Kindness Changes Everything!

In support of our Careers Department’s focus for Grade 10s, today we hosted an ‘Acts of Kindness’ School Wide Assembly supported by Live Different.  Live Different is a trusted youth empowerment organization that has partnered with over 3500 schools over the past 18 years.  This year’s theme is ‘Kindness Changes Everything”.

This year, their presentation is all about the incredible impact of kindness and helping students to recognize just how important of a role it plays in each of our lives.  From what it does for each of us individually, to the impact it has on our schools and communities, and even on a global level, kindness has a unique opportunity to see significant change.


Important Dates

October 15 – ‘Acts of Kindness’ School Wide Assembly in block B

October 18 – The Great BC Shakeout – Nation wide Earthquake drill at 10:18am           

October 19 – Provincial Pro D Day (classes not in session)

October 25 – Camosun & UVic Info Evening at 6:30pm in Theatre

October 25 – Block A “Halloween Howl” – ISP, GISP, AVID 12 pumpkin carving

October 26 – Photo Retakes

November 1 – Post Secondary/Scholarship Info Evening 6:30pm

November 6 – PAC Meeting 7pm

 


 

Belmont Hosts the Cops For Cancer Tour De Rock!

On October 3 Mr. Chan’s and Ms. Sandberg’s Leadership classes once again hosted a fund raising BBQ to support this great charity event. In total we raised $1314.95 and were very honoured to serve the cyclists as they completed their Island tour. A huge thanks to Ryan’s Vending for their donation of liquid refreshments!

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“The biggest piece of advice to kids at Belmont is get involved in your community. I remember when I was in high school, I didn’t care about anything. It was just about myself. And now, getting older and we’ve been through all the schools all over the island, over 100 schools, it’s amazing to see students getting involved, at any age. Get involved in your community- you will get a lot more out of it then you think.” (Tony LaBlanc, Tour de Rock 2018)

The Belmont Leadership Class is off to a GREAT start with our class of Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 students.  They meet outside of the timetable on Mondays (3:30-4:45pm) and Wednesdays (8-8:45am) in the Learning Commons with Ms. Sandberg & Mr. Chan.

Mr. Chan, along with Grade 11 students Navya P., Keagan T., Emma K., and Salisha T., travelled to Edmonton to the Canadian Student Leadership Conference, hosted by the Canadian Student Leadership Association and Edmonton Public Schools.  There, along with over 700 student delegates and 150 teacher advisors, they learned more about Volunteerism & Service, School Spirit, Team Building, and Leadership!  This has inspired them to work with our Leadership class about raising our school spirit!  The Leadership Class’ first event was the Cops for Cancer/Tour de Rock BBQ, and what a success it was!  Big thanks to Belmont for raising over $1300 towards this GREAT foundation!

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for some new initiatives from your Belmont Leadership Class!


Scholarship News

For our grade 12s as they look towards post-secondary, the Belmont scholarship website is now live and is found under the Student tab of our school website or by clicking on the link above. Ms. Davis offers scholarship support in B205 during A block, Focus blocks, and by appointment outside of school hours.


Yearbook Information

Yes! It is already time to start thinking about buying your yearbook! Yearbooks will be $55 and can be purchased at the office with cash or online. Sales begin now and will go ONLY UNTIL December 21– so get your order in early! There will be no extra copies available for sale this year, so make sure you pre-order!


Belmont Music

The Belmont Music Department (BMD) recently had their fall retreat of 2018 over the Thanksgiving weekend! The Concert Choir, along with Ms. Dawson and Ms. Fortin (our Student Teacher) had a wonderful day of choral clinics and games with Mrs. Sally Murphy, former Choral Director of Oak Bay High School.  They spent their day singing together, learning, and laughing, while being hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion (Branch no. 91 – Prince Edward).  All music students converged back to Belmont on Friday evening for a night of games, dinner, and karaoke!  Special shout out goes to Ms. Gaetz for catering our Spaghetti Dinner, to the BMD Alumni for helping us with the dinner, and to our Music Executive for organizing such a FUN night of games!  The Saturday saw our Concert Band 9 and Senior Winds members in clinics with musicians from the Victoria Symphony, followed by a wonderful workshop with Mr. Parker Joliffe, Director of Bands at Spectrum Community School.   Want to listen to our ensembles?  Our Choir will be performing at our Remembrance Day assembly, while the Senior Winds will be performing along with three other community bands at our Evolution of Band Concert.  Both events will be in November!


