Western News: June 27, 2017

WESTERN NEWS Latest Christchurch news at www. .kiwi
Tuesday June 27 2017 13
highlights
Mr Holstein
Thank you to everyone who attended our Open Night
on Tuesday 16 May. We trust you enjoyed your time
with us, learned more about our school, and gained
an insight into Burnside High School. I am grateful to
the 250 volunteer student guides who were proud to
showcase their school to you.
Burnside provides an excellent learning environment
and makes a positive difference to people’s lives. We
pride ourselves on being a successful school that is
highly regarded in the community for its high-quality,
values-based learning and specialist facilities. We are
a larger school with a community feel, offering a wide
range of opportunities in a safe, friendly atmosphere,
and with high standards and expectations of
ourselves and our students. Burnside High School
bases its culture on a vision of ‘personal excellence
and caring for others’. The way students and staff act,
feel and think about themselves, and about others,
is determined by our key values of being respectful,
having pride and striving to excel.
Our size and all the advantages that this brings is a
point of difference and is what makes this decile 8,
state, co-educational school special.
The six significant features that make Burnside High
School a leader of learning are:
• We are a centre for academic excellence with an
emphasis on high-quality teaching practices and
outstanding achievement.
• Our roll of around 2,500 students enables us
to provide an extensive, diverse and specialised
curriculum that caters for and challenges students of
all abilities.
• We provide an exceptionally wide range of cocurricular
opportunities (music, drama, dance, clubs
and sports) for students to enjoy, learn new skills,
take leadership roles, and achieve at a high level.
• We are a caring school where students are known
and supported as individuals in a positive, inclusive
environment.
• We value effective relationships with parents
and the wider community to improve outcomes for
students.
• We are innovative and responsive to the evolving
nature of society through continuous and rigorous
review and evaluation of our systems, practices and
procedures.
Burnside High School, in partnership with parents and
caregivers, has the proven ability to assist students
develop the skills, attributes, and attitudes to make
a success of their lives in the workplace, in the
community, and as members of supportive and loving
families. I believe in, and am proud of, Burnside High
School and feel privileged to be its principal.
Phil Holstein,
Principal
BHS Stage Challenge 2017
Tragic mine disasters and depletion of fish due to
pollution and over fishing were two strong themes
portrayed by the Raw and Open Stage Challenge
teams at Burnside High School this year resulting in
first place for Raw and second place for Open.
The Raw team, comprised of Year 9 and 10 students,
gave a moving performance based on two of New
Zealand’s tragic mine disasters, Strongman and Pike
River. There was a personal connection between both
as one of the students’ great grandfather was in the
Strongman mine disaster in 1967, that killed 19 men
and another student’s brother was killed in the Pike
River mine explosion.
When we discovered the connection, we realised
we had to tell these stories and with the blessing
of the families, the team of 100 students won the
competition with a powerful and moving performance.
Open Division Second Place.
On the 15th of May the Burnside High School Sports
Leadership classes participated in a 24 hour run
to raise funds for CanTeen. This charity supports
teenagers suffering from cancer to continue to enjoy
life and everything it has to offer.
At 3:15pm on the Monday, the continuous run began
with fifty students and two teachers making up ten
teams who would pass the metaphorical baton to
keep moving around the one kilometre track for 24
hours. Many pupils had gained sponsorship per km
to help motivate them round the track - with the
aid of head torches in the darkness of the night.
However, the real motivation came in the form of all
the supporters who came and joined in, with staff,
ex-pupils and hundreds of Burnside High students
jumping on the track throughout the day. There was a
very special appearance from the principal Mr Holstein
himself, donning his running gear and showing the
students how it is done, this provided a big boost for
the weary runners.
By 3:15pm on the Tuesday, after some much needed
complimentary massage the whole team joined
together to complete one last kilometre around the
The following night the seniors performed in the Open
section of Stage Challenge. Again the team of 100
performed with passion to warn us of the dangers
of pollution and overfishing in our oceans. Clever
recycling of costumes of plastic bags and black fabric
depicting an oil spill emphasised the theme that
you can’t eat money and we need to look after our
environment now.
Both teams were student-led and the stringent
rehearsal schedules and commitment to their
teams resulted in deserved results and a greater
understanding of two significant events in New
Zealand’s history as well as an appreciation of the
risks of exploitation of our reserves.
Raw Division Winners.
Sports Leadership running for CanTeen
2018 Pre Enrolment closing dates
Friday 28 July 2017
for Years 9-13 students living in the home zone
Friday 28 July 2017
for Year 9 students living out-of-zone
Friday 4 August 2017
for Years 10-13 students living out-of-zone
Canteen Runners.
now muddy and worn track. Many of the runners
having completed full marathons and beyond,
stumbled over the finish line to a well deserved
applause from supporters, having completed
hundreds of laps and raised thousands of dollars for
CanTeen. All agreed the tired bodies, sore muscles
and blisters were a small price to pay to bring a little
light to their fellow teens struggling against cancer.
Applicants will be notified of their application
result by letter or email, which will be sent to
parents/caregivers on:
Friday 4 August 2017
for Years 9-13 home zone applicants and
Year 9 out-of-zone applicants
Friday 11 August 2017
for Years 10-13 out of zone applicants
Burnside High School | Greers Road, PO Box 29 677, Christchurch 8540
Telephone: 358 8383 | Website: learn.burnside.school.nz