Read the latest news from Rutherford College

Kia ora ē te whānau ō Te Kōtuku

Our senior students left this week to start study leave ahead of the commencement of NCEA external exams next week. I want to wish all students well and urge that they remember that they have done too much not to do more, they have come too far not to go even further. 

Study leave is exactly that, time to prepare with the high stakes external assessments as the priority. The holidays start when the final full stop has been placed on the last exam paper for the year. 

This week we had our senior academic prize-giving which was a wonderful evening where we acknowledged our students who had strived for personal excellence in academics. It was a wonderful evening of celebration hard on the heels of the four nights of celebration from the previous week. 

Today we celebrated with our Year 13 students at the leavers lunch to acknowledge their five year journey as part of the Kotuku flock. They have been a great group of young people and I wish them well in their future endeavors. They all received their graduation scroll, a message from me to them about their five year journey, and the final rung to add to their ladder - ‘2023 leaver'. 

The following is a summary of the last two weeks of award ceremonies culminating in the main event, our academic prize giving. 

Pasifika Awards 

Fa’afetai lava to Mr Talamaivao and all the staff who supported the Pasifika Awards on Tuesday night.  

Congratulations to Dostella Amerika on being announced as the top Pasifika Academic Student on the night. In my opinion the best Pasifika awards night we have had. 

To the Arts and Cultural awards 

Thank you to Sandy, Vanita and Debbie from our library for their mahi for the cultural awards. Thanks to Miss Hayes, Miss Ferguson and Miss Yorke, and the hospitality department who took on the massive challenge of catering for over 200. Thank you to the Cultural Committee and all the presenters for their contribution to a great night. 

Junior Performers of the Year 

Male – Max Robb-Markham 

Female – Charlotte Marriot 

Senior Performers of the Year 

Male –  Lachlan McGill 

Female – Georgia Williams 

The top award for the arts is Dux Artium. 

Dux Artium was shared between Lucinda Hill and Tyra Ibbott.  

Te Poho o Hinekahukura Awards 

This name has been adopted for all things within the Te Ao Māori realm of our kura to acknowledge the mahi and the foresight of those that established Te Reo Māori. They were the back-bone of putting Rutherford College at the forefront of history by being one of the first - if not the first - to have a marae on school grounds. There are many people who contributed but I would like to acknowledge Dame (Aunty) June Mariu who did so much. 

To Matua Jeff, Whaea Stacey and to the evenings host Matua Paratene, it was a beautiful night that celebrated our rangatahi and Mana Ōrite ō te Kōtuku. 

Congratulations to Georgia Williams, Trae McGregor, and Reece Wilson Te-Miha for their successes as year 13 students in this space. 

Congratulations to Sione Fihaki and Kisharn Haupapa Dunn for their appointment to the roles of Kaitātaki Tane and Kaitātaki Wahine for 2024.  

Sports Dinner 

Last week finished with the Annual Sports Dinner. Gill and the Sports Committee once again transformed the hall in to a high class venue to celebrate the sporting achievements and successes from across all sporting codes. 

Thank you also to Mr Matai’a for being the silver tongued maestro as the MC for the evening. 

Major Award winners 

Junior sportswoman – Amy Thomson 

Junior Sportsman – Dylan Marais 

Senior Sportsman – Luke Gibson 

Senior Sports woman – Shared between – Jessica Williams and Reece Wilson Te- Miha 

Dux Ludorum – Daniel Lipsham 

Thank you to Isaac Lee Sang, Om Hinge and Nico Curran for all the stage tech work done behind the scenes for all 4 nights. The time you put in throughout this week and throughout the year is exceptional. 

Thank you to kapa haka who welcomed our guest speakers/guests of honour to our kura, and our hall for three of the four awards ceremonies last week. Throughout the year you led from the front and we are so fortunate to have a rōpū who are willing to contribute so much to enhancing the mana of events with your tautoko. Tūmeke! 

The support of the staff throughout the four nights was outstanding and showed how much you care for our students. 

Senior Academic Prizegiving 

Another great night where we could be extremely proud of our students for the mahi tahi they have delivered in 2023. Congratulations to the whānau who must share in the success of your rangatahi.  

My success is not mine alone it is to be shared with the people who provide the environment to foster a desire to learn and encourage a personal best mindset. Thank you also to the staff who then add the third component of that process to nurture our young people to strive for personal excellence. 

Student Scholarship Awards 

On the night amongst many other notable highlights our students collectively received scholarships with a total monetary worth of over $300,000 to support their future pathways.  

For example Emma Chapman, Joel Gibson and Shelby Swan were awarded AUT Find Your Greatness scholarships worth $24,120.00 each. Zac Thomson earned $10,00.00 from Victoria University. Rasin Ibtisam received $15,000.00 from Waikato University. Saleha Khurram and Jess Williams received $15,000.00 scholarship from Otago University. Reece Wilson Te-Miha and Cruz Clarke both received $25000 scholarships from Auckland University. 

RUTHERFORD COLLEGE TOP SCHOLARS 

Our Year 11 top scholar – Natalia Noone-Jones 

1st equal in English 

1st in Geography 

1st in Media studies 

Merit in Year 12 Maths 

Natalia received the Te Atatū Bible Chapel Award of $200.00 for the top Year 11 Student. 

Our Year 12 Top scholar -Nina Lyon  

In 2023 Nina has amassed a total of 172 excellence over the last two years prior to external exams commencing.  

