Congratulations to the senior boys basket ball team who have made it to the provincial championship!

Dear Brookes Westshore Families and Friends,

We had a busy and exciting weekend.  Last Saturday we had our first ski trip this year to Mount Washington.  If you happened to miss this trip, there will be two more opportunities for you to participate. Be sure to sign up if you haven’t done so already.

On a most positive note, we want to congratulate our Senior Basketball team.  The team managed to come in 3^rd place on the Island tournament which means they have qualified to play in the Provincial Finals.  They will be heading to Vancouver in two weeks to compete with all the top teams in the province.  Go Brookes!

As IB learners, it’s important that our students understand the ramifications of current global conflicts. Thus, as tensions mount in Europe, we had Dr. Tad Homer Dixon, a professor at Royal Roads University who is specialized in peace and conflict studies, meet in a plenary session with our grade 11 students.  He provided our students with a historical overview and analysis of the conflict in Ukraine. We thank Dr. Homer Dixon, a parent volunteer, for meeting with our students last Tuesday and enlightening them on this subject.     

 With kind regards,

Jerry Salvador

Head of School

Everyone at Brookes has been concerned about the conflict which is occurring in Ukraine.  Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and we hope this crisis can be resolved very soon. All teachers have been discussing the issues in homeroom and in classes.  The Grade 11 students were able to attend a presentation by Dr. T. Homer-Dixon a professor at Royal Roads University who provided an overview of the past political history of Russia and Ukraine. This was a very informative presentation which provided some context to the conflict.

Academics

The end of Term 2 is March 18 and students will be very busy completing summative assessment tasks prior to spring break. 

Term 2 report cards will be issued on April 8th.

The IB Diploma students have completed their Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essays and these will be uploaded to the IB in the next couple of weeks.  Once we return from spring break, the DP2 students will be very busy preparing for the May Session examinations.

MYP5 students have completed their Personal Project and we are planning for an exhibition on April 14th.  We will provide further details on the exhibition because I believe it is now possible to have parents come to the school to visit the exhibition. This is a wonderful time of celebration for our MYP5 students and we are thrilled parents will be able to share in this experience this year.

The weather is starting to improve and teachers will be planning more outdoor field trips to enrich their curriculums.

Guest Speaker Dr. Tad Homer-Dixon presents on the conflict in Ukraine.

DP2 Chemistry class with Dr. Li

MYP2 Visual Art students have been experimenting with cubism painting style, with a music inspired theme. 

DP1 Biology students investigate the action of amylase on starch digestion. 

Monument Marble Roll

Monument Marble Roll MYP1 & 2 Design students went through the design cycle as they constructed their chosen world monuments. They began with inquiring and analyzing of existing structures and scaled down structures made from house hold items such as toothpicks. They developed their ideas through drawings and diagrams. In the final two criteria of the project they created mini versions of their buildings and finally created and evaluated their final work making sure their slide worked perfectly.

DP1 participate in yoga during PE class.

IB Visual Art Exhibitions

Over the two years of the IB Visual Art course, students are required to prepare a large portfolio to demonstrate their learning.  This is a significant component of their IB grade because there are no exams for this subject.  Students are presently arranging their exhibitions in the dining hall which will be assessed by their teacher and the IB. We are planning to have visitors to view the exhibition and we will let you know when that will occur.  

Armaan in the process of setting up his art display.

Here are some samples of Cecilia's amazing art. 

Art by Lydia (top two portraits) and Freya (bottom portrait).

Spring Term Information on After School Activities

Our weather is getting warmer, day light is getting longer, and it is almost that time again to register for the Spring Term After School Activities!

The Spring Term ASA registration will be launched next Friday, March 11th at 5:00pm, through the SchoolsBuddy program. Please ensure that you have access to SchoolsBuddy.

Some highlights of some of our new Spring ASAs are listed below! 

Monday
WildPlay from 3:30pm - 5:15pm (All ages)
Rock Climbing/Boulder House 3:30pm - 5:45pm (Gr 4 - MYP2)
Rock Climbing/Boulder House 5:00pm - 7:30pm (MYP4 - DP2)
Paddle Boarding 3:30pm - 5:45pm (MYP5 - DP2) 

Tuesday
Bowling 3:30pm - 5:15pm (Gr 4 - MYP 2)
Beach Volleyball 3:30 - 5:15pm (all ages)

Wednesday
Bowling 3:30 - 5:15pm (MYP3-DP1)
Theatre Club 3:30pm - 5:00pm (Gr 4 - MYP2) 

Thursday
Paddle Boarding 3:30 - 5:45pm (MYP3 - MYP4) 
Theatre Club 3:30 - 5:00pm (MYP3 - DP2) 

Friday
One with Nature Survival School 3:30PM - 5:00PM (Gr 4 - MYP2)

More information about some of these activities:

• One with Nature  Survival School - Learn about what wilderness survival and bushcraft is and different survival priorities and useful tactics in unexpected situations.  We will look at Water, Fire, Shelter, Food as well as Orientation and Navigation.  More Info
• South Island SUP Paddle boarding - Successful students will receive Paddle Canada Advanced Flatwater SUP Accreditation. Learn Stand Up Paddle boarding skills, safety, knowledge, and fun! Marine ecology, nature, decision making, planning and more.  More Info
• Boulder House - Discovery Program brings new climbers together in a group setting that is dynamic, stimulating, and safe. Children climb for fun, enjoyment, exploration, gain new perspectives, challenge themselves and encourage others.  More Info
• Theatre Club - Learn what it is like to be a live performer! Learn the language of the theatre, performance, scene study, and how to build a character.

