer of P&F, smoothly working with our auditor, Diane Robinson, to deliver our financial statements once again.

Never giving up on the idea that we might be able to do something big in 2022, we have continued talks with Showtime Australia about another concert. After the roaring success and rave reviews of the Queen concert that was held June 2021, we couldn’t help but want to host another outstanding event in 2022. We are very excited to welcome back Showtime on 4 November 2022 for an ABBA concert.

This event will be R16, and we hope to pack the Arts Centre with parents, friends, alumnae, students, and the entire community, as we enjoy a welldeserved night out in this beautiful venue. Tickets are on sale via i-Ticket, but ensure you search for the Diocesan event, as the concert will also be taking place elsewhere in Auckland.

As always, we welcome anyone interested in joining our committee or volunteering at our events to reach out and connect, and of course we look forward to seeing you all at our concert in November!

Robin Bell pfa@diocesan.school.nz DIO TODAY

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Welcome Picnic

Parent Evenings

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YEARS 4-6

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YEAR 7

YEAR 9 DIO TODAY

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LIFELONG FRIE NDS

DIOCESAN OLD GIRLS’ LEAGUE COMMITTEE CONTACT DETAILS

Time for a

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

REFRESH For Old Girls who have not yet crossed paths with me, I am the relatively new President of the Diocesan Alumnae Association, having swapped roles with the indefatigable Jenny Spillane. I have three girls at Dio, but those of you who are still engaged with the School won’t have seen much of me of late thanks to COVID-related lockdowns forcing the cancellation of some of our key events and activities.

Now, however, despite our sadness at not being able to host the 2021 Grad Ball or the replacement function that Emma Cleary and Tania Fairgray invested dozens of hours pulling together, it’s business as usual. Except for things being a little different.

A funny thing happened when we last hosted morning tea for senior Old Girls in the School Hall. While serving coffee, I said something about the Old Girls’ League and one of our esteemed guests said to me: “So you know, I do not consider myself old and I am not a girl.

I’m a woman.” I pondered this.

It was relevant to a broader conversation within our committee a little earlier.

We do coordinate and fund numerous events that are integral to the diverse and impressive cohort of people who’ve been through or are at Dio (as every girl now joins us when she walks in the gate as a student). We have no intention of changing anything we currently do that’s integral to our legacy remit. But we can and should be doing more. We have a legion of mentors, role models, inspirational figures, and wonderful women who want to give current Dio

students a hand; or give graduates or those exploring a career change an opportunity; or simply share some of their life lessons. We are working with the School and Angela Coe’s excellent team of alumnae supporters to put some useful structure around this and explore how to maximise the vast array of connections we have.

PRESIDENT Penny Tucker (Macdonald) M. 021 256 0454 TREASURER Felicity Buche (Olson) P. 09 521 8387 SECRETARY Tania Fairgray (Railley) P. 09 529 1736 FELLOWSHIP SECRETARY Emma Cleary (Dillon) P. 09 522 9564 COMMITTEE Sarah Couillault (Willis) Annabel French (Smaill) Jenny Spillane

So, we’ve changed our name to the Diocesan Alumnae Association. I hope you approve. If not, you’ll have ample opportunity to vote us off the island at the next AGM at Founders’ Day. At that meeting you can also have a say on a new constitution that we hope will reflect how we set about respecting our legacy obligations while building greater relevance – especially for our younger members. To anyone interested, we’ll circulate more detailed information regarding all of this as the meeting draws nearer. As always, if you have any particular views, I welcome perspectives, regardless of what they look like.

Equally, if you have a good idea about something we should be thinking about, don’t be a stranger.

Something we’re currently coordinating is the replacement of all the House chapel banners. I would let you know what’s happening prior to the Founders’ Day unveiling of these eight works of art, but I cannot. That’s because we outsourced the entire process to the current House leaders. These banners are theirs to define and determine. They are working with renowned artist and fabric whisperer Elizabeth Jenkins to create banners that articulate how they see their Houses. Each one takes over

Sheryl Tan Lena Saad Rachael Brand 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

100 hours for Elizabeth to make, and the level of detail is astonishing. I can tell you that each one contains a secret message in a hand-stitched rose. We’ll all have to wait until Founders’ Day to learn what that message will say.

Do keep an eye on the events we’ve circulated in the calendar. Please fill in the Stay Connected form, which the School can email you if you have not done so.

