Senior Boys Basketball are at the Island Championships this weekend (see below)
Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,
Selecting courses for the IB Diploma
I have been meeting with the MYP5 students every week since the beginning of the year and in recent weeks the topic of discussion has been about selecting courses for the IB Diploma. They are all very excited about the upcoming year and I have been so impressed with their questions and enthusiasm. One of the most difficult choices for students is always which of the three Individuals and Societies courses to select for their IB Diploma. We offer Geography, Psychology and Economics and all are equally popular among students. Students had the opportunity to hear from the teachers of these subjects who outlined the courses and how they might be beneficial for them in the future. They had lots of questions for the teachers, and I trust it will help them to make the right choice.
Parent Information Session
Dr. Li and I will be holding a Parent Information Session for MYP 5 parents on Tuesday March 14 at 5 PM to go over the requirements for the IB Diploma and how it fits with the BC Dogwood for graduation. This is a very important session for parents to learn more about the last 2 years of high school for their child which will equip them to better support their child as they begin planning for their post-secondary learning.
University Acceptances
Grade 12 students continue to receive offers from a variety of Universities in Canada and the United States. The most recent acceptances are from U of Toronto, UVic in Canada and in the United States, Virgina Tech, Faculty of Engineering, and Syracruse University, Faculty of Architecture. Congratulations to those students who received these offers. This is a very exciting time for our Grade 12 students as they start receiving these offers and there are several who will have some difficult decisions in making their final choices.
Students from Ukraine
The eight Ukrainian students who have been selected for scholarships have all applied for their study permit and we are now waiting for the Canadian Embassy in Ukraine to process their applications. I want to express our deepest gratitude for all those in our community who have been so generous in their contributions to our funding raising to support these students. Thank you.
With kind regards,
Linda Bayes
Deputy Head of School
The joy of graduation - class of 2022
Only 12 weeks until graduation!
As graduation approaches, we would like to inform you of the details of the event. We’ve been working hard and engaging the graduates to make this a truly memorable event!
Graduation will be held on Friday, May 19th.
Families of graduating students can find full details and costs of the graduation ceremony and dinner here.
We look forward to seeing you there!
IB assessments
All assessments at Brookes Westshore have the purpose of thoughtfully guiding and understanding student learning. Based on individual needs, teachers develop authentic assessment to support and encourage students’ continuous improvement.
Assessment is a combination of formative and summative assessment and is based on course aims and objectives. Formative assessment allows for the continual monitoring of student learning process to identify student learning needs and current levels of learning. Summative assessment is used to provide the basis for determining the final measure of achievement and evaluation of learning. Formative assessment is as important as the summative assessment, as it provides students with opportunities for improvement and preparation for the summative assessment. The term grade is based on both formative and summative assessments.
Students attending the presentation on Inclusion this week (see below)
In the Diploma Programme (DP, Grade 11-12), an IB grade (1-7) is determined first. The IB grade is then converted to a BC grade, according to the following conversion chart. This conversion table was created by the BC Association of IB World Schools to reflect on the rigor of the IB Diploma Programme.
Similarly, in the Middle Years Programme (MYP, Grade 6-10), an IB grade is determined first based on the four criteria (A-D) and then converted to a BC grade.
For Grade 4 and 5, the BC proficiency scale is used for subject assessment results, as shown in the following chart.
Parents are strongly encouraged to regularly check ManageBac to monitor your child(ren)’s academic progress. If you need any help with ManageBac, feel free to contact me, the grade level teacher, or our IT support at gsiemens@westshore.brookes.org.
Probability Meets Sustainability: MYP1 Math and Design Collide
An important part of our MYP programme is making sure that students understand how the concepts in their various classes come together. Each year students will engage in at least one interdisciplinary unit. Teachers collaborate to develop a unit that is taught across multiple classes, so that students can see common themes in two or more classes at once.
Mr. B and Mr. Dean recently linked up to deliver their unit "Probability Meets Sustainability" which culminated in students designing a probability-based board game with an environmental them. The results were pretty exciting!
Math Competition!
Each year, the University of Waterloo Center for Education in Mathematics and Computing host a variety of mathematics contests for students from grades 5 to 12. These contests are created by both expert educators and students from around the world—international mindedness in action!
This week, some of grade 9, 10, and 11 students joined thousands of other students across Canada to participate in these contests. They wrote the Pascal, Cayley, and Fermat math contests respectively and were very focused!
These contests are a great way for students to practice their problem-solving skills and apply their knowledge of mathematics in creative ways to solve problems.
Raising funds for the CKNW Kids Fund
For the next week we will have bracelets and stickers available for purchase by donation (minimum 2$). The money raised will go to the CKNW Kids Fund, a Canadian organization which supports families with children who have physical, emotional and mental disabilities. The families can then use the money for medical bills, educational assistants, counselling and anything else that could benefit their child’s life.
