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Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa -  Samoan Language Week         

This year's theme is: "E afua mai i mauga tetele manuia o le nu’u" ("From the high mountains are the blessings of the village"). The narrative emphasizes that the strength, identity, and language of the community are deeply rooted in its elders, families, and ancestors. 

 Fa’afetai tele lava, to our Pasifika Komiti for their work this week and sharing the richness of Samoan culture with the wider Kotuku flock.

Academic focus

Focus on completing your internals and have term 3 to prepare for externals. If you have already passed level 2 or 3 from internals your qualification is limited in terms of what doors it will open for you.

You need to add further depth and breadth to what you have. It’s a false situation where you get all your credits from a limited range of subjects. It does mean you have displayed a passion or strength in one area, but it isn’t enough to create the choices you need post school.

You will also need at least three subjects to attain University Entrance. A reminder to all families that Level 3 is not the top qualification students at Rutherford need to aspire to, its University Entrance. 

How Resilience Works?

“Confronted with life’s hardships, (tiredness for example) some people and some companies buckle under pressure? And what makes others bend, and ultimately bounce back?”

I believe that resilient people possess the following two characteristics:

• a staunch acceptance of reality; it is what it is.
• an uncanny ability to improve by starting from where their feet are now and taking control of the controllables. One step at a time.

If you are feeling a bit stuck. Firstly, remind yourself that no matter how helpless you feel, no matter what challenges you face you have control over the little things in your life. 

What are those little things? When you feel stuck in a rut by obstacles like apathy, low energy or indecision, if you take one small step you can rev that idling engine. So, inspire yourself by being proactive in completing smaller tasks to the best of your ability.

The second thing to do if you have lost your mojo is to “Just Start It”.

If you simply begin a task, motivation kicks in within 10 seconds. 10 seconds is all it takes to shift from I don’t want to do it, or I can’t do it, to “I’m already doing it, so I might as well continue.” The hardest part about going for a run is putting your shoes on and going out the door

So, we start small, (shoes on, go outside, run 20 metres) ‘just do it” we get started and before you know it, you have a kick of positive endorphins.

You either learn through challenge and develop grit and stick to something that matters or you become particles of dirt that just get blown around in the wind not having direction, a sense of purpose or knowing what’s important.

Feeling tired is part of what life will throw at us. Its not a reason to lose focus on your big rocks, the things that matter most.

What's coming up? 

11 June Parent and Child Breakfast

Ngā mihi 

Gary Moore