A Message from our Head of School - Jerry Salvador

It is hard to believe that the winter holidays are fast approaching – this term has gone by so quickly! We are heading into a really busy time for our school (and for you too I am sure!) There are lots of events and activities in the next few weeks at Brookes Westshore, so please take a moment to look through this newsletter and make sure you don’t miss out on an opportunity! We will also be sending out notices through ManageBac so be sure to check your email.  

While we are all enjoying the run up to the holidays and making the most of the season, we of course still have to focus on our educational programming. You will see below that our staff and students remain committed to our core vision: to build a world of self-confident lifelong learners connected and inspired to help others.

I am so proud of how far we have come at Brookes Westshore, in such a short space of time. We know we have more to do, but our foundations are strong and our spirits are undaunted. Be Brookes!

A Message from VP of Academics - Linda Bayes

Parent Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, December 11th, International Parent Conferences from 3:30 to 6:30 PST

We will be holding parent teacher conferences (via skype) on Dec. 11 for International Parents from 3:30-6:30 PST. Please contact the frontdesk@westshore.brookes.org to schedule an appointment. Parents can request the teachers they would like included in the meeting and we will schedule an appointment for you. The conferences are 20 minutes in length and we encourage students to attend these conferences with teachers and parents.

Thursday December 12th, Local Parent Conferences from 3.30 to 6.30 pm

On December 12th, parent teachers conferences will be held for local parents on a drop-in basis from 3:30 - 6:30 pm.  Teachers will be stationed in classrooms throughout the school and parents will be able to meet with them in the classrooms. Each conference with an individual teacher will be limited to 10 minutes to ensure all parents have timely access to each teacher. This is an opportunity for parents to meet with their child’s teacher to review the Term 1 report card.

A Message from CEO of Brookes Educational Group - Graham Brown

Thanks to everyone who came along to the information session about our upcoming Spring Break school trips - we are so excited to be able to offer this amazing opportunity to our students!

In case you missed it: we plan to repeat the success of our 2019 student visit to Brookes Cambridge, and to add an opportunity to visit Brookes Moscow/Saint Petersburg or attend a Powerful Youth leadership and university program in Brookes Silicon Valley over Spring Break 2020 (March 15th to 28th).

If you'd like to go on one of the trips, or you would like more information, please contact me at gbrown@brookes.org.

The deadline to express your interest in coming on one of the trips is Sunday, December 1st. 

Thank you!

[photo: Brookes Cambridge]

Chemistry 11 and 12 with Dr Rui Li

In Chemistry 11, we did an acid-base titration experiment to determine the concentration of ethanoic acid in white vinegar. Students had fun to see some beautiful pink colour from the pH indicator and were excited to see how we could use the knowledge learned about stoichiometry to solve problems in real life.

In Chemistry 12, we did a redox reaction to extract copper and verified the production of the metal by doing a flame test. The students were very excited to see the bright green flame due to the copper synthesized using simple materials like aluminum foil.

Science 7 with Ms Kayleigh McIntosh

This week in Science 7, we explored the concept of natural selection by creating a model population of “Amazing Amazonian Beetles” living in different coloured environments of the Amazon Rainforest. They are using their knowledge of natural selection and the MYP experimental cycle to complete their second summative assessment in our Evolution unit.  

Christmas Movie Night - Friday November 29th at 7 pm

Come join us for hot chocolate, popcorn, snacks! We will be kicking off the Christmas season by watching the movie Elf on Friday November 29th in the dining hall at 7 pm. Wear pjs or comfy clothes. Bring sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows!  All families and siblings welcome - we'd love to see you there!

Brookes Winter Celebration!

Come celebrate and be Merry!

Come and relax and take some time for you and your family to celebrate and enjoy our Brookes community in a casual festive celebration.

When: December 11

Time: 5:30/6:30 - 7:30

5:30-6:30: We know this is a busy time of the year so we are inviting families to join us for (relaxed, casual) dinner in the Brookes Westshore dining hall before the celebration. We will be collecting donations for the dinner with all proceeds supporting the "Out of the Rain" youth center - a local charity group in Victoria working to reduce the risk faced by homeless youth by providing shelter during the coldest months of the year.

Please RSVP if you plan to join us for the dinner so we can let the cafeteria know about numbers

6:30-7:30 We will be hosting our first ever winter celebration and bake sale featuring student performance and cookies baked by volunteer parents and students (all proceeds from the bake sale go to "Out of the Rain" youth center in Victoria) 

We are excited to have such a talented group of students who have volunteered to perform a range of holiday songs, poems and dances. Two of our students have also volunteered to emcee the evening. It should be great fun and a wonderful launch into the winter holiday. 

Please RSVP if you are coming to the celebration so we have an idea about numbers for seating.

