Our school was so privileged that Pio Terei took the time out of his busy schedule to both prepare and then deliver his inspirational address to our community on Rutherford Day.

It was a great honour to hear first-hand some of Pio’s experiences as a Rutherford High School pupil and his life afterward, but most importantly his message about the importance of honouring and treasuring whanau came through loud and clear. I believe the audience got a true understanding of who he is and what he stands for through his humour and honesty. Sharing with us briefly how he appreciated the whanau support during the tragic time when his son passed away was very poignant and everyone present was able to relate to that dark time in one way or another.

The feedback received has been overwhelmingly positive as Pio was able to connect and draw those present into his message. His warmth, humour and humility with which he delivered his message have left a lasting impression. It would be nice to think that our students will remember to stay connected to their school and school mates as they move on in life. I hope they take Pio’s advice and surround themselves with people who lift them up and that most of all, they don’t ignore those who might be trying to pull them down, but raise them up as they go. It would be a better world if we all took that advice.

I hope Pio and our guests enjoyed the experience of joining us on our day of celebrating everything that makes Rutherford College unique. I am especially glad that after 30 years, we now have Pio’s name on our Honours Board where it belongs. I know our guests enjoyed the part Pio played in making it one of the best Rutherford Days ever.

The icing on the cake was the impressive performances from our students who again displayed their expertise in singing, dancing and music. The luncheon provided by our staff and hospitality students went down a treat with our visitors declaring it delicious and plentiful. The work behind the scenes cannot be overlooked as without the combined effort by many we would not have had such a wonderful day. Thank you to everyone who contributed to Rutherford Day 2017.