scarlson62

Happy New Year!

Important Dates

Dec 23-Jan 3 – Winter Vacation
Jan 6 – Welcome Back
Jan 9 – CLC12 students presenting Capstone Projects
Jan 19 – Dance Show Tech Rehearsal
Jan 21 – Copernican Day Blks A/C (2:20 pm dismissal)
Jan 22 – Copernican Day Blks B/D (2:20 pm dismissal)
Jan 22 – English 12 & English First Peoples Exams 1-3pm
Jan 22 – Dance Show Tech Rehearsal 3:30-9:00pm
Jan 23 – Comm. 12 & FRAL 12 Exams 1-3pm
Jan 23 – Dance Show Dress Rehearsal 3:30-9:00pm
Jan 24 – FRALP 12 Exam 9-11am
Jan 23 24 – No Scheduled Classes
Jan 24 – Dance Show Performance 7pm
Jan 25 – Dance Show Performance 7pm
Jan 25 – Chinese New Year – Year of the Rat
Jan 27 – Semester 2 Begins ABCD

Hello Belmont Families and Students.

As we’ve come to the end of another decade and usher in 2020, on behalf of our entire staff, we hope you have had a happy holiday!

The weeks leading up to the winter break were very busy at Belmont as we hosted our annual Winter Concert, ISP Gingerbread House competition, the annual 10,000 Tonight Food Bank Drive, our Grad Winter Formal at Bear Mountain, and this morning’s Santa’s Pancake Breakfast.

We look forward to school re-opening on January 6 as we finish off the first semester on January 22. A huge shout out to our PAC for their continued support and to all the parents and volunteers who make our school such a great place to live and learn. Below are some pics of 10,000 tonight with grade 12 students Zak, Mat, Jon, and Keagan and Jim from MOD pizza delivering a cheque to the Goldstream Food Bank for $2500. These proceeds were donated by MOD pizza from their opening day sales at their new location at Belmont Market.

Jim from MOD Pizza, Zak, Mat, Jon, & Keagan present the Goldstream Food Bank with a cheque for $2500!

On December 20th we hosted our annual pancake breakfast and had a surprise visit from Santa Claus (who looked a lot like Assoc. Superintendent Dave Strange).

And to top off today’s events, we hosted our 1st annual RCMP & Staff vs. Student Dodge Ball match at lunch. The students defeated the RCMP & Staff in a close match 2 games to 1. Thanks to our local WestShore RCMP for organizing this match and also brining pizza to share!

ISP Gingerbread House Contest

On December 17, our International Student Program hosted the annual gingerbread house contest. It was awesome!

Gr. 11 Students

Boarding U of Alberta is an exclusive event open to Gr 11 students from across Canada. Twenty lucky students will be chosen to visit our North Campus in Edmonton for the weekend of May 29-31, 2020. This is their chance to test-drive a Top 5 Canadian University, and to see first hand if Edmonton and the University of Alberta are the right fit for them. If selected, their ticket will include flights, accommodations and a whirlwind weekend of exciting events both on campus and in Edmonton. For more information, including a video from previous years, see https://www.ualberta.ca/admissions/undergraduate/tours-and-events/boarding-ualberta Applications will be accepted until end of day on February 17, 2020.

ISP Weaving

At the beginning of December, our ISP cohorts were so lucky to have Christine, June and Jack Jack visit our classes, work with our students and teach us about Nuu-chah-nulth culture. Student learned about the importance of traditional weaving practices and knit their own woolen pouches. Students also enjoyed traditional tea and smoked salmon. Many thanks to our Aboriginal Department for organizing this amazing experience for us!

Weaving

Winter Warmies Drive

Gr. 12 student Austin T. organized a Winter Warmie Drive collecting mittens, scarves, coats and toques, etc. to donate to West Shore families in need. The Metchosin Firefighters came to the school to receive the donations from Austin. Thanks to families who donated items for this important cause.

