Kia ora koutou and warm greetings to whānau and friends of Burnside High School.

Principal’s Comment for BHS Yearbook 2023

Yearbooks are more than just a collection of photographs and names. Yearbooks freeze moments in time, allowing students to revisit cherished memories long after they graduate. This online Yearbook is a snapshot of the highlights and memorable events of the 2023 year, and a record of the students and staff members who formed the Burnside High School community.

As we close another school year, it is important to reflect and celebrate the good times with friends, the new people you meet, our diverse cultures, sports, cultural, performing arts events, and your year of learning.

It is both an honour and a privilege to be writing these few words for the Waimariri Burnside High School Yearbook as your new principal. I would like to thank the staff, students and community for the very warm welcome that I received when I joined the BHS community earlier in the year.

During the course of this time I have been seeking feedback from the students, staff, parent community and friends of Burnside High School to better understand people’s perceptions about the school.

I asked these groups three questions. Firstly, what are your perceptions of the strengths of our school – the things that make us successful. The second question canvasses opinions about what opportunities for growth and development exist – the areas that we can further build upon to grow our successes and achievement as a school. And the third question was an invitation for our school community to share with me anything else that they feel I should or need to know about as the new Principal of your school.

I have read and carefully considered feedback that has been very kindly provided by more than 1600 staff, students, parents and others. This has been a really useful process and it has been incredibly helpful to assist me to grasp and understand what our staff, student and parent community values and what the next steps in our journey as a learning centre of excellence might look like.

Reading through this feedback was a very heartening and rewarding experience and it reinforced to me the depth of pride, the confidence and the positive feeling that our school community has towards Burnside High School. Thank you for your support!

I would like to thank some key people who have shaped our school and who do their best every day to deliver the best outcomes for students. Firstly to the Burnside High School Board members’ thank you for your support of the school. I look forward to continuing to work with you in the years ahead. The Associate Principal Ms Andrea Griffin the Divisional Principals Ms Baldwin, Ms Goodman, Mr Findlay and Mr Robertson all work tirelessly for BHS and I couldn’t ask for better support.

I would also like to thank all the teaching and non-teaching staff for their warmth of spirit and the work that they do to make a daily difference in the lives of Burnside High School students. In particular I would like to acknowledge the teachers who are taking up challenges elsewhere for 2024.

Burnside High School is clearly a high performing school. I acknowledge the proud history and tradition of the school and the substantial achievements that are clear and apparent across a wide range of areas. Our challenge will be to further build on this platform of accomplishments. Schools are all about supporting students to achieve and we won’t rest until every student is experiencing success, in every class, every day.

To our current students at Burnside High School – thank you for the warm welcome that you have already extended to me during my short time here. I look forward to meeting each of you and to working with you, your parents and the staff to ensure that your years here at BHS are productive and enjoyable and meet your needs.

To our Year 13’s and other students who are about to graduate from Burnside High School – we send each of you forth to make your way in the world knowing that you are well grounded, well rounded and well prepared for the challenges that lie ahead. To each of you, go well.

To family and Whānau of our Burnside High Community, thank you for entrusting us with the significant responsibility of educating your teen. This is a responsibility that we will never take for granted.

Enjoy a safe and relaxing Christmas break as we look forward to a successful 2023 at Burnside.

Scott Haines

Principal