Wednesday Warrior - Nov 26

Principal’s Message

Dear HWW Students, Families, and Community members, 

Thank you to all of our parents/guardians who were able to join us online or in person for our School Council and Parent and Alumni Association AGM on Monday. We are so grateful for the work of our outgoing Council and welcome to our new members.

We are looking forward to the upcoming Winter Band Concert on Thursday, December 4 at 7pm in the King Gym. No tickets required. There will be a bake sale and an invitation for donation (cash or card) at the door.

Thank you to our Guidance team and our Out of Province Post– Secondary Guests today. Our OOP Fair was very well attended and so valuable for our Warriors.

A reminder that this Thursday we are hosting our Grade 9 Tours. There is an adjusted “Mega Block” schedule period 2 and 4 on Wed and period 1 and 3 on Thursday.

We are excited to host our incoming Grade 9 Families at our Open House Thursday from 6-8pm.

A final reminder that School Progress Conferences are ONLINE this semester on Friday, November 28 from 8am-2pm. Sign up closes at 2pm on Thursday. We look forward to speaking with you and your student(s) about their learning progress.

Our Winter Sports are underway in Jr and Sr Girls and Boys Basketball, Wrestling, Swim/Dive and Curling. Thank you to all of our coaches, our Athletic Director Karen Cheney, and our wonderful parents/guardians for all the rides, lunches and spectator support you will provide. We look forward to seeing you in our stands soon.

Drive safely and stay warm out there.

With gratitude,

Aileen Smyth

Principal

HWW Updates

Graduation 2026

Please find attached the November edition of the Graduation Newsletter.

Attention HWW IB students – IB fees for the 2025-26 school year have been processed, including the ordering of IB exams and assessments for Grade 11 and 12 students writing in May 2026.  PAYMENT IS DUE DECEMBER 15th. Please pay these fees as soon as possible to ensure you are able to write the exams and continue in the IB program. Failure to pay IB exam fees will result in the withholding of the IB transcript and/or forfeiture of exam results.

Fees are:

CBE IB Student Fee - $25/student

IB exam/assessment fee - $210/course

If you have questions or concerns, please contact the IB coordinator at gofinockio@cbe.ab.ca

Weekly Athletics Update

Thank you to all the Fall Sports coaches and sports med trainers. 

Scheduled games for Winter sports will begin in December. 

 Term 1 Key Dates 

· PowerSchool Marks Unavailable November 20th - 26th. 

· Online Progress Conferences - November 28th from 8:00am - 2:00pm – see information below 

· Term Report card live- December 3rd  

· Comments will be included only for students not yet meeting course outcomes.   

· For discussion about your students’ progress, please book an appointment to discuss students’ progress on November 28th. 

Please refer to PowerSchool marks in the MyCBE portal for most recent information 

Semester 1 Key Dates - January Schedule: 

· January 5th – 23rd - Regular classes continue as scheduled 

· Teachers continue to provide learning opportunities and assessments 

· No final exams for Grades 10, 11, 12 

· January 23rd - Last day of regularly scheduled classes including specialized classes 

· January 26th – 27th - Credit recovery/modified schedule 

· January 28th - First Day of Semester 2 

· February 2nd - Semester 1 Report Card visible online 

School Conference Bookings  

On November 28th we will be holding our Semester 1 School Conferences to give you and your child(ren) an opportunity to speak with teachers about their progress. November 28th will be online via TEAMS. 

Online - Friday, November 28th 8:00am-2:00pm 

The booking system will open at 5 pm on Wednesday, November 19th and close at 2:00 pm, Thursday, November 27th. You can access the booking tool through your myCBE account and going into your myCBE Apps. After you have accessed the booking system you will be able to select the appropriate teachers and times that work for you. Once you have booked your appointments you will receive confirmation emails which will also include links to join the online meetings. It may take up to 24 hours to receive the link for the online meeting.  

For online conferences, please use the link sent to the email address on file with the school to enter the online conferences to meet with the teachers at your designated time. When prompted, please enter your name as it appears in the student’s information at the school. The teacher will be alerted that you are in the virtual lobby for the meeting and will admit you when your booking time begins or when they finish their previous meeting. Please note that if you are a CBE staff member, you will not wait in a meeting lobby but go right into the meeting room; be cautious not to enter early while another Conference is in session. 

If you would like to reference detailed instructions for this process you can access them here. 

