A Message from our Head of School - Jerry Salvador

You may not know, but at this time of year we are working hard behind the scenes (and around the world) to recruit students for the next academic year. Our current international families have been invited to re-enrol, and we are putting together the information packages for local re-enrolment ready for that process to begin after Spring Break. We have had a lot of interest from new local families and many students have visited our school to attend classes for a day and get a feel for life at Brookes Westshore. It is always such a positive experience to see prospective students greet their parents at the end of their ‘shadow day’ with big smiles and stories to tell of the fun they have had. Our reputation is growing, and we are finding our place in the greater Westshore community.

On a more serious note, over the past weeks Brookes Westshore has been working through the implications for our students and their families of the ongoing situation relating to the global spread of the novel Coronavirus. We are very much aware of the unfolding challenges impacting international travel particularly as the Spring Break holiday is fast approaching. I will be sending out a more detailed update on our response separately today and ask that you read it carefully. We understand that the global spread of the virus is adding a level of uncertainly for many of our students and families.

We are happy to answer any questions you may have, please feel free to contact us with any concerns.

A Message from VP of Academics - Linda Bayes

Please note: all parents will receive their child’s Interim Report through ManageBac later today.  You will receive a message via email when the reports have been posted.

Grade 10 Selections for the Diploma Programme.

It is now that time of the year to introduce our Grade 10 students to the IB Diploma Programme. We will be providing several information sessions for students during their Career Education classes and/or subject classes to help them prepare themselves for the upcoming two years of school. 

Students will be provided with the overall structure of the Diploma Programme and the courses we provide at Brookes and we will support them to develop their graduation plan. 

On February 25 we will hold a parent information session at 5:30 pm and we encourage all students and parents to attend. This event will provide parents with the opportunity to learn about the Diploma Programme and its acceptance by universities. Students will start making their course choices during the first two weeks of March. 

Individual Assessments in the Diploma Programme with DP Coordinator - Gary Ward

Each year the Grade 12 class runs as fast as they can on the IB treadmill, from their return in January after the Winter Break until Spring Break in March. They are completing the Internal Assessments for each course they are in. Each Internal Assessment (IA) makes up between 20% to 25% of the final course grade for each course.

The IA is an assessment of a range of skills and knowledge that should be developed in the course. They range from oral presentations in the language subject to reports on experiments that are designed and completed for the science courses. Although some of the IAs may be completed by the end of their first year in the Diploma Programme, as either a Diploma Candidate or a Course Candidate, most are finished between December and March of their second year.

The IAs are a big preoccupation of the students at this time, but they have other things going on as well. Usually sometime in February or March, the content of courses is complete and revision begins for the IB exams in May. Many Grade 12 students are also being elated by news of offers from universities.

The First Year students in Grade 11 are just realizing how rigorous the IB programme is. They begin to really hone their study skills and time management to complete the work in their courses. It is a time for breaking bad habits and building new, optimized habits for the increased demands from the Diploma Programme.

The Grade 11 students climb a steep learning curve to begin to understand that the IB DP courses now require them to go far beyond just learning content, but to use and develop their critical thinking to draw conclusions and give justified reasons for those conclusions.

Near the end of the school year, all the Grade 11 students will go outdoors to complete their Group 4 Project, a collaborative scientific study, where students from chemistry, biology and physics work together on a common problem. This project is a great way for them to see the inter-disciplinary working between the sciences.

While the Grade 11 and 12 years in the Diploma Programme have different emphases, they both demand students to constantly improve their academic knowledge and skills, preparing them for the exams, and ultimately, for the demands of university life.   

Personal Project Exhibition

February 20th 2020

2.30 to 3.30 pm in the Dining Hall

The Personal Project is an independent research-based project for all students in grade 10. It is a significant piece of work based on students' interests, initiative and creativity. The project focuses on one Global Context. 

The upcoming exhibition is a celebration of the work and an opportunity for the students to showcase their products.

Please join us for an exhibition of student-led inquiry, design and reflection.

Mt Washington Alpine Resort Day Ski Trips

ALL THREE PERMISSION FORMS & WAIVERS ARE DUE BY FEBRUARY 10TH

Field Trip Form

School Waiver

Mt Washington Waiver

Dates: Saturday, February 29th & Monday, March 9th

Enjoy a full day of skiing at Mt Washington! Students can choose to either ski, snowboard or snowshoe and tube for the day!

