Rutherford College, Auckland

Infobox NZ school
name = Rutherford College
badge =
motto = Tohea - To Strive
type = State co-ed secondary (year 9-13)
established = 1961
address = Kotuku Street,
Te Atatu,
Auckland,
New Zealand
principal = Gary Moore
roll = 1,322
decile = 6 [ [http://www.minedu.govt.nz/web/downloadable/dl7698_v1/decile-changes-2007-2008-web-state-s-integ.xls Decile change 2007 to 2008 for state & state integrated schools] ]
MOE = 40
homepage = [http://www.rutherford.school.nz www.rutherford.school.nz]

Rutherford College is a co-educational state secondary school on the Te Atatu Peninsula, Auckland, New Zealand.

About

Rutherford College (formerly Rutherford High School) is a New Zealand Qualifications Authority accredited co-educational Year 9-13 State Secondary school, established in 1961. Named after the New Zealand born nuclear physicist and chemist Lord Ernest Rutherford, it is located on "Te Atatu Peninsula" to the west of Auckland.

It caters for students from year 9 to year 13, as well as providing adult education and night courses. Its well-qualified, professional staff are very successful in challenging students to achieve academic success in national assessments.

The College encourages student participation in a wide range of extra curricular activities, again challenging students to reach their full potential in all areas.

* The school celebrates annually, Rutherford Day, to commemorate the achievements of Lord Rutherford.
* The official school song is "Me Hui Hui", written by Pita Sharples, co-leader of the New Zealand Māori Party.
* Another school song "The Rutherford Way" was written by current school music teacher, Mrs. Manu Fa'aea-Semiatu in 2007.
* The school has a sister school, Da Tong High School in Shanghai, China.

Kaleidoscope Programme

The Kaleidoscope Programme is the gifted and talented programme run at Rutherford College. Rutherford is one of only a handful of schools in New Zealand to have been granted $300,000 under the Ministry of Education's Talent Development Initiative (TDI). This is to develop programmes that will enrich and develop students with special talents, helping them to excel to greater levels. [ [http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=329&objectid=10491421 NZ Herald - Standout Students] ]

Curriculum

The school teaches core subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science, and helps senior students pass NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement). As well as core subjects, specialist subjects such as Chinese Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, Māori and German are taught as a second language, as well as aviation, environmental science and biochemistry, arts, physical education, technology, accounting and economics [ [http://www.rutherford.school.nz/files/Rutherford%20College%20Prospectus%202007_0.pdf Rutherford College Prospectus] ]

Under the Gateway programme students are given the opportunity to do workplace experience as part of their school course.

Information Commons

The Rutherford College Information Commons is an integrated learning environment where all students and staff have access to traditional and electronic information resources, electronic learning materials and productivity software, allowing them to integrate more information in to course work. The main purpose is to provide access to electronic learning and information resources as well as traditional sources of information.

Students are able to retrieve information from the library database, access course work through Learning Resources, send email and browse the Internet, use Microsoft Office and other specialist programs, including a number of Open Source applications - all on the same computer. The development of computer and information literacy skills will be a key focus area of the Information Commons and opportunities for training will be integrated into all aspects of service.

The Information Commons was officially opened in 2006 and students were allowed full use of the facility from the first term of 2007. Since then, it has become the most popular building on campus among staff and students alike. It is a student-centred facility that provides a variety of study spaces, 40 computers, easy access to information resources and technologies together with multi-skilled staff that support different learning and research needs in one physical location.

The vision has been to provide a highly visible, modern and unique facility which will inspire students to acquire new skills so that they can participate more actively in the learning process.

Building Programme

The school is undergoing an extensive building and renovation programme, which has already seen the completion and opening of its Information Commons. The Information Commons is currently one of only a few of its kind in New Zealand, housing a state of the art computer lab, seminar rooms, study areas, news centre, debating chambers and research facilities.

Further construction and upgrades include:
* New four classroom social sciences block
* Revamped student courtyard
* Upgrade of current classroom blocks
* Revamp of administration building
* New theatre
* New seated pavilion
* New astroturf
* New cricket nets
* Relocation of career services, science classrooms, school cafeteria and special education unit
* Major upgrades to data and communications infrastructure

Notable alumni

* Tim Shadbolt – Former Mayor of Waitakere city, current Mayor of Invercargill
* Oscar Kightley - TV3 Personality, Actor (Bro' Town, Sione's Wedding)
* Henry Paul - Former NZ Rugby League Representative/English Rugby Union Representative
* Pio Terei - Actor and Comedian
* Gavin Stevens - Commonwealth Games Men's Cycling Gold Medallist
* Kees Meeuws - Former All Black
* Sam Tuitupou - Former All Black
* Yvonne Willering - Former New Zealand Silver Ferns player and coach, former Northern Force coach and current Northern Mystics coach
* Ivan Vicelich - New Zealand soccer player
* Ken Carrington - Former All Black
* Darren Liddel - Triple Commonwealth Games Gold weightlifter
* Garth da Silva - Former NZ Heavyweight Boxing Champion and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist

Notes

References

* [http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=1478 Te Kete Ipurangi]
* [http://www.ero.govt.nz/ero%5Creppub.nsf/Institution/EC4AB5B90DE38555CC25704C0007FAD8/$File/1478.htm?OpenElement Education Review Office report]

External links

* [http://www.rutherford.school.nz Official Rutherford College Website]
* [http://www.rutherford.school.nz/open_source_software Official Rutherford College Website: Open Source Section]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=-36.852119,174.647813&spn=0.008791,0.019956&z=16 Rutherford College on Google Maps]
* [http://www.newzealandeducated.com/index.cfm?layout=ShowInstitution&InstitutionID=74 newzealandeducated.com - Rutherford College]
* [http://www.xtend.co.nz/search/index.php?section=is_comed&instituteid=18 XTEND NZ - Rutherford College, Community Education, Adult Education, Night School Courses]
* [http://www.oldfriends.co.nz/Institution.aspx?id=7078 Old Friends - Rutherford College]
* [http://www.rutherfordstudents.com RutherfordStudents.com - Official Student Portal of Rutherford College]
* [http://www.youtube.com/rutherfordcollege Rutherford College YouTube Channel]