Mount Washington Ski Trip 2024

Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,

This week, we are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our four new Ukrainian students who joined us on Monday. Embracing inclusion, we are dedicated to providing support and creating a positive educational experience for all students, ensuring they feel valued and embraced within our school community.

We are so grateful to our parent community for so wholeheartedly supporting this initiative. One of our families shared this about their experience of hosting one of the students over the winter break: "We wanted her to feel the love of a Canadian family during what could have been an awkward and difficult time. We are so happy that she feels like she has family here and she always will. She stole our hearts early on and in fact, we miss her here at home."  Thanks to all of you for being part of our amazing school community. 

Our school ski trip on Wednesday was a snow-filled adventure that brought students together for thrilling slopes, laughter, and unforgettable memories. From beginners mastering their first turns to seasoned skiers showcasing their skills, it was a fantastic experience for everyone. A big shoutout to Ms. Brooklyn for all her hard work to organize and lead the trip! Also, thanks to our dedicated staff, parent volunteers, and enthusiastic students for making the trip a resounding success!

Term 2 interim learning update will be issued on Friday, February 9^th. In this interim update, homeroom teachers and advisors provide descriptive comments on students’ ATL (Approaches to Learning) development progress (no grades). The ATL skills are an important component of IB teaching and learning. There are five ATL skill categories: Research, Thinking, Communication, Social, and Self-management skills. With teachers’ support, our students set goals, develop strategies to practice the ATL skills of their choice, and self-reflect on their progress with the skills. Over time, students can identify their strengths and weaknesses and become stronger, more self-regulated life-long learners.

Looking ahead:

• February 1^st – 6^th: DP2 mock exam
• February 2^nd: Brookes Book Day
• February 8^th: DP2 EE exhibition
• February 9^th: Lunar New Year celebration – Dance and Activities
• February 16^th: No class, Pro-D Day
• February 19^th: No school, Family Day

With kind regards,

Dr. Rui Li

Principal

All the Brookes students from Ukraine together at the ferry - welcome to Canada!

Creative Writing Contest

Deadline February 3rd! Don't hesitate to join in for the chance to get a prize!

Are you an avid writer? Is creating stories your favorite pastime? Or do you enjoy dabbling with words and rhymes?  Practice your creative writing skills in the Brookes Westshore writing competition this week and write a short story or poem for house points and prizes!

Prizes will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in both categories of Grades 4-7 and Grades 8-12. They include $50 and $25 Russel Books gift cards and hundreds of house points!

Submissions are due Feb. 3rd. Please use the link or QR code below to find out more about the contest's prizes and rules, as well as to read the prompts, criteria, and submit your creative writing!

Full details are available here.

Brookes Book Day: Friday, February 2^nd

As part of our ongoing efforts to encourage reading, we will celebrate Brookes Book Day next Friday.

• English teachers will incorporate special activities into their lessons.
• Students are invited to dress up as their favourite book character and compete for House points in a costume contest in the courtyard at lunchtime (12:25).

Book Donations

We would be delighted to receive any donations of books that we could add to our supplies for independent reading in Grades 4-10. Perhaps you would like to make some room in your bookshelves? Or perhaps you remember a book you particularly loved when you were young, and would like to pick up a copy at a local bookshop to add to our shelves? We will have a box at Reception next week to receive your donations.

Thank you!

Reenrollment

Many new families have expressed interest in joining us next year at Brookes Westshore. With this in mind we would like to start the re-enrollment process for our current families next week. Re-enrollment notices will be sent out through our application system, and we appreciate your prompt response to ensure your child secures a spot in our classes for the 2023-24 school year.

The Grad Photos will be on January 29th, 30th, and 31st. Students have been assigned to a specific slot and will be wearing their formal uniforms. 

MYP 3 are learning about and raising money for the BCSPCA.

We began the year deciding which charities we wanted to support and find out more about in our IB Service as Action project. Many of us are pet owners and are appalled by animal cruelty and welfare issues in BC.

We are currently looking out for opportunities to volunteer and assist the charity and this fundraiser is only one part of our service action!

Buy a chocolate bunny and help a fluffy bunny! 

Did you know in 2022 BCSPCA assisted 118,679 animals? Check out this latest data and find out other ways can help here!

For more details on how the Purdy's fundraiser works - please click here and here.

Apples to Apples

MYP5 Students are working hard on their Personal Projects, managing the learning and product goals that they set in the fall and documenting their progress and achievements in their reports. It has been wonderful watching them develop their projects, meet their goals and engage others in the process.

