Principal's Panui - 16 May 2025

Kia ora te whanau ō te Kōtuku

Amongst another 200 members of the audience, on Wednesday night I had the pleasure of attending the first night of LUV Music in our School Hall. The quality of performance, the charisma and positive energy on show was an absolute joy to witness. 

The feedback from night two was that it was another special night for our Music Department. Congratulations to all performers and a special thank you to all staff and particularly those in our music faculty for what they have helped our young people to achieve. As a non-musician but someone who loves music, I loved every second of it. I have kept walking into rehearsals to watch and hear more. 

Sometimes Good is Good Enough

I normally try to find ways to motivate our young people to fulfil potential and not settle for less than they are capable of. For some of our young people they need to be reminded that excellence is not an act but a habit and sometimes you need to cut yourself some slack. Excellence as a habit must also include recognizing when you need to take time out to recharge.  Be aware of times when you have become obsessed with outcomes and are losing sight of enjoying the process. Yes, results are important but not at the expense of your health.

For those perfectionists out there, rather than focus on what you haven’t done yet, I invite you to take some time at the end of the day or week to write down what you did achieve. Allow for that positive kick of endorphins where you take a breath and not worry about what is not done but celebrate what is done.

We may aim for the stars but if we don’t quite make it and land on top of a lofty mountain, take that as a job well done.

Rutherford College Study Site.

Over the next few weeks students will be taking part in Literacy/Numeracy Co-Requisite Exams at school. All students should head to the Rutherford College Study Site to get valuable tips and information to prepare for these exams. The Numeracy Common Assessment Activity (CAA ) is a one-off digital exam. Once you have passed this exams, you do not need to do it again. The literacy Common Assessment tasks (CAAs) comprise two assessments, Reading and Writing. You do not need to pass both at the same time. When you have passed one, you do not need to sit it again. Putting some study time in to prepare for these exams is a good idea. The study site has loads of information to help students prepare. The school has homework centres running after school for additional support for any student wanting to extend their knowledge.

School Policies and Procedures

Rutherford uses SchoolDocs for all Policies and Procedures. These policies are designed for all schools across New Zealand and are written to comply with current legislation. They are regularly reviewed by the SchoolDocs staff and legal advisors to ensure they are current and up to date. These policies are how the school operates under any given heading. 

All staff, students and whanau can access the policies. Sign in to SchoolDocs (user name: rutherfordcollege) Password – kotuku). You can also access the policies from the School Website.

At the top you will see a quick links for Staff or Parents which will bring up a list of applicable policies. If you click on that link all the policies relevant to staff and parents will show and you can read, review or download a policy if you need to.

This term we are reviewing the following policies.

Pink Shirt Day

It is heartening to see so many staff and students dress up in pink for Pink Shirt Day today. This is a great initiative for everyone to stand up against bullying and is supported nationwide. All koha received will go to the Mental Health Foundation for them to continue their support for schools and workplaces across New Zealand. 

Rutherford Staff - Pink Shirt Day

What's Coming Up?

19-30 May Literacy/Numeracy Exams
2 June - King's Birthday - School Closed
12 June - Parents Breakfast
16 - 19 June - Cultural Languages Week
20 June - Matariki - School Closed
26 June - School Ball - Early close at 1.30pm and last day of the term
27 June - School Closed

Kia kaha

Gary Moore