This Week 30: 29th June 1999

THIS WEEK

Week 30: Tuesday 29th June, 1999

Awards Day

Awards Day, the end of the school year, is a day filled with emotions. The delight of the student body in realising that the long summer awaits, the sadness of those leaving friends they have known for years, and the pleasure of those lucky enough to be recognised as the recipient of awards.

The day began early, with frantic packing and loading of belongings into cars and trucks. Parents arrived with semitrailers and backhoes necessary to cart away (or dispose of) the accumulated momentos, clothes, and belongings of the last ten months.
Right: the Postrehovsky family holding a car boot sale.

Above: no job too diificult
Right: Shannon Stewart and room-mate

At noon the graduating students and their families gathered in the sports complex for the Graduation Ceremony.
At this time, the Director of Academic Counselling, Mr. G. Pennells introduced all 101 grads and gave details of their plans for the coming year.
Mr. N. R. B. Prowse then gave an address to the graduating class, and Mrs. Suzanne Anton made a speech on behalf of all parents.

All parents, family members, students, and staff, were then invited to lunch on the lawns surrounding the Headmaster's residence.
Right: the Benson family out in force to support grad Morgan through the day

After lunch, the main ceremony of the day began at 2:15, with the class prizes and special awards being announced. Complete details of these awards can be viewed at Awards Ceremony.
Major prizes were presented by special guest Mr. Iain Benson, who then gave a speech to to the graduating class.
Valedictorian Meaghan Moore's address can be seen at Valedictorian.

Above: major award winners
Right: Zachary Chan, Shawn Keeper, Adrienne Buckingham

Norah P. Arthurs

I am not a woman of few words and so I find it difficult to summarise at all - let alone in the one paragraph I am allowed! -- the 30 years that I have been connected with Brentwood College.
The first of those years was 1962 - teaching French12 only, since it was in addition to my teaching at the then newly relaunched Strathcona Lodge School for Girls at Shawnigan Lake, now the Maxwell Bahai school. After that, I taught on and off at Brentwood until 1967. In 1973, my family and I came back to the Island from Vancouver, where I had enjoyed a teaching position at Crofton House SchooI for three years, while my husband was working on his Ph.D.
David Mackenzie invited me to take on the task of rebuilding a Modern Languages Department, a job I

undertook with the able assistance of Robert Cameron, now at SMUS. In 1974, we were joined by Mimi Wichlinski, who came to be regarded as the champion of change, because she managed to convince the administration that Sunday #1 inspections ought to take place on Saturdays and that the Grade 12s ought to be allowed to take Sunday leave at any time of the day, at the discretion of the housemaster!!!
I have seen the school change in form from a rather charming, unpretentious little establishment to a grand, hi-tech, well-equipped suite of buildings, all with their proud displays of the academic, sporting and artistic talents which flourish so abundantly and magnificently here.
In the old building, we had a heating system which responded rather reliably to the climatic conditions outside - when it was cold outside, we had the same inside; when it rained, we regularly had to use umbrellas and buckets to catch the drops. A further amenity was a single bathroom for the whole staff … and hi-tech it was not! Still, while it was not a pretty sight, it did make for togetherness!
In the very early days, David Mackenzie thought it best that I take lunch in my own in the tiny staffroom, lest my ears be offended by the conversations of the male adolescents in the dining room! He claimed, when we went co-ed in 1972, that the young women would have a civilising and sensitizing effect on the Brentwood male. Judge now for yourselves!
I doubt if any school has had such a dedicated Headmaster as we have, bent on producing a school sans pareil (without equal), and a staff that rises to meet the challenges he sets them. Opus magnum ex magno labore we learn from the classics (Out of great toil comes a great work). I think Brentwood is living proof of this tenet.
I shall miss all my colleagues in all areas of the school: the Faculty, the Office, the Health Centre, the Kitchen, the Maintenance, the Laundry. Most especially I shall miss the students, who -- since my very first professional position in Spain in 1957! -- have figured so prominently in my life as a teacher.
I salute you all, thank you all, and wish you well.
Adieu! ¡Adios!
Norah Arthurs

Goodbye
As the school year closes we say adieu to a number of members of the staff.

Olav Krigolson, teacher of physics and mathematics and a basketball and volleyball coach, is moving to London, UK.
Kathryn MacLean, teacher of French, will be moving to Vancouver.

Cari Bell (English and debating), Housemistress of Bell House, will be teaching at Shawnigan Lake school next year

Treena Stubel
Following her successful European tour this spring, Treena has been
offered more work on stage as a dancer and actress in Europe and North America. She will be performing next year in Germany, Prague, California, and Victoria. As Treena builds her own career she will be unable to continue teaching for the time being. Brentwood College School has been
the beneficiary of five years of dance mentoring by Treena. We will miss
her presence in the dance studio and look forward to regular visits.

