College Newsletter

College Principal

Mr Damon Emtage

At Saint Kentigern College, we are committed to providing a holistic education that nurtures the mind, body, and spirit of every student. This commitment is grounded in our values and reflected in our drive to continually strengthen the learning experience in and beyond the classroom. 

It is with this in mind that I am pleased to announce the launch of a new senior leadership role at the College: Deputy Principal, Physical and Creative Learning. This position has been created to lead a bold, integrated vision that brings together the areas of Physical Education and Health, Sport, Creative Arts, and Performing Arts under one strategic umbrella. 

These areas represent a vital part of the Saint Kentigern experience. They are where students grow in confidence, find joy, build friendships, express identity, and discover what it means to work hard for something greater than themselves. By drawing these domains into closer alignment, we aim to create stronger connections between what our students learn, how they engage, and who they become. 

This new leadership role is designed to ensure that every opportunity—whether it’s on the stage, on the field, or in the studio—contributes meaningfully to a student’s development. The Deputy Principal will oversee not only the operational delivery of programmes but will also shape a long-term strategic vision that promotes excellence, inclusion, and innovation. 

A key focus will be on integrating learning across traditional boundaries. This includes encouraging interdisciplinary projects, fostering student leadership pathways, and ensuring that co-curricular activities are intentionally connected to our educational aims. Importantly, this model also recognises the deep importance of student identity and belonging. Whether through House Music, premier sports, ensemble performances, or junior PE classes, we want all students to feel seen, supported, and extended. 

However, the impact of this new role will go beyond what happens during the school day. We believe that a connected school community is a thriving one. As part of their portfolio, the Deputy Principal, Physical and Creative Learning will also work to strengthen our partnerships with parents, caregivers, and alumni.  

We recognise the invaluable support families provide in sustaining our vibrant co-curricular life—coaching, transporting, cheering from the sidelines, attending concerts, and helping behind the scenes. This new role will seek to harness that support more intentionally, creating clearer channels for parent involvement and celebrating the shared investment we all make in our young people’s development. 

Equally, our alumni community offers a powerful network of mentors, role models, and champions of the Saint Kentigern spirit. Many of our Old Collegians have gone on to pursue careers in sport, the arts, and health, and we see enormous potential in deepening their engagement with current students through mentoring, masterclasses, and storytelling. The Deputy Principal will have a remit to explore new and meaningful ways of bringing alumni closer to the life of the College in ways that inspire and enrich the next generation. 

This is a future-focused role. It recognises that education is evolving, and that young people today benefit most from environments where their passions are valued, their talents are cultivated, and their contributions matter. By embedding leadership that spans physical and creative learning, we are aligning the College with the needs of our community and reaffirming our commitment to developing well-rounded, character-rich graduates. 

Recruitment for this new role is now underway, and we are excited by the calibre of interest we have already received. We look forward to updating our community as this appointment progresses and sharing how this new leadership structure will help shape the next chapter of Saint Kentigern College. 

Thank you, as always, for your support and trust. It is through our shared commitment that our students flourish—on the stage, on the field, and in every aspect of life. 

Newsletter Update 

We are pleased to launch a new, user-friendly platform for reading the College newsletter. Now embedded directly into our website, the newsletter auto-adjusts to any device, offering an accessible, easy-to-read experience—no more zooming or magnifying text and comes with vertical scrolling. With a sharp, progressive presentation and streamlined navigation, it reflects our commitment to clear and engaging communication. This improved format was developed in response to parental feedback, ensuring the reading experience is convenient and enjoyable for all users. Whether you're catching up on student achievements or key updates, we hope this platform makes staying connected with the life of the College easier than ever. 

Upcoming Events

Deputy Principal, Academic Operations

Mrs Natalie Burridge

This term, we were delighted to see so many students take an active role in their learning by attending the recent Subject Learning Conferences with their parents. Their participation demonstrated a strong commitment to learner agency, with students encouraged to contribute to discussions around their progress, goal setting, and identifying strategies for improvement with their teachers. These conferences provided an important opportunity for students to reflect on their achievements and areas for growth, reinforcing a culture of accountability, partnership, and continuous learning.

