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  • School Profile

    School Profile

    Westminster School is located in the community of Glenora. We welcome students from our direct feeder schools - Glenora, Coronation, Grovenor, Westglen and Oliver. We excel at combining academics, arts, athletics and real life experiences for our students and as a result, we also welcome Grade Seven to Nine students from all over the City of Edmonton in the delivery of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYP), in which our Regular Program, and two District Special Needs Programs - Strategies and Behaviour Learning Assistance reside.

    Westminster exists to create a safe space for students to find out who they are and flourish into who they are meant to be. We provide rich and fulfilling experiences for students, coupled with academic discipline and community involvement. Students leave Westminster feeling challenged, respected and valued, and confident.

    We are Inclusive. Everyone belongs. Everyone is valued.

    We Build Character. Kind, compassionate, and empathetic students.

    We look Beyond Schooling. We educate whole, well-rounded students through a multitude of opportunities and rich experiences.

    We have Fun. There is an element of delight in all that we do.

    We are Community - Centred. Inside and outside of Westminster, we focus on building a better world. 

    At Westminster, we are big believers in giving back. Not only is SERVICE a part of who we are, it's part of the core building blocks of the IBMYP.  Every year, our students collectively commit to over 5,500 hours of volunteering. We wholeheartedly believe service helps develop well-rounded students, and establishes a fundamental principle of giving those who need our support. 

    During the 2019/2020 school year, Westminster was chosen as one of four schools in the Edmonton area to compete in the Hockey Helps Kids challenge, hosted by the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation. Our Westminster Warriors chose to support Little Warriors, a local charity focused on the awareness, prevention, and treatment of child sexual abuse. As a result of this opportunity, Westminster has developed a strong relationship with Little Warriors and going forward, we continue to have our Warriors helping Warriors, with Little Warriors and the The Be Brave Ranch as our school's Charity of Choice. 

     

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Run for the Cure

Interested in joining or supporting the Westminster School Run for the Cure Community Team? Click here

Students, Families, Alumni and Community Members are all welcome to join or support!

 

Full In Planned Classes

For the 2024 - 2025 school year, Westminster School is full in planned classes for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years and regular programs. We will no longer accept enrolment requests for in the International Baccalaureate program. For the regular program, we will now only accept resident students for Grades 7 to 9 whose parent(s)/legal guardian(s) have newly moved into the school’s attendance area. A resident student of Edmonton Public Schools has at least one parent or legal guardian living in Edmonton who is not Roman Catholic. Non-resident students can enrol in another Division school with space in planned classes.

 

If you are new to Edmonton Public Schools, you must register online

 

2024-2025 Parent Handbook

Please <click here> for the 2024-2025 (more updates to come)

 

First Day of School Notes (#1)

Hello Westminster Families,
We are less than a week away from school starting and there is lots of work going on to get ready for the first day. Our enrollment jumped dramatically over the summer and we are now full at all grade levels. We have so many new students joining us we are opening another cohort of grade 7s. This is great news as it will lower our class sizes at this grade level. This also means our school timetable has to be redone to accommodate the new classes.  We are still on track for students to have schedules on the first day of school. 
Below is the first batch of questions and answers to help you get ready for the new school year.
 
Q0. Why am I getting this email? My child is not going to Westminster.
  • There are often glitches that occur during enrolment, if we have your child on our registrar by mistake it will be cleared up over the next few days.
Q1. Are there two parent orientation days?
  • No. Originally we had planned to have an orientation for parents on Monday night and Wednesday afternoon during the grade 7 orientation for parents. We decided to cancel the Monday night orientation as we can get all the information to you during the grade 7 orientation. We invite all parents to come with their child(ren) to grade 7 orientation, we have a parent session while the kids are learning about the school. More information will be sent to you over the weekend. 
Q2. Are we arranging homerooms by Math abilities?
  • This is a very active rumour that is circulating at the moment. We are not organizing homerooms by student's Math abilities. What we have done is remove the Math classes from the homeroom groupings. Homeroom cohorts will share the same English, Social, Science and Physical Education classes and there will be different student groupings for option classes and Math. Math groupings are based on a student's level of demonstrated independence in working through the concepts of Mathematics. Evidence was gathered from their last year's teachers and available assessments. The reason for this is that the range in students' independent Math abilities spans from the Grade 3 level all the way to the end of Grade 9. By grouping the Math classes this way we still have a range of abilities so students can learn together while at the same time meeting the diverse needs of our current student population.  
Q3. How do I access the transit system for the first few days of school in August?
  • ETS Riders. Students planning to use transit on August 29 and 30 can purchase single-use tickets directly from ETS. September Edmonton Transit (ETS) passes purchased through the Division are valid starting September 1. ARC cards can be loaded with enough money to cover to first two days of school. This must be done through the ARC website (https://www.myarc.ca/). Future monthly bus passes can be purchased via SchoolZone.
  • Yellow Bus Riders (students enrolled in a special program). September yellow bus passes will be valid for travel starting on the first school day, August 29. Yellow bus drivers will allow students to board on August 29 and 30 without a pass. Schools will then distribute passes to confirmed riders.
Q4. Has the bell schedule changed for this year? <click here>
  • We have slightly modified our bell schedule compared to last year. This year:
    • school doors will open at 8:30 a.m. 
    • classes begin at 8:40 a.m.
    • there is a 4-minute transition between classes
    • there is a 7-minute nutrition break mid-morning
    • lunch starts at 12:30 p.m.
    • lunch ends at 1:05 p.m.
    • school ends at 3:00 p.m.