Nicole Peters
Four-and-a-half years ago, I moved to Brentwood College from Ontario. After living as the Assistant Housemistress for 4 years; coaching field hockey, swimming, and rowing; teaching chemistry, physics, and math, I have now been given the opportunity to move back to my home province for an unknown period of time. I have been appointed to the position of Head of Science at an independent day school called St. Clement’s. Located in downtown Toronto, it is an all girls school that teaches 800 students from grade 1-OAC.
This is a time of many mixed emotions; I will deeply miss all the terrific members of the Brentwood community. It has been a fabulous experience, and I will never forget the impact it has had on my life. Thank you for all of the wonderful memories.

A Trip to the Balkans

For 12 days in June I traveled to Croatia and then to Bosnia-Herzegovina to visit some refugee camps. I took 30 portable basketball hoops and 115 basketballs, as well as some other gear for the kids there. I hooked up with Save the Children (an organization I knew little about before arriving there) as they supported the madness of my undertaking. Though most of the basketball equipment was late in arriving, I was able to visit seven refugee camps and travel much of the area. I am indebted to many people who made my trip possible. Mr. Ross, our Headmaster, never hesitated in his support for my endeavour. The many staff and friends who contributed emotionally and financially and who

were always there for me. John Leckey, of Canada 3000, David Bellringer of Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, Art Crooks of Canadian Tire, Zeb, Darin, Vesne, Tina, Elvis and David of Save the Children US in Sarajevo (who are on the frontlines each day dealing with things we can only vaguely imagine), my Theory of Knowledge class, my dad and wife –- all of these people contributed something to aid me on my quest to bring joy into the lives of some kids in the Balkans.
My trip was an emotionally draining and mentally challenging adventure. Images of haunting clarity still interrupt my sleep at night.

Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, still scarred with the remnants of the 1991-1995 war, continues to be a land of refugees as over a half a million people are attempting to return to their original homes and villages from that crisis.The newest Kosovar immigrants are thus refugees in the land of refugees, something the western news has failed to document. Some of these newest refugees have been there since last August. It all seemed so hopeless and pointless when one watches people sitting dejected by their tents in the dusty compound of a refugee camp in some far corner of Bosnia in 32 degree heat. Amid the stench of sickness and disease and the sounds of children crying – there seems to be no respite from the madness of humanity.

But there is hope.
People in organizations such as Save the Children are doing things to occupy the minds and souls of many people. It was so educational looking first hand how these non-governmental agencies work on the frontlines of relief work. They are making a difference.
If you have any questions about my trip please e-mail or write me at the school and I’ll be happy to reply.
If you are interested in helping out with Save the Children, you can contact me or write to David Shimkus, the Director of Save The Children US in Sarajevo at kshimkus@alf.tel.hr. They are one of the few organizations still involved in relocation, education and helping the thousands of refugees of the Kosovo tragedy in Bosnia. Just because it is no longer featured on our news each day doesn’t mean that it isn’t still a major issue. It is. Clayton Johnston

That Was This Week That Was

This is the last edition of This Week for the 1998-99 school year. From the modest beginnings in September -- 8 photos and approximately 400 words -- the page has grown steadily (25 photos and approximately 2400 words by Week 26) becoming a veritable monster in terms of production time and trying to cope. Looking back, however, it has been a remarkable exercise in capturing the spirit of the school and what transpires on a weekly basis on campus. The vast number of events that happen each day is a tribute to the dynamic pulse of the school and the diverse interests and abilities of the students and staff, as only a fraction of the daily happenings are able to be recorded on the Web page.
The high and low points of the year have to be the production of the Brentwood Regatta pages in one frenetic weekend, and the Monday following when trying to deal with the Chernobyl virus problems. Around this time we had a hit counter in place which provided us with astonishing, and gratifying, feedback regarding the number of viewers. This is one component that needs to be restored by September.
I would like to thank the many parents scattered around the world who have regularly tuned in and been kind enough to email compliments (and point out spelling mistakes with names!) -- it is quite clear that the Web page does serve a valuable role in letting parents in distant places keep in touch with life at the school.
Current plans are to repeat the process for the 1999-2000 school year. If any parent has ideas for an improvement in format or content, I would be pleased to receive them.
Tony Crossley
crosslet@brentwood.bc.ca

Reference Section

Awards Day, the end of the school year, is a day filled with emotions. The delight of the student body in realising that the long summer awaits, the sadness of those leaving friends they have known for years, and the pleasure of those lucky enough to be recognised as the recipient of awards.
The day began early, with frantic packing and loading of belongings into cars and trucks. Parents arrived with semitrailers and backhoes necessary to cart away (or dispose of) the accumulated momentos, clothes, and belongings of the last ten months. Right: the Postrehovsky family holding a car boot sale.
Above: no job too diificult Right: Shannon Stewart and room-mate
	At noon the graduating students and their families gathered in the sports complex for the Graduation Ceremony. At this time, the Director of Academic Counselling, Mr. G. Pennells introduced all 101 grads and gave details of their plans for the coming year. Mr. N. R. B. Prowse then gave an address to the graduating class, and Mrs. Suzanne Anton made a speech on behalf of all parents.
All parents, family members, students, and staff, were then invited to lunch on the lawns surrounding the Headmaster's residence. Right: the Benson family out in force to support grad Morgan through the day

