SD62

Spencer Middle student Kylee Booth is making free masks for teaching staff and frontline workers on the West Shore. She’s made over 100 masks since March. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)

Langford teen sews free masks for middle school staff

Grade 7 student generously makes over 100 masks

Spencer Middle student Kylee Booth is making free masks for teaching staff and frontline workers on the West Shore. She’s made over 100 masks since March. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)
Grade 3 teacher Michelle Bevan was one of the first staff members that proposed the idea to host a drive-by celebration outside Wishart Elementary. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)

Wishart Elementary staff say goodbye to students with drive-by farewell

Car horns, cheers and signs ring in the end of school year

Grade 3 teacher Michelle Bevan was one of the first staff members that proposed the idea to host a drive-by celebration outside Wishart Elementary. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)
Sooke School District will face a $2 million drop in funding due to lack of international students planning to attend this fall. In a usual year, the school district sees around 300 international students, this fall there are about 60 planning to come. (Twitter/Scott Stinson)

Sooke School District loses $2 million due to lack of international students

Loss of funding not expected to affect classrooms, thanks to reserve funds

Sooke School District will face a $2 million drop in funding due to lack of international students planning to attend this fall. In a usual year, the school district sees around 300 international students, this fall there are about 60 planning to come. (Twitter/Scott Stinson)
Belmont Secondary graduates Jasmyn Loo, Jacklyn Halaburda, Ashley Bilachand Isabella Wheaton celebrate the end of their high school careers. (Shalu Mehta/News Staff)

Belmont Secondary grads celebrate the end of high school

Graduating class attends small group ceremonies on June 23 and 24

Belmont Secondary graduates Jasmyn Loo, Jacklyn Halaburda, Ashley Bilachand Isabella Wheaton celebrate the end of their high school careers. (Shalu Mehta/News Staff)
‘The face of Belmont’: Custodial staff at Langford school pivot to support parents, students

‘The face of Belmont’: Custodial staff at Langford school pivot to support parents, students

Staff serve as point of contact for parents, students with school

‘The face of Belmont’: Custodial staff at Langford school pivot to support parents, students
A Colwood woman has created Adopt a Grad SD62, a Facebook page designed to give the chance for community members to show their support for high school grads with cards, gifts and snacks. (File photo)

Colwood woman launches Adopt a Grad

Facebook page aims to support students during pandemic

A Colwood woman has created Adopt a Grad SD62, a Facebook page designed to give the chance for community members to show their support for high school grads with cards, gifts and snacks. (File photo)
Sooke School District will re-open for optional in-class instruction starting on June 1, with new safety regulations to respond to the pandemic. (Black Press Media files)

What Sooke School District schools will look like on first day of reopening

No water fountains, rotating schedules and face masks not required

Sooke School District will re-open for optional in-class instruction starting on June 1, with new safety regulations to respond to the pandemic. (Black Press Media files)
Kirsten Young is offering free grad photos for Grade 12 students who missed out on their last memories of high school. She’s offering her 30 years of photography until the end of July. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)

West Shore photographer offers free grad photos for class of 2020

Appointments open to Royal Bay and Belmont Secondary students

Kirsten Young is offering free grad photos for Grade 12 students who missed out on their last memories of high school. She’s offering her 30 years of photography until the end of July. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)
Grade 12 students will be allowed to have a grad ceremony, but in small groups. They won’t be allowed to bring family members, according to Superintendent Scott Stinson. (Courtesy of Lawrence Herzog, Office of Mitzi Dean MLA)

VIDEO: Sooke School District 2020 graduates get stage ceremony after all

Students to cross the stage in small groups, not allowed to bring family

Grade 12 students will be allowed to have a grad ceremony, but in small groups. They won’t be allowed to bring family members, according to Superintendent Scott Stinson. (Courtesy of Lawrence Herzog, Office of Mitzi Dean MLA)
West Shore mom Wendy Hobbs (left) is asking for volunteers to help her organize a prom for her son, Bryce Hobbs and the rest of the 2020 soon-to-be graduates from Belmont and Royal Bay in summer 2021. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)

West Shore mom proposes 2021 summer prom for 2020 graduates

Event fully dependant on upcoming provincial health orders

West Shore mom Wendy Hobbs (left) is asking for volunteers to help her organize a prom for her son, Bryce Hobbs and the rest of the 2020 soon-to-be graduates from Belmont and Royal Bay in summer 2021. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)
Brianna Gruber, a grade 12 student at Belmont Secondary, started a petition to have an in-person graduation ceremony rather than a virtual one. She said she has come up with ideas to ensure the ceremony would follow provincial orders in light of COVID-19. (Shalu Mehta/News Staff)

