August 17, 2026

 Dear Henry Wise Wood Students and Families:

 We hope you have been enjoying a wonderful summer filled with opportunities to relax, reconnect, and create lasting memories with family and friends. As August unfolds, excitement is building at Henry Wise Wood High School as we prepare to welcome our Warriors back for another year of learning, growth, and opportunity.

Student course schedules will be visible in PowerSchool on Tuesday, August 18^th at 9 am.

Please see the information from Student Services in the newsletter below regarding course change requests. Note that complimentary (option) course changes are not available for Grade 10s.

 For school start-up, please attend our Passport to Success dates.

• Monday August 24:  9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Grade 11 and 12
• Tuesday August 25:  9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Grade 10 and all new students to HWW

 First Day of School – Please visit the Back To School webpage for more information.: 

Monday August 31:  full day for Grade 10s; half day for Grade 11 and 12 students

Additional information can be found on:

• School Calendar
• Student ID
• Lockers
•   Student Parking
• Calgary Transit
• School Supplies
• Clubs and Activities:  Athletics (updated) and Clubs (to be updated in early September)

 Highlighting 2 additional dates, please mark your calendars:

• Wednesday, September 16:  6:00 –8:00 pm - Meet the Teacher Evening in person
• Wednesday, September 23:  6:00 - 7:15pm - Grade 11 &12 IB Information Evening online

 We are looking forward to a wonderful year ahead at the Home of Artists, Scholars and Champions.  Enjoy these last few weeks creating summer memories!   

 Michelle Hornby

Principal

Passport to Success:  Mon. Aug. 24 & Tue. Aug. 25

On Monday, August 24^th from 9am-12pm, we invite all Grade 11 and 12 students/ parents/ guardians to the school.

 During Passport to Success, students will have the opportunity to have their school photo taken, apply for a student parking pass, and meet with representatives from Alberta post-secondary institutions. Guidance Counsellors will be available to connect with students whose PowerSchool timetable includes a “See Counsellor” designation and to assist with graduation planning and course requirements.   This is an excellent opportunity to:

• Review graduation status and plan including credit count and required courses
• Ensure required courses are timetabled or there is a plan for completion. There will not be course changes available at this time, only the addition of necessary grad requirements
• Begin the conversation around plans for next steps after high school including post- secondary, employment or gap year.
• Return outstanding textbooks to the Library

Students are welcome and encouraged to attend with parents/guardians during the following times based on their last names:

As part of Passport to Success, we will also host a Post-Secondary Fair featuring Alberta post-secondary partners. Students and families will have the opportunity to speak with representatives, explore programs and admission requirements, and learn more about the diverse opportunities available beyond high school. Participating institutions in previous years have included:

 On Tuesday, August 25^th from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm, we invite all Grade 10 students/parents/ guardians & anyone new to Henry Wise Wood High School to come to the school.

 Students will have an opportunity to connect with student leaders for a school tour, receive timetables and key school information, take their school photo (necessary for school ID), as well as explore the school to find key locations, classes and their Warrior Connect homeroom.

 Students are welcome and encouraged to attend with parents/guardians during the following times based on their last names: 

 English as an Additional Learner Language Benchmarking

To all English as an Additional Language (EAL) students and families, 

 We are looking forward to seeing many familiar faces and getting to know the newest additions to the Warrior family this coming Fall. 

 All EAL students with a language code (301, 302 or 303) are required to complete the government-mandated Language Benchmarking twice each year: at the beginning and end of the school year.

 Grade 10 students are required to complete the reading and writing assessment on Tuesday August 25th, between 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. This is the same day as ‘Passport to Success’ so students are asked to come to the cafeteria before or after they get their ID cards and meet with their counselors. This assessment should take approximately 90 minutes depending on the student’s language level. 

 Grade 11 & 12 students are required to complete the reading and writing assessment on August 31^st between 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. This is the first official day of school with a staggered entry where Grade 11 & 12 students are only required to attend classes in the afternoon.

 All EAL students will be completing the speaking & listening assessments in class during the month of September.

 Students who miss the early assessment dates will be pulled from class to complete them at an alternate date. If you have questions about your EAL language code, please feel free to contact the school.

Language Challenges

Welcome to Henry Wise Wood! Our HWW Languages team is continuing to offer the opportunity for incoming grade 10 students who have a background in Spanish or French to challenge the language 10 course. If you feel that your skills in either of these languages are proficient then you are welcome to join us at Henry Wise Wood on Tuesday, August 25 at 10:00 a.m. to challenge the 10-level course. If you are successful and receive 65% or higher, you will be placed in the 20-level language course and will receive retro-credits for the 10-level. 

