College Newsletter

In the heat of competition or the excitement of performance, it is easy to get swept up in results. But at our College, how we compete matters just as much as what we achieve.  

Sport and co-curricular activities are powerful teachers. They develop resilience, test our discipline, and shape our understanding of leadership, respect, and service. Whether we win or lose is only part of the story. The true test lies in how we respond to setbacks, to success, to the people around us. These are the moments that shape character. 

When you put on the Saint Kentigern crest, you do not wear it for yourself alone. You represent all who have come before you, and all who will follow. You carry the responsibility to live out our values. That might look like helping an opponent to their feet after a tough game, respecting a referee’s decision, or showing genuine appreciation for another performer’s efforts. These gestures are not small, they are powerful signals of who we are. 

Fair play asks us to rise above shortcuts, excuses, and frustrations. It’s not just about doing what is allowed, it’s about doing what is right. And doing so even when no one else may notice. The most admired competitors are not only those with talent, but those who compete with humility, generosity, and grace. 

To our sports teams, performers, artists, and musicians: represent us well. Let your passion shine and let it be anchored in respect. Let your competitive spirit reflect your values, and let your conduct lift the standard for others. 

As the weeks ahead bring challenges and triumphs, let us commit to more than results. Let us commit to character. May Saint Kentigern College be known not only for excellence, but for the way we carry ourselves—with dignity, honour, and the true spirit of the game. 

Fides Servanda Est.

Kind Regards
Damon Emtage
College Principal

Chaplaincy Update 

In last week’s newsletter, our College Principal, Mr Damon Emtage, reflected on a recent initiative of our prefects to hold an assembly prior to Kings Birthday that acknowledged our schools’ traditions and deep Scottish roots. During the assembly, Mr Duncan McQueen shared the story of the Saint Kentigern tartan and the connection to Glasgow, the city where Saint Kentigern, also known as Mungo, is remembered as a symbol of Christian faith and service. Our name, crest, and values reflect the Presbyterian pioneers who built this school on a foundation of faith, excellence, and service.

Year 9 Social
Fundraising for World Vision 40 Hour Challenge

This year, the Service Council is helping to run a Year 9 Social that will take place on Friday 13 June, from 7pm to 9pm in Elliot Hall with all proceeds going to World Vision.

We have sent this link Year 9 Social - Interest Form to Year 9 students and asked them to let us know if they intend coming to the Social. 

The cost of this event will be $15, which will be automatically charged to your College account if your child attends. On the evening, students will be required to sign in with their ID Cards to confirm attendance.

At the conclusion of the evening, we will be releasing students by their House and ask if you can please wait outside Elliot Hall at the end of the evening.

We hope your child can attend this exciting event. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.

New Outdoor Staircase with Solar Lights

The new staircase is in good use, direct to/from the Year 13 carpark at the Manor Park entrance, both by Year 13’s that park there and students walking to the Manor Park exit.

Intersection at Fisher Parade and The Boulevard – design change feedback to Auckland Council/Auckland Transport

Auckland Council/Transport have listened to community concerns about the current layout of this intersection and seek feedback on a proposed alternative to address the safety issues to bring it up to standard intersection design practice. You can provide feedback via their survey at Fisher Parade and The Boulevard, Sunnyhills - Intersection Upgrade | Have your say | Auckland Transport before Tuesday 17 June 2025. Please continue to take care until changes are made, photos below of current layout with red arrows, new proposed layout alongside.

Term 2 has begun in earnest and to excuse the pun – it’s “business as usual” in the Commerce Faculty. By that, we mean the focus is on high-quality teaching and learning opportunities within the classroom; rigorous and challenging internal assessment across the board to test students’ ability; and a plethora of out of the classroom experiences designed to enrich and enliven our curriculum.

Students have been wowing judges during the Young Enterprise Pitch event at Uxbridge Centre in Howick showcasing their yearlong business projects (Year 13 and Co-curricular), making and selling a variety of products at the annual Business Fair (Year 11), and preparing for the New Zealand Economics Competition (Years 11-13) and the New Zealand Secondary Schools Case Competition (Year 12 and 13) that are all coming up during June.

We hope to report back on the performance and successes of these students in the coming months.

A touring Indie rock musician, a bicycle mechanic, and an Apple trainer at the conception of the first iPhone, are all lives Mr Vogel lived before embarking on a career as a teacher, in which he holds a Masters in Teaching.

Originally from Portland, Oregon, Mr Vogel met his Kiwi wife while she was studying in the United States of America and followed her back to Aotearoa New Zealand to raise a family. The Vogels have settled in Maraetai, and value being part of the community and have a love of all things outdoors. Recently, Mr Vogel’s mother immigrated from America to join them.

