E ngaa mana e ngaa reo e ngaa rau rangatira maa, nei raa te mihi maioha ki a koutou, ki a taatou katoa. I hope this message finds you and your whaanau rested, healthy and ready for Term 2 2023.

Thank you all for your patience as our new boarding team prepares for your daughter’s return to boarding. We are looking forward to greeting them on the evening of Anzac Day from 5:00 pm. This a reminder that there will be no dinner available.

We had a busy and rewarding first term as a boarding community. Our focus and efforts of course underpinned by the vision set by our Head of Boarding Emma Clapcott He Waka Eke Noa with her Boarding Council. I am grateful for their leadership and support in fostering the spirit of whanaungatanga and manaakitanga within boarding through events such as our Year 9 Afternoon Tea and Dinner, In-boarding Weekend, Valentine's Day, and Easter-themed dinners.

I wish to acknowledge the many sporting and artistic achievements of our boarding girls. We as house parents were privileged to attend and cheer for our boarding girls from the sidelines of the cricket field in Tauranga, amazed at their stamina at water polo in Auckland, astonished by their endurance at Lake Karapiro while rowing and overwhelmed by their talent showcased at our major  school production 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' Our boarding students have also participated in a range of special character events such as the making of Easter baskets for the elderly, chapel services, and other important projects and initiatives that are at the heart of what we do here at Te Kura Piihopatanga o Waikato.  On the academic front, the first term was about establishing and cementing effective study habits and utilising prep time. With term two on the horizon, the aforementioned foci remain. In junior boarding, Ngarangi Mason (Amokura and Dio graduate of 2020) our Prep Tutor is available to support academic progress.  She is currently in her third year of a Bachelor of Laws and Te Reo Maaori at the University of Waikato. In senior boarding, our girls have been attending and utilising on-site and off-site tutoring opportunities. 

As a new boarding team, we have been working hard; forming, storming, norming, and performing to provide the best possible care for our boarding students, and ever present in my mind is the famous whakatauaakii of Princess Te Puea Herangi, Aunty to our beloved Old Girl Piki Mahuta, the Late Maaori Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu - "Mahia te mahi hei painga moo te iwi - Do what is necessary for the betterment of the people".  It is also a timely reminder that house parents are OFF DUTY and often OFF SITE between 8:45 am to 3:00 pm Monday to Friday and 8:45 am to 2:15 pm on Wednesday. Duty phones or emails will be answered as soon as possible. Thank you in advance for supporting the well-being of our boarding staff.

At the close of term one, we received the resignation of our Assistant House Parent in Senior Boarding, Jessica Bremner. Her last day will be Thursday 18 May 2023. Whaea Jess has been with us for over a year and we wish her well as she focuses full-time on her studies, health, and well-being. But once a Dio girl always a Dio girl, so do not be surprised if you see Whaea Jess in boarding but on a casual basis throughout the year. Teenei te mihi maioha ki a koe, ootiraa maa te Atua e manaaki ki a koe me to whaanau kei runga i to arahi hou.

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 program to allow time for relaxation, spirituality, study, and the opportunity to try new activities.

Thank you for entrusting us with your precious aakonga. We are very blessed to have this opportunity to partner with you to ensure your daughter thrives in this independent environment where mutual aroha and manaakitanga are front and centre. 

We have loved getting to know our boarding girls and their whaanau. We look forward to continuing to do so in term two.

Noho ora mai,

Jacqueline Smith | Director of Boarding                                                            MEdLeadership (Distinction), BA, Grad DipT, Dip.Soc.Sci, Dip TTP (Te Reo Maaori), CertTEAL