School Message
Good Afternoon to our Western families,
A reminder that tomorrow, Friday, May 29th, is the graduation celebration for our grade 12 students. As our teaching staff will be overseeing and supporting this event, there is no school for grade 10 and 11 students on Friday.
Monday, June 1st, is a regular school day for all grades, followed by a regular school week. Please remind your student that they are expected to be in class and engaged each period as the semester comes to a close.
We would like to thank all of the parents/guardians who came out to show their support this week at the band concert, choir concert, Honours Society night, and French Immersion certificate ceremony. It's been a busy week of celebrating, with more to come next week at our Awards Night and Night of the Redhawk.
Thank you,
Kelsey Harding
Assistant Principal | Western Canada High School
Upcoming Dates
- Monday, May 29th
- Graduation | No School for Students
Student Spotlight
Huge thank you to Deya M. for being the editor in chief for the Creative Writing class anthology this year! Thanks to her efforts, the book will be self-published and feature not just writers, but pieces by artists and musicians from around the school.
Félicitations ! Bella S qualified for nationals in the Canadian Parents for French sponsored public speaking contest. Bonne chance, Bella!
Updates
Complete Your CAREERS Application Today!
Thinking about applying for a Summer internship? Get your application completed as soon as possible! Link is: https://www.careersnextgen.ca/
- Make sure you complete your application with a: cover letter, resume, HCS 3000, and off-campus approval (Mr. Smith) when applying with CAREERS.
- Having an application on file ensures you receive?early updates?on upcoming fairs, tours and even hiring events.
- We have a number of positions that require First Aid for summer. Please get certified!
CAREERS Calgary is currently seeking Students for Internship Opportunities in:
- Auto Service Technicians (driver’s license highly recommended)
- Cooking
- Construction (carpentry, and other building trades)
- Pipe Trades
- Lather ISM
- Commercial Roofing
IPP's
Individual Program Plans (IPPs) will be handed out to IPP students on June 8th & 9th by their classroom teacher. If your student is not in attendance on June 8th and 9th, please ensure that they stop by the office to pick up their IPP during exam break. Please sign the 4th (Final) review section, and return the signature page to the main office or to jadixon@cbe.ab.ca.
Student Exam Planners
These were handed out in class on Tuesday, May 26, during period 1. This is to help students write down the date and time of each final exam they MAY have. All grade 10 level exams will be finished by Tuesday, June 9th, but there will still be opportunities for credit recovery after that if needed. Some grade 11 level exams are in the formal exam schedule, and some are during the last two modified days (June 8th and 9th). All diploma exams are listed. Please go through the exam schedule with your student, and also the exam rules on the back, to ensure they are properly prepared for their upcoming final assessments.
Student Services
2026/2027 Course Requests:
As we are fast approaching the end of the school year, we encourage grade 10 and 11 students to review their course selection for the 2026-2027 school year in PowerSchool. If they need any changes to their course selection, students should connect with their counsellor in person (through drop-ins) before June 9th. This is for course selection only. The schedule will be available by the 3rd week of August, at which point students can fill out an online form for adjustments. This will be directly communicated to families in August.
Summer School Confirmation:
Students who registered for summer school classes can expect to receive confirmation emails from CBE-Learn the first week of June.
Summer School Withdrawals:
Any student who registered for a CBE Summer School course and no longer wishes to take the course must meet with their counselor in Student Services by June 25 to withdraw from the course.
To complete the withdrawal process, a parent or guardian must also email the student’s assigned counselor requesting withdrawal from the course.
Grade 12 Grads
If you attend the ceremony on Friday, May 29th, your complimentary LifeTouch photo from after you cross the stage is available for pick up in the cafeteria in the afternoon of Thursday, June 4th,, and anytime during classes on Friday June 5th.
If you are unable to attend the ceremony on Friday, May 29th, at Winsport, a certificate and leather portfolio will be available for you in guidance for pick up beginning June 1st.
French Immersion
We held the distribution of the Certificate of Achievement in French Immersion celebration on Tuesday evening. It was attended by students and their parents.
Congratulations to the 249 students – our largest contingent – who earned this certificate by completing 45 to 55 of the 100 credits needed to graduate from high school – in French.
They did so by doing three levels of French Language Arts, Social Studies, and Math in French.
Students who were unable to attend due to sports, work, or other commitments should speak to their FLA 30 teacher to pick up their certificate prior to June 5th.
International Languages
Students who completed two languages or more at the 30 level should go to room 257 during the afternoon or PM tutorials to pick up their International Languages certificate from Mme/Sra. Bergerman.
The past week has been an incredible one for all 230 students in our Band Program. Our Grade 10 Concert Band and Grade 11 Symphonic Band travelled to Red Deer to compete in the Alberta Provincial Band Festival. Both ensembles placed at the top of their respective divisions, earning Gold Awards with unanimous Superior ratings from the adjudication panel. Our Grade 11 Symphonic Band was further honoured with the festival’s Adjudicators’ Choice Award, the highest distinction awarded at the Provincial Band Festival.
Culminating an exciting week, our Band Program presented its annual Year-End Concert at the Jack Singer Concert Hall on Monday, May 25, to a sold-out audience. The Grade 10 Concert Band and Grade 11 Symphonic Band delivered incredibly powerful performances, and just when it seemed the evening could not get any better, our multi-award-winning Grade 12 Wind Ensemble closed out the concert with a breathtaking, passionate, and undeniably moving performance that captivated the sold-out audience.
We congratulate all 230 students in our nationally regarded Band Program and could not be more proud of their achievements!
June Exam Schedule
June’s exam schedule has been finalized and is available on Western’s website. It can be found under the tab Teaching & Learning, then Exam Schedule.
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.
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!
Independent Student Form
Age 18 is the legal age of majority in Alberta, which affects the rights of parents/guardians of students who reach the majority to receive certain information from The Calgary Board of Education (CBE) and CBE schools concerning that student.
When a student reaches the majority, he/she/they become an “Independent Student” under the School Act. Alberta's Protection of Privacy Act (POPA) prevents the CBE from disclosing personal information concerning an Independent Student to any persons (other than that individual), including to the parent/guardian, unless the individual consents in writing. Without such written consent being received by the CBE from the Independent Student, CBE is not able to share personal information with the parent/guardian concerning the Independent Student. Such information includes, but is not limited to, attendance records, parent/teacher conferences, field trips, suspensions, report cards, and similar matters.
The required consent form is emailed to students in advance of them turning 18. Students may also obtain a copy of the form from the main office.
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.