Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,
Thank you to all the parents who attended the workshop - The Teenage Years - Roadmap for Parents - yesterday. It is wonderful to collaborate with you as we support our students through this important transition into their teenage years. A special thank you to our school counselor, Ms. Kat for organizing this valuable opportunity. We will have follow-up sessions later in the year to continue this partnership.
The term one interim learning update is issued today through ManageBac. This interim update provides a snapshot of student’s work habits and engagement for the first weeks of classes. We encourage parents to take time to review your child(ren)’s progress and celebrate their achievements thus far.
The Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on November 6th from 15:30 to 17:30 and November 7th from 14:15 to 17:30. Look out for more information during the week of October 28th.
We appreciate your continued support and involvement in our school’s journey.
A reminder that there will be no school next Friday, October 25, as it is a Pro-D Day for the faculty.
With gratitude,
Dr. Rui Li
Principal
Last Friday's Puppy Palooza was a great success - thanks to everyone who shared their beautiful pets with our students (and staff)! And to the Junior Leadership Council for organizing it so well!
Island Sexual Health visits
BC Island Sexual Health will be attending Brookes Westshore over the next month to present to our Grade 4-8 students. The presentations are based on the curricular competencies outlined by the BC Physical and Health Education (PHE) curriculum. Click here for more information on Island Sexual Health Education. You can also access this website for resources to continue your conversations at home.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the PHE department leader, Mr. Thom, at gthom@westshore.brookes.org.
Halloween Haunted House
If you are interested in experiencing the terrifying haunted house being run by the creativity committee during this upcoming Halloween Dance, sign up at the front desk. Admission to the haunted house is included with your dance ticket, which can be purchased at the front desk or on the door. However, the haunted house has limited entry, so please sign up! Groups of up to five are allowed and encouraged as there are only 18 time slots! When you get to the front desk, write down the names of all the people going in your group in the appropriate time slot, and get ready for a spooky experience!
You can now order your Brookes Westshore jackets online!
We have set up an online store for the Brookes Puffy jackets and Rain jackets at Passion Sports here.
The store closes on October 27th at 11:59 PM. Unfortunately, late orders CAN NOT be processed.
There is a size chart for each jacket. Unfortunately, at this time we do not have sample jackets to try on for size. Purchased jackets will be delivered to the school.
If you have any questions, please contact Maraina at mlightly@westshore.brookes.org
Parent-Teacher Conferences
The Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on November 6th from 3:30 to 5:30 pm and November 7th from 2:15 to 5:30 pm.
November 7th will be an early dismissal day at 2:00 pm.
There will be NO ASAs on these two days other than morning Hockey Academy on the 7th. The conferences will be virtual, and the sign up on SchoolsBuddy will open in late October.
Photo retakes will be on Thursday, November 7th
Thanks to Tish (DP1) and her family for hosting Andrea and Igor for Thanksgiving. We are so grateful for our warm and caring community!
“UBC and the International Baccalaureate Organization share a common vision – we believe global perspectives are key to education. No wonder so many IB graduates succeed here.” - International Baccalaureate students - UBC | Undergraduate Programs and Admissions
Many universities around the world highly value IB students, recognizing their unique and rigorous educational background. Admissions committees often view IB students favorably due to the program’s emphasis on comprehensive academic preparation, critical thinking, and global perspectives. Moreover, many universities acknowledge the depth of knowledge IB students have acquired during their Diploma Programme by granting them first-year course credits, putting them one step closer to their post-secondary goals before they even get here.
“As an International Baccalaureate (IB) student, you’re already well on your way to success at UVic. We want to support you and reward your achievements with some of the best IB recognition in the country.” - International Baccalaureate students - Undergrad - UVic
MYP5 Individuals and Societies
The students in Individuals & Societies (MYP 5) are currently learning about the Paris Peace Conferences held at the end of World War I. To allow them to better understand some of the challenges facing the delegates to the conference, the students have been assigned a country to represent. Their first task was to negotiate and decide upon new borders for the countries of eastern Europe. The students really embraced the role-playing aspect of this task! This led to some very animated discussions as each delegate tried to negotiate the best deal for their own country!
For the month of October, Susie (DP2) and Sara (MYP2) have been participating in a 100 km challenge to raise money for Epilepsy research, a cause which is close to their hearts. Only halfway through the challenge, they have already biked, run, hiked, and walked a combined total of 80km! In addition to their movement goal, they have already raised 20% of their fundraising goal! So, if you are willing to support them in their 100km journey through donating, or sharing the fundraiser, you may use this link. Every dollar makes a difference. They really appreciate the support! Thank you!
Royal Victoria Marathon
12 students in dorm (Ryla, Iris, Andrea, Renata, Olivia, Marcarena, Sebastian, Erick, Danyil, Bohdan, Kingston, Shaun) participated in the Royal Victoria Marathon last Sunday. They all ran the 8K and the fastest one was Sebastian, who finished at 41.28 mins, followed by Danyil and Bohdan; Olivia was the fastest girl, with a time of 42.06 mins, followed by Macarena. Congratulations to you all!
