Kia ora te whanau o te kotuku

At Rutherford, you know that we say please, thank you excuse me, and sorry. A big thank you to those who performed or helped in any way with our 60th Jubilee Celebration. It was a great event and all of those who did something for this contributed to all the little steps in the right direction.

We had over 500 registered alma mater, past students and friends of the school attend the mix and mingle and in excess of 1500 who visited us on the Saturday. One of my personal highlights was the performance of the tuakana and teina within the kahui ako combined kapa haka performances at the powhiri on Friday evening. Tumeke whanau o te kura o te kotuku.

That wasn’t just Rutherford College flying in the ‘V’ formation but the wider Te Atatu whanau learning and understanding that great things are achieved when we work together.

Throughout the weekend I saw our groups striving for personal excellence in their performances. I saw many of our students and staff stepping up and taking responsibility by displaying manaakitanga to our guests, nearly all who will have walked the same whenua that we do currently.

Many of us got an increased sense of responsibility that we are the current kaitiaki, or guardians of the Kotuku.   I saw so many of our people enhancing the mana of the Kotuku and Rutherford with their words deeds and actions.

To all of you nga mihi nui for your contribution. It didn’t go unnoticed and it was greatly appreciated.

What’s Important Now?
This week I have strongly encouraged our students to meet their must-do expected deadlines before the holiday break. Find a way to get it done and head to the holidays feeling good that what you needed to complete is completed. I know I will ask that you always strive for personal excellence but if you have multiple priorities then sometimes you may have to accept that with one or two, good is good enough. It’s the best you can do, in the here and now, and that in itself is striving for personal excellence. Putting it off will only put more pressure on later and there is no later.

As the greatest Jedi once said, “Do or do not, there is no try”, get it done and get it done on time.

Student Services Centre
We are moving forward in the process of building a student services or wellbeing centre to bring together the deans, attendance, the health centre, the physio, and guidance and unite them under one roof. It is now at the architect’s revised planning stage, with the expected date of ‘spades in the ground’ at the start of September. All going well we will be operational at the start of Term 1, 2022.

Who’s packing Your Parachute?
During the Second World War, Group Captain Giles Gantry took part in more than fifty missions over enemy territory in his Lancaster Bomber.  One night in 1944, when his plane was critically damaged by the German guns, he and his navigator were forced to bail out.  Gantry parachuted straight into enemy hands, and spent a year in a prisoner of war camp, before escaping and returning to Britain.

Twenty years later, back in civilian life, Gantry and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, when a man approached their table.

“Excuse me for interrupting you.  Are you by any chance Group Captain Gantry of Bomber Command?”

“I am indeed,” responded the pilot.  “Have we met?”

“We have but you probably don’t remember me.  I was Airman Arthur Chambers.  I packed your parachute the night you got shot down – I assume it worked, Sir”

Gantry shook Chambers warmly by the hand.  “It did indeed; otherwise I wouldn’t be here now!”

Gantry was bothered all night, thinking about that man he had met that day.  Wondering just how many times he might have seen him and not even said, “Hello, how are you today?” because he was a pilot and a Captain, and Chambers was just an ordinary airman.

Gantry thought of the many hours this airman had spent at a table carefully folding the silk of each parachute, holding in his hands each time, the life of someone he didn’t even know.

Who’s packing your parachute?
Each of us has someone, often many people who provide what we need to make it through the day.  In the rush of each day, we can easily miss what is really important.  Say thank you to your parents and family, teachers and support staff, bus drivers, and shop assistants. I invite you to make an effort to recognise all the people who pack your parachute. We are all dependent on others in many different ways. Words and actions that display thanks go a long way. Acknowledgment:  Who’s packing your parachute? by Stuart Kerner, Readings for Assembly, UK

Have a safe and enjoyable break.

Nga mihi nui
Gary Moore

Assessment Calendar – Term 2, Week 1
due Monday, 3 May
13 Travel AS18211

due Tuesday, 4 May
10 English AS90852
12 Photography AS91312
12 Chemistry AS91910

due Thursday, 6 May
13 Chemistry AS91388
13 Science AS91412

due Friday 7 May
11 Drama AS90999
12 Art AS91311
12 Biology AS91153
12 Mathematics Internal AS91256
12 Mathematics AS91257
12 Music AS91278
12 Engineering US21910
13 Art AS91446