GISP Global Intercultural Studies Program

Grade 12 Belmont student Anna T. is currently in Japan on an exchange for 6 months. You might recognize her exchange partner in the picture, Rion, her partner from the last academic year.  Anna is having an incredible time experiencing the Japanese culture and travelling around various parts of Japan We look forward to hearing all about her adventures when Anna returns in January.

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Careers News

Aviation & Design Program

 The Aviation and Design Program is for students who are interested in exploring the aviation and aerospace industry.

The semester long program is located at Mt. Doug Secondary School for second semester (February to June 2019).  Students will receive Transport Canada’s Ground School Certificate, Co-pilot two flights, work with a local aviation company and earn 20 high school credits.

Please see Mrs. Nicholson in the Career Centre for an application and for more information.

Application deadline is November 15, 2018.


British Columbia Youth Parliament

BC Youth Parliament is a youth organization for students who want to learn about the parliamentary process, debate topics of interest, and plan numerous activities for the upcoming year.  The proposed activities, usually in the form of community service projects, are presented in the form of government bills; once passed they must be put into effect.

The Parliamentary Session is from December 27 to 31, 2018.  Application deadline is Tuesday, October 23, 2018.

Please see Mrs. Nicholson in the Career Centre for an application and for more information or go to https://bcyp.live/applying/.

Volunteering?

Are you a grade 11 or 12 student considering taking a gap year after you graduate from high school? A representative from Latitude Global Volunteering will be at Belmont on Monday, October 22 during A block. If you are interested in attending and can afford to miss your A block class, sign up in the counselling suite before Thursday, October 18th. The number of participants will determine where we meet for the presentation.


Motivational Day 2018


GRADUATING IN 2019? This message is for you!

Grads 2019! Now is time to start thinking about your Yearbook Grad Quote! All quotes must be submitted by December 21st! Please note: all Grad quotes will be submitted AS IS- please make sure your quotes are edited (spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors WILL NOT BE CHANGED by Yearbook staff). Any inappropriate content will not be accepted, and your quote will be automatically replaced with a standard inspirational message. Please email your quote to:

belmontgradquotes2019@gmail.com


Athletics

Girls Basketball Tryouts Senior and Junior A/B

Monday Oct 15th 7-8pm

Tuesday Oct 16th- 5:30-7pm

Weds Oct 17th- 5:30 -7pm

Monday Oct 22nd- 6:30-8pm

Weds Oct 24th- 5:30- 7pm


Senior Girls Volleyball

Another wonderful performance from the Senior Girls Volleyball Team recently, going undefeated and capturing the Camosun College Tournament championship in thrilling fashion with a big win over cross-town rivals Oak Bay. Taylee P. and Gracie M. were selected to the tournament all-star team, while Jocelyn S. was named MVP. Belmont has now been ranked the #1 AAAA team in B.C.! Well done girls – you’ve made us all proud!

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Girls Rugby News

Sierra G. is away in Marcoussis France with the Women’s Rugby 7s Maple Leafs Team.  She will be competing in a pre-season tournament with the team.

Maggie M., Madison G. and Kendra C. (pictured below) are representing Canada at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires with the Rugby 7s.  Belmont grads Carmen Izyk and Olivia De Couvreur are also on the team.   Go Canada Go!

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And just as we were about to press “publish,” news comes in that Canada’s 7s finish the Junior Olympics with a Bronze medal.  Congratulations from all of us!