2020 Francophone Games

Fine Arts

Evo of Band 2020 Poster FINAL

Athletics

Girls’ Rugby

Any girls, with or without experience, interested in playing rugby in the new year come see Mr. Barrick in the PE office for information.

Girls Rugby1

Community News

Mind-Fit-WH-Fall

Tis the Season!

Important Dates

Dec 6 – Belmont Youth Action Team hosting Self-Care Day
Dec 6-15 – PACE Musical Theatre 7pm
Dec 11 – 10,000 Tonight Food Bank Drive
Dec 9-20 – Belmont Winter Season (Leadership Activities at Lunch)
Dec 16 – BMD Legion Community Dinner
Dec 17 – ISP Gingerbread Decorating Competition Blk A
Dec 19 – Winter Formal 6-10pm Bear Mtn. Resort
Dec 20 – Santa’s Breakfast 8:30am to 10am (altered bell schedule)
Dec 21 – Winter Solstice
Dec 23-Jan 3 – Winter Vacation
Jan 16 – CLC12 students presenting Capstone Projects

Sharing Holiday Cheer and some awesome dance moves too!

This past weekend Ms. Conway’s Dancers took to the streets of Victoria as they participated once again in the 38th Annual Island Farm’s Santa’s Light Parade.

10,000 Tonight – December 11th Raising

Belmont’s 10,000 Tonight food drive is happening on Wednesday December 11th from 5pm-10pm and we need your help to make it a success! Volunteers can help drive the routes and collect donations or stay at the school and sort the items. This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family while helping out our local Goldstream Food Bank.

A reminder students can bring in non-perishable food items to their block A class by Friday December 6. The class with the most items will win a pizza party!

MOD Pizza is opening it’s first Canadian location in the Belmont Market on December 10th and they are generously donating 50% of their opening day pizza sales to Belmont to give to the Food Bank! Please help us support them on their opening day as it will greatly increase what we can donate.

Thanks for your support!

Career Life Education Update (Careers 10)

So far this year, grade 10 students have completed assignments in the Careers curriculum that have examined the following ideas:

Finding a balance between work and personal life is essential to good physical and mental health;
A network of family, friends, and community members can support and broaden our career awareness and options; and
Effective career planning considers both internal and external factors.

In Careers 10, students operate on a blended learning model which allows them to take greater advantage of other elective courses by freeing up a block in their timetable. Students do receive some face-to-face instruction at least once a month, but if a planned session is missed, students must see a careers teacher in B210 during focus block to ensure they are staying on task.

This month, students are completing Benchmark Assignment 3 (Personal Network Connections), due 6 Dec, which allows them to explore who may be an asset to their future career or educational goals. Assignment 4 will be delivered to students fade-to-face in the second week of December and will be due in January. Students must complete all benchmark assignments in order to receive credit for the course.

With each month’s assignment, comes the opportunity to extend their learning. Students can use cross-curricular (work done in other classes), extra-curricular (activities done outside of school), or self-directed activities to reflect how the work they have already done meets the Career Life Education Big Ideas. These extensions are quick and simple, yet they do require an element of reflection. Please see a Careers teacher in B210 to discuss the extension opportunities for the course – you will never leave without an idea to use!

Belmont’s Youth Action Team (YAT)

On Friday, December 6^th, during A & B blocks, Belmont’s Youth Action Team (YAT) is hosting its first ever Self-Care Day, including booths & various activities that focus on stress relieving and connecting students with Belmont Wellness Centre and local organizations that focus on youth and health.

Grads! Got your ticket to the Winter Formal?

Winter Formal is on Thursday, December 19th, 6-10pm at Bear Mountain Resort for Grads only. A reminder all school rules apply. On sale now on School Cash Online until December 12th. $60

Athletics

Sr. & Jr. Girls’ Basketball

The Sr. & Jr. Girls’ are co hosting the Victoria Christmas Tournament once again with both our teams playing at 11:20am on Friday, December 6th. Games will go all day on both courts and continue all day Saturday.

The Belmont Music Department presents:

See you there for our annual holiday classic!

