Bishop Grandin 1
GRANDIN GAZETTE
Bishop Grandin High School, 111 Haddon Road SW, Calgary AB,
Telephone:403-500-2047 Fax:403-500-2247
www.cssd.ab.ca/bishopgrandin
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
T2V 2Y2
OCTOBER 2015
The month of September has been exceptionally busy but one that has been full of community, enthusiasm
and hard work by all members of the Bishop Grandin High School Community. Plans are in the works for our
50th anniversary. We will celebrate the incredible history and tradition of our school community during a
weekend in May. More information will be sent out shortly. It will be great to bring our community together
to celebrate our history.
Our academic focus will continue to be success for all students. Bishop Grandin High School truly has
something extraordinary for every student. If your son or daughter has yet to find something to connect
with please contact their Teacher Advisor for support. Our Faith theme for the year is « Walk humbly with
God », and our school council and social justice projects will demonstrate how we are doing our part to fulfill
this commitment. We invite all to participate in our food drive.
We are inviting and encouraging you to please attend Parent/Teacher Interviews as the staff at Bishop
Grandin appreciates the support and partnership that is necessary between home and school to support
learning. As always, please do not wait for a formal reporting period regarding the progress of your son and
daughter. Open communication and partnership is crucial to the success of our entire school community!
The Ghosts are off to an excellent athletic year as the calendar is moving at full speed. Cross Country, Junior
and Senior Volleyball, Football and Girls Soccer are also running with league and tournament play well
underway. If Athletics is not for you our Fine Arts also has many exciting performances planned. Our
Marching Band, Choir and Drama groups are always hard at work. Please come out and support our
student performers and athletes as they represent our school community with their incredible talents. We
would like to thank our coaches and instructors; those that are teachers and those who volunteer and put
many hours of their own time to make this possible for our teams and productions. We would not be able to
do this without you.
Once again a special thank you to all families for your assistance in helping to make September a great
month. We look forward to seeing families again or meeting you for the first time in the near future.
Have a great Thanksgiving weekend!!
Sincerely,
Mr. McDonald
Principal
Bishop Grandin 2
2015-2016 Bishop Grandin High School Calendar
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
6
Photo retakes
9
PD Day (no classes)
12
Thanksgiving Day (no classes)
19
In-Province Post-Secondary Fair (6:30 pm – 8:30 pm)
22
Parent/Teacher Conferences (evening only) 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
2
Faith Day (no classes)
11
Remembrance Day (no classes)
16
Parent/Teacher Conferences (no classes) 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
18
Christmas Break (classes finish at 11:55 am)
4
School re-opens
12
Last day of regular classes
29
Semester 2 begins
2
AP, French Immersion, International Bilingual Academy 7:00 pm
4
Open House 7:00 pm
11 & 12
Teacher’s Convention (no classes)
15
Family Day (no classes)
16
PD Day (no classes)
10
Parent/Teacher Conferences (evening only) 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
18
PD Day (no classes)
24
Easter break (classes finish at 11:55 am)
4
School re-opens
22
Parent/Teacher Conferences (no classes) 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
25
PD Day (no classes)
20
PD Day (no classes)
21
Grad Dinner & Dance 5:30 pm
23
Victoria Day (no classes)
27
Grad Mass 9:30 am & Ceremonies 3:30 pm (no classes)
7
Meet the TA @ 5:00 pm (TAs-A to L) & 6:30 pm (TAs-M to Z) for next year Gr. 10 students
10
Last day of regular classes
23
Gr. 12 Awards night 7:00 pm
28
Last exam
29
School office closes at noon
Bishop Grandin 3
BISHOP GRANDIN HIGH SCHOOL
Graduation 2016
BULLETIN ONE
Graduation activities for Grade 12 students are divided into two categories:
Farewell Celebrations and Commencement Celebrations.
The Farewell Celebrations allow ALL grade 12 students the opportunity to attend. These include:
Graduation Banquet: Saturday, May 21 - 5:30 pm
BMO Centre, Stampede Park
Grade 12 Breakfast and Retreat: Thursday, May 26 - 9:00 am
Bishop Grandin
The Commencement Celebrations are for graduating students who have fulfilled all of the academic,
attendance, and behavioural expectations set out by Alberta Learning, the Calgary Catholic School District,
and Bishop Grandin High School. These include:
Mass: Friday, May 27 - 9:30 am
St. Albert the Great, 10 Prestwick Drive SE, Calgary
Commencement Exercises: Friday, May 27 - 3:30 pm
Jubilee Auditorium
The list of students eligible to participate in the Commencement Celebrations will be posted on the following
dates:
List 1: March 10
Students must have the potential to complete all graduation requirements
AND be passing (50% or greater) all Quarter III 3 credit courses required for graduation.
List 2: April 18
Students must have the potential to complete all graduation requirements
AND be passing (50% or greater) all Semester II 5 credit courses required for graduation.
List 3: May 9 FINAL GRADUATION LIST
Students must have the potential to complete all graduation requirements
AND be passing all Semester II 5 credit courses and Quarter IV 3 credit courses required for
graduation.
Students will not be added to the graduation list after May 9; however, a student may be deleted from the
list.
Bishop Grandin 4
Parents Available To Assist With Graduation
In past years a number of family members of graduates helped energetically on the Graduation Committee.
