Kia ora te whanau ō te Kōtuku 

I was at a former student's 30th birthday on Saturday night and they asked me do I still use analogy stories at assembly. One of the boys mentioned that his favourite, was the story of the black belt. It’s been in hibernation for a while.

There is a story about a group of martial arts students who thought they had finally achieved the peak of their ambition – the Black Belt. After many years of discipline, training and striving, they at last kneel before their sensei to receive their reward.

The sensei says he has one more test for them to pass.

Tell me, what is the true meaning of the Black Belt?

The students quickly reply; it is the end of our journey. It is the reward for all our years of hard work. The Sensei pauses. You are not ready for the Black Belt. Return again in one year.

One year later the students reply is different; The Black Belt is not the end of our journey. It marks a new beginning. From now on we continue the effort to learn all we can about our discipline, and become true masters of our art.

The Sensei pauses and says you are now ready to receive your Black Belt.

All change and success lead to new beginnings. Always remember what the foundation was that got you there. All achievements create further opportunities. The more we learn the more we understand we need to learn. The race to perfection has no finish line because there are always new levels of personal excellence to strive for.

In other words, the striving for personal excellence is never ending as we seek to place our foot one step higher on the rung of the ladder. Any learning creates the foundation for further learning.

Rutherford Hall of Distinction Awards open.

The Rutherford College Hall of Distinction, inaugurated in October 2025, honors distinguished alumni who have achieved exceptional success in their fields and made significant contributions to the community. The inaugural 2025 inductees included Dame Cindy Kiro, Pio Terei, Oscar Kightley, Yvonne Willering, and Professor Alan Barber.

Inaugural Inductees (October 13, 2025) [1]

·                     Dame Cindy Kiro: Governor-General of New Zealand.

·                     Pio Terei: Entertainer.

·                     Oscar Kightley: Actor and director.

·                     Yvonne Willering: Netball coach.

·                     Professor Alan Barber: Neurologist. 

Purpose and Nominations

·                     Recognition: The Hall of Distinction celebrates former students who have reached the top of their industries or made major contributions to the Arts, Business, Sport, or Public Service.

·                     Ceremony: The inaugural ceremony was held at the school on October 13, 2025.

·                     Nominations: Nominations for these prestigious alumni awards are managed by the school to recognize outstanding contributions to the community.

This 2026 nominations are now open. Please click on the link to nominate an individual. Nominations close on Tuesday 30 June, 2026.  

https://forms.gle/ue7CR8HCvBxNfpCF7

Parent and Child Breakfast

You are warmly invited to attend our annual Rutherford College Parent & Child Breakfast on Thursday 12 June, starting at 7.30am in the Info Comms building.

This special event is a wonderful opportunity to spend some quality time with your child before the school day begins, enjoy a delicious variety breakfast together, and meet our Senior Leadership Team.

Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.trybooking.com/nz/BDMU

This event sells out fast, so make sure you get your tickets early. 

KINDO is up and running

We are pleased to inform you that Kindo is up and running at Rutherford College. Many of you will already be using it at other schools so it will be an easy transition. We urge you to sign up and create an account if you don't already have one. This is a one stop shop to pay for any school related items.  Find out more here. All payments should be made through this platform from now on. 

Sign up to Kindo here. You can log into Kindo directly from the SchoolBridge Dashboard if you already have an account.

What's coming up?

19 - 22 May CAAs - NCEA Co-requisite Literacy and Numeracy 

29 May Class Photos

02 June Sports Photos 

03 June Cultural Photos

11 June Parent and Child Breakfast

Ngā mihi 

Gary Moore