Further supporting the development of learner agency, this week students also completed their self-assessment of the Engagement Indicators, encouraging them to reflect on their learning dispositions and personal approach to learning. This reflective process complements the conferences by deepening students’ awareness of their own learning behaviours and fostering greater ownership of their educational journey.

The responsiveness we witnessed across both the conferences and self-assessments highlights the maturity and motivation of many of our students, and the strength of collaboration between home and school. We thank families and staff for supporting these important aspects of the learning process, which continue to build strong foundations for successful learning outcomes across the College.

Service Coordinator

Mr Mark Robinson

Foodbank Update – Supporting Our Community

This week, members of our Student Service Council gathered at The Shed during ETT to pack non-perishable food items into food boxes. By the end of Term 2, we will have delivered 610 food boxes to families in need!

We are grateful to the parent volunteers who join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays to pack the fresh food items – including frozen mince, onions, carrots, milk, margarine, and bread. On Wednesdays, different tutor groups take turns packing non-perishable items during their ETT. Students from Bruce House and the Duke of Edinburgh programme also contribute by helping assemble and pack boxes one evening each week.

Deliveries are made each Tuesday to Presbyterian Support Northern at Mahia Road, Manurewa, and each Thursday to Glen Innes Primary School. From there, social workers distribute the boxes to families in need.

A heartfelt thank you to all Saint Kentigern families for your ongoing support and generous food donations. Your contributions are making a real difference in the lives of others.

Student Futures

Mrs Joanna Holmes

The New Zealand Police is more than just a uniform, it’s about helping people, keeping communities safe, and being someone others can rely on. If you care about making a difference, love working with people, and want every day to bring something new, this could be the path for you.

• Do you want to make a difference in our community?
• Is having a satisfying career important to you?
• Do you want a different challenge every day?

These were some of the questions presented to interested students during a lunchtime visit last week. We were fortunate to host Community Constables Green and Orpet who spoke to 12 senior students about what a career in the Police Force can look like. They explained the fitness, psychometric entrance test requirements and the 20-week training programme. After the presentation we all attempted the strength test with the dynamometer, some more successfully than others!

Joining the Police is certainly a career that’s exciting, meaningful, and makes a real impact. There are plenty of opportunities to grow, learn and lead within the Police Force. It could also be an option for your future, after you’ve studied or worked.

To find out more and look at the presentation you’ll find it here on the OLE: OLE - Saint Kentigern's Learning Management System - Police

Creative Arts Faculty

Mr Rodney Stratton, HOF

Creative Arts have had a great term so far and some major events to finish the term. We encourage all of our community to support the Year 13 Play Series in Week 8 that is spread across four nights with two performances from each of our Year 13 classes. The shows begin at 7pm, in Dance 1 and it is a free entry non-ticketed event. This will be followed by the Year 11 performances in Week 9. 

In Dance we are preparing for our 2025 showcase that includes both curricular and co-curricular groups. Mrs Tipa and Mr Harada are working tirelessly on bringing this all together. Don’t forget to get your tickets for this one for either Wednesday 25 or Thursday 26 June. 

Music have had an abundance of co-curricular groups perform including the chamber groups, rockquest bands and our choirs. They also have upcoming events including a rock showcase on Wednesday 18 and a Jazz Club evening on Tuesday 24. Many of our music students balance being in a number of these groups with their work for Music class as well. 

In Art our Senior students are kicking off their folios and our Year 11s have finalised some stunning prints they developed with our visiting artist Michel Tuffery. We have also installed 30 of the best Animal and Human hybrid portraits from our Semester 1 Year 9 classes in the library. 

Fencing Club

Mr Jeremy Sievers, Teacher in Charge

More pleasing results from the world of Fencing. 

In yesterday's Auckland Secondary Schools Sabre Teams Competition, SKC entered three teams - one into each of the three divisions.

Team 'C' won the Division C competition. (Ben Berrington, Oscar Maclaren, Kevin Yang.

Team 'B' was placed 4th in the B competition (Ryan Wang, Terry Fan, Jayden Bai, Wesley Zhang)

Team 'A' won the Auckland Division A title, and in doing so gained selection to the NZ SS Championships in August. The team was: Dean Yu, Isaac Lau, Emmanuel Zhang, Mihir Samant. 

