Author: ccleland62

Important Dates

• 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 17^th (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!

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District News

Dear Families,

As you are likely aware, student summary reports and more are stored in MyEducation BC, also known as MyEd Parent Portal. Please familiarize yourself with your MyEd Parent Portal as it will be a key source of information during your child’s education journey.

Finding your password

We have developed a tool to help parents/guardians look up their temporary MyEducation BC parent portal password. If you have never accessed the MyEducation BC Parent portal, please see attached instructions to help you with this. If you continue to experience difficulties signing in to your MyEd parent portal, please contact your child’s school directly.

MyEd BC Parent Portal Temporary Password Tool 

Double checking 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

MyEd BC Parent Portal Temporary Password Tool  

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.

Important Dates

• September 7 – First day of school for Grade 9s only. Half Day: 9am-12pm
• September 8 – First Day of School for all students. See school website/letter sent to families for details.
• September 16 – School Photo Day
• September 27 – Non-Instructional Day
• September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Welcome Back!

It was inspiring to see Belmont students and staff begin to return to school yesterday and today! The excitement among staff to welcome students into their classrooms was evident. We know that students are feeling a wide range of emotions as they return to full-time face to face learning, and we are here to support them. Please encourage your child to let their classroom teachers know how they are doing and what they need to make their learning as comfortable and effective as possible. We also encourage parents to connect with teachers early in the school year. All teacher emails can be found at this link.

The letter you received in August is posted on our website. Please refer to it as we move through the first week of classes. We will be following the times of our regular bell schedule beginning Wednesday, but will not begin rotating blocks until next week (block order will be A, B, C, D for the first week).

Keep watching the website, app, your email and this page for more school updates. Our goal will be to publish  a fresh Belmont Bulletin every two weeks.

Parking Lot Reminders

·       If the driver of a vehicle has a handicapped designation but does not need to leave their car as they wait for a student, please don’t park in the handicapped/accessible spots as those are used for students requiring the use of a wheelchair or crutches.

 As we welcome students back, some reminders for families to consider in order to help ease traffic congestion:

·       If you must drop your daughter or son off or pick them up from school, please arrange to have a meeting spot off campus. This will ease frustrations and congestion.

·       Please do not stop at D wing or Zone 1 entry to let your child out as this causes back-up for other people entering the lot.

Safe and Healthy Schools Info

Please refer to the letter sent directly from the school district to families on August 26^th . You can also find a summary of health and safety guidelines, including a video from our Superintendent at this link.

Please continue to complete the daily health checklist, do not send your child to school sick, and make sure that your child comes to school with a mask or two that they find comfortable as they are required while at school.

Belmont Scholarship Information

For information on Scholarships, please visit the Belmont Scholarship Weebly for support with scholarship deadlines, nomination and application forms, and important updates at https://belmontscholarships.weebly.com.

If you would like to speak with someone directly, please contact Mrs. Robertson via email, google meet or face-to-face appointment. Contact: jrobertson@sd62.bc.ca or jrobertson@sd62learns.org.

Google Classroom

Grads of 2022, please make sure you are active in the Grad Google classroom. Important updates, nomination forms (for Belmont) and scholarships are posted regularly.

MyEdBC Parent Portal

Parents, if your MyEd accounts say they are expired or have been disabled, please email Carla at cbodman@sd62.bc.ca or Anna-Marie at agunn@sd62.bc.ca and they will reset their accounts. Thank you!

Lockers

Locker information will be sent out to families next. Students will be choosing their own lockers through a program and the link will be sent out to families with instructions on how to use the program once we complete the setup. You will also be able to access on our website.

Important Dates

• August 25 – School Start Up Info Emailed to Families
• June 30-Sept 6 – Summer Vacation
• Sept 6 – Labour Day (Stat Holiday)

A Message from Mr. Lamond

Dear students and families,

As communicated earlier this spring, I will be moving on to the role of District Principal of Pathways & Choice effective August 1st. The current Principal at Edward Milne Community School Ms. Laura Fulton will become the Principal at Belmont effective August 1st. I’m excited for Ms. Fulton as she joins Vice Principals Ms. Melissa Horner, Mr. Ryan Dubé and Mr. Stephen McHugh in continuing to support and lead our school.

It was a bittersweet decision to leave Belmont for a new role with our District however I look forward to being creative and curious as I embrace supporting Alternate Ed., Continuing Ed., Distributed Learning, and Careers K-12 in my portfolio.

