Student opportunities and activities

At Rutherford Public School, we offer a variety of programs in the classroom and across the school to help students build new skills, make friends and explore new interests.

Our programs may include:

Contact us to learn more about what’s available and how your child can get involved.

Our extra-curricular highlights

Sport

Rutherford Public School has a long history of sporting success. We celebrate our students’ successes and encourage the qualities of fair play, sportsmanship and consistent effort.  All classes from Kindergarten to Year 6 participate in organised sports programs.  Students are encouraged to enjoy sporting activities and participate at their own level of expertise.

Parents are advised which sporting house their child been placed in upon enrolment in order to purchase sport house hats from Lowes at Greenhills, the Lowes online storeor the administration office.

or the administration office. The sporting houses and colours are:

Students from Years 3 to 6 and students in Year 2 turning 8 within the current calendar year participate in our school carnivals. Students have the opportunity to qualify for participation in zone, regional and state carnivals.

Our sporting carnivals are-

Class sporting programs are organised by class teachers.

Throughout the year, we run before school coaching clinics for students in Year 3 to 6. These include netball, soccer, cricket and football.

Students have the opportunity to represent Rutherford Public School as members of representative sport teams including:

Three students dressed in swimwear, are smiling at the camera. The child on the left has large heart shaped green glasses on and the child on the right holds a sign that says,
Team spirit on display at the swimming carnival.
A boy kicks a soccer ball. His left leg is in the air and the soccer ball flies through the air on the right of the photo.
Soccer
A large group of students run down the common area at the start of the cross-country race.
Cross-country carnival
A group of rugby leage players have their backs to the camera as they walk back onto the field with a bight blue sky above them.
Rugby league
The photo looks down on the heads of a group of students standing in a circle with hockey sticks in the centre of the photo.
Hockey
A goal keeper in a yellow top catches a ball as two other players run over.
Soccer
A group of cricket player stand or squat together with 2 plays holding cricket bats.
Cricket
a group of eight students are in the water of a swimming pool and are resting at the pool edge, looking at the camer. One student has a green kickboard in under his arms.
School Swimming Scheme
A group of girl soccer player huddle together in a circle at the edge of a soccer field.
Soccer
two students smile at the camera while holding maroon cross-country place ribbons.
Celebrating success at the cross-country
Two soccer player run across the field with their backs angled away from the camera. The boy on the left is reaching to put his arms around the shoulders of the boy on the right.
Soccer
The photo looks across the pool and children can be seen swimming in the lanes. Water is splashing and arms can be seen.
Swimming carnival
A group of girls soccer players are grouped together in front of a soccer goal. The back row are standing, the middle row are kneeling and 2 girls sit on the ground at the front.
Soccer
A group of rugby players stand in a circle with arms around each others shoulders. A teacher can be seen on the right talking to the group.
Rugby league
A boys soccer team pose in fron a soccer goal with their 2 coaches with the goal keeper laying on the ground with one hand propping up his head and the other on his hip.
Soccer

Music program

Three violin students stand under the shade of a tree playing their viiolins. The students on the left and right of the photo look at their violins as they play, while the child in the centre of the photo looks directly at the camera.

Rutherford Public School is particularly proud of their music programs. Currently, students in Year 2 to 6 can enrol in group violin lessons.

Performance opportunities are offered throughout the year for our music students with senior students invited to perform at the Festival of Instrumental Music at the Sydney Opera House. Enrolment information is shared with students at the start of each year.

Dance

In the foreground, a girl is on her knees with her arms outstretched, looking into the distance. In the background, other dancers are holding poses. Some have their legs stretched out behind them while propping themselves up on their hands, while other students hold the same pose as the girl in the foreground.

Students can audition for our dance groups. Auditions are held early in Term 1 each year. Our dance groups are:

  • Stage 2 representative group
  • Stage 3 representative group
  • Tap group

All Stage 2 and 3 students can join the inclusive, all-in dance group which runs during break times.

Each year, dance students perform in our Dance Showcase and the representative dance students participate in the Hunter Dance Festival.