Community News

Strategies for helping the holidays go better – Thursday, December 5th

The Holiday Season is approaching and this can be one of the most stressful times for families. FamilySmart believes that we are all experts in our own lives with our children, and when parents get together to share their wisdom it can be helpful for everyone. Hearing another parent’s approach to handling a situation with their child might be something they want to try with our own family. That’s why our December meeting will be more casual giving us an opportunity to share stories and strategies with one another.

Date & Time: Thursday, December 5th – 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm

Location: Saanich Neighbourhood Place

RSVP: Lisa.Tate@familysmart.ca

Passing the Mid Term…

Important Dates

Nov 18 – Nov 29 – Grad Photos
Nov 20 – UVic Gustavson School of Business during Focus Blk, Rm B222
Nov 21 – Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences – early dismissal at 11:55am
Nov 22 – Pro-D (students not in session)
Nov 28 – Cultural Fair 4-6pm
Nov 28 – Parent Night @ UVic 7-8:30pm
Nov 30 – Dance Company in Santa’s Light Parade 5pm
Dec 2 – Dry Grad Mtg. 7pm
Dec 3 – PAC Mtg. 7pm
Dec 4 – 10,000 Tonight Food Bank Drive
Dec 5 – Winter Concert 7pm
Dec 9-20 – Belmont Winter Season (Leadership Activities at Lunch)

As we have just passed the mid-term point of the first semester, we want to remind families to ensure you have access to the MyEd Family portal to review your daughter’s or son’s attendance and report card. In addition, we will be completing student course selection for grades 9 to 11 students for the 2020/21 school year early in the second semester.

A reminder that we host our Student/Parent/Teacher conferences on November 21 from 2 to 4pm and 5 to 7pm. We will have an early dismissal on that day at 11:55am. The bell schedule for the day is as follows:

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Athletics

Jr. Boys Volleyball

Our Jr. Boys qualified for the BC’s by placing 3^rd this past weekend in the Island Championships. Next Wed. the team is heading to Kelowna, BC to participate in the Provincials. Good luck team!

Jr. Girls Volleyball

The Junior Girls (10s) volleyball team season just wrapped up. They had a strong start to the season at the VIU tournament, finished well in the league standings and finished seventh in cities. They played in our senior tournament, taking most teams to three sets and won two of their matches!

Grade 9 Girls Volleyball

The grade nine girls volleyball team has had a very successful season and all of the girls have improved greatly! They are headed to the second round of playoffs on Tuesday November 12th at PCS. They came first in their pool for the first round and are very hopeful to do well today! No matter what they will be playing for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. On November 22-23 the girls are headed to Vancouver for grade nine girls provincials – it will be a great learning experience for the girls so please wish them luck!!

Sr. Girls Volleyball

Due to the labour dispute in SD63, our Sr. Girls Volleyball team with support from our PHE & Athletics staff are hosting the Island Championships this weekend if you’d like to come out and watch some great volleyball. The schedule is as follows:

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Career & Counselling Department News

Some upcoming informational dates for our students to be aware of:

November 19 – UBC @ Belmont 9am -10:20am

Take Your Kid to Work Day

We would like to thank all parents/guardians and members of the community for taking our Grade 9’s to work with them on Wednesday November 6^th! We would like to give a special thank you to the local Langford RCMP detachment for giving 10 of our students a great experience that day! It was a true community effort that helped to provide our Grade 9’s with the wonderful experience of exploring the world of work. Thank you to everyone for creating this opportunity for our students.

Grad Info/Dates

A reminder to families and students of grade 12 students that you can find information about grad events, timelines, and info through our web page found under the Student & Parent tab under Grade 12 Information.

Recently our Grade 12 CLC classes supported a local clean-up by picking up garbage and refuse along the City of Langord’s Hull’s Trail which is in close proximity to our school. Thanks to Ms. Robertson’s classes for their efforts in keeping our neighbourhood clean!

CLC Hull's.jpg

Magic Wand 2019

Home Ec & AbEd team up for a great day!