House Music

Mr Duncan McQueen - Director of Special Character

On Wednesday 28 May, we celebrated our annual student lead House Music competition.  Once again it was a fantastic evening with over 2500 people attending at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau.  House Music has been celebrated for over 25 years now, showcasing our talented musicians and passionate House choirs.

This year was no exception, and the three judges struggled to determine the winners.  Well done to all students who participated and in particular to the leaders of the House Choirs and all members who performed in their House Bands.

A full recording of the event can be viewed free of charge here.

Our thanks to Mr Steve Broun for his organisation of this major House Event.

Drama

Mr Dave Sheehan, HOD

The 2025 Drama Department Play Series kicked off on Monday and Tuesday evening in the Dance Studios this week with two stunning and very different productions. Our IB Theatre Arts students presented a powerful and dramatic portrayal of Federico García Lorca’s Blood Wedding. These Year 12 actors showed emotional commitment and outstanding use of voice, movement and stillness to create a profoundly impactful performance that brought this iconic Spanish Drama to life. The NCEA students then followed with Revenge of the Amazons, an iconic New Zealand comedy that uses the story and text of Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream to challenge gender stereotypes. With many young men boldly costumed in tutus and frocks, this production was often hilarious, as actors engaged with the audience and created some outstanding moments of physical comedy. This was balanced with the superb delivery of Shakespeare’s classic text by the lovers and fairies. Next week, from Monday to Thursday, our Year 13 Drama students will present one of Australia’s most successful stage comedies, Cosi; where a recent university graduate is contracted to direct a production in a mental asylum – with the patients playing the characters - in Mozart’s opera Cosi Fan Tutti.

In other Drama news:

Saint Kentigern College has established itself as a leader in drama education, offering a robust extracurricular programme focused on drama, speech, communication skills and musical theatre. What began as a modest drama programme with one part-time peripatetic teacher has flourished into a comprehensive offer supported by a dedicated team of drama educators.

Our tutors Ashton Brown, Lana MacFarlane and Ben Egan now run one of the biggest and most successful Trinity College Programmes in the Country. With the focus on empowering students of all levels and areas of interest, the programme has gone from strength to strength.

Old Collegian Ashton Brown who has been running the programme since 2016, had an interview with a Trinity College representative to discuss the success of the Colleges programme and why the Trinity Curriculum is so beneficial for students. 

To view the full interview please click here

College Sport

SEZ Badminton Competition

Mr Gareth Pearson, TIC

The SEZ Badminton tournament took place on Tuesday, 3rd June at the Pakuranga Badminton Club. It was a busy day with over ten intermediate teams from our zone competing and more than 143 matches played throughout the day.

Saint Kentigern College had a great time, and our students’ dedication and practice really showed in their results:

• Amy Zhan & Amber Li: 1st place (girls' doubles)
• Jayden Hua & Carson Huang: 1st place (boys' doubles)
• Ethan Yu: 2nd place (boys' singles)
• Elliot Leung: 3rd place (boys' singles)

Well done to everyone involved.

Snowboarding

Carla Wong Year 10 participated in the Auckland College Sports - Snowsports Snowboard Championships recently.

Carla's results were:

• RACE: (1st photo) 1st
• RACE DUAL: (2nd photo) 3rd
• SLOPESTYLE: (3rd photo) 3rd

Auckland Cycling

Auckland Cycling Points Race was held at Pukekohe Race Course on Sunday morning. Racing conditions were near perfect with cold but sunny weather.

Congratulations to all cyclists who completed the races and to the medallists

Girls U19

• 1st Neve McKenzie, 
• 2nd Holly Bishop 

Boys U19

• 1st Hunter Dalton 

Girls U17

• 1st Ava Van Rij 

Boys U17

• 1st Jack Allan, 
• 3rd Remi Dalton 

Girls U16 

• 1st Sophie Archer 

Boys U16

• 3rd Angus Dickinson 

Boys U15

• 3rd Tom Underdown 

Boys U13 

• 1st Heston Lubeck, 
• 2nd Zimmer Lei, 
• 3rd Dylan Dalton

Orienteering

This term has seen our students enter in three Auckland events for Orienteering the Relay Champs at Riverhead Forest, the Individual Champs at Waiuku Forest and the Rogaine Champs a Muriwai, Woodhill Forest. 

