Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,

On behalf of the Board of Directors I would like to welcome you back to a new school year and let you know about some important changes in the coming year at Brookes Westshore.

Jerry Salvador and Linda Bayes will be stepping down from their leadership positions at the end of the academic year (June 2023). Both Jerry, as founding Head of School, and Linda, as deputy head, have been instrumental in the growth of Brookes Westshore and we are very grateful for their dedication and leadership since the inception of the school and most recently in steering Brookes Westshore through the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jerry and Linda have been working with the board to ensure a strong and successful transition. To this end, I am delighted to announce that Dr. Rui Li, currently our Vice Principal of Academics and Diploma Programme Coordinator, will be taking up the role of Principal of Brookes Westshore, starting in September 2023. Rui will bring her energy, insight and academic rigour to this new role and the Board is excited to support her as she takes Brookes Westshore to the next level.

Supporting Dr Li in her new role as Principal and to ensure continuity through this transition we have created two new roles. Jacob Baumgartner is now our Community and Wellbeing Coordinator, and Andrea Salvador is the School Manager. Working with Rui Li as Principal, these roles will ensure that Brookes Westshore goes from strength to strength in the coming years.

Moreover, I am pleased that Jerry and Linda will continue to be involved in and support the school. Jerry will join the board as Chairperson starting in 2023 and Linda will continue to work with our students as the University and Careers Guidance Counsellor. 

I would like to personally thank both Jerry and Linda for their commitment and hard work at Brookes Westshore, particularly in their guidance of the school through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are confident that the new team will thrive in working together to develop and strengthen Brookes Westshore as a school and as a community of learning.

Finally, as part of the transition and building a strong future, we will be reaching out to our community to seek your input (through surveys, focus groups, and other events) to identify strengths and areas for improvement as part of a larger strategic plan.

All the best for the upcoming year,

Graham 

Graham Brown, PhD

Chairperson, Brookes Westshore School Society

CEO, Brookes Education Group

photos of Brookes Westshore by Raymond

Dear Brookes Westshore families, 

We are so excited to start the new school year and welcome new and returning students to our school. Staff will greet students at the entrance to the school on Tuesday morning and make sure everyone feels welcome and ready for the term! 

Please remember that ASAs (After School Activities) don't start until the 19th of September, so the pick-up time for local students is 3.20 pm for the next two weeks.

On Friday 9th September the whole school will be going to East Sooke Park for a day of activities and games - to bring the school together in community.  Please complete this permission form that covers all local school trips, and return it to the front desk. Many thanks.

I look forward to seeing you all again,

With kind regards,

Linda Bayes

Deputy Head of School

School Camping Trips Sign Up (see below for details)

Deadlines:

• MYP4  Hornby Island - sign up closes September 11th
• MYP3  Hornby Island - sign up closes September 15th
• DP 1/2 East Sooke - sign up closes September 18th
• MYP5  East Sooke - sign up closes September 25th

Sign Up

School Trip sign-up is open in SchoolsBuddy. Please sign in to your SchoolsBuddy account to sign up for the camping trip. 

New parents will need to register with SchoolsBuddy.

You have received an email from SchoolsBuddy to register – please follow the instructions in the email.

If you have problems registering, please contact Grant.

If you have any questions about the trips, please contact Aija.

Additional consents/waivers for the trips are linked in SchoolsBuddy (you will see this in SchoolsBuddy when you sign up for the trip).

Welcome Back BBQ - Please RSVP

We would like to invite you all to the Welcome Back BBQ on September12th from 4 - 5:30 pm at the school. 

We are looking forward to meeting students, parents, and staff at the BBQ. It will be a great opportunity for new families to meet the teachers, tour the school and enjoy some food and refreshments.

Please RSVP with the number of people coming (family and siblings welcome!) here.

If you have any questions about the start of school, please contact our front desk and we will help you!

Hip Hop Dance ASA Opportunity  

Brookes Westshore is interested in bringing the Beat Dance Studio into our facility to offer Hip Hop ASA classes on Mondays for all ages! This upcoming Fall term will be an introduction to Hip Hop dance class where you will learn basic Hip Hop grooves, foundations, technique, and choreography of a short routine. It's a great way to get some exercise, be social, listen to Hip Hop music and have some fun, all while building confidence and learning something new. 

