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Kia ora te whanau ō te Kōtuku

FALLING IN LOVE WITH EXAMS (This might well be a bit optimistic but….)

Imagine fireworks going off inside your brain! That’s how you can feel in your exams if you are well prepared. Your brain will be buzzing. You will amaze yourself at how much you know and what you can do with that knowledge.

So, get prepared because you too can learn to love exams.

Here are my suggestions. 

• Make studying your priority. It must come before everything else. That includes your phone and your computer and your friends and even your sports. Study comes first. It is your job right now.
• When you are studying, you must write. Reading isn’t enough. Write down what you are looking at. Cover the page and write down what you remember. Rewrite your notes. Write down the bits you find trickiest. Write! And keep on writing.
• Remember, the more you write the better you will write in exams. And the more you will remember.
• Practice test questions and old exam papers. 
• When you are chatting online or in person with classmates, focus on study. What are they doing? What have they learned? What is working for them? What do they think will come up in the exam? How would they answer it? Where are they getting stuck?

The more you all focus on studying, the better you will all do. You owe this kind of focus to your friends, and you owe it to yourself.

Yes, you must take breaks, get some exercise, drink water, eat properly and get enough sleep. But all of these are important because of your priority – study! You need a healthy mind and body to study well.

This is your life right now. Keep your eye on the prize.

When you first see your exam paper, your brain will spring into gear, read the paper through and then you start writing. You will find all your ideas are connected to other ideas and your words and ideas will lead to more words and ideas, and your hand will be racing to keep up with your brain. 

And you have just fallen in love with exams! 

24 November Junior Exam Timetable

Students will be released for the day at the conclusion of their exams. Remember students can find study tips on the Rutherford College Study Site to help them prepare for the exams.

Please note that the 013 and 014 buses will not be running on the afternoon of the exams or on 10 December after prizegiving.

Junior Prizegiving - Wednesday 10 December- School Hall

We extend an invitation to any parents who would like to attend our end of year prizegiving.

Year 9, 10am
Year 10, 12pm 

This will be the last day for all students.

Enrolments for 2026

If you have a child starting in Year 9 next and you have not yet enrolled, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. To enrol, please complete the online enrolment form and then book an appointment for your interview to finalise the place for 2026. Next Wednesday and Thursday from 2 - 4.20pm bookings are available for the interview if you are quick. Find out more here.

What's coming up?

28 November - Music Extravaganza - School Hall
05 & 08 December - Wider Living Days
10 Dec - Junior Prizegiving and last day of the school year
21 Jan - Second Hand Uniform Sales
22 Jan - School office opens
28 Jan - Course Confirmation and New Staff Induction
29 Jan - Staff Only Day
30 Jan - Year 9 & New to Rutherford Induction
02 Feb - Y9 and Y10 Induction
03 Feb - All Year Levels
06 Feb - Waitangi Day-School Closed

Ngā mihi
Gary Moore