At Delta West Academy, we instill an "I can do that" attitude, called self-efficacy, in our students so they are inspired to be life-long achievers. They thrive in programs that are highly interactive yet academically rigorous, ultimately rewarding exploration and commitment. They are challenged in a dynamic journey of academic excellence, social intelligence and global citizenship. The result? A 98% transition of DWA graduates to university & colleges of their choice. Launch your child's inspired journey at DWA.
Delta West was established in 1993 in order to provide families with something different, something new, within Calgary’s educational landscape. First located downtown, the school moved to its current location in 1998 in order to build programming and to accommodate a growing student body. Typically, when schools talk about bringing something new to the table, they often are thinking of all the things that fall under the umbrella of 21st century literacies: facility with technology, collaborative learning, student-driven inquiry, a focus on rhetoric and logic over rote learning. Delta West addresses all those things, though the focus, too, has been to consider the physical aspects of learning—the value of active learning, both within athletic and classroom settings. The classroom furniture is an indication of how the school approaches the learner in that regard; students can choose, for example, movement chairs, standing desks, or more traditional furniture. For many students, that’s a big deal. Movement, even very subtle movement, can help stimulate engagement and keep students on task. Again, that’s just one aspect of the school, but it’s an instructive one; Delta West has a history of working with students to increase engagement with the curriculum and with peers, and therein lies the school’s success. The ideal student is one looking for something different, and who will thrive in a very interactive, diverse, and stimulating environment.
Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of Delta West Academy.
Gallery showcasing specific locations and facilities found at Delta West Academy.
Focus |
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Academic |
DIBELS Testing: This school periodically uses DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Biology | |
Chemistry | |
Ecology | |
Geology | |
Meteorology | |
Physics | |
Physiology | |
Zoology |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Evolution as consensus theory | |
Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
Evolution is not taught |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Acting | |
Dance | |
Drama/Theatre | |
Graphic Design | |
Music | |
Visual Arts |
Expressive | |
Disciplined |
Subject | offered |
---|---|
Computer science | |
Robotics | |
Web design |
Flexible pacing style | offered |
---|---|
Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
Differentiated assessment |
Delta West Academy offers no/limited support for students with learning difficulties or special needs.
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
Subject Type | offered |
---|---|
Accommodations | |
Modifications | |
Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
Program | offered |
---|---|
Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school) | |
Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class) |
Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)
Program | offered |
---|---|
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
In grade Gr. 12, Delta West Academy students perform an average of 2 hours of homework per night.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
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Delta West Academy | 30 mins | 30 mins | 30 mins | 30 mins | 45 mins | 45 mins | 60 mins | 60 mins | 120 mins | 120 mins | 120 mins | 120 mins |
Site Average | 15 mins | 17 mins | 22 mins | 29 mins | 34 mins | 40 mins | 52 mins | 56 mins | 68 mins | 80 mins | 96 mins | 109 mins |
Lettered or numbered grades | Gr. 7 to Gr. 12 |
Prose (narrative)-based feedback | Gr. 10 to Gr. 12 |
Academic achievement reporting | JK to Gr. 9 |
Habits and behaviour reporting | JK to Gr. 9 |
Parent-teacher meetings | JK to Gr. 12 |
Competitive sports: 7
Recreational sports: 6
Delta West Academy offers 10 clubs and extracurricular programs.
JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
Day | $10,200 | $11,500 | $15,900 | $17,600 | $18,250 |
Discounts
Discount Type | Enrolment Type | Amount |
---|---|---|
2nd child (sibling) | all students | 10% |
3rd child (sibling) | all students | 10% |
4th child (sibling) | all students | 10% |
Grade range that need-based aid is offered: | 3 to 12 |
Percentage of grade-eligible students receiving financial aid | 5% |
Average aid package size | $10,000 |
Percentage of total enrolment on financial aid | 5% |
Total aid available | $30,000 |
This information is not currently available.
Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Group 1 | JK to Gr. 12 | Coed | Day | Varies |
Total enrolment | Varies |
Average class size | 10 to 12 |
% of international students (total enrolment) | N/A |
Number of different nationalities within student population | 14 |
Assessment | Required | Grades |
---|---|---|
Interview | JK - 12 | |
SSAT | 7 - 11 | |
SSAT (out of province) | ||
Entrance Exam(s) | 1 - 6 | |
Entrance Essay |
Day students: Rolling
Offer mid-year entry: Yes
Application fee: N/A
Registration fee: N/A
Deposit: N/A
Our Admission procedure is designed to inform you about DWA and to inform us about your child and family. We do this through a combination of a school tour, personal interviews, testing and the completion of an admissions package. The admissions package helps us to review your child's past learning experiences (unless they are applying for Kindergarten) from the point of view of academic standing, social interaction, and extra-curricular interests whereas the testing provides some independent evidence of skills and attitudes. For Grade 7 to12 applicants, testing is through the SSAT online service. Finally, the tour and interview is an opportunity for in-depth discussion and for the student's personal qualities to be highlighted.
The goal is determining an optimal educational fit between the DWA learning experience and you as the prospective family.
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
Student Type | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 10 - 15 (80%) | 10 - 20 (80%) | 0 - 5 (80%) | 0 - 5 (80%) | 0 - 5 (70%) | 0 - 5 (70%) | 0 - 5 (70%) | 0 - 5 (70%) | 0 - 8 (70%) | 0 - 8 (70%) | 0 - 5 (50%) | 0 - 8 (70%) | 0 - 5 (50%) | 0 - 2 (25%) |
Average graduating class size | 7 |
Students accepted into post-secondary studies upon graduation | N/A |
Percentage of students who attend post-secondary institutions outside of Canada | N/A |
Students who attended a Ivy+ school Number of students in the past 5 years that that attended one of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford or Cambridge (UK) | N/A |
Delta West Academy Graduates’ Post-Secondary Studies:
This information is not currently available.Aggregate of All Schools’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Career planning | |
Internships | N/A |
Mentorship Program | N/A |
University counseling |
What Delta West Academy says:
There is only one Delta West Academy. Why should you care about that? For the same reason that you care about your child’s school experience…your child is unique and so is what DWA offers.
We instill an “I can do that” attitude in all of our students. Dr. Alberta Bandura calls it “self-efficacy: a person’s belief in his or her ability to succeed in a particular situation”. Students develop this belief when they experience success over and over again in all areas…academically and socially, at school and globally, in their sports teams, debate teams and volunteer teams. It is a belief nurtured, modelled and put into practice by our staff when they seek out interesting science projects like building thermometers, introduce a Grade 4 class to SCUBA diving, have a high school Biology class watch a live knee operation via video link, or spend time after school helping a student refine their test preparation strategies.
At DWA, it means students recognizing that every challenge has an approach angle and once it’s figured out, it is not really a challenge anymore, just another opportunity to succeed. It means developing strong problem solving skills whether that is tackling an algebra problem or a spat with a friend. It means bouncing back from failure secure in the knowledge that mistakes are a means of advancing learning whether that is a better story, a truly resonant stage performance or more soccer practice. It means school experiences as unique as your child.
Visit Delta West Academy and imagine your child on an inspired journey.
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