Weekly Update: September 29 - October 6

 

Upcoming Key Dates in October

  • 2 Mandatory Choir Parent Meeting (Theatre – 7:30pm)
  • 2 Swim/Dive first day
  • 3 Boys Volleyball William Aberhart @ Western Sr Boys 5 - 6:30pm and Jr Boys 6:30 - 8pm
  • 3 Girls Volleyball Western @ Crescent Sr Girls 5 - 6:30pm and Jr Girls 6:30 - 8pm
  • 4 Cross-Country Meet @ St. Mary’s
  • 5 Football Bishop Carrol @ Western - Shouldice Encana Field 7pm-9pm
  • 6 Last Day to Drop Term 1 (3 credit) Courses
  • 10 Registration Deadline for Language Course Challenges
  • 11  Grade 11 Band Camp until Oct. 13th
  • 11 Cross-Country Cities
  • 11 Volleyball Selects Game
  • 12 Football Western @ JCS Shouldice Hellard Field 7:30pm – 9:30pm
  • 12 Girls Volleyball St. Francis @ Western Jr Girls 5pm - 6:30pm and Sr Girls 6:30pm – 8:00pm
  • 13 Red Mile Rumble Volleyball Tournament
  • 14 Red Mile Rumble
  • 14 Grade 12 Band Workshop 8:30am – 5:00pm
  • 14 Spain Trip departs (Oct. 14 – 25)
  • 17 Photo Retakes
  • 17 Girls Volleyball Western @ All Saints Sr Girls 5- 6:30pm and Jr Girls 6:30pm – 8:00pm
  • 17 Boys Volleyball E.P. Scarlett @ Western Sr Boys 5 – 6:30pm and Jr Boys 6:30 – 8:00pm
  • 18 Football Crescent @ Western - Shouldice Hellard Field 7:30pm-9:00pm
  • 19 Girls Volleyball Churchill @ Western Jr Girls 5 – 6:30pm and Sr Girls 6:30 – 8:00pm
  • 19 Boys Volleyball Western @ Bishop Carroll Jr Boys 5 – 6:30pm and Sr Boys 6:30 – 8:00pm
  • 20 Non-Instructional Day Parent – Teacher Conferences (no classes)
  • 21 Cross-Country Provincials
  • 21 Grade 12 Band Workshop (8:30am – 5:00pm)
  • 23 Boys Volleyball Western @ Notre Dame Jr Boys 5 – 6:30pm and Sr Boys 6:30 – 8:00pm
  • 24 Post-Secondary Fair (out of province 6-8pm in cafeteria)
  • 24 Girls Volleyball Aberhart @ Western Sr Girls 5 – 6:30pm and Jr Girls 6:30 – 8:00pm
  • 24 Boys Volleyball Western @ Ernest Manning Sr Boys 5 – 6:30pm and Jr Boys 6:30 – 8:00pm
  • 25  Grade 10 Band Camp (Oct. 25 – 27)
  • 26  Football Playoffs start with quarter finals
  • 26 Girls Volleyball Western @ Robert Thirsk Jr Girls 5pm - 6:30pm and Sr Girls 6:30pm – 8:00pm
  • 26 Annual Drama Exec Rocky Horror Picture Show in the Theatre
  • 28   CBE Language Course Challenges (Part 1: Portfolio)
  • 30  Girls soccer city finals
  • 31  Last Day of Term 1/Deadline for IB fees

Dear Families,

This has been a week of learning and reflection at Western, in anticipation of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A special thank you goes out to the students and staff on our Diversity and Representation Council. They put a great deal of time crafting the daily messages regarding the TRC Calls to Action, the thoughtful selection of music, and the work on the displays and information for our school community.

Congratulations are in order to our sports teams for their excellent performance this week. The senior football team decisively won their game against Bowness 22-0. In Volleyball, the junior and senior girls both won 3-1 vs Bowness and the junior and senior boys teams also won 3-1 against Crescent. Our Girl’s Soccer team played very well in their game against All Saints with a solid 2-2 tie. We look forward to more games and showing of school spirit this coming week. Thank you to all the parents, staff, and students that come out to support our teams!

For those of you that were looking for information from parent-council on Thursday night, we did have technical difficulties and were unable to continue with the meeting on Teams. We will be sending out a separate message on Monday with updated information for an in-person meeting. We will also be sure to post the information shared on the School Council webpage, accessible from the Western Canada High School website after the meeting this coming week.

