Named Sherbrooke School from 1949 to 1953. In 1953, it was renamed Prince Charles School in honor of Prince Charles, son of Queen Elizabeth II. The community league adopted the name and petitioned to have the neighborhood renamed to Prince Charles.

The Board made the decision to change the name of Prince Charles School in 2021, acknowledging the significance of the awâsis (Cree) program at the school, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s commitment to Indigenous languages and action in education. Together, school staff and Indigenous leaders consulted with Lloyd Martin, kêhtê-aya and Cree Language Keeper, to ensure a new name reflected the spirit of the school community. During a Sundance Lodge, Lloyd Martin was gifted the name awâsis waciston in ceremony.

awâsis waciston is a Cree phrase that can be translated into English as child nest. In Martin’s words, “any nest is a sacred space, where birds are looked after until they are ready and then they start to fly. So it is with a school, where students are taken care of and when they are ready, they leave the nest and learn to fly.” The Board adopted the name, given its strong connection to the awâsis (Cree) program and school community. The school’s new name was announced on September 24, 2024 at a public Board meeting. awâsis waciston is pronounced uh-wahh-sis wuh-chi-ston.

Additions were added to the school in 1956 and 1957.

The school is named after Thelma Chalifoux, a retired Senator and Métis activist who worked tirelessly on a variety of issues that affected Indigenous Peoples and women. Chalifoux was one of the founders of the Canadian Native Friendship Centre in Slave Lake and she was the first woman to get a National Aboriginal Achievement Award, a Woman of Vision Award, the Monsignor Bill Irwin Award and was the first Indigenous woman appointed to the Canadian Senate.