Kia ora whānau. Well done to the BHS Community!

Kia kaha, kia mau, kia haere tonu: Stay strong, hold fast, keep on course. This is our school mantra for 2021. We adjust and adapt to living in a COVID environment, endeavoring to make the best of the situation we find ourselves in.

How quickly things change. Term 3 began at Alert Level 1, almost with a sense of normalcy. Learning, events, competitions proceeded as usual. Then overnight, we were at Alert Level 4 on the 18th of August. The sixteen school days of lockdown brought the challenges of online learning and forced the cancellation or postponement of many key school events. I know a lot of people were disappointed by the cancellation of Winter Sports Tournament week, the National Big Sing finale and South Island Cadenza, and Drama and Dance competitions, to name a few.

Thankfully, we returned to school at Delta 2 on the 9th of September. It was great to see everyone back onsite. Although some activities are still curtailed, such as our regular assemblies, we were pleased that the Senior School exams - which provide a practice exam situation for students plus provide evidence for derived grades if needed - could be held late this term. NZQA announced that the NCEA exam period will start two weeks later to give senior students more time with their teachers; subsequently this had a flow on affect for our Term 4 calendar. NZQA has also announced learning recognition credits for each of Levels 1, 2 and 3.

I do want to thank the students, the staff, and whānau for the way they responded to the lockdown; and for the way that they have now returned to school under restrictions, making the very best of the situation we are in.

Our challenge as a nation is to stop the spread of Delta in our communities. We have shown our determination and strength of character as Kiwis before, and we can do it again. Despite frustrations, let’s continue to all do our bit, and follow the government’s clear messages. We have so much to be grateful for, and let’s not forget all those people in Auckland who have borne the brunt of this outbreak.

Now that we have a term break, I encourage you all to have a rest, recharge, and get ready for Term 4.

Ngā mihi nui

Phil Holstein

Principal

Burnside High School