Dear Brookes Westshore families and friends,
I hope you have all had a great summer!
Staff and teachers are back at the school finalizing 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.
Gym upgrades
We have made some changes around campus as well – the summer is a great time to update and upgrade. Our gym is looking particularly refreshed with some beautiful graphics on the outside that celebrate our student athletes (see photo above), as well as some new sound baffling on the inside.
IB Results Class of 2024
Most importantly - at the beginning of the summer we were thrilled to receive the IB exam results of our graduating class of 2024. I am delighted to let you know that our graduating students achieved an average mark of 32 – two points above the global average! - and that their average subject mark was 5.10 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
Finally, I would like to invite all of our families to our annual Welcome Back BBQ on Thursday, September 5th at 3.30 pm. Please RSVP here - I hope to see you there!
With gratitude,
Dr. Rui Li
Principal
Activities Fair
Students will have the opportunity to attend the Activities Fair on Thursday, September 5th (Block 5) and learn all about this year's sports teams, trips, intramural leagues and After School Activities.
This is a great opportunity for the students to learn about and get excited for all the non-curricular activities at Brookes Westshore.
On the same day, during the Welcome Back BBQ, parents will have access to the Fair and can ask their own questions about this year's opportunities!
School Trips 2024
We have organized some great trips for our students for the first few weeks of the school year. These are a Brookes Westshore tradition and a great way for students to build connections with their classmates, try new activities, and spend time enjoying the amazing natural wonders of Vancouver Island. See the links below for the details and cost of each trip. Students will be able to sign up in the first week of school.
- Grade 8: September 10th to 12th to French Beach
- Grade 9: September 20th to 22nd Horne Lake
- Grade 10: September 13th to 15th to East Sooke Park
- DP1 and DP2: September 27th to 29th to Rathtrevor Beach
Of course, there will be lots more school trips in the year ahead - we will let you know about them in the coming weeks!
Deer relaxing on campus over the summer
School Supplies
The school will provide all necessary supplies for Grades 4 and 5 students.
For MYP and DP we want to encourage students to take more ownership of their supplies as teachers find that students are more ready to learn if they bring their own supplies to the classroom. The school will provide any specific supplies that students need, but please make sure your child comes to school ready to engage and learn - with pens, pencils, a binder (any size), erasers, and a pencil case.
Calculators
A scientific calculator is required for MYP3 - 5 (Grade 8 - 10).
In the Diploma Programme (Grade 11-12), a graphing calculator is required, and can be purchased from the school. MYP5 students may also buy a graphing calculator from the school if desired.
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.
A family of raccoons passing through the campus over the summer.
Human Nature Counselling Society is now taking referrals for their nature-based therapy programs for youth this fall. There are four groups:
- Coyote Tracks: racialized male-identifying youth ages 9-12
- Coyote Tracks: any male-identifying youth ages 9-12
- Coyote Tracks: any male-identifying youth ages 12-15
- Lynx Trax: any female-identifying or non-binary youth ages 8-11
More information can be found on the links above. Referrals can be completed on the website via the links above, or by emailing: zahura@humannaturecounselling.ca.
The programs fill up fairly quickly, so please complete referrals as soon as possible.
2024 - 2025 Academic Timetable
Please note the slightly earlier start time for MYP3 - MYP5 students
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
- Linda Bayes - DP Coordinator
- Melanie Moroz - MYP Coordinator
- 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.
