Education Outside the Classroom
Real-life experiences outside of the classroom
Every Dio student has the opportunity to take part in real-life experiences that extend their learning through our Outdoor Education programme. Designed to involve every year group, the programme ensures all students are included.
Each year, students engage in a week-long programme. The programme covers a diverse range of activities, educational experiences, and hands-on learning outside the classroom. These experiences are designed to build confidence, resilience, and self-esteem.
The programme is different for each. In Years 11 and 13, students attend camps located outside of Auckland, while in Years 12, students take part in regionally based programmes within the Auckland area.
The level of challenge increases with each year level, aligning with the students ‘age and stage’ to ensure the programme is age-appropriate, engaging, and rewarding.
- Include all students and provide a programme that offers different challenges for different year levels
- Encourage personal development and awareness by building self-esteem and confidence
- Develop students’ social skills by co-operating within small groups of their peers
- Develop sound ecological attitudes based on respect, knowledge and understanding
- Develop outdoor skills in camp craft, bush walking, canoeing and rock climbing
- Enrich and integrate other academic disciplines
The theme for the Year 11 Programme is “Exploring and discovering possibilities beyond my realm” and is designed to help our students
- Have the confidence to participate in activities and go beyond their comfort zone
- Develop a greater sense of year level community by participating with enthusiasm in every aspect of the camp
- Persevere and show resilience when facing challenges.
While this week long programme does vary over time, recently our Year 11 students visited the National Park at Ruapehu which offered stunning views of 3 volcanoes. The students did a range of physical and outdoor activities during their week in the Park, including the highlight of the Tongariro Crossing.
The theme for the Year 12 Programme is “Adding to My Story” is designed to help our students
- Relate well to others
- Be compassionate members of communities
- Be positive in their own identity and are motivated and reliable
- Show resilience
- Take personal responsibility to live a meaningful life and contribute by living their personal values
- Embrace others’ differences.
While this week long programme does vary over time, recently our Year 12 students took part in a range of activities such as surfing at Omaha beach, learning to box, learning yoga, a self defence course, and taking part in the ‘love me not’ programme with the NZ Police which delves into healthy and unhealthy relationships.
The theme for the Year 13 Programme is “Thinking and moving beyond boundaries” is designed to help our students
- Reflect and be challenged to explore the contribution they can make to the future
- Act with integrity, showing honesty, responsibility and accountability through ethical decision making
- Adopt an attitude which enables them to embrace learning, and new experiences.
While this programme does vary over time, recently our Year 13 students stayed for a week long adventure in the mountain lodges situated at the base of Whakapapa ski field in the Tongariro National Park, where they had to manage all their own meal preparation for the week. From here they ventured out to the lower slopes for rock climbing and abseiling and enjoyed white water rafting down the Tongariro River. The girls also took part in a solo overnight, reflecting on the years to come post Dio and how year 13 can prepare them for that.
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