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Belmont Bulldog Junior Varsity Football

Check out the recent highlights from our JV Football victory over Mount Doug 34-8.  Our JV team is having a great season and looking incredibly strong. Well done fellas!


Grade 9 Immunizations – A message from the Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA)

Recently immunization consent packages for grade 9 students were sent home from the school. If you have not already done so, please review the information with your child as an opportunity for them to start making decisions about their own health. Please complete the consent form and return it to the school in a sealed envelope as soon as possible.

Although a child may be immunized with the consent of a parent/guardian or representative, a grade 9 student can make an informed decision regarding immunization regardless of parental consent or refusal. This is referred to as “mature minor consent.”

For more information:


SD62 Halloween Reminder

The following message was emailed to all parents recently:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Halloween is nearly here! Please take a moment to read the following costume guidelines. Teachers will go through these points with students and if you could also do the same with your child, it would be very much appreciated.

Costume guidelines:

  • No Full-face paint
  • No Masks (including half and full-face)
  • No Imitation weapons of any kind

If anyone shows up in a related costume or brandishing a fake weapon, they will be asked to change/remove the item(s) or be sent home.

These guidelines are in place so that students can be easily identified. Please use your discretion when sending your child to school in an appropriate costume. We do our best to create comfortable and safe environments in our schools and we thank you for helping us to do so. Halloween is a very fun time of year and we want to continue to be able to offer that to our students in the years to come.

Thank you for your continued support and diligence in keeping our students safe.

Sincerely,

Scott Stinson

Superintendent of Schools, Sooke School District #62


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To access the links in the Healthy Schools Newsletter please click on the link below.

Healthy Schools Healthy People Newsletter Sept 2018 FV

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October has arrived!

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Our Ab Ed Staff provided these canvases

On another note, our District has recently finalized the Strategic Plan 2018-2021 which will help anchor the direction of schools and our community in the coming years.  Parents are invited to review the plan and know that as a school, Belmont students and staff will be using the Strategic Plan to help define a focus of inquiry this year.

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AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) News

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AVID 9 student workshop

On Thursday September 27th our AVID 9 cohort collaborated with members of our Ab Ed staff participating in a workshop focused on the meaning behind Orange Shirt Day. What a great “cross-curricular” opportunity!


International Student Program

Our ISP program hosted a “meet greet, and welcome” activity with our AVID 12, Geography 12 and GISP (Global Intercultural Studies Program) students this past Friday where they collaborated on designing clothing out of newsprint in addition to using the colour orange.  Their efforts were celebrated with a fun fashion show judged by select staff and students. What a cool event for all our students!

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ISP Newsprint Fashion Design Project!

Careers news:

Check out the upcoming volunteer opportunities, jobs and career events at http://bsscareercentre.weebly.com/.

Click on the tabs at the top of the webpage to select ‘volunteer’, ‘jobs’, ‘career events’, and ‘successes’.

Careers 10:

Students will participate in Career Life Education 10 through a blended model of face-to-face instruction complimented by a G Suite (Google) classroom. Assignments 1A, 1B, 1C are due October 5, 2018.  If you still need to join the google classroom here are the codes:

French Immersion:  7rv4jz

Avid:  w4mnesO

All others: Od7xmfi

Any questions come see Mr. Dube, Miss Rachael or Mrs. Robertson in room B210.


Grad Transitions:

Be sure to follow:

‘Grad Transitions 12’ on the Belmont App; and join the ‘Belmont Grad Transitions’ Google Classroom – Code: ar773or


YEARBOOK INFORMATION:

Yes! It is already time to start thinking about buying your yearbook! Yearbooks will be $50 and can be purchased at the office with cash or online. Sales begin now and will go ONLY UNTIL December 21– so get your order in early! There will be no extra copies available for sale this year, so make sure you pre-order!


GRADUATING IN 2019? This message is for you!