The Relay event was held on the 6 May and our Senior Boys team of Tim Bacchus, Ben Thorburn and Blake McKinnon fought hard in a competitive grade to take second place. The Individual Champs on the 22 May was a particular tough course that saw many students over expected times and some very challenging placement of controls leaving little room for error. 

Blake McKinnon took 1st place in the Senior Boys event by 2 minutes over his competitors. The final event was the Rogaine held on Sunday 8 June this was a combined Schools and Club event which saw over 700 competitors. Once again, the Senior Boys held strong with Blake taking first place with maximum points and 8 minutes to spare, Tim coming in second and Ben narrowly missing the podium in fourth. We also had many of our students in both the Individual and Rogaine events making top 10 places. 

Final events are the NZ Champs in the July Holidays.

Auckland Individual Swimming Championships 

The Auckland Individual Swimming Championships were held at Westwave Pool over the weekend with the following medallist:

The Junior Boys relay team placed 2nd in the U15 200m Medley relay and 3rd in the u15 200m Freestyle relay.

Michael Chen:

1st Boys 14-15 100m butterfly and 2nd Boys 14-15 200m butterfly. 

Yifan Zhang: 

2nd Boys 14-15 50m backstroke and 3rd Boys 14-15 50m freestyle.

Leo Liu: 

3rd Boys u13 200m breaststroke.

Staff Member of the Week

Integral to the success of our Science Faculty is Laboratory Manager Stacey Lim, an exceptional science technician whose expertise and dedication significantly enhance our students' learning journey. Stacey's diverse professional background includes roles in food testing laboratories in Melbourne and pesticide analysis in Wellington, where she developed a comprehensive understanding of analytical and applied chemistry. This real-world experience forms a rich foundation from which she supports our students. Stacey's commitment to student development is evident in her unwavering willingness to help extend every student's knowledge of science and chemistry through experimentation. She consistently goes above and beyond, ​assisting students outside of term time with their practical work—a dedication that has proven invaluable for those preparing for international competitions and for science fairs. 

As our Laboratory Manager, Stacey proactively cultivates high safety standards, championing best practices and upskilling both staff and students to ensure a consistent and informed approach to laboratory safety. Her organised and proactive approach has significantly progressed our operational efficiency and safety standards, ensuring a functional and safe environment where student learning thrives. Her extensive contributions, alongside her friendly and humorous nature, make her an invaluable member of the College's scientific support team.

Deputy Principal, Pastoral Care, Senior School

Mr Eric Wall

Laying Claim to Our Heritage

The College held its inaugural Heritage Assembly on 29 May, marking what we hope will become an annual tradition and celebration of the College’s unique roots, history, and continued success. This event was initiated by the House Leaders and Head Prefects as part of a Make a Difference legacy project, designed to establish a lasting tradition honouring the school’s Scottish and Presbyterian foundations.

The assembly began with the skirl of bagpipes as the Pipes and Drums welcomed the College from the bridge above Gym 1. Wearing his own McQueen family tartan, Associate Principal Duncan McQueen invited students to reflect on the significance of tartans at Saint Kentigern — from the formal dress tartan of the Prefects, to the MacFarlan hunting tartan of the Pipe Band, and the College’s own blue-and-white sett officially registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans in 2009. He described tartan not simply as a pattern, but as a representation of identity — a symbol of unity and belonging, deeply tied to clan tradition and heritage.

Our Scottish roots were further honoured with a theatrical and well-received performance of Ode to the Haggis by Year 13 student Luka Manley. He was flanked by Ari Taylor and Ryan Jiao bearing traditional Scottish basket-hilt swords, while Luka Evans carried the Haggis and Shu Kay Wong bore a ceremonial dram of Scotch whisky, completing this time-honoured ritual. The performance was followed by a Highland Sword Dance delivered with grace and precision by Year 8 student Sienna Lee.

