JGD Weekly Update | April 6-10, 2026

Competition Win!!!

Grade 10 student, Eliana A., has won the Valour Canada's Korean War Letter Writing Competition. She beat out all other high school CBE applicants to win this prestigious award. The award includes:

• A $250 scholarship 
• An invitation to attend and read her letter to the audience at the 75^th Anniversary Commemoration of the Battle of Kapyong at The Military Museum
• A pizza lunch for her Grade 10-1 social studies class!

 An impressive feat! Congratulations!

School Council

School Council Meeting at 6:30 PM on Tuesday April 14, Trustee Laura Hack will be attending and answering questions. To attend, please register through the  link below:

Trustee Laura Hack meeting, Tuesday April 14, 6:30 PM at Diefenbaker High School. – Fill out form

Canadian Citizenship Ceremony

We are hosting a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony at John G. Diefenbaker High School at 10:30 AM on Thursday, April 23. This is a very special ceremony at which 50 new Canadians will be sworn in as Canadian Citizens. (Please note: We have shifted the date from April 21).

If you or any close family members or friends have an open application for citizenship with IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), please advise us what stage in the process you/they are and if you are interested in being potentially scheduled for this event. Please include your UCI or Citizenship application number. Direct your replies to Mr. Bill Hilton at behilton@cbe.ab.ca and this information will be forwarded to IRCC.

Student Parking

Student parking is available in the Student Parking Lot ONLY on the south side of the school. Students must purchase (from the Business Office) and display a vehicle parking tag on their dashboard. Vehicles parked without a valid parking tag may be ticketed.

Class of 2026 Graduation Rings

www.jostens.com

2025-2026 Semester 2 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:

• Calculator Rental: Calculator rental is still available. Please use this Link.
• Parking Pass: Parking passes are still available. Please use this Link.

Ride of the Chiefs

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 5:00 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 – 5:00 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 Government’s law regarding cell phones. Teachers only allow students to be on their phones when it is part of the learning. 

Parent please do not text or call your child when they are in their classrooms.  Or if you do text or call, please do not expect an immediate response. Students are not allowed to take calls or texts during the learning and if they do, they face consequences. If there is an emergency, please call our main phone number and ask one of the Secretaries to call into the classroom.  Parents contacting students during class time has become a concern in our building and we ask for your assistance!

Diefenbaker IB Hoodies

Please order yours today 😊

The Kingdom Carriers

The Kingdom Carriers is a new student-run club that will be starting on Tuesday, April 7 at John G. Diefenbaker. At lunchtime, students are invited to come to room 218 to come join in on various fun activities related to the Bible. Mr. Colten is our Teacher Sponsor for this club.

Diefenbaker IB Exam Schedule May 2026

View Diefenbaker IB Exam Schedule 2026

Athletics & Events Schedule

New! Career & Technology Studies Courses Summer School Opportunity

Please contact Mr. Coutts if interested in any of the Summer School Programs below at djcoutts@cbe.ab.ca

Select CTS courses​ are available for Summer School (July 2-28). Apply from March 2 - April 17 (you'll be notified by email in early May). CBE Summer School Programs 

Explore Broadcasting & Podcasting

• Credits: 5
• Location: Sir Winston Churchill High School
• Course Fee: $15.00 plus $100.00 deposit 

Explore Cosmetology

• Credits: 10
• Location: Centennial High School
• Course Fee: $75.00

​Explore Welding

• Credits: 5
• Location: Forest Lawn High School
• Course fee: $120

Introduction to Engineering

• Credits: 5
• Location: Sir Winston Churchill High School
• Course Fee: $15.00

Introduction to Networking and Cybersecurity

• Credits: 5​
• Location: Sir Winston Churchill High School
• Program Fee: $15.00