The classes would run on Mondays and on a similar schedule as the below

• Gr 4/5: 3.30 - 4.15  
• MYP1 - 3: 4.15 - 5.15  
• MYP5 - DP1: 5.15 - 6.15  

Cost: Approximately $75.00 per term 

Please email aijasalvador@westshore.brookes.org if your child is interested in this activity. We will need enough student interest to reserve a spot for this September.  

*Please keep in mind that our popular Bouldering (rock climbing) ASA is confirmed to run on Mondays after school from 4:00 - 5:30pm for Grades 4 - MYP2 and MYP3-DP2 will run from 5:30 - 7:00pm. If you are interested in both dance and bouldering, we would still love to hear your feedback regarding your interest in the Hip Hop dance classes.

New school, new friends, a new adventure!

During the first weeks of school there will be many activities which focus on building our school community and preparing students for the academic year.

We also plan to have parents on campus more frequently this year, so keep an eye on the weekly newsletter for upcoming events.

Camping Trips

​​​​​​Tribune Bay Provincial Park - $300

Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Trips to Hornby Island

• MYP4 September 14-16th
• MYP3 September 19th-21st

Tribune Bay Outdoor Education Centre is located on Hornby Island, nicknamed the “Little Hawaii” of Canada. Our students will embark on a multi-day team building, leadership and outdoor adventure camp at Tribune Bay Provincial Park. This camp provides learning experiences that stimulate, encourage, and challenge each student to discover their potential and expand their abilities to adapt and succeed in a changing world. Students will participate in 4 adventure activities per day, and we will sleep in heated cabins over three days and two nights. 

Adventure Activities: 

• Team building and initiative tasks 
• Ocean adventure - Kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding 
• High adventure - High ropes, rock-climbing, giant’s ladder and the leap of faith 
• Island hikes - Helliwell Bluffs and Lunar Beach 

Becher Bay - ​​East Sooke Campground - $225

• DP 1/2 September 23 - 25th
• MYP5 September 30th - October 2nd

About The Camp

East Sooke Regional Park is one of the most spectacular parks in our region, with over 50 kilometers of trails along the coast and forest. Our campground is located a few hundred meters from Aylard Farm and the stunning sandy beach of Becher Bay. Students will wake up to the view of the ocean from our cabins/tents, paddleboard with professionals, learn from marine biologists, and hike through the magnificent trails of East Sooke Park. The activities planned in this biodiverse park provide our students with a great learning opportunity while bonding with their classmates.

Adventure Activities:

• Team building and leadership activities
• Paddleboarding with professional guides
• Marine ecological tour with environmental biologists
• Participate in multiple East Sooke hikes along the coast and through the forest
• View historic petroglyphs at Alldridge Point

Uniforms 

Many students will not yet have their full uniform. We ask that everyone dress as close as possible to comply with our school uniform policy. The school uniform policy is here. If you need to be fitted for a new uniform, please contact our front desk here. Teachers will review the policy with students the first week of school. If students have their uniform pieces, they should be wearing them on the first day of school.

Lunches

The Sage meal service will be providing healthy and complete lunches for students, and they will be in operation on the first day of school.

All students should bring a water bottle every day to school.   

School Supplies

Students need proper running shoes for Physical Education, a backpack and water bottle. We supply basic stationery needs for students, but they are welcome to bring notebooks, binders or loose-leaf folders – whichever works best for them is acceptable. We are trying to avoid sharing many items like pens, pencils, rulers, and calculators and encourage students to bring their own.

A scientific calculator is required for MYP 4-5 (Grades 9 & 10). In the Diploma Programme (Grade 11 and 12), a graphing calculator is required, and these can be purchased from the school.

Laptops

There will be laptops available at school for Grades 4, 5 and MYP 1 (Grade 6). Students in MYP2-5 (Grade 7-10) and DP will need their own laptop. 

Computer Recommendations for MYP2 & Higher:

Your choice of PC or Mac.

Microsoft Office license is provided to students from Brookes Westshore.

Mac: Within 4 years old

PC: Within 4 years old

• Processor: Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen
• RAM/Memory: 8gb
• Storage: Solid State

Chromebooks, tablets and other non Windows or Mac devices are not recommended.