Please consider donating to this fundraiser even if you do not buy an item. Thank you!
- The student welfare committee
Brookes Student presenting at Royal Roads University TEDx!
Please join us in wishing Ben (Grade 12/DP2) good luck for tomorrow at his TEDx Talk at Royal Roads University. You can still get tickets for an exclusive livestream here: http://tedxroyalroadsu.com/tickets/
DP1 - MYP4 Tofino Surf Trip Sign Up Opens Tuesday, February 28th!
Sign up next week for our most rugged West Coast trip of the year! Tofino is a beautiful surf town located 4 1/2 hours north/west of Victoria on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Students have been asking all year about this trip, as we had an incredible time last year! We will stay again at the stunning Ocean Village Resort, located right on Mackenzie beach! We will wake up to the sound of waves on the shore and will surf with professional instructors from Pacific Surf Co and catch waves together in a safe group lesson! If you haven't surfed before, no problem! We will learn from the best and stay warm in our full body wetsuits! We will also hike through ancient old growth forests and visit the local surf shops in town. Please note that the DP1 trip, will be staying an extra night as it is the long Easter weekend!
Please note that the DP1 trip, will be staying an extra night as it is the long Easter weekend!
Keep an eye out for more details and sign-up through schoolsbuddy next week on Tuesday!
Trip Dates:
- DP1 - April 7th - 10th
- MYP4 - April 21st - 23rd
- MYP5 - May 5th - 7th
There are limited spaces available for these trips, so please sign up right away to secure your spot!
If you have any difficulties logging into our schoolsbuddy program, please do not hesitate to email Ms Aija to help. Email: aijasalvador@westshore.brookes.org
Enjoy the photos from our trip last year!
Masquerade Ball
Friday, March 3rd, 2023
Arrive in your best garments and be prepared to witness the most magnificent evening of the century!
- Grade 4 - 5: Just Dance & Mask making at Lunchtime (other grades are welcome too!)
- Grades 6 & 7: 3.30 pm to 5 pm - formal dress optional / no ticket required.
- Grades 8 - 12: 7 pm to 10 pm - formal dress and ticket required.
Grade 8 - 12 Tickets in advance at the front desk: $8 / Tickets on the door: $10
Pink Shirt Day and Inclusion Community Block
Wednesday was Pink Shirt Day with students wearing pink to inspire the kindness, empathy and understanding that can mean so much to those impacted by bullying.
On Thursday the Student Welfare Committee followed up on Pink Shirt Day by hosting a community block presentation on the topic of Inclusion - giving their peers a solid framework to understand the many aspects of inclusion, as well as concrete examples of how they can better support inclusion in our school.
Students visit Trillium seniors.
Dorm students visited Trillium Westshore last weekend and spent quality time with the seniors there - with the goal of sharing a little joy and love. A group of nine girls led the charge and brought their creativity and energy to engage the seniors in various activities such as keeping up the balloon with pool noodles (see the fun in the video), card games, shuffleboard, and music bingo. Both sides enjoyed each other's company and formed meaningful connections that are likely to last.
As the visit came to an end, we took a group photo to capture the beautiful memories we made together. The seniors were visibly pleased with the fun and fulfilling day they had, and tears of joy and hugs were exchanged between them and the students.
The effort and enthusiasm shown by the students were commendable, and their kindness and generosity were truly heartwarming and inspiring. We are grateful for their participation and would like to remind everyone that simple acts of kindness can go a long way in spreading love and positivity.
Dorm Activities Feb 24th - 26th
- Friday 8:00 pm Homemade Mexican Taco Night
- Saturday 2:00 pm Beautiful Thetis Lake Hike
- Saturday 5:30 pm Cheer on the Sr Boys' basketball team at the Island Final Championship Game!!
- Saturday 8:00 pm Bake Banana Bread in Common Room 1 & movie
- Sunday 2:00 pm Fun Volleyball in the Gym
Please sign up in the activities book for all activities!
Our Girls' Basketball Team is building their roster and having a lot of fun!
Brookes Westshore went into the Island Championship tournament this weekend as the #1 seed from Vancouver Island. Yesterday, they won their first game by a score of 93-23!!! Noam won player of the game with his play making and solid finishes at the hoop.
Today the team plays at 8:00pm in the semi-finals!
Go to Brookes Westshore’s Instagram story tomorrow and click on the live stream link to cheer them on or save the link below.
https://youtube.com/live/O41vq8S7m0g?feature=share
The Saturday Championship link at 8:00pm: https://youtube.com/live/X88DkZZgyz4?feature=share
Thank you for cheering us on! Let's go Brookes!
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
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.