This past Tuesday, the dining hall was a flurry of activity as MYP5 student Joseph conducted a very important part of his project. Joseph’s learning objective is to understand the development of novel apples cultivars and its reception amongst younger audiences. Lisa (cafeteria manager), Avery, Laura, Meghan, and Sophie coordinated for a school-wide apple taste test during lunch hour with him.

Students, faculty, and staff were encouraged to visit the taste test station and rate their opinions on five different apple cultivars, noting appearance, taste, juiciness, crispness, and overall satisfaction for apple. There were lots of response to the invitation and Joseph collected plenty of data.

Joseph’s next step is to interpret the results of his inquiry through sophisticated data analysis. He plans to document his work in an academic journal style horticulture article that demonstrates his thinking, research, and communications skills.

There are many more interesting and innovative ideas circulating around the MYP5 Class of 2024. Stay tuned for more highlights as they finish their projects soon!

MYP 5 Personal Writing - "The First Snow Fall" by Meghan

The air was crisp, carrying a sense of anticipation that couldn’t be shaken. The sky, once a canvas of muted greys, now transformed into a tapestry of white. The cold snaked around many onlookers, but still, they waited with bated breath. The ground prepared for the lush blankets of snow that were soon to paint the world white. The earth held its breath, patiently awaiting the first snowfall. As the first flakes descended, they pirouetted, caught in a silent ballet. Intricate snowflakes swept the skies with the magic of winter. The trees, once skeletal figures from the autumn months, slowly came back alive, adorned with glittering crystals and powder snow.

The first snowfall was not just a change in weather; it was a shift in perspective. Where people once complained of the cold, they now lay, enjoying the serenity that the weather provided. Hats, mitts, and coats were adorned, and soon the streets were filled with children’s laughter and the smiles of onlookers.

The winter has never been just a season. It brings joy and delight to most, and it has always had a special place in my heart. In the small neighbourhood I grew up in, the first snowfall was nothing short of a magical spectacle. I remember waking up and rushing to the window to see the blankets of snow layering the ground. The air itself was different, more crisp and clear than ever before.

Bounding up the stairs, I would find my family watching the sky in wonder. We’d laugh, enjoying the simplicity of the moment. Then came the utter excitement. My brother and I would rush back down the stairs, adorn our small boots and jackets, and fight over who got the better mittens. We’d creak open the door and feel the cold chill of the air, but nothing could stop us from running into the white powder that awaited us. He and I would make snow angels, sled down the most dangerous slopes, and enjoy the snow. Then finally came the competition; the fort fight. After hours of building forts and sledding, we’d eventually get tired and retire to the warmth and comfort of our childhood home.

Our mother would have prepared hot chocolate and lit the fireplace, and we would all sit around the warmth that it provided to chase away the bitter chill that had settled under our bones. In the evening, when the sun had fallen beyond the horizon, I would lay in bed and feel an immense sense of gratitude. The first snowfall wasn’t just about the snow; it was a gift, a memory etched in the fabric of my childhood, a reminder that even in the coldest of seasons, warmth and wonder could be found.

University Acceptances

DP2 (Grade 12) students have started to receive acceptance letters from universities, and we would like to congratulate Aristotle Chang who received acceptance into Life Sciences at University of Toronto and was granted a $2,000 scholarship. Well done, Aristotle!

Mock Exams

Brookes Mock Exams (DP2 students only) are scheduled for February 1st - 6th. The schedule for these exams has been posted on ManageBac for students and there will be no scheduled classes for DP2 students during the examination session.

All IB World Schools provide DP2 students with the opportunity to experience an IB exam prior to the examination session and they are called Mock Exams.  These exams allow students the opportunity to experience the IB Exam process and write a comprehensive exam for their subjects. Mock exams are based on IB past papers.  

Student achievement on these exams assist teachers in providing more accurate predicated grades for universities. I will be submitting all predicated grades to universities in BC following this examination session. This is a very stressful time for the graduating class of 2024 and we wish them well.

DP1 Extended Essay

DP1 students are well on their way to selecting the topic and research question for their Extended Essay. This is a significant project for high school students and requires the use of ATL skills they have been developing throughout the MYP. You can learn more about the EE through this link to the IB Website. Students have attended an EE class since the beginning of the year and have now been assigned a supervisor who will work with them individually and help guide them through the process. There are some interesting topics selected by students this year and I encourage you to discuss the EE with your child.

Our ASA programme is up and running and students are engaging in a wide variety of activities across the school.

We finished last week with a lip-sync battle in the Dining Hall for House Points. Everyone had a lot of fun - dressing up and lip-syncing along to their favourite songs!

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.