We will also be collecting non perishable food items and new toys to donate to those in need.

If you have any questions, would like to volunteer to bake some cookies for the bake sale, or would like to get involved in any other way please contact Christina at casalbrown@gmail.com.

Tasting Culture Through Cooking

At Brookes Westshore, we are very lucky to have so many of our students attend from over twenty countries across the globe! This creates a wonderful opportunity for our students to make friends and interact with students from a variety of countries and cultures! On Tuesday evenings, Carla Belas, one of our dorm parents, runs “Tasting Culture Through Cooking” each week. Two dorm students team up to teach other students how to cook a traditional dish or desert from their home country and the biggest catch is that every dish has to be prepared from SCRATCH!

Traditional cuisine is passed down from one generation to the next and it operates as an expression of cultural identity. This activity gives the students a sense of pride in their culinary cultures while providing an opportunity to be creative and share their masterpieces with friends. 

It has been fantastic having Carla lead this activity as she has proved to be the perfect fit! She has her Master’s degree in Preservation of Cultural Heritage and spent several years working in Brazil as a professor and researcher. Carla brings enthusiasm to the group with a focus on cultural conversations during the meal preparation and students are also encouraged to play music from their country throughout the activity.

This weekly activity has become so popular that students have already signed up until June! Last week, Reny and Maria led the group through making authentic Mexican tortillas and tacos. We have only just begun, but so far we have made Brazilian Brigadeiros, Mexican tacos and  home-made pizza. Next week, the students will learn how to make croquettes with Lila and Patricio.

On Tuesday night, you can bet that you will find students cooking, expressing and sharing their stories about food and culture! 

Another great weekend at Brookes!

On Friday, a group of students went to the first UVIC basketball league game. Students cheered on the Vikes as they battled. Unfortunately, when the final buzzer sounded the University of Alberta had won. Luckily, it wasn’t a complete loss because we found new basketball lovers amongst our students who can’t wait to go watch more games! 

On Saturday, a smaller group went to a sea glass jewelry workshop at the Maritime Museum. Students picked out their favourite pieces of sea glass, also known as Mermaid Tears, and used gold and silver wire to create beautiful necklaces and key chains. It was amazing to see beach treasures turned into something that can be kept forever or given as a present!

That night, students participated in a karaoke night here at Brookes! Students sang, danced and enjoyed many snacks. We may have found the next Mariah Carey or Beyonce!

Lastly, on Sunday, another group of students went to Oxygen Yoga Studio where they relaxed and participated in a wonderful yoga class. Students learned poses such as the downward dog and their favourite – savasana. On the way out of their class, several students asked about attending more classes! What a perfect way to unwind before heading into exam season!

A Message from our Junior Leadership Group

Toy Drive:

This year, we will once again have a toy drive. We are supporting an organization called C-FAX Santa’s Anonymous, which gives toys to kids in our community from less fortunate families. This year our toy drive will begin on Thursday, December the 5th and end in Thursday, December the 12th. The price range will be minimum of $15 and a maximum of $40. For each gift donated, students will earn house points. We have pledged to bring in 100 toys this year! 

MYP Holiday Party:

On Friday, December 6th, Junior Leadership will be having a MYP holiday party for grades 6-8. It will be held from 4:00 pm (after school) to 9:30pm. There will be activities and dinner until 6:00 pm, when we will take a bus to Butchart Gardens for skating and winter festivities. There will be a sign-up sheet in the dining hall next week, so make sure to add your name to the list! 

Secret Santa:

The Junior Leadership will be organizing a Secret Santa exchange for students in grades 6-8, grades 9-10 and grades 11-12 during the last week of school before the holidays. Any students interested in participating will receive the name of a school mate to buy a gift for. Gifts should range between $10 - $20.  All students are welcome to sign-up in the dining hall next week.   

Thank you!

Introducing Mr Ian Alexander - DP Geography

Ian studied History at Mount Allison University on the East Coast of Canada. On leaving University Ian taught in Korea and later in China. He taught English, Social Studies and Geography as part of Canadian and British Columbian Offshore Schools. He supported local students as they prepared to attend Universities in Canada, UK and the US. 

On return to Canada, Ian studied for his Masters in International Education at the University of Victoria. His focus was on the ability of learners to adapt to new learning methods as they engaged with a curriculum in another country and culture. 

At Brookes Westshore Ian started by teaching English language acquisition for students in the Diploma Programme, with a particular focus on academic and business writing. 

He is now teaching the Geography courses for grades 11 and 12 and will be starting a film making club in January as an ASA (after school activities) as well as hoping to start an Ultimate Frisbee ASA in the spring. 

Ian is a keen runner and races when he has the time and energy!

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