SPOTLIGHT
December 12
Embedded Files
Head's Message
Head's Message
We often look to our students and staff for examples of our core values, but this week I am looking North. Santa might be the world's most experienced Explorer. He maps a global route in a single night and braves the elements without complaint. He proves that being curious and prepared leads to great rewards. I hope you take time to explore your surroundings and try new experiences this break.
Santa gets the credit, but he never flies that sleigh alone. It takes a Pack. The reindeer show us exactly what it means to be stronger together. They share the heavy load and stick together through the fog. No single reindeer can pull the weight of the holiday spirit by themselves. I hope you enjoy the time with your own pack this season.
Then we have Rudolph. He is the perfect example of a Leader. He did not start at the front, but he stepped up when conditions got tough. He used his unique traits to guide the team safely. He shows us that leadership is about service and clearing the path for others. I hope our students find their own ways to shine bright as they rest and recharge over the holidays.
Have a well-deserved break.
Josh Hart
Head of School
Winter House Competition
Winter House Competition
Trivia:
1st place: Arbutus!
2nd: Delta
3rd: Tzouhalem
4th: Gribbell
Minute-to-Win It Challenges
1st: Arbutus!
2nd: Gribbell
3rd: Delta
4th: Tzouhalem
Snowball Fight
1st: Gribbell!
2nd: Tzouhalem
3rd: Arbutus
4th: Delta
Total points will be calculated and added to your scores in January!
All the Houses brought great energy and teamwork to the event. The friendly competition was matched by strong Seawolf spirit across the school. Well done to everyone, and enjoy a well-deserved winter break!
Winter Arts Showcase
Winter Arts Showcase
This Wednesday, the school had the visual art and design exhibition as part of the annual Winter Arts Showcase. During the school day, students had the opportunity to spend some time viewing artworks from all of the art classes. During the evening show's intermission, parents also had an opportunity to see the art their children had made. From the many design projects to both two-dimensional and three-dimensional art, there was so much variety and creativity on display.
In these displays, we get the opportunity to celebrate not just students' technical abilities but their growth and courage in creating artworks that inherently are expressions of themselves. As Georgia O’Keeffe said, “To create one's own world takes courage.” Every art piece in the show, from the grade 4/5’s watercolour winter wonderlands to the grade 12s exhibition previews, required that very courage. It is thanks to the courage of our art students that we, as a community, got to come together to celebrate the universal language of art.
The most significant memory I can recall from the evening show was groups of families and friends alike enjoying and sharing in the experience of seeing art. For many of us, there are few opportunities in life to be able to observe art in a gallery-like setting, but our winter showcase provides such an opportunity.
On a personal note, I had four people come up to me and ask me about my photograph titled In or Out?. I was able to talk to these people about my process and the meaning behind my piece, which was a very “community-building” moment for both myself and (hopefully) the person I was talking to. It is these experiences that bolster, strengthen, and unify our community.
As part of our key theme of gratitude this academic year, I would like to share my gratitude for our artists and their risk-taking that allowed this community event to happen. I would also like to thank our teachers, Ms Maite, Ms Martha and Ms Beth, who help guide students in their own unique artistic journeys.
-Nicholas Hardy, Grade 12 DP Visual Art Student
Enjoy some of the Art and Design from our Winter Arts Showcase!
Celebrating Effort at SJA
Celebrating Effort at SJA
All humans are capable of improving regardless of their natural abilities; improvement is the result of effort. At St. John’s Academy Shawnigan Lake we value effort as being the most valuable aspect of a child’s contribution to their learning. As a result of valuing effort, we like to celebrate our students for the hard work that they put into their studies, regardless of the grades and levels they receive. Here at SJA we like to celebrate our most effortful students with a special lunch of pizza and donuts. Below are pictures of some of the recipients of the Excellent Effort Certificates from Term 1. This term we had a whopping 46% of our student body receive “meeting” or “exceeding expectations” for the following approaches to learning skills indicators: ATL Skills - Effort Indicators.pdf
The notion of praising effort and not intelligence is supported by the work of Dr. Carol Dweck, a researcher and professor at Stanford University, in her research on the importance of maintaining a growth mindset in order to develop intellectual resiliency and fortitude. Here is a short overview of Carol Dweck’s research: https://youtu.be/NWv1VdDeoRY
Mr. Bradley
Grade 11 Chemistry
Grade 11 Chemistry
Grade 11 chemistry students are currently learning about experimental techniques and the errors associated with them, so they headed to the lab to test them out. Students completed a series of chemical reactions starting with solid copper and turning it into 4 different (colourful) copper (II) compounds and then turning it back to solid copper again at the end - we still have to do the math to see how much we yielded.
