School Message
Hello to our Western families,
We continue to thank our students for their efforts and cooperation related to the ongoing CUPE strike.
In preparation for the upcoming Student Conferences and the mid-semester report card coming out in April, I would encourage parents to be actively actively check PowerSchool for mark updates and, in particular, for any assignments that PowerSchool for mark updates and, in particular, for any assignments which may not have been turned in yet. If you have concerns, please reach out first to teachers directly and to your student’s assistant principal if follow-up is needed. All staff emails can be found on our school website.
Thank you,
Darrin Whitbread, Principal | Western Canada High School
Upcoming Dates
- Parent Teacher Conferences
- Thursday, March 20th & Friday, March 21st
- Non-Instructional Day (No School)
- Friday,
March 21st
- Friday,
- March Break (No School)
- Monday, March 24th - Friday, March 28th
Student Spotlight
Polina Y. is in Ms Savoie’s Creative Writing class and currently has her book spine poetry featured in the library. Check out the full class display in the library until Spring Break!
WCHS Choir - CBE Sings Choral Festival
Congratulations to the Choral Program for their electrifying performance last Friday at the CBE Sings Choral Festival. They had the audience roaring with applause, and they were recognized as one of the top choirs of the day!
Staff Appreciation: Thank You!
On behalf of the Western Canada High School Staff Appreciation committee, in partnership with the School Council Executive, thank you so much for your contributions of delicious food, cash, and time for our Staff Appreciation last December. We were touched by the generosity of our Western Canada community, and the staff was so appreciative of everyone’s efforts.
Because of you, we were able to provide breakfast for four days and lunch for three days for the entire staff. Everything from homemade muffins and cookies to salads to hot lunches and so much more! We would also like to give a huge shout-out to one of our current families who owns Eat at Will and donated an entire lunch for all staff.
Thanks to the parents who brought in so many delicious snacks and meals and to those who volunteered to help decorate the staff room and help during the week of festivities for the staff. We were able to purchase breakfast wraps, sushi, shawarmas, noodles, and additional food from restaurants with your generous cash contributions of over $4,000. The remainder of the monetary contributions will be used for an additional Staff Appreciation at the end of the school year.
We look forward to the Staff Appreciation at the end of the school year. Please watch for more information about how to get involved in that event in the upcoming months.
Belcanfran Exchange Application Reminder
A final reminder that Belcanfran exchange applications for 2025-2026 can still be submitted! Please visit www.belcanfran.com for more information, and to fill out your applicaiton directly on the website.
Teacher Conferences
Conferences are occurring online from 5-8 PM on Thursday, March 20th, and 9 AM-1 PM on Friday, March 21st. Parents/guardians will be able to book conferences with teachers online beginning Friday, March 14th at 9 AM through PowerSchool. Booking will remain open for parents/guardians until Wednesday, March 19th.
GRADUATION BANQUET & DANCE NEWS!
The Grad Website is now updated with the table planning form and banquet menu. As ticket sales start on 14 April, it is time to consider your table seating plans and table groupings. Use the form to help organize!
EXTRA TICKETS? Eligible grads with no outstanding school fees can buy up to 5 tickets. However, if you need more – please complete the extra ticket request form before 10 April – one form entry per student please!
Registration for Next Year – Grade 10 & 11 Students
A reminder that PowerSchool registration will be open from March 10-21 to put in your requests.
MODEL UN
Wishing Western’s Model UN delegates the best of luck this weekend as they showcase their diplomacy, critical thinking, and public speaking skills at the Lester B. Pearson Model United Nations Conference (LBPMUN).
IPPs
If you have not already done so, IPP students should fill out the IPP Feedback Form at https://forms.gle/snxxo9TJ6x4gSti86 to inform Ms. Dixon of their Semester 2 learning target goal by March 7th.
Gr. 12 IPP Post-Secondary Planning
The first step for any Gr. 12 student on an Individual Program Plan (IPP) is to contact the disability resource center at their chosen post-secondary institution as soon as possible. Each institution may use a different name for this office, so some research may be required. Once connected, the center will assign an advisor to assist with accommodations and academic support throughout your studies. To access these services, students must provide an updated Grade 12 IPP along with a recent Psycho-Educational Assessment or current medical documentation.
Post-secondary education emphasizes self-advocacy, self-awareness, and personal responsibility. Students are expected to understand their learning needs, communicate them effectively, and proactively seek necessary accommodations from their advisor and professors. Your final semester of Gr.12 is a great time to practice these skills.
You may also be interested in researching whether a scholarship is available to you, based on your diagnosed disability, at https://disabilityawards.ca/. Many deadlines are in April, so you are encouraged to apply promptly, if interested.
If you are interested in booking a parent/teacher conference with Ms.Dixon, please email jadixon@cbe.ab.ca to organize a time.
Field Hockey Team Tryouts – No Experience Needed!
