Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,

As you all know, three of the students from Ukraine joined our school a few weeks ago. We are delighted to let you know that they are settling in well, and gradually finding their feet - both at the school, and in the wider community. Our thanks to everyone who has made their transition to Canada as smooth and welcoming as it could possibly be.

As the winter break approaches we are working on how best to support these students during the closure of the school. I am reaching out to you, our families, to see if any of you would be open to sharing your homes with one, or more, of the students for the winter break. We thought it best to find out the level of interest among our families before committing to other options. 

If you think your family would be able and willing to open your home to a Ukrainian student for anywhere between one and three weeks of winter break - please contact Linda at lbayes@westshore.brookes.org for further discussions. We understand this is a significant commitment, but we would love to be able to host all three students with school families, so they can experience the best of Vancouver Island in the heart of a local family. Thank you.

Today we took time away from the classroom to remember those who died in military service, and honour those who served in wartime, with a Remembrance Day community block. I would like to thank the MYP 5 students who worked hard to ensure this event achieved the right tone and seriousness for such an occasion and thank all our students who gave the speakers their full attention and took time to reflect on the nature of conflict in the world today.

Understanding global issues is at the heart of an IB education and Remembrance Day is an important moment in the calendar for our students to reflect and learn from our shared histories and experiences.

With kind regards,

Dr. Rui Li

Principal

Remembrance Day

Today our MYP5 English classes organized and hosted our school Remembrance Day assemblies. The assemblies included poetry readings in several languages, a moment of silence and a moving tableaux presentation from the MYP1 Drama class. Our MYP4 - DP2 assembly also features a guest speaker, Tim O'Quinn, a veteran and part of the Memory Project.

The assemblies were an excellent opportunity for reflection and appreciation, and Tim told us that he was very impressed by the tone and respect of the ceremony, and how the students listened in respectful silence throughout. 

"It was important to us as a team to do the best we could for Remembrance Day. It has been a significant ceremony at Brookes since I joined the school, and I wanted to contribute to this strong tradition. Everyone did so well, and it was so rewarding to be thanked by our guest speaker, who is a veteran himself."

Meghan Boxshall, MYP 5 Remembrance Day Committee coordinator.

This week students in Grade 5 shared their presentations about a topic they are passionate about. Desmond's presentation topic was the Canadian Airforce, and he invited an expert and veteran, his grand-father Ted Butler, who was an Airforce engineer, to come and teach us about his career and answer our questions. It was great timing to receive his visit on the week of Remembrance Day! 

Coffee Morning for MYP 1 and 2 parents

MYP 1 and 2 Coffee Morning - Friday, November 17th. Please come and join us for coffee and treats. Ms. Moroz, MYP Coordinator, will be giving a short presentation on MYP Assessment. To help us plan for numbers, please RSVP to jboxshall@westshore.brookes.org. Thank you!

Ms. Moroz will also be hosting an MYP Parent Info Session on Wednesday, November 22nd at 3.30 pm in the boardroom. This will cover MYP Assessment in more depth and detail. 

Pancake Breakfast

Pancake Breakfast 2023: Saturday December 16th (starting at 9.30 am with two sittings). Join us for some delicious food and a whole lot of fun! All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Goldstream Foodbank - help us reach our $3000 goal!

Tickets will be on sale next week! 

We are opening up ticket sales for school families and friends next week before going to the wider public. 

If you would like to reserve a table - after you have bought your tickets - please let us know: events@westshore.brookes.org (tables are for a minimum of six people).

MYP5 Service Project Hot Chocolate Fundraiser. 

In an effort to raise funds for the BCSPCA some of our entrepreneurial MYP5 students will be selling hot chocolate next Friday (November. 17th) from 11:45 - 12:45pm during out bi-weekly Fun Friday event.

If you would like to support them in their efforts, please bring a toonie next Friday. 

Santa Parade!

Please sign up here to walk with Brookes in the 41st Peninsula Co-op Santa Claus Parade.  The parade will take place downtown Victoria on Saturday, November 25th.  Please note that students in grades 6 and under must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the parade. 

Parents, siblings, and grandparents are always welcome to join us! 

We will meet downtown at the designated parking spot assigned by the parade committee.  I will email all parents who sign up, once more information is given to us by the parade organizers.  

Winter Concert: Thursday, December 7th - students are practicing and preparing their skits, songs, dances, and acts. Don't miss it! 

DP 1 Food Drive 2023

Hi! I'm Isabella! I and other DP1 students would like to invite you to donate for the first food drive this school year.

