Principal: Murray Saunders srm@pukekohehigh.school.nz
Deputy Principal: Suzanne Powar spowar@pukekohehigh.school.nz
Deputy Principal: Hester Myburgh hmyburgh@pukekohehigh.school.nz
Deputy Principal: Siosiua Pole spole@pukekohehigh.school.nz
Deputy Principal: Martin Bennett mbennett@pukekohehigh.school.nz
Deputy Principal: Sofia Kaur skaur@pukekohehigh.school.nz (Starting 26 August 2024)
Deputy Principal: Kirsty Couper kcouper@pukekohehigh.school.nz (Starting 26 August 2024)
Business Manager: Denis Murphy dmurphy@pukekohehigh.school.nz

Murray Saunders

I joined Pukekohe High School in July 2023 having recently moved with my family into the Franklin area.  Prior to this I was a Deputy Principal at Onehunga High School and a Whānau House leader and teacher of Social Sciences and Te Reo Māori at Macleans College in East Auckland.  Throughout my teaching career I have been a firm believer in the power of secondary schools in Aotearoa to cater for, and unleash the potential, of all rangatahi both inside and outside of the classroom.  I have been heavily involved in the coaching of sport – football and cricket – and supporting kapa haka.  

Pukekohe High School truly is a school of the community.  I hope to contribute positively to the experience of our students here and work towards enabling rangatahi to realise their potential as members of the school and wider community.

Siosiua Pole

Suzanne Powar

I began my teaching career in 2005 at Pukekohe High School as a teacher of health, physical education and social science, having also taught overseas in the UK and in South Korea.  I have held a variety of leadership positions with the health and physical education faculty and recently as the Specialist Classroom Teacher to support new and experienced teachers to develop their classroom practise. Outside of the classroom I have been involved in coaching and managing girls cricket and football, working with the Community Council in fundraising activities for CanTeen and in leading year 10 camps.

I have a particular interest in leading change related to pedagogy (the ‘how’ we teach) and in student wellbeing. I believe strongly in the potential of all students and view it as our responsibility to the community to support and guide our students  to become confident, connected, lifelong learners who are active participants in their community.

Ko te piko o te maahuri, teeraa te tupu o te raakau

The way the sapling is shaped, determines how the tree grows.

Hester Myburgh

Teena koutou
Ko Drakensberg te maunga
Ko Limpopo te awa
Ko South Africa te ahau
Ko Hester Myburgh toku ingoa

Born and raised in South Africa and a staunch supporter of the Springboks, Pukekohe is where my home is.  It is a privilege to share in the diversity of our town.

I am delighted to be part of an experienced leadership team and work at Pukekohe High School.  It is important to support the growth, learning, and development of our aakonga.  It takes a village to raise a child. Working collaboratively with our community we can raise expectations for our aakonga and develop them as well-rounded, balanced individuals, making a difference wherever they go.

I am a firm believer in teamwork and building relationships. For the moment we journey together for a brighter future.

Denis Murphy

I’ve been on the team at Pukekohe High School for 4 years after holding a similar role at James Cook High School, Manurewa. Prior to that I spent around 30 years in the Disability/Mental Health sector in various accounting and management roles firstly for IDEA Services (Previously NZ Society for the Intellectually Handicapped Inc or IHC as it was known) and then for The Goodwood Park Healthcare Group.

My family and I have lived in the Pukekohe area since 1991 and our children were all educated at Pukekohe High. I coached football at the Pukekohe AFC and was the club’s Treasurer for a while. I am also Chairman of the St Joseph’s Pukekohe Primary School BOT.

It is a real pleasure to be part of the team here at Pukekohe High School. I see my role here as basically a support person for the BOT, Senior Leadership Team and Staff, ensuring that the school’s finances are managed efficiently and that its property resources are in good order and fit for purpose. Pukekohe High School celebrated its centenary in 2021 so it has a long and proud history and I believe the next 100 years are going to be even better.