It was a rewarding experience for students, parents and staff. There are opportunities available in several
areas, including gown distribution and Dinner/Dance organization. These activities generally require daytime
availability. If you are interested, please email Ms. Reinhart, Graduation Coordinator at
cynthia.reinhart@cssd.ab.ca. Watch for more graduation information in the newsletters, on the Bishop
Grandin web site and in the next bulletin.
Parent/Teacher Interviews-(October 22 and November 16)
Parent/Teacher Interviews will occur on Thursday, October 22nd from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm and again on
Monday, November 16th between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. Our user friendly online booking system allows
parents to book ten minute interviews with their son/daughter’s teacher. Interviews are by
appointment only. The online booking system opens on Monday, October 5, 2015 at 8:00 am and closes
Monday, November 16, 2015 at 2:30 pm. Please see our website for more information.
School Council
All parents are invited to attend our School Council meetings. Our next meeting is October 28th at 7:00 pm.
Meetings are held in the school/office conference room. All parents are welcome.
Bus Pass Scanning Information
Students must meet the eligibility criteria in order to receive a rebate on the purchase of a monthly
youth Calgary Transit pass. Refer to www.cssd.ab.ca and follow the Transportation link. Transit Pass rebate
forms must be submitted yearly. If you have not yet submitted your form, they are available at the school’s
main office or business office or at www.cssd.ab.ca and follow the Transportation link.
Bus Pass Scanning Dates for the current year:
Oct 5 & 6, Nov 5 & 6, Dec 1 & 2, Jan 5 & 6, Feb 3 & 4, March 3 & 4, April 5 & 6, May 4 & 5, June 1 & 2
Last day for bus pass scanning for 2015-2016 will be June 24, 2016.
Diploma Accommodations
Alberta Education is committed to providing fair and equitable access to educational opportunities for all
students. Accommodations (ex: extra time, a CD) are available for students with special examination writing
needs for whom the writing of a diploma examination would be inequitable without a specific
accommodation. Any student that has a current Alberta Education Exceptional Code or is a designated ELL
student should see Mrs. Beauregard (Diverse Learning, CT) as soon as possible regarding the process of
applying for exam accommodations and pick up ‘history of use’ forms. The deadline to hand in
documentation of 'history of use' is October 30th, 2015. Meetings for students regarding diploma
accommodations will take place Monday, October 5 – Thursday, October 8 at lunch in the Learning Center
(A017).
Please check our school website at http://www.cssd.ab.ca/bishopgrandin for updated
information about our school. You can also access Bishop Grandin twitter @BGrandinCCSD
Connections
CALGARY CATHOLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT MONTHLY NEWS
OCTOBER 2015
The 7th Annual Calgary Catholic Run and Walk raises over $37,000!
We are proud to announce that the Calgary Catholic Run & Walk raised $37,554 this year—the largest amount ever! The Calgary Catholic Education Foundation, the Calgary Catholic Immigration
Society and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation will each receive a cheque for $12,518. A big
thank you to all our participants, sponsors and organizers for making this happen! Also a special
thank you to Bishop Henry for providing our opening prayer. Check out our event video!
November 1 is Catholic Education Sunday
On this day, we recognize and celebrate the wonderful work that is taking place throughout the
province in our Catholic schools. It is an opportunity to support quality Catholic education in our
community and to ensure that the present and future needs of Catholic education are met. Catholic
Education Sunday is also an opportunity for us to share our spirit of generosity. The Calgary Catholic Education Foundation (CCEF) is a charitable organization dedicated to enhancing educational
experiences for students in the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD). The foundation provides
grants that support innovative programs and projects that touch the lives of students in our schools.
Did you
know?
Over the past year,
the Calgary Catholic
Education Foundation
has provided $250,000
in school grants to 46
schools in the Calgary
Catholic School
District.
On November 1, there will be a special collection at each mass. Look for the envelopes in the pews
of your parish. We thank you in advance for your contribution. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, God
shows us that it only takes one person, or one action, to make a difference in many lives. Let that
person be you. For more information about the Calgary Catholic Education Foundation, visit
www.theccef.ca.
No Classes – Thanksgiving Monday and Faith Day
There will be no classes in district schools on Thanksgiving Monday, October 12. As Thanksgiving
Day approaches, we turn our thoughts to the abundance we have received from God and, recalling our faith theme—“walk humbly with God”, give thanks for our many blessings with grateful
hearts. All district schools will also be closed on Monday, November 2 for our annual Faith Day—an
inspirational, faith-based professional development day for all staff. Each year, this event provides
district staff with unique opportunities for professional growth, reflection and a reaffirmation of our
common goal of Catholic education.
Calgary Catholic celebrates three sod turnings
During the month of September, the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) celebrated three sod turnings and site blessings for future schools in the communities of
Skyview Ranch (pictured), Legacy and Silverado. In Skyview Ranch, a K–9 school is expected to open in the fall of 2017. In Silverado, a K–9 school is also expected to open in
the fall of 2017. In Legacy, a Grade 10–12 high school is expected to open in 2017–2018.
To learn more, please visit the Future Schools area of our website.
Blessing the site before construction begins on a new school is a CCSD tradition that
allows us to acknowledge the importance of providing a faith-based education for
our children at each new school. Calgary Catholic currently has 10 new schools in various stages
of development. Extensive planning and public consultation goes into the decision making process
of every new school we open. Entrance procedures, attendance boundaries and school naming are
determined and developed through the Help Plan Our Future (HPOF) public participation process.
1000 Fifth Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 4T9
403-500-2000
www.cssd.ab.ca