JGD Weekly Update | March 9–13, 2026

Reminder: Clocks spring ahead one hour on Sunday, March 8.

Class of 2026 – Scholarship Opportunities

As you look into your plans for post-secondary, don't forget to explore scholarship opportunities! EducationMatters is a great resource for CBE students. Simply set up an account to see the scholarships available to you.

EducationMatters is offering online sessions to explain how to use their website and access scholarships. Sign up for any of the dates below at Awards | EducationMatters (under the "How to Apply" link).

The dates are:

Good luck!

Student Progress Conferences

Student Progress Conferences are scheduled for Friday, March 20, 8:00 AM–2:00 PM, online only. Bookings open on Wednesday, March 11 at 4:00 PM and close March 19 at 12:00 PM. Each meeting block is 10 minutes. Please see your student's PowerSchool schedule for teacher names.

If you are not available on March 20 or if spots are full, please contact your student's teacher directly to make alternate arrangements. PowerSchool is the best place to view all assignment and assessment results. If you don't have access, ask your student to log in using their CBE username and password. For booking assistance, please use the conference booking instructions.

Course Registration

Grade 11 students will be registering for their Grade 12 courses next week. Students will be called from class alphabetically to the cafeteria. If a student is unable to attend their initial session due to a test or field trip, they will be able to complete registration during "ALL CALL" at the end of the week.

Comments on the April Report Card

Your student's progress with respect to the Program of Studies and CBE Outcomes is always viewable in MyCBE. For this reporting period, students meeting passing expectations will receive a percentage grade, without comments. Students not meeting expectations will receive a supportive comment with Areas of Strength, Areas for Growth, and Next Steps.

Comments and marks will be temporarily unavailable beginning April 6. Report cards will be viewable on April 14. If you have questions after viewing the report card, please contact your student's teacher.

Model United Nations Club

This past weekend, Diefenbaker's Model United Nations (MUN) Club achieved great success at Westmount's Annual MUN Conference. Delegates explored economic issues in the G20, navigated complex interpersonal relations in an Avatar world-building committee, and worked to save the fictional city of Gravity Falls from anomalies. Students learned how to build alliances, collaborate, and strengthen their public speaking skills while forging new friendships.

We are especially proud to celebrate our first award – congratulations to Qudsia, who received "Most Potential" in her committee for her outstanding ability to negotiate, problem-solve, and build alliances. Her award will be the first of many!

We have 16 delegates heading to Churchill on March 13 and 14 under the supervision of Mr. Wittal. Thank you for stepping in and supporting the club – here's to new awards and new experiences!

Unique Pathways Spring Information Night – March 11

Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Time: 5:00–7:00 PM (Grades 10–12)

Location: Career and Technology Centre at Lord Shaughnessy High School, 2336 53 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T3E 1L2

Unique Pathways invites high school students and parents to their Spring Info Night about Dual Credit and Exploratory programming. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions of industry experts, connect with post-secondary representatives, and explore course outlines and materials. Brief sit-down information sessions will also be offered for students and parents to learn about Unique Pathways and Off-Campus Education. Please note these are general information sessions; specific program details will not be shared. Sessions will be repeated throughout the evening, with times posted at the entrance.

Register Here – registration is not required but is helpful for ensuring proper representation. Visit the Unique Pathways website for more information.

School Council

Our next School Council AGM Meeting will be Tuesday, March 31 at 6:00 PM. We are looking to fill the following positions:

• Chair: The Chair calls and presides at all school council meetings, is the chief spokesperson for the association (unless otherwise delegated), reviews all communication prior to distribution, votes at any meeting in case of a tie, and is an ex-officio member of all committees. The Chair is the liaison with school admin. reviews the minutes prior to distribution and before the next meeting, and prepares the presentation used at the meetings.
• Vice-Chair: The Vice-Chair assists the Chair in all school council activities and carries out duties assigned by the Chair. In the event of absence, resignation, incapacity, or extended leave of the Chair, the Vice-Chair assumes the responsibilities of the Chair until the next elections at the AGM. The Vice-Chair is copied on all communications prior to distribution. 
• Secretary: The Secretary attends all meetings, keeps accurate minutes of the meetings, and send out the minutes for distribution. The Secretary also maintains the school council’s email account and distribution list and is in charge of all correspondence and documentation for the council.
• Key Communicator: This is not an Executive position. This person will attend the meetings put on by CBE (approx. 3-4 per year) and provide a synopsis of what was covered. This can be provided to Chair or Vice Chair to share at the next council meeting if unable to attend.

The School Council Meeting will be held at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, April 14, with Trustee Laura Hack attending and answering questions. Please register through the online form.

Canadian Citizenship Ceremony – April 21

We are hosting a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony on Tuesday, April 21 at 10:30 AM at John G. Diefenbaker High School, where 50 new Canadians will be sworn in. If you or any family members or friends have an open application for Citizenship with IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), please contact Mr. Bill Hilton at behilton@cbe.ab.ca with your UCI or Citizenship application number to express interest in being scheduled for this event.

2025–2026 School Fees

Semester 2 school fees are now posted and ready for viewing and payment through your MyCBE account or in person at the Business Office. Additional items still available include Calculator Rental and Parking Passes.

Ride of the Chiefs – April 17

Our Leadership students are the organizers for our annual Ride of the Chiefs (ROTC) event. These students are reaching out to our JGD Community of parents to ask for help in order to continue this awesome legacy into its 11^th year. Please help us keep this significant traditional strong!

ROTC is a 12-hour bike-a-thon that students engage in to raise money for the Alberta Children's Hospital. Over the past decade, our school has raised over $160,000, with $20,000 raised in our ROTC held last year. This year, our students will be working hard for five months to reach their fundraising goals to participate in ROTC, which will be held on April 17, 2026.

We Need You

We need you as Parent Volunteers to help supervise the 12 hour experience. Currently, we are looking for 12 volunteers to join us from 3:30 PM to 8:00 PM on April 17.We want to give our students the full 12-hour experience they’ve worked so hard for, and ensure we raise as much as possible for the children at the hospital!

How to Help

If you are available to help us maintain this incredible tradition, we would love to have you!
When: April 17, 2026 | 3:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: John G. Diefenbaker High School
Requirements: A valid police clearance (ePIC) and registration as a volunteer.

To sign up as a volunteer, please go to SchoolEngage and complete the Volunteer Registration form. As soon as you complete the steps to register, please email your form and police clearance document to the school at johngdiefenbaker@cbe.ab.ca. Thank you for supporting our students and the Alberta Children’s Hospital!

Cell Phone Use

John G. Diefenbaker teachers and staff are following Alberta's legislation regarding cell phone use. Students are only permitted to use their phones when it is an integral part of learning.

Please refrain from texting or calling your child during class time, or if you do, please do not expect an immediate response. Students are not permitted to take calls or texts during class, and doing so may result in consequences. If there is an emergency, please call our main phone number and ask one of our secretaries to reach the classroom directly. Parent contact during class time has become a concern in our building, and we appreciate your cooperation.

Student Artist Spotlight

Shaliyah F. is a Grade 12 student who has shown a passion for art since she was young. She began drawing animals in Grade 4 and hasn't stopped since. Shaliyah specializes in digital art, primarily working on her iPad, and enjoys creating original characters and writing stories about them.

Athletics and Events

Free Community Events/Resources