Please know my time serving the students and families of the Belmont community has been an incredibly rewarding experience which I will never forget. The relationships we have forged and the experiences we have shared in providing great learning opportunities for our students speak to the great
school Belmont is. I want to truly thank you for the support and trust you have provided me with during my time serving our school.

Belmont is a truly wonderful school because of the collective efforts of the staff, students and families in making it such a great place to live and learn. I look forward to seeing you at future events as I will continue to cheer on and support the Belmont Athletics and Performing Arts programs.

Have a well-deserved summer break!

Regards,

Mr. Jim Lamond

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Fine Arts

Attached is the online Year-End Concert by the Belmont Music Department. Enjoy!

Athletics

Good luck to Preston L. (Belmont grade 10 student )as he qualified for the BC Junior Amateur Golf and BC Men’s Amateur Golf this summer. 

Commencement

“Who Doesn’t Belong in the Grad Class?” Contest

Congrats to grade 12 students, Janel C. and Juan Jose H.O., for correctly guessing “Who Doesn’t belong in the Grad class?” contest. They both received a prize of $15 Tim Hortons gift card.

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Important Dates

• June 14-18 – Graduation Assessments
• June 16 – Drumline performance at 11:40am
• June 18 – VIHA Naloxone Training for Students 11am-2pm (B305)
• June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day
• June 23-24 – Commencement Ceremonies x 12!
• June 25/28 – Last Days of Class
• June 29 – Report Cards Published at 12pm

Belmont Grads 2021

Our Belmont school community is so proud of our Grads, and especially the determination and perseverance they have demonstrated during this challenging year. Our Grads really do rock!

Belmont Grads featured in this year’s Government Congratulations

Two of our Belmont Graduates, Jeannie C. and Steven M., are included in this year’s Government congratulations to students and graduates!

Who Crashed the Grad Class of 2021?

The clerical staff of Belmont has created a tribute to the graduating class of 2021 by making a grad cap for each student with their name on it. The caps are on display on the outside windows of the Library Learning Commons but there is something wrong with the display…..

There are 2 names that are not grads like all the others.
There are 2 names that just do not belong.
Can you tell us which names are not grads like the others?
Can you tell us the names before this game is all done?

RULES OF THE GAME

1. Figure out the name or names that do not belong to anyone in the grad class. You do not need to find both names to submit an entry. 1 name will get you entered! Include your full name in your entry.
2. Submit your guess or guesses to belmont@sd62.bc.ca by Sunday, 12 a.m. (Midnight) June 20 2021.

If your answer is correct, you will be entered to win a prize!

3. You can submit 1 entry for each name that you think does not belong or submit 1 entry with multiple names. If you submit an entry with multiple names you will still receive separate entries for each name that you guessed correctly.

Will anyone be able to figure out who crashed the grad wall by sneaking their name in??

Good luck to you all on being able to figure out who it is!!! Please don’t let these grad crashers go unidentified!!!

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Thank you to the group of moms who came together on Friday, June 11th with the goal of putting on a Grad Motorcade for our Grads. Here are some photos of this special night.

2021 Belmont Grad Motorcade

Year-End Thank You Video to Students – features two Belmont students:

 Premier John Horgan, Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry have prepared a short video to thank B.C. students, including graduates, for their hard work, determination and resilience during this most challenging of school years. Please share this video. https://youtu.be/GmfNznx7cYo

Drumline Lunch Performance

Congratulations to our BMD Drumline who placed 2nd in the National Championships!!

Their performance will be in the Belmont Music Department year-end concert which will be shared with you in the next Bulletin.

Homestay Families Needed for 2021-2022 School Year

SD62 is looking for Homestay families for International students from around the world.

We are in specific need of Homestay families for Belmont Secondary and Royal Bay Secondary students arriving August 21 or September 3.

Grades 10 to 12, long-term stays, $925 monthly Homestay honorarium provided. Strict COVID19 protocols in place.

Basic expectations:

-Provide a clean, safe, nurturing, supportive home environment

-Provide a private furnished bedroom (must have egress window)

-Provide 3 meals/day plus snacks

-Provide help with transportation (for extra-curricular activities)

-Provide additional support as needed

Click here for the online Homestay application

Or for more information, please email  homestay@sd62.bc.ca

Congratulations BMD Drumline!!

BMD Drumline has placed SECOND in the National Championships for Drumlines! Congratulations to them and the Belmont Music Department.

Drumline will be performing an “encore” performance Wednesday, June 16 at 11:40 in front of the school.

