A Message from our Head of School - Jerry Salvador

Last night I was delighted to meet with a large group of prospective Brookes families and talk with them about all the great things that happen at our school. Many of the families are interested in their children starting at Brookes in Grade 6 in September 2020 and are thinking ahead about their children’s educational journeys. It is so gratifying to see how our school is attracting such engaged and thoughtful families. They came with great questions, and we had a lively discussion about the IB programmes, our after school activities, and the three pillars of our philosophy: character, connectivity and creativity.  

At the same time as I was meeting with prospective families Graham Brown, CEO of Brookes Educational Group, was presenting to current families about next year’s Spring Break trips to England and Russia to visit our sister schools and soak up some of the local culture. What a great evening for Brookes! We’ll keep you up to date on these trips and let you how to book your Spring Break adventure. 

As you will see below, we continue to keep busy with activities in and out of the classroom and to work hard to ensure our students experience the best of beautiful British Columbia. 

A Message from VP of Academics - Linda Bayes

We have some key dates coming up and I want to make sure you have them in mind and also that you have a chance to attend the next information session:

Parent Information Session

Tuesday, November 19  5:30 – 6:30 PM

The focus of this session is to inform parents about assessment philosophy and practices in IB programmes. Please join me to go over the basics of ManageBac, and a presentation on Assessment and Reporting at Brookes Westshore. BC Assessments for the new curriculum will also be reviewed. I look forward to seeing you there!

Grade 12 Mock Exams

November 25 - 27

These assessments will provide our students with a key opportunity to practice their exam skills in preparation for their exams in May 2020.

Term 1 report cards issued

Wednesday, December 4

Please be sure you have accessed your ManageBac account.

December 13 is the last day of class before the winter break. We expect all students to be attending classes until December 13. Early departures are very disruptive to learning and we encourage all students to not leave before December 13. Thank you.

A Message from After School Activities Coordinator - Brad Rudner

As we near the end of the first term for academics, we have been working to prepare the After School Activities (ASAs) for term 2. Term 2 ASAs will begin the second week after classes resume in January.

Many of the current ASAs will be continuing due to the nature of their mission, the competitive season or popularity. Some of these ASAs will be offered to students who were not previously enrolled in them and those who participated in term 1 will need to sign up for different ones. Currently, I have posted interest sheets for a variety of different ASAs (but not all of them), to gauge demand and enthusiasm (see photo). Students are encouraged to sign up so we can assess the viability of each of these proposed ASAs. 

Prior to the end of November, an ASA presentation that promotes and explains each ASA being offered will be sent via email to all the students, parents, faculty and placed on ManageBac. This will enable all interested parties to review the offerings as many times as they want to fully grasp what they can do and what it will entail. 

I hope that parents can encourage their children to sign up for three ASA for the term – hopefully, in each strand of CAS (Creativity, Activity & Service). With a push from home and a pull from faculty advisors, we are hoping the students will fill their after-school time with these diverse learning opportunities. Ideally, our young leaders will be intrinsically motivated to take advantage of the growth and development avenues that ASAs present.

Update on Recruitment with Admissions Director - Sheri Onushko

Last night we had a great turn-out for our information session for prospective local families. There is clearly a lot of interest for our 2020 grade 6 level - we are on target with our local recruitment goals! 

Next week, I will be visiting our neighboring province of Alberta, heading back to my home town of Grande Prairie to meet with local families and let them know about what Brookes Westshore has to offer! There are very few boarding schools in the region and I hope the opportunity to study on the island and experience our amazing west coast lifestyle entices some families to join the Brookes Westshore family. With world-class universities on our doorstep and the IB Curriculum we are definitely an attractive option for Grande Prairie families. We would love to add more Canadian boarders to our already diverse mix of students - wish me luck!

The Goldstream Salmon Run with Grade 10

Each year, about 30,000 salmon swim up the Goldstream River to spawn and die. This fall, every grade 10 student got to witness this spectacle of nature first hand during a field trip to Goldstream Provincial Park.

Guided by a park naturalist, the students learned about the four-year life cycle of the Chum Salmon, who have journeyed thousands of kilometers from the mid-pacific ocean to return to the stream of their birth. They also learned how the salmon transfer nutrients from the ocean into the trees by means of predators and scavengers who deposit their remains throughout the forest, fertilizing the lush plant life that grows there.

While experiencing this natural classroom, they were tasked with documenting 12 species to produce a field guide to the plants and animals of Goldstream Park.

We look forward to repeating this exciting outing next fall.  

Dorm Student Weekend Activities with Aija

On Remembrance Day long weekend, a group of 20 students spent the weekend in Vancouver! On Saturday, we ferried over to the mainland and headed straight to the Vancouver Aquarium. A few of the student’s highlights were seeing the large jellyfish, penguins, sea otters and a sea lion show!

Later that night we celebrated one of our student’s birthdays and had a spectacular spicy meal at Wings, complete with cake!  On the second day, the students went for a fancy breakfast at Jam Cafe and got ready for the CANUCKS game! We were upgraded to a suite, with the best view in the house! Although the Canucks lost the game 2-1, the last few minutes were up-tempo and exciting as they pushed for overtime. 

In the evening, many of the students shopped at Pacific Centre and one group enjoyed a Traditional Indian dinner at Salam Bombay. The final day we went to Lynn Valley trail for a short walk/hike with a suspension bridge and waterfall, before a last stop at Tsawwassen Mills Mall.

Finally, the students admitted they were shopped out and had a fun filled weekend!

More Student Activities with Michaela!

This weekend dorm students baked, threw, and skated!

On Friday Night, a group of students joined together in the kitchen and baked tons of sugar cookies! To honour Remembrance Day weekend we decorated the cookies as poppies. Many students throughout the night came to munch on the delicious cookies made with love by their friends.

Saturday, students went down town to Axe and Grind. Axe and Grind is an activity where you can throw axes in a safe but very fun environment! All students had to find their inner Canadian for this event but by the end they couldn’t help but throw bullseyes! We all had a blast throwing axes while wearing our best plaid, eh!

Lastly, on Sunday, students went down to Juan de Fuca recreation center where they participated in the public skate! The students slipped, slid and skated along the ice.

Thank you, students, for another great weekend! We can’t wait for more memories! 

Christmas Movie Night

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!

Grade 7/8 Girls Basketball

On Wednesday the grade 7/8 girls’ basketball team took on Cedar Hill and Journey. The first game was a well executed win by our Brookes team who was much more experienced. Samira was a shooting machine and was hitting all her outside shots! Eliana had some monster blocks with her strong defense. Eva did a brilliant back cut that lead to a swish! The second game was a battle of defence and rebounds. Ayla was our leading scorer and showed her perseverance on both sides of the court. Calla had some huge baskets that gave us the extra boost when we needed it. When the final buzzer sounded, it was Brookes that finished on top against a strong and aggressive Journey School. What a nail biter! In both games Claire recognised her role as point guard and controlled the tempo of the games. Kalina and Nyah were the toughest defenders and were forces to reckon with. Michelle and Montana had some massive rebounds that helped us lock down our wins.

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