I recently attended the inaugural Generation Breakfast run by the Sonning and Waikato Diocesan Old Girls’ Association, supported by Jamie and Petra – our head students. It was wonderful to hear from a panel of former students from across the generations who shared some beautiful stories about their time at Dio. The event ended with a parade of former uniforms which drew gasps and smiles of recognition from those in attendance. It reinforced with me the significance of wearing the correct uniform at school and how it fosters a sense of equality among students, creating a positive and focused atmosphere for learning.

If your daughter is in Years 9-12 this year and will not be returning to Dio for 2024, please email your intentions to principal@wdsg.school.nz This information will help us as we begin to look at the classes and timetable for next year.

Year 13's Petra Pratt-Rink was selected for the BizVenture Japan programme, an initiative co-hosted by Education New Zealand, North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence, education partners in Tokyo, Japan and facilitated by the Young Enterprise Trust.

Dio students, past and present, came together for the inaugural Sonning and Waikato Diocesan Old Girls' Association Generation Breakfast. The intention was to create an Alumni-student connection and foster a sense of community. Thank you to all involved.

After an eight-week Dio exchange, Elizabeth Macdonald and her family recently bid Ella Grace Lazenby (of Baylor School, USA) farewell for her long journey back to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thank you, Ella Grace, for your wholehearted embrace of this exchange experience and for generously sharing your knowledge, unique perspective and wonderful humour with our community. You have been a breath of fresh air, and we were very sad to see you go! Below is Ella's final assembly presentation.

Please refer to the website's online calendar for other important dates and the most up-to-date information.

Our Senior Options Evening is happening Friday, 11 August, from 3.35 - 5.30 pm. All are welcome to attend. Meet with the subject heads of departments, career advisor, learning support, HUB and Star, advanced learning, and members of our school senior leadership team.

Last week was the second Future Horizons Day for our Years 10 and 11 students to explore different career pathways by attending courses or experiences in both Hamilton and Auckland.

Celebrating Sports at Dio.

There has been a bit of conversation at school recently around attitude. We have talked about the glass half-full, the glass half-empty, and the glass I never ordered, so I don't care how much is in it because I am sure not going to drink it. In a similar vein, Oscar Wilde once quipped: “Between the optimist and the pessimist, the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut; the pessimist the hole!” Recently I met someone who celebrates both. She very clearly located herself in the camp that shouts, "You can't have the doughnut without the hole!"

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the annual Waikato Culinary Fare held on the last two days of Term 2 at Wintec, where Dio won the Wintec - Te Pukenga Top School Award for 2023!