Important Dates:
- March 15-26 – Spring Break
- March 29 – Welcome Back!
- April 2 – Good Friday
- April 5 – Easter Monday
- April 12-16 – Graduation Assessments
- April 19 – Pro-D (school not in session)
- April 22 – Earth Day
- April 23 – Semester 6 End
- April 26 – Semester 7 Start
Aboriginal Territorial Acknowledgement
This past week we had an Aboriginal Territorial Acknowledgement mounted as a center piece in our cafeteria. We will be hosting an “official” unveiling on National Indigenous Peoples Day which falls on June 21st this year.
Grade 9 Immunizations
Our school hosted the annual VIHA Grade 9 Vaccinations. For reference, the annual vaccinations are for Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Polio, and Meningococcal depending on the needs of individual students. Permission slips were sent home in the fall. VIHA (Vancouver Island Health Authority) was not able to complete all of the vaccinations and will look to complete any remaining ones after Spring Break.
If you have any questions, please contact VIHA through our Wellness Centre at 250-519-3580.
A New Staff Member…
On Wednesdays starting March 31, our newest staff member Draco will be joining our Learning Support Team. Draco is a retired service dog who will call room B204 home. We’re very excited to have him join our team!
Belmont Coast Salish Inspired Drum Project
The Belmont Drum Project is a legacy project for our school. Students in music and art worked together with the Aboriginal department to create 30 beautiful hand drums to be used in our classrooms. We began with tanned elk hides, sinew, and drum rings and ended with 30 exceptional pieces of functional art! Mandart’s Choir 9 students cut out and pulled the drums together on the frames. After drying and curing the drums, Ms. Guy’s art class painted a drum by drawing inspiration from the 13 Coast Salish Moons. Each art student selected a moon that spoke to them and created their master piece to reflect the time of the year. This legacy project celebrates the beauty of Coast Salish culture and students have generously gifted their time and Eyēʔ Sqȃ’lewen (good mind, feelings, and intention) to future students! Hych’ka to the Learning Commons team for holding a Gallery Walk to share the students finished drums!
Hych’ka to our Role Models for their knowledge and support, specifically Elder Henry, Brother Rick, Alana & Layla Johnson, and Knowledge Keeper Jeff Welch. These drums will be with us for the next 20-30 years!
“This collaboration between many departments, working together towards a common goal – to make drums – through this students have been able to be creative, participate in and recognize the beauty of Salish culture. They have done an amazing job. The Belmont music department will have 30 beautiful drums and be able to learn Coast Salish songs that have been gifted to our school. It shows a lot of respect. I can’t think of the words to express what they have done here together. I was glad to participate in most steps of the process. HYCH’KA!” — Elder Henry
Skills Canada Competitions
Skills Canada B.C. is an organization that leads and coordinates youth engagement in trades and technology careers in our province, including organizing and supporting regional and provincial competitions for students in trades.
We are proud to have a number of our talented Belmont students participating this year. For carpentry, the two Belmont students who participated were Mitch B, and Matheus DT. Both students came very prepared on the competition day and both completed the mini-greenhouse in the challenging 6 hour time period. Mat and Mitch advanced to the regional finals and their projects were judged alongside the top projects from districts 61 and 63. In welding, Miko T worked hard all day and showed incredible perseverance and growth in his welding and oxyacetylene torch cutting abilities.
Congratulations to all the participants and a big thank you to the teachers who supported them, and we look forward to having our students compete again next year!
Belmont Leadership
Belmont Leadership has had a busy couple of months since returning from winter break! The students participated in beach clean ups in our school community around Glen and Langford Lake in an effort to keep our community clean!
They also organized a “Share the Love” campaign where leadership students delivered hearts to classes and students shared something they loved on them! If you missed them on the entrances, check out the photos below! It was nice to see some love around the school during this time!
Scholarship Information
All SD62 District Authority Awards, SD62 Awards, Elementary and Middle school PAC Bursary, and Belmont Scholarship Society Scholarship are now up on the Belmont Scholarship website and in the grad google classroom for grads to apply!
https://belmontscholarships.weebly.com/
All of these applications are to be either:
- 1. Turned into Grad google classroom
- 2. Emailed to Ms. Hoskins
- OR
- 3. Paper based applications can be dropped off to Ms. Hoskins in room B112
Deadlines are:
- 1. Sd62 District Authority – April 13th, midnight
- 2. Sd62 Awards – April 13th, midnight
- 3. Elementary and Middle School PAC Bursaries – April 30th, midnight
- 4. Belmont scholarship society awards – April 30th, midnight
Please note these deadlines are strict and no late applications will be accepted. Make sure all necessary attachments are added before submitting – double check!
Email Ms. Hoskins at choskins@sd62.bc.ca if there are questions throughout the process.
Belmont & Grad Clothing Update
Thanks again to everyone who participated in our school and grad wear sales last month! Our local suppliers will be working over spring break to put all of the orders together and we look forward to getting orders out to everyone in early April. Have a wonderful spring break!
Attention Badminton Players!
The team will begin practicing after spring break. Juniors and Seniors welcome. Please contact Mr. Willing at bwilling@sd62.bc.ca for more information.
Metro Vancouver Japanese Bowl
For the first time ever, Belmont has 3 teams participating in the Metro Vancouver Japanese Bowl where high school students are challenged on language and culture. Good luck to the three teams who are Team 1: Bach N., Dasol K., Chompoonake P. Team 2: Andrea-Marie O., Ela E., Gabriel L. Team 3: Abby I., Dakota K., Jeremy H. This full day event will take place on Saturday, March 13. Good luck to all our teams.
Spring Break Resources
Camosun College Criminal Justice Info…
In the Know…
The Belmont Bulletin 