Mr Vogel joined Saint Kentigern College last year, primarily as a Christian Education teacher, but also as a teacher of English and the Theory of Knowledge. His varied background and extensive reading make him a source of a wealth of ideas. He is broad-minded and interested in all dimensions of academic pursuit. Students in Mr Vogel’s class enjoy his calm, wise approach as well as his genuine care for their wellbeing.

Outside of teaching and spending time with his family, Mr Vogel dabbles with writing short stories, swimming, and continues to make music with an album being released next month.

They told us to “beat it...” so we did, Cargill style.

House Music saw Cargill bring the heat with bold voices, striking moves, and unbeatable energy. From the first note to the final cheer, our house choir and band showed what happens when passion and teamwork take the lead.

Cargill saw its best performance in recent years with every member giving their all, and it paid off. Our choir managed an impressive fourth place and our band had stolen the spotlight claiming victory for the first time in eleven years.

But beyond the performance, what truly stood out was the unity. Students from all year levels came together, rehearsing, encouraging, and pushing each other to be better. It wasn’t just about winning; it was about lifting each other up and creating something unforgettable. That’s the Cargill way: loud, proud, and in harmony!

Mr Bekesi spoke to Year 10, 11, and 13 in Digital Technology and Computer Science classes, and delivered a special lunchtime talk for the FutureTech Club. Held in JP11 computer lab, his sessions drew from experience at Google Labs in Switzerland, offering insight into the rapid evolution of AI. A standout moment was his live demonstration of a generative AI model creating a functional platformer game within minutes—highlighting both the power and advancement of emerging programming tools.

Guest Speaker - Digital Technology & Computer Science

Industry Insight: Ex-Google Tech Leader Inspires Future Digital Innovators at Saint Kentigern College

College students recently welcomed Mr Kalman Bekesi, a globally respected software engineer and technology leadership expert. With a distinguished career at companies such as Google, Movio, and ASB Bank, as a Chief Software Engineer, Mr Bekesi has led large-scale engineering teams and founded several technology ventures.

Mr Bekesi spoke to Year 10, 11, and 13 in Digital Technology and Computer Science classes, and delivered a special lunchtime talk for the FutureTech Club. Held in JP11 computer lab, his sessions drew from experience at Google Labs in Switzerland, offering insight into the rapid evolution of AI. A standout moment was his live demonstration of a generative AI model creating a functional platformer game within minutes—highlighting both the power and advancement of emerging programming tools.

Mr Kalman Bekesi speaks to Year 10 Digital Technology students about his experience at Google, the future of work, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence.

Discover the Future of Technology with the FutureTech Computer Club!

French Debate Competition 
– les Joutes Oratoires

On Tuesday evening, Students of French competed in Alliance Francaise Auckland’s inaugural French debate competition or Joutes Oratoires. 10 schools from around Auckland battled for and against the motions: Il est trop tard de sauver la planète (it is too late to save the planet) and L’Intelligence Artificielle est un danger pour l’humanité (Artificial intelligence is a danger for humanity).

The heart of the debate was the strife, lutte acharnée, where students dissected and scrutinised the arguments of the opposition.

“The opportunity to participate in a French debate was an excellent way to develop my practical speaking and listening skills in an exciting environment’ - Chris Revell-Devlin.

The preparation, courage, and composure required for such an event cannot be underestimated. It was inspiring to see students push themselves out of their comfort zone, presenting and arguing in sophisticated French.

This week our chess teams participated in the NZCF East Auckland Regional Interschools chess championship. As there were 22 teams from around a dozen schools present, teams had to come first or second place to earn an invitation to Nationals.

Players played in teams of 4, where the win/loss record for all 4 boards determines the overall winning team each round with individual games used as tie breakers. Competition was very high, and the students played at a high level throughout the day.

Highlights of the day included Anderson Chen winning first equal for the best score on board 2, and Annie Yue beating the top player of the Macleans A team.

Overall, the Premier team won Silver for the tournament, earning an invitation to Nationals in Christchurch. Well done, team!

Running Club is open to all Year 8–13 students, with up to 30 members meeting every Wednesday in Room 16 at 3:40pm—rain or shine! Led by teacher Charlotte Pienaar, it’s a fun, relaxed environment where everyone is encouraged to enjoy the benefits of running.

The group run a scenic 5km along the Rotary Walkway and while it is not competitive, students are encouraged to do their best each week. The club is open to all abilities: from students chasing a sub-5-minute kilometre to those jogging for fitness, or those who simply want to unwind after school.

Whether students are training for a personal best or just want to feel good, there's a place for everyone. The club also counts towards Duke of Edinburgh or IB CAS activity requirements.