Until then, do accept best wishes and warm regards from myself and the incredible women I am lucky enough to work with on the Dio Alumnae Association Committee.

Ut Serviamus Penny Tucker Diocesan Alumnae Association President DIO TODAY

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NEVER A DULL MOMENT Professor Bridget Kool (1977) has packed a great deal into her personal and professional life.

Her recent appointment as Pro Vice-Chancellor Education at the University of Auckland is the latest accomplishment in a fulfilling career of nursing, teaching, research and leadership roles.

A

fter hearing how much fun two of her best friends were having training as nurses, Bridget Kool decided to join them near the end of her 7th form year at Dio. In the days before nursing was a degree course, she trained on the job at Auckland Hospital and within six weeks was looking after patients.

processes were in place when they went home, and visit the parents whose children had died.”

“I loved every minute of my hospital training; it was everything I hoped it would be – the personal interactions and the relationships you established. It was stimulating and interesting, and really tapped into my love of sciences,” she says.

In a feat that can only be described as superhuman, she found time to raise four children, and gain a master’s degree in public health (her thesis focused on paediatric burn injuries), and a PhD that looked at the role of alcohol in falls in the home. When Bridget started her PhD, all four children were still at school – the youngest in Year 6. Her PhD was followed by postdoctorate study focusing on paediatric traumatic brain injury. Her research aims, she explains, were to prevent injuries by being the fence at the top of the cliff after years of being the ambulance at the bottom.

DEDICATED TO INJURY PREVENTION Over a nursing career that spanned 25 years, Bridget maintained her clinical nursing and held a number of leadership roles. Having always loved children, she moved from general to paediatric surgical nursing, and so began her interest in injury prevention.

“Starship was being built at that time and they were setting up a paediatric trauma service with a holistic approach to managing kids with physical injuries,” she says. “I’d done around 12 years of nursing and was asked to take on the trauma coordinator role. It was very intensive, but I loved it. I’d visit the families and make sure all the rehab

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Bridget subsequently became national coordinator for EMST (Early Management of Severe Trauma), organising the training courses for doctors learning to manage major trauma.

Associate Dean (Academic) at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.

At the end of 2021, she was made a professor, a process she describes as very rigorous. “I’ve had a less traditional trajectory than most professors. I came late to academia.”

In her current role as Pro Vice-Chancellor Education, Bridget now has oversight of academic matters across the University’s academic programme’s eight faculties.

The University is currently undertaking a significant curriculum transformation that will reshape the structure of its courses and how they are taught.

“It’s really exciting, but it has been a huge amount of work,” acknowledges Bridget.

“I do long hours, but my husband is incredibly supportive.”

A SIGNIFICANT CAREER SHIFT

Bridget’s Pro Vice-Chancellor role takes up four days of her week and the fifth day is allocated to research and supervision of postgraduate students – she’s currently working with four PhD candidates and one master’s student.

Her studies and research opened her up to the world of academia and Bridget went on to tutor and lecture at the University of Auckland. She’s also held a raft of leadership roles there. Among them as Academic Director for the School of Population Health (SOPH), and then as

In addition to being a former editor of the Australian New Zealand Journal for Public Health and an associate editor for Injury, Bridget has published more than 100 papers in top-ranking injuryrelated journals.

LIFELONG FRIENDS

“When you’ve had a relatively privileged upbringing, you have a responsibility to use that for the betterment of others. I’ve tried to do that – give back and do some good.”

THE TRUE MEANING OF SERVICE When it comes to embodying the essence of ‘Ut Serviamus’, Bridget is an example to us all. Among her many service roles, she recently stepped down as Chair of the Safekids NZ Advisory Board and was formerly on the executive of the Australasian Injury Prevention Network. For more than a decade, she was an invited member of the Statistics New Zealand Working Group for Serious Injury Information.

And it’s not just in a professional capacity that Bridget gives of her time and experience. At various points, she’s served on the Diocesan Old Girls’ League, the Heritage Foundation, and the School Board. She considers service a responsibility.

“When you’ve had a relatively privileged upbringing, you have a responsibility to use that for the betterment of others.

I’ve tried to do that – give back and do some good.”

