Hillhurst School at a Glance
- We have two streams in the school: a kindergarten to grade 6 community program and Grades 4 to 6 gifted and talented specialized classes (GATE). There are no significant boundaries evident between programs as we consider ourselves one united team of leaders and learners.
- The GATE specialized classes draws students from all of North Calgary through a vigorous application process that begins with the child's School Learning Team (SLT): classroom teacher/resource teacher, administration, and parents. The community program has enrolment restricted to our boundaries (generally the community of Hillhurst)
- Through collaborative community efforts, we provide enriched learning experiences that foster academic excellence and develop active, responsible, compassionate citizens.
- We pride ourselves on having a strong, supportive community of students, parents and teachers who work together for the safety and security of our students.
- We have a very active and supportive School Council.
- Our students, parents and staff undertake many charitable works.
- Student Leadership opportunities
- Music and Daily Phys-ed programs for grades K-6
- NEW! 2023-2024 - Before/After School located in the building.
School History & Background
Hillhurst Community School is a gracious sandstone building built in 1912 beside beautiful Riley Park just blocks from the Bow River. The building has been lovingly maintained and sunlight floods in through 20-foot high windows. The friendly and inclusive environment at the school makes it easy for new families and children alike to get involved and adjust to the community.
The surrounding communities of Hillhurst, West Hillhurst, Briar Hill and Sunnyside are among the oldest in Calgary and have been rejuvenated in the last twenty years with increasingly upscale homes along tree-lined streets. Those who live here can walk downtown to work and bike the river pathways for fun and exercise.
The shopping area of Kensington, a five-minute walk from the school is voted the favourite area in Calgary because of the many cafes, restaurants and interesting shops. Within 10 minutes are the University of Calgary, the Foothills Hospital, the new Children’s Hospital, the Jubilee Auditorium, the Alberta College of Art, Southern Institute of Technology, a convenient mall and Home Depot, two community centres, ice arenas and tennis courts.
Hillhurst School, built in 1912, is a small, vibrant elementary school adjacent to Riley Park. We have 11 classrooms for Grades 1 to 6 and 1 morning kindergarten class. We have a gym, a library, three laptop carts and an iPad cart, robotics kits (EV3's and Ozobots), 2 playgrounds, and more! We also use Riley park for outdoor activities. Our school is a beautiful old heritage sandstone building with wide halls, big sunny windows and oak wainscotting along the hall walls. The parents, staff and students are friendly and very supportive of the school and one another. Our school welcomes volunteers and has a wonderful and active School Council.
Hillhurst has a close-knit, caring atmosphere that supports the individual growth of children. Through collaborative community effort, we provide enriched learning experiences that foster academic excellence and develop active, responsible, compassionate citizens.
Our School's Commitment to Truth and Reconciliation
We are committed to acknowledging and supporting the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 94 Calls to Action specific to education. Our school, along with all CBE schools, made a Truth and Reconciliation Commitment to Action, on June 21, we renewed our commitment.
View Our Truth and Reconciliation Commitment | 2025-2026
School Development Plan
Each year, our school prepares a development plan with input from teachers, school staff, students and parents. We review many sources of data, including report cards, provincial achievement test results and school surveys. Based on this information, we create our plan identifying targeted areas for growth. Our school development plan is not meant to represent all of the work that takes place in our school, but rather it focuses on specific areas for improvement.
View Our School Development Plan | 2024-2025
School Improvement Results Report
Our school also prepares a results plan, which looks at our previous school year. It shows our students’ achievement and progress in meeting the goals and outcomes as set out by the CBE and Alberta Education, outlines some of the highlights of our school development plan and gives an overview of our school. You can look on the CBE website for system-wide results.