November 11 – Remembrance Day (school not in session)
November 17 – BMD Purdy’s orders due
November 18 – Early Dismissal – Classes dismissed 12:05pm
November 18 – Learning Conferences – 2-4pm and 5-7pm
November 19 – Pro-D (student not in session)
November 22-December 3 – Grad Photos
November 26 – Mid-Term Report Cards Published
Remembrance Day Assembly
In honor of Remembrance Day, students and staff remember the fallen through a virtual assembly shown Wednesday morning. Please see attached link athttps://youtu.be/DG13-qnACUw. Many thanks to Mr. Chan for his work on this video!
As well, Ms. Dawson and our Concert Choir hosted three small live performances in the Learning Commons. Performing “After the War”, a Canadian composition, to a live audience after a year of only making recordings was an absolute joy! See attached video of the live performance.
At 11:00 am, teachers lead their classes in a minute of silence.
Grad Photos
Dear Grads and families,
Grad photos are taking place in the Belmont Learning Commons from Nov. 22 – Dec. 3. Photos are by appointment only. Appointments may be booked online at Prestige Portraits: https://schedule.prestigeportraits.ca/schedule/home.html
Online booking is open now and appointments should be booked 48 hours prior to photo day.
Please search for school under Province: British Columbia, City: Victoria
There is a free Yearbook only option so we can make sure all Grads are included in the Yearbook.
If you have any problems booking your appointment, please call: 1-604-294-1005
“Draco” the Service Dog
Draco dressed up as a “rufferee” this Halloween. No penalties were issued, just greetings and tail wags.
Family Studies 10 & 11
Family Studies 10 and 11 class, leading the kids from the Belmont Early Learning Center through a Halloween Story Walk. They planned it out, including writing the story and coming up with interactive pieces for the infant’s, toddlers, and preschoolers to work through.
Grade 9 Consent Packages for Immunization
Immunization consent packages for grade 9 students will be sent home shortly. Follow the instructions inside the consent package and return the signed consent form to the school. Students in grade 9 will be offered immunizations in school-based clinics. Please discuss the information in the consent package with your child and include them in the decision to provide consent for immunization. This is an opportunity for adolescents to start making decisions about their own health.
Immunizations will be provided at the school for grade 9 students on January 20th & 21st, 2022.
A grade 9 student can make an informed decision about immunization regardless of their parent/guardian/representative decision to consent or refuse immunization. For more information visit HealthLinkBC: The Infants Act, Mature Minor Consent and Immunization.
Contact the local Health Unit at 250-519-3490 if you have any questions.
Raising Digitally Responsible Youth – Informational Videos for Parents and Caregivers
November 11 – Remembrance Day (school not in session)
Message from the Principal – Ms. Laura Fulton
We are incredibly proud of the work of students and staff this fall. They continue to show resilience and enthusiasm as they dive into wonderful learning experiences! The sense of spirit and community is also strong at Belmont. Polite, kind interactions continue to be the norm at our school. Participation in our Spirit Week brought extra laughter this week as students and staff showed off their fun outfits and crazy hats!
Please note that we will be half-way through the semester by November 18th. Parents and Guardians should be speaking regularly with their children about their progress with their schoolwork. They are also encouraged to communicate frequently with teachers about learning progress. Email addresses for teachers can be found here.
Graduation Assessments
Please note the following updates regarding the upcoming Graduation Assessments next week Nov 1 – 5th:
Semester 1, students enrolled in English 10, Math 10 and Career Life Connections 12 have now been scheduled for the November 2021 Graduation Assessments.
These students will be informed directly by their classroom teacher of the details of their scheduled assessment date.
Other students scheduled to complete their assessment(s) have been contacted via their sd62learns.org email account regarding their scheduled assessment date/time/location.
In January 2022, Belmont will focus on:
Gr 11 or 12 students who require Numeracy 10, Literacy 10 or Literacy 12 to complete their graduation requirements; and
New: Gr 12 French Immersion students for Literacy 12 in French.
Registration Deadline for the January 2022 Assessment is:
12 noon, Friday 10th Dec 2021; and
Students are to email Mrs. Gunn directly at agunn@sd62.bc.ca to register.
Any questions can be directed to your student’s classroom teacher and we look forward to next week.
Student Parking
We have noticed an increase of students parking in designated staff parking. Students may only park in General spots only, and must have a student parking pass to park in our lot. Students can also park in the upper and lower Goudy lots as well as Langford Parkway overflow (gravel) parking lot.
