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A message from the Principal

Burnside High School —

To Students, Staff, and Whānau

Tēnā koutou katoa

Kia kaha, kia mau, kia haere tonu: Stay strong, hold fast, keep on course.

You will have heard the government’s decision that New Zealand, beyond the northern and southern boundaries of Auckland, is moving to Alert Level 2 commencing from midnight on Tuesday 7 September. Auckland will remain in Alert Level 4 until midnight on Tuesday 14 September, allowing further monitoring of the community cases in their region. Further changes down alert levels for all of New Zealand are dependent on the successful elimination of this outbreak.

Schools will reopen on Thursday 9 September. This is great news, as we are looking forward to having all our staff and students back on site. At 8.15 am, all students will attend form meetings, so please go straight to your form rooms when you arrive. Students and staff will reconnect with their form groups; and form teachers will have clear communication of our expectations for students. Following form meeting, students will go to their timetabled classes. Note, Thursday 9 September is Week B on the timetable.

Delta Level 2 will be different, so we must adapt and adjust. Although some may feel the changes are inconvenient or unwelcome, we believe they are necessary. Just one infectious student or staff member or visitor to our school, would affect us all, including whānau. Scanning is now part of everyday life (but not required of students as we have attendance records); and masks are recommended in schools.

Masks in schools remains an option for individuals and a decision for individuals and whānau. Whatever decisions students and teachers make, it is their own to make and needs to be respected. Where an individual chooses to use a face covering they should supply and wear their own, and do so safely. There will be differences of view about the use of face coverings, and it is important to show tolerance toward individual choice in this matter.

Here at school, planning is well underway to comply with these new Delta Level 2 settings. This may involve finding alternative ways of doing things; we may have to postpone some events due to limits on indoor gatherings; and we do need to be open to the possibility that some events might be cancelled.

School is a safe environment

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health have a clear and consistent message that it is safe for all students and staff to return to school in Delta Alert Level 2. Schools are safe because hygiene habits are strong. Schools have practices in place that support a safe environment for our students and staff.

Our expectations of students

As always, our BHS values guide us:

Manaakitanga - Be respectful of each other’s personal boundaries in the classroom and around the school.

Mana - Have pride in yourself, your school and your community: follow good hygiene and scanning practices.

Rangatiratanga - Strive to excel by making the most of your time in class.

At Alert Level 2 it is important to remember:

  • Good hand hygiene and cough and sneeze etiquette
  • Staying away from school if feeling unwell and seeking medical advice
  • Maintaining physical distance from others
  • Cleaning and disinfecting our high-touch surfaces daily
  • Displaying QR code posters at our entrances and encouraging all of our community to scan using the NZ COVID Tracer App
  • Keeping a visitor register for anyone who cannot use the COVID Tracer app and for other essential visitors.

Note:

  • Masks are recommended inside. If you prefer that your child wears a face mask, then please provide them with one.
  • There will be hand sanitiser on entry to each class. We are asking that students have their own small bottle of sanitiser if possible. Students should sanitise hands as they enter the classroom, or have washed their hands before each class.
  • Students should not be at school if sick. If a sick child comes to school they will be sent home.

Physical distancing in a school setting

  • Students should be far enough away from each other so they are not breathing on or touching each other. We call this the ‘daylight rule’. Staff should be able to see ‘daylight’ between students.
  • A ‘keep left’ rule will apply in corridors, entrance ways, and stairs to assist with the efficient flow of people around the campus.
  • Students should bring their own food and their own water. There will be no drinking fountains operating, but we do have bottle fillers available. The canteen will be open.
  • We are required to keep track of people that enter our school. Burnside High School must be able to contact-trace everyone who comes onto the school site. We have our attendance records, our timetables, our visitor register. We ask that students also keep a record of their interactions.
  • We know all these things will help to keep our community as safe as possible.

No cars are permitted on the school grounds unless they are school staff or contractors working for school.

Juniors: End of the day variation

To minimise congestion, Year 9 and 10 students will be released at 2.30 pm each day except Wednesdays, when they will be released at 2.20 pm. This allows a smoother transition from the school site at the end of the day. Seniors continue with the normal end of the school day, that is, 2.40 pm all days except Wednesdays at 2.30 pm.

Senior School Examinations

As signaled last week, these will now be held between Monday 20 September and Tuesday 28 September. These exams are an important preparation for NZQA’s External Exams at the end of the year.

Conclusion

I am very aware that this outbreak, and the varying levels of lockdown, have caused disruption, uncertainty and heightened anxiety. We know that learning from home has had its challenges for students, for staff, and for whānau. Thank you everyone for all that you have done to make the best of a difficult situation. While many people will be delighted to return to school, some students may be feeling apprehensive. However, we have stood together and managed our way through challenges before and I know we can do it again.

Delta Level 2 is about playing it safe. We each have a responsibility to play it safe for ourselves and for the sake of others. We must behave sensibly and make good decisions. Please be respectful of others.

We are delighted to be welcoming back our Burnside High School community; and look forward to seeing everyone on Thursday 9 September. Please be assured that we have health and safety plans in place; and that our school is a safe environment to be in.

Thank you for your continued support in reinforcing these important messages with your children. We will keep you informed as more information is received.

Ngā mihi nui

Phil Holstein

Principal