West Shore student petitions for more than a video graduation ceremony

Online petition receives nearly 3,000 signatures in less than one week

Brianna Gruber, a grade 12 student at Belmont Secondary, started a petition to have an in-person graduation ceremony rather than a virtual one. She said she has come up with ideas to ensure the ceremony would follow provincial orders in light of COVID-19. (Shalu Mehta/News Staff)
The 2019 Belmont Secondary Grad Class. (Courtesy of Lawrence Herzog, Office of Mitzi Dean MLA)

Grad events, prom cancelled for SD62 students

SD62 will create graduation video to celebrate outgoing class

The 2019 Belmont Secondary Grad Class. (Courtesy of Lawrence Herzog, Office of Mitzi Dean MLA)
Dunsmuir Middle School staff created a video for their students to remind them that they’re greatly missed during the pandemic. (Courtesy of Dunsmuir Middle School)

VIDEO: Dunsmuir Middle School staff remind students how much they’re missed

Music video set to cover of ‘Lean On Me’

Dunsmuir Middle School staff created a video for their students to remind them that they’re greatly missed during the pandemic. (Courtesy of Dunsmuir Middle School)
SD62 superintendent Scott Stinson said online classes are expected during COVID-19 pandemic, though they can’t be enforced. Those that are not on track to graduate will have to take part in remote learning. (Black Press Media file photo)

Online classes are mandatory during COVID-19, according to Sooke School District

Final grades based on work before spring break and assignments after suspension of in-class learning

SD62 superintendent Scott Stinson said online classes are expected during COVID-19 pandemic, though they can’t be enforced. Those that are not on track to graduate will have to take part in remote learning. (Black Press Media file photo)
Grade 3 teacher Karlissa Lem is emotional seeing her students for the first time since saying goodbye before spring break. She hosted their first online class just days ago. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)

VIDEO: Colwood teachers make drive-thru to say hello to students

‘I’ve been smiling so much my cheeks are getting sore,’ says a Grade 5 education assistant

Grade 3 teacher Karlissa Lem is emotional seeing her students for the first time since saying goodbye before spring break. She hosted their first online class just days ago. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)
SD62 superintendent Scott Stinson says grade 12 students who are in a position to graduate will be able to do so, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. (Pixabay)

Students in line to graduate high school will graduate, SD62 superintendent says

Learning continues during COVID-19 pandemic

SD62 superintendent Scott Stinson says grade 12 students who are in a position to graduate will be able to do so, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. (Pixabay)
SD62 can only retrieve essential items from lockers at this time. (Pixabay)

Sooke School District students permitted to retrieve only essentials from lockers

Essential items include medical devices, medicine, learning devices

SD62 can only retrieve essential items from lockers at this time. (Pixabay)
In a video created by EMCS staff in Sooke, teachers and staff dance along to “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown. (Screenshot/YouTube)

VIDEO: Sooke teachers are ‘feeling good,’ show it off in song and dance for students

Edward Milne Community School staff rock out at end of planning week

In a video created by EMCS staff in Sooke, teachers and staff dance along to “I Got You (I Feel Good)” by James Brown. (Screenshot/YouTube)
SD62 says classes will not be replicated online as spring break comes to a close and the COVID-19 pandemic continues. (iStock photo)

Sooke School District promises learning opportunites for students by mid-April

‘No intent to replicate regular school day virtually’ SD62 says

SD62 says classes will not be replicated online as spring break comes to a close and the COVID-19 pandemic continues. (iStock photo)
Sooke School District 62 Trustee Ravi Parmar announced the new names of two West Langford schools, set to open in Sept. 2022. PEXSISEN Elementary and Centre Mountain LELLUM Middle were names gifted by Songhees and Beecher Bay First Nations. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)

New Langford school names influenced by local First Nations

Sooke School District middle and elementary buildings to open in September 2022

Sooke School District 62 Trustee Ravi Parmar announced the new names of two West Langford schools, set to open in Sept. 2022. PEXSISEN Elementary and Centre Mountain LELLUM Middle were names gifted by Songhees and Beecher Bay First Nations. (Aaron Guillen/News Staff)
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