Read the latest news from Rutherford College

Kia ora ē te whanau ō te Kōtuku

Little things done well and done often make the biggest difference to our generous happiness. What little things can we try and control?

I believe you can solve most of the challenges we face each day with exercise, good diet, drinking lots of water and focusing on your breathing.  

We should also be selective about the thoughts we allow ourselves to dwell on. Sometimes we can allow ourselves to get bogged down in ‘stinking thinking’. 

Like escaping into the oblivion of a screen, unhealthy food that gives us a short-term feel good, alcohol, drugs, and feeling like a victim to our circumstances rather than empowered to choose how we think and act. 

The ASICS sports brand is an acronym for the Latin anima sana in corpore sano, meaning a healthy soul in a healthy body. Little steps in the right direction to having a healthy head, heart and soul in a healthy body. It takes time and effort but anything worth having always does. 

Escaping the Crab Pot

People like doing things together instead of alone. Human societies are built on collaboration. Even from a young age, we recognise the need to get help from others. We look for friends and supporters and find ways to co-operate, so we all benefit. We know the best way is to want the best for others and hope they want the best for us.

Lots of animals do the same thing. Dogs have been known to adopt orphaned cats, ducks and even tigers. Dolphins support sick or injured friends, swimming under them for hours at a time and pushing them to the surface so they can breathe.  Chimpanzees will share their food with others in the group.  Vervet monkeys give alarm calls to warn fellow monkeys of the presence of predators, even though in doing so they attract attention to themselves, increasing their chance of being attacked.  

But there is also the crab-pot, the trap where crabs are caught. Sometimes it is quite easy for one enterprising crab to climb out of the trap and escape. But then the rest of the crabs, rather than following and finding freedom, reach up with their claws and pull the escaping crab back into the pot so none of them can get free.

We have our own crabs, people who want to pull down everyone to the same level rather than as geese honking from behind to encourage those in front of them to forge on in the ‘V Formation.’

Sometimes one of the hardest parts of changing your life is firstly escaping the trap other people are trying to keep you in. It is hard to be the first person in your group to start working hard at school, to join a team or club, to smarten up, to give up bad habits. 

What kind of person are you? Do you help and support your friends, praising them for their successes and helping them when they need help? 

We can all have moments when we may allow ourselves to get stuck in the crab pot but there is always a better way. We can choose to escape.

Prefect Appointment 2024

This week saw the announcement of the Prefect Group for 2024. This group was selected from a large number of applicants who are all quality leaders in their own right. 

The applicants went through a voting process with both students and staff, where a group of 24 students was selected to form the Prefect Leadership Group for 2024. 

From that group, 13 students interviewed for the role of Head and Deputy Head Prefects. These interviews highlighted the excellent leadership qualities of all of the students involved. 

It is with great pleasure to announce the 2024 Head Prefects – Lorenzo Pearce and Nina Lyon. 

They will be supported by the Deputy Head Prefects – Troy Kuka, Timon Boyack, Lina Ghaeib Shihab, Vainiaku Tupou and Porschza Townsend. 

The rest of the Prefect team is:

Ben Bentley

Phoebe Chin

Niamh Dines

Donovan Gray

Emmilia Day

Josh Hewson

Elizabeth Sefo

Charlie Isaacs-Adshead

Vito Kacurov

Ioanna Leaana

Geo Lee

Anahita Madon

Timothy Mafi

Shannan Parker

Zoe Ukah

Grace Vicelich

Eleanor Vincent

Prefects are reminded that as a leader, the most important work you do is to be of service to others. On many occasions, you will have the opportunity to serve your school, your teachers, your peers, and visitors to the school. Being a Prefect will be challenging at times and they are further reminded that you will be respected more for what you do than for what you say. In this regard, they should set the highest possible standards as you strive for personal excellence, as an example to all students. This means living the school values through your daily words, deeds and actions.

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 Atatu 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:

23 October – Labour Day – School is closed

24 October – Pasifika Awards Evening 

25 October – Arts/Cultural Awards Evening

26 October – Te Ao Māori Awards Evening 

27 October – Sports Awards Evening

02 November – Senior Prizegiving – School Hall 6pm start time (approximately). Last day for Year 11/12 and 13 students before exams start.

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

Kia Kaha
Gary Moore