The Belmont Bulletin

HAPPY SPRING!

Important Dates

April 14 – Report Cards Published
April 15 – Stat – Good Friday
April 17-23 – Earth Week
April 18 – Stat – Easter Monday
April 25-28 – Graduation Assessments
April 26- West Coast Jazz Festival
April 27 – Track & Field Competition #4 @ UVIC
April 27 – Administrative Day
April 28 – National Day of Mourning for Workers killed or injured at the Workplace
April 29-30 – Oak Bay Vocal Jazz Festival

South Island Partnership – Youth Train in Trades

We would like to congratulate two remarkable young women from Belmont who are certifying to be apprentice’s in non-traditional trades training programs at Camosun Interurban.

Jade B. is to be congratulated for completing her training in Sheet Metal and Metal Fabrication as of this month! Now that she has completed her 30 week training program Jade will commence work in industry as a metal fabricator where 75% of the trades people are men. Congratulations Jade!

Nyoman S. is to be congratulated for her outstanding success in the Fine Furniture/Joinery Trades Foundation program. Nyoman started this program at the beginning of her grade 11 year joining adult students in this very demanding and challenging trade. She will complete the program in June and return to Belmont for her grade 12 year. At the age of 18 Nyoman will have her Level 1 Joinery Apprenticeship and be well on her way to becoming a Red Seal Cabinet Maker. Only 12% of Cabinetmakers are women. Congratulations Nyoman!

WOMEN IN TRADES – FIELD TRIP TO CAMOSUN – APRIL 21st

Belmont and Camosun College are offering an excellent opportunity to girls who are interested in learning about the different trade and technology programs available at Camosun. The girls will spend the day exploring the campus and having hand’s – on sessions in various trades/technologies such as sheet metal, automotive, mechanics, mechanical engineering, electronics and plumbing etc.

To sign up for the full day field trip, which includes lunch and transportation, girls can come to room A117 for a permission form.

Scholarships

Check out the Belmont scholarship weebly: https://belmontscholarships.weebly.com/april.html

New Scholarships

Myles Mansell Memorial Scholarship – $500

in cadets or reserves
heading to post-secondary next year
preference given to those with community or school involvement

Applications due April 25, 2022

Metchosin Foundation Scholarships – 4 x $1000

-Environmental Stewardship, Community Citizenship, Academic Achievement and the Moralea Milne Beecher Bay Scholarship

must have been a resident of Metchosin for at least 2 years of high school
Students can also download the form from our website at https://metchosinfoundation.ca/scholarships/

Applications due May 20, 2022 by 3:00pm

REMINDER District Award Scholarships due Thursday April 14^th at noon! If you need help Mrs. Robertson is available in the Careers Office A109😊

Commencement O Canada and Grad Song Auditions

For those of you who are musically talented, it’s time to start preparing to audition for the O Canada and Grad song performances! The chosen students will perform during both Commencement ceremonies. The Grad song can be an original composition or a cover.

Audition:

Wednesday, May 18th
Choir room
at Lunch

Salmon Bake

YMCA Summer Work Student Exchange (SWSE)

The YMCA Summer Work Student Exchange (SWSE) is a six-week summer program for 16-and 17-year-old youth. In Ontario, each English-speaking participant is matched with a French-speaking participant from Québec, and the two youth are hosted in one another’s homes to deepen their cultural experience. Youth are also provided with a full-time summer job in the non-profit sector where they will be paid the provincial minimum wage. During weekends and some evenings, the youth will join their Local YMCA Coordinator in group activities to explore their new community and form lasting friendships.

Does this sound like something that you would be interested in? Please see Ms Tiffany Evans for more information.

Athletics

Belmont Rugby is Back!

After 2 seasons lost to COVID, Belmont rugby is back. Just prior to spring break the Boys and Girls teams competed in the SD62 7s tournament. The Sr. Boys went 3 and 1, and took home the Plate trophy. The Jr. Boys had strong showing, going 2 and 1 and coming 3^rd in their division. The girls also went 2 and 1, to finish 3^rd in their division. Since the break we’ve had our 1^st league games. The Sr. Boys completely dominated Royal Bay 52 – 0, the Jr. Boys have split 2 games, losing a tight one to Spectrum, and beating Oak Bay.

