Scholars’ Awards from the 2021 examinations

SCHOLARS' AWARDS

Gold Scholars, left to right – Luci Trethewey (guest speaker), Eloise Robinson, Lucy Russ, Kate Wellington, Mathilda Hol and Sarah Young.

The Wellington family – Kate graduated last year, Grace is in Year 12, and they also have Hannah in Year 11 and Alice in Year 8. The annual Scholars’ Awards were held in the last week of Term 2 and this year a bumper crop of attendees enjoyed drinks and nibbles in the Arts Centre foyer before proceeding into the theatre for the presentation of the awards. The cut-off for Silver and Gilded Scholars is a GPA of 90 across all the subjects in the NCEA exams of the year before, or for Year 12 Diploma students, an academic prize in the Diocesan Senior Prize Giving.

The disruptions brought about by COVID in 2021 meant that NZQA offered additional credits and Unexpected Event Grades for all students. There is no doubt that this move boosted the Dio results, but given the extenuating circumstances of endless lockdowns, limited time at school for practical lessons and then a sudden and unexpected return to school for school examinations, it was felt it would have been heartless to raise the bar for the awards, simply because more girls than ever achieved the required level. We are proud of the tenacity, determination and sheer hard work demonstrated by the senior students of 2021 who achieved some of the best academic results the School has ever seen.

We are proud of the tenacity, determination and sheer hard work demonstrated by the senior students of 2021 who achieved some of the best academic results the School has ever seen.

Margaret van Meeuwen, Head of Senior School

The guest speaker was Luci Trethewey, Head Prefect of the class of 2017. Luci completed an engineering degree at Canterbury University and is currently working as an environmental engineer. Luci delivered a heartfelt message to the gathered award winners and families about being true to themselves and being prepared when things don't go as planned. The model of having a student speaker who is just a few years ahead of the students again proved a winning one, with Luci’s words of encouragement and sage advice being well received.

Margaret van Meeuwen Head of Senior School

Students Lilly Lang (left) and Saranee Pasupati (right). Lilly’s mother, Sarah, and Saranee’s mother, Damaya, were at Dio together in the same year and house and now Lilly and Saranee are in the same year and house (Neligan)!

LIST OF SCHOLARS AWARDS

Year 11 Silver Scholars Awards are awarded to Level 1 NCEA students with a grade average of 90 or more across all subjects.

Grace Allan Annabelle Baigent Jessica Barclay Holly Barker Arya Blacker Lucy Blanchard Georgia BroadbentBerge Georgia Burns Christina Cai Maisie Cavanagh Brooke Chandler Lauren Chee Eleanor Christiansen Rebecca Christie Georgia Daly Eliza East Charlotte Elliott Lucia Ferguson Nina Fisher Isobel Fletcher Danielle Foster Alexandra Graney Holly Haskell Emma Herrick Tessa Hickin Rebecca Hounsell Selena Hu Frances Hunt Maia Hunter Lucy Irwin Vera Jia Olive Kirk Sienna Kirk Sienna Kulatunga Simonie Lam Lilly Lang Bonnie Lin Bharathi Manikandan Mackenzie Marlo Hattie Miles Izzy Mullan Juliet Nasrabadi Lucy Nevill Saranee Pasupati Coco Pett Aimee Schnuriger Alice Sharpe Sophie Shuttleworth Kate Skinner-Spence Samantha Smith Olivia Smithies Mia Souloglou Sydney Sparks Margot Sullivan Aiko Taylor Olivia Turnbull Jenna Veal Pascale Vincent Alex Wackrow Jessica Wang Grace Wellington Eva Wen Taylor West Xanthe Williams Rosa Willis Taylah Wood Victoria Wright Candice Yuan

Year 12 Silver Scholars Awards are awarded to Level 2 NCEA students with a grade average of 90 or more across all subjects.

Kika Blaha Brethouwer Peta Clark Penny-Ana Clark Holly Crausaz Emma Cunningham Daniella Kassir Madeleine Kelso-Heap Eno Li Riya Punja Mia Reid

Year 12 Gilded Scholar Awards are awarded to students receiving their second award.

Sahaana Arunachalam Amelia Brawn Clementine Buchanan Josie Christie Isabella Cleary Amie Cummack Phoebe Duncan Eve Finlayson Sienna French Estie Hamilton Tiaré Hansen Olivia Hardie Anna Hare Erica Hu Hattie Johnston Sara MacGillivray Chantelle May Elyse Neill Katie Parr Emma Parton Riya Raniga Ella Riley Lucy Russ Erika Sessatid Lucy Shennan Anastasia Sun Caitlin Tam Sophia Winstanley Sarah Wong Erin Zhang Sunny Zhang Karina Zhu

Gold Awards

To qualify for a Gold Scholar’s Award, a student must achieve 40 points and above in the Diploma, which is the level that the national awards ceremony also honours, or three or more Scholarship awards. This year we have 13 Gold Scholars, another outstanding year! Congratulations to these 2021 Year 13 girls: Joomee Choi Priscilla Huang Lara Johns Emilia Mackenzie Jessica Marshall Natasha Mori Esther Oh Amelie Thomas Matilda Hol Eloise Robinson Lucy Russ Kate Wellington Sarah Young

This year we are again in the delightful situation of awarding a Year 12 Gold Scholar Award.

Lucy Russ