Dorm students enjoyed a special Thanksgiving Dinner last weekend - many thanks to our amazing Dining staff for feeding us all each and every day!
Enjoy some of the works of art the dorm students created this week with guidance and support from dorm parent Fabianne.
The Senior Boys Soccer Team spent two days this week in Sidney, where they played four matches in the Island Championship. Despite having only practiced together for a few weeks, the team achieved an impressive seventh place ranking among all teams on Vancouver Island. They secured this position with a thrilling shootout victory against Ucluelet and earned the respect of their opponents by fiercely competing in every game. If you see them in the hallways or in class, be sure to congratulate them!
The Senior Girls’ Volleyball Team had an exciting evening of volleyball on Tuesday, playing exhibition games against three teams from the first division. As a small school, we play in the second division, so this was a good challenge for our team. We narrowly lost against Oak Bay in the first match (19-25; 22-25); in the second match we drew sets with Pacific Christian (25-16; 23-25), who is currently ranked 4th in the city; and defeated Reynolds in straight sets (25-19; 25-21) in the final match of the evening. Their coaches Mr. Turkington and Mr. Thom were very pleased with their good performance against such strong competition.
The Junior Girls' Volleyball Team hosted Spectrum and EMCS yesterday after school for some exciting volleyball games. The girls fought hard against a tough Spectrum team, narrowly losing the first set 21-25. Against EMCS, Tina went on a streak of 15 consecutive serves, going on to win the first set 25-14. Coach Thom was very proud of the resilience and determination that the girls demonstrated in both games. They have showed immense growth in both their skills and team spirit over the course of the season! Congratulations!
The junior cross-country team in action on Wednesday.
“Balance is the Key to Surviving the IB” – By Susie Black (SLC President, DP2)
The IB program is well-known for being rigorous, and having high academic demands, but prioritizing a balanced lifestyle is key to thriving in and out of the classroom.
As coursework, Internal Assessments, Extended Essays, TOK and CAS, takes up most of our time and energy, students can easily feel overwhelmed. Although balancing these commitments with hobbies, social time, and rest is difficult, it is crucial to prevent burnout. Overworking often leads to exhaustion, stress, and even sickness (speaking from experience), which often negatively impacts our academic performance and mental health. A well-balanced schedule can help us stay motivated (and sane) throughout this rigorous program.
Here are some practical tips I’ve found helpful to help me stay balanced:
Use strategies like time blocking, setting small goals, and prioritizing tasks based on deadlines. (I love using Notion and a physical agenda to keep track of these).
Taking regular breaks (5-10 minutes) during study sessions or engaging in sports and creative activities (basketball, hiking, nature walks, music, painting, etc) to help recharge the brain.
Even journaling or meditation can reduce stress and increase focus by helping us become aware of what we’re going through and helping us process it.
Prioritizing connections with friends and family – we cannot go through this program on our own. We need to support each other and have a support system for ourselves for when times get tough... *cough Mocks cough*.
Lastly, REST. It is so hard to get all the above done if you aren’t well-rested. Getting enough sleep (ideally 8 hours), and taking downtime, away from technology, can provide us with the energy we need to be successful.
From my own experience, maintaining a balanced daily routine has offered me better mental well-being, a more enjoyable high school experience, and most importantly; sanity. Ultimately, staying balanced isn't just about surviving the IB program—it's about thriving and making the most of this unique educational journey.
Term One Events and Activities
- Thursday, October 24th: Halloween Dance (MYP3 to DP 2)
- Friday, October 25th: Pro D Day - No classes
- Thursday, October 31st: pumpkin carving and Halloween costume contest
- Friday, November 8th: Remembrance Day Community Block
- Saturday, November 30th: Times Colonist Santa's Parade
- School Spirit Week: December 9th to 13th
- Saturday, December 14th: Pancake Breakfast
Key dates of 2023 to 2025: Key Dates 2024 / 2025 - Brookes Westshore
Lunch Menu
If you would like to know what is on the menu next week for our delicious lunches, please click here.
Follow our dining team on @brookesdiningwestshore for mouthwatering images of our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners!
Please find our School Accessibility questionnaire here.
Safer Schools information: erase Family Sessions (saferschoolstogether.com)
Your comments and feedback are welcome! Please click here to leave a comment, ask a question, or raise an issue. Thank you!
Do you have questions or concerns?
If you have a question about the school or just something on your mind, please feel free to contact our leadership team:
- Rui Li - Principal
- Andrea Salvador - School Manager
- Jacob Baumgartner - School Culture Director
- Melanie Moroz - Academic Director
- Linda Bayes - DP Coordinator & University Counsellor
- Martin Staffolani - Executive Director of Recruitment
Please consider posting a review
If you have a minute, it will really help us to reach new families if you could consider posting a positive review online on Google or here (you will need to log in to the OurKids website to leave a review here). Prospective families love to hear from current parents about your real experiences here!
Brookes Westshore acknowledges that our school is on the traditional lands of the Xwsepsum (Esquimalt) and Lekwungen (Songhees) ancestors and families.
With gratitude, we live, work and learn here where the past, present, and future of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, faculty and staff come together.