Ms. Keller
Sr. Boys Basketball
Sr. Boys Basketball
A solid second outing for the senior boys basketball team ended with a 36-63 loss against Cedar Secondary. An energetic first half showed SJA up 23-20 at the end of the second quarter. A tough and physical second half wore us down. We are looking to build on this, focusing on our fitness and finishing over the break.
Defensive players of the Game to Thom and Fido
Offensive Player of the game goes to Marc for some great outside shooting
Special mention to Zach for stepping in to help and putting in an energetic and allround solid perfomance.
A team performance, with plenty to move forward into future games
Mr. Travis & Mr. Rob
Jr. Girls Basketball
Jr. Girls Basketball
December 9th, our Junior Girls Basketball team had a strong first outing against Shawnigan Lake School. The final score was 22-38, but our girls showed terrific effort from start to finish and likely put up more shots than our opponents — an encouraging sign for the season ahead!
Offensive Players of the Game: Kokomi and Phoenix
Defensive Player of the Game: Izzy
Inspirational Tenacity Award: Marley
Congratulations to all players on a great start to the season. Keep working hard and supporting each other — exciting things ahead for our Junior Girls team!
Mr. Travis & Mr. Rob
Individuals & Societies (I&S)
Individuals & Societies (I&S)
The Grade 6, 8, 9 and 10 classes chose a person and one of their speeches from the time period that class is studying. The students memorized a 1-3 minute section of the speech for recitation. The students then explained why they chose this speaker and speech, and then answered questions on their speech. There were many very impressive recitations
Mr. Jeff
The Great SJA Bakeoff CCA
The Great SJA Bakeoff CCA
The Great SJA Bakeoff CCA: Flour, Fury, and Festive Chaos!
This year’s Great SJA Bakeoff CCA delivered more drama than a soggy-bottomed pie on national television. Four brave teams stepped into the culinary arena each week, armed with whisks, hope, and wildly questionable time management.
We opened with Welsh Cakes in Week 1, where the Grade Elevens rose to the occasion, claiming victory with their griddled goddess!
Next came the Gingerbread Men challenge where students were tasked with creating an original Christmas themed display out of gingerbread. Once again, the Grade Elevens dominated with a very creative display!!
Finally, the Mince Pie Showdown arrived where students were tasked with creating 6 mince pies and had to choose a festive ingredient to add to their creations. Out of the pastry crumbs and festive chaos, The Champions swooped in to snatch the crown with their chosen secret ingredient: apples!
Three challenges, two champions, countless calories, and only one conclusion:
At SJA, we don’t just bake—we battle.
Ms. Parsons
Snow Ball Dance
Snow Ball Dance
The Student Council hosted our annual Winter Formal for Grades 8-12 themed "Snow Ball" on Thursday. It was an amazing night full of music, dances and treats. We hope everyone enjoyed their time. Huge shout out to everyone who showed up and helped organize the event; we couldn't have achieved this scale of success without you all. We will be back with more exciting events in 2026! Stay safe and healthy; wish you all Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
From 2025-26 Student Council
Find the Grinch
Find the Grinch
This year The Twelve Days of Grinchmas turned SJA into a high-stakes holiday battleground. Each morning throughout December Ms. Parsons dropped a new riddle as to the whereabouts of the Grinch, and students launched into action - like elite Santa search-and-rescue units - racing to uncover the Grinch’s hideout.
Delta and Gribbell dominated the hunt with Sherlock-level deduction skills and Olympic-speed sprinting. Tzouhalem and Arbutus, meanwhile… well, they participated. Let’s just say their Grinch-finding skills were more “festive spirit” than “strategic competence.” They often arrived at the hiding spot just in time to see the winners celebrating and the Grinch already halfway back to Ms. Parsons desk.
In the end, the Grinch was found, and he is now back safe and sound in Ms. Parsons' classroom, where he will wait with eager anticipation to be let out again next December!
