Kia ora everyone, I hope you're having a wonderful Term 2 so far, and are working efficiently and trying your best in everything you do! It is so awesome to see everyone getting involved in our school events this term with the beginning of House Singing and Friendship Fridays and the more regular chapels and assemblies.

Head Student Lunch

Cooper and I were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to host a Waikato-wide head students lunch at Dio, catered by our very own catering team in our new dining room. A huge thank you to Mrs Miller for helping make this possible. It was so much fun to meet and network with the other head students around ideas and plans for this year. It was also awesome to hang out prior to ball season so we can all be friends! 

Friendship Fridays

The start of the new normal. How fun! We have been able to put down our phones and connect with students from all different year groups through a range of activities. It is wonderful to see all of the students genuinely engaging with each other and having fun WITHOUT DEVICES. Thank you to our student leaders, Year 13s and staff members who help make this possible during these Friday lunch times.

Auckland Dio Exchange

Thank you Auckland Dio for travelling down to our Kura for our annual Auckland Dio vs Waikato Dio Exchange. It was so awesome to watch the top athletes, debaters, and musicians in their element doing what they love. Our students loved getting involved and supporting their peers. Unfortunately, Auckland Dio took home the shield for another year, but it certainly didn't stop our school spirit as everyone was giving it their all. 

Pink Shirt Day

Anti-bullying week is a very important week each year for our school - with the grand finale of the week being Pink Shirt Friday. On this day everyone dresses in pink and represents celebrating diversity in all its forms, and creating environments where all people can feel safe, valued, and respected. Thank you to the Student Council, and the Environment (well-being) Council for all your hard work and amazing organisation for this very special day. 

Environment Week

Environment Week was filled with lunchtime activities and a very successful clothing drive. Fidella along with the physical Environment Council did a wonderful job preparing for this week and it all flowed smoothly. Unfortunately, the water conservation Year 13 race was postponed so we look forward to doing this at a later date. 

Colour Run

Thank you so much to Rev Stephen for his initiative to fundraise within our school for Ukraine. This tragedy is front-of-mind amongst many of our students and staff, and it was really cool that as a Kura we were able to come together to raise some money for Ukraine whilst having some fun at school. This was the first time in many years since we have held a colour run at Dio, and the feedback has been all positive with heaps of our students and staff getting involved.

House Singing

The event we have all been waiting for… HOUSE SINGING! Although it's going to be different this year, our House spirit is bigger than ever. Mrs Greenslade has been working incredibly hard to create this new modified event which will still be amazing. The house leaders have been working behind the scenes with the musicians within each house to help lead all of us to some form of musical success. House Singing is a personal favourite of mine, and I just cannot wait for the final day to come together… GO WILSON!

Up and coming…

It is less than a month now until our Dio Senior Ball! The Events Council is doing an amazing job organising this event, and I cannot wait to see all the photos in the next newsletter.

Keep working hard and being the best you can be.

Liv and Cooper x

Head Student/Girl / Deputy Head Student/Girl 2022

Student Council initiatives

The student council has been busy this term with a lot of fundraising and acts of service for our community. Here are some of the things we have been up to.

Year 9 Student Council

The Year 9 Council’s main focus is the wider world community. We recognise that women around the world, do not ll reside in ideal living conditions and do not have access to clean and effective sanitary facilities and products. Our local women’s refuge is also running short of these hygiene facilities. We decided to do a drive for women’s refuge to help women and young girls around Hamilton with some brand new hygiene products. Thank you to everyone who donated! 

Year 10 Student Council

The Year 10  Council’s main focus this year is to organise initiatives for the local community. At the start of Term 2, they organised to make postcards with Mr Watson’s Years 9 and 10 Religious Education classes. These amazing postcards were posted to lonely residents in rest homes around Hamilton. This was an amazing initiative because thinking about the older generation in our community is very important. On June 9 they contributed to the Serve. An organisation in Hamilton that distributes food to families in need. 

Year 11 Student Council

“Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!”

To support anti-bullying week, the Year 11 Council held a pink shirt non-uniform day. Pink Shirt Day is about working together to stop bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusiveness. Pink Shirt Day has been celebrated in Aotearoa since 2009, and this year at Dio we sold cupcakes with pink icing from The Girl on the Swing, as well as Duck Island Ice Cream. We made $1,080 to donate to a local charity.