Athletics

Good luck to Preston L. (Belmont grade 10 student )as he qualified for the BC Junior Amateur Golf and BC Men’s Amateur Golf this summer. 

Wellness Centre Summer Hours

The Wellness Center at Belmont, 3041 Langford Lake Road, is open most Mondays and Fridays with our Nurse Practitioner, Shyla Genoway.  We will also host a drop in Birth Control/STI clinic on Tuesday afternoons.  To book an appointment call 250-519-3580. Please access Wellness Centre through door number 4 and not the main doors.

We will also provide service at our Youth Clinic located at 345 Wale Road is on Wednesday afternoon for (Birth Control or STI testing only). To book an appointment call 250-519-3490 or 250-519-3580.

A poem for those lost and found at Kamloops Residential School

All flags at schools in the Sooke School District had been flying at half-mast for 215 hours to recognize the tragedy most recently discovered at a former residential school by the Tk’mlúps te Secwépemc First Nation, as well as in memory of the thousands of children sent to residential schools across Canada whose lives were taken and forever changed.

Many of our Belmont teachers and students have shown support and recognition for the 215 Indigenous children by wearing orange and putting up orange shirts and the feather from Gitxsan artist, Michelle Stoney. 

In acknowledgement of the flags being lowered in our District, Elder Shirley Alphonse of Cowichan Tribes has provided the following words of wisdom to close the ‘work’ being done throughout Sooke School District. Her words are written specifically for the families of those lost at the Kamloops Residential School.

In support, Elder Shirley Alphonse, Brother Rick and Elder Henry have created a short video attached which states the importance of our collective actions in moving truth and reconciliation in SD62.

“Creator Great Spirit as we gather together in this circle we are thankful for each one as we remember and honor “the little ones” whose lives ended at Kamloops residential school those many years ago – May the ancestors watch over them – May the road to the other side be graced by tall majestic pine trees with sweet scented healing flowers along the way – little birds singing their lament acknowledging their passing – May candles lit in their honor light their way – May the angels comfort them along with our prayers as we send our love and wrap them in warmth protecting their journey. We also remember the families left behind – May they know comfort and peace with all the love we send. Hych-guh Siem!“

Important Date

• May 14-May 31 – 2022 Grad Pinnies on sale
• May 31-June 4 – Bike to School Week
• June 3 – Report Cards Published via MyED
• June 7-June 11 – Cap & Gown Distribution (details to follow)
• June 8 – PAC Mtg. 7pm – MS Teams
• June 14-18 Graduation Assessments
• June 21 – National Indigenous Peoples Day
• June 28 – Last Day of Classes

Virtual Pep Rally

To celebrate school spirit heading into our final month, the Leadership class wanted put together a virtual celebration. Even though we have had to stay apart, this is our way of coming together as a school community.

In addition a huge shout out to our Leadership students for their efforts in hanging balloons over the entrances and blasting some great tunes for students and staff as they arrived for both AM & PM sessions.

The link below is to the Virtual Assembly:

Virtual Assembly 2021.mp4 drive.google.com

Scholarship Information for Grads and Grade 12 Parents

There are still scholarship available for students to apply for on the scholarship website – none of these are applications through the school or district so make sure you read application instructions carefully:

https://belmontscholarships.weebly.com/

Thank you to all students and parents for their hard work in the scholarship application process.  There were hundreds of applications for all SD62, PAC, and Belmont based scholarships this year which is great to see! All winners for these awards will be announced at graduation ceremonies at the end of June.  Students will receive certificates and important information regarding scholarship/bursary retrieval instructions in white envelopes at their grad ceremonies – please make sure these are kept safe and looked through thoroughly to ensure all awards can be claimed in a timely manner!  All the best to the grads in their future endeavors – Ms. Hoskins

West Shore Arts Council

The West Shore Arts Council is happy to announce that they are offering $500 scholarships again!  Successful applicants currently attend high school, and plan to enroll in further education at a recognized post-secondary institution to pursue a career in the fine arts.  This could include music, dance, theatre, film, visual arts, literary arts, digital arts, and others. Application is on the scholarship website!

COVID-19 Vaccinations for 12-17 Years Old – A Message from SD62

As you have likely heard, the provincial government has announced that children between 12 and 17 years old can now register for their COVID-19 vaccinations. We thought we would put the information in one place for you so that you can read, keep informed and make the best decisions for your family.

