Principal's report
Kia ora whanau
Term 3 has flown by and it is hard to believe that Spring is upon us.
I start by drawing your attention to three major works that are underway:
1. Master Planning update
Good progress has been made with the architects Baldasso Cortese Nordanus (BCN) to develop a concept plan for Burnside High School. In effect, this is a guide that leads the development of our campus over the next 20 years.
Regular meetings this term with BCN and the project team of BOT representatives (parent and staff), Senior Leadership Team, and the Property and Facilities Manager, discussed models, ideas, learning spaces, building locations, landscaped links between buildings, entrances to the school, parking and internal flows of people around the school. It is both exciting and an enormous responsibility planning for 20 years hence. Once planning is completed and approved by MOE, we will begin the staged building design processes.
2. Enrolment Zone Review Finalised
The Ministry of Education has approved an amended zone for Burnside High School in 2020.Our zone has been extended to include an area around the Christchurch International Airport to the north-west, and towards Hagley Park in the south-west – a portion of which overlaps the Christchurch Girls’ and Boys’ High School zones (refer BHS website for details).
A further Enrolment Zone Amendment for 2022 has also been approved, when the Burnside High School zone moves into the Bryndwr area. At that time, there will be a designated corridor that overlaps with Papanui High School. A map will follow as soon as details are confirmed.
The changes that have occurred reflect the altered population distribution profile for Greater Christchurch, particularly since the 2010/2011 earthquakes.
3. New website under development
We have employed the services of Digital Journey Ltd to develop a new website for BHS. A basic outline and design has been developed, a promotional video produced, the current website’s content is being updated, and new content will be created, supported with new images and photos. Thank you to Alan Robertson, Divisional Principal, and Bernadette Shaw, Promotions, for their work on this project.
It is important that we have a well-designed, informative and easily accessible website that engages, informs, promotes and markets our school in both the local and wider community. The aim is have this work completed by the end of the school year.
Student events:
The highly-successful Year 13 Casino Royale Formal on 18 August saw 450 students and 35 staff enjoying a wonderful evening together at the Wigram Airforce Museum. The students looked splendid in their finery and conducted themselves with dignity. Congratulations to the Year 13 Prefects, Ms Olds and Ms Higginson, Senior Deans, and Mr Robertson who spent many hours organising the theme, decorations, invitations, food, music and photography.
Board of Trustees - Student Election Result
Congratulations to Anna Kenworthy 12WWNB on being elected to this important role. We look forward to working with her as Student Trustee.
Staff Update
This term we welcomed two new staff:
Ms Toni Maddaford to a permanent, full-time position as teacher of Technology and Ms Lelia Evans as an ESOL teacher for Mr George Gerve who is on leave until the end of Term 4.
At the end of term we farewelled with best wishes Claire Fyfe (Science) who is on maternity leave until the start of the 2021 school year.
Dr John Calvert (Mathematics), on leave until the end of the 2019 school year, has now resigned from his position. He intends to spend time with his family in the United Kingdom.
BHS Values
A review of our student acknowledgement system, the Endeavour Stickers, Certificates, Shout Outs and Praise Postcards, has been undertaken by the BHS Values Team.
A staff survey and student focus group sessions gave valuable feedback on the current systems; with a range of views and suggestions for improvement. The data has been analysed and a report with recommendations produced. It includes a new system of acknowledging students using digital technologies. We aim to trial some of these new methods with juniors, once the senior study period begins in Term 4.
Co-Curricular Life
Term 3 is always extremely busy with cultural, artistic, academic and sporting events and competitions. There have been many significant achievements at local, regional and national levels. A number are featured elsewhere in this newsletter. I am humbled and impressed by the talents of so many of our students. I appreciate the tireless efforts of our staff to support, encourage and inspire their skills, interests and abilities to produce outstanding performances in so many areas.
Highlights include:
Music – another outstanding year!
Jazz Bands: The Big Band (Best Big Band) and Funk Band (Best Ensemble) each won Gold Awards, and the Junior Jazz Group a Silver Award at the Ara Jazz Quest in August.
National Chamber Music: Silver Awards for our two groups Ellalitodva and A Young Man's Trio at the finals in Auckland.
Congratulations to the girls in Bel Canto who had a successful and positively reviewed concert with Julia Deans at the James Hay Theatre in the Christchurch Town Hall.
At the Christchurch Wind Festival our two large ensembles and three chamber groups performed and all received awards. The Clarinet Trio, Clarinet Quartet, Saxophone Quartet all received Gold Awards. The Junior Concert Band received a Bronze Award. The Symphonic Band received the only ensemble Gold Award of the festival, giving them the top band status. They also won an award for Best Percussion.
National Young Singers in Harmony Competition (Barbershop): This event was held in Christchurch this year. Congratulations to The Promenade Quartet - Will Lynch 13OYL, Will Harris 13CHL, Harry Burt 13CUC and Kieran King 12SMPP - who were named as national champions. Malestrom won the chorus contest for the fourth consecutive year, and received a standing ovation for their performance.
The term culminated with the Burnside Voices Concert. Held in the Aurora Centre on 17 September, this was an evening when our choirs came together to perform: Bel Canto, Voices Rechoired, the Specialists (SMP voice students), as well as Aurora Voices, Quantum Acoustics, Junior Performance Choir and Malestrom. A truly wonderful evening’s entertainment.
Finally for the term, a Jazz Tour to Blenheim and Nelson from 24-27 September. The Funk Band, Big Band, and SMP Jazz Combos will be giving a number of performances at schools and jazz venues in the Marlborough area.
Thank you to the Music Department staff of HOD Chris Petch, Assistant HOD Cain Hood, Helen Renaud, Cameron Oswin, Emma Summers, Voice Specialist Ravil Atlas, plus the Student Leaders, for their wonderful work with these groups. They have been tireless in their commitment to ‘strive for excellence’ in all that they do.