Scholarship Information

Schulich Leader Scholarship

Awarded up to $120,000 for post-secondary education – 100 awards available across Canada.

Prestigious national recognition. Access to summer jobs/internships from top Canadian employers. Selected by one of twenty partner universities to be a Schulich Leader. Must be nominated by the school. Must be entrepreneurial minded and pursuing a career in Scientific Research, Technology, Engineering, Math.

*A Schulich leader nominee is not pursuing a career in Medicine or Medical Research, is not intending to become a Professor or conduct theoretical research, is not focused on activism (environmental/political/societal). Must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident. Must enrol at one of the many partner Universities.

Must possess the following criteria:

• academic excellence AND

• leadership, charisma, creativity AND

• strong consideration given to financial need

Students must submit an approximately 1-2 page outline to your counsellor by Friday January 9, 2026 outlining how you meet the following criteria:
• Academic Excellence
• Entrepreneurial Leadership in Scientific Research, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics
• Financial Need (if applicable) or extenuating circumstances
• Top achievements, academic or other
• Universities and faculties you are applying to

Submit using point form, paragraphs, or any creative way you choose to explain how you meet the criteria. See http://www.schulichleaders.com/ for more information.

2025-26 Optimist International Essay Contest

The Optimist Club of Calgary (OCC) is again sponsoring the Optimist International Essay Contest in the 2025-26 school year. The contest is open to students who are under 19 years of age on October 1, 2025. Students must write a 700-to-800 word essay on the topic “Optimism: How It Connects Us?” and submit it by December 31, 2025. Prizes range from $100 to $2500 scholarships.

Go to this link on the Optimist International website: https://www.optimist.org/member/scholarships3.cfm , and click on the Essay Contest Application link on the right side of the page. When you complete the application in this manner, the club name is Optimist Club of Calgary and the club number is 13-025. Submit the application along with a copy of Proof of Age by e-mail to ironmanb@telusplanet.net .

Yearbook Orders 

Capture all the memories of the 2025–26 school year with our official yearbook! Pre-order now for only $45. Prices will increase to $50 starting January 1, 2026, so don’t miss out on the early bird discount. Go to this website to get your book or follow the QR code:

https://ybstore.friesens.com/757869

Secure your copy today and give your student a keepsake they’ll treasure for years to come!

Save on Student Study Guides & Digital Resources

We are excited to share a special offer for educational resources through a new partnership between EducationMatters and Castle Rock Research. From November 14 - 26, you can purchase valuable study materials at a significant discount and help raise funds for EducationMatters.

This is a great opportunity to get supplementary resources to support your student’s learning this school year.

How to Order:

1. Visit our school's unique online portal: https://schoolorders.solaro.com/9836

2. Place your order and pay directly online.

3. The deadline to order is Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

All print materials will be delivered to the school after the closing date and distributed to students. For more details, please see the attached PDF flyer.

GATE Parent Association will be hosting a parent education session entitled "Understanding the Role of IPPs in your Gifted and 2e Child’s Education” on Monday, December 1, 2025 at 7:00pm. This will be a virtual meeting on Google Meet and is open to GATE and non-GATE parents.

This parent education session will be followed by a general meeting for members of the GPA. If you have a student registered in GATE for this current school year, you are a member of the GPA. 

Register here: https://gatecalgary.ca/meeting-registration/ by November 28, 2025. 

Lifetouch Photo Orders 

📸 Lifetouch – Fall Photo Ordering

Thank you for allowing us to capture your child’s school photo this year!

👉 It's not too late to order your fall photos at mylifetouch.ca using your child’s Student ID number

(found in your student’s online profile, e.g. PowerSchool)

🖥 How to Order Online

1️⃣ Go to mylifetouch.ca
2️⃣ Log in to your account or continue as a guest
3️⃣ Select “Student ID”
4️⃣ Enter your school’s name, province, and postal code
5️⃣ Click the blue “Continue” button
6️⃣ Enter your child’s:

· Full name

· Student ID number

· Your relationship to the student 7️⃣ Click “Find Student” 8️⃣ When the photo appears, click “Yes, this is my student” 9️⃣ Choose from available photo package options 🔟 Complete your order online

📞 Need Help?
Lifetouch Customer Care Line: 1-866-457-8212

✨ Quick, easy, and secure ordering – your child’s school memories, delivered to you!