Ms. Parsons
Silly Break Time 2!
Silly Break Time 2!
On my Friday break-time rounds again, I came across another group of students being wonderfully silly and happily posing for the camera. I couldn’t resist snapping a few new photos! I also found a few extra shots from our previous group, so I’m sharing those as well.
Enjoy!
Updates for Next Year
Updates for Next Year
We are excited to launch our W.I.L.D. pathway that will begin next year for Grade 11 students as an alternative to the IB Diploma Program. The DP pathway remains an option for students in Grade 11 and 12 next year, but the W.I.L.D. offers a new choice. More details in the slideshow to the right.
We will host an information session in January to answer questions and preview the program for interested families.
Hello from SJA Boarding
Hello from SJA Boarding
The boarding students enjoyed a weekend filled with holiday cheer, starting with a festive Christmas party on Friday night. The celebration included a delicious pizza dinner followed by an entertaining White Elephant gift exchange.
On Saturday, a group of students took a trip to Butchart Gardens to experience the famous Christmas lights. The evening offered a beautiful walk around the illuminated grounds, providing a perfect dose of holiday magic.
The weekend culminated on Sunday night with an exciting trip to City Centre Park for night ice skating. This popular outing was full of fun, laughs, and the inevitable few falls on the ice. The evening ended perfectly as students gathered around an outdoor bonfire and enjoyed hot chocolate to warm up.
Have a great winter break everyone!
DP Important Dates
DP Important Dates
Enjoy the break!
Last Call! Creating a Calm Space for Students
Last Call! Creating a Calm Space for Students
We are building a room where students can pause, settle their thoughts, and manage stress in a healthy way. Many students benefit from a short break in a quiet setting, and this space will support them so they can return to class ready to learn. To get us started and set it up properly, we are asking families to donate items that you may have around your house (or new!) that help create comfort, calm, and promote student wellbeing.
Comfort items
Pillows and beanbag chairs
Cozy blankets, including weighted blankets
Large, soft headphones
Disposable earplugs
Warm white lights that can be switched on or off
Visuals
Simple nature posters
String lighting
Soothing movement and sensory items
Lava lamp
Bubble light machine
Theraputty
Stress balls
Fidgets
Puzzles
Smooth tactile stones with short messages
You can drop items at the main office. If you want to confirm suitability before donating, email us at info@sjasl.ca and we can advise.
PCEG NEWS
PCEG NEWS
Winter Break is here! We hope everyone is ready for the Holidays and the excitement that all our students will be brining home!
It was great to see so many families at the Winter Arts Showcase on Wednesday evening, what a fun filled, musical and visual arts event, thank you to all the SJA staff who put so much effort into this beautiful event that brings our community together appreciating, and celebrating the talents of SJA students.
Last week’s news included an invitation to join our Facebook page; however, the information was old and directed families to an inactive page! I apologize for any confusion, the correct page is called, SJA PARENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT GROUP, please look us up and join the group to communicate and share information with other parents/family members.
The next PCEG meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026. We are looking forward to seeing family members either in person or online.
Upcoming Event:
White Hatter Presentation. Stay tuned for more information
Other ongoing fundraising opportunities are, Country Grocer receipts, please save your receipts and put in the envelope at the office. You can drop your bottles to Island Return It on Fisher Road across from the main Depot (remember to specify you are donating to St John’s Academy Shawnigan Lake).
If you would like to reach out with any ideas, please contact us at sjaparentgroupshawnigan@gmail.com
We hope everyone enjoys this Holiday Season and we look forward to seeing you in 2026!
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
December 12 Last Day of Classes Before WINTER BREAK
December 13 Travel Day for Boarding Students
December 15-2 Winter Break (No classes, boarding closed)
December 17-1 Office Closed
December 25 Christmas!
January 1 New Year! Office closed
January 2 Office open
January 4 Travel Day for Boarding Students
January 5 PD Day. No classes
January 6 School starts again!
Enjoy the break!
Next Week's Menu
Next Week's Menu
Monday:
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Tuesday:
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Wednesday:
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Thursday:
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Friday:
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School Uniform
School Uniform
A reminder that Free Fridays should always be SJA clothing. Non-SJA sweatpants, hoodies, and shirts will not be permitted and students will be asked to change or visit the front office to borrow SJA clothes.
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