PETER BRYANT MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP is awarded to the Dux of the school Bryan Shin

This is an annual award, established by the Board of Trustees, to acknowledge the outstanding contribution to Burnside High School of the late Dr Peter Bryant, in his role as the chairperson of the Board.

Bryan came to us from Cobham Intermediate where he was described as a “very aware pupil whose insightful nature is a genuine asset to our classroom community” and as “a student who was motivated to make the most of all learning opportunities”. They went on to say that an “extension class would do them wonders”.

With entry test results coming into Burnside High School scoring in the 94th and 95th percentile for English and Reasoning and 39/40 for Mathematics, Bryan was placed in the Performance Music Class where as a grade 7 violinist he was able to participate in a wide range of musical pursuits, which he has continued throughout his time at Burnside as part of the Orchestra and Senior Choirs. He has consistently involved himself in musical pursuits over the past 5 years and rates Big Sing as a highlight of his time at this school.

Bryan has offered Leadership and Service to the school this year as an Academic Leader and Mentor. Academically, he is no stranger to prize giving ceremonies  at school, he has excelled in the Sciences and Mathmatics. This was duly reflected  in 2018 with first placings in Calculus, Statistics, Physics and Biology, while also placing 4th in Chemistry and 8th in English. His entire NCEA profile boasts 276 credits at Excellence level. He is described as “forthright and direct”, by his teachers and peers, but underneath is generous and kind and very hard-working. By his own standards he claims to not have great study habits, but is enrolled to tackle Scholarship examinations in all six of his subjects before heading to the University of Auckland where he has been offered a $20 000 Top Achievers Scholarship to study Biomedicine.

We wish Bryan well for his examinations and future endeavours.

Proxime Accessit Award 2018

Samantha also came to Burnside High School from Cobham Intermediate. Cobham staff reported to us that this student had a “real passion for both reading and writing, was a good debater, and played the violin” and that as a very able student, would need extension. Their exceptional work ethic paid off  when  scored in the 99th percentile in our English Entrance test.

Samantha has offered leadership and service to the school this year as a Year 10 Student Support Prefect, an Anti-bullying Leader and an Academic Mentor and has been involved in playing Squash. She was also a key-member of the newly established Burnside High School book-club having identified the need for such a group. She has earned numerous academic awards over the years and with that, the respect and praise from her teachers in every subject area she studied.  Her approach to learning is one of maturity and motivation and this has led to an Excellence Endorsement in every NCEA subject she has studied and the accumulation of 268 credits at Excellence level overall. 

She was recently placed first in a New Zealand Poetry Society competition with her piece titled ‘Nocturnes’ which was described as a mature and confident poem which impresses with its imagery and lyricism and one which pleases the ear when read aloud. This talented word-smith has already received an award for her First Placings in English, Classical Studies and French and she achieved commendable placings in Calculus and Biology. Next year she intends to study English and Psychology at UC and Samantha has been awarded an Emerging Leaders Scholarship valued at $6 000, the Lizzy Rathbone Scholarship for English valued at $5 000 and the previously announced Noeline Clarke Scholarship valued at $5 000.

We wish her well for the Three Scholarship exams she intends to sit this year and her future studies.