Ms. Keon and I were delighted with the sold out house that our Drama program presented Matilda Jr to last week. A huge thank you goes out to all students involved in all aspects of bringing this performance to life and the audience that gave it such energy. The teamwork, time and effort required to being such a musical to life is immense and we are particularly grateful to Ms. Sabrina Grecu and Ms. Jodi Anderson for their ongoing dedication to the Drama program. As we draw closer to the winter break we would like to remind all families and students that teaching and learning will continue right up to December 20th. There are only 6 school days after the break before our first Diploma exams begin. Daily attendance and focus in class right up to the final bell on December 20th will help set up students for success. Thank you for supporting your students in getting to school each day.
Our grade 9 FRENCH IMMERSION students will write Part A of their English Language Arts Exam on Friday Jan 17th. They will write Part B of this exam on Monday Jan 20th. Grade 9 French Immersion students CAN still participate in Career Explorations after writing their PAT exam.
All other Grade 9 PAT exams for all grade 9 students will be written in June 2024.
Grade 12 Diploma exams begin on January 14th 2024 with English Language Arts 30-1 and 30-2 Part A exams and continue through to Jan 27th. You can find the full schedule HERE on the second page of the document. Diploma exams can ONLY be written on the day indicated on the schedule as per Alberta Education regulations.
Last day of Semester 2 classes is January 16th 2024. Exams begin January 17th. The exam schedule for grade 9-11 students will be sent out this week. Students only need to come to school for their exams. Students may choose to come to school for quiet study; our regular mobile device rules will continue to be in place if students choose to come to school during exam break. The library, learning commons and Wolverine Den will be available but will not be directly supervised. Students should only be using the building for quiet studying, meeting with teachers and writing exams to respect the students who are completing exams throughout the building.
All CRPS and Nakoda Bus Lines buses will continue to run daily on their regular schedule. Our cafeteria will continue to provide continental breakfast and lunch each day. Punch cards and debit/cash will continue to be accepted.
Students who would like support in building a study schedule or learning active study techniques should connect with Mr. Kestle or Mr. Purcell about this prior to winter break. Students who are unsure what to study need to connect with their classroom teacher as soon as possible.
Grade 9 students will also have the opportunity to participate in Career Explorations during exam break from Jan 20th to 24th. This program runs through our Digital Literacy course and with the support of Divisional Principal Hans.Holthuis@crps.ca
Holiday Supports
With the high cost of living in the Bow Valley we recognize that there may be families who wish to access various supports and services in our community. Please check here to find a comprehensive list of supports that can be accessed by families in the Bow Valley and Mini Thni.
Grade 9 Parent participants needed for Outcomes Based Assessment Research Study
High schools in the Canadian Rockies Public are implementing Outcomes-Based Assessment and Reporting to provide a more accurate, bias-resistant, and motivational way of assessing student achievement. The Canmore Collegiate has formed a partnership with the University of Calgary to track our progress. We are looking for parents to provide their feedback about this work. If you are interested in participating in this research, please download this consent form, sign, and return to the Canmore Collegiate Main Office. You will be contributing to the improvement of student assessment at the Canmore Collegiate High School.
Work Experience and The Registered Apprenticeship Program at CCHS - Work Experience is For Everyone, a program offering credits for students with part time jobs (recommended for grade 10,11,12 parents)
Yearbook - Student Survey and Parent Input
Yearbook costs this year are anticipated to rise to between $50-55 each if we continue to provide a full colour, hardback edition. We recently ran a student survey to gather input on what students would like to see as a yearbook. 63% of our students are only willing to pay less than $20 for a yearbook. Only 30% of our students indicated they had purchased a yearbook in previous years at CCHS. As such, we are exploring other cheaper options. We will be discussing this at our next School Council meeting and encourage families who wish to contribute to this discussion to attend our next meeting on Dec 17th at 7pm. We are also interested in seeing if there is a parent or group of parents who may wish to be involved in supporting a group of interested students in working on the yearbook. A criminal record check is required. If you are interested please contact annabel.preece@crps. Thank you.
This Week! School Council Meeting Dec 17th 7pm In Person and Virtual
Join us for our final meeting of 2024. The meeting will be held in person and online meet.google.com/hcc-cwkc-awj
Study Skills and Exam Preparation Support Session for Families and Students Jan 9th 6:30 pmmeet.google.com/spt-gxmp-myb
Ms. Kestle and Mr. Purcell, our Learning Support Teachers, will hold a special online parent micro session on how to support your student in preparing and studying for their upcoming exams. We suggest that both families and students attend this online only session so that expectations are aligned.
