Student Services Team
Student Services & Counselling Program
Educational Counselling
Helping students develop & attain educational goals, including:
- Course advising
- Program planning
- Supporting success
- Post-secondary planning
Career Counselling
Helping students & parents by providing appropriate programs, information, and counselling to support transition to post-secondary and/or work. This may include:
- Goal setting
- Connecting to online career planning tools(e.g. interest inventories)
- Vocational information
- Post-secondary information
- Student finance
Personal Counselling
Providing confidential counselling to students experiencing personal concerns, such as:
- Stress management
- Self-esteem issues
- Substance use
- Anxiety, depression
- Life events & transitions
- Grief and loss
- Relationship concerns
- Suicidal ideation
Information, Referrals, Consulting
Providing information and referrals to outside agencies, supports, as needed or requested, such as:
- Alternative course delivery
- Independent student finance info
- Info about& referrals to support agencies (e.g., AADAC, Access Mental Health, ACFS)
How Can I See My Counsellor?
Go to the Student Services Office (in the main hall next to the main office) and Ms. Schwartz will make an appointment for you. Be sure to schedule a time that interferes the least with your classes. Counsellors are available before & after school, during lunch break, and throughout the day.
Formula for Success in High School
Attendance: To learn, you need to be in class. Schedule medical appointments and family holidays outside of class time. Unless you are ill or on a field trip, your place is in your classes. In many courses, it is extremely difficult to catch up if you miss even a few classes.
Homework and Assignments: Attempt all assigned work. This will let you know what you do and don’t understand, and allow you to master skills and knowledge that are essential to the course. When you don’t understand something, ask for help. Hand in all assignments, on time.
Study Time: Schedule time to review your material regularly - reading over notes, reviewing the textbook, etc.
Tutorials: an excellent opportunity to connect with your teachers to get information, clarification, and other help. (Tutorials occur every morning from 8:35 – 9:00 and after school 3:20 – 3:40, Monday through Thursday).
Involvement: Try to get involved in at least one activity at school. There is a vast array of possibilities at Western.
Get rid of confusion: Confusion is a natural part of new situations and learning. Try to deal with it as quickly as possible. The Resources section will give a few ideas.
Know how to handle stress: when you are healthy and feel good, you can handle stress better. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat right and get exercise, & spend time talking with family and friends. Try to keep a sense of humour.
How Do I Achieve My High School Diploma?
Your high school program is your responsibility. Monitor your courses throughout high school to ensure that you meet the graduation requirements listed below. Your counsellor can assist you in planning your courses.
Alberta High School Diploma Requirements
Earn 100 credits including the following:
- English Language Arts 30-1 or 30-2
- Social Studies 30-1 or 30-2
- Math 20-1, 20-2, or 20-3
- Science – to 20-level (e.g., Chem 20, Sci 24) or Sci 14 & 10
- PE 10
- CALM 20
- 10 credits in approved options (CTS, Fine Arts, Second Languages, PE 20, PE 30)
- 10 credits in any 30-level courses in addition to ELA & Social
To be sure students meet graduation requirements, students are expected to have a full course load. This means courses taken at Western (those taken with other providers such as CBe-Learn are not included in this count):
Grade 10 – minimum of 8 courses
Grade 11 – minimum of 7 courses
Grade 12 – minimum of 6 courses
Note: Minimum grad requirements do not usually qualify students for post-secondary programs.
See Academic Guidelines
Create Your myPass Account Now
myPass is the Alberta Education secure self-service website for students to view and print diploma exam results, order transcripts, and more… This account becomes your Adult AB Digital ID.
Visit myPass.alberta.ca
Resources at Western
Your Teacher should be the first person you approach for help. Remember that your teachers want you to be successful and are your primary resource.
Your Friends and Classmates: Great resources! Have a study buddy. Exchange phone numbers. Review together.
Tutorials are an excellent opportunity to connect with your teachers to get information, clarification, and other help; mornings from 8:35 – 9:00 and after school 3:20 – 3:40, Monday through Thursday.
