As shared in our last boarding newsletter, we have had and will have some boarding staff changes, and I am happy to share that we have a full boarding team ready to roll for 2024.  We are as follows:

• Director of Boarding - Jacqueline Smith jsmith@wdsg.school.nz 
• Assistant Director of Boarding - Jo Monney jmonney@wdsg.school.nz
• Year 9 House Parent - Emily Maree  emily.maree@wdsg.school.nz 
• Year 10 House Parent - Kimberly Rose kimberly.rose@wdsg.school.nz
• Year 11 House Parent - Jo Monney jmonney@wdsg.school.nz
• Years 12 & 13 House Parent - Alverta Le'au'anae (starting Monday 12 February 2024)
• Assistant House Parent #1 - Shaeana Jaunay (onsite) shaeana.jaunay@wdsg.school.nz
• Assistant House Parent #2 - Havana Klink havana.klink@wdsg.school.nz
• Prep Tutor (Junior) & Assistant House Parent #3 - Ngarangi Mason nmason@wdsg.school.nz
• Gap Tutors - Jaimee Newby and Rachel Field-Kozak gap@wdsg.school.nz
• Van Driver - Brett Addison (finishes Thursday, 14 March 2024)
• Van Driver - Nigel Greeson (starts Monday, 18 March 2024)

We welcome our new boarding staff to Dio and look forward to working together to support our boarding girls.

Towards the end of 2023, as a boarding team, we co-constructed The C.R.E.D.I.T. Approach for Staff to Boarding to make explicitly shared focus and expectations of ourselves, other boarding staff, students and whaanau while on duty. Of course, we are not perfect and will continually strive to act to achieve these standards.  This approach is displayed around the boarding houses and is another important foundation of our duty of care focii.

Boarding at Dio encourages students to become independent, open-minded and principled thinkers. Family values are at our core, and the well-being of our young people is paramount. We encourage all students to find a good study/life balance and be proactive members of our supportive community. There is a varied programme to allow time for relaxation, spirituality, study and the opportunity to try new activities. 

To fulfil these expectations, please continue to encourage and teach our boarders and us the below set of expectations, 'Living within Boarding', found on page 14 of our Boarding Handbook. Please click on the link to find an electronic version of this handbook. The below student expectations are displayed around the boarding houses, and continued discussion will be had with all our boarders led by our Boarding Council and house parents. 

Thank you in advance for your support and for entrusting us with your precious aakonga. We feel very blessed to have this opportunity to partner with you to ensure your daughter thrives in this independent environment where mutual respect is front and centre. We look forward to a blessed first term together.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Jacqueline Smith | Director of Boarding

Ngāti Manawa, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Tuhourangi, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Tahu