News & updates
News
List of 5 news stories.
-
Graduation Celebration!
Read MoreAccompanied by their families, guests, and many staff members, the members of Shawnigan’s Class of 2026 travelled to Whistler last week for graduation events at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler on May 14 and 15.The two-day celebration began on Thursday with the Parent Gathering, where family members mingled with staff.Everyone was up early on Friday to prepare for the Grad Gala that evening. In the afternoon, students and their families lined up for portraits with School photographer Ms. Arden Gill, followed by House photos and a shot of the entire Class of 2026 in their graduation finery. -
Skating Meets Science
Read MoreGrade 11 student Wendy H. combined her passion for figure skating and her interest in science to create an award-winning project for the Vancouver Island Regional Science Fair hosted by the University of Victoria last month.Wendy’s self-guided research project, "Biomechanical Analysis of the Sit Spin in Figure Skating: Assessing Movement Load and Injury Risk” studied the mechanics of the sit spin, a commonly used element of figure skating, with a focus on the physics and forces at work. She entered it in the science fair at UVic in April, with some impressive results.“I did the research project, and I wanted to present it somewhere,” Wendy explained. “Publishing takes a lot of effort, and I wanted professional advice before I tried publishing.” -
A Celebration of Rowing at Shawnigan
Read MoreHundreds of rowers representing 18 schools and clubs from across Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, and the Okanagan Valley converged on Shawnigan Lake last weekend for the School’s 65th annual regatta.“The regatta was a fantastic weekend and a wonderful celebration of rowing at Shawnigan,” Head of Rowing Mrs. Jennifer Parfitt commented. “The atmosphere around the park was festive and energetic, with plenty of great racing and a beautiful setting for athletes, families, and spectators to enjoy. While the windy conditions created some delays, the regatta team adapted well, and we were able to get back on schedule and complete a full day of racing.”No races had to be cancelled due to the weather, which is a blessing for any regatta. Shawnigan had 39 entries over the three days of racing, and collected four gold medals, two silvers and three bronzes, as well as several top times for school-based crews. -
House Posts Unveiled
Read MoreThanks to the efforts of dozens of students, staff, and other members of the Shawnigan community, a major gift from Brad Assu ’83 (Lonsdale’s) is now on display.Under Brad’s supervision, students have been helping to complete two 20-foot totem poles – exact replicas of house posts that were originally carved more than a century ago. With the replicas now complete, they were painstakingly relocated from just outside the Bruce-Lockhart Centre for Creativity to their new temporary location in the Shaw Centre for Science, and last Friday, they were unveiled to the public in a moving ceremony.Brad’s gift, in gratitude for the time he and his three older brothers spent at Shawnigan, was announced in October 2024, at the Chapel Gathering for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The house posts are replicas of two posts that were carved in 1910 by Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw artist Johnny Kla-wat-chi for Chief Billy Assu – Brad’s great-grandfather and a respected leader of the We Wai Kai. In the 1930s, the posts were removed and shipped to the museum in Ottawa that is now known as the National Museum of History. -
A Focus on Wellness
Read MoreShawnigan students took a day to focus on health of all kinds during the Day of Well-Being held all across campus on Sunday.“The purpose was to give students the opportunity to participate in different holistic health practice,” said school counsellor Ms. Jenny Tully, who organized the event along with her fellow counsellors and students, including the mental health Prefects.Participation in the activities was entirely voluntary, but about half the student population took part. Students were given a plethora of options to pick from, including massage therapy, reiki, a performance and visualization group, yoga on the docks, a sound journey and sound bath, music therapy guided by Grade 12 student Rosa O., and floral design and bouquet making at the Growing Dome.
Links & blogs
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 12 –18 on Canada’s beautiful Pacific Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
