Graduation ball

Graduation Ball 2018

The 2018 Grad Ball was held on Saturday 1 December at the Pullman Hotel on Princes Street in the CBD. This new venue provided a really sophisticated feel for the Class of 2018’s final school event.

The 130 graduates were joined by family and friends to mark the start of a new chapter in their lives. The Princes Ballroom was elegantly decorated with giant balloons, flowers and seed lights. Parents made the most of a separate lounge area where they could enjoy an after-dinner drink.

Entertaining MC Mark Sumich once again expertly guided everyone through the evening’s formalities. After Jenny Spillane, President of the Old Girls’ League, welcomed the girls and their families, the graduates crossed the stage to receive their scrolls. Zorai Dai, the Diocesan Events Prefect arranged a photo compilation of all the girls over their school years that was played on the video screen. The graduates then danced to Billy Joel’s beautiful 1977 song Vienna.

The official band, the Velvet Tones, had everyone up and dancing to a very popular playlist. In a surprise performance, three members of Dio band Feijoa Funk (Sarah Casey, Ally Quatermass and Olivia Couillault) also took to the stage for the last time together to play a couple of songs.

A huge thanks to Diocesan Old Girls’ League Committee members Emma Cleary and Tania Fairgray who led the Grad Ball organising team and put in hours of work behind the scenes.

Thanks also to Gino Demeer from Cactus Photography who again did a wonderful job of capturing special moments from the evening. To view and order photos of the 2018 Graduation Ball, visit www.cactusphotography.co.nz

MILESTONES

Births

Felicity Carruthers (Mayne, 2006), a daughter on 16 April 2016 and a son on 23 February 2018 Andie (Andrea) Goodman (Rix-Trott, 1999), sons born on 22 January 2017 and 31 October 2018 Madeleine Newman (Everard, 2004), a daughter on 4 December 2018

Marriages

Lucette Dillon (2003) to Andrew Chu on 10 November 2018 Rachel Twyman (2013) to Samuel Moxham on 29 September 2018

Engagements

Bernadette Read (2011) to Matthew Fisk on 14 November 2017

Deaths

Margaret Beddek (MacDonald, 1947) on 21 January 2019 Ken (Kenneth) Bray on 18 December 2018 aged 89. Ken was Diocesan Deputy Principal from 1976 to 1978 Elaine Clark (Sutcliffe, 1949) on 24 January 2019 in her 88th year Jenny (Jennifer) Edwards (1987) on 14 June 2015 in Kirkcaldy, Scotland Ellen Eyles (1947) on 2 January 2019 Mary Chisholm Harris (McDowell, 1954) on 13 November 2018.

Achievements

Georgia Fulton (2013) Bachelor of Design (First Class Hons) majoring in Industrial Design, Massey University, Wellington. National runner-up James Dyson Design Awards and Bronze at the NZ Best Design Awards Jamie (Jamie-Lee) Matthews (2007) Bachelor of Viticulture, Eastern Institute of Technology Rachel Moxham (Twyman, 2013) Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours), University of Waikato Jan (Janice) Vinde (Rankin, 1956) is living in Nøtterøy, Norway, and is married to Thor Laurits Vinde

UPCOMING EVENTS

2019 ALUMNA MERITA ASSEMBLY Thursday 9 May – Dawn Jones Sports Centre

DIO STAFF REUNION Saturday 8 June This special reunion will acknowledge the valuable service of past and present Dio teachers, administrators, grounds people and managers.

SENIOR OLD GIRLS’ CHAPEL SERVICE AND MORNING TEA Tuesday 3 September – Chapel of Our Glorified Lord and the Diocesan School Hall Senior Old Girls on our database will be contacted and invited to this favourite of events. If you have friends who might not be on our database, or whose contact details may have changed, please encourage them to email oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz to ensure we remain in touch with them.

2019 GRADUATION BALL Saturday 7 December – Pullman Hotel

STAY CONNECTED through the Auckland Dio Old Girls’ League Facebook page

Join us online and be part of a 6000-strong community of former students, staff and parents sharing news, opinions, updates, profiles, photos and Dio memories. OGL Committee member Penny Tucker runs the page and would love to hear your stories and updates.