Settlement Worker in Schools (SWIS) Team Upcoming Events
The following free SWIS events, aimed at foreign-born students, parents, and family members are available for registration now.
Positive Ways to Parent Tuesdays: January 14, 21, 28, and February 4 Time: 6:00–7:00 pm (online via Zoom)
Schooling in Canada: Grade to Grade Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 Time: 6:00–7:30 PM (online via Zoom) Pizza will be provided. Register here
Sail and Life Training (SALTS) October 2025 Trip Lottery Monday Dec 16th at 11:30am
Google Forms were sent out to all grade 9,10,11 families and students on Friday. These must be submitted to the school by 11:30am on Monday Dec 16th. We will do a lottery on Monday Dec 16th at 11:30am for 26 student names taken from the SALTS Intent Google Forms submitted. We will then inform these students and families via email that day.
For the lottery we will pull 13 male names and 13 female names. We will also pull up to 10 additional waitlist names. We will retain 2 spots for students requiring financial assistance to attend this trip. An application process and proof of need will be required for these spots. This will occur in June 2025, please speak with Ms. Preece or the BCHS Principal by June 1st 2025.
The first 28 $500 non refundable deposits will be due Friday Dec 20th by 11am. We will pull from the waitlist on Jan 6th at 3:30pm to replace any students who have not provided a $500 deposit by Friday Dec 20th at 11am. The initial $500 is non refundable under any circumstances. The next $500 is due March 28th 2025. The third $500 is due June 3rd 2025 and the remainder is due Sept 5th 2025. Future payments can be refunded if a student with a berth is able to be replaced by a student on the waitlist.
Last year's trip had a final cost of $2100. This final cost depends on flight costs, ground transportation, fuel costs, food costs and various other factors which are not always within our control.
This adventure typically fills up very quickly. Although the hold (sleeping area) is divided by gender, if there is a significant gender imbalance on a trip, students may be asked to sleep in a hold, with chaperones, with students of both genders. This has been done successfully on numerous occasions in the past.
If you have any questions please contact annabel.preece@crps.ca (CCHS students) hans.holthuis@crps.ca (BCHS students)
The Board of Trustees Legacy Scholarship
The Board of Trustees Legacy Scholarship was just approved at the recent board meeting. This initiative, aligned with our mission of "Inspiring the hearts and minds of every student," aims to empower high school students who exemplify Alberta Education’s Student Competencies, including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, global citizenship, and personal well-being.
Scholarship Overview:
Who can apply?: Grade 11 and 12 students at Banff Community High School and Canmore Collegiate High School.
Scholarship value: Total fund of $5,000 distributed as follows:
One scholarship of $1,250 per school
One scholarship of $750 per school
One scholarship of $500 per school
Eligible expenses: Post-secondary tuition, housing, apprenticeships, or other structured educational opportunities.
Application Requirements: Students must submit the following by April 11, 2024:
A media submission (e.g., essay, video, podcast) showcasing their engagement with Alberta Education’s Student Competencies.
One letter of reference from a teacher, mentor, or community leader.
Recognition and Benefits: Recipients will be honoured at your school's awards ceremonies, featured in a media release, and highlighted in the CRPS’ 2024/25 Annual Education Results Report (AERR).
For additional details or assistance (website), please contact Jackie Bowes at 403-609-6072 or via email at Jackie.Bowes@crps.ca.
Please click on this link to find out how to apply.
HCS 3000 Workplace Safety Course running in Grade 9 Digital Literacy
All grade 9 students are now working on the HCS 3000 online Workplace Safety course during their Digital Literacy course. This course is REQUIRED for participation in the Grade 9 Career Exploration program and Work Experience/RAP. Please ask your grade 9 child where they are at with this course and encourage them to complete it.
Avalanche Safety Training Course online course available now in Grade 10 STEM classes
All grade 10 students are now working on the AST Level 1 online portion of the course. Please encourage your grade 10 student to complete this online portion and reach out to their STEM teacher if you have questions. This online portion is REQUIRED, along with the presentation during the school day on Feb 3 and 10th. The technical portion of the certification held at Lake Louise Ski Resort is also mandatory to earn certification and will be held on Feb 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 with each STEM class attending one session with their STEM teacher.
Thank you to Joe Ernewein from our Maintenance team who created a beautiful bench system at our front entryway. Inside the bench you will find our new lost and found location. Water bottles, jackets, mitts, hats etc. Please have your student check there for any lost items.
