Dorm students enjoyed the "Adopt a Plant" activity last weekend.
Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,
As the autumn leaves begin to fall and we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the many things we are grateful for as a school community. We are truly fortunate to be part of a vibrant, diverse, and supportive group of students, parents, teachers, and staff who work together to foster an environment of learning, compassion, and growth. Each of you contribute to making our school a special place, and for that, I am deeply thankful!
As we give thanks for the many blessings within our community, we also extend our gratitude for the IB Programmes, which play such a crucial role in shaping our school’s philosophy and approach to education. The IB encourages us to go beyond the textbooks, nurturing inquiring minds, open hearts, and a global perspective. We are proud to offer a program that not only prepares our students for academic success but also empowers them to become thoughtful, principled, and reflective individuals who will make a positive impact on the world.
With gratitude,
Dr. Rui Li
Principal
Update on students' personal transport
We love to give our students the opportunity to spend time off campus – whether it is at the Juan de Fuca Rec Centre, at the Royal Roads University library, or further afield. There are many beautiful places to visit and fun activities to enjoy that are close to our school and we encourage students to explore them as much as possible, especially in the evenings and on weekends. Of course, wherever our students are travelling, their safety is our first concern. We are aware that more and more students are choosing to use modes of personal transport that are a concern for us – particularly those that have an electric motor (for example e-scooters and e-bikes). This article is a good summary of the challenges and issues raised by these new forms of transport.
With this in mind, and for the safety of our students, we have decided to restrict the use of unlicensed forms of personal transport at our school and when moving between different local facilities. These restrictions do not include travel to and from school for day students. Our Director of Residence will be sending out specific guidelines to all dorm students and their families in the coming days.
"The Teenage Years - Roadmap for Parents"
On October 17th our school counsellor, Ms. Kat will be running a workshop called "The Teenage Years - Roadmap for Parents" in Room 203 from 9 to 10 am. All parents and guardians of students in MYP 1 to 3 are welcome to attend. Ms. Kat will talk about the nature of the teenage brain, what constitutes typical behaviour for teenagers, and offer some strategies that will help families navigate challenges and support their teenagers to keep them safe and healthy. Please RSVP to events@westshore.brookes.org.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
The Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on November 6th from 3:30 to 5:30 pm and November 7th from 2:15 to 5:30 pm.
November 7th will be an early dismissal day at 2:00 pm.
There will be NO ASAs on these two days. The conferences will be virtual, and the sign up on SchoolsBuddy will open in late October. More information to come.
MYP4 students had a great time at Horne Lake - enjoy the slideshow!
Another slideshow - this one from the DP camping trip to Rathrevor Beach.
Everyone loved adopting a plant!
Music night and making a cake - just two of the activities our dorm students enjoyed this week.
The MYP 2 students continue to learn about ancient Mesopotamia in their Individuals & Societies class. The students learned about cuneiform, the writing system developed in the region around 3500 BC. They then learned how to write their name in cuneiform on a clay tablet.
Our senior boys' soccer team played against Pacific Christian School in the pouring rain on Tuesday in their best match so far this season! The team fought hard, scoring two goals late in the 2nd, both by Captain Shaun. Ultimately, they fell one goal short for a final score of 3-2!
The senior girls’ volleyball team played three games at Edward Milne Community School in Sooke on Tuesday. Their first game was against Glenlyon Norfolk School. The team got off to a good start, winning both sets (25-7; 25-11). Their second game was against St. Margaret's School. Again, they won both sets (25-12; 25-17). The third game of the night was by far the most exciting. The team had an excellent first set, winning 25-14. But Edward Milne Community School, the host school, bounced back in the second set, in what turned out to be a very entertaining set, with both teams taking turns taking the lead. It could have gone either way, but in the end, our team managed a dramatic photo finish to win the set 28-26. Congratulations to the team for their fine play and positive attitude!
The junior girls’ volleyball team played two games on Monday at St. Margaret’s School. Sadly, they lost against St. Margaret’s 0-2 in the first match and 0-2 against Belmont in the second. Great sportsmanship from the girls, and great to see their skills continue to improve!
Term One Events and Activities
- Thursday, October 17th: MYP1 to MYP3 The Teenage Years, A Roadmap for Parents
- 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.