ManageBac and Schools Buddy

ManageBac and Schools Buddy are the online educational platforms used at Brookes Westshore. All new parents will receive a welcome email from ManageBac. Parents are required to login to this system to ensure clear communication and collaboration with teachers and students. Schools Buddy is accessed through your ManageBac account. Schools Buddy is an additional programme which allows us to gain parental permission for field trips, After School Activities (ASAs), and the ability to book parent teacher conferences.

There will be an opportunity for parents to receive ManageBac and Schools Buddy support on September 12th during the BBQ.  

Students' daily timetable will be available on ManageBac, from September 3rd. We will have a schedule posted in the front lobby on the first day of school.

After School Activities

After School Activities will begin on September 19th. Sign up for activities will happen during the week of September 12th and you will receive instructions in the Gryphon Gazette (our weekly newsletter). 

Parent Information Sessions

We are looking forward to holding frequent parent information sessions at the school during the year which will provide the opportunity for parents to learn more about the academic and extracurricular program here at Brookes. Keep an eye on the Gryphon Gazette for announcements.

Calendars and Classes

We will continue to publish a weekly newsletter which will include reminders for upcoming events.

The key dates of the academic year can be found here.   

The school will be open for students at 0800 every morning. All classes, for all grades, begin at 0840. The end of classes each day is 1520 for Grade 4 – 10. The Diploma Programme students (Grade 11 and 12) will have some classes until 1600 on Tuesday and Wednesdays.

Daily Timetables:

Grade 4 - MYP3

• Home Room 0840 - 0855
• Block 1: 0900 - 1010
• Break:   1010 - 1025
• Block 2: 1025 - 1135
• Lunch:   1135 - 1225
• Block 3: Reading 1225 - 1255
• Block 4: 1255 - 1405
• Block 5: 1410 - 1520
• ASAs:     1530 - 1700

MYP4 - 5

• Home Room: 0840 - 0850
• Block 1: 0850 - 1000
• Break:   1000 - 1015
• Block 2: 1015 - 1125
• Block 3 Core: 1130 - 1200
• Lunch:   1200 - 1255
• Block 4: 1255 - 1405
• Block 5: 1410 - 1520
• ASAs:     1530 - 1700 

DP

• Home Room: 0840 - 0845 
• Block 1: 0845 - 0955 
• Break:   0955 - 1005 
• Block 2: 1005 - 1115 
• Block 3: 1120 - 1220 
• Lunch:   1220 - 1255
• Block 4: 1255 - 1405 
• Block 5: 1410 - 1520
• IB Core: 1530 - 1600

Brookes Westshore follows the guidelines outlined in the Public Health Communicable Disease Guidance for K-12 School, developed by the BC Ministry of Education and the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Brookes Westshore has a modern and up to date HVAC system and HEPA filters, in all classrooms and common areas. This system follows the guidelines of the BC CDC.

We are now able to allow parents and visitors back into the school and many events have been planned for the upcoming year.

We recognize that vaccines are the best preventive measure against communicable disease and more information about the vaccines available in Canada can be found on the  BCCDC website.

All staff and students should continue to perform daily health checks and stay home when they are sick. Teachers will continue to support students with learning through ManageBac when they are not able to attend school.

Please follow the public health advice provided by the BC CDC and Brookes Westshore School Nurse to determine when COVID-19 testing is required and when a child or staff is able to return to school. Students and staff are not required to provide a health note when they return to school and the school is no longer required to track illness.

Brookes Westshore will:

• Follow all guidelines and recommendations provided by the Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools
• Follow any temporary orders implemented by the BCCDC during periods of an outbreak of a communicable disease.
• Encourage and support personal hygiene measures which help to reduce the spread of communicable disease.
• Support all students and staff in their personal practices regarding the wearing of a face mask to ensure everyone in the community is treated with respect and dignity.
• Support the vaccination of everyone in the school community.
• Promote regular hand washing and provide learning opportunities for students to promote personal hygiene practices.
• Provide hand sanitizer in every classroom, bathroom and common areas throughout the school.
• Ensure a student who becomes sick at school is cared for in our health clinic and will follow the guidance of the school nurse.
• Collaborate with the BC Public Health Authority to provide the recommended vaccines to children.
• Follow the guidance of BCCDC and BC Camps to implement preventive practices during camping trips.