FONDLY RECALLING DIO DAYS All three of Bridget’s daughters went to Dio from Form 1 (Year 7). Bridget attended with her two sisters. Her mother – Faye Cashmore (Macnicol), a past OGL president – and aunty, plus a number of cousins are also Dio alumnae.

Professor Bridget Kool

There’s something special about Dio, she says, particularly its strong sense of community and its values-driven approach.

“I often think about Dio and the role the School and many of its teachers played in my life. Meg Bayley was so amazing. She fostered in me a love

of biology. She also showed me what good teaching looks like and how important relational teaching is. That’s been a really positive influence on me from Dio.” And as for those two friends who got Bridget into nursing, she says they still meet regularly for breakfast.

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A passion FOR fashion Mother and daughter Dio Old Girls Bailey Mark (2007) and Trish Mark (Scown, 1975) have combined their extensive experience in the apparel industry to start a business together. In March 2020, they launched Marlow, a premium women’s athleisurewear brand.

We spoke to Bailey about why she created Marlow and the triumphs and challenges of the past two and a half years.

How did you first get into the fashion industry?

Having grown up with my mother in the industry, I was fortunate enough to begin working in fashion from a young age. During the school holidays, when I was about 12 or 13, I used to work in the warehouse packing orders for companies Mum worked for. I worked alongside the quality manager for Line 7 and Canterbury doing the quality checks, and I learnt so much. Mum would take me on buying trips to China, or we’d see all the great samples and textiles on her return. I was immersed in the industry from a very young age and grew to love fashion and fabrics.

After I left Dio, I did a BCom in marketing at the University of Auckland.

I was fortunate to jump straight into a fashion marketing role, which really kick-started my career. At 23, I moved to London for four years, and it was always my dream to work in fashion on a bigger scale. It was hard yards initially but persevering certainly paid off. The travel and networking opportunities were fantastic. I often chat with many of my London-based work colleagues to check in on the latest Northern hemisphere trends.

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Bailey Mark

I had an extensive career working for some of the world’s most successful fashion brands including River Island, Miss Selfridge, Glassons, The Warehouse and Moochi. As global wholesale e-commerce manager for River Island, I was exposed to the biggest e-commerce traders on the planet: ASOS (UK), Rocket group (Netherlands), Amazon (UK/US).

It was exhilarating and fast paced when e-commerce trading was hitting its stride pre COVID. All these brands and clients taught me a different aspect of the industry – sales, marketing, design, sourcing and

e-commerce. I’ve transferred those skills into starting my own brand. I have a very commercial understanding of the industry and I’ve learnt what women want and how they like to shop.

Is Marlow your first clothing brand?

Yes, it is. It’s been a dream of mine to start my own business. I thoroughly enjoy having control over the daily business decisions and I love the flexibility of running my own schedule. I also love working with talented people, and in the fashion industry you can’t go a day without meeting one of those.

What’s your role at Marlow and who else is part of the team?

I’m the director and co-founder of Marlow. My role spans design, marketing, retail, wholesale, finance and operations.

I have an amazing designer who, along with my mother, has helped to form the essence of the brand. We work closely on all the collections. It’s been important to surround myself with experienced and passionate people. As we grow, we’re building a great team of industry professionals. I spend as much time as I can in store helping advise customers on styling and aftercare of our range.

My mum, Trish, is my business partner.

You won’t find anyone in New Zealand with more knowledge about garments and fabrics. She’s a huge asset to the business – without Mum, we wouldn’t be here today. She drives all the production, shipping and logistics.

She’s also my sounding board with everything. Our skill sets balance nicely and being different generations, we know how to talk to a wide audience.

My dad has also been a huge help as we’ve developed our retail stores. Dad does the heavy tasks and manages our shelving and instore needs. He’s a huge help logistically, as is my brother.

It’s been a huge family effort getting Marlow off the ground and I’m grateful for all the help.

How would you describe the essence of the brand?

What type of woman wears Marlow?

Marlow is premium athleisurewear – simple, sleek and effortless pieces for modern contemporary women to wear year-round. Our clothing is designed to be an anchor in your wardrobe; timeless, beautiful and practical pieces that make you feel confident and chic. They all have an easy luxurious look and cover

activewear, knitwear and loungewear.

Our colour palette is neutral, timeless and trans-seasonal and every item is underpinned by a strong sustainability ethos. Marlow customers range from 25 to 75 but are primarily 35 to 55. They’re corporate professionals, stay-at-home mums, and yoga and pilates teachers.

