Bellerose Composite High School

Bellerose Composite High School is a relatively new high school located in northwest St. Albert, Alberta, Canada.

The school mascot is "Rosie the Bulldog" and students are referred to as "Bellerose Bulldogs". Bellerose Composite High School has an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students in grades 10-12 with close to 100 staff. The school was built in 1988, and an extension was added onto the back of the school in the early 2000s. The school is situated in the neighborhood of Deer Ridge and is close to surrounding Lacombe Park and North Ridge. Bellerose is home to several different programs catering to students needs, ranging from International Baccalaureate (IB) to Sports Academy for students that participate in higher level sports.

Bike-A-Thon

Bellerose has become widely known for its annual 48-hour Bike-A-Thon to raise money for cancer research. Students cycle in teams of 10-12 for 48 hours non-stop to raise cancer awareness. Originally, the Bike-A-Thon was a 60-hour event, but was shortened to the 48-hour version because of occurrences of over-exertion among the students involved. In 2006, Bellerose was one of the largest non-corporation contributors to the Cross Cancer Institute raising approximately $57,000 for cancer research or about $47.50 per student. During the Bike-A-thon, many "Bulldogs" shave their heads for cancer in an effort to raise even more money for the cause. In 2010, the students of Bellerose raised over $107,000.00 for cancer research, which made the Canadian Cancer Society re-write their record books to make them to second largest check ever to be given to the Society by a school. The 2011 edition of the Bellerose Bike-A-Thon was an even greater success. Over 600 students, nearly two-thirds of the school population, participated and raised in excess of $135,000. This is equivalent to approximately $225 being raised by each individual that participated in the Bike-A-Thon. The majority of the funds in 2011 went to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, with the funds from the annual head shave going towards the Kids With Cancer Society. In 2012, Bellerose raised over $165,000 with 762 students participating. $2000 of this amount was raised in school by a head shave during the bike-a-thon. Bike-a-thon 10, dubbed the 'Decade of Dedication', raised over $260,000 by its end on march 8 2013.

To date, the total amount of money that Bellerose students have raised in the ten editions of the Bike-A-Thon is over $900,000. This is one of the most successful fundraisers by any high school in Canada.

Course offerings

Bellerose offers a variety of courses to its students:

• Career and Life Management Studies (CALM)
• Career and Technology Studies (CTS)
• English Language Arts (ELA)
• T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More) Leadership
• Art 10, 20, 30, and 30-1
• Drama 10, 20, and 30
  • Drama/English 10-1
• Music
  • Concert Choir
  • Concert Band 10, 20, 30
  • Jazz Choir 10, 20, 30
  • Jazz Band 10, 20, 30
  • Guitar Class 10, 20, 30
  • Music Theory
  • Musical Theatre 15, 25, 35
    • Advanced Acting 15, 25, 35
• Languages
  • French
  • Spanish
  • German
• Mathematics
  • Math 10/20/30/31
  • Math Applied
  • Math 14/24/Algebra 35
• Physical Education
• Outdoor Education
• Construction Technologies
• Sciences
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
• Social Studies

International trips

Bellerose Composite High School has offered the opportunity for international travel to its students. During Spring Break in 2006, Bellerose staff took some of the students on a 12-day excursion to Germany, France and Italy. They also toured Munich, Bavaria, Paris, Venice, Florence and Rome. As these Bellerose students traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe, other Bellerose students traveled across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. The Japan trip was offered again by Bellerose in 2007 during Spring Break, however, the Europe trip was not offered. Bellerose went to Japan again in the summer of 2010, staying with host families in or around the city of Okazaki.

External links

• Bellerose Composite High School