Dear HDC Families,

On November 7, we had the privilege of coming together as a community for our annual Remembrance Day Assembly to honor and remember all those who have served, are serving, and all who have sacrificed in the name of freedom. We had the opportunity to listen to music, hear poetry, and watch performances all which reminded us of the importance of taking the time to pause, reflect, and most importantly - remember. 

A very special thank you to Warrant Officer (retired) Sergio Arbuto, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, who volunteered his time to share his experiences of serving in the Canadian Armed Forces and the importance of Remembrance Day. We were also incredibly fortunate to have Calgary Police Pipe Band member Steph West come and provide bagpipe music for the assembly. 

Thank you to Ms. Milliard, Ms. Huang, Ms. Atwal for organizing and coordinating such a moving assembly. Thank you also to our Grade 9 Band class, Grade 8 Drama class, Drama Club students, and Grade 9 Leadership students who spoke and performed for us.

We hope that all of our families took the opportunity on November 11th to pause and remember - Lest We Forget. 

We hope that you all are enjoying our CBE Fall Break and look forward to seeing students back in classes on Thursday, November 14.

Jim & Brandie 

Important Upcoming Dates 

  • November 11 – 13: CBE Fall Break – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
  • November 14 – Classes resume 
  • November 18 – Photo Retakes  
  • November 18 – School Council Meeting 6:30 PM (Online via Microsoft Teams) 
  • November 28 – Student Learning Conferences (In Person) 4:30 – 8:00 PM 
  • November 29 – Student Learning Conferences (Virtual/Online) 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM – NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS 

Dates of Significance 

  • November 12 – 18 – Metis Awareness Week 
  • November 15 – Guru Nanak Gurpurab 
  • November 16 – Louis Riel Day  

HDC School Council Meeting – Monday, November 18 at 6:30 PM ONLINE  

Our next HDC School Council meeting will take place on Monday, November 18 at 6:30 PM. We will be hosting this meeting online via Microsoft Teams (a separate email with a link to the meeting will be sent later this week). 

This meeting is open to ALL parents and guardians of HDC students.  Every school council meeting includes an update from school administration as well as school council business and planning. The focus of the school report will be on this year’s School Development Plan and School Improvement Results report.  

Student Learning Conferences  

We are looking forward to welcoming parents to our first set of Learning Conferences on Thursday, November 28 (in-person) and Friday, November 29 (online). Conferences provide families with the important opportunity to discuss student learning and progress with their teachers.  

Student Learning Conferences will be taking place on November 28 and 29. We will be offering both an in-Peron and virtual opportunity.  

  • In-Person Conferences - Thursday, November 28: 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM 
  • Virtual/Online Conferences - Friday, November 29: 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM     

Conferences are booked through the My CBE online booking system. The booking system will be opened to parents/guardians on Friday, November 22 at 10:00 AM.

HDC Physical Education – WinSport Ski/Snowboard Day 

We are so excited to bring back WinSport Ski/Snowboard Lessons again this year. The lesson date will be Thursday, January 30, 2025. There are 250 spots available for this field trip, and the cost will be $60 per person. Grade 9 students will be offered spots first and were offered forms last week. Grade 8 Students will be offered forms starting November 25, and Grade 7 students will be offered forms starting December 6, provided there are still spots left. Please return forms to the main office as soon as possible in order to secure a spot, by the date listed in the parent letter you receive. 

Just a reminder that there will be no “free skiing or snowboarding” on the hill, and that students will be required to stay with a group with an instructor for the entirety of the day. Students will be provided with rental gear and a full day lesson. Those who wish to bring their own gear, will have to arrange to drop it off at WinSport on the day of the lesson. 

We will need at least 12 parent volunteers for this field trip. Volunteers would help with getting gear fitted for students, being available to supervise indoors and outdoors, supervising at lunch time and near the cafeteria, as well as clean up, and supervision on the busses to and from the venue. If you are available or might consider joining us for this day of fun, please contact Mrs. Kanary at jmkanary@cbe.ab.ca for more information. 

Sir Winston Churchill High School - Grade 9 IB Information Sessions  

Sir Winston Churchill offers the International Baccalaureate program. Students who love learning and enjoy a rigorous academic challenge might consider the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. IB students are self-motivated, engaged in learning, and resilient. Success in an IB program will depend on the student’s ability to: 

  • handle a demanding workload at a fairly quick pace 
  • work to understand concepts and their development rather than just memorize 
  • learn to become an independent, self-disciplined student 
  • face challenges with enthusiasm and resilience 

Who Should Attend?

All in-area grade 9 students and parents who are interested in finding out more about our IB program. 

During these IB information sessions, we will talk about what the IB program is, what to expect and what you need to know about applying and choosing courses. You will hear from former students and have an opportunity to ask questions. 

These are repeat sessions to allow for a smaller setting; you only need to attend one. 

  • Tuesday, November 19 
  • Wednesday, November 27 
  • Thursday, December 5 

5:00-5:30 PM - Mingle with current IB students in the foyer and ask them questions about their experience. 

5:30-7:00 PM - Presentation from the IB Coordinator in the theatre 

Central Memorial High School - PVA Program Open House 

A unique program of choice within the CBE, the PVA program offers students specialized year-round learning for dance, theatre, band, vocal, string orchestra, technical theatre, media arts, fashion design, & visual arts. To learn more about our programming and how your student can flourish under our instruction over 3-years please join us for our PVA Open House on Thursday, November 21 from 6:30 – 9:00 PM.  

For more information about the PVA Program and the Open House, please click on the following link:  www.pvacentral.ca