Kia ora te whanau o te kotuku (Hello Rutherford Community),

The following is a summary of the messages outlined to all year groups on their return to Rutherford for the start of 2022. I think it is important that staff, students and whanau (family) are on the same page when it comes to the must-do expectations to develop a positive culture at Rutherford.

The focus for the start of the year as always is building authentic relationships and the necessary people skills to provide a solid foundation that serves you well both through your time at Rutherford College and in your future.

There are some must-do positive behaviours that we expect that make a difference for all. We hold the line on these.

One of the important foundation stones that must be developed is Tohea, which means to strive for personal excellence. Being the best that you can be. One of the most important things that anyone can develop is a work ethic. Working hard helps build confidence in your ability. The first part of being able to hold to the mantra of working hard and being true to that goal is turning up and this means working toward a 95%+ attendance rate in 2022. Consistency is what is important. Little steps in the right direction daily.

“We are what we repeatedly do; Excellence is not an act but a series of habits”. Hard work beats talent when talent is hardly working.

General Expectations
Strive for personal excellence in the way that you present yourself. Wearing a uniform well says a lot about you and whether you value being part of the Kotuku. I invite you to wear your uniform with pride. We are Rutherford and you are part of the Kotuku. Teachers will ask what’s wrong with your uniform with the expectation that you will fix what you can.

At Rutherford we strive for personal excellence by respecting ourselves, other people, property, and the environment. At Rutherford, we care about the environment and the people within it and we are all united as part of the Kotuku flock to achieve this. “We protect the nest.”

Don’t compare yourself to the best others can be only to the best you can be. Do your bit regardless of what others may choose to do or not to do.

What else do we value at Rutherford?

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

We treat people well. That’s a choice we can make, it is an attitude of mind. At Rutherford, we know this to mean we value little acts of human kindness and care and if we have nothing good to say, including what we post or like online we don’t say anything. We choose to do no harm.

At Rutherford, we understand that words are the foods of chiefs or leaders. People who display whakaute respect, and take manaakitanga personal responsibility choose their words and their actions carefully. This includes that ‘At Rutherford we say please, thank you, excuse me and sorry. Manners cost nothing but add value.

It is important that we all know the rules and cannot offer the excuse of saying I didn’t know. If you don’t know the must-do expectations, yet, please learn them quickly. Often the truth of the not knowing excuse will be I didn’t listen or that’s a rule for everyone else, not me. Nearly all excuses are wasted energy.

Saying I forgot doesn’t really cut it. Forgetfulness is a symptom of not understanding something’s importance. We will remind you when necessary and this may be the solution to selective memory of what is deemed to be important.

We understand that sorry is a verb, a doing word, and requires action, saying sorry in the first instance is only the start, the start of a promise not to repeat the action. Mistakes do occur. I invite you to learn that making the same mistake is a habit to avoid. What sorry really means is I will act and will do better in the future.

Right time, Right Place, Right thing.
Treat people with respect and be tolerant of each other. Think twice before you speak or react or post anything that reflects badly on the school and is an attack on others. What you say in reality says more about you than it does about the other person who the words were fired at.

At Rutherford, as part of our pono integrity value we strive to be honest in our dealings with other people but more importantly honest with ourselves. You want to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and like and respect the reflection you see staring back. Integrity is ‘would I do what I am just about to do if someone I respect was watching me?’ It is knowing and doing the right thing regardless of the audience.

If you strive for personal excellence by working hard and being kind, respecting yourself, others, and the environment, remembering to use your manners, and taking responsibility for your words and actions you will be developing pono integrity. Good things happen from there.

NCEA Results

Level 1
70.6% compared to the national average of 68.3 and decile 5 average of 69.6%. Male 71.5%, Female 69.75%

Literacy 86.2% and Numeracy 83.4%

National average for Literacy 83.4% and Numeracy 82.1%, Decile 5 85.6% for Literacy and 84.3% for Numeracy.

Achieved with Excellence 24% compared to national of 21.1% and decile 5 of 15.4%.

Achieved with merit 31.9% compared to national of 32.2% and decile 5 of 27.9%. A total of 55.9% endorsed compared to national of 53.3% and decile 5 of 43.3%.

All results at Level 1 were above national and decile 5 averages. The standout is our endorsement percentages. A significant number above national and decile averages that achieved level 1 did so at the higher levels of attainment.

Level 2
73.2% compared to national of 77.2% and decile 5 of 79.4% Male 70.4% and Female 75.9%

Achieved with excellence 21.3% compared to national of 17.7% and decile 5 of 12.2%.

Achieved with Merit 32% compared with national of 24.25% and decile 5 of 22.7%. A total of 53.3% endorsed compared to national 41.9% and decile 5 of 44.9%.

Overall pass rates at Level 2 were below national averages but as is the norm at Rutherford our results at the pointy ends are always ahead of the curve with combined merit and excellence results 11.4% above national averages and 8.4% above decile 5.

Level 3
70.7% compared to national of 69.8% and decile 5 of 68%. Male 68.2% and Female 72.8%

Achieved with Excellence 21.5% compared to national of 17.8% and decile 5 of 13.8%. Achieved with Merit 25.2% compared to national of 25.6% and decile 5 of 22.4%. A total of 46.7% endorsed compared to national of 45.4% and decile 5 of 36.2%.

UE 51.8% compared to national of 50.3% and decile 5 of 44.3%. Male 55.7% and Female 48.7%

All results at Level 3 and UE were above National and decile 5 averages. The standout is our endorsement percentages. A significant number above national and decile averages that achieved levels 1, 2, and 3 did so at the higher levels of attainment.

Nga mihi nui

Gary Moore