Principal's Panui - 16 February 2024
Kia ora e te whanau o te Kotuku
I would like to thank and acknowledge the students and their whanau who have understood that we only get one chance to make a good start to the school year. This is evident in the number of students that are making the effort to be here on time, organized and displaying a positive can-do attitude.
At the end of the third week the time to make a good start may have elapsed, however we must remember that we can only start from where our feet are now. Whether for some next week, week 4 becomes their starting point, or as is the case for the large majority to capitalize on embedding the necessary routines and habits required to strive for personal excellence on a daily basis.
Nobody is born good or great, nobody who conquered the highest of mountains or completed a marathon did so without many determined steps in the right direction. The reality is that we will have to rely on our own self-discipline, and willingness to accept challenges and understand that anything of worth will have to be earned. It’s always nice to receive presents but the greatest gift you can give yourself is the gift of confidence. We can only build that confidence through our own deeds and actions.
It was a pleasure to see so many students and whanau at the new to Rutherford barbeque on Tuesday night. Welcome to all new additions to the Kotuku flock and for those who may have young person number two, three, four etc. attending our school, thank you for also making attending this event important. You may well have been through this before but the message to your youngest is that turning up and supporting them in their journey is important. I trust you all got to meet and talk with many teachers. Just as importantly you made connections with families of students in your young person's classes. Knowing the families of your son or daughter's, friends cannot be overstated, particularly any new ones.
The school year has started. I invite our newbies to learn and all others to remember that, "At Rutherford we are genuine, we have a sense of humour, we enjoy life and some good-natured banter, we are honest, we work hard at what’s important now, and care about others and ourselves. Our people connect their head, heart, and soul with what they must do. That must do, is to invest in our human capital by striving for personal excellence academically and in all aspects of life."
Work hard, be kind, be curious and be relentless in being the best that you can be and good things will happen.
UBER Eats at School - Not Permitted
A number of students have been ordering Uber Eats to be delivered to the school. Please note that this is NOT permitted and any Uber Eats vehicle will not be permitted entry. This rule is in place to ensure no one comes on site and interacts with a student while at school without the knowledge of school staff. This is for their own safety. No student should leave the school grounds to collect Uber Eats during the school day. All entry and exit during the school day must be done according to our policy of signing in and out through the Attendance Office and usually accompanied by a parent. No student should be off site during lunch or interval breaks, including Year 13. The school has a tuckshop on site and students can buy their lunch there.
Reminder - Cellphones and personal devices at school.
As you may be aware there are new regulations coming into force around the use of cellphones. The new regulations mean that mobile phones should not be used during the school day unless the teacher specifically permits the use of phones for learning activities, accessing timetables, health related issues or other school related material. Mobile phones can be used before or after school. Students are encouraged to bring their Chromebook or laptops to school and use of these during the day is permitted.
Students are encouraged to spend their break times eating, socialising, playing sport or games rather than using their devices. Our current policy around cellphones and personal devices already stipulates that phones are not permitted in class. It will be reviewed over the course of this term and any changes necessary should be completed by the beginning of term 2.
Please talk with your son or daughter around the rules for mobile phones at school to ensure they understand that they may be asked to put their phones away even during their breaks. Thank you for supporting this government initiative which the school believes will benefit students' wellbeing in the long term.
Policies and procedures
Rutherford College subscribes to SchoolDocs for all policies and procedures. These are available to staff, students and the local community.
Term 1 Reviews:
The board will be reviewing: Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Board Responsibility, Documentation and Self-Review Policies
The Community can review:
Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Parent Involvement, Communicating with Parents, Community Conduct Expectations, School Planning and Reporting, Reporting to Parents on Student Progress and Achievement
Reviews are open to anyone:
All reviewers
- Visit the website https://rutherfordcollege.schooldocs.co.nz/1893.htm
- Enter the username (rutherfordcollege) and password (kotuku).
- Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
- Read the policy.
- Click the Start your review button at the top right-hand corner of the page.
- Select the reviewer type.
- Enter your name (optional).
- Follow the prompts to show that you've read the topic and enter your feedback if you'd like to comment.
- Agree to the privacy statement and click “Submit review”.
If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.
Upcoming Events:
23 February 2024 - Scholars' Assembly 1pm (Y12-13 students); Progress Report No.1 available Friday afternoon through the Portal.
15 March 2024 - Progress Report No. 2 available
29 March - 2 April - Easter Break
12 April - End of Term
Kia kaha
Gary Moore