After lunch, the main ceremony of the day began at 2:15, with the class prizes and special awards being announced. Complete details of these awards can be viewed at Awards Ceremony. Major prizes were presented by special guest Mr. Iain Benson, who then gave a speech to to the graduating class. Valedictorian Meaghan Moore's address can be seen at Valedictorian.
Above: major award winners Right: Zachary Chan, Shawn Keeper, Adrienne Buckingham

I am not a woman of few words and so I find it difficult to summarise at all - let alone in the one paragraph I am allowed! -- the 30 years that I have been connected with Brentwood College. The first of those years was 1962 - teaching French12 only, since it was in addition to my teaching at the then newly relaunched Strathcona Lodge School for Girls at Shawnigan Lake, now the Maxwell Bahai school. After that, I taught on and off at Brentwood until 1967. In 1973, my family and I came back to the Island from Vancouver, where I had enjoyed a teaching position at Crofton House SchooI for three years, while my husband was working on his Ph.D. David Mackenzie invited me to take on the task of rebuilding a Modern Languages Department, a job I
undertook with the able assistance of Robert Cameron, now at SMUS. In 1974, we were joined by Mimi Wichlinski, who came to be regarded as the champion of change, because she managed to convince the administration that Sunday #1 inspections ought to take place on Saturdays and that the Grade 12s ought to be allowed to take Sunday leave at any time of the day, at the discretion of the housemaster!!! I have seen the school change in form from a rather charming, unpretentious little establishment to a grand, hi-tech, well-equipped suite of buildings, all with their proud displays of the academic, sporting and artistic talents which flourish so abundantly and magnificently here. In the old building, we had a heating system which responded rather reliably to the climatic conditions outside - when it was cold outside, we had the same inside; when it rained, we regularly had to use umbrellas and buckets to catch the drops. A further amenity was a single bathroom for the whole staff … and hi-tech it was not! Still, while it was not a pretty sight, it did make for togetherness! In the very early days, David Mackenzie thought it best that I take lunch in my own in the tiny staffroom, lest my ears be offended by the conversations of the male adolescents in the dining room! He claimed, when we went co-ed in 1972, that the young women would have a civilising and sensitizing effect on the Brentwood male. Judge now for yourselves! I doubt if any school has had such a dedicated Headmaster as we have, bent on producing a school sans pareil (without equal), and a staff that rises to meet the challenges he sets them. Opus magnum ex magno labore we learn from the classics (Out of great toil comes a great work). I think Brentwood is living proof of this tenet. I shall miss all my colleagues in all areas of the school: the Faculty, the Office, the Health Centre, the Kitchen, the Maintenance, the Laundry. Most especially I shall miss the students, who -- since my very first professional position in Spain in 1957! -- have figured so prominently in my life as a teacher. I salute you all, thank you all, and wish you well. Adieu! ¡Adios! Norah Arthurs

For 12 days in June I traveled to Croatia and then to Bosnia-Herzegovina to visit some refugee camps. I took 30 portable basketball hoops and 115 basketballs, as well as some other gear for the kids there. I hooked up with Save the Children (an organization I knew little about before arriving there) as they supported the madness of my undertaking. Though most of the basketball equipment was late in arriving, I was able to visit seven refugee camps and travel much of the area. I am indebted to many people who made my trip possible. Mr. Ross, our Headmaster, never hesitated in his support for my endeavour. The many staff and friends who contributed emotionally and financially and who
	were always there for me. John Leckey, of Canada 3000, David Bellringer of Orca Bay Sports and Entertainment, Art Crooks of Canadian Tire, Zeb, Darin, Vesne, Tina, Elvis and David of Save the Children US in Sarajevo (who are on the frontlines each day dealing with things we can only vaguely imagine), my Theory of Knowledge class, my dad and wife –- all of these people contributed something to aid me on my quest to bring joy into the lives of some kids in the Balkans. My trip was an emotionally draining and mentally challenging adventure. Images of haunting clarity still interrupt my sleep at night.
Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, still scarred with the remnants of the 1991-1995 war, continues to be a land of refugees as over a half a million people are attempting to return to their original homes and villages from that crisis.The newest Kosovar immigrants are thus refugees in the land of refugees, something the western news has failed to document. Some of these newest refugees have been there since last August. It all seemed so hopeless and pointless when one watches people sitting dejected by their tents in the dusty compound of a refugee camp in some far corner of Bosnia in 32 degree heat. Amid the stench of sickness and disease and the sounds of children crying – there seems to be no respite from the madness of humanity.
But there is hope. People in organizations such as Save the Children are doing things to occupy the minds and souls of many people. It was so educational looking first hand how these non-governmental agencies work on the frontlines of relief work. They are making a difference. If you have any questions about my trip please e-mail or write me at the school and I’ll be happy to reply. If you are interested in helping out with Save the Children, you can contact me or write to David Shimkus, the Director of Save The Children US in Sarajevo at kshimkus@alf.tel.hr. They are one of the few organizations still involved in relocation, education and helping the thousands of refugees of the Kosovo tragedy in Bosnia. Just because it is no longer featured on our news each day doesn’t mean that it isn’t still a major issue. It is. Clayton Johnston