Tēnā koutou katoa students and whānau

Focus for Term 3: Promoting, reinforcing and acknowledging the BHS Values

I hope you had an enjoyable and restful holiday break, kept well and warm! We look forward to welcoming our full school back on site today Monday 25 July.

It is also great that we are in a position to be back together onsite, ready to take on the new term, albeit with Orange Setting health protocols still in place. In response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, particularly Canterbury, the government has expanded access to RAT test kits and masks in an effort to limit/minimise the transmission of COVID-19 and winter illnesses.

For the Health and Safety of our staff and students it is important that we maintain mask-wearing.

Our students were highly respectful in Term 2 of mask wearing to help protect themselves and others. We continue to have an expectation that masks be worn inside the buildings. In addition, we are keeping many of the protocols that were in place during term 2, to help reduce the spread of Covid-19 and winter illnesses.

Other procedures that we will be maintaining to help reduce large numbers include:

• Junior classes will continue to be released 10 minutes early at the end of period five each day.
• There is no bell to signal changeover of lessons. This allows for a more gradual release of students.

We ask that:

• Students continue to observe good hygiene practices and stay at home if sick.
• If a student tests positive or is a Household contact please let the school office or their Dean know.
• Students take home all of the work and/or resources needed each night should we need to transfer to a hybrid learning model again. Regardless, students should be able to access their work online via Schoology.

We are looking forward to a productive Term 3. Although Covid-19 continues to be a factor in our lives, we are confident that we will deal with whatever happens; and assure you that every effort will be made to provide continuity of learning. Let’s continue working together to make 2022 a successful year.

Ka whati te tī, ka wana te tī, ka rito te tī - When ti kōuka is tested by the elements, it builds inner strength, then begins to grow again.

Ngā mihi nui

Phil Holstein

Principal