Other updates to share:

IPP Process Update

Good day parents/guardians of Coded students at Western Canada High School,

This year we are changing some aspects of the IPP process.   If your child was on an IPP last year, there will no longer be a regular teacher assigned as their key teacher.   They key contact person (the new key teacher!)  for ALL IPP’s will be myself, Corinne Bath, chbath@cbe.ab.ca

We are hoping that by assigning just one person as the key contact, communication between home and school will be more efficient, IPPs will be directly relevant to the student and also give voice to the student to be successful in their high school years.  Your child will still receive the accommodations outlined in their IPP from classroom teachers.  The classroom teachers will also be writing Current Learning notes for every student with an IPP that they teach where the learning needs match the curricular outcomes.

IPP’s will be printed, and distributed in your child’s period 1 class on Oct. 11th.  If your child does NOT have a period 1 class, they are to see me in the Learning Strategies room (001) where it will be printed off for them.  The IPP signature page needs to be signed, and returned to the same teacher that handed the IPP to them.

If you or your child have any concerns, questions, or updates regarding the IPP, please contact me.  We want to assure you that the important information from the previous year’s IPP has been carried forward.

If your student is coded 80, please check your email inboxes, as I have sent you an email regarding the process for code 80s.

Thank-you for working with us to support your child for success at Western Canada High School!

Regards,

Corinne Bath
IPP Coordinator
LL of Learning Strategies

Japanese Virtual Exchange

Alberta Education Japanese virtual and in person exchange.

If your Western student has already completed Japanese 10 then they are eligible to apply for this years virtual exchange.  Please see the Alberta Education website for more details https://www.alberta.ca/student-and-educator-exchange-programs

Student and educator exchange programs
Learn about opportunities to study and work abroad.
www.alberta.ca

The virtual exchange application is due Oct 10.

The in person exchange for next school year (2024-2025)  should be posted on the Alberta Education website in December or January with the application being due at the end of February, 2024.  The Japanese student would join our school and your home in November, 2024 for 6 weeks and Alberta students will travel to Hokkaido, Japan for homestay in February/March, 2025.   Please check the Alberta Education website for application, details and updates. Students that have completed Japanese 10 or will complete the course this school year are encouraged to apply for this in person opportunity.

Career Exploration Opportunities

There are some upcoming opportunities for students to explore potential careers in the trades, business and finance. Two opportunities to note:

  • Check out paid internships for students with employers in Business , Marketing and Information & Communication Technology as well as in the trades.  More details and application with CNG at CareersNextGen.ca/get-an-internship/
  • Grade 11 & 12 Students: Are you Interested in a Career in Finance?  Women in Capital Markets are inviting young women and gender-diverse students in grades 11-12 to participate in their Job Shadow Day 2023! Details below - register here! Spots are limited!

Scholarship Information

Loran Award

The Loran Award is an exciting opportunity for students considering university studies in fall 2023. The only award of its kind in Canada, the Loran Award is a four-year leadership enrichment program comprised of summer work experiences, mentorship, annual gatherings, an annual living stipend, a tuition waiver at one of 25 university partners, and a community of people working to build a better world.

It is much more than simply a financial scholarship for post-secondary studies. It is an opportunity to build critical skills and capacity for leadership, to expand horizons by taking on new challenges and exploring diverse experiences, and to join a community of purpose-driven peers who are committed to leaving the world better than they found it. 

The University of Toronto National Book Award Program

The University of Toronto National Book Award Program recognizes and rewards the very best Canadian secondary school students, regardless of which university they choose to attend. Western Canada can nominate one student on the basis of superior academic performance (90% average and above), original and creative thought, demonstration of enthusiasm for intellectual exploration and for having a strong involvement in both their school and broader community. Please tell us in a 300-500 word essay and a resume if you are that student. Students nominated for the National Book Award should consider applying for the National Scholarship Program, a tremendous scholarship that covers tuition, residence, books and all incidentals for four years. A Western Canada High School student from the class of 2021 was a recipient of this astounding scholarship.

  • Due date for the National Book Award Program: Friday, October 6th, 2023
  • Submission: Send your essay to Ms. Plante– maplante@cbe.ab.ca
The National Scholarship at the University of Toronto

The National Scholarship at the University of Toronto has opened for applicants. National Scholars receive four years of free tuition, residence, books and incidentals. To be eligible, students must intend to study at U of T, be original and creative thinkers, committed to their school and community, high achiever, intellectual and enthusiastic. For more detailed information, please view the award description at:

Burns Memorial Fund:

High School Diploma Preparation Assistance
This program is for students requiring financial assistance with costs related to registering for diploma preparation courses. Please submit applications at least two weeks prior to the course start date.

High School Bursary Program

This program is for Calgary high school students who are within two semesters of graduating from grade 12 and who are at risk of dropping out of school for financial reasons.  basic living allowance is provided to assist students in covering expenses such as rent, food and transportation. Attendance and marks are monitored monthly. Students require a referral from their high school counsellor and are interviewed by our grants manager.