We are doing this as a CAS project (Creativity, Activity, Service), and it is a great opportunity for all of us to give back to our community. It will take place from November 6th to December 18th, there will be boxes placed at the front desk where students will be able to place the food they bring according to the school House they're in. The food will be taken to the Goldstream Foodbank.

According to this food bank, some of the foods they accept can be Canned Soup (Mushroom, Tomato, Vegetable and Chicken Noodle), Alternative Milk, Pasta Sauce/ Noodles, Canned Beans, Coffee, Personal Hygiene Items, Canned Fruits, School Snacks (Granola Bars, Puddings etc.) 

Do not hesitate to contact me or my classmate Nezvith for any doubts about what's eligible to donate. Thank you in advance! 

Isabella - itamez@westoshore.brookes.org 
Nezvith - nguardado@westshore.brookes.org 

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!

University Applications

Our DP2 students are fully engaged in completing their university applications and it is a very exciting time for them.  

When applying to universities in British Columbia, students apply through a common application centre called My Education Planner BC.  They all know how to access this website and I have started the process with them.  In Ontario, the common application centre is called Ontario University Application Centre. The first step of the application is a very simple process and transcripts are not usually required until later in December or early January.  Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

University of British Columbia

On November 15th, I will be taking a group of fifteen DP2 students to Vancouver for a tour of the UBC campus. We are all looking forward to this trip and the opportunity to meet with some of our alumni who are currently attending UBC.

On November 20th, we have an admissions representative from the University of Alberta and UBC on campus to meet with students and answer any questions they might have.

Our Executive Director of recruitment, Martin Staffolani, will be travelling to Mexico this month to meet with prospective families to let them know about our school, and to encourage them to join our community. We love our local/international mix of students and are working hard to broaden our reach and strengthen the diversity of our student body.

He will be attending the Open Doors Fair in Mexico City, at the Marquis Reforma Hotel on Saturday on November 11th from 11am to 7pm.

You can also meet with him in:

• Mazatlan - November 13th and 14th
• Guadalajara - November 16th and 17th
• Ciudad de Mexico - November 20th, 21st and 22nd
• Villahermosa - November 23rd
• Ciudad del Carmen - November 24th
• Merida - November 25th and 27th
• Bogota - December 4th, 5th and 6th

If you have family or friends interested in meeting with Martin, or coming to the fair, we would love to connect! Please email: mstaffolani@brookes.org to set up a time or just drop by the events!

El Sr. Staffolani viajará a México el próximo mes para reunirse con posibles familias, informarles sobre nuestra escuela y animarlos a unirse a nuestra comunidad. 

Martin estará presente en la Feria Open Doors en la Ciudad de México, en el Hotel Marqués Reforma el sábado 11 de noviembre de 11 a 19 horas.
También puedes reunirte con él en:

• Mazatlán – 13 y 14 de noviembre
• Guadalajara – 16 y 17 de noviembre
• Ciudad de México – 20, 21 y 22 de noviembre
• Villahermosa – 23 de noviembre
• Ciudad del Carmen – 24 de noviembre
• Mérida - 25 y 27 de noviembre
• Bogotá - 4, 5 y 6 de diciembre

Si tiene familiares o amigos interesados en reunirse con Martin o venir a la feria, ¡nos encantaría conectarnos! Envíe un correo electrónico a: mstaffolani@brookes.org para programar una hora o simplemente visite los eventos.

Bracelet making

Cross stitch

Board Games

Skateboarding: Taishi learns to 'ollie' while moving.

When asked what he likes most about skateboarding Taishi (above) said: "Learning new tricks and the feel of just pushing and moving on the board".

Fostering Community Connections through PHE

In a collaborative effort, our MYP PHE teachers merged a couple of their classes, uniting older and younger students for an engaging Photo Challenge Riddle Scavenger Hunt. Teams were formed, and students worked together to decipher clues, determining locations and subjects for their photos.

The collaborative spirit among the groups was commendable, resulting in a collection of photos capturing the essence of this enriching community-building experience!

Junior Boys' Basketball

Congratulations to the senior girls’ volleyball team for winning their three matches on Tuesday. They defeated Parkland (25-17; 25-21), Edward Milne (25-12, 25-17), and St. Margaret’s (25-15, 25-20).

Another stunning fruit sculpture in our water - from our very own Sarah. You can see more of our dining experiences on Instagram @brookesdiningwestshore

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.