Dear Parents and Caregivers

The most recent advice we have received from NEMA and the Ministry of Education is to:

• Prepare for road closures in impacted areas
• Prepare for power outages in impacted areas
• Do not wait for an evacuation order to move to safety
• Secure any loose items
• Clear stormwater drains
• Avoid unnecessary travel
• It is hard to determine just how much our community will be impacted by this event and we have consulted locally with other schools to ensure we are responding to this matter in a consistent manner to avoid any confusion.

Rutherford College will be closed MONDAY 13 February all day for students and staff. We have made this decision after considerable thought and primarily to minimise people travelling in potentially unsafe conditions. We have also considered the impact of having people on site during an extreme weather event and feel it is preferable for students and staff to remain home with their families in case of any need for evacuation.

The worst of the weather is expected Monday night. The Senior Leadership team will review the situation tomorrow. If it is safe to return to school on Tuesday we will advise you via email and on the website tomorrow afternoon no later than 2pm.

We will not be offering distance learning at this stage.

Stay safe

Gary Moore