Kia ora te whanau o te Kotuku

Things I am looking forward to.

ART Auction next Friday 1 July here in our school hall starting at 6pm. There is some quality pieces of work that students have worked hard to create. We would love for the community to get behind our talented students and join us for a glass of wine and a few nibbles while we view good artwork together. If you would like to attend please RSVP to [email protected]  for catering purposes.

The school ball is the last Thursday of term (7 July) at a new venue. We originally planned to hold it at Eden Park, however Eden Park management advised us today they will no longer hold school balls at their venue due to issues experienced recently when another school’s ball caused distress and disruption to neighbours close to the park. Luckily there are a couple of other options we are looking at which will still provide us with an excellent spot for our special occasion. We will be able to confirm the venue on Monday 27 June. It is always a pleasure to see our students dressed up and respecting the privilege and the special occasion that it is. Once gain I look forward to an evening where our students have a great night and enjoy the unique atmosphere that Rutherford School Balls tend to generate.

Literacy/Numeracy Digital Exams

Next week we have the Literacy/Numeracy (external assessments) for our Year 10 students: Numeracy on Monday; Reading on Tuesday and Writing on Thursday. Our Literacy and Numeracy co-ordinators have prepared the students and staff well for our first major digital exam and Kevin Gilmore, our new Student Assessment Manager, did a very good presentation to the Year 10 students in assembly last Friday to prepare them for what the digital exams will look like. Parents please make sure your son or daughter brings their Chromebook/Laptop to school next week and that it is fully charged and ready to go for the digital exam. For those students who have indicated they do not have a device, the school will have a small stock of chromebooks available for use.

What needs to improve

There are times where good people/students let themselves down when they disregard the importance of the little things. Being on time all the time, completing work ahead of deadlines for feedback and feed forward advice. Disregard for the expected uniform standards.

Over time your brand image, your mana depends on how you present yourself. There are some who have failed to make deposits into the emotional trust account but keep trying to make withdrawals and are so far in debt they fail to understand how much of an energy vampire those actions have become.

And for those of you who day in day out turn up add your 50%, by respecting, yourself, people, property, the environment and the mana of the kotuku, I understand that sometimes you feel that life is a real challenge, and you look around and make unfair comparisons on yourself compared to others.

Perfect is not always best

An old Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a stick which she carried across her neck when she went to collect water from the river.  One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.  At the end of the long walk from the river to the house, cracked pot arrived only half full.  Every day the woman brought home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.  But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it was supposed to do.

After years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke sadly to the old woman.

“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled and asked, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?  That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.  For years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my house.  Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty in my life.”

Each of us has our own unique flaws.  But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so interesting and rewarding.

Appreciate yourself for the things that make you the beautiful individual you are.  Take each person for what they are and look for the beauty in them.

To all our ‘crackpot’ friends, enjoy every day and remember to smell the flowers, on your side of the path.

Vacancies at Rutherford

Do you have background in the building/engineering field and want a change of pace? Then come join our Technology Department for 10 hours a week to help out in the workshop. School holidays off. Head on over to the Vacancies Page for all the details.

Rutherford News

Keep up to date with all the Rutherford News here.

Best wishes for a lovely long weekend.

Kia Kaha
Gary Moore