Calgary Journal Online

Students share their experiences about school life

Since it opened three years ago, Calgary’s Webber Academy is ranked in the Top 5 high schools in Alberta on the Fraser Institute’s report card for school performance. The school offers Junior Kindergarten through Grade 12 with a total of 878 children, but the prestige doesn’t come without a price.

Tuition runs from $7,900 per year for half-day early childhood programs to $15,000 per year in high school. After parents attend information sessions they are able to apply and eventually meet Dianne Lever, director of admissions. She will sit down with the family for a pre-interview and test the children.

Lever said that when looking for candidates applying to the school, she checks old report cards and comments concerning work ethic and behavior. She also looks for kids who seem like they need a challenge. Younger children will be tested in groups of four to five and answer questions read aloud by Lever while circling in a work book. Older children entering junior or senior high will fill out the workbooks themselves and Lever will determine where they stand.

Jason Bickert(left) and Bernadette Prettegiani, both students attending Webber Academy.

Photo: Sharon Titus/Calgary Journal

Bernadette Prettegiani is in her senior year of high school, and has been at Webber Academy for 12 years. “It’s really fun and you get to meet really different people,” she said.

Currently a part of the student union, she has hosted the 30-Hour Famine for her school and has also been a part of both the Chinese and music programs. After applying and getting accepted to both the University of Calgary and the University of Saskatchewan, Prettegiani hopes to attend the U of S veterinarian program.

The Advanced Placement program, which allows students to take college-level courses in high school is used by the school, and is well recognized by universities around North America. Webber Academy is also part of Calgary Independent Schools’ Athletic Association.

Once a month students are allowed to dress as they choose; other days they require a uniform. “We want them to have respect for themselves, that’s why the uniform. We want them to take pride in what they wear and how they look,” Lever said.

According to Lever, Webber Academy offers Spanish (JK-Grade 12), Mandarin (Grades 4, 5 and 6) and French (Grade 7-12). Both Mandarin and Spanish are mandatory in Grades 4, 5 and 6.

Students are taught and given opportunities for public speaking right from an early age.

“We feel that someone can achieve high marks but unless they can speak eloquently and communicate their ideas effectively to others, then they will never be able to convince others that their ideas are worth listening to,” said Lever.

Two counsellors work at the school to provide career counselling and to bring in university representatives to tell kids about the different schools and help them apply.

Jason Bickert, who is also in his senior year of high school at Webber Academy, has only been there for the past three years. Being a part of the speech and debate team, Bickert has competed provincially and will soon to move on to nationals.

“Year-long courses as opposed to semester-long allow for more time to study and learn the material,” said Bickert.

After applying to many schools including Yale, Princeton, Harvard and New York University to take business and economics, he is waiting to hear back and hopes to make the right decision.

Samantha Morrison, a former student of Webber Academy, now attends Western Canada High School. In high school she decided she needed a change and after seeing how much her older sister enjoyed Western Canada, she too decided she would transfer. Morrison played volleyball and badminton at Webber Academy and what she enjoyed most was the athletics and diversity between students.

“Webber was always very strict but Western wasn’t, which made me feel like I could have more freedom without the pressure,” said Morrison.

Although she learned organizational and educational skills, she did not learn the life skills she is now picking up at Western Canada.

Morrison’s mother decided to choose Webber Academy for her daughters because it was close to home, had smaller classes and enforced uniforms.

“They seemed like they were more organized and were being taught different life-managing skills,” said Della Morrison about what she thought the girls took away from the school.

She noticed differences between her daughters attending private and public school.

“One thing I noticed about switching from private to public was the fact that the teachers at Webber Academy all knew my children's name and were a lot closer to them, rather than just being a student number in a public school,” she said.