A pandemic is a tough time to start a new business. Did you worry it might be a bad idea?

I took a huge risk and started Marlow during the first lockdown in March 2020.

COVID gave me time to think clearly and make sure we got the essence of the brand right. It also solidified the thinking around a shift in clothing needs as people settled into a new way of life.

Our product is leisurewear and that’s what everyone wanted. People needed clothing to transition from exercise to working at your desk, then maybe being on a Zoom call. We saw Marlow could fill that space.

We launched Marlow as a predominantly e-commerce business. COVID definitely made the growth of our online platform even more vital. We put all our efforts into our online store to ensure customers had a positive online shopping experience when they couldn’t necessarily visit a physical store. We had some challenging months, with our stores closed for 14 weeks. But we saw a 300% increase in sales online during the lockdowns, and we gained a lot of customers through our online channels.

What have the last two years been like with Marlow?

It was scary at first, not knowing the impact COVID would have on New Zealand brands and retail. But we’ve had incredible support from customers who bought local brands and spent money domestically when they couldn’t travel and buy clothing overseas. Our online store became a priority and it’s our focus going forward. We ship worldwide and send orders all over the world. I’ve certainly had a vertical learning curve in terms of being flexible and learning to maximise what you can control to retain profitability.

We mainly source all our materials and fabrics from the Far East. With COVID, we’ve had to adapt our communication.

LIFELONG FRIENDS

We established Marlow during COVID after we identified the need for more premium athleisurewear. It’s been an exciting journey and I’m proud of how far we have come in such a short time. We have three retail stores, 10 stockists across New Zealand, and our marlowstore.com website. We’ve been running on a treadmill since we launched to keep up with the demand and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve received.

We video call our factories weekly and use WhatsApp and WeChat. Our factories are very good at sending us the latest fabrics and yarns to view. We’ve faced issues around our supply chain and the dramatic rise in shipping costs. We’ve had to pull our production timelines forward to accommodate the longer lead times. I’m fortunate that Mum has been in the garment industry for over 40 years, and we have a supply base that’s seriously exciting. Our knitters, jacket makers and activewear suppliers are world class and we love what they’re producing for us. They believe in our brand and want to support our journey.

A lot of our suppliers are family-owned businesses too, so we have close relationships with them.

During lockdown in 2021, we started marketing to Australia and we’re now seeing great traction over the ditch.

Our current focus is to grow domestically before we scale our international growth.

Where do you want to take Marlow? What’s your vision for the next few years?

We have so many exciting domestic and international plans for our business. But we have to walk before we can run. In saying that, what we’ve achieved in 16 months is pretty phenomenal really. I’m very driven; I thrive on new challenges.

Right now, we’re making sure we have the right team on board to service our growth and product development plans. Our biggest focus is growing our e-commerce customer base globally and nurturing our local customers by engaging with them through local activations and in-store experiences throughout New Zealand.

We want to expand our range and secure more retail sites if the right locations become available. We’re dying to get up to our factories to visit them and continue to build relationships with our suppliers and our fabric mills. My goal is to dominate the online space for leisurewear. We have some amazing collabs coming up. This is a journey I’m 100% looking forward to. I’m eager to experience all the highs and the learnings from the lows.

Find Marlow at marlowstore.com and @marlowstore on Instagram DIO TODAY

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PORTRAIT OF A In her debut art exhibition Raising the Bar, lawyer-turnedartist Judith Milner showcases trailblazing women in the legal profession as inspiration to young female lawyers.

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hat started as a cherished hobby has now developed into a new career for Judith Milner (1996). She studied art and art history as a senior Dio student and seriously considered pursuing a fine arts degree. Instead, Judith opted for a somewhat more secure career path and gained an LLB (Hons) and a BA in psychology and art history from the University of Auckland.

After 13 years practising law (at Russell McVeagh and Spark), she’s left the field to pursue her love of art. Judith specialises in both portraiture and figurative paintings that explore themes of memory, connection and a sense of belonging.

She’s exhibited in several group shows, been commissioned by the Auckland Foundation’s Women’s Fund Charitable Trust for a site-specific portrait exhibition and been a finalist in various art awards.

