News & updates

List of 5 news stories.

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  Clarity, Insight, and Understanding

  4/17/2026
  Over five days this week, Shawnigan witnessed the painstaking creation of a beautiful piece of art, followed almost immediately by its ceremonial dissolution.

   

  The artwork in question was a Manjushri Sand Mandala, constructed from millions of grains of coloured sand by four Tibetan Buddhist monks from the Tsengdok Monastery in Vancouver led by Master Tenzin Chockyi Gyalsten (Tsengdok Rinpoche). The event offered a unique opportunity to experience ancient traditions through art, ritual, and mindfulness, while reflecting on the Buddhist teachings of impermanence and non-attachment.

   

  The monks were brought to Shawnigan by the BE A JEDI (Belonging, Equity, Acceptance, and Justice – Embracing Diversity and Intersectionality) Committee and English Language Centre teacher Ms. Pema Yangchen.

   
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  April Sports Update

  4/16/2026
  Winter term sports wrapped up just before Spring Break, with one of the main events being the CSSHL Western Championships in Penticton, which all four of our Prep teams attended. Spring sports got going before the break, and picked up right where they left off when students returned.

   

  Ice Hockey

   

  The U17 Prep boys went undefeated in their Div. 2 tournament to bring home the banner from Penticton.

   

  Shawnigan opened on a strong note, beating the North Shore Warriors 5-0 on a 35-save shutout by Donagh E. That was followed by decisive victories over Notre Dame and Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy, and then a 4-3 overtime win over St. George’s in the semifinal, with Cache T. netting the winner. The final was a rematch against Notre Dame, with Darwin K., Matthew S., and Bartley C. each recording three points in a 6-4 Shawnigan victory. Darwin K. was named Playoff MVP.

   
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  EDGE Trip to Nepal

  4/10/2026
  A pair of inspiring student leaders guided four of their peers and two teachers on a life-changing tour of Nepal over Spring Break.

   

  Grade 12s Pemba L. and Dorje S. came up with the idea of an EDGE (Engagement, Development, Gratitude and Experience) service trip to their home country, pitched it to School leadership, and got it approved. In Nepal, they served as guides and translators for the rest of the group through a unique and personal journey through the Himalayan nation.

   

  Soon after arriving in Kathmandu, the group visited Shree Mangval Dvip School, which Shawnigan has a long-running relationship with, and which both Pemba and Dorje attended. The Shawnigan contingent was given a warm welcome before the students were assigned to classrooms where they engaged in teaching, learning, sharing, and helping the teachers.

   
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  Spring Break Trips and Tours

  4/10/2026
  The theme of this year’s Spring Break trips and tours was France, as not only did Shawnigan send students on the traditional French Immersion exchange to Angers, but two rugby teams – the boys’ First XV and Iron Women – also toured that country, while the Colts travelled to the UK. That’s not to mention the EDGE Trip to Nepal, which merits its own story that can be found here.

   

  French Immersion Exchange

   

  Continuing a relationship that goes back well over a decade, 10 French Immersion students travelled to Angers, France to complete this year’s exchange after students from Lycée Sacre-Coeur visited Shawnigan in the fall.

   

  Flight delays and cancellations made it a challenge for the Shawnigan contingent to get to France, but teachers Mrs. Eva Holloway and Mr. Graham Linn managed to find a way. Once they got there, the students spent 10 days in Angers, where they were billeted with local families and attended classes at the lycée.

   
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  Robotics Builds Momentum for the Future

  3/13/2026
  An outstanding competitive season for Shawnigan’s Robotics program may have ended without a trip to the VEX Robotics World Championship, but the teams still came away with several accomplishments to be proud of.

   

  Shawnigan fielded five teams this year, including three standout crews that consistently made the playoffs at tournaments across Vancouver Island and collected multiple awards.

   

  “The top teams performed really well, while the other teams could go to tournaments and have fun,” said Mr. Tim Stephens, the School’s Head of Science and one of the teachers who works with the Robotics program.

   

  The game played in competition changes from year to year, and this year’s game, Push Back, had a “lower barrier to entry,” in Mr. Stephens’ words, which made it easier for more teams to participate and contend.

   
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