Over the last few weeks, SJS students have been centre stage in athletics and arts on local, national and international stages. Read on to hear about the amazing things our students are getting up to outside of class.
Representing Canada in Water Polo
Kajal, Grade 10, recently found out she has qualified for the National Water Polo U17 team! Starting the intense sport at eight years old, Kajal is no stranger to the competitive scene of water polo. “It’s a mix between basketball and soccer,” she explains. “There are two teams and you’re trying to score a goal with one hand. While treading water. And it’s a contact sport, so it’s also like wrestling.” Kajal will be heading off to Turkey for training in July to prepare for the world championship in Croatia later in the summer. Good luck Kajal, we wish you all the best as you take to the world stage of water polo.
Student Musical Talent Sells Out First Concert
Creating an original music album as part of his MYP Personal Project was only the start for Grade 10 student Orest. He developed an awesome sound, marketing strategy, clear branding and ticket incentives to promote his upcoming concert, taking place on June 5 alongside a collective of established artists. Not only will this be his first concert using his artist name Sokrome, Orest’s ticket sales means he gets to be one of the headliners in the now sold-out show. Describing his style as new underground rap, he plans to continue releasing new music and building his brand. Break a leg Orest!
Volleyball Players Bring the Thunder
Over the April 10–12 weekend Sloane (Grade 9) and Elise (Grade 12) each competed for their respective Thunder Volleyball Club teams at the Volleyball BC’s ranking tournament to be placed for Provincials in Division 1, Tier 1 (the highest level of competitive volleyball in the club leagues). After hard-fought battles Sloane and her U15 team earned bronze at the Langley tournament, while Elise and her U18 team won gold in Prince George! Congratulations to both athletes for their fighting spirit and hard work throughout the season. Best of luck at your upcoming provincials!
Setting an Example On and Off the Court
Before the Easter weekend, Grade 12 student Matthew was off competing in the U18 Canadian Tennis Championships in Toronto. He battled hard and earned himself a place in the finals, where he ultimately left with the silver medal. Additionally, Matthew was chosen by the tournament directors and referees to receive the Sportsmanship Award for his exceptional sportsmanship. A competitive tennis player since Grade 4, Matthew is no stranger to the Provincial Championships, and it is fitting that the final nationals of his junior career ends on such a high note, especially after winning two international junior titles in the last year. Matthew’s family especially wants to thank the school and Matthew’s teachers for supporting him through the years. Congratulations Matthew, we can’t wait to see what you do next year.
The Sun Run Tradition Continues
SJS showed up to the Sun Run on Sunday, April 19 with an incredible 62 participants, making us the second-largest group in the secondary school category! As such our school was awarded $400 as part of this year’s OASIS Youth Team Challenge, which we have donated to Kids Sport. Felix and Jamie represented the Grade 10 class on stage with Coach Kinman to accept the cheque. The Sun Run is a Grade 10 tradition, as each year our cohort trains and runs the race as part of their PHE course. But we would not have reached such a number without the additional students, family members, teachers, faculty and staff who joined in to run alongside them. Great job Eagles!
Speed Skating Success
One of our resident speed skating superstars, Jayden’s second-place ranking in BC qualified him for the Canadian Youth Speed Skating Championship, held in Winnipeg on March 28 and 29. This was his very first time competing at a national-level event. At the championships, Jayden achieved excellent results and earned two silver medals in the 400m and 1500m events. Jayden is very proud to share this accomplishment with his school community and is motivated to continue working hard toward a gold medal in future national competitions.