All information and details about the trips has been sent through Managebac.

We would greatly appreciate receiving all forms as soon as possible!

Please note that there has been a change in the morning departure time, the morning bus will leave Brookes Westshore at 4:45am, students must be dropped off by 4:30am.  

If you have any questions please email  aijasalvador@westshore.brookes.org and I would be happy to help!

Hornby Island Camping for Grade 6 - 8 in May

We are very excited to announce our grade 6-8 students will be embarking on an excellent camping adventure to Hornby Island on May 6th-8th!

Hornby Island, also known as "Little Hawaii" (see the photo!), is located off the east coast of Vancouver Island within the Juan de Fuca strait. We will be staying at the Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Center and taking part in the many activities they offer.

These activities include: kayaking, paddle boarding, rock climbing, rappelling and more! This trip will give us the opportunity to step outside our comfort zones, learn more about ourselves and nature, and celebrate the great year we have had with each other.

Full details will be revealed soon, but please schedule these dates into your calendar!

If you would like to learn more about Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Center, please visit their website at www.tribunebayoutdoored.ca. 

Victoria Regional Math Challenger

On February 21st, several students from grade 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be attending the Victoria Regional Math Challengers competition being held at Camosun College.  Students will test their conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills in both individual and team events. The top students at the competition will participate in a final event to determine the top student at the competition. 

Some students may have an opportunity to move on to the Provincial competition happening later in the spring. 

We look forward to letting you know all about the outcome of this competition!    

 Juan de Fuca Rec Centre Renovation

On Friday Brookes Westshore Grade 9 gym class students and staff were invited to the grand opening of the renovated curling arena at Juan de Fuca Rec Centre. As you can see from the photos the new arena has both an indoor turf surface (perfect for soccer!) and a new plasticized pickle ball court that is also marked for volleyball and basketball. We are so happy to partner with the Rec Centre and the new facilities will only add to what Brookes Westshore is able to offer students.

Weekend Activities

Last weekend was another fantastic one here at Brookes! On Friday night, all dorm and day students were invited to a movie night held in the dining hall on a big projector screen! Students enjoyed the live-action version of Disney’s Aladdin! he Friday Night Club set up the dining hall to make the movie comfortable and most enjoyable with plenty of cushion chairs for students to sit on with their friends. Movies are always butter with popcorn! Students were treated with all you can eat popcorn, and all you can drink hot chocolate. It was definitely a poppin’ night!

On Saturday night, a group of students went downtown to participate in 90s style Laser Tag! Team Red and Team Green tactfully battled each other and hid behind barrels and walls. These teams really hit the target for the night!

Our weekend didn’t end on Sunday this time! On Monday night a large group of students went to cheer on the Canadian Women’s Hockey team as they took on their rivals, Team USA. It was a battle in every aspect of the game, with the game even going into overtime! Team Canada dominated the overtime and earned their first win of the Rivalry Series. “It was extremely exciting to see Team Canada pull together a win in the last minutes! I had goosebumps when Canada scored the winning goal and all the fans jumped out of their seats to cheer.” - Diego

Meet Gary Ward - Diploma Programme Coordinator

Gary Ward, MSc., MBA has been an educator for over 30 years. He began teaching at university while still an undergraduate and transitioned to secondary education after his Master’s degree in physics. After arriving in Vancouver, Canada, he became involved in the outdoor education program at his school and ultimately became a certified, professional hiking and sea kayaking guide, leading educational and ecotours in the Middle East, Europe and Canada while teaching in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada.

After six years teaching abroad, Gary returned to Vancouver Island in 2006 to teach. In 2009, he and his partner also began Coastal Bliss Adventures. He completed his MBA in 2016 and expanded the ecotourism venture to Africa with Kilimanjaro Bliss Ltd. After serving as Principal at an independent school Duncan, BC, Gary joined Brookes Shawnigan Lake in 2017.

Summers keep him busy on BC trails and waterways, while the school year keeps him busy teaching Physics, Mathematics, Business Management and coordinating the Diploma Programme at Brookes Westshore.

Due to a change in BC Provincial Exams, please find our updated Academic Calendar on our website.