Our salmon bake last week hosted by our Food Studies classes, Ab Ed, and Elder Henry Chipps was a huge success, focusing on land stewardship, sustainability, and First Peoples food preparation. Thank you to Ab Ed team, Home Ec staff and our Elder Henry for supporting this event!

Salmon Bake.jpg

BC Training & Education Savings Grant

Parents, Guardians, please see attached information from the Ministry. Thanks.

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/bulletin/20191115/bctesp-k-4-letter-.pdf

Japan TV PPt

Travel to Japan, Land of the Riding Sun, Spring break 2021!
If you are interested in a once in a lifetime travel experience to the lights and bustle of Tokyo, the stillness of ancient shrines and bamboo forests, hot springs under Mt. Fuji, Japanese cuisine and culture from sumo wrestling and Zen Buddhist temples, to bullet trains and cutting edge technology, see Miss Bondurant (A312) or Miss Mitchell (B312).

The Parent Information Meeting will be during Parent Teacher Interviews November 21^st at 6:30 in A312!

Schulich Leader

Important Dates

Oct 31 – Halloween
Nov 1 – 3 – Belmont Music Retreat
Nov 1 – Fire Drill 11:55am
Nov 4 – PAC Mtg. 7pm
Nov 4 – Dry Grad Mtg. 8pm
Nov 5 – 8 – Numeracy 10 & Literacy 10 Assessments
Nov 6 – Gr. 9 Take Your Kids to Work Day
Nov 7 – Salmon Bake with Foods classes
Nov 7 – Metis Dancing
Nov 8 – Remembrance Day Assemblies
Nov 8 – University of Alberta Admissions presentation 9 – 10am, Room A208
Nov 8 – Mid-Term Report Cards Published via MyEd family & student portal
Nov 11 – Remembrance Day (school not in session)
Nov 13 – Camosun College Info session for Aboriginal Students, Focus Block, A109
Nov 13 – University of Calgary Info Session, Focus Block, B205
Nov 18 – Nov 29 – Grad Photos

Mid Term Report Cards

On November 8th we will be publishing mid-term report cards via the MyEd student and family portal. A reminder to ensure you have access by knowing your log in information. Instructions on how to reset your password can be found through our website under the Parents menu

Happy Halloween from our Students & Staff!

On November 8 we will be hosting our annual Remembrance Day assemblies in-lieu of the official ceremonies hosted on November 11 across Canada. Our students and staff do a wonderful job of hosting this event. Some quick info on Remembrance Day can be found at 10 Quick Facts on Remembrance Day.

Thanks to Mr. Huck & Ms. Hyde! As this week comes to a close, we want say goodbye to Mr. Huck (Vice Principal) as he begins a new journey as the Principal at Royal Bay and Ms. Hyde (Career Coordinator Clerk) who is looking forward to retirement. In both of their roles, they have made incredible contributions to our school and community and leave our school a better place. On behalf of our entire community, thanks for all you have done! Always a Bulldog!

Our Family Grows… We have 4 new chicks that have joined our Belmont family! They all hatched on Oct. 23 and are happy and healthy. We congratulate the proud parents (Ms. Allen’s SCN9 class 🙂 They can be visited by the back window of Ms. Mitchell’s classroom B312.

Their names are Beauté, Coco, Ming Ming, & Egon

Career & Counselling Department News

Some upcoming informational dates for our students to be aware of:

November 5 – PSI tour @ Belmont 10:30am – 12pm
November 6 – Grade 9 Take Your Kid to Work Day
November 19 – UBC @ Belmont 9am -10:20am

BCPSI

Belmont will be hosting our annual BCPSI (Post-Secondary Institution) tour next Tuesday, November 5, in the theatre. In this fair-style forum, students will have the opportunity to talk to admissions staff, collect brochures (and swag!), and ask questions about programs, campus life, varsity opportunities, support resources, etc. 14 institutions will be attending; please see the list below.

