To students, staff, and whānau

Tēnā koutou katoa

I am sure you were as pleased as I was to hear the Prime Minister’s announcement about the move to Alert Level 1. At Burnside High School there will be no major changes to what we are already doing. Our school continues to be safe to attend, including for any staff and students who are more vulnerable to COVID-19. We have a good cleaning routine in place; people who are sick are staying at home; and we continue to encourage good hygiene practices.

The Ministry of Education’s Changes from Alert Level 2 can be found as a link at the end of this document.

Throughout the national response to COVID-19, we adapted everyday routines to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. Since our return to school, we have surveyed staff and students to help us learn from our experiences, and to help redefine what the new normal at Burnside High School should be. Some of the changes required under each Alert Level have proved to be an enhancement to our school systems. Please find all important information below.

Burnside High School at COVID-19 Alert Level 1:

• Assemblies will resume next week, 15-19 June.
• Water: Access to hot water and drinking fountains will restart Thursday, 11 June.

Recent changes that will continue in 2020 (and which will be reviewed at the end of the year) are:

• Good hand hygiene: encouraging good practice
• Hand sanitiser: available in all classes and workspaces
• Drop-off and pick-up points: the change of practice has improved safety around our school entrances, on the road, and in the school grounds. It has also improved the safety for the primary school across the road from our main entrance. BHS students will continue to walk onto the school grounds.
• Note: As per usual, any visitor to the school during the course of the day is able to use the onsite car parks.
• Physical Education (PE) uniforms: If a student has PE in Periods 1 or 2 they may arrive at school in their PE uniform. Students who have PE in Period 5 may leave school in their PE uniform. This change avoids congestion in the changing rooms, and allows more teaching and learning time in these classes.
• Year 11 Study, Wednesday Period 1: Unless they are required at school for a tutorial, students should study offsite.
• Bell system: To allow a gradual release from classes and thus ease congestion in the grounds, there will be no bells at the end of lessons. Warning bells during the day will remind students when breaks are nearing an end. Students and staff are enjoying this quieter and calmer transition time.
• Parent Teacher Conferences: On Thursday, 6 August, there will be a parent teacher reporting day for senior students to provide an opportunity to meet with teachers. More details will follow.

Changes to the School Calendar:

here

• The Teacher Only Days planned for June and August are cancelled.
• The Senior Examinations scheduled for Term 3, Weeks 8 and 9, are now No-interruption Weeks. There will be some in-class assessments, plus the change affords additional teaching and learning time.
• 2020 School Year Adjustment: Due to the COVID-19 changes to Terms 1 and 2, the Minister of Education has now reduced the number of half-days schools are required to be open in 2020. All schools will have a reduction of four half-days. The end of Term 4 will now be Friday 4 December.

As always, thank you for your support and cooperation through these many changes.

Unite for the recovery – Kia kotahi mō te whaioranga

We look forward to the recommencement of interschool and community sport, cultural events and performances, opportunities to welcome our school community onsite, while continuing to provide quality learning opportunities for students inside and outside the classroom.

A student’s success is like a 3-legged stool. There is the student, the family, the staff. Each contributes separately and collectively to performance. Success can only come if all three are working together. Let this be our focus.

Ngā mihi nui

Phil Holstein

Principal