Monday, October 14 - Thanksgiving – School is closed

Parking Lot 

All parking spots in our school parking lot are assigned to the 87 staff members. Please do not park in these spots when dropping off or picking up your child from school.

School Digital Citizenship Plan 2024-2025

Technology is an excellent tool for learning when used appropriately.  We have a plan with goals for students to work towards when using technology that focuses on learning and wellbeing.  Please see the Digital Citizenship page for our Digital Citizenship Plan for the 2024-2025 school year.

OurSCHOOL Survey

Attention all students: The OurSCHOOL survey is open until October 15. If you did not complete the survey during TA/homeroom on October 2, please see a classroom teacher or Ms. Richards in the library to obtain a code. This survey is a valuable tool for schools in collecting and responding to student voice.

Chief Chats is Back!

Chiefs Chats will resume on Thursday, October 17 at lunch in the East Gym. This is an opportunity for students to have open dialogue with the admin team at Diefenbaker and share your thoughts about how to continue to make Dief a great place for all students. If you have any questions, please see Mr. Hurley or Mr. Arrell.

Outdoor Pursuits Canoeing Overnight

Mr. Masikewich’s Outdoor Pursuits class took part in a three day, two night canoeing and hiking trip with the Outdoor Learning Centre. Two days were spent learning basic canoe skills near the Seebee Dam and the final day the group hiked up Mount Yamnuska. Along the way we were lucky enough to meet Laurie Skreslet, the first Canadian to summit Mount Everest!!C

Speech Club

Mrs. Wright and Mrs. Hayward are proud to announce that Simer K. won first place in Persuasive Speaking at the North Trail High School Speech Tournament on October 4^th. Way to go, Simer! We are now getting ready for the next tournament at Nelson Mandela High School on October 18.

Class of 2025 Graduation Update

The Graduation Ceremony has scheduled for the morning June 6 2025.

Plans are underway for the Graduation reception.

Student Grad Committee will be beginning soon.

The Graduation list will be posted at the end of next week. 

Students should see their Guidance Counsellor for questions about post-secondary applications and scholarships. 

Attention 2025 Graduating Class

Artist Showcase

Raeka K is a Grade 12 Leadership In The Arts student who takes great interest in all of the Arts.  She regularly participates in the school productions (such as Puffs, in Spring 2024) and Choir.  Raeka also enjoys painting and sketching occasionally, and gets inspiration from her mother, who is an extremely talented painter herself.  However, she finds the most joy in portraying her art in the form of words on paper, whether it be through the multiple plays she has written, or the short stories, poems and prose.  In her free time, she also partakes in photography and editing, specifically, chasing Northern Lights and analyzing their motion.  No matter what it may be, Raeka finds a way to express herself through her art in one way or another.

The Alberta University of the Arts

Shuo L came along with the Alberta University of the Arts Recruitment Team to present to our students about their new programming opportunities and entrance requirements.

Shuo is a former Diefenbaker graduate who is in her fourth year at AuArts in Design Studies. We are so happy to see the successes of our students past and present.

Updates from IB: IB Learner Profile Contest

October’s focus will be on the Learner Profile of “Inquirer”. These are students who nurture their curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. They know how to learn independently with others. Inquirers learn with enthusiasm and sustain their love of learning throughout life.  Entries to this month’s contest are due October 18th. Students can enter through the form on D2L. Parents who wish to nominate their child can email Ms. Ulanicki at tjulanicki@cbe.ab.ca.

IB Exam Fees

Students registered in a 30-level IB course are registered to write an IB exam in April or May 2025. Fees for IB exams have been added to your child’s mYcbaccount. Payment is due by November 15. If your child is registered in 3 or 4 IB exams and you require a different schedule for payment of fees, please contact Ms. Ulanicki at tjulanicki@cbe.ab.ca to arrange this. The final date to withdraw from an IB exam is October 31. Any students registered in an exam level course following this date will be responsible for the $200 exam fee.  

Yearbook Winner

Votes are in! Students have selected a Spotify-themed yearbook, beautifully designed by Anne S in Grade 10. Congratulations, Anne! Thank you to everyone who submitted designs and participated in the vote.

The Yearbook Club is now hard at work turning this inspiration into a memorable keepsake!  A reminder: this is the final week to get early bird pricing for the 2024/2025 yearbook, now available for $45. Use this link to order your yearbook: John G. Diefenbaker High School Yearbook

Volunteering with the CBE

Prospective volunteers must first register as a volunteer at with school where you plan on volunteering. This should be done through MyCBE by clicking on the Online Forms and School Registration tab and completing the Volunteer Registration 2024-25 form. You can also submit an Annual Volunteer Registration Form through the school office.

School administrators will verify your identity and register you in the CBE volunteer database. The school office will email you with a letter enabling you to obtain a police information check from the Calgary Police Service (CPS).  Please note, prospective volunteers must reside in Canada for a full year before registering. Police clearances from countries other than Canada are not accepted.

School Engage (Demographic Verification and Annual Authorization required)

It is a legal obligation for all CBE schools to have this completed. Student demographic verification is required each and every school year.  If you have not verified your demographic information for the 2024-25 school year, please log in to your SchoolEngage account and verify your student’s information. Technical support/instructions are available here.  Annual authorizations requiring parent consent are also required for the 2024-25 school year. These are: 

• CBE Use of Student Information: outlines instances when we would like to share student information publically in our day to day work. 
• Consent for Use of Student Information by News Media and Outside Groups (Third Party): provides information pertaining to including students in media events where images may be recorded and used by the third party.

Please note: What Kind of Support is provided by the CBE Parent Account Help Line?

Agents can assist legal guardians / independent students with:

• The creation of a new account
• The addition of students to a parent account
• Agents cannot help legal guardians and independent students with:
• Access personal information within MyCBE/PowerSchool or SchoolEngage
• Verify email addresses, student IDs or birthdates
• Solve computer software or internet connection problems
• Answer questions about Fees or Transportation

Reference | CBE Parent Account Help Line

Athletics & Events Schedule

See our calendar page.