Cars parking in unauthorized areas may be towed at owner expense as well as student vehicles who do not display a student parking pass.
Excessive speed or other unsafe driving practices, loud music, loitering around vehicle and parking in Staff, Visitor, Day Care, VIHA spots, loading/drop off zones, and Bus zone will result in suspension of parking along with other disciplinary action.
Students planning on parking in the Belmont parking lot, please register your vehicle for a parking pass at Student Parking Permit Application.
A Glimpse at this Week’s Spirit Week
Martina (from Italy) is commended on the extra effort she put into her creation for ‘crazy hat day’, and also for embracing our beautifully wet, west coast weather!
Many thanks to our International and ELL Departments for organizing our annual pumpkin carving event! Max and Sein are focused on creating an amazing work of art!
In Geography 12, the class made composite and shield volcanoes, and then mapped their eruptions.
Everything you don’t know is something you can learn
Chemistry 11 students, Nate & Stephany identifying metal ions in a flame color lab. They now have a deeper understanding of metal compounds and will also be able to name which metals (or metal salts) are used to create the colors in fireworks!
Athletics
Congratulations to the Belmont Junior Girls Volleyball team as they head to the playoffs. The girls have been working hard since Sept. and hope to have a successful playoff run. In the 3 tournaments leadings to Citys next week, the team finished 4th at the VIU tournament, 3rd at Camosun and just this past weekend placed 2nd out of 16 teams at Mount Doug.
The team would like to thank all who have supported them and their well wishes.
10,000 Tonight Food Drive
What: Food Drive for Goldstream Food Bank
When: November 1st – 12th
Why: Goldstream Food Bank is in need!
How: Bring non-perishable foods items to reach our school goal of 10,000 items!
You can also donate $$$ online using the link below. Please use the drop down menu to select “10,000 Tonight Food Drive – Belmont Family”
School District No.62 (Sooke) is in need of more Bus Drivers. If you have a Class II B.C. Driver’s License, with air brake endorsement, we are most definitely interested in hearing from you. Please see the full job description and required qualifications on our website at www.sd62.bc.ca, click on Employment.
School District No.62 (Sooke) requires bus drivers to work on-call immediately. If you have a Class II B.C. Driver’s Licence, with air brake endorsement, a medical certificate within the last six months and a valid First Aid Certificate, we are most interested in hearing from you!
For more information about our District, please refer to our website at http://www.sd62.bc.ca
Rate of pay: $25.63/hr.
Qualified individuals are invited to submit their cover letter and resume, including the names and telephone numbers of at least two references to:
Details: When our kids are having a hard time, or we are seeing something for the first time, we might wonder what’s going on? In this video conversation, a parent and counsellor talk about the developmental stages of children, what are typical behaviours, and how do we know when something more might be going on. This conversation is for all families and caregivers who feel like they are parenting in the deep end of the swimming pool or are just wondering what they can do when it feels like more. Join us for a video followed by a group discussion.
Help For the Hard Times. These workshops are for families and caregivers whose child or youth has been a patient in a psychiatric unit or have had multiple ER visits at Victoria General, Royal Jubilee or Ledger House. The workshops cover: How to support a safety plan at home, How to take care of yourself and your family after a crisis, and How to find the resources you need.
Gr 11 or 12 students who require NME 10 or LTE 12 to complete their graduation requirements;
New: Gr 12 French Immersion students for Literacy 12 (French);
Registration Deadline: 12 noon, Friday 10th Dec 2021
Parenting Programs
If you are interested in attending a parent group, there are two available which are listed below. Contact information is below if you would like to sign up or get more info.
Parents Together (13-25 years)
Tuesday evenings 6:30-8 PM via zoom
Ongoing/drop in style
Parents in the Know (13-18 years)
Wednesday evenings 6:30-8 PM
10-12 weeks until mid-December
Lisa Hoffman Deanna Riedke Parenting Program Coordinators BGC South Vancouver Island 301-1195 Esquimalt Rd | Victoria BC V9A 3N6 E: parentingprograms@bgcsvi.org P: 250.384.9133 ext: 222 M: L 250.217.4929 or D 250.686.9122 bgcsvi.org
BC Shakeout Earthquake Drill
On October 21st Belmont staff & students will be participating in the BC Shakeout Earthquake Drill at 10a.m. The Drop, Cover, and Hold fact sheet is included below.
