Principals Panui

Kia ora te whanau o te Kotuku I will be on sabbatical leave from today March 24th and will return to school in week 9 of term 2. Every 5 years Principals get the opportunity to have a sabbatical. I have spoken about this at all assemblies this week. I did not want any speculation as to the reason for my absence. I will be spending four weeks of this time in the UK where my wife and I will spend time with our two kids who currently work and reside there. Ms Judy Farrar will be Acting Principal in…

Kia ora te whanau o et Kotuku Thank you for the contributions that were made to the relief flood victims’ fundraiser with Wednesday's mufti day. The house points generated from that event were as follows: Tama-Nui te Ra = 697 Tane Mahuta = 534 Rauamoko = 592 Great to see everybody in their house colours for the finals afternoon for Athletics which was held in the afternoon. The house points for athletics were Tama-Nui te Ra = 650 Tāne Mahuta = 801 Rauamoko = 739 The Athletics whanau shield for 2023 was therefore won by Tāne Mahuta The current house points…

Kia ora te whanau o te Kotuku My highlights this week have been watching the dress rehearsal for both our Indian dance and African dance groups prior to heading to Polyfest on Wednesday. Both our Indian and African Dance groups looked ataahua (beautiful) in their costumes yesterday and then performed with pride and distinction on their respective stages. Samoan group is also working hard to get ready for performances. Thank you to the tutors, staff and students who have added to the sights and sounds around the school with their efforts. It's these moments that create lifelong memories. While that…

Kia ora te whanau o Te Kotuku Really pleased to have a full week at school and to witness the collective wairua and engagement that we want to see from staff and students. Thank you for the attitude and engagement that I have seen inside and outside of the classroom from so many. I have seen our people displaying our school values and understanding the importance of living by a shared sense of responsibility to work hard and be kind. This week I have visited approximately 40 classrooms and have seen structures and routines being embedded. It is these structures…

Kia ora te whanau o te Kotuku It was great to be able to see the return of some of special events this year post COVID. This week it included our annual swimming sports where the champions will be celebrated at their respective assemblies next week. The School wide haka practice on Wednesday ahead of the inter-house competition took place and is a great spectacle. On Thursday evening we were able to welcome our new to Rutherford whanau to the school for our annual barbecue, again something that has not been able to occur due to the pandemic. There was…

Kia ora te whanau o te Kotuku It has been a challenging time for many due to the recent weather event. Our thoughts are with those who have been impacted. It was encouraging when we could welcome our students back to Rutherford for the third time this year on Wednesday February 15th. Attendance on that day was at a 4 year high of 90% across the school. Attendance - everyday counts. So the 90%+ needs to become the new normal. Good attendance is a partnership between whanau and school. Make sure you talk to your child about the importance of…

Dear Parents and Caregivers Rutherford College will open tomorrow. The extreme weather continues to cause disruption and devastation across the country and we were saddened to hear that the slips in Muriwai resulted in responders sustaining severe injury and potential loss of life. Many have been impacted with slips, power outages, loss of internet, flooding and road closures. We have not seen events such as these in Auckland on such a large scale before. Our thoughts go out to those who have or are suffering loss to homes and possessions or have been misplaced. Rutherford College has undergone a thorough…

School Closed Tuesday 14 February Dear Parents and Caregivers Auckland Emergency Management has issued a heavy rain and strong wind warning across Auckland from now until Tuesday with the worst of the weather expected later today and overnight. Under the circumstances and with the safety of our staff and students in mind, we have made the decision to remain closed today and tomorrow, Tuesday 14 February. On Tuesday we will review the situation again and keep you all updated on when to expect the school to re-open. You can expect this communication before 3pm, Tuesday 14 Feb. Please keep an…

Dear Parents and Caregivers We hope you and your family are managing to stay safe and dry during this extreme weather. The most recent advice we have received from NEMA and the Ministry of Education is to: Prepare for road closures in impacted areas Prepare for power outages in impacted areas Do not wait for an evacuation order to move to safety Secure any loose items Clear stormwater drains Avoid unnecessary travel It is hard to determine just how much our community will be impacted by this event and we have consulted locally with other schools to ensure we are…

Kia ora te whanau o te Kotuku This week we welcomed back all our students to school. Thankfully, things in Auckland have settled down for most. The powhiri on Tuesday for new students and staff was once again a poignant moment and one that is always uplifting. It was really great to see all the fresh faces of our new students, including a small group of International students. Finally we can celebrate in person and look to the future with a bit more certainty . Getting off to a good start A strong rope starts with just a few small…