List of attending institutions:

Royal Roads University, BCIT, Thompson River University, Coast Mountain College, Camosun College, Canadian Armed Forces – Royal Military College, UVic, Quest, SFU, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, Capilano University, UBC, Vancouver Island University, and Vancouver Community College

Parent Night @ UVic

Parent Night is for the parents! Join us to hear the same information we provide to students when we visit local schools, including admission requirements for our programs, scholarships, and upcoming application deadlines. We’ll also offer some advice on helping your student transition successfully to life in university. If you have any questions about the event, please contact the Vancouver Island Student Recruitment Officer, Stephanie Parker, at stephanieparker@uvic.ca.

Free parking is provided for all attendees (register to receive instructions).

Date: Thursday, November 28, 2019
Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m. (check-in opens at 6:30 p.m.)
Location: Bob Wright Centre, University of Victoria

Grad Photos will be taken at Belmont School in the Learning Commons from Monday, November 18th to Friday, November 29th. To reserve a sitting time, please visit schedule.prestigeportraits.ca. Sitting fee is $25 (cash or cheques only), and due at the time of the appointment. Students, you are welcome to be creative and bring something you are passionate about. Examples, soccer ball, hockey stick and gloves, cheerleading pom, poms, ballet shoes, a hobby, etc. Please note: The Grad Photo will be used in the yearbook, so if you choose not to get Grad photos done please notify the school and we will need to put the school photo in its place.

Wellness Centre

The Wellness Centre hosts a student lead Youth Action Team (YAT) at lunch time on Tuesdays. This is for youth who are interested in health and wellness outreach. Some of our topics they are currently focused on incude LGBTQ health education, environmental action, mental wellness, and equality for women. Students are invited to attend if interested.

Athletics

This past weekend, our Sr. Girls Volleyball team hosted their annual 16 team tournament with some of our Province’s best teams. Our Girls finished 4th through hard work and determination. Coach Toakley shared the weekend was also a celebration on “Seniors Night” as we recognized the grade 12s who are competing in their last year of high school volleyball.

Grade 12s in the top row are: Daryana, Abbey, Jasmyn, Anna, Luisa , and Carolina

Sr. Girls’ Volleyball Team members on Sr’s night.

Cross Country

Congratulations to Julianne S., Jadyn T. (Junior Girls); Louisa K. (Senior Girls); Cole B. and Jo S. (Senior Boys)! These five Cross Country Athletes raced at the Island Championships hosted at Beban Park in Nanaimo on October 23rd. Over the past month, Belmont had twelve Cross Country Athletes race in the Lower Island. Great work to all of those who came out, as it takes immense courage to compete and exert every ounce of energy on the race course.

MTB Club

Our school’s Mountain Bike Club began the school year with 5 rides at Bear Mountain, Upper Thetis (Scafe Hill), and at Hartland. We’ll look to start our weekly rides after Spring Break when the time changes back to DST. We will look to compete again in May at the BCSS Provincial Championships in Pemberton, BC. If any students are interested, please speak to Mr. Lamond.

Jim, Connor, Jimi, & Myles on top of Scafe Hill prior to a nice descent!

These are exciting times for young innovators! The Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia would like to extend an invitation to youth in your community to participate in the 2020 Youth Innovation Showcase.

Who can participate?

Any young person between the ages of 12 to 24 who resides in BC or the Yukon.

The Details

Direct youth to register online at youthinnovation.ca
Youth to create & submit a 30-second video stating; their name, age, where they are from, the School they attend, if applicable, and their innovative idea.
Submission Deadline April 30, 2020
Semi-finalists will be invited to interview with a panel of industry members
Mentorship will provide constructive feedback, Q&A and Go-To-Market feasibility analysis.
Finalists will be invited to Vancouver to pitch their innovations at a #BCTECH industry event to industry, post-secondary academia and investors.

Why Youth Should Participate?