Dance Showcase
Two successful evenings were held in the Aurora Centre in August, when students the Year 10-13 Dance classes performed before packed houses, which was great to see. The BHS dance group entered in the Dance NZ Made Interschool competition, went on to win this event.
Theatrefest
For the first time, our Year 12 group entered in the South Island Dramatic One-act Play competition in Timaru, and qualified, which was an excellent result. They were one of only two school groups in this open competition.
National Spelling Bee
Lauren Mauger 10NHNG, Janvi Puri 10NHNG, and Grady Kenix 10SBYS took the top 3 spots in the Upper South Island semi-final of the National Spelling Bee. They will now be competing at the NZ Final in Wellington in November.
Mathematics
Congratulations to Ethan Ng 13SRT, who came first in the Casio/Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand Senior Mathematics Competition; and the Year 10 Cantamaths teamthat beat 50 other teams to win the event. Our Year 9 Cantamaths team came second in the Year 9 competition.
In the Canterbury Mathematics Association (CMA) Year 12 Competition, Burnside teams finished first, second, and third against tough competition from Canterbury schools. We also won the Year 11 Calculator Competition. Overall, for the second year in a row, BHS has won three of the four CMA trophies, a great effort. Well done to the students involved and to members of the Mathematics Faculty.
World Scholars Cup, Sydney
Both our Junior and Senior teams won numerous awards, and qualified from the Global Round to the World Final at Yale in November. There were 2,500 competitors from 28 countries. An outstanding achievement.
New Zealand Programming Competition
After winning the Canterbury competition, the team went on to become the top school inthe NZ competition. The team of Vincent Lee 13WAJ, Eric Song 13SRTand Joseph Grace 12SDMJ were outstanding.
NZ Informatics Competition
Twelve BHS students competed in this competition during the holiday break with Eric Song coming second place overall. In addition, Joseph Grace came 4thand Nicholas Grace 11SPHCfinished in 14th position – fantastic results.
Nine students then went on to compete in the Australian Informatics Olympiad with Nicolas Grace gaining Gold, and Tim Fischer-Taylor 10SHKR and Aditi Sharma 11WWLD gaining Silver in Intermediate level; while Ethan Ng and Joseph Grace gained Silver in Senior level.
Winter Sports
The season ended with Tournament Week, 2-6 September. Fifteen Burnside teams competed in events around the country, with notable successes in Table Tennis (National title for the 3rd consecutive year) and Golf (second in NZ). Top performances at the NZSS Badminton: Boys team, Gold Medal in Division 2; and the Girls team, Silver Medal in Division 2. At the South Island Secondary School Canoe Polo Championships (Oamaru) our junior team won Silver.
Notable individual sport successes include:
Sami Donnelly 13SFK – silver medal in the 3000 metres teams’ time trial at the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Frankfurt, Germany. Sami has now won two Silver World medals in two years – very special!
Diego Quispe-Kim 9SODRwas awarded Young Sportsman of the Year at the Canterbury Sports Awards 2019. Diego is now New Zealand’s Number 1 Boys Under 14 Tennis player. His recent titles include U14 Singles and Doubles Champion at the 2019 Kiwi Indoor Junior Tennis Championships, and U14 Singles title at the Rod Laver Junior Championships in Brisbane.
Oli Heaton 10SHKE won a Bronze in the 15-year-old 200 metre Butterfly (Short course) at the National Secondary Schools Swimming Championships in Hamilton.
I have had the pleasure of watching many of these teams and individuals. One in particular that stood out for me this term was watching the BHS Bears Ice Hockey team competing in the local interschool competition against Shirley BHS at Alpine Ice. They won 6-5 in extra time! I felt so proud to be associated with these Burnside High students. It was wonderful to see their technical skills, team work, ability to support one another in pressure situations, and how they listened to and worked with their coach. Their never give up attitude against much taller and physically stronger opposition earned the respect of everyone in the stadium. Congratulations to their coach, Rachel Gabbard-Jaspers, and the team. Tom Scotter 9NHDC (Goalie), won the award for top goalie for the league; and Nathan van Slooten 13KNC top defence for the league and MVP for the BHS team. He also was responsible for much of the organisation of the team. A great result, a first for BHS!
The last week of term was Spring Festival Week, a great way to end the term. Each Division is responsible for one lunchtime event: South Division − Talent Quest; Senior Division – Jazz Cafe; North Division − Dancing with the Staff; West Division –‘Lollipop lovin’ and Spring Festival. A Purple and Pink Mufti Day to support anti-bulling and Mental Health Awareness Week was organised by the Year 13 Speak Up anti-bullying group. These issues are important for everyone, as our school is committed to a safe, inclusive environment, where everyone is treated with respect.
All these events, competitions, and activities occur while the ongoing routines of academic life continue. As students strive to be the best they can be, I watch how students manage and balance academic work, co-curricular activities, part-time work and social life. All these activities require time, which can increase our stress levels and tests our time management skills. Establishing priorities, setting goals and committing to them are important factors which influence success. Allocating time to look after ourselves is also a vital ingredient to help us cope with all the demands.
Students and staff are now looking forward to a well-earned break. The seniors have received their results from the recent senior school examinations, which provide a gauge of progress towards their NCEA qualifications and what still needs to be done.
Senior Reports will be issued on Friday 27 September which include progress grades for NCEA (junior students receive similar academic progress grades with their fortnightly reports early in Term 4).
The holidays are a good time for our students to organise their work and themselves in the lead up to the end of the year. For seniors the focus in Term 4 is on completing final internal assessments and revision for external examinations. Remember to put aside time to recharge your batteries too.
Phil Holstein
Principal