Student wellbeing is key at Dio and we have a network of people who provide support for your daughters through their journey at Dio. In the Junior School, our pastoral network includes Deans, Chaplains, Counsellors, and Nurses. These professionals provide academic, emotional, and medical support, ensuring a nurturing environment for students.
Deans – each year level has a Dean who has oversight of the year group.
- Foundation – Emma Gordon
- Year 0, 1 & 2 – Alice Simmers
- Year 3 & 4 – Ella Seabrook
- Year 5 – Rochelle Browne
- Year 6 – April Smith
Chaplains – we have a Chaplain – Rev’d Sandy Robertson and Assistant Chaplains Rev’d Bryan Haggitt and Rev’d John Goodwin. The chaplains offer pastoral support for all students and staff and support many diverse groups in the school to enable them to connect and belong. In the Junior School we have Rev’d John Goodwin who works in our area.
Counsellors – we have three counsellors who support our girls through wellbeing, friendship, family and relationship issues. They are not psychologists, educational psychologists or mental health therapists – they are school counsellors. They assist with advice, guidance and provide a time out space when girls need it. We also have a therapy dog Miles – who is a very special part of providing the love and care that girls need and is based in the counselling area. In the Junior School we have a therapy dog, Tui, who visits us every Tuesday morning in the Library.
Nurses – we also employ fully qualified nursing staff in our Health Centre to provide excellent help when girls and occasionally staff feel unwell. They provide medical support and a helping hand when students become ill or injured during the many activities at school.
Wellbeing research and monitoring
Over the last ten years we have monitored the wellbeing of our girls using a survey from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) that monitors various aspects of school climate from a student’s perspective including teaching, pro-social student culture, and student behaviour. This gives us a view of trends over time. (2014 to 2024). Overall many trends emerging are very positive and students report:
- An increased feeling of belonging and acceptance.
- Consistent action against bullying.
- Improved teacher-student relations across cultures.
- Enhanced support for dealing with personal challenges and racism.
While we are proud of our efforts, of course this is an area that is developing over time, in line with the changing world around us.
Please contact us if you require further advice or information to support your family.
