Highlights of the Spring Fling (and Mr. B without a beard!)
Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,
What a fantastic way to end the term with our Spring Fling! A heartfelt thank you to all parents who joined us, the dedicated events committee for their incredible planning, and our wonderful kitchen staff for preparing such delicious food. Your contributions made this event truly special. It was especially fun to watch teachers getting pied, dunked, shaved, and even singing – all in good spirits and for a great cause!
This year, all Spring Fling donations will go toward supporting our Ukrainian students, providing them with much-needed resources and assistance. Acts of service like this reflect the core of our IB values: fostering empathy, global-mindedness, and a commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
This week, we also had our annual senior students vs. staff sports challenge. The energy, teamwork, and friendly competition were incredible to see. No matter who won, the real victory was the laughter, sportsmanship, and sense of community that brought us all together.
As we head into the spring break, we wish everyone a restful and enjoyable break. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on the Monday, March 31st, refreshed and ready for another exciting term ahead!
With gratitude,
Dr. Rui Li
Principal
Reminders:
- Term 2 Learning Update will be issued on April 4th.
- Finding a Balance with Digital Technology with Shannon Husk at 4pm on April 8th (see below for details and sign-up).
- Parent-Teacher conferences will be on April 10th and 17th from 2:30 to 5:30 pm. Early dismissal at 2 pm and no ASAs on both days. Parent-Teacher conference sign-up will be open on April 4th.
Brookes Auction 2025 - In support of the Ukrainian Scholarship students.
Join us on Friday April 25th for a fun-filled evening of frantic bidding and delicious appies. This is the third year of the auction, and it has quickly become a highlight of the year.
We will be raising much-needed funds to support the seven students (pictured above) who escaped the war in Ukraine and joined us to complete their high school education in Canada.
100% of the funds raised will go towards flights back to Ukraine for all seven students. They will be able to spend the summer with their families and friends still in Ukraine, before returning to Brookes for their graduating year. As one of the students told us:
"Our trips home every summer are the best!! I don’t think I would have been as happy here if I was not able to return home every summer to see my mother."
We need your support to ensure the auction is a success! Here are three ways you can help:
1. Donate an item to add to the amazing line up of goodies we can bid on. Fishing charters are always popular; we have a lot of foodies in the community so restaurant gifts, chocolates, teas, and all things culinary attract some serious bids; or perhaps you can offer a service (massage, acupuncture, legal advice?) that would help keep the bids coming? Use your imagination – if you like something, chances are someone else will! You can drop items at the front desk during school hours. Many thanks in advance!
2. Donate your time to the event. There are a hundred and one (and more!) tasks that need to be done – from asking local businesses, trades, and services to donate items, to setting up (and taking down) the décor on the day, and everything else in between. If you can offer us your precious time, we would be very grateful. Please email events@westshore.brookes.org to let us know your availability!
3. Come along to the auction and bid, bid, bid! Tickets are $25 a person, childcare is available, and we love to have a full house on the day! Bring a friend, or your family, or a group of coworkers! It is a great evening, and all for a very good cause, and you might make the winning bid on something really special! Click here to get your tickets.
If none of these three options work for you, we are more than happy to accept donations to the Ukraine Scholarship Fund through our finance office. Please donate via e-transfer to finance@westshore.brookes.org.
Thank you all for your ongoing support of the students and their commitment to make the most out of the opportunity here.
Finding a Balance with Digital Technology Workshop
with Shannon Husk
Tuesday, April 8th 4 to 5 pm
Please RSVP here
Innovative Designs Shine in MYP 3 Fictional Product Unit
This term, the MYP 3 Design class embarked on an exciting journey into the world of product design. Students were tasked with creating a fictional product and designing its packaging, blending creativity with practical design skills.
Unit Highlights:
- Research and Inspiration: Students began by exploring existing products and packaging, identifying what makes them stand out on the shelves.
- Creative Concepts: Each student developed a unique product idea, considering the needs and preferences of their target audience.
- Design and Prototype: Using a mix of digital tools and hands-on materials, students brought their ideas to life, focusing on aesthetics, functionality, and sustainability.
- Presentation and Feedback: The unit culminated in a showcase where students presented their designs, explaining their creative process and receiving constructive feedback from peers.
This unit not only honed students' design skills but also emphasized the importance of innovation and critical thinking. The impressive range of fictional products and their eye-catching packaging demonstrated the students' ability to combine imagination with practical design principles.
Keep an eye out for these budding designers—they're sure to make waves in the world of design!
