Parents & Friends of Dio

BUSY TERM 1

2020 has started out as a busy year for Parents & Friends with two important events and exciting developments underway.

Aquick look back – it was with great pleasure that the Parents & Friends’ Committee hosted the annual year-end Cocktail Party in November 2019. This was a wonderful gathering to bring together parents and staff in celebration of our daughters’ achievements. This also provided the perfect opportunity to present our $150,000 donation towards the building of the new outdoor recreational areas surrounding the Junior School and Centennial Building. A second donation of $100,000 will be given to the School upon completion of the project in Term 2, 2020. These newly developed spaces have been designed to benefit both the junior and senior students, providing exercise, recreation and learning spaces outside the classrooms. By making use of otherwise untouched spaces behind Centennial Building and reclaiming the areas that were previously fenced off around the Norfolk pines, the School has extended to the students more grounds for outdoor enjoyment and learning. Parents & Friends are proud to be a significant sponsor of this development.

Left: New Parents’ Cocktails 2020 Above and below: Welcome morning tea and picnic 2020.

Speaking of outdoor fun, the year kicked off in late January for the Committee with the hosting of the annual Morning Tea and Welcome Picnic for all new students. Despite rain overnight and a cloudy morning, the sun once again showed up in full force for this fantastic day and we enjoyed providing morning tea and lunch to many excited new students and their families.

Our cafeteria staff also started a busy year in January as we farewelled Belinda Brown, our long-standing cafeteria manager in 2019. Belinda worked in the cafeteria as our manager for eight years and helped to grow a place for students to get a healthy meal, snack on the go, and see volunteering parents in action every day. We wish Belinda all the best in her future endeavours. In turn we have welcomed in a partnership with &Sushi and are working closely with Food Chain, two businesses dedicated to supplying our café with high quality, delicious and nutritious options for our students and staff. another opportunity to host our new families in a friendly and welcoming environment. As so many new parents see little of the School past the traffic lines of the drive-through, this is a great evening to get to know each other and share experiences with one another as Dio families.

As always we welcome any parents interested in joining our team of volunteers to please touch base with us at PFA@diocesan.school.nz.