News & updates

List of 5 news stories.

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  Academic Fellowship Reaches Five

  9/25/2026
  With the milestone announcement this week of the fifth individual to hold the Bruce-Lockhart Fellowship for Academic Excellence, this is an excellent time to look back on the history of the program.

   

  The Fellowship was launched in 2021 to bring in an outstanding local, national or international educator to Shawnigan for one year, with the idea of shedding light on aspects of academics that the School may not have previously explored. It was named in recognition of the outstanding service to Shawnigan delivered by former headmaster Simon Bruce-Lockhart (1990-2000) and his wife Joanne (1990-2007). In addition to joining the faculty, each Fellow is given time and resources to work on a passion project.

   

  Since its inception, the Fellowship has become an integral part of academics at Shawnigan.

   
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  On Top of Old Baldy

  9/25/2026
  Shawnigan’s location, with easy access to natural features like lakes, rivers, rainforests and mountains, provides a unique advantage. It’s obviously beneficial to co-curricular programs like Beyond the Gates, the Outdoor Leadership and Development 360, and adventure sports, but teachers also find ways to integrate our surroundings into academics.

   

  That was the case last week as two Human Geography 12 classes hiked Old Baldy Mountain, a 10-minute drive away from the School, with the themes of the course in focus.

   

  “The purpose was to get the students thinking like human geographers,” explained Mr. Galen Loiselle, whose class hiked Baldy on Friday, a day after Ms. Andrea Robertson’s class made the trek. “It was about working with maps, the importance of place, and technical skills. The new perspective they get from the hike is invaluable.”

   
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  360: Something for Everyone

  9/18/2026
  Three brand new offerings were among nearly 30 options available for students to check out at last Friday’s 360 Fair in the Quad.

   

  A huge part of the Shawnigan Journey, 360 is the School’s co-curricular arts and activities program. All students are required to enrol in a 360, but with so many options to choose from, there really is something to appeal to everyone’s interests. An experienced team of instructors guides students through sessions twice a week, with optional time on weekends. Some 360s last a full year, some last half the year, and some let students choose either a half or full year.

   

  The program operates a little differently for Grade 8s. They can choose two 360s from a select list to start the year; the first one runs from September to November Break, and the second from November Break to Ski Week. After Ski Week, Grade 8s will be able to select from the entire 360 menu.

   
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  Inter-House Kicks Off

  9/18/2026
  Inter-House competition is one of the most important community-builders at Shawnigan, so the first event of the year is always a big deal.

   

  The School wastes no time in kicking off the inter-House year, with the first event taking place on the first weekend after students return to campus in the fall. That is no accident as it helps returning students get to know the latest additions to their Houses, be they Grade 9s who just moved after a year in Samuel House, or complete newcomers to Shawnigan.

   

  “They get to know each other and have a shared purpose,” said Assistant Head – Student Life Mr. Matt Clinton-Baker. “The Heads of House find out who is good at what, and you can’t do that without finding out who the new students are, and through that mechanism, you get to know who’s in the House.”

   
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  Summer Sports Roundup

  9/11/2026
  For many Shawnigan student-athletes, sports don’t come to an end when school wraps up in June. Several of them move on to regional, provincial and national teams, attending training camps and competing in tournaments across BC and Canada, and around the world. Our alumni also continue to make us proud in a wide variety of sports.

   

  Rugby

   

  The BC Provincial Regional Championships were loaded with Shawnigan students, playing for several different teams. The Vancouver Island Crimson Tide won both the boys’ and girls’ U19 titles, with alumni Massimo Ruben ’26, Simroy John ’26, Greg Putterill ’26, Easton Sangris ’25, and Cole Mekelberg ’25 suiting up for the boys – who counted Mr. Clay Panga and fellow alumni Ollie Nott ’13 and Ciaran Breen ’19 among their coaches – and Amelia Handysides ’26, Sophie Hayes ’26, Gwenlili Jones ’26, and current student Briar T. playing for the girls.

   
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