In their 1^st week of the season, the Girls went 1 and 1, beating rivals Royal Bay, and losing to a very experienced team from Claremont. The rest of the season looks very bright Belmont Rugby. Go Dawgs.

Ultimate Frisbee

Ultimate Frisbee schedule:
Friday, April 22 – vs EMCS @ Belmont field @3;30
Wednesday, April 27 – vs Oak Bay B (Exhibition) @Oak Bay High @3:30
Friday, April 29 – vs Royal Bay @ Royal Bay field @3:30

Track & Field

Huge Congrats to the Belmont Bulldogs who competed in the second league meet at UVIC’s Centennial Stadium.

Fine Arts

Dance

Love dancing? Want to be a part of a fun and supportive dance community here at Belmont? Belmont’s Dance Company will be holding one more audition for you to be a part of this year-long dance program next year! Dancers with all and any dance backgrounds are welcome. Please contact Ms. Narciso (mnarciso@sd62.bc.ca) or Ms. Kaupas (lkaupas@sd62.bc.ca), or visit Ms. Narciso in the dance studio (D111) for more information and to sign up!

Spring Break is here!

Important Dates

March 18 – Last Day of school before Spring Break
March 21-April 1 – Spring Break
April 4 – Welcome Back!
April 6 – Track & Field Competition #1 @ UVIC
April 7 – Early Dismissal at 12:05pm
April 7 – Learning Conferences on MS Teams, 2-4pm and 5-7pm
April 12 – PAC Mtg. 7pm
April 8 – Pro-D (students not in session)
April 13 – VI Concert Band Festival
April 14 – Report Cards Published
April 15 – Stat – Good Friday
April 18 – Stat – Easter Monday
April 26- West Coast Jazz Festival

Learning Conferences – April 7th (on MS Teams)

Dear Belmont Families,

While we encourage you to connect with your child’s teachers at any point in the year, we have set aside Thursday, April 7^th for dedicated semester 2 learning conferences.

To book an appointment, please go to link provided The MS Bookings site is now open for you to book a virtual conference with your child’s teachers. We will keep the booking system open until Wednesday, April 6^th at 12:00 pm. Interviews will be held on Thursday, April 7^th from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm & 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. If you prefer a phone call or in person meeting to online, please contact your child’s teacher.

To book an appointment, please go to link provided below at

https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/BelmontSecondarySchool@sd62.bc.ca/bookings/

If you are unable to book online, please call our front office at 250-478-5501 beginning April 7^th at 9:00 am. If you are unable to book an appointment with a teacher due to availability, please contact the teacher to set an alternate time. Teacher contacts can be found here

Schedule for Thursday, April 7th – Early Dismissal

Block B – 9:00-9:40
Block A – 9:45-10:25
Break – 10:25-10:40
Block D – 10:40-11:20
Block C – 11:25-12:05

Graduation Events

We are very excited that our Graduation events are back at their usual places this year and that guests will be permitted!

May 26 – Commencement Rehearsal at UVIC Farquhar Theatre, buses leaving Belmont at 9am (for students in the 11am ceremony) and 10:30am (for students in the 3pm ceremony)
June 12 – Commencement Ceremonies, UVIC Farquhar Theatre, at 11am and 3pm
June 24 – Prom, at Crystal Gardens, 5:30-9:00pm (Will confirm at later date-Grad photo taken at Legislative Building front steps, 4:30-5:30pm)

Student Accomplishments

Congratulations to Jacob V.L. who came in first place in all of Canada in the national student stock market challenge yesterday. A pretty cool accomplishment when he’s representing our school on the leaderboard and there’s over 1000 teams participating!

As well, congratulations to Jaiden B. who came in first place nationally for a period of time last semester.

Please congratulate Erin Y. (Gold) and Shiloh P. (Bronze) for doing an excellent job representing Belmont in the 2022 South Island Regional Skills BC – Hairdressing – competition 😊 Sarah T., Jack and Autumn R. also competed and placed well up in the field.

Congratulations to Miko competed at BC Skills Canada Welding at Camosun College and was successful in placing third in the region. This allowed him to collect his Bronze medal and other welding goodies.

Congratulations to all of our competitors, and a huge THANK YOU

to our school, district and college staff for another great year!