Ladies, are you looking for a fast-paced, exciting sport to try? Come try out for the WCHS Junior or Senior Woman’s Field Hockey Team! No experience necessary.
If you are interested in trying out, you need to pick up a form package from Ms. Savoie (Room 330) or Mrs. Reierson (Room 356) and have it filled out before tryouts. You are not allowed to step onto the field unless you have all of the forms signed and returned by the tryout date.
If you are brand new to the sport and would like to attend a classroom session to review the basics, come to Room 330 on March 10th at lunch.
Tryout dates:
The senior team (Grade 11 & 12 only): March 10th and 11th at The Calgary Soccer Centre 4:30 – 6:00
The junior team (Grade 11 & 10 only): on March 12th (4:30 – 6:00) and 13th (4:15 – 5:30) at the Calgary Soccer Centre.
Grab your sneakers, bring a water bottle, and come see what field hockey is all about! Wearing shin pads and soccer socks is encouraged if you own them.
For more information about the senior team, contact Mrs. Reierson at aareierson@cbe.ab.ca; for the junior team, contact Ms. Savoie at brsavoie@cbe.ab.ca .
See you on the field!
Hot Dog Sales to Support Drama
The Drama program will be selling hot dogs at lunch every Tuesday in March in the theatre foyer!
- Hotdog, drink and cookie= 6$
- Hotdog and drink= 5$
- Hotdog= 4$
- Drink or cookie only= 2$
Cash and Tap available. All proceeds go to supporting your WCHS Drama Program. Proudly encouraging emerging young Canadian artists since 1939!
The WCHS Robotics Club Goes to Worlds!
In late February, some teams attended the robotics Provincial Championships in Fort MacMurray. Our teams’ hard work and dedication led to an outstanding performance as team 3300C placed top 10 in qualifications and became the robot skills champion of Alberta for having the highest robot skills in the tournament. This places 3300C in the top 60 in the world, an amazing feat considering over 6000 teams have scores to beat. This marks the highest a team in Alberta has placed in the past four years and the highest in our school’s history. 3300C, as a result, have been invited to the high school VEX World Championship in Dallas this year. This is an incredibly rare and coveted invitation, allowing them to compete on the world stage for high school robotics to represent Canada and Western Canada High School.
Our teams’ successes set a high bar for the entire competition in Alberta, and we are incredibly proud of everyone’s achievements. Throughout the entire season, students have learned vital engineering, teamwork, communication, and stress management skills from their time in robotics. We hope to see them continue to push the boundaries of innovation and excellence in robotics, constantly growing and refining their skills to build better robots in the seasons to come. Cheers to an excellent season and more to come, and good luck to team 3300C, we’ll be cheering you on at Worlds from Calgary!
Go Redhawks!
(See the school website for a season overview and pictures of our teams in action)
Scholarship Information
ScholarTree:
Over 1,800 awards totaling over $5,000,000 available to students over March/Spring Break. The list is available on the WCHS website (scholarships/related items)
Education Matters:
EducationMatters launched its student award applications and with this, a couple of brand-new awards for Western Canada High School related to athletics (by nomination only). See all awards opportunities at:
https://www.educationmatters.ca/students/
STUDENT INFORMATION SESSIONS AVAILABLE!:
Student Award Info Sessions - EducationMatters
- Thursday, March 6, 2025 - 4:00 - 5:00 pm
- Monday, March 10, 2025 - 4:00 - 5:00 pm
- Wednesday, March 12, 2025 - 4:00 - 5:00 pm
- Tuesday, March 18, 2025 - 4:00 - 5:00 pm
- Thursday, March 20, 2025 - 4:00 - 5:00 pm
WCHS Website scholarship info:
https://westerncanada.cbe.ab.ca/scholarships
Summer/Fall Dual Credit & Exploratory Programs
Are you interested in Dual Credit or Exploratory programs this summer or next fall? Check out the various course options available – applications are now open! New Dual Credit programs include:
- Esport Management & Media
- IC Interactive Design
- Building Trades (Exploratory Program – not dual credit)
- Early Childhood Education
- Medical Office Assistant
- Pharmacy Assistant
- Veterinary Technical Assistant
- Pre-employment Heavy Equipment Technician
To support your application CBE Unique Pathways will be hosting two identical, online sessions on 10 March and 3 April providing a general overview of upcoming programs and answering student and parent questions.
Book an appointment with Mr. Smith in Tech Centre to drop off your application. Email questions to bgsmith@cbe.ab.ca.
Online Safety Courses - Students considering enrolling in Work Experience or RAP for the summer or fall should complete HCS3000 online prior to June. See Mr. Smith in the Tech Centre (R83) for instructions – or view PDF instructions found on school website.
There are 4 30-level credits available through online learning.
Womens College Showcase
EducationUSA Webinar Registration Link
Women In Trades
Quick Link: https://www.tfaforms.com/5157255
Skilled Trades Career Fair
Quick Link: https://www.tfaforms.com/5150855