Weekly Update Header


School Message

Hello to our Western Families,

With the CUPE strick set to start on Monday, schools will be without their facility operators and cleaning staff. While there are contingency plans in place, schools will have to change some of their operating procedures until this is resolved.

Please take note of these important changes starting on Monday:

  • Exterior doors will not be open until 6:45 am. For morning band/choir students, the only door that will be unlocked prior to that (6:30 am) will be the Redhawks door off the student parking lot.
  • Students will be asked to leave the building by 4:30 pm from Monday through Thursday and by 2:00 pm on Friday. If students typically have been waiting for rides after that time, we would ask that earlier pick-ups be arranged. (exceptions to this will be any student with band/choir/drama rehearsals or with basketball/wrestling practices or games.)
  • Next week's basketball games will only be able to accommodate parents/ siblings/ grandparents. Other spectators (students or non-family) will not be able to attend games.
  • After-school clubs can continue, but with the end time of 4:15 pm; teacher sponsors will determine if some clubs might be temporarily canceled during this period of time.

We recognize that these changes may be inconvenient, but we would ask for understanding as we deal with these temporary logistics.

Thank you,

Darrin Whitbread, Principal | Western Canada High School

Upcoming Dates

  • Non-Instructional Day (No School)
    • Friday, February 28th
  • Parent Teacher Conferences
    • Thursday March 20th and Friday March 21st

Updates

Registration for Next Year – Grade 10 Students 

February 24th to 27th, Student Services will be guiding grade 10 students through the process of registering for next year during period 2 in the theatre (teachers will bring their classes down). PowerSchool registration will open from March 10-21 to put in your requests. 

Career Fair  

The next Calgary Career Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, March 19, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM at Notre Dame High School. 

Scholarship

For EAL Vietnamese students. The deadline is February 28th 2025. Use this link for more info.: Ban Khuyến Học Calgary: Home 

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 bus 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! 

IB Course Selection Details 

Most IB exams will be mandatory starting next year (as they are at all CBE IB schools).  French and Spanish classes will continue to have optional IB exams (however, only Alberta credits are issued for students who do not get the official IB accreditation).  This change may affect next year's course selection for some students.  A detailed break-down will be posted on the Grade 10 and 11 student IB D2L shells and questions can be directed to Ms. Rivers at serivers@cbe.ab.ca. 

Upcoming Biology Competitions 

The Canadian Biology Olympiad is happening on April 9th at 11 am (location inside the school t.b.d.).  Self-registration is $20 (not open yet). Our students placed exceptionally well in 2024 with 2 bronze, 3 silver, and Andy S. winning a spot on the national team and earning silver at the International Biology Olympiad in Kazakhstan last July.  The National Biology Competition will be taking place on April 16th after school (location inside the school t.b.d.).  Registration is $7 and done through the Biology Olympiad Club – Mondays at lunch in room 179 or email wchsbioclub@gmail.com .  All students (even those currently registered in Biology 30) are encouraged to write the 50 multiple choice exam. Examples of past exams can be found on https://biocomp.utoronto.ca . 

Western Canada High School’s Robotics Teams Head to Provincials! 

Following the success from the Mecha Mayhem 2025 tournament, most of our Western Canada High School robotics teams have qualified for the VEX Provincial Championships! This attests to the dedication of our club members, who have worked tirelessly over the past four months to refine their robot’s designs and strategies. From the nominated teams, the following groups will be travelling to Fort McMurray to compete at this event.  

  • 3300A (David A, Elida De B, Stella F, Oliver K, and Jeannie Y) 
  • 3300C (Dean K, Nykin L, Graeme W, Fergus W, and Aris W) 
  • 3300E (Srihari K, Victor P, David W, Evan Y, and Logan Z) 
  • 3300F (Anik C, Ian I, Ahmed M, Sumedh P, Haohan W). 

Details for the VEX VRC Alberta Provincial Championships can be found here. 

Additionally, a special congratulations is in order for 3300C, who performed extraordinarily at the Westwood Robotics Tournament on January 31. They have received awards for being the tournament and skills champions, as well as for their excellence. At this tournament, they attained the highest skills rank in Alberta for this season, a testament to their hard work throughout the past year. Their success sets a high bar for the entire competition in Alberta, and we are incredibly proud of their achievements. 

Best of luck to 3300A, 3300C, 3300E, and 3300F as they prepare for this major event! Go Redhawks!