In 2021, Judith won the Michael Evans Figurative Award in the Walker and Hall Art Awards for her painting ‘Pink Summer’. She’s also been a finalist in the 2021 Hawkes Bay Art Awards and in the 2021 Kumeu Art awards – achievements that have helped validate her decision to leave law and pursue her passion for art.

CHANGING ATTITUDES TO WOMEN IN LAW Judith Milner

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Judith’s first solo exhibition called ‘Raising the Bar’ ran during April at

Indiana Shewen

Studio One Toi Tū in Ponsonby. It featured 16 inspiring female lawyers who are blazing a trail in the legal profession.

By painting their portraits, Judith wanted to celebrate their achievements and show young women relatable role models.

these sorts of attitudes change.

“The law is meant to uphold values of equity and fairness, but it’s been very much a ‘boys club’. And the challenges women face to succeed in the profession are amplified for non-Pākehā women.”

It’s been a privilege to work with these incredibly talented women, she says.

“Not only are they inspiring, but they’re contributing to changing the nature and face of a profession that struggles with inequality and has been rocked by cases of sexual harassment and workplace bullying.”

In senior roles in the legal profession women are severely underrepresented.

Although they make up 61% of lawyers working in law firms, women account for less than 31% of partners in those firms. The same is true of in-house lawyers: 60% are women but that proportion is not reflected in leadership roles. And only 26 out of the 110 Queen’s Counsel appointed since 2002 are women. The hourly chargeout rate for women is lower than men by 7-10%, regardless of the size or location of the firm.

When she began working as a lawyer, Judith was recruited straight from law school into a big firm. The culture at the time was challenging, with a ‘work hard, play hard’ mantra and a competitive, rather than collegial, atmosphere among the graduates.

“Just two out of 50 partners in the Auckland office were women,” she says.

“The partner I worked for even told me that it was a waste of time training up women lawyers because they always gave up practising once they had children.”

On another occasion, Judith heard that it was easier to send her more junior male colleague to entertain clients because they could talk sport together – clients wouldn’t know what to talk to a young woman about.

Constantly dealing with such attitudes is demoralising, she says, but as a young person it’s hard to tell someone senior that their views are outdated and discriminatory. Judith wants to see

“The High Court in Wellington is adorned with portraits of past judges – all but two are white and male,” says Judith. “These sorts of displays unintentionally but implicitly send the message that these are the types of people who belong in these environs.

I wanted to showcase diverse women who are succeeding and achieving to let young women know that things can and will change and that these women are blazing a trail for them to follow.”

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Ana Lenard

Sabrina Muck

was encouraged to push her ideas and develop her own style.

Judith found it hard to maintain a regular art practice while working full time. But during her five years living in London, she visited many British and European galleries. After moving to Melbourne in 2012 with her husband, Dan, Judith was determined to establish a regular painting practice and wanted to try her hand at painting more portraits.

“I took weekly classes with awardwinning artist Andrew Forsythe and set up a small studio at home. We returned to New Zealand in 2014 and our eldest daughter was born. I took a break from practising law while our children were little and continued to study art at Browne School of Art in Grey Lynn.”

Friends and family began asking Judith to paint portraits for them. Portraiture, she says, isn’t nearly as popular in New Zealand as it is in countries like Australia, the UK and the US. But fortunately, Kiwis are beginning to realise that contemporary portraits make a lasting and unique alternative to family photography.

A LOVE OF ART IS BORN

“I think, in an age where we’re saturated with images taken on our phones, people are really starting to appreciate the lasting nature of a slowly crafted portrait painting.

Judith loved drawing from a very young age and would spend time making things alongside her creative mum.

From her Dio art teachers, Mary Guyan and Shelley Ryde, she gained a strong grounding in foundational skills like shading, tone and colour theory, and

“I love seeing my work in people’s homes, particularly portraits, as they’re such personal and evocative pieces of art. A client recently told me how comforted she feels every time she passes the portrait I painted of her late father. It’s a great DIO TODAY

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Lizzie Chan

privilege to be able to create something so meaningful for someone. Revealing the finished piece to the client is a bit nerve-wracking but also very exciting.”

CAPTURING HER SUBJECTS ON CANVAS For her ‘Raising the Bar’ series, Judith intentionally chose portrait subjects from diverse backgrounds and practice areas. She wanted young women to see someone they could relate to. Among her subjects was Dio alumna Lizzie Chan who’s been very active in promoting diversity in the arbitration sphere.