These rich cultural moments, framed within a broader reflection on heritage and progress, gave students a tangible connection to the past and a clearer vision of the future. This student-led assembly now stands as a formal marker in the College calendar — a meaningful occasion to pause, acknowledge our shared legacy, and celebrate another chapter in the life of Saint Kentigern.

Saint Kentigern, better known as Mungo.

To view our Heritage assembly, please click on SK College Heritage Assembly

Last Word

Ari Taylor

Use your gifts. 

When I turned 16, my Mum wrote me a birthday card. In it she encouraged me to use whatever gifts and abilities I have to help others.

The first line read “Ari, you’ve been given a voice, and this is a gift. Use your voice and speak up for people who cannot speak up for themselves. Don’t remain silent in the face of injustice” 

It’s a bit like 18th century politician and philosopher Edmund Burke who said

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing”

At the time, I didn’t realise that I would need to do this so soon and in such a significant way.

The next year when I was in year 12 something happened to me that should never happen to anyone. It was wrong, but I didn’t say anything about it. 

I thought it had just happened to me, me alone & therefore was my problem. I didn’t know if people would listen to me, take me seriously, or even believe me. 

But when I heard that this had happened to another student, to a negative effect, these words came back to me. Use your voice to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. 

So, I did. It wasn’t easy but I sat down with the school and explained what had happened to me. And as a result, the situation was resolved, the hardship ended, and the other student was able to experience a normal school life again without the negative consequences of what had happened.

I used my voice to speak up for someone who couldn’t. You see our gifts are not just for ourselves. 

Our gifts are not simply for winning awards, accolades, getting top in class, or achieving for our own sake. They are for sticking up for others, standing up for what is right, and serving others well.

So, my encouragement for each and every one of you here today is 

Know your gifts, own your gifts, and do whatever you can to serve others with those gifts. 

• If you have a voice, speak for those without one. 
• If you are naturally strong, protect those who aren’t.
• If you’re a good athlete, use your skills to teach someone who’s struggling. 
• If you are popular, use your popularity to include those on the outskirts. 
• And if you have courage, speak up for those who are too afraid or overlooked. 

Use your gifts for those who don’t have them, use your abilities to lift others.

So thank you mum for the note and always loving me, sharing in my successes and failures. And to my dad for constantly pushing me even when I push back and supporting my decisions. 

Violet and Elsa, I love you so much, I wouldn’t trade either of you for a brother, violet your insight is always welcome and treasured. Elsa, you have such a kind heart and keen mind and should never be told to not use them. 

Fletcher and Oli my boys, now brothers. It has been such a joy to go through life laughing with you both, I could not have wished for better running mates. 

To my wider family and friends thank you for supporting me and my sometimes-silly endeavours. 

I would also like take the time to thank all my teachers but especially those who have gone the extra mile for me. Dr Rene, Mr Lidstone, Ms Coughlan, Ms Goebel, Mr Sheehan, and Ashton, thank you for going above and beyond for me. 

I’d like to finish with a scripture from Micah Chapter 6 verse 8. 

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly with your God.

So, remember we all have gifts, and we should use these gifts to help others. Especially when we see or experience something which isn’t right.  No matter how hard it might feel. 

Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It means using your gifts and if you, like me, have been given a voice, then choose to speak up anyway. 

God Bless you all

Fides Servanda Est.

Parents & Friends Association

Quiz night tickets go on Sale Monday 16 June, so start getting your teams of 10 together! Prizes for best team outfits and best themed table!

We are bringing back that electronic dance floor too, so get ready to crack out those dance moves!

$600 for a table

Tickets include Welcome drink & Pizza supper

Please note that this is an Adult only event.

P&F Information Evening

College Parents and Friends are inviting you to and Open Forum and Information Evening on Tuesday, 24 June. 

Join us as we share insights from our recent survey, highlight plans for the year ahead, and hear updates from the Trust Board and Principal.

Drinks and nibbles from 6:30pm, with the meeting starting at 7pm in the SKC staffroom.

Whether you are keen to connect or simply curious to learn more, we look forward to seeing you there.

Future Events

OLE Links

A reminder to all families that while our College Newsletter comes out weekly, we often provide additional information and highlights on our College OLE page in the Principal News or Notices