Upcoming Dates

• Monday, September 30 – National Day for Truth and Reconciliation – School is closed
• Tuesday, October 1 – Orange Shirt Day

Parking Lot Concerns Regarding Student Drop Off & Pick Up

Please do not park in staff parking.  There are two locations only for student drop off.  If you enter from 4^th St (south entrance to the student parking lot), please drop off your student at the front of the school and exit via the north entrance close to McDonald’s (right turns only out of the parking lot).

If you enter from the north entrance (closest to McDonald’s) off 4^th St, please head east through the parking lot and drop off your student by the 2 large orange candlestick pylons.   Continue east and exit via the north exit towards the Superstore.  It is illegal to make a left turn out of this specific parking lot during identified hours. 

If you enter from the north entrance, please head west through the parking lot and drop off your student by the 2 large orange candlestick pylons. Continue West and exit via the north entrance close to McDonald’s (right turns only out of the parking lot).

Some parents may arrange and meet their students for a quick drive-by pickup at the front of the school. Stopping and waiting for your student in front of the school is not be permitted.  Alternatively, please wait for your student at the Superstore parking lot where there is much more space and more points of exit.

OurSCHOOL Student Survey Administration

Dear Parent(s) / Legal Guardian(s) of John G. Diefenbaker students,

John G. Diefenbaker will be participating in an online school perception survey for students called the OurSCHOOL Student Survey. This anonymous survey is completely voluntary for all CBE students.  Please find the details of the survey implementation below. 

CBE’s Education Plan prioritizes student voice and well-being in our decision-making processes.  Responses from this survey are used at the system and school level to recognize and improve what is necessary for students to feel safe, welcome, and cared for when at school.

Grades 4-12 students provide feedback on:

• sense of belonging
• positive relationships
• anxiety
• feeling safe at school
• life satisfaction
• general health
• orientation to well-being
• goal-oriented
• self-regulation
• cultural awareness of others

Additionally, Grades 6-12 students provide feedback on:

• depression
• self-esteem
• cultural awareness of self

Demographic questions are also asked on this survey for norming purposes. These are:

Grades 4-12 general:

• age, gender, Indigenous status, immigrant status, home language.

Grades 6-12 specific:

• grade repeater, reasons for changing schools, disability or medical conditions that limits participation in school activities or learning.

At John G. Diefenbaker, our OurSCHOOL Student Survey administration plan is as follows:

Who: Grades 10-12

When: October 2, 2024

Where: During Teacher Advisory (TA, AKA homeroom) time

We are asking any student who has a personal mobile device (phone, iPad, laptop) to bring it with them on October 2 to complete this survey. Any students who do not have access to a personal mobile device will be directed to a computer lab to complete the survey. If you have questions or would like to request more information about Diefenbaker’s upcoming implementation of the OurSCHOOL Student Survey, please contact Ryan Hurley (Assistant Principal) at rjhurley@cbe.ab.ca

Sincerely,

Jason Arrell, Principal

Student I.D. Cards

All students must have a Diefenbaker student ID card. If you do not have one, please see Mrs. Richards in the Library Learning Commons to get your photo taken. Lanyards are now available.  Distribution on Wednesday during TA/homeroom. 

Post Secondary Information, Scholarships, MyPass and Apply Alberta

University of Calgary and University of Alberta will open applications on October 1.  Information can be found on the Diefenbunker which is accessible through D2L.

Our Diefenbunker D2L site will be a student’s primary source of information and updates pertaining to post secondary applications, open houses, scholarships, MyPass and Apply Alberta accounts.  Grade 12 students are especially encouraged to review Diefenbunker Announcements on a regular basis for updates. Information is also posted on all the TVs around the building. 

Artist Showcase

The Leadership in the Arts (LITA) students put on their first Lunchbox Showcase of the year.  There were exciting presentations that took place, from Instrumentals to Vocals, to a captivating Dance performance and a Visual Art Exhibition of Art 20 Pop Art work.

Great work everyone! We look forward to next month’s Showcase taking place on Thursday, October 24.

Yearbook Design Contest

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.

Updates from IB: IB Learner Profile Contest

Entries to the IB Learner profile contest are due Friday, September 27! How have you, your peers or your child demonstrated the Learner Attribute of “Risk Taker”? Please email Ms. Ulanicki at tjulanicki@cbe.ab.ca to enter.

Next month’s Learner Profile Focus will be “Inquirer”.

Grade 10 Honours Orientation

On September 20, our Grade 10 Honours students spent the day participating in an orientation to the IB program. The event was entirely planned by Grade 12 IB students Cosima, Bianca, Jayana and Amy. The Grade 10 students participated in competitions, listened to presentations on study skills and quizzed our experts on how they found success in IB at JGD. It was a great day of learning and fun to set the tone and direction for the next three years at Diefenbaker.

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 2024-2025 school year. These are: 

• CBE Use of Student Information: outlines instances when we would like to share student information publicly 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