Senior appointments

DELIVERING EXCELLENCE

KEY FOCUS FOR NEW DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

Newly appointed Director of Marketing Shelley Johnston is bringing enthusiasm, passion and global expertise to her new role as she looks to ensure the School delivers the best possible experience for the Dio community, whether they are students, parents or staff.

With nearly two decades spent in highprofile marketing roles, including for Vodafone, Spark and the Silver Ferns, Shelley brings a wealth of global and national experience to her new position.

“We need to have a strong focus on the Dio community, and that includes everyone who taps into the School,” she says. “We want to deliver the best possible experience for everyone – it’s all part of the unique Dio story, and at Dio we’re striving for the best.”

Shelley replaces former Director of Marketing Rachel Gardiner, who sadly passed away last December. Rachel had been in the role for more than 10 years.

This is Shelley’s first role in education, and she says she is excited about the opportunity to apply her expertise to a new sector, to learn more from a school that punches above its weight in everything it does, and to assist in showcasing outstanding achievements by students and staff.

With Shelley’s previous experience in the fast-moving technology sector, she says it is encouraging to see the national education curriculum evolving to prepare students for the growth jobs of the future, with a focus on design, creativity and ethics.

“Education is changing to support a rapidly changing world, and it calls for innovative thinking, resilience, resourcefulness and a strong sense of self,” she says. “These are all traits that Dio supports and encourages in its teaching and learning. It means students are well equipped to meet future workforce needs, and to form a clear vision for the future.”

Shelley, who grew up on the Taieri Plains in Otago, went to school and university in Dunedin. She is still a ‘Mainlander’ at heart and regularly heads to the South Island for the summer and winter holiday seasons to connect with friends and family.

Shelley now lives with her family a few blocks from the beach in Kohimarama, and can often be found walking Sky, her boisterous Spoodle, on the nearby beach. Being mother to 13-year-old daughter Keira gives Shelley first-hand experience of navigating the demands of a busy household with work, study and after-school activities, but she says she loves the challenge. It helps that she has limitless energy and enthusiasm, and she is looking forward to sharing that with the Dio community.

Shelley Johnston

NEW LEADERSHIP

FOR ARTS FACULTY

Leadership of Diocesan’s awardwinning Arts Faculty is changing hands from the start of Term 3, with Zoe Visvanathan moving to head the team, after two years leading the dance curriculum at Dio. Simone Kallil will return to Dio to pick up her former role from Zoe, as Teacher-in-Charge of Dance.

Zoe is a graduate of the New Zealand School of Dance and worked on a number of shows and productions including in the New Zealand TV show So You Think You Can Dance, before a 10-year stint with the Black Grace Dance Company. During this time, she performed at New York City Centre and taught masterclasses around the world, including at some of the top colleges in the US.

After having two children, Zoe moved to the role of company teacher with Black Grace, leading the company of professional dancers through rehearsals, performances, national and international tours. She also spent two years codesigning and teaching Black Grace’s education programme, including teaching the current NCEA curriculum throughout schools across New Zealand, and in 2015, she was named on the Honours Board at the New Zealand School of Dance.

In a second string to her bow, Zoe also plays piano as well as violin to teacher level and says her participation in orchestra and choir performances were some of the most rewarding experiences of her own secondary school education.

Zoe says: “I love that the arts teaches valuable life skills to all who are involved. Regardless of whether our students go on to work in the arts industry, participation in these fields fosters confidence, empathy, discipline, collaboration, and communication skills. Students who study the arts learn skills of relevance to the human experience. In today’s world, these skills are not only highly regarded but, I believe essential, for a positive future focus.” As the new Head of Faculty, Zoe will manage visual arts, drama, dance and music, as well as planning for the future of the arts subjects in the context of the new Performing Arts buildings, the last stage of which, the magnificent theatre complex, opened last year.

She said: “The Arts Faculty has a revered industry standard and this is reflected in the high calibre of performance our students reach across all arts disciplines, and the top-ranking examination results they achieve across all year levels. We are in an incredibly strong position and I’m looking forward to building on what has been created.”

The School looks forward to welcoming Zoe and Simone to their new roles as the Arts Faculty continues to set the world alight.

Zoe Visvanathan