Toy Mountain is Growing
Thank you to everyone who has already brought in toys to help children in need. West Ridge School Leadership classes are continuing to collect new toys in support of the Toy Mountain fundraising campaign. Donations will support the charitable organization Fear Is Not Love and will help children affected by domestic violence in our city. Please place any donations under the tree in our front foyer, and they will be delivered before the winter break.
School Development Plan
Each year, schools across Alberta create a data informed School Development Plan (SDP) to guide continuous improvement. This plan aligns with the Calgary Board of Education’s 2024–27 Education Plan and reflects our commitment to strong academic achievement and a culture of belonging.
For the 2025–26 school year, West Ridge School’s SDP focuses on two key goals:
- Improving literacy achievement by strengthening vocabulary development across all subjects.
- Enhancing student well-being and connectedness by fostering positive relationships and creating welcoming, caring, respectful, and safe learning environments.
You can read the full plan here: West Ridge School Development Plan 2025–26
The SDP shapes what happens in classrooms and throughout the school every day. This year by continuing to focus on literacy and well-being, we are:
- Giving students the tools to succeed academically and communicate confidently in all subject areas
- Creating a safe, inclusive environment where students feel they belong
- Using evidence-based strategies to support all learners, including those on IPPs and those who are English as Additional Langauge (EAL) learners.
Your partnership matters. When families understand our goals, they can reinforce learning at home and help us build a strong, connected school community.
Thank you for supporting this important work. If you have questions or feedback, please reach out. For more information and to see the School Improvement Results Report which reflects on last year’s School Developmet Plan, please visit the Our School portion of our website.
Spreading Cheer
As we head into the holiday season, we’re excited to share some fun ways for our students to connect, celebrate, and give back to the community!
Candygrams – Starting Monday, December 8
Students can purchase candy canes for $2 at lunch all week and send them to a friend with a short message. Candygrams will be delivered to classrooms on Thursday, December 18. All proceeds will support the Fear Is Not Love campaign through Toy Mountain, helping families in need this season.
Guess the Candy Jar!
Stop by the Raptor Shack to take part in our candy jar challenge! For $1, students can guess how many M&M’s are in the jar. The closest guess wins the jar on Friday, December 19.
Spirit Week – December 15–19
Let’s finish the year with some school spirit!
- Monday, Dec 15: PaJama Day - Wear your favourite or most cozy Pjs
- Tuesday, Dec 16: Twin Day - Do you have a doppelgänger?
- Wednesday, Dec 17: Dress Like a Teacher Day - Who might you be?
- Thursday, Dec 18: Jersey Day - Celebrat your favourite team!
- Friday, Dec 19: Ugly Christmas Sweater Day -
These activities are a great way to bring our community together, share some laughs, and support a meaningful cause. Thank you for encouraging your child to participate and help make this season special for everyone.
Raptor Athletics & Physical Education
Athletics Update
Volleyball season will be starting the week of January 5, 2026, which is the first week back after the winter break. We are happy to report that we will have four teams competing again this year. The coaches, and tryout schedule, are as follows. Please consult the Athletics website for the most current information.
Coaches:
- Jr. Girls: Mr. Scollard
- Jr. Boys: Ms. Kapeller and Mr. Moulton
- Sr. Girls: Ms. Angel and Mr. Braynen
- Sr. Boys: Ms. Adams, Ms. Olesen, and Mr. Whelan
Tryout Schedule:
- January 5: Sr. Girls @ 3:20pm
- January 6: Sr. Boys @ 7:30am and Sr. Girls @ 3:20pm
- January 7: Sr. Girls (invite only) @ 7:30am and Sr. Boys @ 3:20pm
- January 8: Jr. Girls @ 7:30am and Sr. Boys (invite only) @ 3:20pm
- January 9: Jr. Girls @ 7:30am
- January 12: Jr. Boys @ 7:30am and Jr. Girls (invite only) @ 3:20pm
- January 13: Jr. Boys @ 7:30am
- January 14: Jr. Boys (invite only) @ 3:20pm
From the PE Department:
If you haven’t already done so, please complete the Human Sexuality forms for this school year. There’s a new process, where parents/families are required to “opt-in” to the Human Sexuality health unit, as opposed to only “opting-out” in previous years. Digital copies of the forms (for Grades 7-9) were sent home several weeks ago, while the Grade 5 and 6 forms just became available and were sent home on December 4. You can find a copy of all forms below and the forms for all grades are due by January 17, 2026.
Grade 5 Human Sexuality Opt In
Grade 6 Human Sexuality Opt In
Grade 7 Human Sexuality Opt In
Grade 8 Human Sexuality Opt In
Grade 9 Human Sexuality Opt In
We are excited to announce that our annual grade-specific ski trips will be happening again this year! We have secured dates for all grades to participate in ski/snowboard lessons if they choose to do so. The dates can be found below. Information packages will be delivered to students in the coming days/weeks and include all pertinent information for each of the trips. Please talk with your child about these trips and if they want to participate, please adhere to the timelines outlined in the information packages. Spaces are limited and we will be operating on a first come, first serve basis.
- January 22 - Grade 7s to Nakiska (info packages went home on Dec. 3)
- January 29 - Grade 6s to Nakiska
- February 9 - Grade 8s to Norquay
- February 11 - Grade 9s to Lake Louise
- February 18 - Grade 5s to WinSport
School Council Update
School Council VOLUNTEER NEEDED!
We would like to thank Tracy Normandeau for her time as Chair. She unfortunately has to step away from the role at this time.
Consider volunteering as Chair. If you are interested, please email wrscouncil@gmail.com. More details can be found on the school website.
Healthy Hunger - Subway
Our next Healthy Hunger is Subway on Thursday, December 18. You can order lunches throughout the year at Healthy Hunger. If you’d like to volunteer and help hand out lunches, use this link to sign up.
Stay in the Loop
Quick links for fundraisers and sign-ups Skip-the-Depot
Check out the school webpage
Send us an email:
Council: wrscouncil@gmail.com
Society: infowrss@gmail.com
This Week
Monday, December 8
- Drama Field Trip
Tuesday, December 9
- Middle School Student Well Being Symposium
Thursday, December 11
- Outdoor Ed Rock Climbing Field Trips (AM and PM)
Friday, December 12
- Student Learning Conferences - On-line (1:30pm to 4:00pm)
- WRS E-Sports Tournament
Month Ahead
Dec 14 - Spirit Week - PJ Day
Dec 15 - Spirit Week - Twin Day
Dec 16 - Spirit Week - Dress Like a Teacher
Dec 17 - Spirit Week - Jersey Day
Dec 18 - Subway - Healthy Hunger Fun Lunch
Dec 19 - Spirit Week - Ugly Sweater Day
Dec 19 - Last Day of School Before Winter Break
Dates of Significance
Please find the link to the CBE Dates of Significance below, which also contains additional details for each date. Please scroll down on the site to find the current date.