Careers and Trades

A lot is happening in the world of Careers and Trades. For information on the latest programs, jobs and other opportunities check out the Career Centre weebly http://bsscareercentre.weebly.com/

South Island Partnership: Youth Train In Trades

The Belmont Career Centre would like to congratulate Matthew B. (pictured below) and Caden A. on their tremendous success in the Electrical Foundations program at Camosun College. These young men spent 28 weeks of their grade 12 year at Camosun Interurban training to be Electricians. They have returned to Belmont this month as Level 1 Electrician Apprentice’s before graduating high school! It is a great achievement to complete this rigorous program at such a young age.

District Scholarships are open!

Check out the Belmont scholarship weebly: https://belmontscholarships.weebly.com/april.html

Join the District Scholarship Google classroom using the class code: 6n232hk

District/Authority Scholarships – 98 scholarships @ $1,250 each.

Available to only sd62 grads
Fine Arts – visual, drama, music, dance, performing arts/musical theater, media arts/film, creative writing
Applied Design, Skills, and Technology – Business Ed, Technology Ed, Home Economics, Information Communication Technology, Media Arts, Tourism
Physical Activity and Health – Athletics, Fitness, Outdoor Education, Dance, Gymnastics, not limited to Physical Education, sportsmanship, leadership, attitude, and dedication
International Languages – must also include a video or audio
Community Service – school and community volunteer, includes awareness of local, global and cultural issues
Technical and Trades Training- Robotics, Coding, Carpentry, Automotive, Mechanics, Cook Training, Culinary Arts
Indigenous Languages and Culture- demonstrated at school or in the community

Sooke School District Awards

Coast Capital Savings – Standing Tall Awards 2x$3500 awarded to students who have faced adversity, and plan to go to post-secondary

Monk Office Supply Scholarship – awarded to a student who displays good citizenship and social responsibility at school and in the community, and plans to enter the field of environmental studies.

Victor Chen Memorial – awards to a student planning to complete engineering, especially at BCIT or Camosun, with good grades, service within the school & community, and financial need.

Mosiac Forest Management Scholarship – awards to a student entering the field of forestry, fisheries or resource management.

Ron Warder Memorial Scholarship – awarded to a minimum C+ student who participated in clubs, school teams, and/or community activities and displayed dedication, leadership and a positive impact on the school/community through service.

Due April 14th, 2022 by noon

Clubs

Ultimate Frisbee

The season starts right after spring break. Games are mostly on Wednesdays or Fridays and practices are on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Athletics

Check out the Athletics website at https://sites.google.com/sd62learns.org/belmont-athletics-page

Senior A Girls Soccer

Congratulations to the Senior A Girls Soccer team for defeating GNS on our home turf on March 15th!

Track & Field

Track and Field season is upon us. Any Belmont Bulldog interested in joining the track and field team, please contact Ms. Evans to sign up. Running practices are Monday and Wednesday. Throwing practices are at lunch on Tuesday and Thursdays. Saturday practices start after March break at Royal Bat Secondary. Competitions are at UVic’s centennial stadium.

April 6 – Competition #1 @ UVIC
April 13 – Competition #2 @ UVIC
April 20 – Competition #3 @ UVIC
April 27 – Competition #4 @ UVIC
May 4 – Competition #5 @ UVIC
May 11 – Lower Island Championships @ UVIC
May 18 and 19 – Island Championships @ UVIC

Youth Group Loss & Grief Counselling Programs

Please see attached link for information on no cost Youth Group Loss and Grief Counselling programs.

Spring is Near!

Important Dates

March 7 – International Women’s Day
March 8 – PAC Mtg. 7pm
March 9 – Vocal Jazz Group perform at lunch in the Library
March 13 – Daylight Saving
March 14-18 – Belmont Spirit Week
March 15 – Lockdown Drill 12:40pm
March 16 – Games Day at lunch in the Library
March 17 – Evening of Jazz 7pm
March 17 – Saint Patrick’s Day
March 18 – Last Day of school before Spring Break
March 21-April 1 – Spring Break

Student Job Opportunities

Job opportunities can be found on the Career Google Classrooms as well as the Belmont Career Centre Weebly http://bsscareercentre.weebly.com/.

Interested in joining Belmont’s Dance Company next year?

It’s not too late! See Ms. Narciso or Ms. Kaupas in the dance studio (D111) or A119 for more information about the program or to sign up for auditions! Auditions will be held March 14 and 17 from 4:30-6:00 in the gym.

