Welcome to the new school year and a special welcome to all new students, whānau and staff members who start their association with the Waimairi-iri Burnside High School Community in 2021. I look forward to meeting you as the year progresses.

I hope the start of Term 1 has been a smooth one for you all. From our perspective it has been a settled and calm start, with students switching quickly into school mode.

We recognise that New Zealand moved Alert Levels this week. We are now at Alert Level One. Please see below for our COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing Reminders. Communication channels are critical, so please do use our Schoology platform and our BHS Website for schoolwide updates and information. Of course, the events we had planned for this week including Year 9 parent information evenings and Swimming Sports, were impacted by the move to Alert Level 2. Our hope is that these events will be rescheduled in the near future. We are pleased with the level being moved down to Level 1 we can now hold our Athletics Days over the next two days. 

Thank you very much to those of you who joined us at the mihi whakatau on Tuesday 2 February, to welcome new students and staff. We hold this event in front of ti kōuka: the historic stand of cabbage trees that are so significant to our school, our community, and Ngāi Tahu. It is by these trees that the school’s first assembly occurred on 2 February 1960 and we are proud to continue this tradition.

At the first assemblies for the year Ms Andrea Griffin, Associate Principal, and I attended congratulated returning students on their attendance, results, and attitude to their learning in 2020; and outlined our expectations for 2021. While living in a COVID world continues to bring significant challenges, our mantra for 2021 is:

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

To this end, at BHS in 2021 we will:

• Follow at all times the COVID health and wellbeing protocols
• Successfully manage the uncertainties, anxiety and stresses with the help and support of each other
• Make sure we are prepared for any Alert Level changes, which may be announced at short notice
• Continue our provision of a high-quality learning environment while looking after our students, our families, and our colleagues.

Attendance Data 2020

Attendance and punctuality are the first steps in succeeding at school. Successful students have high attendance, many at or close to 100%, and they are always on time.

The Ministry of Education has produced a National Summary of Student Attendance for Term 2 2020, when students returned to school following Lockdown. It is clear from the statistics that Burnside students were keen to return onsite, scoring well above the national averages. Thank you to students and whānau for the value you place in the education we offer. 

Senior Achievement 2020 

2020 proved an outstanding year for our students and staff in NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3, Scholarships, Cambridge Mathematics, and in University of Canterbury STAR courses.

Congratulations to all those students on their achievements, and thank you to the staff who worked with them.

Congratulations also to those who participated and/or assisted in events during the holiday break:

• New Zealand Secondary School Athletics
• Touch Championships
• Golf Championships
• Evolocity National Awards
• Vex IQ Robotics National Finals
• Bright Awards Competition for Game Design
• Powerlifting
• Senior Girls Volleyball at the NZ invitation tournament hosted by St Andrews College

Since the start of the year, our rowing crews have won titles at the Canterbury Championships held at Lake Ruataniwha; while at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Beach Volleyball Tournament in Tauranga during Waitangi Weekend, Taylah Holdem (12WDNK) and Rosa Vesty (12NCHB) became the National Secondary Schools Girls Champion team. Refer to school website for details.

COVID-19 Health and Wellbeing Reminders

As we have seen from recent cases in New Zealand, a community outbreak of Covid-19 can occur rapidly. We need to continue to be vigilant about our health regimes.

The Ministry of Health guidelines for us all are:

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to common illnesses such as a cold or influenza. You may have one or more of the following:

• a new or worsening cough
• fever (at least 38˚C)
• shortness of breath
• a sore throat
• sneezing and runny nose
• temporary loss of smell.

Shortness of breath is a sign of possible pneumonia and requires immediate medical attention.

Some people may present with less typical symptoms such as only: fever, diarrhoea, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), nausea/vomiting, or confusion/irritability.

Symptoms can take up to 14 days to show after a person has been infected. The virus can be passed onto others before they know they have it – from up to two days before symptoms develop.

If you have these symptoms call Healthline (for free) on 0800 358 5453 or your doctor immediately.

You may be required to have a covid-19 test. You must follow the instructions of the medical staff and self-isolate if necessary following a COVID test.

At Burnside High School, our key advice is:

• Stay home if unwell
• Maintain good hygiene - hand washing and sanitising regularly. We have Zoono treated surfaces and hand sanitiser is available in all classrooms.
• Coughing and sneezing into elbows or tissues.
• Face coverings are not compulsory but we support anyone who wants to wear one.

Thank you for your support in following these protocols. 

Entrance to School: A reminder that

No cars are permitted on the school grounds unless they are school staff or contractors working for school. Students must walk onto the school site. Please drop students off near the school, but please also consider congestion. If you drop them well away from the school entrances, this will help everyone. Please do not park on yellow lines as this puts everyone at risk.

Suggested drop off and pick up points are:

• Memorial Avenue – students enter through the pedestrian gate
• Greers Road by Jellie Park
• Guildford Street – the school gate will be open
• Grahams Road Walkway.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

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

Waimairi-iri Burnside High School is not a team of 5 million, but of around 2,750. We have a history of significant success. We know about team and we know how to be successful as a team. We will come through trying times because of that. Regardless of what is happening around us, we will stay on course.

We are entering a time for Burnside High School that is both exciting and challenging. Thank you, in advance, for your patience, tolerance, understanding and ongoing support for your school.

I look forward to another great term.

Phil Holstein

Principal