Principal's Panui - 8 March 2024

Kia ora e te whanau o te Kotuku

STEADY AS YOU GO

How would you start a 2000 kilometre walk? Would you plan to cover 20 kilometres every day, rain or shine, hills or plains? Or would you sprint at the start, take a day off to rest, stop on wet days and wait for good weather?

Who do you think will finish the journey first? 

How can you start and finish the academic journey you have started out on this year?

First of all, tell yourself that you can make this a successful year. Because, believe me, if you do all the right things, you will finish well.
The road to your goals will always have obstacles and challenges. Some people give up. But you know that you can find the strength in yourself to overcome obstacles, you know your teachers are here to guide and advise you. You know you are not controlled by things going wrong.

You also know there isn’t a magic solution somewhere. The solution is always in ourselves, our attitudes, our stickability, our own efforts.

If you stick to your road and keep on doing the 20 kilometres every day, you will reach your destination. 

Here’s a story about sticking to what really matters. New star basketball players are keen to show off their skills and shine on the court. But, at one winning team, at the first practice, the coach begins by teaching his eager players how to tie their shoes.  The new players are amazed and start to laugh but then they see that all the senior players are following the coach’s detailed instructions about putting on their socks carefully, smoothing out the wrinkles, lacing up the shoes carefully and tightly. Why? Because a big game can be lost when a player gets a blister, or their shoes come untied. 

The coach knows that taking care of the basics, sticking to a consistent formula and constant practice will help his players win even the most challenging game. 

Acknowledgement: Great by Choice by Jim Collins

Reaching your goals always depends on getting the small things right. A journey of a thousand miles is completed by lots of little steps in the right direction.

At Rutherford we strive for 95%+ attendance and to be always on time.

Our process of running lunchtime detentions for any student late on the same day that the lateness has occurred has resulted in a reduction of just over 100 students turning up late to school.  

100 less students late could in rough terms equate to 20 less at each year level. One less student arriving late in any given first period lesson allows the teaching and learning to not be interrupted and be a ‘thief of other's learning time.’ Just as important for those 100 no longer arriving late, it means that they are not missing out on the important instruction, do now, and learning objective shared at the beginning of the lesson.

Anything that goes well normally has a good foundation and the foundation to any lesson will be the first five or so minutes. At Rutherford we understand that being on time, all the time and attending 95%+ of the all lessons is the foundation for striving for personal excellence.

Fiafia Night - 19 March

I am looking forward to Tuesday March 19th and seeing the six groups who have entered for the Polyfest perform here at the home of the Kotuku. This will be a last dress rehearsal  before taking the opportunity to represent Rutherford College, their whanau and the wider Te Atatu Community at the Polynesian Festival. We are expecting big numbers to attend this evening which starts at 6pm and will finish at approximately 7.30 pm. Parking will be at a premium, so we ask in advance for your patience and to follow the guidance of those who have volunteered to support this event by giving up their time to help with parking and managing the night. The venue for the event will be the Sports Hall. Koha entry. We hope you can come along to witness their hard work and see how they have explored this year's theme for Polyfest "Me anga whakamuri kia koke whakamua" Looking to our past to determine our future.

Polyfest Performances 21 - 23 March

NCEA Evening - Tuesday 26 March 6pm

Parents and Caregivers are warmly invited to the NCEA Information Evening held in the Hall at 6pm on March 26. This event is suitable for families new to the college and/or new to NCEA. There will be a brief overview of NCEA with a focus on Level 1 and the new literacy and numeracy requirements. You will have the opportunity to ask questions. Our Maori and Pasifika team will be there for any whanau with questions about support for Maori and Pasifika learners. Tea and coffee will be served. Please be seated by 6.00 pm.

Year 9 Literacy and Numeracy Classes

In order to assist students prepare for the new Literacy and Numeracy requirements of NCEA, for the first time, Rutherford College is running Year 9 Literacy and Numeracy option classes.

These classes are intended to boost students who find the requirements of these assessments a challenge. Literacy and/or Numeracy classes would take place of one of the options your Year 9 son or daughter chose at enrolment. Apart from Languages, students can study all options in Year 10, even if they haven't done them in Year 9.

If you would be interested having your Y9 son or daughter considered for either of these classes in the second half of the year, or would like further information, please email our Literacy and Numeracy Coordinators:

Literacy:         Saffron Conde     [email protected]                         Numeracy:      Kelleigh Stanton   [email protected]

Academic Goal Setting

In the latter part of this term we are asking all our students to identify their academic goals for 2024. This will be the first part of our achievement tracking programme to ensure that students reach their targets, and fulfil the aspirations that they and their families have for their academic progress in 2024. We will gather this data during tutor time using digital surveys. In the last week of term we will share these goals with caregivers when we send out the second progress report for Term 1.

Setting academic goals is an excellent way to start an ongoing three-way conversation between teachers, students and their families about academic aspirations for 2024.

Upcoming Events:

15 March- Blood Donor Day
19 March - Fiafia Night 6.00pm - Sports Hall
26 March - NCEA Evening - School Hall, Champion of Champion Athletics
28 March - Western Zone Swimming
21-23 March Polyfest
29 March - 2 April Easter Weekend
10-11 April Studio Show
12 April - End of Term 1, Progress Reports

Kia Kaha

Gary Moore