School Message
Hello to our Western families,
Celebrate Western is still looking for auction items. Please see the separate email coming on Friday for more information. All support is appreciated.
While not complaining about this recent warm weather, we are seeing a bit of extra meandering as students are making their way back from lunch. As we don't want this pattern to settle in to start this semester, we will be doing a late blitz next week, where teachers will be shutting their doors quite soon after the bell. We will be letting students know about this, but it might help if there is a parent nudge around this as well. It is appreciated.
Congratulations to Ali, Aiden, Jack, and Cyrus (The Wolves of Western) for making it into the top-50 round, from more than 2500 global submissions, for the 2025-2026 Wharton Global High School Investment Competition. For the third year in a row, representatives from our Investment Club have done an incredible job of representing the school in this international competition. We look forward to seeing how they finish.
Thanks,
Darrin Whitbread
Principal | Western Canada High School
Upcoming Dates
- Thursday, February 12th and Friday, February 13th: Teachers Convention
- No school for students
- Friday, February 27th: Non-Instructional Day
- No school for students
Student Spotlight
Huge congratulations to Aazlynn L. and Claire H., who competed in Abbotsford, BC this past weekend. They placed first and received the Judges' Choice Award in the U18 Level 4 All-Star Cheerleading division - and are now headed to Worlds/Summit in Orlando, Florida, this April.
Updates
Extended Absences
It is the school’s responsibility to ensure parent(s)/legal guardian(s) understand the impact that extended absences may have on their child’s education. When parents/guardians wish to remove their student from school for an extended period of time (longer than 3 days) for reasons other than illness or bereavement, we ask that an Extended Absence form, available in the main office, be completed and submitted.
MRU Camps Hiring Event
MRU Camps is currently hiring seasonal staff for the summer season.
Openings for youth ages 18-24 include:
- Summer Camp Leaders, Casual (seasonal, full-time)
Interested?
Learn more about MRU Camps and visit the Youth Employment Centre before Friday, February 13th, 2026. Only eligible youth will be considered for this opportunity.
- Review the above job requirements and availability
- Drop-in at the Alberta Trade Centre (315 10 Ave. S.E.) on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m before Friday, February 13th
CAREERS INTERNSHIP FAIRS Paid internship opportunities for Alberta youth
Date: February 24, 2026
Location: Central Memorial and CT Centre
- Learn about paid internship opportunities
- Connect directly with employers hiring youth
- Explore off-campus education pathways
- Discover careers in in-demand industries
- Pre-register for a chance to win door prizes - https://tinyurl.com/2kjp6tpe
- Includes parent-focused sessions on supporting your student and “Apprenticeship 101” presentations.
Attendance
To report your child’s absence, please call 403-228-5363, option 1 or email westerncanada@cbe.ab.ca. When providing an update, please include: The student’s full name (spell the last name slowly and clearly if leaving a voicemail). The reason for the absence. The timeframe of the absence. Please note: Attendance updates may take longer during transit delays, winter weather, or other events affecting attendance, as the school manages records for approximately 2,250 students. Updates may take up to one school day. To avoid delays, please do not leave multiple messages unless correcting a previous one. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Subscribe to Stay Informed
Due to Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL), you need to subscribe online if you want to receive email or text messages on “commercial” school topics such as the Weekly Update or IPP communication.
MyCBE Accounts
Parents, legal guardians, and independent students will need to create a MyCBE account to complete required forms, pay fees etc. To create an account, please see the MyCBE Support page HERE. If you are experiencing difficulties in creating your account, please see Ms. Hanley in the main office.
Grad Fees – Now Due
Grad fees this year are $85, including GST. This fee has been added to your graduating student’s account and is now payable via your MyCBE account, or in person at the Business Office.
A reminder that we ask ALL outstanding fees, from current and previous years, be paid in full prior to the end of the year. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, please see below how to apply for a central fee waiver. This waiver must be completed for a student to be considered for a school-based waiver of fees.
Centralized Fee Waiver
No child is ever denied access to an education in the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) because of an inability to pay. If you can't afford the fees, there are several ways to qualify for a central fee waiver.
Waiver applications for the current school year are found online through your MyCBE account and are available from the start of the school year until June 30. Please check out more information here.
Parent Council – Speaker Series
The Western Canada High School Parent Council would like to invite all parents and staff to our quarterly meeting and speaker series at 6:30pm on Feb 19th in the Library or online. We have invited Anita Khakh, a specialist in AI and Education, to speak to parents and staff. Anita's Bio is below. Anita will be presenting to us online from Edmonton. We will have coffee and treats available for the in person participants, we will send out a link closer to the date for the "on the go participants".
Anita Khakh is the K–12 Education Advisor on the Training team at the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii). At Amii, Anita supports educators and school boards in building AI literacy and capacity. She designs and delivers professional development sessions, collaborates with school divisions to support AI-related initiatives, and develops practical, classroom-ready resources that help educators introduce artificial intelligence concepts to students in meaningful and accessible ways. Amii is one of the world's foremost AI research institutes, which nowadays make them an O.G. in AI.
IPP Families
IPPs should have been received by your student. Once the IPP has been reviewed, students should consider their Semester 2 timetable and pick a new learning target. Please use this IPP Feedback Form to inform Ms. Dixon of any accommodation changes that may be needed, and select a new learning target for a Semester 2 course.
IPP Feedback Form: https://forms.gle/ejw5BsWyCAvKG9Kk6
Please only fill out the form out only once - if you have submitted it this Semester, I have already reviewed it and updated the IPP.
Student Services:
Second Semester Classes:
As a reminder, Student Services is only processing timetable changes for students who are requesting to drop a course, move to a different level of an academic course, fill an unnecessary open block in their timetable, or pick up missing graduation requirement courses. The deadline for course changes was January 9. Thank you for understanding.
Post-Secondary Visits @ Western:
Your Future
Upcoming University Visits
Please come to the Main Foyer
- February 17
- Lunch – University of New Brunswick
- After School - St. Mary’s University Halifax
- February 18
- Lunch – Ambrose
- February 19
- Lunch – Bishops University
- February 20
- After School – St Francis Xavier
GRADITUDE PROJECT
Grad
Grade 12 Graduation celebrations are quickly approaching, and the information regarding the ceremony and optional banquet for the Class of 2026 is now available on the graduation page of the school website.
Grade 12 students and guardians, please note that information will continue to be posted on the graduation page of the website and will be sent through School Messenger just to grade 12 students as we move closer to the date.
The graduation ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 29, 2026, at the Markain McPhail Centre at Winsport begining at 9 am. If you have questions about the ceremony, please reach out to Ms Scharfenberger (anscharfenberger@cbe.ab.ca).
This year’s optional graduation banquet will be held at the Hyatt Regency Calgary (downtown), the evening of May 29, due to unavailability at the BMO Centre. Venue capacity limitations at the Hyatt will restrict each graduating student to purchase a maximum of three tickets when ticket sales begin next month (this includes a ticket for the grad themselves plus 2 guests). Subject to overall interest, additional tickets may become available for purchase. Further instructions regarding how to purchase tickets, as well as how to request additional tickets, will be communicated at a later date. If you have questions about the banquet and dance, please reach out to Ms Irwin (jairwin@cbe.ab.ca).