New members are always welcome to join in any term.

Auckland Duathlon Results held at Pukekohe on Thursday 29 May 2025.

Senior Boys – Alex Bishop 2nd place

Senior Girls – Neve McKenzie 1st place

Intermediate Girls – Ava van Rij 3rd place

Senior Girls Team – Holly Bishop & Morgan Day 1st place

Intermediate Mixed Team – Madeliene du Toit & Angus Dickinson 1st place

Auckland Cross Country held at Barry Curtis Park in very wet and windy conditions.

Intermediate Girls

3-Person Team 3rd
Madeleine Du Toit, Morgan Day, & Ava van Rij

6-Person Team 3rd
Madeleine Du Toit, Morgan Day, Ava van Rij, Olivia Tan, Eden Moyle, & Mischa McLister

Junior Boys

6-Person Team – 3rd
Ben Lee, Benjamin Brebner, Jed Whittle, Luke Staples, Finn Staples, & Archie Cooper

Talofa lava,

Last week Saint Kentigern College celebrated, with much pride, the language and culture of our Samoan aiga for the 2025 Samoan Language Week.

During the week, we saw the Samoan flag flying on the flagpole outside the Gym and there was also an informative Power Point showing continuously in the Good Fellow Centre.

On Monday, in Staff Meeting, Leofe Usufono spoke to the staff on his life experiences as a young Samoan man. Later on Monday, in our Senior School Assembly, Year 12 students Eva Kolose and Israel Lemalu promoted our Samoan Language week activities and taught the students some common Samoan phrases. Josiah Paletaoga then finished the assembly with the Lord's Prayer in Samoan. On Tuesday, in Middle School Assembly, Year 10 students Symara Samuel and Jenette Tuumaialu promoted our Samoan Language week activities and taught the students some common Samoan phrases. Year 10 Student Razelang Akuso Slade then finished the assembly with the Lord's Prayer in Samoan. At both assemblies we were also blessed to hear our amazing Premier Choir, Kentoris, performing a traditional Samoan hymn “Musu E”.

On Thursday, our Pasifika boys wore their “Island Formals “then at lunchtime, after Year 13 student Junior Akuso Slade had said our grace, we had a delicious, shared lunch in the Sports Centre lounge. A huge fa’afetai tele lava to all the families who so generously sent along food for this event - it was greatly appreciated! 

‘What was I made for’ by Billie Eilish was a song created for the 2023 Barbie movie that explores the theme of yearning for purpose. When I first listened to the song in the cinemas, this theme heavily resonated with me. I’ve often wondered and still continue to wonder what my own purpose is in life and what I was made for, especially now as I prepare to begin a new chapter in my life in just a few months.

Throughout my life, I’ve always yearned to achieve greater things – to be better, to be the best. And it’s true when they say: ‘You are your own worst critic’, because I set impossibly high standards for myself, believing that my purpose was to be perfect. But as I’ve grown, and I’m sure you’ve heard this over and over again, but perfection is impossible to achieve. What I’ve learned is that you shouldn’t have to be exceptional to be worthwhile. Your value does not depend on how many awards you’ve won or all the achievements you’ve earned.

When I was little, my dream was to become a ballerina. I never won first place in competitions, but that never took away my love for dancing. My purpose in ballet came from my heart rather than the medals or certificates. It was my passion, not my perfection, that mattered.

So, while I may not yet know what exactly I was made for, I know to trust in my heart to lead me in the right direction. And, while there is so much uncertainty in my life right now and about what’s happening in the future, I know that there will always be things you can go back to – things that don’t require perfection but can still give you a sense of purpose. For me, I know that I will always strive to be a good daughter, a good sister and a good friend. These roles aren’t dependent on achievement – they are constants that define who I am. I know that I will always be a daughter to my parents. I love you mum and dad. I can only wish to be half the parents you are to me. I will always by a sister to my two brothers who always inspires me to be the best person of myself. And I will always be a friend to those who have shown me love and kindness every step of the way.

So, your purpose isn’t always something you chase, it can be something you live out in everyday moments, through the love you give and the relationships you cherish. You shouldn’t have to be exceptional to be worthwhile, you, as yourself is enough. 

On Wednesday evening this week a group of Year 8 girls and parents gathered to prepare meals for our Food from the Heart (FFTH) program. It was great to see the enthusiasm and involvement of these students as they prepared and cooked the meals.

This activity is coordinated by Parents and Friends, under the guidance of the FFTH Convenor Rachel Pulman and is organized and supervised by our great team of Food Technology staff. Over 80 meals were prepared and will be distributed to families in times of need in the coming months. Thank you to all those involved in this act of service to others in our community.