Quick highlights from the news release:

• Young people may register and get their vaccine on their own, or have a parent, guardian or trusted adult assist them.
• Under the Infants Act, children can give consent as a mature minor to receive health care, like getting a vaccine.
• Parents, caregivers, guardians and trusted adults can provide their own contact information when registering youth, if preferred. They can also accompany them to their vaccine appointment.
• Most young people will receive their vaccine in immunization clinics, not in schools.
• Youth ages 12-17 can tag along to their parent or guardian’s booked appointment and receive an immunization as well. Just let staff at the vaccination centre know upon arrival.

Young people can register themselves and book their appointment:

• online at: https://gov.bc.ca/getvaccinated
• by telephone at 1 833 838-2323
• or in person at any Service BC centre

Learn and make informed decisions for your family:

• Ministry of Health news release
• BCCDC info brochure and FAQ
• Information about the COVID-19 Vaccine

K-12 Health Check App

A reminder that there is the daily health check application for parents and students to help them determine if they should be attending school or not. The application is available online as a mobile-enabled website, an iPhone application, and a Google Android application.

Sincerely,

SD62 Communications Team

Belmont Grads 2021

Our Belmont school community is so proud of our Grads, and especially the determination and perseverance they have demonstrated during this challenging year. Our Grads really do rock!

All Grad related information is being shared with Grad families by email – please continue to check your emails and ask your Grad to check the Grad Google Classroom for important information and updates.

There will be increased traffic in our parking lot for the following Grad related activities, our grade 9-11 families may want to consider alternate pick up and drop off locations during these days and times:

Cap, Gown, Grad Mask, and Lawn Sign pick up:

Students or their parent/guardian will be picking up their items during the week of June 7-11. A big thank you to the City of Langford for purchasing lawn signs for our Grads!

Belmont Commencement 2021

The newly re-scheduled dates for the Belmont Graduation Commencement ceremonies are Wednesday, June 23 and Thursday, June 24. Ceremonies will be taking place throughout the day. We will have the upper Goudy parking lot available for Commencement parking, but we expect the parking lot to have extra vehicles on these days as well.

Thank you for your understanding and your support in celebrating the Belmont Grad class of 2021!

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Pride Month

Pride month is coming up in June! It is a chance for our communities to celebrate, reflect, promote equality and increase the visibility of LGBTQ2+ communities.  Belmont Leadership is proud to raise awareness around pride month in our school.  We are putting together a display board on various topics in an effort to raise awareness of the LGBTQ2+ community.  The board will rotate between the zone 1, 3, 4, and 5 entrances for one week each throughout the month of June in an effort to reach as many students as possible.  

Track & Field Results

An incredible showing for our Belmont Bulldogs Track and Field this year in the Pandemic challenge. Huge congratulations to the following athletes on the final standings in the Lower Vancouver Island Challenge:

Relay Senior Boys – Silver Medal (Beau N., Josh B., Stirling M., Braydon L.)

Relay Senior Girls – Bronze Medal (Julianne S., Sofia S.D., Gia L., Louisa K.) 

Senior Girls

• 200m – Louisa K. – Gold medal
• 400m – Julianne S. – 5th place
• 200m – Julianne S. – 6th place
• 800m – Julianne S. – Bronze Medal
• 800m – Guilia M. – 8th place
• 800m – Gia L. – 9th place
• 1500m – Gia L. – 5th place
• 1500m – ILiana S. – 6th place
• Shot Put – Gia L. – Silver Medal
• Shot Put – Katharina H. – 7th place
• Shot Put – Tanya D.B. – 9th place
• JAV – Gia L. – Silver Medal
• JAV – Tanya D.B. – Bronze Medal
• JAV – Katharina H. – 4th place
• LJ – Gia L. – 5th place

Senior Boys

• 200m – Josh B. – 8th place
• 800m – Daniel M. – 7th place
• 1500m – Daniel M. – 8th place
• LJ – Stirling M. – Bronze Medal
• LJ – Brayden L. – 11th place

Junior Girls

• 200m – Sophie V. – 5th place
• 400m – Sophie V. – 5th place
• 800m – Sophie V. – 6th place
• 400m – Bella B. – 9th place
• Shot Put – Abbey B. – 8th place 
• LJ – Abbey B. – 8th place
• LJ – Sophie V. – 14th place
• JAV – Abbey B. – Bronze Medal

Junior Boys

• 200m – Hong Ye Lin – 4th place
• 800m – Hone Ye Lin – 5th place