Q5. When will schedules be released?

  • Timetables will be released on SchoolZone either Wednesday, August 28, after 9:00 p.m. or Thursday morning (fingers crossed) depending on when the schedule is completed. Students will receive a printout of their timetable first thing in the morning when they arrive at school.

Q6. How do I get an Option or Homeroom Change?

  • If a student would like to request an option change they can complete the change request form and submit it to the office before Friday, September 6th at 4:00 p.m. The ability to change an option is dependent on the availability of seating in that particular option.  Forms will be available for pick up from the main office. No change will occur before Friday, September 6th.
  • It's highly unlikely for homeroom changes to occur due to the current class sizes. Parents can request a homeroom change by emailing the school, and a committee of teachers will review the request. Creating homeroom cohorts involves considering many factors, so making a single change is very challenging.

Q7. Is there a change to the cell phone policy?

  • Personal Mobile Devices (Cell Phones, Smart Watches, Smart Glasses) At Westminster School, the policy prohibiting the use of personal mobile devices and wireless earbuds will continue in our learning spaces, bathrooms, and changing rooms. This includes cell phones, connected smartwatches, and smart glasses. Cell phones must be out of sight and powered down. Students are allowed to use their cell phones during the nutrition break and at lunch. However, at no time can a student take a picture, make a video, or create audio recordings of any member of the school community (staff, students, and visitors) without consent. Students may use wired headphones to listen to music via their Chromebooks or laptops with the permission of the teacher.
  • Accessing social media platforms during school hours is not allowed.
  • Should a student require their cell phone for medication reasons, such as insulin monitoring, please contact the office so we can set up a medical management plan.

Q8. Do we need to get our child a Chromebook?

  • It is generally considered best practice for students to have their own Chromebook. The school will have a very limited number of Chromebooks available for rent to families who face financial challenges in purchasing a Chromebook. A $150 deposit will be required. Classes that frequently use Chromebooks will have 4-5 devices available for students who do not have one to use during class. The school office will not have Chromebooks or chargers to lend to students during the school year. When you purchase your child a Chromebook please consider that the more basic it is the more likely something will not break. Please also consider purchasing a device that has a USB-C charging port as that is all we have here at the school.

Q9. Can students bring their backpacks to class?

  • Students are not allowed to bring backpacks into the classrooms. However, they can visit their lockers in between classes to exchange materials. We have added an extra minute to the transition time to help students have enough time to go to their lockers and then get to class on time.
Q10. What does the first day of school look like?
  • On the first day of school, all students are asked to enter through the main door and proceed to the small gym to receive a printout of their timetables. During the first period, students will be assigned lockers and given time to store their belongings. All students must use a school-issued numeric combination lock. Locks will be distributed during the first period, and a fee of $9.00 will be added to the School Fee assessment. Students who have a school-issued lock from a previous school year may use it.
Q11. What does the first week of school look like?
  • During the first week of school, we prioritize building relationships and setting expectations with the students. These initial weeks are crucial in shaping the rest of the school year, so we put in the effort to understand each student as a learner, to provide them with the best chance for success. There will be no tests or quizzes during this time. If your child has unique learning needs that we are not yet aware of please contact the main office. 
 

Principal's Message

Hello Future Warrior! 

Welcome to Westminster Junior High School, located in the heart of the beautiful Glenora community.  Westmin’ is a school with a long history of academic excellence, athletic achievement and community service. We are one of only two public junior high schools in Edmonton that offers the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP). At Wesmin’ IBMYP is for everyone, the great teachers at our school have an impressive way of incorporating the IBMYP into all sorts of activities and lessons. Our students, or Warriors, move on from Westmin’ into high schools prepared with a complete well-rounded junior high education and experience.

At Westmin’ you can excel in academics, athletics and the arts. In our inclusive community, you can excel at building skateboards in our Industrial Design program, at making music in our band and guitar programs or at creating the next great dish in our Culinary Arts program. You can push past your personal limits in Sports Performance while making the community and world a better place through our Leadership program. Through our many pathways to success, our Warriors find their excellence and are ready to challenge and change the world.

JP Cooper