Win prizes!
Mentorship
Learn how to pitch their idea and speak in public
Engage with #BCTECH industry leaders
Learn about #BCTECH jobs of today and the future

About the Science Fair Foundation of British Columbia (SFF^BC)

The Science Fair Foundation BC has been supporting youth science and technology education in British Columbia and the Yukon since 1983. With over 1,500 STEAM educators and professionals volunteering as mentors, judges and science fair hosts each year, SFF^BC is the largest volunteer science outreach network in the province. SFF^BC’s Science Fair Program is recognized as one of the most successful in Canada.
Contact us at info@youthinnovation.ca or visit youthinnovation.ca for more details.

Halloween approaches…

Important Dates

Oct 15 – “Parents as Education & Career Coaches” in the evening.
Oct 16 – All ISP Gr. 12”s please meet with Ms. Boyte in room A201.
Oct 16 – Live Different for Gr. 9 & 10’s, 10:15-11:15am
Oct 17 – Great BC Shakeout 10:35am, Block A
Oct 17 – Leadership selling popcorn $2 at lunch. Please bring own container. Proceeds go to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Oct 18 – Photo Retakes
Oct 18 – Football Home Game 5pm
Oct 25 – Pro-D (students not in session)
Oct 29 – Belmont International students visit UVIC 10am – 2pm
Oct 30 – Western University @ Belmont
Oct 31 – Halloween

Career Department News

Some upcoming informational dates for our students to be aware of:

October 16 – UVic presentation during Focus block in B205
October 18 – TVR seminar in Belmont theatre
October 29, Belmont International students visit UVic – 10am – 2pm
October 30, Western University @ Belmont A block in A208
October 30^th – Focus Block Grade 12 Assembly: How to survive your first year at post-secondary
November 5 – PSI tour @ Belmont 10:30am – 12pm
November 6 – Grade 9 Take Your Kid to Work Day
November 19 – UBC @ Belmont 9am -10:20am

Athletics

Belmont Boys’ Soccer

The Belmont Boys’ Soccer Team has been fighting heard on the pitch this season. We are at the half way mark now and are hoping to clench a berth for Islands at the beginning of November. With two more home games and two away, the team appreciates your continued support.

Belmont Girls’ Basketball

Girls’ Basketball Tryouts: Senior A/Senior B/Junior

Weds October 16th – 8:00 – 9:30 pm

Thurs October 17th – 3:45 – 5:30 pm

Mon October 21st – 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Please see Mr. Walushka in the PE Office to sign up for Basketball

District 62 Costume Reminder

Costume guidelines:

Face makeup is okay as long as it isn’t too scary (students must be identifiable).
Half masks such as masquerade masks are okay unless otherwise stated by your child’s school. No full face masks are permitted.
Friendly clowns, jesters, mimes etc. are okay. No scary clowns please.
No imitation weapons of any kind will be permitted.

These guidelines are in place so that students can be easily identified. Please use your discretion when sending your child to school in costume.

Principals and Vice-Principals may ask your child to change in the event a costume is deemed unacceptable.

We do our best to create comfortable and safe environments in our schools and we thank you for helping us to do so.

Fine Arts

The Fine Arts Department would like to recognize the passion and dedication that our art students put into their work. Jennifer L. and Elliott M. are two of these outstanding students.

Jennifer created a charcoal portrait of a very expressive child. She had never worked with charcoal before and said she found this project to be a fun experience. She also confessed that upon starting the project, she thought it was going to turn out “really ugly” so she was very cautious with every mark she made. In the end, she was pleasantly surprised and happy with the results, yet still critical in a constructive way to always keep improving. Jennifer heard two teachers had teared up when they saw her work – she found it “cool” that her work had touched others in such a way.

Jennifer L.

Elliott created a very majestic charcoal drawing of an eagle. He had already had some experience working with charcoal and so said he felt quite confident starting this project. He chose to represent an eagle for his subject matter because they are on of his favourite animals. Elliott said he was happy with the results as this was on of his stronger pieces working with charcoal.

Elliott

Belmont Improv

Any students interested in joining the Belmont Improv Club, please meet in the theatre every Monday from 3:30 – 4:30 pm. No experience necessary! Come enjoy the fun and bring your friends!

Parent Info