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 my absence.

I believe that our school is in good heart and that the student body and staff collectively have a common purpose that centres around working hard and being kind. I recently wrote the following piece as we look to update our prospectus and it does feel like there is shared sense of what is important around here.

Rutherford Tikanga
The focus is to build relationships and connections with our people and our place, to provide a solid foundation that serve you well throughout your journey in life. One of the important foundation stones that needs to be developed is Tohea – to strive for personal excellence. Being the best that you can be. At Rutherford you will learn or have reinforced that “We are what we repeatedly do; Excellence is not an act but a series of habits”. Remember we are all individuals so never compare yourself to the best that others can be only to the best that you can be.

Little things done well and repeated often, Right time, Right Place, Right thing – Focus; connect your head, heart and soul to where your feet are now. Work hard, be kind. Always remember that hard work beats talent when talent is hardly working.
At Rutherford we also strive for personal excellence by respecting ourselves other people, property and the environment.

He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata
Goodwill towards others is a precious treasure

At Rutherford we treat people well, this choice is an attitude of mind. We value little acts of human kindness and care. We choose to do no harm, and understand that if we have nothing truthful, good, or useful to say, say nothing.

At Rutherford as part of our pono or integrity value, we strive to be honest in our dealings with other people but more importantly honest with ourselves. This includes respecting the Tikanga and values of our place. It is about learning to do the right thing regardless of the audience.

I am looking forward to the break but am all equally looking forward to returning to Rutherford refreshed and to continue the privilege of being the Principal at our school. So, for the next 10 school weeks mahi atu, carry on striving for personal excellence in all that you do.

Attendance Matters

As part of an increased focus on the importance of attendance we will be sending our weekly emails to all caregivers summarising the attendance of their child. The purpose of the email is to give you a full understanding of your child’s attendance at Rutherford College. This email will give you information on your child’s attendance for the previous week, 3 weeks and the full year.  If you wish to discuss any of the information shown please contact your child’s tutor teacher in the first instance.

FACE TO FACE COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS FOR THE CHANGES TO PLANNING AND REPORTING

The Ministry of Education are holding face-to-face ākonga, parent, whānau and community workshops, where they will be talking about planning and reporting. The programme, Te Whakangārahu Ngātahi | Planning Together, is focused on preparing for the upcoming changes to planning and reporting legislation and requirements.

They would like to share these preparations with you, to not only ensure you are in the know, but also to gather your feedback on the proposed supports – e.g. the tools, resources and support channels to be developed. They need your voice and help co-creating these supports, to ensure they are fit for purpose and add value where it is needed.

These workshops will be held at the following places from 6 – 8:30pm:

Tuesday 28 March:  Bluelight, Papakura.  159 Dominion Road, Papakura
Wednesday 29 March:  Henderson Intermediate School: 70 Lincoln Road, Henderson
If you’d like to take part in either of these workshops, you can email [email protected] to register your interest.  Food and drink will be provided, and they look forward to seeing you there.

Further information on planning and reporting and the consultation process can be found here: Te Whakangārahu Ngātahi: Planning Together for Ākonga Success – Our School, Our Community – Conversation space (education.govt.nz).

Upcoming Events:
28 March – Sports Exchange at Rutherford College
4-6 April – Performing Arts Showcase
6 April – End of Term 1
24 April – Staff Only Day
26 April – Term 2 begins
2 & 3 May – Cultural Trip for Year 9 students to Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple
4 May – Parent/Student/Teacher Evening 2pm – 8pm. Bookings will open last week of term for parents.
15 – 19 May Year 9 STARS Camp

Read all the latest Rutherford News here.

Kia kaha

Gary Moore