Drama Club

GOOD NEWS: Improv Relaunches THIS FRIDAY! Belmont’s very own Drama club is the most fun you will have at school. Join us in the Theatre (D101) after school on Fridays (2.15-4.30 pm) Guaranteed you will find friends, laugh a lot, and experience good vibes. No experience needed!

Athletics

Belmont Div. 2 Jr. Girls Basketball

Undefeated!! City Championships!!!

Congratulations to the Belmont Junior Girls team on winning the Div. 2 City Championships. The team came back from a 5-19 deficit to beat Oak Bay 47-27. Well done team!

Island High School Gymnastic Championships for Belmont

Congratulations to Shayna R. for placing second overall at the Island High School Gymnastic Championships for Belmont. Shayna has earned a berth to BC’s. Good luck Shayna!

Mountain Bike Club

Interested in Mountain Biking? Open to grades 9 – 12. We will host weekly “club” rides on Mondays starting after Spring break leading up to hosting the Provincial High School Championships on May 27th at the Jordie Lunn Bike Park right here in Belmont’s back yard. Belmont & Royal Bay schools are co-hosting the provincials.

Track & Field

April 6 – Competition #1 @ UVIC
April 13 – Competition #2 @ UVIC
April 20 – Competition #3 @ UVIC
April 27 – Competition #4 @ UVIC
May 4 – Competition #5 @ UVIC
May 11 – Lower Island Championships @ UVIC
May 18 and 19 – Island Championships @ UVIC

Gr. 12 Scholarships

Grads please remember to check out the Belmont scholarship Weebly https://belmontscholarships.weebly.com/march.html, and Grad google classroom. Awards are being added weekly. If you have questions come see me in A119 or email jrobertson@sd62.bc.ca.

Examples:

Power Pioneers Community Service Award
The BC Hydro Power Pioneers are recognizing youth who have excelled in community service. There are twenty $500 awards available throughout British Columbia. We’re looking for students who have made outstanding contributions in their local community for a considerable amount of time or have initiated, organized or contributed significantly to a one–time project. Due March 31, 2022

Sooke Teachers’ Association Scholarships
Six scholarships of $1000 each are available to students of the Sooke School District who are planning to attend full-time post-secondary school. In addition to an application form, students must also submit a resume and their transcript. Please note that three of the six awards are reserved for students whose parents are members of the Sooke Teachers’ Association and one of the six scholarships is reserved for an Indigenous student. See the application for more detail. Shortlisted students will be interviewed in May to assist with making the final selection of winners.
Deadline: March 11th, 2022

Island Social Trends Journalism Scholarship Are you thinking about entering a career in journalism? Then considering applying for this scholarship.
Criteria:
-pursuing post-secondary
-must outline your future goals in journalism
-500 word essay about the role of journalism in a democratic society Due April 29th, 2022

Reid Kyfiuk Memorial Scholarships
These $1,000 scholarships are offered to honor the memory of Saanich student Reid Kyfiuk. To meet the requirements, the successful student will have maintained a ‘B’ average or better, participated in, or tried out/auditioned for curricular classes or clubs or school teams, and/or community activities, and be an active member of a faith group.
Deadline: April 14th, 2022 at noon

Application – https://belmontscholarships.weebly.com/april.html

Submit application to scholarships22@sd62.bc.ca

Rocky Point Bird Observatory Award
Three scholarships of $500.00 will be presented to graduating, full-time high school students of School Districts 61, 62 and 63 who intend to pursue a career that supports bird and/or environmental conservation. Please note that use of these funds is not restricted to post-secondary costs and may be used to further learning in a conservation-related activity.
Deadline: March 31st, 2022

To Apply https://belmontscholarships.weebly.com/march.html

Community Info

In the Spirit of Kindness!

Important Dates

February 21 – Family Day (school not in session)
February 22 – Course Selection Gr. 10 – 12 Deadline
February 23 – Pink Shirt Day
February 24-25 – Gr. 9 Immunizations
March 2 – Fire Drill 12:40pm
March 3-4 – BandFest
March 7 – International Women’s Day
March 8 – PAC Mtg. 7pm
March 15 – Lockdown Drill 12:40pm

Pink Shirt Day

In 2007 in Nova Scotia, Grade 12 students David Shepherd, Travis Price and a few friends saw that a Grade 9 student was being bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school.