Page Program Recruitment Campaign / Campagne de recrutement du Programme des pages
We are pleased to announce the official launch of the recruitment campaign for the House of Commons Page Program.
Each year, we recruit 40 bilingual students graduating from high schools and CEGEPs from across Canada to participate in the House of Commons Page Program. Pages work directly on the floor of the House of Commons and are responsible for a wide range of tasks related to Chamber activities. This provides them with the opportunity to broaden their knowledge of Parliament by playing a role in the rich traditions of the Canadian parliamentary system. Our recruitment campaign for the 2022-2023 academic year is taking place from September 27 to November 7, 2021.
The Page Program has undergone an exciting transformation in the past year. To be considered, candidates must now submit a curriculum vitae (maximum of two pages), a cover letter that includes detailed examples clearly demonstrating how they meet the education, experience, and asset prerequisites listed on the notice of job opportunity, and a proof of enrolment confirming their student status (e.g. unofficial transcript, official transcript or report card from a high school or CEGEP).
To be selected, candidates must be starting full‑time or part-time post-secondary studies in September 2022 at the University of Ottawa, Carleton University, Saint Paul University, Université du Québec en Outaouais, or with our new institutional partnersLa Cité or Algonquin College. Successful candidates will be required to reside in the National Capital Region during their year of employment as a Page. We encourage you to visit our website (ourcommons.ca/page) to learn more.
Le Programme des pages a subi une transformation importante au cours de l’année écoulée. Pour que leur candidature soit prise en considération, les candidat(e)s doivent soumettre un curriculum vitae (maximum de deux pages), une lettre de présentation comprenant des exemples détaillés démontrant clairement comment ils/elles répondent aux exigences en matière d’études, d’expérience et d’atout énumérés dans l’avis de possibilité d’emploi, ainsi qu’une preuve d’inscription confirmant leur statut d’étudiant(e) (c.-à-d. un relevé de notes non officiel, un relevé de notes officiel ou un bulletin scolaire d’une école secondaire ou d’un cégep).
Pour être sélectionné(e)s, les candidat(e)s doivent commencer des études postsecondaires à temps plein ou à temps partiel en septembre 2022 à l’Université d’Ottawa, l’Université Carleton, l’Université Saint-Paul, l’Université du Québec en Outaouais ou chez nos nouveaux partenaires institutionnels La Cité ou le Collège Algonquin. Les candidat(e)s sélectionné(e)s devront résider dans la région de la capitale nationale pendant leur année d’emploi en tant que page. Nous vous encourageons à visiter notre site Web (noscommunes.ca/page)pour en savoir plus.
Jonathan L. is enjoying his metalwork classAshley O. & Anna R. are loving learning how to style in Cosmetology.
A warm welcome to Mr. Martinson to our Applied Skills and Design Department! Mr. Martinson brings wealth of experience to Belmont. He is enjoying connecting with students and sharing his passion for learning. Pictured below with Mr. Martinson is grade 11 student, Troy S.
Belmont Business Students
Belmont business students are leading the way in early weeks of Junior Achievement’s Canada-wide student stock market challenge! Jaiden B. and Snehbir P. from our Accounting 11 class moved into 3rd place in all of Canada on October 7th! They have been consistently in the top 5 this month out of over 1,400 teams nation-wide. David F. and Zaiden W. from our Entrepreneurship & Marketing 10 class have reached 12th place in all of Canada and have been consistently in the top 15 this month.
In teams, students are given $100,000 to invest in a 5-week stock market simulation where they can invest in stocks and ETF’s on all of the major stock exchanges. Be sure to ask the students from both classes for some hot stock tips the next time you see them!
Halloween Costume Guidelines
As Halloween nears, please take a moment to read the following guidelines. We would appreciate if you could go over these points with your child(ren).
These are general, district guidelines – please check with your child’s school if they have further recommendations or do not permit costumes.
SD62 Costume Guidelines for Secondary School Students:
Face makeup is okay as long as it isn’t too scary (students must be identifiable).
No costume masks are permitted. Students must continue to wear non-medical face masks.
Friendly clowns, jesters, mimes, etc. are okay. No scary clowns please.
No imitation weapons of any kind will be permitted.
Please use your best judgement to ensure costumes are appropriate for school wear.
For the safety of everyone, these guidelines are in place so that students can be easily identified.
We do our best to create comfortable and safe environments in our schools and we thank you for helping us to do so.