All the women Judith painted for this series were very enthusiastic and generous in their support of the concept, she says.

Judith painted the 16 portraits from photographs. It’s become her preferred method of working.

In addition to Dio alumna Lizzie Chan, Judith’s ‘Raising the Bar’ exhibition also included portraits of: •G isborne-based criminal defence lawyer Tiana Epati, the first Pasifika president of the New Zealand Law Society (NZLS).

• Jacqueline Lethbridge, who took up the role of President of the New Zealand Law Society in April 2022.

• J uliet Tainui-Hernandez, who was appointed as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Assistant Governor and General Manager of Transformation and People in 2022.

• K hylee Quince, the first Māori Dean of Law at a New Zealand university.

•A na Lenard and Allanah Colley, who co-founded The New Zealand

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Judith Milner and corporate lawyer Sarah Salmond-Elliot at the opening of Judith’s Raising the Bar exhibition.

“When I’m asked to do a commission, I work with the client to get a clear sense of what they want. Sometimes I take photos or help them choose what will make a good painting. We discuss the background and scale and I prepare a sketch to make sure what I’m planning fits with their vision.

“Sometimes I use elements from other photos, painting them in a setting that’s significant to them. For instance, for Lizzie’s portrait, we used a photograph of the view of Hong Kong from the Chinese University that was special to her.”

THEMES OF CONNECTION AND ICONIC NEW ZEALAND SCENES While she loves portraiture, Judith is also interested in painting quintessentially New Zealand images that evoke memories and nostalgia.

Through her painting process, she

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Women’s Law Journal — Te Aho Kawe Kaupapa Ture a ngā Wāhine.

S tacey Shortall, a partner at MinterEllisonRuddWatts and the founding trustee of the social-change charity ‘Who Did You Help Today?’.

T upe Solomon-Tanoa’I, Chief Philanthropic Officer at the Borrin Foundation, which supports legal research, education and scholarship.

International lawyer and human rights activist Rez Gardi, New Zealand’s first Kurdish female lawyer and the first Kurd in history to graduate from Harvard Law School.

S teph Dyhrberg, who’s been instrumental in the movement against a culture of sexual harassment within the profession.

explores themes of family and relationships, time and place.

“I find myself drawn to images of connection and the more carefree times of a bygone era. Sometimes the subject is an iconic building like the Chelsea Sugar Factory or a New Zealand scene like an old caravan by the beach, others are based on old family photographs.”

She’s been lucky to have taken classes with artists Andrew Barns-Graham, Matthew Browne and Zahran Southon who have been very encouraging and supportive mentors.

“I’ve been inspired by Rita Angus since I was a teenager. I love her self-portraits and depictions of an iconic New Zealand. She was a pioneer of modern art in New Zealand and had a unique ability to distil her subjects to their essential forms.”

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She heads the Wellington Women Lawyers’ Association.

Indiana Shewen, a junior solicitor at Abuse in Care Inquiry and copresident of the Aotearoa Legal Workers’ Union.

Litia Tureburelevu, a research fellow at the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Law, researching Pacific Peoples’ Experiences of New Zealand’s Criminal Justice System.

S arah Salmond-Elliot, who heads MinterEllisonRuddWatts’ International Trade Practice.

S haron Chandra, a family law barrister at Bankside Chambers who’s among the five best divorce lawyers in Auckland according to website Best Rated.

LIFELONG FRIENDS

made me feel like I couldn’t achieve it.

Her patience and support have been the foundation of my love for sewing.”

Another of Meg’s huge supporters has been her mum who helps out in numerous ways. It’s definitely not a onegal job behind the supposedly one-gal brand, says Meg. Her mum has been a legend behind the scenes, helping research fabrics, iron garments, and pack them up for shipping.

For her designs, Meg draws inspiration from current trends and what her friends like to wear.

Meg at the YES trade fair at Dio in 2021.

Self-love

IS ALL YOU NEED Meg Wallace’s business began with one pair of pants.

After receiving recognition from the Young Enterprise Scheme, she’s expanded her range and is helping promote body confidence in young women.

Dio alumna Meg Wallace (2021) started DressedbyMeg during the March 2020 lockdown. Working from her bedroom, she began making her first product using fabric purchased from Spotlight.

