Dear Brookes Westshore families and friends,
I hope you have all had a great summer!
Staff have been working over the summer, and teachers will be back to work next week to finalize preparations for the upcoming school year. We are excited to have a full school of just over 300 students this year and are particularly looking forward to welcoming new families to Brookes.
Our school has been busy this summer!
Powerful Youth
The Powerful Youth team have been here, working with groups of international and local teens to build their self-confidence, develop leadership skills, and enhance their global perspective. We love that our school continues to work with young people over the summer and helps to develop the next generation of globally minded citizens.
IB Results Class of 2025
At the beginning of the summer, we were thrilled to receive the IB exam results of our graduating class of 2025. I am delighted to let you know that our graduating students achieved an average mark of 31 – slightly above the global average - and that their average subject mark was 5 against the global average of 4.9. We are very proud of their success and congratulate all our students and staff for their hard work, perseverance, and diligence!
As we begin our new school year, many of our graduates will be beginning their first year at universities across Canada and around the world. We wish them every success and know that they will thrive and excel in their chosen fields of study. Good luck to you all!
Welcome Back BBQ
We are looking forward to seeing you all at the Welcome Back BBQ from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm on Wednesday, September 3rd. The BBQ will be in the courtyard, with a salad bar in the dining hall. We have games for our younger guests, and the gym will be open as well. The weather is set to be beautiful, and I hope you can come and meet with other parents, check in with teachers, and enjoy the community spirit of our school. There will also be a chance to learn about this term's trips and After School Activities. Please RSVP here.
Upcoming Trips and SchoolsBuddy
You can see below that we have a lot of trips planned for students in the first weeks of school. Please keep an eye on your email for SchoolsBuddy welcome and sign-up information. It is vital that you sign-up as this is the software we use for parents to provide consent for trips and participate in parent teacher conferences. Thank you!
With gratitude,
Dr. Rui Li
Principal
PS: One of our MYP 5 students, Emma, was part of the BC Team that won the National Junior Women’s Team Championship over the summer! Our heartfelt congratulations to you Emma! You can read more about her success here.
2025 to 2026 School Year Timetable
Parking
Please be aware that school parking is limited - there are public spaces along Colwood Crescent (please avoid our neighbours' driveways), and there is paid parking in the grounds of Royal Roads University and at Colwood Corners.
School Safety - Drop Off
For the safety of our students, we ask that parents dropping off their children in the morning follow these guidelines as far as possible:
- Pull into the school parking lot using the first access/entrance.
- Pull in and drop off your child (please do not park in the parking spots as this then requires reversing out of the spot).
- Exit the parking lot by the second access/entrance and continue down Colwood Crescent towards Save On Foods.
We hope that this protocol will reduce the congestion on the corner of Colwood Crescent and make the morning drop-off as smooth as possible for everyone. We are working on signage for the parking lot.
Thank you for your cooperation – we know that student safety is as important to you as it is to us.
New Day Parent Orientation
We would like to invite all new day student parents to the school for a 1-hour orientation session prior to school starting. This session will provide parents with an opportunity to meet the teachers, learn about the software programs used for reporting and communication and find out more about daily life at Brookes Westshore.
This session will be a great chance to ask questions and meet other parents and guardians who are new to our school community. We find this session works best if parents can focus on the information - please try and find childcare if at all possible.
Wednesday, August 27th
- Grades 4-5: 1:00-2:00pm
- Grades 6-12: 2:30-3:30pm
Please note new students will have their own orientation on the first day of school. Students are expected to arrive for the first day in school uniform and will be shown where to go to class and meet their grade level leaders. Students will receive their timetable, school IT login information and learn about school policies and guidelines during this orientation.
The first day of classes is Tuesday, September 2nd, 2025
Day and Overnight Trips
We have lots of great overnight trips planned for MYP3 to DP2 students when we return to school in September!
We are excited to let you know that there will also be day camps (in partnership with Western Educational Adventures) for Grade 4 to MYP2 in the first two weeks of school:
- MYP2 - Thursday, 4th September
- MYP1 - Monday, 8th September
- Grade 4/5 - Tuesday, 9th September
Full details and sign up will be through SchoolsBuddy (families - please remember to watch for a SchoolsBuddy sign up email).
School Supplies
We provide the necessary supplies (not including laptops and calculators - see below) that students will need in class - including pens, paper, folders, duotangs etc. Your child is welcome to bring any specific items if they have a particular preference, but we will ensure your child is fully equipped to engage with classes on the first day of school.
A scientific calculator is required for MYP4-5 (Grade 9-10). In the Diploma Programme (Grade 11-12), a graphing calculator is required, and these can be purchased from the school.
For students in MYP2 (Grade 7) and higher grades, it is expected that they bring a Windows or Mac laptop to school with enough battery life to last through the day. Please remember to bring a charger if necessary. Microsoft Office 365 is provided by the school and does not need to be purchased. Limited IT support, including troubleshooting and basic repairs, is available for student-owned devices.
Follow our dining team on @brookesdiningwestshore for mouthwatering images of our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners!
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.