Dear Families,
We are asked by our School District’s Human Resources Department to forward the following message to you:
School District No.62 (Sooke) is in need of more Education Assistants. If you have an Education Assistant Certificate or have completed the Community Support Worker Program, we are most definitely interested in hearing from you. Please see the full job description and required qualifications on our website @ www.sd62.bc.ca, click on Employment.
Grade 12 Information
We hope that grade 12 students have settled well into their courses and are reaching out to their teachers and counsellors as they navigate their final year of secondary school. We know that this year represents a culmination of thirteen years of school learning, and we look forward to celebrating student accomplishments.
Our first major celebration of the year has often been a winter formal. We had planned to hold this event at Olympic View golf course this year. After careful reflection, we have cancelled the reservation as current Healthy Authority rules would not have permitted dancing, mingling between tables, nor buffet service. This venue would have also required vaccine check.
We are now connecting with the Grad Council and grade 12 students to see what kind of winter event they would be interested in supporting and attending at the school. This event would need to follow district Health and Safety and Health Authority event guidelines.
Students with suggestions are encouraged to speak with Grad Council members, Miss Rachael Sandberg, a Vice Principal, or the Principal.
If any parents/guardians are interested in helping with Grad activities, which would include possibly helping with a winter event and with a potential June Dry Grad, please email our PAC president, Lacey Donaldson at bsspac@sd62.bc.ca. We are looking for a Grad PAC rep and for additional supporting members.
We want to continue to support our Grads and help make this year meaningful for them, while maintaining our health and safety expectations.
Young Canadians’ Parliament (YCP)
We have exciting news to share! Children First Canada is accepting new applications to Young Canadians’ Parliament (YCP) again and inviting young people to our event on October 16th – read on for more information. Through this growing movement, young people under 18 are speaking up for their rights and sharing their views with parliamentarians and other leaders in the Country.
Over the last two years, we’ve invited federal leaders from every major political party in Canada to hear from young people. We are honored that over 20 federal leaders have joined our events.
Here are three ways you can help:
Attend and share our next YCP event on Oct 16th, 1-4pm ET with your colleagues and other young people. This event will be attended by young people all across Canada. We’re pretty excited to launch this event this month. As always, it will include inspirational speakers and attendees will get an update on the recent Federal election and the implications for young person. Young people will also go into breakout sessions to discuss this further, because their voices and perspectives are important to us. In these sessions, they will have the opportunity to develop a presentation that could be shared at our National Child Day event and may also feature on the organization’s website. Check out our poster, CLICK HERE…. Young people do not want to miss this event..!!
Show your support by encouraging children and youth to become members of the YCP. You can do this by sharing the information in this email with your colleagues and young people, encouraging those under 18 to join the YCP. Click here to visit our website for more information. Young people can click here to register for the YCP and the upcoming event.
Share the attached graphic on social media to encourage young people to join the YCP.
Watch this video to learn more about YCP: YCP promotional video. With a newly-elected government, we need your help to raise the voices of young people.
Mountain Bike Camp
EMCS Society is running a mountain biking Pro D day in conjunction with Nolan Riding.
Parents can contact Barb Dunn, EMCS Society Program Office Assistant, at 250-642-6371 to register. The registration cut-off date is Tues Oct 19th. See poster below. Thank you!
October 22 – Pro-D Provincial (school not in session)
October 31 – Halloween
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
This year, to honor Orange Shirt Day and the new statutory holiday Truth and Reconciliation Day, Leadership students worked with the Indigenous Education department to create a display of Teddy Bears. The teddy bears are significant because bears represent courage and bravery and they have become a symbol of the lost children discovered at Residential School cites all over the country this year.
Tour De Rock (Cops for Cancer
On Wednesday, September 29th, the annual Tour De Rock came to Langford on their final leg of the ride for child cancer research, and our staff and students came out to support the riders with enthusiastic cheering.
As well, on Saturday, October 2nd, we will be hosting a bottle drive at Belmont School to support Tour de Rock (Cops for Cancer). Bring your bottles and cans to the Belmont parking lot, between 10 am and 2pm, to help fundraise for this worthy cause!
Recognizing our Custodial, Maintenance and Facilities Staff
On October 2nd we celebrate our incredible custodians, maintenance and facilities staff who are working tirelessly each day to ensure our schools and buildings are cleaned, sanitized, running smoothly and looking amazing.
On top of the regular requests and new projects, these last two school years have seen complete change, increased resources and cleaning measures. Not only have they had to change what might have been normal before, but they have done so seamlessly and adapted quickly. Their resiliency and positive attitudes show in our schools to students and staff, and we’re very proud of that.