“It all started when I made myself a pair of jersey pants and others wanted them too,” she says. “A lot of research went into that first product, and it’s definitely changed since the first pair was made.”

Over the last year Meg has expanded her range to include dresses, tops and bikinis. The philosophy behind her brand is very important at a time when young women are confronted with the impossible body ideals of digitally enhanced celebrities on social media.

“DressedbyMeg promotes self-love and body confidence with clothing that

makes you feel comfortable being you,” explains Meg. “It’s about loving who you are and not comparing yourself to others, because you’re enough. I want our customers to put on our garments and feel like they wouldn’t change a thing about themselves.”

Meg got her first sewing machine at 10 and learned to sew alongside her grandmother, a talented dressmaker.

Her passion grew and studying fabric technology at school helped expand her skills – especially under the tutelage of Mrs Wells, who Meg calls a ‘sewing superwoman’.

“I didn’t make it easy for her. I always wanted to make something slightly more difficult than she’d like. But she’d fix any issues I ran into with a big smile.

Whatever crazy idea I had, she never

“DressedbyMeg wouldn’t be possible without the support of my friends.

They’re constantly coming up with new ideas of things I should make. I’ll usually think of an item that’s popular and recreate it in my own way for a more affordable price.”

Meg carried DressedbyMeg through to Year 13 Business Studies to take part in the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES). She says initially YES felt like just something she had to do for NCEA credits.

“It seemed like extra unnecessary work,” she admits. “But I was so wrong. DressedbyMeg wouldn’t have been nearly as successful without the guidance of the YES programme. It taught me so much about customers and running a small business. Before YES, I was just a young girl sewing pants from her bedroom. It forced me to think about what’s important to me about clothing and to create a purpose for my business.”

Meg got through to the regionals where she presented a sales pitch to a panel of judges. She received the Excellence in Product Development Award and couldn’t have been happier with the outcome.

Going forward, she has big dreams for her business. She’s studying design at university and once she finishes her degree, she wants to grow DressedbyMeg and eventually open a retail store.

Follow @DressedbyMeg on Instagram or shop her range at https:// dressedbymeg.mystorbie.com/shop DIO TODAY

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Back to school

On Friday 6 May a group of more than 50 Diocesan alumnae who are also currently Dio parents gathered in School House for a breakfast hosted by the School. They were joined by Principal Heather McRae and Diocesan Director of Development Angela Coe. It was a wonderful morning where new connections were formed and existing ones strengthened.

This was the second year this event has taken place after a couple of COVID-related cancellations in 2020. Given the wonderful feedback from those who attended, the Diocesan Alumnae Association is delighted to add the Dio Alumnae Mothers’ Breakfast to its calendar of annual events.

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LIFELONG FRIENDS

UPCOMING EVENTS REUNIONS If your year group is interested in organising or hosting a class reunion in 2022, contact Kate Eatts in the Development Office on keatts@diocesan.school.nz. Options for year group Reunions include: • Founders’ Day reunion • Decade reunion • Off-campus reunion We’re hosting some New Zealand city reunions in September. Put these dates in your diary: Wellington: Tuesday 20 September Dunedin: Wednesday 21 September Christchurch: Thursday 22 September

CHAPEL CENTENARY

Diocesan will celebrate 100 years of The Chapel of our Glorified Lord on Saturday 6 August. We would love our Dio Alumnae to come along for this special occasion. If you’d like to attend, please contact the Development Office (keatts@diocesan.school.nz) to be added to the invite mailing list.

Please register your interest for our NZ City Reunions by scanning the QR code below.

DIO ALUMNAE BAPTISMS

Sunday 14 August and Sunday 6 November Baptisms will take place at 11.30am in The Chapel of our Glorified Lord, Diocesan School.

FOUNDERS DAY CELEBRATIONS

SAVE THE DATE Saturday 5 November

BRYAN BARTLEY GOLF DAY AT AKARANA GOLF CLUB Thursday 30 March 2023 Register your interest: Kirsty Eady 021 743 220 eadykirsty@gmail.com Kathie Bartley 021 275 9908 kathie@ marvellousemarketing.co.nz

Look out for your next copy of Dio Today in December 2022!

