Our Dio families were delighted to reciprocate the generosity shown to their daughters during their time in Hong Kong in January and make the most of the students’ time together.

After busy weekends settling into their new surroundings, the students arrived at Dio and were welcomed by senior Te Reo Māori students with a mihi whakatau. During the week, they learned waiata, Māori pronunciation and the stick game Poi Rākau, and deepened their understanding of te ao Māori through Mātauranga Māori lessons and time with the Year 10 Te Reo Māori class.

There was also plenty of opportunity to experience a taste of Kiwi life, including a trip to Snowplanet, making pavlova and enjoying a New Zealand afternoon tea featuring the famous Dio brownie. Time spent in the classroom also gave the students an opportunity to explore the similarities and differences between our two education systems.

Sharing their experiences with Year 9 students, the girls spoke about how much they had grown from living in another country and becoming part of another family. They also reflected that explaining your own culture to someone else encourages you to examine and appreciate it in a way you might not otherwise do.

Firm friendships were formed, wonderful memories were made, and we are delighted to have reconnected with Diocesan Girls’ School, Hong Kong.

On the last day, students from both schools swapped uniforms (as you can see in the photos).

A special thank you to Lola Gordon, Alyssa Burrows, Kalie Chan, Jadelyn Hoy Fong and Ella Wang, and their families, for making the exchange such a success and for being wonderful ambassadors for Dio.