Read the latest news from Rutherford College

Kia ora te whanau ō te Kōtuku

Welcome back and I trust that our students were able to enjoy some rest and recreation during the holiday break.

The Value of Trust

How do we go about building emotional or relational trust accounts through the actions we choose to take and in some cases the actions we choose not to take? There isn’t an overdraft option in one of these accounts. You can’t make a withdrawal until you have built up some funds in an emotional trust account.

Genuine and authentic care for others is the hallmark of people who can be trusted.

We have a choice to make, we can default to low trust and deficit thinking or we see an opportunity for something better. We are genuine in our belief in growth mindsets and that for us as teachers our student knows we are in this for the long haul.  We will not withdraw our care or support when mistakes are made. We provide care and guidance as we aim to see some learning from those mistakes.

Excellence is not an act but a series of habits, kindness, care that is reflected in the hard work we put in on the things that matter most.

We need to steer away from punishment but know that actions will have consequences. There is a difference. The best consequence is often what we do to correct the wrong through our follow-up words, deeds and actions.  This can help build trust so long as the apology is genuine. Over time and the effective teaching of positive behaviours we seek to reward the good and influence the culture of learning we value. It is an ongoing challenge, but we know at our core that each individual positive behavior affirmation creates another snowflake toward the avalanche of the behaviours that support progress and happiness. As always success will depend on the behaviour of the adults and whether they walk the talk and build that avalanche one snowflake at a time. It is simple, we must be deliberately bothered with acts of kindness and care that show we genuinely believe in our students.

Winter sport and attitude to sport generally

The winter code for some teams is already underway. The following are the values we all hold to be important within College Sport competitions. Schools are responsible for providing a safe environment for College Sport matches and events in which all individuals are treated with respect.  

As a student I will: 

• Enjoy playing sport, have fun and partake in healthy competition  
• Respect all officials, teammates, coaches, supporters and opponents
• Play by the rules of my sport at all times
• Wear the appropriate attire for my sport
• Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat
• Represent my school with the utmost pride, dignity, honesty and loyalty

As a coach/manager I will:  

• Enjoy being involved in sport 
• Respect all officials, colleagues, coaches, players, supporters and opponents 
• Place the safety and welfare of my players/athletes before anything else 
• Be a positive role model at all times for my players/athletes  

As a supporter I will:

• Respect all officials, players, coaches, supporters and opponents 
• Not enter the field of play, unless requested to do so by an official 
• Observe all fixtures without questioning the decisions of coaches and officials 
• Take time to thank the coach and all volunteers who are giving others a chance to participate in a positive activity 
• Display a positive attitude at every game and be a role model for others  

The term ahead and events that I am looking forward to;

• Luv Music this week.
• Winter sport, starting this week.
• The House Haka Competition next Friday
• Studio Shows in week 3.
• Our Choir involvement at the Big Sing
• The reopening of the pool, now that the repairs and maintenance are nearing completion for use by outdoor education.
• The completion of and the opening of the Student Services Centre, intended date for this is the second week in June.
• Full school Production – ‘Wednesday’ at the Glen Eden Playhouse
• And then the school ball is in the final week of the term. Remember that you will need 85% attendance to be go.

Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences - 30 April - early close at 1.20pm

We extend a warm Invitation to connect with your child’s teachers

We invite all parents and caregivers to book a time to meet with your child’s subject teachers to check in on their progress this year. These meetings are a great opportunity to work together in supporting your child’s learning journey, ensuring they’re on track and making informed decisions about their future pathways. Your involvement makes a real difference, and we look forward to welcoming you.

To make a booking, please log in to the School Portal and click on T2 PST Conferences. Make a booking with the subject teachers you would like to see. You will receive an email confirmation of your booking.  Please note that bookings commence at 2pm to 8pm and school finishes for all students at 1.20pm that day so teachers can get set up for conferences.

Attendance 

As we begin Term 2 we will continue to focus on attendance as one of our priorities with our students. You will hear us talking about this with you, with our students and it remains a strong subject of conversation in the staff room.   

If a student misses one day of school every two weeks, they miss more than a whole year of school by 16 years of age. As a parent or caregiver, you, alongside our school, play a key role in building strong habits of regular school attendance.

Stepped Attendance Response - STAR

This is the MoE reporting tool for regular attendance. Whānau will be automatically notified at each level of the STAR in the form of an email. If absence continues to rise further contact may be made from a Tutor teacher, Dean or member of SLT including a request to meet in person. Any absence that means a student is away from school is included in this reporting including medical reasons.

You must let the school know if your child is going to be absent or intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like tangi or a medical procedure.  Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities (not organised by school) are not acceptable reasons for being absent.

How can you keep us informed? Please let our attendance officer know prior to 9.30am by using the portal on Schoolbridge or emailing directly to [email protected].

Return notes that have been sent home or email your child's Tutor Teacher so they can accurately update their attendance record.

Phones Away for the Day

As we settle into the new term, we would like to share a friendly reminder regarding our "Phones Away for the Day" policy.

To ensure our students remain focused and socially engaged, mobile phones are not permitted to be used during school hours. We ask that students either leave their devices at home or keep them switched off (or in flight mode) and stored inside their bags for the duration of the day, including interval and lunchtime.

We are incredibly pleased to see that the vast majority of our students are already following these guidelines. The positive impact is clear: our classrooms are more focused, and we’ve noticed a wonderful increase in genuine, face-to-face interactions throughout the school grounds.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us maintain a productive and connected learning environment for everyone.

 Relief Teacher Aide

As we head into winter and the expected illnesses that often accompany the colder weather, we are looking for community members interested in casual relief work as a Teacher Aide in our Special Needs Unit.

This role is on an "as needed" basis and would perfectly suit someone who:

• Lives locally.
• Has a genuine interest in supporting and empowering young people
• Has flexible availability to help us maintain a supportive environment for our students.

If you would like to join our team in this rewarding capacity, please get in touch by emailing the Principal's PA. Please note interested parties would need to agree to be police vetted.

Ngā mihi

Gary Moore