News & updates

List of 5 news stories.

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  A Message of Peace and Hope to Tumbler Ridge

  3/4/2026
  Like so many across Canada and around the world, the Shawnigan community was shocked and saddened by the tragic incident in the small BC community of Tumbler Ridge on February 10.

   

  Among other initiatives at the School supporting the stricken town of 2,400, the Grade 8 students in Samuel House were invited to create a wall hanging to send to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School to show the people there that Shawnigan is thinking of them, along with a book of messages written by members of the entire School community.

   

  “In Samuel House, we often talk about what it means to be a community,” Grade 8 student Joanna G. related. “Our House Directors describe Samuel as a place filled with warmth, kindness, and connection. Recently, we had the opportunity to put those values into action through a very special project.”

   
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  Quiet! This Is a Library!

  3/4/2026
  A lighthearted collaboration between multiple aspects of the Fine Arts department entertained students with a concert in a unique venue – usually known for being a quiet space – resulted in a high-calibre film, and will hopefully inspire similar projects in the near future.

   

  Music fans might be familiar with NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, which has run for 18 years, featuring artists from across the spectrum of genres preforming stripped-down versions of their songs in the NPR office. Shawnigan now has its own spin on the beloved series thanks to a student-led project that combines music, film, and recording arts.

   

  Grade 12 student and Academics and Music Prefect Rosa O. and music teacher Mr. Vince Hale are big fans of the series, and take every opportunity to watch the concerts. It was while fulfilling one of her Prefect tasks that she came up with the idea for Shawnigan’s version of the Tiny Desk Concert.

   
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  A New Way to Navigate the Shawnigan Journey

  2/27/2026
  Students have a new way to navigate the Shawnigan Journey following last week’s roll-out of the Shawnigan Compass.

   

  The Shawnigan Compass is an artificial intelligence resource designed to help students determine what classes they need to take in order to achieve their post-secondary and career goals, in a way that supplements the way students work with the Guidance Office, advisors and parents.

   

  “It makes meeting with the Guidance Office more efficient,” said Academic Captain Angus W. “It doesn’t replace guidance counsellors – at the end of the day, they are much better. If you use it in place of guidance counsellors, you’ll be in trouble. But it can get the ball rolling.”

   
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  Beyond the Gates to Mount Washington

  2/27/2026
  The Beyond the Gates program faced some challenges in making the annual trip to Mount Washington work this year, but they pulled it off on the second attempt.

   

  The trip to the ski resort near Courtenay typically takes place in January, but it had to be postponed this year due to poor skiing conditions. Over the weekend before the second try, the mountain received an astonishing 108 cm of snow, and actually had to curtail some operations on Sunday. It was fully open on Monday, but Islanders eager to take advantage flocked to the mountain, so just getting the students to the lodge was a bit of a struggle.

   

  “It was challenging to get started,” outdoor education instructor Mr. Devin Ryan admitted.

   
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  "The Little Mermaid" Delivers

  2/20/2026
  It may have been based on the 1989 Disney animated movie, but staging The Little Mermaid, Shawnigan’s 2026 School musical, was anything but colouring between the lines.

   

  “It was an absolute beast of a show to produce,” said Ms. Mandy Bryant, who served as music director for The Little Mermaid, which ran at Victoria’s McPherson Playhouse for three nights and one afternoon from February 4 to 7. “There were many panicked moments, but we couldn’t be happier with how the kids came through.”

   

  Ms. Bryant called The Little Mermaid the hardest show the current creative team of staff members has produced together. “The music is so complex,” she said. “The leads and ensemble have so much to learn. We didn’t expect The Little Mermaid to be monumental like it was.”

   
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