Grads 2019! Now is time to start thinking about your Yearbook Grad Quote! All quotes must be submitted by December 21st! Please note: all Grad quotes will be submitted AS IS- please make sure your quotes are edited (spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors WILL NOT BE CHANGED by Yearbook staff). Any inappropriate content will not be accepted, and your quote will be automatically replaced with a standard inspirational message. Please email your quote to:

belmontgradquotes2019@gmail.com


Students who are enrolled in the following Dual Credit Courses, must attend an orientation/registration session.

Accounting 110 and Marketing 110 -Thursday, October the 4 at lunch time in Room B222, (Mr. Grainger’s classroom).

Psychology 154 and Math 100 – Wednesday, October 17 during Focus Block  in the Learning Commons.

Information and registration packages will be distributed at these meetings do not miss the opportunity to have High School and Camosun College credits while you are still in High School. The college tuition is covered by the School District. Students however, will be expected to pay a nonrefundable application fee of $41.82.

See Mrs. Hyde for more information in the Career Centre.


Camosun Bio 103 Lab

Here are a few pictures of our Bio 103 students performing a sophisticated lab at one of the Camosun laboratory classrooms last Thursday.  They did very well testing for lipids, proteins, sugars and starch on 4 unknown milk samples.  Everyone enjoyed themselves and appreciated the lab skills learned at a post-secondary institution.  The students were successful in correctly identifying the samples based on their observations and conclusions.

Camosun instructor, Laura Biggs is shown below helping one group; 2 other group pics showing students testing for macromolecules.

 


Athletics News

Senior Girls Volleyball

Congrats to the Senior Girls Volleyball Team after their championship performance at the 29 team VIU Tournament this weekend in Nanaimo! After going undefeated in their Pool play, the girls defeated Brentwood College, Oak Bay and St. Thomas Aquinas from Vancouver to claim the VIU trophy. Everyone played well and First Team All-Stars were awarded to Taylee P. and Jocelyn S., while Gracie M. was named tournament MVP. This coming weekend the girls are playing in the local Camosun Tournament and would love some Belmont student support!

Upcoming Basketball tryouts…

Sr boys:

Thursday Oct 11: 3:30-5:30pm, Friday Oct 12:  2:25-4:30pm, Monday Oct 15: 7:00-8:30pm

Jr boys:

Monday Oct 8: 6:30-8:00pm, Thursday Oct 11: 6:30-8:00pm, Friday Oct 12: 2:25-4:30pm

Monday Oct 15: 7:00-8:30pm


South Gulf Island Fire/Rescue Youth Camp

Do you want to know what it takes to be a firefighter?  The Fire Rescue Camp on Pender Island from March 18-23, 2019 will challenge you in the basic elements of firefighting, search & rescue, medical first response and rope rescue.  There will be a strong emphasis on teamwork, physical fitness and community service.  Applicants must be 15-18 years of age.  For more information and an application, please see the Career Centre.  Deadline for applications is November 8, 2018.


Imagining Possibilities Conference 2018

Do you want to meet women in different career pathways, be able to take charge of your own future?  Do you want to learn about Personality Strengths, Finding your Heart’s Inner Wisdom, Self Defence, Job Search Boot Camp, the Real World of Money and Healthy Relationships?  These are some of the workshops offered at the full-day “Imagining Possibilities” Conference sponsored by the Soroptimist Club.  This free conference is on Thursday, November 1, 2018 for female students 15 years or older.  Pick up field trip permission forms and a conference description from the Career Centre.  Space is limited to 30 students on a “first come first served’ basis.  Deadline for forms is Thursday, October 18, 2018.


 Community News

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A Great Start – the 2018/19 school year begins!

On September 4th we welcomed this year’s grade 9s, the graduating class of 2022, to school by hosting a welcome assembly followed by a morning highlighted by opening lockers and finding classes.  Our grade 9s had the chance to rotate through their classes and meet their teachers in addition to be assigned their lockers.