If you have any questions about activities or need help logging into SchoolsBuddy, do not hesitate to contact our new After School Activities Program Coordinator, Aija Salvador at aijasalvador@westshore.brookes.org

*Activities are subject to change and limited spaces are available

Congratulations to the Senior Boys Basketball Team who have made it to the Provincial Championship! 

Last weekend the Sr. Boys’ Basketball team represented our school at the Island Championships. Going into the tournament our team was ranked third from the South Island, which meant we played the second place North Island team, Ucluelet, in our first game. Our team came out of the gates strong and quickly showed the other teams at the tournament we were here to win! Our point guards, Stan Shih and Alex Buhr were our leading scorers, Stan won player of the game for his energetic play style that included 17 points and a handful of steals. Alex Buhr added in another 22 points, which lead to a big win 78-46 against Ucluelet.

Brookes faced the top team from the Island, Glenlyon Norfolk School (GNS) the following day, a top three ranked team from the Province. GNS has a well-known basketball program, and they came out strong like always. Brookes worked hard to fight back against the previous Island Champions, but time ran out and Brookes fell by a score of 87-63. Jack Xu led our comeback and proved his work ethic for the entirety of the game to win player of the game. Jack scored 12 points and Stan added another 13 in another strong performance.

On Saturday, the team now had to win the next two games against two powerhouse teams to continue our season. They bounced back after the loss against GNS and battled hard against Campbell River Christian School. Brookes dominated the fourth quarter in a nail biter-comeback win! Big shoutouts to Vigo Gamez Soramae  and Coen Salvador-Brown for bringing the heat and energizing the team with some massive baskets and rebounds to end the game. Vigo scored 11 points, Jack 14, and Alex 12. Coen ended the game with 22 points and received the player of the game.

With a big win in the morning, the team went on to the bronze medal game against Duncan Christian School. Duncan Christian was a powerhouse team all season and it was another hard fight, but with an aggressive press coming out of half time, the Brookes Sr Boys put away the win to continue their season and earn a trip to the BC Single A Provincial Tournament! Alex Buhr showed his leadership and controlled the tempo of the game, earning player of the game. With solid play on both ends of the floor throughout the entirety of the weekend, Jack Xu became a tournament All-Star! 

The Tournament Directors remarked on Brooke's finesse and skill level with these wins and at the medal and awards ceremony, they spoke about Brookes being “the team to beat next year” as well as having one of the top basketball programs on the Island. Coaches, Ms Aija and Ms Michaela, along with the Brookes community are extremely proud of our team's determination, grit, and sportsmanship. We are looking forward to this team representing Brookes Westshore at the Provincial Tournament next week in Langley, to play against the top sixteen teams from all over BC. And we are excited for our boys to experience such an amazing accomplishment!

Golf has once again started up at Olympic View Golf course. 

Fun Friday

Today students were able to enjoy music, popcorn, and games in the courtyard for fun Friday lunchtime.  Then, later in the afternoon we had a special guest visit from Mae, the pony.  Thank you to Helen, David, Freya and Max for bringing Mae here for a visit!  The students were absolutely thrilled!  

First Ski Trip of the Year

On Saturday students headed to the slopes of Mount Washington to enjoy the snow.  

MYP2 students enjoy the sun at Royal Bay Beach Park during outdoor education.

A Great Blue Heron seen in the creek running along the campus.

One of the great features of our school is the abundance of nature and wildlife within our campus.  A Great Blue Heron enjoys the sunshine in the stream outside of the cafeteria.  Thank you Mr. Art Brendon for submitting this stunning photo of our Brookes resident.  

UVIC Science 2022 Honours Fest

DP 1 & 2 students had the opportunity to visit the University of Victoria, Faculty of Science on Thursday to view science exhibitions. This was a wonderful experience for students .  The Honours Fest is a conference-style poster presentation of research by undergraduate science students at UVic and is an excellent opportunity to view student work in science at University.

Brookes Westshore Cooking Competition

The Cooking Competition 2022 advanced into the second week as one of the most popular activities in the dorm. Last Sunday, 28 dorm students went to the first floor common room to try the Japanese themed meal and cast their votes for Nina, Mayu and Mia. The girls did an excellent job preparing Hiyayakko (Tofu) as an appetizer, Kara-age and Takoyaki (octopus) for the main dish and Oshiruko (sweet black beans) for dessert. It was a success among students and staff. 

Every week, a different team (3 or 4 dorm students) is challenged to prepare an appetizer, main dish and dessert. The other dorm students are invited to try the food and receive a ballot to evaluate it, voting according to three criteria: Taste, Presentation and Originality. The winner will be revealed in 7 weeks after all the teams have competed.  Beyond cooking skills, this competition requires students to follow Food Safe protocols, demonstrate teamwork, time management and organization skills, and to develop a marketing strategy to convince other students to show up and vote.

Dorm Activities for March 4th to 6th

• Friday 8:15pm - Laser Tag at Laser City Fun Centre

• Saturday 5:00am-7:00pm - Ski Trip!

• Sunday 2:30pm - Learn how to crochet with Ms. Taelor.  

• Sunday 4:00-7:00pm Cooking Competition