Important Upcoming Dates to Remember:
- February 20th – Grade 9 Course Selections close
- February 23rd – Grad Bottle Drive
- February 24th – Grade 10-12 Course Selections close
- February 26th – Pink Shirt Day
- March 5-9th – Musical Theatre Production of “Newsies” opens
Belmont’s New Logo
Belmont was proud to honour its new logo with a ceremony this month! The event began in the Learning Commons and then moved to the second floor where hundreds of students could witness and celebrate the collective community work that has created this visual representation of our school. As part of this, we recognized the guidance of Elder Henry Chipps, the final design creation by Weyla Qwiy’aanitsa Chipps, the leadership of Teacher Danny Martin, and the foundational design work created by student Vienna Wigg.
Sr. Boys Rugby
Sr. boys rugby pre-season training starts February 20, and runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 – 5:30, and Fridays 2:30 – 4:00.
Everyone welcome to give it a try, no experience necessary.
Bring your cleats and a mouthguard.
********* Reminder that Grad Fees and Payments open on School Cash Online or in the front office starting February 13th and are due no later than March 12th, 2025 ************
Please see website for Grad at a Glance 2024 -25 for further information on Grad Events.
You can also click on the link below to order tickets.
https://belmontdrygrad2025.rafflenexus.com/
Belmont’s Investing Stars take National Honours
Congratulations to Accounting 11 student James Stanton on finishing in 2nd place in all of Canada in Junior Achievement’s national student stock market competition! James, along with students in our Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Accounting classes, competed with over 3000 students from across the country to see who could build the most valuable portfolio! James took the silver medal by turning $100,000 into $403,000 during the five week competition. Each day, James along with his friends Jamie Miller and Liam Ray, spent their lunch time researching companies which could be the next to “break out” and even with rules in place to ensure students are more focused on longer term investing rather than day trading, James was still able to quadruple his investments.
Glenn Dodge, the director of programs for Junior Achievement BC, recently visited Belmont to present awards to James, and to our very own business teacher Tom Grainger who took first place nationally in their teacher investing competition. Congratulations James and Tom!
Tom was also invited to give the keynote address again this year at Junior Achievement BC’s “Celebrate JA!” event in downtown Victoria, where JA executives, donors and volunteers celebrate JA’s successes province wide. In 2024, their organization supported over 80,000 students in BC classrooms with business programming such as personal finance and investment strategies!
In and Around the Community
- Kidovate is Back for April 2025! Kidovate is a fun, free entrepreneurship initiative of UVIC’s Gustavson School of Business for high school and middle school students. Kidovate aims to develop entrepreneurial spirit and acumen by encouraging participants to sell goods or services on Kidovate Market Day. This year’s market will be held on Saturday, April 5th at The Bay Centre. Last year more than 200 young entrepreneurs participated in Kidovate. There is no cost to participate in Kidovate and there are many resources available to help youth be successful. Check out http://kidovate.ca
- The Rick Hansen Foundation School Program Difference Maker of the Year Awards celebrate and recognize youth and classes/youth groups between the ages of 5 and 18, who are leaders in making a positive impact for accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities either in their schools or the broader community. Nominations are open until Sunday April 6th at 11:59 PM Pacific Time. Five award recipients will be announced during National AccessAbility Week (May 25 to May 31, 2025). Individual award recipients will each receive $500 to recognize their work, while classrooms and youth groups will receive $1,000 to share. To learn more, visit https://www.rickhansen.com/differencemakers or submit a nomination today.
- Westshore Basketball is hosting Learn to Play basketball clinics for children (K-2 and 2-4). See attachment.
Important Belmont, District and PAC Scholarship Information:
The following was sent home to all grade 12 students and parents!
As we approach busy scholarship season here are some updates and reminders:
1. Belmont Scholarship Society Scholarships (open to only Belmont grads) will be posted in the Grad 2025 Google Classroom at the end of February. The deadline for these will be April 16th.
2. PAC bursaries offered from Elementary and Middle Schools (Open to RBSS and BSS) will be posted in the Grad 2025 Google Classroom. The deadline for these applications will be April 16th.
3. District Authority and other District based scholarships should be available at the end of February through a District based Google Classroom. Once I have the code and processes from the district, I will be visiting grade 12 classes to ensure students have this information. These are generally due 2 weeks after spring break.