 The Calgary Board of Education continues to offer language challenges at the 30 level for MANY languages.  These language challenges will happen two times per year, once per semester, at a centralized location (dates listed below).  Upon completion of the language challenge, students will receive 15 credits total for the language at the 10-20-30 level.  This challenge should only be undertaken if there is significant experience with a particular language such as an immersion program in Jr. High School or language spoken at home.  More information on the CBE language challenge can be found here: https://cbe.ab.ca/programs/program-options/language-programs/Documents/French-Intl-Languages-Course-Challenge-Guide-Students-Family.pdf?fingerprint=ppb20251217001200

 CBE Language Challenge Exam TENTATIVE DATES:

Semester 1​

Part 1 Portfolio Writing: Saturday, October 24, 2026

Part 2 Exam: Saturday, November 21, 2026​

 Semester 2​

Part 1 Portfolio Writing: Saturday, March 13, 2027​
​Part 2 Exam: Saturday, April 10, 2027

 If you feel that the 10-20 French or Spanish challenge or the 30-level CBE challenge is of interest, please use the following Microsoft Form to indicate: HWW Language Challenge Form – Fill out form

Extended Summer Absences

Regular attendance at school fosters students' confidence in themselves as learners and enhances their role as active participants and valuable contributors in their school community. Even in early grades, regular attendance lays the foundation for students' academic success, positioning them for high school completion and future career opportunities.   Alberta Education & Childcare defines chronic absenteeism as missing 10 per cent or more of instructional time. Whether excused or unexcused absences, missed instructional time can create gaps in students' learning.  We want our Warriors to have a strong and successful start to the school year. If your child will be unable to attend on Monday, August 31 due to a delayed return, please notify the school:  henrywisewood@cbe.ab.ca.

Fees

First semester complementary course fee information will be available in your myCBE account in mid-September.  Second semester fees are applied in mid-February. Extra-curricular fees are added throughout the year.

Textbooks

Grade 11 and 12 students, if you did not return your textbooks from the 2025-2026 school year, please return these on the Passport to Success Day.  New textbooks will be assigned in class. Please note that textbooks need to be returned to sign out new books. You will need your ID cards for this process.

Timetable Change Requests

Please note: due to space constraints and class size limitations, complementary (option) course changes are not available to Grade 10s.  Course change requests at this time of the year will be limited to the following needs:

• “See Counsellor” appears on timetable
• Missing pre-requisite for a scheduled course
• Missing a required core course for diploma/certificate requirements
• Changes required due to summer school results
• Change an academic sequence (20-1 to 20-2; Physics 30 to Science 30) – please ensure that this change has been discussed with parents

If your change request meets the criteria above, please click here to access the Course Change Request Form

 Note: We are unable to accommodate requests for specific teachers or to place a course in a specific period or semester. Some students may now have their 4th or 5th complementary course (option) choice if one of their preferred options could not be scheduled.

 If a course is being requested that goes against the recommended course sequence, the Course Sequence Change process must be completed before changes can be made In PowerSchool.  This process begins with the Course Sequence Change form and is only available in the main office.

Online Course Requests

Grade 11 and 12 students may request to take one online course through CBeLearn. An online course is considered an addition to a student's regular timetable and does not replace a Henry Wise Wood course or provide an additional spare. Students are expected to maintain the minimum in-person course load of seven courses in Grade 11 and six courses in Grade 12.

 Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours per week per online course, similar to a traditional class. Regular participation is essential, and daily work is recommended to stay on track. Online courses follow the regular semester schedule, and 30-level courses include Diploma Exams.

Students wishing to complete an online course with CBeLearn must submit a request through the Microsoft Form: CBeLearn Online Course Request Form – Registration will be confirmed by CBLearn prior to course start.  Please note, we are unable to confirm course offerings and availability at this time. 

HWW Class of 2027 Graduation Celebrations

Date:  Friday, May 28, 2027

Place: Grey Eagle Event Centre

 Ceremony Time: 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

**Please note:  Each graduand is guaranteed 3 tickets, with additional tickets available if space permits.  More details will be available through Warrior Connect and the Grade 12 D2L Shell.

 Banquet Time: 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Looking for Information? Please check the Henry Wise Wood Website for up-to-date information as it comes available.

Warrior Athletics

Please visit our WARRIOR ATHLETICS 2026–2027 webpage for more information.

 HWW Fall Sports full tryout schedule at the link.

 First tryout:

Football                                               Thursday August 20

Senior Volleyball                              Wednesday August 26

Junior Volleyball                              Monday August 31

Cross country, Girls Soccer            Tuesday September 1

Golf                                                     September 8

Gentle Reminder:  Calculators

All of our math courses require students to own their own calculator. If you are registered in a:

 – 3 or – 4 class:  a regular scientific calculator is required.

– 1, – 2, 10C, GATE or IB course:  a graphing calculator is required.

We suggest purchasing a Texas Instruments TI84 + or a Casio 9750 GIII. If you plan to purchase another model, please hold off until school starts and check with your teacher to make sure the model is appropriate and approved by AB Ed.

Department Updates:

School Council and Parents & Alumni Association - Get Involved!

The School Council and Parents & Alumni Association (PAA) are recruiting volunteers for the 2026–2027 school year.  We are looking for parents, guardians, alumni, and students to help fill a variety of roles, including:

• School Council & PAA Team Members
• Administrative Assistant
• Google Workspace Administrator
• Social Media Manager
• Special Event Support

Visit www.wisewoodfamilies.ca/volunteering to learn more and register your interest.

 Elections for executive positions will take place at our Annual General Meeting on October 26. Many roles can be shared, and mentorship is available.

Please join us at our first meetings of the school year on Monday, September 21 at 6:30 PM to learn more.

Together, School Council and the PAA support clubs, learning opportunities, school equipment, and special programs that benefit students across our school community.  Join our community & Get Connected using our Get Connected Contact Form