International Fair run by the Student Leadership Council Gobal Awareness Committee

Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,

Faculty had a wonderful Professional Development Day today and completed our final preparations for the IB Evaluation visit which is happening from February 15th - 17th.

The International Baccalaureate Organization evaluates all schools and programmes every 5 years. We were able to combine the MYP and DP evaluations into a whole school evaluation/visit for our 5-year review. These reviews are based on the IB standards and Practices, which focus on 4 areas of school management and student learning.  The four areas are: Purpose, Environment, Culture and Learning. Here is a link to a video produced by the IB which provides a brief description of the IB Programme Standards and Practices. 

The IB visit to our school in February will be conducted virtually and the 3 days are packed with meetings and discussions for future development. This is an exciting time for us to share our development and celebrate the accomplishments of Brookes.  We are feeling very confident about the upcoming visit, we are ready!!

With kind regards,

Linda Bayes

Deputy Head of School

Interim report cards will be issued on February 3rd. They will contain a work habit and level of achievement for each subject. There will be no teacher comments on this report.

Clothing and snacks from around the world

I was very proud to see our students showing their cultures and traditions during the community block this Thursday. This International Fair was organized by our Student Leadership Council (SLC) to promote international mindedness. At our school, we believe that fostering international mindedness among our students is essential for their personal and academic growth.

International mindedness is the understanding and appreciation of different cultures, perspectives, and ways of life that exist around the world. To promote international mindedness, we offer a variety of programs and activities that expose our students to different cultures and ways of thinking. These include:

1. Language classes: We offer a variety of language classes in and after school – French, Chinese (ASA), Japanese (ASA), and Spanish (ASA), to help our students develop the ability to communicate and understand different cultures.
2. Cultural celebrations: We show recognition to various cultural holidays and celebrations throughout the year in our morning announcement, such as Lunar New Year, Diwali, and the Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos or Día de los Muertos), to give our students an opportunity to learn about different customs and traditions.
3. International trips: We offer international trips for students to visit our Brookes UK school to experience different cultures firsthand.
4. Community service projects: We encourage our students to participate in community service projects, both locally and internationally, promote a sense of global citizenship and social responsibility.
5. International mindedness is also a central part of our IB programmes, which emphasizes critical thinking, intercultural understanding, and a strong sense of global citizenship.

We will continue to work to provide opportunities for our students to learn about and appreciate different cultures. If you have any ideas to share, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With gratitude,

Rui Li

Vice Principal of Academics

Re-enrollment

Re-enrollment notices for day student families were sent out last week and thank you to those families who have already responded.  Please take a minute to confirm your child's re-enrollment to ensure they have a spot for the next academic year. The re-enrollment deadline is February 6th.  We appreciate your attention to this matter.

Graduation Photos

DP2 (Grade 12) students will be having their graduation photos taken next week.  The photographer is booked for Monday - Wednesday and students know when they are booked for their photo.

Lost and Found

The Lost and Found bin in the Dining Hall is overflowing! Please check if you have items in there as soon as possible.

Model United National 2023

Our MUN group has registered to attend the Canadian High Schools Model United Nations 2023 in Vancouver at the end of March. This is an amazing opportunity for students to experience a Model United Nations event with over 700 students from across the country. The weekend conference will involve discussion and debate on some of the challenges facing the world today.

There is still time to join MUN and attend - if you are interested, please get in touch with Mr. Boxshall.

International Fair 2023

This week the Student Leadership Council Global Awareness Committee organized an International Fair - promoting International Mindedness at Brookes Westshore. It was wonderful to see all the students excited about presenting their cultures, food, and languages to staff and students. We have such a diverse student population at Brookes Westshore and love sharing stories of our different cultures with each other! 

Dorm students had a great weekend - watching the Monster Trucks in Victoria, playing soccer at the amazing indoor facility at Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, and ending with the gourmet burgers at Bin4 Burger!

MYP Drama

The MYP 2 students are seen here performing a selection of two person scenes. The students were given short scripts that they needed to learn. The emphasis was on creating characters while using the stage techniques (voice and movement) that we have practiced in class.

Our senior boys' basketball team continues their excellent run of success - beating both Frances Kelsey and Royal Bay schools this week. They are ranked 3rd in BC in the 'A' Division! Go Gryphons!

This bald eagle visited our creek this week. - we are so grateful to live among such amazing wildlife.

Do you have questions?

If you have a question about the school or just something on your mind, please feel free to contact our leadership team:

• Rui Li - Vice Principal and DP Coordinator
• Andrea Salvador - School Manager / Events
• Jacob Baumgartner - Community and Wellness Coordinator
• Melanie Moroz - MYP Coordinator