Students can prepare the following for when these applications come out:
1. Scholarship resume (template available in the Grad 2025 Google Classroom)
2. Scholarship reference letters (having at least 2 as a starting point can really help students out in this process. Please note the District Authority Awards come with a special reference letter just for this to speed up the process for those specific awards.
3. Scholarship Cover Letter or Personal Statement (template available in the Grad 2025 Google Classroom)
4. For District Authority Awards students should be preparing a portfolio of excellence in their category. For example, if students plan to apply in the Physical Activity category, they should be gathering photos, videos, coursework, awards etc. all into one place for submission.
Lastly, from March 3rd -7th and March 10th -14th, Mrs. Hoskins will be offering scholarship application support for students in the Library Learning Commons during lunchtime for grads to access.
If anyone has questions about these processes, or what these applications look like, please email choskins@sd62.bc.ca anytime. The best things students can do now is prepare for when these are posted.
More information to come!
Upcoming Scholarship Deadlines:
BC School Trustees Association Scholarships for Student Citizenship
These scholarship of 3 x $750 are awarded to a students who has displayed exemplary citizenship within their school and community
Deadline: March 2nd, 11:59PM
To apply – https://bcsta.org/resources-and-services/bcsta-scholarships/
BC School Superintendents Association Education Scholarship
Students wishing to be considered for a scholarship must be currently enrolled in their final year of studies at a public secondary school in British Columbia and expected to graduate in June 2025. One winner will be chosen from each of the seven BCSSA provincial chapters (Fraser Valley, Kootenay-Boundary, Metro, Vancouver Island, Northern, Thompson-Okanagan and Indigenous). Each winner will be awarded a $1,500 scholarship. The deadline for applications is March 3, 2025 at 5:00PM.
In selecting the recipients for this year’s awards, the scholarship committees will consider demonstrated distinctive leadership that has made significant impacts to the social, ethical and collaborative fabric and practice of school(s) and community. Letters of reference will be required affirming the applicant’s accomplishments and efforts to improve the quality of life and foster diversity, equity and inclusion. The applicant must submit a short description (450 words maximum) of how their leadership has made a difference in the life or lives of others in their school and/or community. Leadership examples may include, but are not limited to, the following domains: arts, trades, physicality, scholastics, social justice, equity, well-being, diversity, advocacy, and cultural responsiveness.
Only completed applications will be accepted for the scholarship selection process:
- One-page description of how you have made a difference in the life or lives of others (450 words maximum).
- Two letters of reference.
- Demonstrated distinctive leadership by providing two examples, including a brief description, this can include an inspirational artifact, a short video, newsletter, photo, story, or other media.
- Copy of the official school transcript of your grades to date.
- Proof of application/entry to a post-secondary institution (apprenticeship, college, university).
Recipients will be awarded a cheque once proof of post-secondary application/registration and a Social Insurance Number has been provided to the BCSSA.
Deadline: March 3rd, 2025 at 5:00PM
To apply – https://bcssa.org/about-us/bcssa-grade-12-scholarship/
Women’s Cyber Security Scholarships
Up to $5000 will be awarded to a student pursuing, or plan to pursue, a degree with a focus on cybersecurity, information assurance or similar field. See the attached application for further criteria.
Deadline: March 3rd, 2025
To Apply – https://bcscholarships.ca/scholarships/15959/womens-cyber-security-scholarships
Sooke Teachers’ Association Scholarships
Seven scholarships of $1000 each are available to students of the Sooke School District who are planning to attend full-time post-secondary school. In addition to an application form, students must also submit a resume and their transcript. Please note that 5 of the 7 awards are reserved for students whose parents are members of the Sooke Teachers’ Association. See the application for more details. Shortlisted students will be interviewed in May to assist with making the final selection of winners.
Deadline: March 7th, 2025
To apply – https://sooketeachers.org/scholarship/
RE/MAX 2023 Quest for Excellence
The Quest for Excellence Program recognizes the pursuits in leadership and community contributions of Western Canadian students. High school students graduating in 2021 from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon and Northwest Territories are encouraged to write an essay to convey the contributions they have made to enrich the lives of others and their communities through leadership, motivation, volunteering and participation in charitable events or fundraising.
Deadline: March 9, 2025 . 11:59PM
To Apply – https://blog.remax.ca/quest-for-excellence/
The Belmont Bulletin 