1st equal in Media Studies 

1st in Chemistry 

Merit in Māori  

Merit in Music 

Nina received the Trusts Award of $200.00  

 Year 13 Top Scholars 

Proxime Accesit or Dux Runner Up - Barbora Dostalikova 

2023 has already achieved NCEA Level 3 endorsed. Has a total of 257 Excellence credits: 102 Level 1; 100 at Level 2 and 55 at Level 3.

Barbora also achieved an A grade in an Advanced Mathematics paper at Auckland University 

Barbora was awarded a University of Auckland top Achiever Scholarship worth $25,000.00 

1st in Computer programming 

Merit in Classical studies 

Merit in Physics 

Merit in Statistics 

The Eric Clark Award and $250.00 for Proxime Accesit is Barbora Dostalikova 

Dux Litterarum for 2023 and our top academic student for 2023 is Tinirau Hohepa   

Tinirau has already achieved Level 3 with Excellence. A total of 283 Excellence credits to date in his senior years with this year’s externals to come. 

1st in Biology

1st in Chemistry

Aurelian Cup for 1st in Classical Studies 

1st in Geography 

Merit in Chinese 

Merit in Physics 

The Terry Laver cup for Excellence in Science. 

Tinirau was awarded a University of Auckland Top Achiever Scholarship worth $25,000.00

2023 Eric Clark Award of $500.00 for Dux Litterarum is Tinirau Hohepa. 

Junior Exams 

School for our Junior students continues as normal, and they need to step up the effort in preparation for their upcoming exams. The best advice I can give them is to ask teachers for help, in terms of how to revise and then put in place a study plan so that they are learning how to be better at preparing for and sitting exams. Why not learn from making a proper list of these opportunities to be better, rather than just waiting for NCEA. Make mistakes now and learn from them before future external assessments that will be increasingly high stakes. 

The junior exams will be held Friday 17 November and Monday 20 November 

On these days the school day will be divided into two sessions. 

Session One: 8.50am – 11.10am 

Session Two: 11.50am – 2.10pm 

Students need to be at school in time to attend the first session, which will start at 8.50am and they will be released to go home at 2.10pm after the second session. 

Exam Timetable 

Year 10 

Friday    17/11                   Session One: English*                                    Session Two: Science 

Monday 20/11                  Session One: Social Studies                          Session Two: Mathematics 

*the English exam will be a digital one in preparation for 2024 Level 1 NCEA –  students are being prepared for this by the English teachers 

Year 9 

Friday 17/11                      Session One: Mathematics                           Session Two: Social Studies 

Monday 20/11                  Session One: English                                     Session Two: Science 

Lateness 

Lateness is a significant issue for a high number of students at the moment. Why is being on time important? Punctuality is the habit of doing a task in time. In a much broader sense, it’s a habit of doing things at the right time, on any given day. Being on time plays a vital role in increasing their academic success and developing important habits for life after school. It provides students with stability, security, and self-confidence for their learning, and helps students manage their academic and personal life. 

Given that lateness through the gate in the morning has become increasingly problematic, the school will implement the following procedures for students that are late.

• All students are required to sign in if they arrive after 8.50am
• If a student arrives with a note they will be sent straight to the Attendance office to sign in. If the note provides a justified reason, then the student will be sent directly to class and the reason will be recorded on Kamar.
• Students who are late and do not sign in will be followed up by the Deans.
• If a student does not have a note they will receive a lunchtime detention to be completed that day. Reasons such as traffic, slept in, disorganised or dropping siblings to school will not be acceptable. Discretion will be applied where applicable.
• Students are to complete the detention that day. If they fail to attend the student will receive an after school detention.
• If the student is late more than twice in the week they will receive an after school detention in the following week.
• If lateness continues to be a concern, the school will make contact to arrange a whānau hui.

Bus Timetable changes

As from Monday Nov 13th the 013 service to and from Glendene will change.

The morning run will remain as it is currently.

The afternoon from Rutherford will have two buses.

One will remain 013 the other renamed 014.

The 013 will continue to serve the current routes.

The 014 will use the current route until View Rd and then will divert at View Rd to end at Holy Cross Church.

All these services will run nonstop between Rutherford College and Royal View Rd along Te Atatū Rd.

Term 4 Events Changes in the School Day

Term 4 is a very busy time of the year and the school has a lot of different events occurring in the first few weeks. Some include early finishes and a staff only day 24 November. 

Upcoming Events:

06 November – NCEA Exams commence

04 – 05 December – Wider Living Events for Y9/10 students and School Production

07-08 December – Junior Prizegiving

08 December – last day of the school year

Fill The Blues Bus

The Blues have partnered with the Salvation Army with the aim to provide every child with a gift this Christmas. These gifts will then be distributed to children within the Blues region, from Cape Reinga to the Bombay’s via the Salvation Army. The cost-of-living crisis and economic climate is proving to be difficult for many families in our region, so if you are in a position to help the Blues spread some joy this festive season, Rutherford College will be serving as a drop off point for the community where you can drop off donated gifts (unwrapped). On Friday 1st December Blues players will be splitting off into three buses to collect the donations from our region. You can find more information about how you can help at the Blues website, along with gift ideas and other drop off points in the area: https://www.blues.rugby/fill-the-bus

Kia Kaha
Gary Moore