BRACE Blast!

Hello Parents/Guardians, and Students,

We wanted to let you know that the November Break will continue as scheduled in the 2025-2026 BRSD School Calendar. This means that schools will be closed on Monday, November 10, Tuesday, November 11 (Remembrance Day), and Wednesday, November 12. You can find a link to the calendar HERE.

Adjustments to the BRSD 2025-2026 calendar are still being considered and will be explored once more information/direction is provided from the Ministry of Education. Any changes to the calendar would need approval from the BRSD Board of Trustees. If there are any changes, we will communicate them as soon as possible.

The January Grade 9 PATs and diploma exams have been cancelled for students at all school authorities, including public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools.

With the January diploma exams cancelled, Grade 12 students will receive the school-awarded mark as their final mark. They will also receive a notation on their transcript to ensure there is no impact on their ability to graduate or transition into post-secondary.

DUE DATES FOR QUARTER 1 COURSES HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED

These dates are given to help make the coursework manageable and to give students time for review, rewrites, studying, etc.

- Students can find these posted in Moodle

- Quarter 1 class due dates have been adjusted - students are responsible for knowing these

- Students do need to recognize that they will put in time to stay on track

- All Quarter 1 coursework due is Nov 17th

- Quarter 1 Final exams written on or before: Nov 19th

Quarter 2 Courses

- Quarter 2 class due dates will also be adjusted

- Quarter 2 will START Nov. 20

- All Quarter 2 coursework due: January 16th (all diploma coursework, including exams, due this day)

- Quarter 2 Final exams for 10s and 20s must written on or before: January Jan 19th - 23rd

Semester Courses

- due dates will be adjusted to have students finish coursework by January 16th to give time for review, rewrites, studying, etc.

These are things that we do NOT know yet, but will communicate any information once we know it.

- Adjustments to year calendar
- Adjustments to bell schedule
- January Diploma exam dates/implications - THIS HAS BEEN UPDATED - SEE ABOVE.

Please remember that due dates are set to help students manage the activities in the courses in a way that is sustainable and beneficial for learning. These will be adjusted to support students so that the course work is manageable; however, there will be areas where a higher level of engagement is necessary.

Please ensure to reach and communicate to teachers when you are struggling or if circumstances arise.

Student Acknowledgement forms are available in Rycor since many of the paper copies were not returned. Please have this completed ASAP.

Please ensure that verification and re-enrollment forms are done as well! If not, students aren't fully registered and will be frozen.

School fees have been assigned and are due ASAP in Rycor.

You can pay the fees online here.

November

- Monday, Nov. 3 - Math Diploma

- Tuesday, Nov. 4 - ELA Diploma Part B

- Wednesday, Nov. 5 - SS Diploma Part B

- Thursday, Nov. 6 - Physics Diploma am, Biology Diploma pm

- Friday, Nov. 7 - Chemistry Diploma am, Science Diploma pm

- Friday, Nov. 7 - Remembrance Day Recognition

*We have not had the ability to look into November Diplomas or implications, but here are dates for those who were planning on writing them

Click here for the BRSD 2025-26 Printable Calendar

Gr. 12's - do you have questions about your admission offers? Please connect with your career counsellor if you have questions or concerns about an offer and watch your emails from institutions about your next steps.

Career Counselling News for November!

There are some open houses coming up!

We have made a concerted effort to add more unique scholarships in the last month, adding over 20 brand-new scholarships in the previous couple of weeks.

Here are some scholarships that are exclusive to ScholarTree:

• https://scholartree.ca/scholarship/the-launchpad-scholarship-by-tundra-technical/yXmqSluF_7

• https://scholartree.ca/scholarship/jay-nijholt-scholarship/0yVGYK0BpE

Maintaining good grades is essential for securing many scholarships. Here are some blogs that talk about how to achieve better grades:

• Five Tips to Boost Your GPA

• Beyond Cramming: Unlocking Success with Smart Study Strategies

• How to Get a 99% Average in High School

A big thanks to our wellness team for the treats and welcoming students back!

Jaden is our Wellness Coach and Dayna is our Student Wellness Facilitator! And they bring a lot of wellness - this time in donuts and snacks ;)

Mr. Price is going to host playing Go on Mondays and Wednesdays at lunch!

Talk to Mr. Price if you are interested!

We are planning for lunches to start next week, but will confirm that by the end of the week.

Whether you’re starting your career or expanding your skill set, Delmar College Red Deer provides the hands-on training, industry insight, and expert mentorship you need to succeed in today’s competitive beauty industry.

The “Cell phone policy” has gotten lots of media attention this summer. We know that phones have a negative effect on attention and a negative effect on learning. Working with families and students to ensure a positive learning environment for our students is our goal.

Call the office if you need to get a hold of your student! Please do not call or text them in the middle of class.

Please ensure you are aware of the policy in our Handbook:

BRSD AP 135 - USE OF PERSONAL MOBILE DEVICES AND SOCIAL MEDIA IN SCHOOLS governs device use.

Specifically to BRACE:

1. Students will keep their devices in their backpack or bag and will not use it during instructional time unless for instructional purposes as directed by staff.

2. Students may use their phone at break times and may use it in the classroom only during lunch time.

3. Students need to discuss special circumstances with their teacher and administration. Administration will meet with families to discuss the need and a medical note may be required.

Progressive discipline will be implemented as per AP 135.

We are at based out of École Camrose Composite High School at 6205-48 Ave. When you come in the main parking lot, there is a set of parking spots in the North West corner of the parking lot, marked BRACE Parking. There are a set of stairs on the outside of the North East corner of the building that you would go up and then enter through the NORTH DOOR. A big sign is on the North East corner of the building to help out!

8:40-9:45 Instructional Time

9:45-9:50 Break

9:50-11:00 Instructional Time

11:00-11:05 Break

11:05-12:00 Instructional Time

12:00-12:30 Lunch

12:30-1:45 Instructional Time

1:45-1:50 Break

1:50-3:05 Instructional Time

Let’s Get Together!!

The Career Counselling Team is back and available to meet with high school students. Book appointments using the online booking calendar inside the High School Plus Google classroom. If you need us earlier, please email us. Grade 11 & 12 students should check their myPass for completed courses and credits. Remember to use your PERSONAL EMAIL to connect.

Our Career Counsellors have been busy! Check out their newsletter here and follow them on Instagram @hsplusbrsd!

Did you know you can check your student’s grades any time! We now use a tool called PowerSchool so that students and families can see their grades in real time - as soon as we enter a grade in, you can see it! More information is provided in another newsletter!

If you need bussing or would like to see if it is a possibility, please call us!