The Dilworth Family Connect is Dilworth’s parent group, established to strengthen the support and friendship between Dilworth families and the School.
As the year gets underway, new students begin their Dilworth journey, and others transition from Junior to Senior Campus or to new boarding houses; we chatted with President Loma Uhila and Vice President Sandra Kailahi to learn more about the DFC and why they believe it is so beneficial for parents and caregivers to get involved.
Sandra Kailahi started our interview by discussing the Dilworth model and how it differs from other schools, with students coming from different geographic communities across Auckland and beyond. She pointed out that when a student starts at Dilworth, many parents and caregivers don’t know anyone, which can be challenging, especially at social functions.
“We all know what it felt like when we first started. You don’t know anyone and can feel ‘foreign’ about the process. Dilworth does a great job looking after the boys, but the DFC can help break down the barriers for parents”.
Sandra said she sees the role of the DFC as helping to connect parents with each other through DFC events and school activities. “At its heart, the DFC is a parents group made up of parents who want to give back, to help support other parents, particularly the new ones”.
Loma Uhila added to the discussion by discussing the added impact of children boarding for the first time, saying it can be just as hard for parents and caregivers: “If you are coming in brand new, it is going to be hard—the transition to boarding for students and parents.” He strongly advocates getting involved, coaching, or managing sports teams, which he sees as a win for everyone and a way to ease the change at home.
He said other transitions in the Dilworth journey—from Junior to Senior Campus and even between boarding houses—can also be tough for parents and caregivers. He said their team is there to let parents know there is a safe place for them to talk together.
The DFC attends some of the school’s major events. The new parent/student BBQs at the Junior and Senior Campuses will be held soon, in the first weeks of Term One, and the DFC will be there. Sandra said their role here is to provide ‘fellowship and food’ to break down barriers ‘The best way is to talk from your own heart as a parent. There are so many questions in those first two weeks of the year”. Working with new boys and their whānau helps ease and build that ‘spirit’ right from the start.
Last year, they also attended Dilworth’s Open Days, where they shared a cuppa with prospective parents at the end of each afternoon.
The DFC runs its dedicated events. Their Mid-Winter Christmas function is a favourite that has been building over the last few years—this year, 160 people attended. The whole family can come, and this has added to the appeal. A Family Picnic Day was held for the first time last year, running alongside a 1st XV game, which worked brilliantly—and the weather cooperated, unlike the previous year when it rained off!
The DFC also has a voice with both Dilworth School and the Trust Board.
Head of Junior Campus Justine Scott is Dilworth’s DFC representative and regularly attends DFC meetings to ensure the parents’ views are heard within the school. The Dilworth Trust Board also met with the DFC at the end of the year and shared a robust discussion about the things that matter to parents and caregivers. Both the Board and DFC have prioritised this again for 2025.
The DFC AGM provides another forum where parents can discuss issues. Says Uhila, “We don’t want it (the DFC) to be a tick-box exercise.” Sometimes, they have been involved in helping to facilitate discussions between parents/caregivers and the school. Typically, says Sandra, “If someone raises something and we are clear it is a school issue, we will support the parent, saying let us find out, and we do. But mainly, we provide an avenue for people to talk.”
Communications have “moved leaps and bounds” at Dilworth, according to Loma, but he still sees “room to improve,” particularly for those parents who “live miles away,” where he sees it as important to ensure that they can support each other. A new initiative the DFC is considering this year is running an online forum or session to help facilitate this.
He also sees communication between students' parents/caregivers at the house level as pivotal to their well-being. “There could be three families from one house standing at an event who don’t know each other.”
Both Sandra and Loma are coming to the end of their sons’ Dilworth years, and something on their minds is the need for Dilworth’s parents to have a sense of continuity once their boys leave the ‘green gates’.
“Let’s look at what could be done for parents. Students become Dilworth Old Boys, but parents can feel completely cut off. It would be good to look into something here to avoid the feeling of parents ‘dropping off’.
One idea they had was to get parents involved in fundraising or coaching for the school when their sons' years are over—something they could talk to Dilworth’s Advancement Team about.
“We can’t repay what Dilworth has given our sons, but we can help”.