Good Afternoon NTHS Families 

This upcoming week at North Trail will be very busy, with a number of events happening within the building, including a residency, work with an Elder, and Spirit Week.  

Drama Residency with Wakefield Brewster 

The North Trail Drama Program is honoured to welcome professional poet, spoken word artist, and Calgary’s sixth Poet Laureate, Wakefield Brewster, to lead our classes through a series of workshops October 28 to November 1. He has been working with students from elementary school all the way to the post-secondary level for over 20 years, presenting what he calls “Writing Change into the World”. An advocate for literacy and the humanities, he believes in the importance of empowering students to find their voice and create change.  During his residency, he will be guiding students through the process of writing their own spoken word piece and then engage in the rehearsal process to get their work ready to be performed. Working off of student ideas, experiences, and interpretations of their own worlds, themes may include justice, equality, diversity, accessibility, how to make positive change, and more, depending on where our students’ ideas take us on this creative and empowering journey.  

Indigenous Studies 10 - Elder Visit 

On November 1, students from our Indigenous Studies 10 class will join Kainai Elder Saa’kokoto at the Blackfoot Sun Wheel at Nose Hill to engage in teachings and story related to his grandfather’s honourable contributions to Vimy Ridge. Students will also make a Memorial Wreath from the indigenous plants of Treaty 7 to commemorate the experience and bring the spirit of the day to our Remembrance Day Ceremony on November 7t 2024. 

Spirit Week Oct. 28- Nov.1 

Scholarships 

Breakthrough Opportunity Bursary for New Immigrants 

• Currently completing grade 12 
• Refugee or immigrant students who have come to Canada within the last five years 
• Students pursuing trades/vocational programs are strongly encouraged to apply 
• Must have academic grades sufficient to allow admission into their chosen area of student (although academic achievement is not the determining factor for this award) 
• Demonstrates financial need   

Laurie Sommerville Scholarship Award 

• Students wish to pursue post-secondary education  
• Adverse life experiences and/or are in need of some financial support  
• Students in grade 11 or 12 
• First Nations, Metis, Inuit students and students pursuing trades or vocational programs are strongly encouraged to apply 

Skilled Trade Fair 

We are excited to invite you and your family to the Skilled Trade Fair hosted by CAREERS NEXT GENERATION, taking place at James Fowler High School on Wednesday, October 30, from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM, in the main gym. 

This event is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore different career pathways and connect with over 50 industry professionals. Your child will also have the chance to learn about paid internship programs, including the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP), which can provide hands-on work experience while students are still in school. It is also beneficial if students who attend are on track toward achieving the minimum entrance requirements for a specific trade, as set out by the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training guidelines. 

We encourage you to accompany and support your child as they explore potential career opportunities and receive valuable guidance from industry experts. 

Event Details: 

• Date: Wednesday, October 30 
• Time: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM 
• Location: James Fowler High School, Main Gym 

To register for this event, please visit: RAP and Skilled Trade Fair Registration. 

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Student Parking and General Parking Expectations 

Student parking passes have been assigned and need to be displayed when students are parking in the student parking lot.  We will check the lot and cars without a pass can be ticketed and towed. 

Our student parking lot is almost all assigned.  If a student still has a parking application in progress, they need to make sure that all requirements are met to become eligible for one of the very few remaining spots.  Please come to the main office and speak to Ms. Backus to determine if a spot is still available. 

Students should never park in the staff parking lot.  It is off limits to anyone but staff. The visitor lot is only to be used for parents with an appointment during the school day, for trades at the school working on the facility, and for supporting staff.  These visitors to North Trail need to sign in at the front office where their license plate is recorded.  Spots reserved for administration are reserved 24 hours. The visitor lot is also not for student use. 

Alberta-Spain Virtual Exchange Program 

This school year, Alberta Education continues to offer a virtual student exchange program with Spain. Alberta Education, in collaboration with its exchange partner in Asturias, Spain, has been working to develop a 6-week virtual exchange program for students starting in February 2025. This will be a great opportunity for students to make language connections. Please find  attached a brief overview of the virtual exchange program that we will be offering to students in Grades 9 to 12. educ-virtual-student-exchange-guidelines.pdf Virtual Student Exchange Application.pdf 

Academic Awards – Friday, November 15 (4 – 6 pm at NTHS) 

Our awards celebration will honour students in grades 10 and 11 last year who stood out in the following areas: 

• Academic Excellence Awards 
• Citizenship Awards 
• Leadership Awards 
• Fine Arts Awards 
• Top Academic Awards (2 students only, one for grade 10 and one for grade 11) 
• Nighthawk Awards (2 students only, by grade, as above) 

Award recipients will receive a certificate in Trail Time on November 6.  They will also receive an invitation to our award celebration by School Messenger. Please keep an eye out for a personalized invitation to attend our awards event.  

Students on our Honour Roll will be recognized with a certificate, and their names will be placed on our Honour Roll list within our Awards Cabinet.  To be placed on our NTHS Honour Roll, a student must have an overall average of 80%!  This accomplishment was achieved by over 500 students last year at North Trail!   

 Upcoming Dates