Notre Dame Collegiate School
Notre Dame Collegiate, Alberta
Introduction
Notre Dame Collegiate (NDC) is a Catholic junior-senior high school located in High River, Alberta. Serving students in Grades 7 through 12, the school provides education for young people from High River and surrounding communities. It is part of Christ the Redeemer (CTR) Catholic Schools and combines Alberta's academic curriculum with Catholic faith formation, extracurricular activities, athletics, fine arts, career exploration, and community service. The school describes its educational philosophy as providing students with “big-school opportunities” while maintaining a “small-school sense of community.”
Located at 1500 High Country Drive NW in High River, Notre Dame Collegiate has a student population of more than 500. Its relatively broad Grade 7–12 structure allows students to remain within the same school community as they progress from junior high into senior high. The school places considerable emphasis on academic achievement, personal development, faith, leadership, service, athletics, and participation in extracurricular activities.
History and Development: Notre Dame Collegiate School
The current Notre Dame Collegiate facility has an interesting history. According to Christ the Redeemer Catholic Schools' 2026–2029 capital plan, the building was originally constructed in 1998 as an elementary school. It was subsequently repurposed as a junior/senior high school in 2003. Following the 2013 flood, the school underwent extensive renovation and rebuilding, including the development of construction, foods, and new-media laboratories. Additional portable classrooms were added as enrolment increased, while a running track and sports field were constructed in 2017.
The school division's capital plan identifies Notre Dame Collegiate as an important part of a growing community. The document notes that High River has experienced population growth and that the school itself has experienced significant enrolment growth. Strong academic results are identified as one factor attracting families to the school. The division has therefore identified the development of a new school as a priority, although the capital plan indicates that a replacement is not expected in the immediate future.
This history helps explain the school's combination of established facilities and additions designed to accommodate changing educational needs. The renovations and specialized learning spaces have supported programming in areas such as construction, foods, technology, and new media.
Catholic Identity and Mission: Notre Dame Collegiate School
Faith is a central part of the identity of Notre Dame Collegiate. The school's mission is to nurture in students a love of Christ and a commitment to Catholic ideals. It also emphasizes academic excellence, extracurricular involvement, and service to the community. The school views education as a partnership involving students, staff, families, and the parish community.
Catholic education at NDC extends beyond a single religious studies course. The school describes its environment as one permeated by faith, with opportunities for students to develop both personally and spiritually. Activities include Masses, liturgical celebrations, retreats, and service missions. These activities are intended to connect students' academic and personal development with Christian values such as compassion, responsibility, service, respect, and community involvement.
For families seeking a Catholic education in the High River area, this religious component is likely to be one of the school's most important distinguishing characteristics. At the same time, NDC presents itself as a school committed to serving students with different academic interests and abilities.
Academic Program: Notre Dame Collegiate School
Academically, Notre Dame Collegiate offers the Alberta curriculum across Grades 7–12. The school emphasizes high expectations while also providing additional support for students who need it. Its academic philosophy is based on challenging students to develop their knowledge, skills, and understanding while giving them the support necessary to meet those expectations.
One of NDC's strengths is the variety of elective and options programming available to students. These options allow students to explore interests beyond the traditional academic subjects and can help them identify possible career or post-secondary pathways.
Arts-related opportunities include Art, Drama, Photography, and New Media. Music programming includes Band, while junior-high students can participate in a marching band program. The school also promotes fine arts festivals and drama productions, giving students opportunities to perform, create, collaborate, and display their work.
Technology and career-oriented programming is another significant area. Depending on grade level and yearly availability, students can explore subjects such as Construction, Food Studies, Computer Programming, Robotics, STEM/STEAM, and Synthetic Biology. These programs provide opportunities for practical learning and can complement students who are interested in engineering, trades, technology, science, design, or other applied fields.
The school also provides options in social sciences and humanities, including Legal Studies, Psychology, and Military History. Outdoor Education, leadership, learning strategies, and enhanced French are among other opportunities listed by the school. Because option availability can change from one academic year to another, families should confirm the current course guide when planning a student's program.
Student Support and Learning: Notre Dame Collegiate School
Notre Dame Collegiate recognizes that students have different learning needs and provides learning-support opportunities. The school specifically identifies a Learning Support Program for students who require additional assistance. Its staff directory also identifies specialized learning-support personnel and educational assistants.
Through the wider Christ the Redeemer school division, student services can include specialized professional support. The division's approach is intended to help students access appropriate educational programming and participate successfully in school life.
This is important because a school serving Grades 7–12 must address a wide range of developmental and academic needs. Students entering Grade 7 are at a very different stage from students preparing for graduation. A combination of classroom instruction, learning strategies, educational assistance, and individualized support can help students transition successfully through the different stages of secondary education.
Athletics: Notre Dame Collegiate School
Athletics are an important component of the Notre Dame Collegiate experience. The school's teams are known as the Timberwolves, and the school colours are blue and grey. School Sport Alberta identifies Notre Dame Collegiate as a South Central zone school and lists the Timberwolves in a variety of sports and competitions.
The school's athletics program includes volleyball, basketball, badminton, track and field, flag football, golf, and cross-country. Depending on the season and school year, students may also have access to other sports and activities through school or regional programs.
Athletics provide more than physical activity. School sports can help students develop teamwork, discipline, leadership, resilience, time management, and school spirit. Competitive teams also allow students to represent their school and community in regional and provincial competition.
The school's participation in Alberta school athletics gives students opportunities to compete against other schools while maintaining the broader educational purpose of extracurricular sport. The emphasis on participation is consistent with NDC's stated goal of helping students develop their gifts and become active members of their community.
