Kia ora te whanau o Te Kotuku

I trust there has been time throughout the July holidays for a break from routine. I look forward to seeing our students back at school on time looking bright and shiny and eager to take the next step on their academic and social development as part of the Kotuku Flock.

Key reminders about expectations as students and whanau prepare for the return to school.

Uniform

It is expected that all students will be in the correct school uniform for the first day of term. If there is any doubt about what this looks like, please refer to the website. In short, if the item cannot be bought at the Uniform Shoppe, then it is not part of our official school uniform.Sweatshirts whether they have the Rutherford Kotuku on them or not, are not school uniform, they are  available for the use of teams and groups who represent the school in co-curricular activities.If there is an issue students need to see their Dean before school. Be there early to get a pass. Please note: there is supply chain issues that have resulted in the Uniform Shoppe not having the Rutherford Jersey. If students genuinely cannot source a jersey, they also need to see their Dean for a uniform pass. The supply issues should be remedied soon.

Attendance and Punctuality

Classes start at 8.50, Monday to Friday, there are no late starts this term or next. There is a warning bell at 8.45am, as part of our schoolwide philosophy that if you are always five minutes early you will never be late. (by 8.45am all students should be onsite and the 8.45 bell is the signal to start moving to period 1). Traffic in Auckland is a challenge, we know that, so it is important to build that knowledge into travel schedules. There are some days when it will be a shambles, but if traffic is a default excuse, it suggests poor planning and organisation.

The consequence is that students who are late are immediately at a disadvantage in terms of understanding what is going on in the class. They will miss the early recap from the day before and the explanation about today’s lesson. Late by five minutes probably costs a minimum of ten minutes. Arriving late means not being organised particularly compared to those who are five minutes early and are prepared. For our students and people in general who are always late there appears to be no directly relatable consequence.

But there is……

Lateness becomes a habit. Excuses for lateness become a habit. Being unaware of what you missed becomes routine. You fall behind 10 minutes a day during first period when attention should be at its peak. But instead, when you arrive in body, your mind is not fully attached to where it needs to be. Energy is used up on explaining why you’re late, instead of the attention going fully on investing in your human capital by being focused on what’s going on in the class you have then. Late twice a week x 10 minutes x 40 weeks of the year = 880 minutes or just over 13 hours. It’s only 13 hours, what difference can 13 hours make? That’s an attitude that little things added together don’t matter. Striving for personal excellence only happens when we build routines, habits and a state of mind where we do the little things well and often and that starts with the right time, in the right place, and doing the right thing.

If any of the above sounds familiar and has been part of how you have operated in the past, then Monday is a new term. You can only start from where your feet are now and look to take one positive step in the right direction. That starts with setting an alarm and then staying true to the promise you made to yourself that I am always on time, in fact I will always be five minutes early and relaxed and prepared for what’s next.

On Monday July 17th, I invite you to be 5 minutes early with your bag having been packed the night before, and with the correct uniform on. That’s the minimum expectation for anyone who is part of the Kotuku Flock.

2023 Class and Team Photos

All parents and caregivers who have ordered a class or team photo this year should have been sent a key code to view and purchase your photos online directly from Photolife studios. Please check your spam or junk folder if you have placed an order as the email may have gone there. Photolife Studios are offering free delivery on all orders if purchased prior to Midnight Sunday 30th July. The school office can help if you are experiencing any issues accessing photographs.