What's been happing in the Library this year?

Well … lots of people have been through for a start. As of mid-way through Term 4, our foot-count for the year shows over 132,000 people have come to the Library. No wonder we feel like we see a lot of students and staff each week!

Right from the first day welcoming the Year 9 students new to BHS, it’s been nice to have all class levels at school at once and masks not mandatory. A positive start to a good year for us.

Student Librarian teams were up and running shortly into Term 1. Our group of 40 Student Librarians are divided into 5 teams – one for each day of the week. It is a big commitment and our teams were hard-working and reliable throughout the year. Seniors have moved onto study leave now and it’s up to the junior members of each team to show what they’ve learned – and very impressive they are too. Our thanks to the members of each of the daily teams, and especially to our Y13 team leaders. These students not only organised, motivated and worked in their teams but trained the team members as well. They did a wonderful job.

Chess boards were one of the most used items during Term 1 with students running for the Chess table to secure their set for breaks.  We bought three more sets in Term 1 and these are looking well-used at this end of the year.  With the popularity of this, we wondered if other board games may prove equally sought after.  A variety of board games, card games and playing card sets have been made available since Term 1.  Uno has been the most borrowed of these, but Chess is very much the popularity winner still. 

Respect, consideration for others and kindness are naturally a huge part of our Library ethos, so displaying the form class contributions for the Pink Shirt Day competition was a must.  The entries were fabulous for creativity and variety of ideas around expressing the anti-bullying message.  For me, it's such a great indicator of the creative and positive students here at Burnside.

Library Week was linked with National Poetry Day this year.  Couplets for Cupcakes was a huge hit again.  (Although, it's put me off cupcake frosting forever!)  O te aroha e nini ana / Spread the love was the theme and couplets poured in.  Friday lunchtime, 250 cupcakes were readily consumed in exchange for a couplet and classes sent piles of couplets of varying poetic quality from each Form time during the week.  

Roses are red, violets are blue

My teacher made me write this to you

 Life is a book

Every chapter brings a new beginning.

Flat paper it was,

Magnificent creation it is now.

In a storm in my best dress, 

You make me fearless

I'd love to say a love for Poetry (and cake) was the main driver but there was a lot of inter-division competition also:

The Mitchell Cup we must win

South and West must go in the bin!

Over each year, many Y13 students use the Library for study periods during the school day – and are here many other hours during the week also. Library Staff enjoy getting to know this group of students a bit better in their final year and we wish them well for their next steps in life.

We have had a wonderful team of four Library Staff for over eight years. However, things are changing, and Hilary Grinter who has been here for nearly 10 years is leaving at the end of the term. We intend to farewell her with many thanks for her loyalty, kindness and hard work over this time and will miss her very much when the new term starts. Hilary has been the wonderful soul who arrives at school at 7am each morning so early students won’t be left out in the cold. I’m sure those students have also been very thankful for the warm welcomes, especially on those dark, cold or wet winter mornings. You can now have a much more leisurely start to the mornings, Hilary.

Many thanks to all the students, classes and staff who brighten up our weeks so regularly. We feel very lucky to be working in such a vibrant, positive school community. My thanks also to the fabulous Library Staff who keep on smiling and offering students, staff - and me - your knowledge, help and support every day.

Have a wonderful summer break everyone and we’ll see most of you back near the beginning of 2024.

Sally Stanley-Boden

Library Manager