We are pleased to let you know that, during Term 3, we will have a free adolescent dental service – Revive a Smile Dental Clinic – available on site at Dio. The clinic will be located close to the entrance of the gym and PMC building and will be open from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. during the school week.

This free dental service is available to students aged 13-18. (Note: the service is not available to international students.)

This is an optional service and there is no obligation for your daughter to use it. However, if you would like to utilise this free service: 

• please download and read the information attached below (or pick up a hard copy from Student Services)

• complete the two required forms 

• return the forms either to Student Services at Dio or by email to reviveasmile@gmail.com  

On receipt of the forms, Revive a Smile will get in touch to arrange an appointment. Nearer the time, your daughter will receive a reminder text about her appointment. Students are responsible for managing themselves to attend their appointment, using the school leave system in the same way as for an appointment with the school nurse or physio.

Parents may also use the dental service while it is located at the school, for a discounted fee. The phone number on the form can be used to contact the clinic to make appointments or enquire about the cost.

Initially, the service will be available only for Term 3 2017. After this, there will be a review of the service and a decision on whether to repeat the service annually. If it does not continue, students would need to choose another dentist and may need to complete another form for this purpose.

We hope this initiative will be useful for some of our students and families. By hosting this service at Dio we will assist the Revive a Smile Charity (an initiative of River Road Dental Centre) to provide the free dental service in remote or needy communities. 

The Hamilton City Council has asked us to remind our Dio community that Martin Street is a marked clearway between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm - Monday to Friday. Congestion is bad at this time of the day and we need to ensure traffic flow is not impeded by cars parked illegally.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

The appointment is the culmination of a four-month recruitment process, with the boards working closely with specialist educational consultants Mike Leach and Peter Gall from Edsolnz Ltd. 

In an educational career spanning some 36 years, this will be Mrs Curran’s second Principalship after five years as Principal of St Catherine’s College, an integrated Catholic secondary school for girls in Wellington. Prior to this, she was Deputy Principal Curriculum at St John’s College in Hamilton.

Mrs Curran holds a Bachelor of Teaching from The University of Waikato and chairs the Te Ara (Wellington Activity Centre) Board. More recently, she was appointed to a Ministry of Education Professional Learning and Development Area Allocation Panel.  As a classroom teacher, she taught Social Studies, Religious Education and Drama.

“We believe that we have found a leader with the qualities to prepare confident, resourceful and resilient young women to make a positive difference in their world,” says Bishop of Waikato and Waikato Diocesan School for Girls’ Patron, The Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley.

“On behalf of both Bishops, the Waikato Diocesan Schools' Board and the whole Diocese we are delighted at the appointment of Mrs Curran to lead Waikato Diocesan School for Girls.   She is an outstanding candidate and her passion and commitment to girls' education and to our Anglican special character is clear. We are deeply grateful to the careful work of the appointment working group and to both Board Chairs in particular for their excellent work in securing the best outcome for the school going forward.  Our prayers are with Mrs Curran, her family, and her current school community, and for our beloved Dio community as we all prepare for this time of transition.”

Board Chairs Mrs Lynette Pearks (Board of Trustees) and The Reverend Anne Mills (Proprietor’s Board) said how fortunate we are to have secured such a high-calibre individual to carry on the outstanding work of current principal, Mrs Vicky McLennan, who will officially complete her nine and a half year tenure on Friday June 2, 2017.

“The school community thanks Mrs McLennan for her outstanding leadership and for the many positive contributions she, and husband Peter, have made to Waikato Diocesan School for Girls. We wish them both well in their future endeavours.”

On the afternoon of Thursday 18 May, we will be holding our annual school cross-country. This event will take place at Days Park, River Road, in Hamilton. 

Students will have a normal school day and then will walk over to Days Park, under staff supervision, for a race start time of approximately 

1:30pm. You are most welcome to attend as a spectator.

This event comes under our Blanket Consent procedures and we assume that if we have not heard from you directly by Tuesday 16 May that you are happy for your daughter to participate. Please note that if your daughter has not yet returned her EOTC Blanket Consent forms, you will be required to complete the separate consent form for this event. This will need to be returned to your daughter’s form teacher as soon as possible. 

Please note: All key information regarding necessary equipment and entry requirements will be communicated to students well in advance. Also, if the weather is inclement on the day, a call will be made on the morning of 18 May to cancel or postpone the event. This information will be communicated via a website notification and facebook post. Students should come to school prepared for their afternoon classes just in case. 

In addition, students taking Physical Education or Sport Education Science (SES) as a subject will be involved in cross-country training practices at the Days Park venue prior to the event. These practice runs will take place during normal timetabled class, and these are also covered under our Blanket Consent procedures. 

Please ensure that your daughter’s medical and emergency contact details are up-to-date on the parent portal of the school’s website. The emergency contact number for the duration of the event is: 021383776 (Ray Edwards).

If you have any questions regarding the cross-country organisation, please contact Ray Edwards via email at redwards@wdsg.school.nz