Kia ora koutou katoa,

I am thrilled to announce that the Board of Newlands College has selected Ms Deb King to be our new Principal.

Ms King will return to us at the beginning of the 2024 school year, succeeding Mr Jones who is concluding 22 years of service to our school, its students, and our community.

Ms King is an accomplished education leader who has spent most of her teaching career at Newlands College. Starting with us in 2000 as an English teacher she quickly became not only an engaging classroom teacher but was also increasingly influential in developing other teachers, helping improve the school's approach to teaching and assessment, co-curricular activities (for example, hockey, and choreographing many Productions) and education generally. In 2014 she was appointed a Deputy Principal. In 2018 she was appointed Acting Principal for two terms while Mr Jones was on sabbatical. She left Newlands College at the end of 2019 to broaden her experience and career.

At the beginning of 2020, Ms King moved to be a Deputy Principal at Wellington Girls College. The Principal there speaks highly of her as a leader and person and the contribution she has made to their school during these years.

Ms King holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (1993), a Diploma in Teaching (1993), and a Bachelor of Education (1994) from the University of Otago. In 2008 she completed a Master of Education at Victoria University of Wellington.

During her previous time at Newlands College, Ms King was instrumental in forming our Vision for Learning, which still sits at the heart of our school's strategy. As a Board, we look forward to working with her to refresh the school's strategy and goals in consultation with our community.

Ms King has a strong record of engaging with students, whānau, and the community generally. She is well connected with local iwi. The Learning Support Centre holds a special place in her heart.

As we embark on this new chapter, we encourage students, parents and caregivers, teachers, and staff to warmly welcome Ms King back to Newlands College.

Ngā mihi nui,

Gavin Knight

Board Chair (Presiding Member)

Newlands College