On September 5th we welcomed back our grade 10-12 students lead by the graduating class of 2019. Our Clerical, Custodial, and Counselling teams worked diligently on preparing our school for the school year start up.  As of today, our student enrolment is 1436.

On September 7th we hosted a Pep Rally where we celebrated the beginning of the school year by highlighting many of the great things happening at Belmont.

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It’s always incredible to have all of our students together as we truly realize our school is very much like a small town…

On September 11th we hosted the first PAC meeting of the year.  Our new President Ms. Pritchard and new Treasurer Ms. Waller hosted in addition to welcoming the parents who attended.  To note, we are looking for 2 more parents to volunteer to complete the Executive in the positions of Secretary and Vice President.  All parents are welcome to attend our monthly PAC meetings to support many of our school programs as well as collaborate with our Admin team.

We expect the 2 portables we received over the summer to be ready for occupancy near the beginning of October and in addition, the Belmont Bistro/Lakeside Cafe renovations have begun.  A reminder to all students and their families to continue to bring snacks and a lunch until further notice.  Some clubs and teams are hosting lunch time sales as minor fundraising opportunities.


Important Dates

September 18-21Grad Spirit Week: Tuesday Tacky Tourist/Tropical Shirt, Wednesday    Belmont Blackout, Thursday Back to the 90s, Friday is PJ Day.

September 26 – Family Open House: On Wednesday September 26 we host our annual    Family Open House at 6:30pm.  We will send more info via email through School Messenger.

September 24-28 – Awareness Week: see more details below.

October 2 – PAC Meeting 7pm

October 3 – Belmont hosts Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock BBQ


Focus Blocks – FAQ

This year at Belmont we are supporting students with an hour of “Focus” time every Wednesday between blocks A and B.  This also occurs at Royal Bay and Edward Milne.  Focus or Flex blocks, as they are commonly known, are used throughout school and Districts across Canada.  The link below is to a “FAQ” or frequently asked questions memo regarding our approach.  It is expected all students will participate and use this time to support their learning and passions.

Focus Block FAQ


Leadership Class hosts Awareness Week

Hello Belmont!

The last week of September (September 24-28) will be our first school-wide SPIRIT WEEK!  Along with a daily theme, we will have lunch-time booths in the foyer to bring awareness of different clubs, services, and awareness in our community!

Monday 24 Sept – PURPLE DAY! Purple Day for INCLUSION!  Our very own GSA will be out at lunch, come check them out!

Tuesday 25 Sept – GREEN DAY! (No, we don’t mean the Band!) Green Day for THE ENVIRONMENT!  A booth and representative from the CRD will be out, talking about the 3Rs!  There might be some prizes!

Wednesday 26 Sept – RED DAY! Red Day for MILITARY APPRECIATION!  We live near the Pacific Fleet of the Royal Canadian Navy and many of our students are in Military Families!  A booth and representative from the Military Family Resource Centre will be out at Lunch!  Come say hi!

Thursday 27 Sept – BLUE AND WHITE DAY! Why Blue and White?  Because it’s our SCHOOL COLOURS! Our Jr. Varsity Football team has a HOME GAME that afternoon, so show some school pride!!

Friday 28 Sept – ORANGE SHIRT DAY! “The annual Orange Shirt Day (on 30 Sept) opens the door to global conversation about all of the aspects of Residential Schools.”  Let’s have a discussion about the aftermath of Residential Schools and to help survivors in their reconciliation.

Show your school spirit and your awareness of what’s going on in our community by wearing these colours!

Hosted by the Belmont Leadership Class!


News from GISP (Global and Intercultural Skills Program)

Congratulations to Morgana A. and Christine C.who were awarded a 5 week bursary to study French in Quebec this past summer. Both students improved their French language acquisition skills as well as experiencing the French culture. Morgana and Christine enjoyed meeting Canadian students from various cities across Canada as well as experiencing different community events and local activities. Félicitations les filles!