They knew they had to do something to show that this kind of behavior was not OK.

They decided to go out and buy a bunch of pink shirts and hand them out to other students to wear.

By the end of that week, most of the students in the school were wearing pink shirts to show support for the Grade 9 student who was bullied.

Pink Shirt Day this year is on Wednesday, February 23rd. Please remember to wear pink in support of anti-bullying and creating a more kind, inclusive world.

Our Belmont Music Department choir recorded this piece “Secret For the Mad” in the spirit of kindness for Pink Shirt Day. Enjoy!

Belmont & Grad Wear Update

The volunteers from the Entrepreneurship 12 class are thrilled to announce that the Belmont & Class of 2022 clothing orders have arrived! The students delivered as many orders to students and staff last week as they could. Please contact Mr. Grainger at tgrainger@sd62.bc.ca to arrange pickup if you haven’t received yours yet or if you have any questions!

University of Victoria Information

Any grade 10 or 11 students interested in a possible pathway to UVIC after high school are welcome to register for a Discover UVic presentation or book a Zoom meeting with our UVIC liaison recruitment officer, Stephanie Parker. You can send her an email at stephanieparker@uvic.ca.

Athletics

Golf

Anyone interested in playing for the Belmont golf team, please see Mr. Lowe in the gym to register and get more info. Available to all grades and is coed.

Sr. Girls’ AA Basketball

On behalf of the Sr Girls AA basketball team, we are proud to announce we have qualified for the Provincial Championships Mar 1-5 in Langley.

We fought hard this past weekend and came second overall on the Island after a tough loss to Claremont. Announced MVPs of the tournament: Mikayla E., Jordyn R., Halena M. and Nicola S.

WAY TO GO GIRLS !!!!!

Jr. Girls’ Basketball Div. 2

The Jr. Girls B Basketball team has finished their regular season play undefeated and seeded #1 in the league! Their hard work and determination to be successful has paid off. Facing injuries, concussions and the departure of Pauline F. back to Germany, they have continued to push through. When you see them in the halls, wish them luck during their playoffs. Congratulations team!

Community Workshops

Community Sports

February is the Border between Winter & Spring

Important Dates

February 2 – Semester 2 start
February 3 – Grade 8 Information Evening, 6-7pm (livestreamed)
February 4 – Boys Rugby 7s Information Mtg., Rm B314 at lunch
February 4-5 – BMD Drumline Retreat
February 11 – PAC Mtg. 7pm – MS Teams
February 12 – Choral Collaboration Day
February 14-22 – Course Selection Window for Grades 9-11

Course Selections 2022-23

Course selections for the 2022-23 school year will be taking place February 14-22. Students and parents, please refer to our website for the the updated Course Selection Booklet as well as instructions on how to select classes through the MyEdBC Portal Gr 10-12 Course Selection.

Grade 8 Family Information Evening

Our grade 8 information night will be livestreamed on February 3rd from 6-7pm. Throughout February, there will be virtual and in-person visits as well as counsellors and grade 8 teachers will assist students with course selections, and instruction on how select classes through the MyEdBC Portal.

Governor General’s Award

The Governor General’s Award has been presented since 1873 and has become one of the most prestigious awards a Canadian student can receive. Each year, Belmont is honored to present this award to the graduating student who earns the highest average on all combined grade 11 and 12 courses upon graduation and final grade submissions.

It is with great pleasure that we announce Louisa K. as the 2021 recipient, and Jacklyn H. as the 2020 recipient!

Métis beading

Ms. Marier’s class took part in a virtual Métis beading class last week with local Métis Elder Jo Ina Young! Attached is a picture of the beginning of their work.

Ultimate Frisbee

Interested in playing on the Belmont Ultimate Frisbee team this spring? Please come and see Ms. Sano in B311 at lunch or email rsano@sd62learns.org. It’s co-ed and everyone is welcome! A meeting day will be scheduled in early February.

Athletics

Climbing Academy

Belmont is excited to announce that we will be offering a rock climbing academy next year. Everyone is welcome and no experience is required. If you are interested in participating, register online when completing your course selections for next year. For more information, please go to our website at Climbing Academy.