Our School

Sir Winston Churchill High School is a school of excellence. It's a place where choice and challenge abound. Our vision is to create “competent, caring, productive, and responsible young adults, living successfully in a global society.” 

School Motto & Colours

The school's motto, "Non Scholae Sed Vitae" stands for "We learn, not for school, but for life". At Churchill, we take this to heart. Our varied programs try to prepare students for the outside world of post secondary academics or the realities of today's employment market. We try to instill in our students a lifelong love of learning. School colors are red, white, and blue. 

Sports Teams

Interscholastic teams are called "Bulldogs" and we compete in the Calgary Senior High Schools' Athletic Association. Currently, athletes have the opportunity to participate here in every interschool sport that is offered within the CSHSAA. We have a rich athletic tradition and our teams have had and continue to enjoy great successes. More about our athletic programs can be found on our Athletics page under the athletics link. Go Bulldogs!

Mission

To help each student become a competent, caring, productive and responsible young adult, living successfully in a democratic society.

Philosophy

We value a school in which learning and teaching reflect the belief that:

  • every student can learn and will learn, given appropriate learning opportunities.
  • the school in and of itself must become a learning community.
  • learning should be personalized, goal oriented, and connected to the real world.
  • continuous improvement, persistent innovation, and a commitment to continuing growth are expected of all people and all programs.
  • the focus of all endeavors should be to help students to learn.
  • We value a school in which the instructional program:
    • enables students to experience a wide range of challenges, stimulating problem-solving through application of multiple forms of literacy.
    • encourages respect for the ideas, views, and solutions of others.
    • fosters the development of informed and responsible citizens, receptive to growth through continuous learning.
    • acknowledges the intrinsic value of learning, challenging all students to press for understanding and mastery beyond existing competencies.
    • purposefully encourages students to understand and to make choices about their own learning.
  • We value a school in which the organizational structure reflects:
    • open communication and cooperation among and between all members of the school community.
    • a sense of community and of belonging among and between all members of the school community.
    • a positive, vibrant climate which cultivates improvement through innovation.
  • We value a school in which leadership and governance:
    • is based on a shared and clearly articulated vision, reflecting a whole-school focus.
    • involves and empowers all stakeholders.
    • strives to model open communication, trust, and consensus based decision making. 

Organization

Our high school year is organized in a double semester timetable. Within each semester there are complementary courses that are offered in term sections (2 terms per semester). In addition, we offer full year courses outside of the regular timetable, before and after school.

Full-Year Courses
Semester 1 Courses
5 Credit
Semester 2 Courses
5 Credit
Term 1 Coures
3 Credit
Term 2 Courses
3 Credit
Term 3 Courses
3 Credit
Term 4 Courses
3 Credit

History

The school was built in 1968 and opened its doors in 1970. Sir Winston Churchill is a high school, meaning we serve students in grades 10 through 12. The school is named in honor of the former British diplomat. Sir Winston Churchill has been acclaimed as one of the greatest statesmen in world history.  He was the courageous and inspiring Prime Minister of Great Britain during World War II.  Beside his great political contributions, Churchill was an author, painter, soldier, and noted speaker.  We consider it a privilege to be part of a school named in his honour, and we as members of this school community endeavor to hold ourselves up to the high ideals and expectations that he embodied.

Sir Winston Churchill High School is currently the one of the largest high school in the Calgary Board of Education, with a student population of approximately 2200 students. 

School Name

The school is named after Sir Winston Churchill, a British diplomat/politician (Prime Minister of England during the Second World War), who guides our belief statement, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

A School for Success

Churchill has always been a school of excellence. It was the first school in Canada to become an official International Baccalaureate school and is respected worldwide for its exemplar IB program. Sir Winston Churchill has 68 classrooms and boasts a full size high school gymnasium, supplemented by an auxiliary gymnasium/stage. Mechanics shops, art studios, electronics & computer labs, and a theatre can also be found. Other amenities include: a fitness centre, a learning commons, a career centre, a learning centre and a student services/guidance area. Plus, we have every CHSAA approved athletic discipline and between 40-50 clubs or activities for student enjoyment and enrichment.

In summary, this is an excellent school for those who wish to excel and grow both in and out of the classroom. We truly wish to honour our motto: "We learn, not for school, but for life".

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​​​Our School's Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation

We are committed to acknowledging and supporting the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 94 Calls to Action specific to education. Our school, along with all CBE schools, made a TRC Commitment to Action. On June 21, we renewed our commitment, which can be found under Resources.​​

Acknowledging the Land

We would like to acknowledge the traditional territories and oral practices of the Blackfoot Nations, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani and the Kainai. We also acknowledge the Tsuut’ina and Stoney Nakoda First Nations, the Métis Nation, and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.​​

​​​School Development Plan

​Each year, our school prepares a development plan with input from teachers, school staff, students and parents. We review many sources of data, including report cards, provincial achievement test results and school surveys. Based on this information, we create our plan identifying targeted areas for growth. Our school development plan is not meant to represent all of the work that takes place in our school, but rather it focuses on specific areas for improvement.​​​

​​​​School Improvement Results Report

Our school also prepares a results plan, which looks at our previous school year. It shows our students’ achievement and progress in meeting the goals and outcomes as set out by the CBE and Alberta Education, outlines some of the highlights of our school development plan and gives an overview of our school. You can look on the CBE website for system-wide results​.
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