Read the latest news from Rutherford College

Kia ora te whanau ō te Kōtuku

Te wiki o te reo Māori

Kia ora te whanau o te kotuku, Nau mai Hare mai, Ko Gary Moore toku ingoa.

Kia kaha te reo maori, let us make Māori language stronger.

One of my favourite Whakatauki is 

Ko te korero te kai, o te Rangatira. Words are the food of chiefs. 

Our choice of words and language says a lot about who we are as a person. If what we say is neither true, nor good, or useful to say, then say nothing. What we say about someone says more about you than it does about them. 

Grit and perseverance are important character traits.

This is the time of the year to face the challenge of finishing the academic year strongly. I encourage you to trust your future self that if I do the necessary work I will improve on my current level of performance and attainment. Now is the time to show grit, perseverance and resilience. Please do not give up on the journey when it gets challenging. 

Why is grit or stickability important? Because you’re investing in your human capital; your greatest asset. I know that I’m winning by being better today than I was yesterday, so I will stick at this, through thick and thin. In life we learn that at various junctures along the way we have had to put some serious skin in the game and had to battle into headwinds. Nothing worth having ever comes easy. 

What do I need to do to make this year a successful one in terms of striving for personal academic excellence.  I will complete all internals remaining to the best of my ability, by the deadlines to minimise any pressure I feel.  I will prepare for my remaining derived grade exams as well as I can. To achieve this, I won’t let those incessant peeps and beeps distract me from what’s important now. 

Student Representative on the Board Voting Results

A big thank you to all the students who put their names forward for the role of Student Representative on the School Board.

Standing for this position takes courage, confidence and a willingness to have your voice heard. We are proud of the students who have stepped forward to represent their peers and contribute to the future direction of our school.  Being involved in the School Board provides a valuable opportunity to share the student perspective, raise issues that matter to students, and play an active role in our school community.

Results of Voting:

 Congratulations to Emma Chase who is now declared the new Student Representative.

Hearing Screening – 22-24 September 2026 

Free Year 9 Hearing Screening is taking place at our school as part of Listen Up, New Zealand, a national programme by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Foundation. This quick, simple, and non-invasive check can identify early signs of hearing loss.  

The tests will take place across on 22-24 September. Students will be called out of class for approximately 15-20 minutes for the test.  

This is an ‘OPT OUT’ initiative so if you do not wish to be part of this programme, please ensure you indicate this on the link below.  

Parent-Caregiver Registration & Opt Out Link

Kotuku Badge Applications for Y11-13 are open again.
If any student in Y11 to 13 missed out on a Kotuku Badge, applications are open again for a short time. Make sure you apply before 23 September. Log in to SchoolBridge and click on Kotuku Badge Application now. 

Prizegiving Date Change 

To give our senior students some additional time at school to focus on revision and preparation for their final assessments, we have made the decision to delay Prizegiving by one week.

Our new Prizegiving date is Wednesday 4 November. The Year 13 Leavers’ Lunch will now take place the following day, Thursday 5 November.

We appreciate your understanding and believe this additional time will provide our students with a valuable opportunity to make the most of their final days of preparation before celebrating their achievements at Prizegiving.

Ngā mihi nui 

Gary Moore