Notre Dame Collegiate School
Fine Arts and Extracurricular Life
NDC's extracurricular environment extends beyond sports. The school promotes drama productions, fine arts festivals, music, design, and other creative opportunities. Its Design Studio and technology-related spaces provide students with opportunities to combine creativity with practical skills.
Participation in arts programs can be especially valuable for students who may not identify primarily with traditional academic or athletic activities. Drama, music, visual arts, photography, and new media can develop communication skills, confidence, creativity, collaboration, and presentation abilities.
The availability of extracurricular programs also contributes to the school's community atmosphere. Students who participate in teams, productions, clubs, service projects, or other activities have opportunities to build relationships with peers and teachers outside regular classroom instruction.
Career Preparation and Post-Secondary Planning: Notre Dame Collegiate School
Another important feature of Notre Dame Collegiate is its focus on career preparation. The school provides opportunities such as Work Experience and information about post-secondary education. Students can learn about different career pathways and gain exposure to workplaces before graduation.
Career-oriented options such as construction, foods, programming, robotics, sports medicine, legal studies, and other applied subjects can help students connect classroom learning with possible future careers. This is particularly useful for students who are still deciding whether they want to pursue university, college, apprenticeships, trades, or other forms of post-secondary education.
Work experience can also help students understand the expectations of employers and develop practical skills such as communication, reliability, responsibility, and teamwork. For senior students, these experiences can make the transition from secondary school to employment or further education more manageable.
Community and School Culture: Notre Dame Collegiate School
The culture promoted by Notre Dame Collegiate places considerable emphasis on belonging and community. The school describes itself as combining the opportunities associated with a larger school with the community feeling of a smaller school. With more than 500 students, NDC is large enough to provide a substantial range of academic, athletic, artistic, and extracurricular opportunities while remaining part of a relatively close-knit community in High River.
The school's Catholic identity also contributes to its community culture. Service, faith activities, celebrations, and partnerships among the school, family, and parish are presented as important components of the educational experience.
The school also formally acknowledges that it operates on Treaty Seven territory and recognizes the Indigenous peoples connected with the area, including the Kainai, Siksika, Piikani, Tsuut'ina, Stoney Nakoda, and Métis Nation Region 3.
Academic Outcomes
Notre Dame Collegiate places strong emphasis on academic achievement. The school's academic-excellence information states that Christ the Redeemer schools have strong academic results and are committed to continued improvement in student learning.
The school's Annual Education Results Report provides additional information about student outcomes and satisfaction. Its 2024–2025 report discusses student and community perceptions of the school's culture, describing a culture built around kindness, service, mutual respect, and active citizenship. It also reports high-school completion measures for NDC.
Academic performance should nevertheless be considered in context. School results can change from year to year, and factors such as student demographics, course selection, enrolment, and individual student circumstances can affect results. Families considering NDC should therefore look at the most recent Alberta Education and school reports rather than relying on a single historical statistic.
Facilities and Location: Notre Dame Collegiate School
Notre Dame Collegiate is located at 1500 High Country Drive NW in High River, Alberta. The school's facilities have evolved considerably since the original building opened in 1998. Renovations following the 2013 flood included specialized spaces for construction, foods, and new media, while later improvements included a running track and sports field.
Its location in High River makes NDC an important educational institution for the town and surrounding communities. The school's catchment and enrolment are connected to the growth of the local population, and the school division continues to monitor capacity and future facility requirements.
Overall Assessment: Notre Dame Collegiate School
Overall, Notre Dame Collegiate can be characterized as a comprehensive Catholic Grades 7–12 school that seeks to balance academic achievement with faith formation, extracurricular participation, athletics, arts, career preparation, and community service.
One of its major strengths is the breadth of opportunities available to students. A student interested in traditional academic subjects can pursue those studies while also participating in athletics, music, drama, technology, outdoor education, leadership, or career-oriented programming. This variety can be particularly valuable during adolescence, when students are beginning to discover their interests and consider their future education and careers.
Notre Dame Collegiate School
The school's Grades 7–12 structure is another distinctive feature. Students can potentially develop long-term relationships with classmates, teachers, coaches, and staff as they move from junior high into high school. At the same time, the school has enough enrolment to provide a relatively wide range of programs and activities.
The Catholic identity will be especially significant for families who want faith integrated into their child's education. Masses, retreats, religious instruction, service activities, and the school's mission provide a framework in which academic learning is connected to spiritual and personal development.
For prospective families, however, several practical considerations are worth investigating directly. Course availability can change annually, extracurricular fees and sports offerings may vary, and families should confirm current admission, transportation, program, and fee information with the school. The school welcomes new registrations and provides contact information for families who want to discuss enrolment or arrange an appointment.
Conclusion
Notre Dame Collegiate is an established Catholic secondary school serving High River and surrounding communities in Alberta. Its Grades 7–12 model, academic curriculum, faith-based environment, athletics, fine arts, technology programs, career exploration, and student-support services create a broad educational experience.
The school has developed considerably since its original construction in 1998 and its conversion into a junior/senior high school in 2003. Renovations and subsequent facility improvements have expanded its ability to provide specialized learning and extracurricular opportunities.
For students, NDC offers opportunities to develop academically while also exploring athletics, arts, technology, leadership, service, and career interests. For families, its combination of Catholic values, community orientation, academic expectations, and extracurricular programming makes it a significant educational option in the High River area.
Ultimately, Notre Dame Collegiate's central philosophy is reflected in its effort to help students discover and develop their individual abilities while becoming responsible members of their school and wider community. Its emphasis on faith, learning, service, participation, and personal growth makes it more than simply a place where students complete the Alberta curriculum; it aims to provide a comprehensive environment in which young people can prepare for graduation, post-secondary education, employment, and adult life.
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