MYP2 Drama classes continue to dive into the world of Shakespeare, learning about the playwright, his works, and the language that he used. In this activity MYP2B students get familiar with the language of Shakespeare by creating and reciting insults and exults (compliments). Students in both classes are looking forward to welcoming a guest lecturer from the Bard on the Beach after the break.
The MYP 3 English class chose a young person who has overcome adversity to research and then produced a creative product to showcase their journey. We invited the Grade 4s and 5s to the class so the MYP 3 students could share their original books, news reports, poems, and podcasts.
Greta Thunberg Poem (Freestyle with some rhyme.)
By Hannah
The storms of change spark in Greta's eyes
To ignite and save our planet,
Greta stands strong her heart rooted in our earth
And when she speaks, she warns the world each passing day
Everchanging, evermoving
And we must fight for our earth she calls with a cry
She calls our youth to fight and to rise
Her heart, a spark ignites a global flame
With every speech she yells an urgent plea
Our earth is dying and it's because of you and me.
Greta is not just inspiration but the change we need to see.
MYP 2 classes went on a field trip to Fort Rodd Hill this week, to participate in a program offered in French called "Fit to Serve". Students got to pass medical and physical "tests" to see if they would have been fit enough to serve in the Canadian Army (early 1900's edition). They also got to learn about women in the army and participate in activities to explore communication techniques used at the time.
Last weekend our dorm students had the pleasure of attending the Candlelight Concert in Victoria. Local Victoria musicians played music from the TV show Bridgerton, lit by hundreds of candles in Christ Church Cathedral - beautiful.
Dorm students also had fun decorating mugs in the common room.
This week we were delighted to have Yoshi visit us. Yoshi graduated in 2023 and has been working hard since.
After I graduated from Brookes, I completed two years at Camosun College before recently transferring to UVic to study Business with an economics focus. To support myself through college and university I took an opportunity to work in auto insurance in Colwood to gain relevant experience to my studies, and to get a foot on the business ladder as early as possible.”
"I also completed the UBC Sauder School of Business Mortgage Agent course and am now transitioning into mortgage brokerage. While still studying for my business degree. I am working for Maxxam Insurance and really enjoying the challenge – pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, as I did at Brookes.”
My time at Brookes gave me the critical thinking skills, and analytical abilities that have helped me in both my studying and my burgeoning career. The school also supported me to push through barriers that I would have found impossible without their support."
"I am excited by the prospects of my career and would be happy to talk with anyone who might have questions about purchasing a property, refinancing, or mortgage strategies in general - my email is yoshi.gardner@mortgagegroup.com”
We also had a note from alumnus Kimberly English about her upcoming appearance at TEDx in Vancouver.
I wanted to share some exciting news; I was asked to exhibit some of my work as part of a Ted X BBT event in Vancouver in a few weeks! It’s a trading conference and they are featuring local artists as part of the exhibit.
Kimberly English, Class of 2018
The Friday Afternoon Music Experience (FAME) have been rehearsing every Friday this term - staff and students coming together with a love of music and creativity. They will be performing a concert for the school next term - watch this space!
1v1 Service Action Vancouver Aquarium Basketball Tournament.
This week at lunchtime students hosted the 1 vs 1 competition dedicated to raising awareness about the decline of ocean life and the tragic impact of fish being captured and confined in aquariums.
"Our goal is to bring people together for a fun, competitive day of basketball while shedding light on the urgent need to protect marine species and preserve ocean ecosystems."
And on Thursday we had the much-loved (and very competitive) staff vs student basketball and volleyball matches. Staff were happy to win the volleyball round but fell just short of winning the basketball match.
Athletic Awards Ceremony
We invite all students who participated on a competitive sports team to join us in celebrating their seasons at the Brookes Westshore Athletic Awards Ceremony on April 14 from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM in the dining hall. The event will feature multiple award winners from each team, along with special recognition for some of our senior athletes. Enjoy food and drinks as we come together to celebrate the achievements of our athletic teams throughout the school year. We look forward to seeing you there!
Lunch Menu
If you would like to know what is on the menu next week for our delicious lunches, please click here (this time it is the menu for the first week back after Spring Break)
Follow our dining team on @brookesdiningwestshore for mouthwatering images of our breakfasts, lunches, and dinners!
Term Two Events and Activities
- Term 2 Learning Update will be issued on April 4th.
- Finding a Balance with Digital Technology with Shannon Husk at 4pm on April 8th (more details and registration coming next week).
- Parent-Teacher conferences will be on April 10th and 17th from 2:30 to 5:30 pm. Early dismissal at 2 pm and no ASAs on both days.
Key dates of 2023 to 2025: Key Dates 2024 / 2026 - Brookes Westshore
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.