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Upcoming:  The First meeting for GISP (Global and Intercultural Skills Program) is Tuesday, September 18th with Ms. Evans at lunch in room B309.

Interested in a Service Trip to the Green School in Bali?  Meeting on Thursday, September 20, at lunch with Ms. Evans in room B309.


AVID Study Tip

Effective studying involves more than re-reading your textbook or notes. Instead, try explaining your notes aloud, in your own words. Visit the material in as many ways as possible—visually, auditorily, conversationally, and kinesthetically. Draw it out. Explain it to a sibling, friend, or parent. Move your fingers when you identify or recite specific points to remember. These tips can help you turn passive review into effective active study sessions.

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Biology 103 – Our Grade 12 Dual Credit Cohort

Sending compliments to our Biology 103 students who just completed their first university lab after school on Thurs.  WELL DONE!  The experience was appreciated by all in completing a post-secondary lab, learning new lab skills, handling new equipment and models, completing an experiment and working in a collaborative setting along with the Camosun instructor, Ms. Laura Biggs.

This is one of the Dual Credit courses offered at Belmont during Semester 1, whereby students receive 8 grad credits and a transferable university credit. They become early registrants at Camosun College, get exposed to university style lectures exams,  complete 14 labs (8 at Belmont, 6 at the Landsdowne Camosun campus) and do NOT pay tuition for the course!

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Some of our Bio 103 students
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Dual Credit Bio 12

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested, please see your counsellor or Mrs. Hyde in the Careers Centre or speak to Ms. Choma in room A304.


Athletics News

Basketball

All girls (Gr. 9-12)  interested in playing basketball are invited to attend free drop in open gym on Mondays from 7-9pm in our gym

Volleyball

The Belmont Volleyball Programs are well under way with a total of 5 teams this year.  We will have:

2 Junior Girls Teams  (Monday Games)

 1 Junior Boys Team  (Thursday Games)

1 Senior Boys Team  (Wednesday Games)

1 Senior Girls Team (2 Time defending BC AAAA Champions) Tuesday Games

With about 50 athletes going this promises to be another exciting season.

Sr. Boys Volleyball Schedule

All matches start at 6:00pm. Team members are reminded to be there by 5:30 pm.

Sept 19th Reynolds, SMUS @OAK BAY
Sept 26th PCS, Oak Bay @SPECTRUM
Oct 3rd PCS, Esq, Reynolds @BELMONT
Oct 10th Royal Bay, Stellys @OAK BAY
Oct 17th Royal Bay, Lambrick @REYNOLDS
Oct 24th Claremont, Oak Bay @MT DOUG
Oct 31st Royal Bay, PCS, Esq @BELMONT

Sr. Boys Tournament Schedule

Sept. 21-22 Camosun @PISE, Oct. 5-6- Nanaimo VIU Tourney

Oct. 19-20 Junior Boys Tourney (ALL SENIORS MUST ATTEND ALL DAY EACH DAY)

Nov. TBA- Duncan Christian Tourney

Nov. 5th – PLAYOFFS @TBA                                 Nov. 16/17- Islands @ TBA

Sr. Girls Volleyball

The Senior Girls Volleyball Team got their 2018 season off to a strong start in Nanaimo at the Dover Bay Invitational Tournament. The girls posted a 5-1 record, their only loss coming in a tie-breaker. This coming weekend they travel to UBC to take on some of the best teams in the province. The team is: Taylee P., Gracie M., Jocelyn S., Aspen N., Jordyn W., Jasmyn L., Abbey N., Elise G., Daryana M., Sierra C., Kylie K., and Maggie M.  The team is once again coached by Mr. Toakley.

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Badminton

There is Club Badminton every Wednesday from 7-8:30pm in our gym.  The cost is $10 for September to Christmas and the money covers the cost of the birdies.  Badminton will be cancelled September 26 due to a volleyball game.  See Mr. Willing in room B312 for more details.