JUNE 2022

DIO TODAY

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MILESTONES BIRTHS Louise Bentley – two sons, Charlie Henderson on 22 February 1993 and James Henderson on 7 June 1995 Dominique Hansford (Sawyere) – a son, Jameson Alexander Hansford on 25 August 2021 Anna McCardle – three sons, Alex in 2002, Nathan in 2012 and Jack in 2017

Hilary West-Reeve (West) gained a BAS BArch (Hons) from the University of Auckland in 1999.

Hope Whitehead graduated with a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Film and Screen Studies with Distinction from the University of Cambridge in 2021.

DEATHS

Hilary West-Reeve (West) – two sons, Harvey Stan Hamilton Kitt-Reeve on 9 October 2009 and Jaxon Kingston Henry Kitt-Reeve on 2 April 2012, and a daughter, Naomi Charlie Reeve on 19 May 2016

Elizabeth Alexander (Koch, PY 1948) on 17 March 2022

Jessica Wilsher – two daughters, Greer Violet Ellis on 17 December 2018, and Frances Ivy Ellis on 7 April 2021.

Rosemary Beauchamp (Thomas, PY 1963) on 5 January 2022

MARRIAGES Louise Bentley to Lew Bentley on 8 August 2018 Hilary West-Reeve (West) to Eldon Reeve on 16 September 2015

ACHIEVEMENTS Raiya Courtier-Sadhu gained a Bachelor of liberal arts and science from the University of Sydney in 2019.

Francesca Di Leva gained a Bachelor of Architectural Studies in 2019 and a Masters of Landscape Architecture in 2021, both from Victoria University of Wellington.

Anna McCardle graduated with an NZCAD from Unitec in 1996, an NZCE from Wintec in 2000, a BProp from the University of Auckland in 2013, and an MCM from Auckland University of Technology in 2015.

Rebekah Watts (Biel) gained an MBA from Auckland University of Technology in 2021.

Janice Anderson (Eames, PY 1960) on 14 March 2022 Josephine Beattie (Nilsson, PY 1969) on 20 February 2022

Judith Bonham (PY 1953) on 9 April 2022 Joan Colmore-Williams (Gentles, PY 1939) on 20 March 2022 Patricia Entrican (Dixon, PY 1943) on 30 December 2021 Wendy Fitzgerald (Dryden, PY 1960) on 19 February 2022 Marie Gerard (Bell, PY 1969) on 20 January 2022 Ruth Hall (Moss, PY 1944) on 16 August 2021 Donna Hargreaves (Keats, PY 1969) on 17 December 2021 Janet Ijsseldijk (Fawcett, PY 1950) on 12 February 2022 Susan Jones (McKenzie, PY 1958) on 28 February 2022 Christine Kindred (Fraser, PY 1946) on 31 July 2021 Margaret MacCormick (McQuarrie, PY 1958) on 8 January 2022 Margaret Matthews (Clarke, PY 1944) on 25 January 2022

Deirdre Schubert (Hirst-Good, PY 1955) on 20 February 2022 Margery Shearer (Feist, PY 1952) on 21 March 2022 Jillian Stenhouse (Saunders, PY 1962) on 19 March 2022 Joan Thompson (Wright, PY 1944) on 26 February 2022 Enid Trower (Kelly, PY 1936) on 25 January 2022 Elizabeth Walker (PY 1983) on 12 January 2022 Dorothy Whiteoak (Fawcett, PY 1948) on 14 April 2022 Gweneth Wilson (Atkin, PY 1950) on 20 January 2022 It’s with sadness that we record the recent passing of Joan Thompson (Wright, PY1944). Joan had a long and special connection with Dio and always enjoyed seeing ‘the girls’ at Old Girls’ functions. Her mother, Gwen Wright, was the first of four generations to attend Dio; and Joan was immensely proud her daughters, Nicola Wickham (Thompson) and Rachel Thompson, and her granddaughters, Kyle Matthews and Rosa Thompson who continued the family tradition as Dio girls.

Joan was a member of the Old Girls’ League, serving on the committee for many years, and was League President from 1968 – 1970. Our condolences to Joan’s family.

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.

Diana McMillan (PY 1953) on 10 April 2022

As always, if you have any milestones to share – births, engagements, marriages, achievements or deaths – please contact Kate Eatts at the Development Office: keatts@diocesan.school.nz or use the online Stay Connected form in the latest Diocesan Alumnae Association email.

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