Choir

The choir stand in rows on the steps of the blue amphitheatre which is based in sunshine. A teacher stands in front of the choir conducting them.
We currently have 2 choirs at Rutherford Public School. The Senior Choir is for students in Years 4-6 and the Junior Choir is for students in Years 1-3. Both choirs meet weekly to practise and have several performance opportunities throughout the year. which may include performing at the Sydney Opera House or the Sydney Town Hall.

Technology

A boy looks at an iPad which he holds in his hands. Behind him a girl also holds an iPad, but is looking at the boy's iPad and is smiling at the screen.

There are devices in each classroom across the school.

Once enrolled, students are issued with an individual e-learning account and password. Children have access to the internet and an individual email account through a safe DoE browsing filter. This means that a wide range of programs are available for students and teachers to use. Students are taught diverse technological skills from Kindergarten to Year 6. These skills include advanced keyboard, word processing and document enhancement skills, management of databases, spreadsheets and tables, research processes using the internet, email communication, power point presentations and interactive games skills.

Students at Rutherford Public School have access to a range of advanced technologies including 3D printing, Lego WeDo, Lego Spikes Spheros, Bluebots and Cubetto.

Library

Rutherford Public School received a new library upgrade in 2021 and houses an ever-evolving collection of quality books and resources for staff and students. The library continues to expand opportunities for students to engage with technology including computers and robotics. Classes attend library lessons weekly. During lessons students borrow books, are read to, read for pleasure, explore new and quality literature, learn about authors and illustrators and develop their skills in visual, critical and information literacy. Students in K-2 need to bring a library bag to borrow. Library bags are available from the Administration Office. The library is open at recess for various activities across the week such as mechanics, reading by torchlight, trivia, scavenger hunts, board games, puzzles and colouring. The library holds additional exciting events throughout the year including an author visit, Book Week, a book fair, the Premier's Reading Challenge, National Simultaneous Storytime, Scholastic Book Clubs and a library monitor program.

Debating

4 students smile at the camera as they prepare for a debate. 3 of the students are seated on chairs while the third student stands to the right. behind them are books on shelves as they are in a library.
Debating develops essential skills such as critical thinking, public speaking, research, teamwork and active listening. The debating team meet regularly to learn about debating and practise their debating skills. The debating team participates in the NSW Premier’s Debating Challenge each year, competing against other schools.

Public Speaking

Students in Years 3-6 can participate in the Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition which is held annually and is an initiative of the NSW Department of Education, Arts Unit.

All students are encouraged to participate in our annual in-school public speaking competition. Successful students then have the opportunity to represent Rutherford Public School at the Hunter Inter-schools Public Speaking Competition.

NSW Premier's Spelling Bee

Students are seated in a row on a stage in the hall. A mircrophone is positioned in the centre of the stage. A teacher is to the left of the stage and is speaking to the students through a microphone. An audience can be seen seated in front of the stage.
Each year, students from Rutherford Public School hold a school-wide spelling bee. Successful Stage 2 and 3 competitors then have the opportunity to represent Rutherford Public School in the NSW Premier’s Spelling Bee which is an initiative of the NSW Department of Education, Arts Unit.

Voice of Students (VOS) Squad

The VOS Squad empowers students to have a voice in our school community. It is made up of representatives from each class and provides students with leadership opportunities. They meet fortnightly to share ideas on improvements that can be made to our school and strive to build school spirit.

Chess Club

The chess club is open to Stage 3 students of all levels. Each week chess players meet for regular competitive chess and/or social chess. We participate in inter-school tournaments.

School Farm

A girl fold a chicken in her hands while looking directly at the camera and smiling. behind her, students are moving around.

Rutherford Public School has a small farm in which we have chickens and we grow vegetables. Students are able to visit the farm at designated break times or with their classes.

Environment Group

A group of 4 students sweep the ground in the Yarning circle as a teacher bends over to tend to a plant. teh students and the teacher are all wearing purple environment group vests.

Small groups of students are invited to assist in maintaining our school environment each week. Students assist in building garden beds, weeding gardens, planting native plants, pruning trees, mulching garden beds, raising awareness of local birds and tidying the school grounds.

Community Connections

A lady with glasses is seated in a chair looking up into the face of a student who stands to the right with his hands resting on the arm rest with two other students standing to his right. They are all clearly having a meaningful conversation.

Small groups of students are invited to regularly visit a local nursing home, allowing them to form meaningful connections with older members of our community.

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