MYP3 students at French Beach
Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,
The first weeks of term are a very busy time for everyone, and I appreciate how our families, staff and students have embraced the challenges of new schedules, new grades, and new classmates.
Our focus as a school has been on bringing all elements of our school together: building connections between new and returning students, strengthening our House system to forge connections across grades, taking students camping together in our amazing natural environment, as well as ensuring that parents and students are confident in the choices they are making, and in how their educational journey will unfold with Brookes.
As we move through the year it is these connections that will sustain and strengthen our school community and ensure our students flourish and thrive at Brookes Westshore. Thank you all for your support and hard work!
You can see below that our students have enjoyed a week full of learning, activity, and community. Our sports teams are already training together and even testing themselves against local schools - congratulations to the Senior Girls’ Volleyball team! With our After School Programme set to roll out on Monday, we are excited by the wide range of activities on offer and the opportunities they bring for our students.
Today the students and staff will take part in the Terry Fox Run – a Canadian tradition that brings us all together to honour Terry and raise money for his cancer foundation. Terry was an example of courage, humility, determination, and perseverance – and an inspiration to us all.
With gratitude,
Dr. Rui Li
Principal
Truth and Reconciliation
Please note that our Truth and Reconciliation community block will now be on Tuesday, September 24th. This change has been made to accommodate the guest presenter's schedule.
Our guest presenter is Jarred Genaille, who writes: "My hope is to inspire youth, men and women through the art of my Hoop Dancing performances, workshops and sharing my journey."
You can learn more about Jarred here.
Photo Credit: Colin Smith (2023)
MYP1 Coffee Morning - Friday, September 27th
We'd like to invite all MYP1 families to a coffee morning on Friday, September 27th at 9am in the dining hall to meet your fellow parents, connect with the MYP1 teachers, and hear a short presentation on the key elements of the IB MYP programme at Brookes. The MYP team will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there!
DP1 Coffee Morning - Wednesday, October 2nd
We will be holding a coffee morning on October 2nd for DP1 (Grade 11) parents at 9 am in the dining hall. This session will give parents the opportunity to learn more about the academic programme and ask any questions you may have.
House Shirt Orders are open until Wednesday!
You can order your House shirt/s here
Students can wear their House shirt on any school day, apart from Formal Day/Thursday. For House events and activities, we love to see students in their House colours!
Photo Day
Lifetouch were on campus on Thursday taking photos of all students and staff. The proofs will be with us soon - each student will bring home their proof copies, along with information on how to order printed versions in various sizes and formats.
Attention: Grade 6 and 9 Parents
Immunization consent packages for grade 6 and 9 students will be sent home next week. Please follow the instructions inside the consent package and return the signed consent form to the school.
Grade 6: Students in grade 6 will be offered immunizations at school with the consent of a parent/guardian/representative. Parents must give consent in order for their kids in grade 6 to be immunized.
Grade 9: Students in grade 9 will be offered immunizations at school.
Please discuss the information in the consent package with your child and include them in the decision to provide consent for immunization.
By law in BC, students in grade 9 can make an informed decision about immunization regardless of their
parent/guardian/representative decision to consent or refuse immunization.
For more information visit HealthLinkBC: The Infants Act, Mature Minor Consent and Immunization.
Immunizations are provided by Island Health Public Health Nurses.
Immunizations will be provided at the school for grade 6 and 9 students the morning of October 22nd, 2024.
For more information on school aged immunizations, please visit https://immunizebc.ca/children/immunization-schedules/school-age-children-teens
One of the peacocks from Royal Roads University has been keeping an eye on our DP students as they walk to and from their classes! We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful and rich environment.
DP2 Parent Information Session - Wednesday, September 25th
This is an exciting and very busy year for our DP2 students. Ms. Bayes will be supporting students with their university applications and will be holding a Parent Information Session on Wednesday, September 25th at 4pm in Room 204. This session will provide parents with information about the university application process and application deadlines. Please RSVP to lbayes@westshore.brookes.org. Ms. Bayes knows you have lots of questions and is looking forward to seeing you on the 25th.
DP1 Biology
DP1 students are learning how to use the compound light microscope, to prepare wet-mount slides and to stain specimens. They used pre-prepared slides to practice drawing cells, to determine the field of view (FOV), and to calculate actual cell size and magnification of drawings.
MYP3 Camping Trip at French Beach
The MYP3 students had a wonderful time at French Beach over the weekend - s'mores around the campfire, sunshine on the beach, and some paddleboarding fun.
Congratulations on our Senior Girls' Volleyball team! They played an exhibition match against EMCS on Tuesday and showed their potential with a 3 sets to 1 victory! Go Gryphons!
Hockey Programme 2024
Our Hockey Programme is up and running (should that be skating?). Our partnership with Juan de Fuca Recreation Center has been a great success and the students had a blast at their first practice with Coach Luke and Coach Ryan.
Basketball practice with our fabulous and newly installed logo on the wall
The Grade 6-8 Cross-Country Team had their first meet at Lambrick Park on Thursday - congratulations to all of you!
Fun Friday
Every two weeks we have Fun Friday activities in the courtyard. We play music, offer games and activities, and generally just have fun!
Local wildlife
We had a visit from a family of raccoons this week - taking advantage of the lower water levels in Colwood Creek they stopped to have breakfast under the bridge. Students watched with delight as they fished with their hands in the muddy water.
Weekends in the Dorms
Our dorm students are kept active and engaged over the weekends with a host of activities organized by the dorm parents. Sometimes these are on campus (arts and crafts nights for example) and sometimes out in the community (at the Saanichton Sunflower Festival earlier this term). Life in the dorms is always interesting, and there is always something to do with your friends and fellow dorm students!
Introducing Lucia MacKenzie - MYP Math teacher
I grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and graduated from the University of Manitoba with my Bachelor of Education in 1998. My specializations include Mathematics and computer science. I started my teaching career teaching overseas at several international schools in countries such as Egypt, Norway and Adelaide. During this time, I was eager to complete my Masters of Educational Technology - completely online by 2005 from Memorial University in Newfoundland.
I moved back to Canada to raise a family and continue teaching at my high school, St. Mary's Academy, which still holds a special place in my heart.
In 2010, my family and I moved to Victoria with our first daughter and were blessed with a second in 2012. Both are students lucky to be attending Brookes Westshore.
I have worked several middle school teaching and support positions in math, computer studies, and technology integration.
For the past four years, I was fortunate to have worked as a digital skills workshop instructor for students and teachers across BC and Canada, where I facilitated in-person and virtual sessions integrating coding and AI into the classroom.
When I am not teaching, I'm often found on the turf playing recreational women's soccer, hiking, or spending time with family and friends.
Term One Events and Activities
- Tuesday, September 24th - Truth and Reconciliation Community Block
- Thursday, October 24th - Halloween Dance (MYP3 to DP 2)
- Friday, October 25th - Pro D Day - No classes
- Thursday, October 31st - pumpkin carving and Halloween costume contest
- Friday, November 8th: Remembrance Day Community Block
- Saturday, November 30th: Times Colonist Santa's Parade
- School Spirit Week: December 9th to 13th
- Saturday, December 14th: Pancake Breakfast
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
- Melanie Moroz - Academic Director
- Linda Bayes - DP Coordinator & University Counsellor
- 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.