From our Board of Education and all of us at SD62, a sincere and heartfelt thank you. Thank you for setting a great work ethic and example, and above all, for helping to keep students and fellow colleagues healthy and safe.
Athletics
VIU Jr. Girls Tournament
The Belmont Junior Girls Volleyball team started their 2021 campaign with a great result. Going into the tournament no one knew what to expect but the girls played extremely well and placed 4th out of 14 teams. The girls are looking to build on their success as league play began on Wed. Sept. 29th against Royal Bay.
VIU Jr. Girls Tournament
Swim Team
Want to join the swim team? Students interested, please connect with Mrs. Wilkie in room A306. Practices will be help at the YMCA.
September 18-19 – Belmont Music Department Retreat
September 25 – Belmont Music Department Instrumental Clinics
September 27 – Non-Instructional Day
September 29 – Belmont Music Department Launch Purdy’s & Poinsettia Sales
September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Now that we are almost two weeks into the school year, students and teachers are settling into routines. The sense of community among students and staff is fantastic! Everyone seems eager to learn, and keen to help others do well. We are also thrilled to see so many sports and extra-curricular activities up and running! Students will learn about these from their A Block Teacher, on the App, and right here in the Bulletin. Parents/guardians and students should continue to connect with teachers to ensure that they have a solid understanding of student progress and skill development in each of their courses.
Laura Fulton, Principal
Congratulations Liam Sargent!
Congratulations to Liam who began the school year by placing 17th (of 56) in the 114.6 km long Junior Men’s National Road race in Saint-Georges, Quebec! Liam was selected to ride for Team BC, who had more riders in the top 20 than any other team!
District News
Dear Families,
As you are likely aware, student summary reports and more are stored in MyEducation BC, also known as MyEd BC Portal or Parent Portal. Please familiarize yourself with your MyEd BC Portal as it is a key source for information during your child’s education journey.
We have developed a tool to help parents/guardians look up their temporary MyEd BC Portal password. If you have never accessed MyEd BC Portal, please visit the MyEd BC portal page on our website here. Looking for your password? Use our password tool. If you continue to experience difficulties signing in to your MyEd parent portal, please contact your child’s school directly.
Double check your personal information
While you are in your parent portal, please double check that all information (contacts, address, etc) is correct.If you need to change your information or need further assistance, please contact your child’s school.
Please familiarize yourself with your MyEd parent portal as your child’s information and summary progress reports are located there.
Sincerely,
SD62 Communications Team
Health & Safety Protocols
Now that lockers are available, students please only access in the morning before class, at lunch, and at the end of the day. Do not access lockers in between classes as it will lead to hallway congestion and excessive contacts.
Please sanitize hands when you enter the school in the morning, after lunch, and any time you think of it. Flu season is upon us in addition to COVID and hand sanitizing/washing is an easy way to prevent spread.
Though we’re doing ok overall with mask wearing, we’ve observed masks being worn below the nose. Please wear masks properly. Masks must be worn at all times while inside. The only exception is during lunch when you are eating. Once you are finished eating, put your mask back on.
It is important that we all continue to be diligent.
2021 – 2022 Belmont Parent Advisory Executive
President – Lacey Donaldson
Vice President – Sarah Winkler
Treasurer – Kathy Elder
Secretary – Shawna Jones
SPEAC – Sandra Arnold
CONTACTING PAC EXECUTIVE: Please send any questions or information for the PAC by emailing bsspac@sd62.bc.ca If you do not have email access you can leave us a note in the office at the school or contact the school and they will direct the message to us. Thanks.
Athletics & Clubs
Girls and Boys Rugby meeting Sept. 21st at lunch in Room A304 for anyone interested in playing this year. All ages and all experience levels welcome. Come and check out an awesome, fun-filled sport. The local club team will be represented and there may be a door prize or two.
Belmont’s very own Improv Club, the Anti-Drama Drama Club, meets Monday and Friday – straight after school in the Theatre, room D101. Come along for fun and to make some new friends. No experience needed.
Interested in growing things? Belmont Garden Club meets every Thursday at lunch in the garden. We are a drop-in club, no experience or sign-up necessary, and we have gloves for you.
Anyone interested in joining the Cross Country Team this year, please sign-up with Ms. Megan Evans in room B104 or the gym. Everyone welcome!
If you are interested in joining the Mural Club or the Clay Club, come see Ms. Guy in D102.
The Belmont Bulletin 