Applying for GATE – some important information and deadlines:

Note: please refer to the website link below for up to date information.

GATE is accessed via the CBE through a referral and placement, process only. Please do not contact Queen Elizabeth High School directly regarding questions of placement. In consultation with CBE school personnel, parents need to consider the unique needs of their child to determine whether GATE is the most appropriate placement. Gifted students considered for GATE placement require significantly different educational experiences and levels of challenges to thrive and achieve their individual potential.

Referrals for Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) are considered for students registered in the Calgary Board of Education. Please contact your child's current CBE school.

Any parent or guardian of a current or anticipated GATE student is encouraged to refer to the CBE website for up to date information about Gifted and Talented Education in the CBE.

Tours for those thinking about applying for GATE at Queen Elizabeth for September 2023 

Any students and their families interested in having a tour of Queen Elizabeth High School as a part of their decision making for September 2023 are welcome to join us here at the school on a pre-arranged Friday afternoon of each month between 1 and 1.45 p.m.  Up to four families can be hosted on any particular Friday. The tour will comprise a walk around the building and a short question and answer session on the shape of GATE programming at Queen Elizabeth. If you are interested, please email Gary Perfect at gwperfect@cbe.ab.ca. He will be able to confirm availability. The tours will run on October 14, November 18, December 16 and January 13. If you cannot make a tour but have questions do not hesitate to email Mr. Perfect at gwperfect@cbe.ab.ca and he will be happy to set up a phone call with you, or to answer your questions via email.  

 For families joining us in the fall of 2023 – school tours are available. 

For all students and families new to GATE at Queen Elizabeth High school in September 2023 we are pleased to offer a brief tour of the school once every Friday of the month, including March, April, May and June. This will involve a walk around the school and a question and answer session at the end. We aim to cover all areas of the building and give you an insight into how the program works. This tour is open to parents and students new to the GATE program, regardless of grade level. The tours run from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and will be on March 17th, April 14th, May 19th and June 16th. If you and your family are interested, please contact Gary Perfect at gwperfect@cbe.ab.ca.  

Open House opportunity 

The teachers and students in GATE program at Queen Elizabeth would like to invite you and our future GATE student to the school on the evening of Thursday June 1, 2023 from 6.30 – 7.30 in the Learning Commons to highlight and celebrate some of the work done during the year by our GATE students. While this is not designed to be a formal evening per se, you will be able to meet some of our current junior high GATE students, get a sense of some of the work that has been highlighted in their science, math and humanities programs, and ask questions of students and teachers about the program. We will commence the evening at 6.30 and run to 7.30. The structure will be informal, providing the opportunity for you and your child to come and go as you please.  For more information, contact our GATE Learning Leader, Gary Perfect at  gwperfect@cbe.ab.ca 

GATE at QEHS

Students who are placed into the GATE program at Queen Elizabeth are provided:

• A challenging curriculum that explores substantial global questions, integrates several academic areas, and extends beyond the Alberta Program of Studies
• Opportunities to apply higher level thinking skills and diverse problem solving strategies to real world issues
• Learning at the level and pace that is consistent with the student’s capabilities
• Opportunities to explore areas of particular interest through independent research
• Access to experts and mentors, when possible
• Enhanced resources

GATE, a CBE system program for gifted and talented students in a congregated group setting, is located at QEHS for North Calgary. QE's GATE program is available to qualified students in Grades 7 through 12 and is designed to meet the unique learning requirements of the intellectually gifted. The program can be personalized, utilizing the student’s Individualized Program Plan (IPP), and any students who are gifted and have also been identified with with other learning needs, can be successfully accommodated. The program evolves and changes to meet the needs of the students in the program at the time.

QEHS offers a good variety of complementary courses including French, Band, Art, Home Economics, Drama, Computer Technologies, and Industrial Arts. QE has many specialized facilities including a technology and resource-rich Learning Commons, large wood-working shop, home economics lab, art lab, band room, dance floor, theatre, CTS computer labs, and two gymnasiums. An experienced Teacher Librarian is on site. Subject specialists teach in all complementary courses for Junior and Senior High. 

Junior High School GATE Program, Grades 7 to 9

Students receive an enriched curriculum in Humanities (Language Arts and Social Studies), Mathematics, and Science, with an emphasis on cross-curricular themes and activities wherever possible. Starting in Grade 7, Math and Science courses are successfully compacted so most JH students have completed Grade 10 requirements at the end of Grade 9. This allows opportunity to take a wider array of academic courses in Senior High, or to have time in their timetables to successfully enrol in Advanced Placement courses in High School, or to complete high school one semester early (a gap semester) by taking a minimal number of complementary courses and concentrating on core subjects. 

Junior High GATE students are grouped as a cohort for core academic subject strands, and are integrated into the whole school community for complementary courses and Physical Education. This ensures a balance of academic challenge for intellectual stimulation, and mainstream opportunity to interact and develop social competence with a wide variety of people.

High School GATE Program, Grades 10 to 12

The GATE program is an ideal venue to offer meaningful and challenging educational experiences which embrace Alberta Education's Inspiring Education vision for emerging citizens who will display competencies and attributes which will be particularly important to success in the future. These competencies include:

Engaged Thinker – students with an inquisitive, engaged mind, and students who are prepared to ask “why?” and think critically about the answers they receive. These people become life-long learners. GATE students particularly, have numerous opportunities to discuss and debate, and to be challenged in new ways. Staff engage students through frequent inquiry-based learning projects, and intentionally designing lessons encorporating multiple intelligences, at all grade levels.

Ethical Citizen - Citizens of tomorrow must be ethical, empathetic, compassionate and respectful to truly grow and thrive. Opportunities abound to become involved, such as in school leadership, outdoor pursuits, and the Youth Volunteer Corp (YVC) where students learn about world issues, non-government organizations (NGOs) and reach out to make a difference in the world. 

Entrepreneurial Spirit – To shape innovative ideas into real-world solutions, graduating students need to be motivated, resourceful and resilient citizens. Through experiences on and off campus, QEHS encourages students to be bold, embrace leadership, and actively seek new opportunities. 

Learning at QEHS: • encourages students to develop a global or “big picture” perspective. • can be personalized and paced to meet the needs of gifted learners. • allows students to develop as autonomous learners. • are organized to allow gifted students the opportunities to interact with their peers. • embraces inquiry and innovation.

Teachers are qualified and experienced to offer specific courses geared to the GATE students provided a minimum enrollment number of students is met. The following courses or alternatives have been offered in the past, and may be offered dependent upon student interest in any given year: 

1. Humanities I, II and III (10, 20 and 30); alternatively English Language Arts and Social Studies Advanced Placement (AP).  
2. Physics, Chemistry, and Biology 20, 30, and AP 
3. Pure Math 10, 20, 30, 31 and AP 
4. Physical Education 

QEHS Contact

Gary Perfect
Learning Leader GATE/Advanced Placement 
gwperfect@cbe.ab.ca