Your Counsellor is an objective, knowledgeable resource for information, ideas, referrals, and of course, counselling.
Principal: Ms. C Cornea
Assistant Principals: Mr. S. Wiebe A – G; Mr. G. Bondy H – O; Ms. M. Scharf P – Z
Learning Strategies Learning Leader: Ms. Cadre, Room 001: responsible for the case management of students with identified learning needs. She provides services in various areas such as individualized assessments and Learning Strategies.
ELL Curriculum Leader: Ms. Neumann assesses ELL students to ensure that they are placed appropriately in English language classes, tracks the progress of all ELL students, and manages the ELL Program.
Honours/IB Coordinator: Ms. Rivers, located in the main office, is available to students who have questions about IB courses, exams, and requirements of the IB Diploma and Certificate.
Work Experience: Ms. van Geel, room 237, is the Off Campus Education Coordinator available to answer your questions about gaining credits at work through the Work Experience Program & the Registered Apprenticeship Program.
French Immersion Program: Questions may be referred to Mme. Bergerman, Room 252, Learning Leader for International Languages. To receive a Bilingual Certificate from the Calgary Board of Education, a student must complete 45 credits in courses with French as the language of instruction. These include FLA 10, 20 and 30, and 30 credits from Social and Math combined.
School Resource Officer: Const. Milmine, Room 133 (next to the school store), can assist you with legal concerns and general enquiries in all areas of the law. You will also see him in various classroom presentations and at events around the school.
Peer Tutors: Western students volunteer to tutor students free of charge and gain volunteer hours. See Ms. Cadre, Room 001.
Awards & Scholarships
There are many school-based, citywide, provincial, and institution-based scholarships available to Western Canada students and are usually applied for in grade 12. Scholarship information is available on Western's web site - WCHS website Scholarship page Other helpful websites include: www.scholarshipscanada.com , www.studentawards.com , www.alis.gov.ab.ca , and www.scholartree.ca .
Alexander Rutherford Scholarship for High School Achievement
Grade 10
Avg. of 80% or higher in 5 subjects - $400
Avg. of 75.0 – 79.9% in 5 subjects - $300
ELA 10-1 or 10-2
Two of the following:
- Social Studies 10-1
- Math 10C
- Science 10
- A language other than the one used above at the grade 10 level
Any two other subjects at the 1000 or 4000 level including the above subjects and combined introductory CTS courses. |
Grade 11
Avg. of 80% or higher in 5 subjects - $800
Avg. of 75.0 – 79.9% in 5 subjects - $500
ELA 20-1 or 20-2
Two of the following:
- Social Studies 20-1
- Math 20-1 or Math 20-2
- Biology 20
- Chemistry 20
- Physics 20
- A language other than the one used above at the grade 11 level
Any two other subjects at the 2000 or 5000 level including the above subjects and combined intermediate CTS courses. |
Grade 12
Avg. of 80% or higher in 5 subjects - $1300
Avg. of 75.0 – 79.9% in 5 subjects - $700
ELA 30-1 or 30-2
At least two of the following:
- Social Studies 30-1
- Math 30-1 or Math 30-2
- Math 31
- Biology 30
- Chemistry 30
- Physics 30
- A language other than English at the grade 12 level.
Any two courses with a minimum 5-credit value at the Grade 12 level including those listed above and combined advanced CTS courses. |
- Apply for the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship only in July after graduating. Applications are online. Averages will not be rounded up for scholarship purposes.
- CTS Courses: 3 one-credit modules can be combined and used as an option at the Grade 10 and Grade 11 levels. 5 one-credit modules can be combined and used as an option at the Grade 12 level.
- CALM is calculated as a Grade 11 course.
- Work Experience and Special Projects will not be used when calculating a student’s average.
- You can qualify for 1, 2, or all 3 years.
The top ten Grade 12 students in the province receive an additional $1500.00 based on the first writing of Diploma results in ELA 30-1 or 30-2, and Social 30, plus 3 other Diploma subjects, excluding FLA 30.
Meetings
September 27, 2022 - Parent Council Meeting - Microsoft Teams recording
