Bison Bulletin
Hello Louis Riel families,
A short week following the spring break has already gone by and, despite the unseasonable snow, we find ourselves well into Calgary’s spring-like season. This is an exciting time of year for schools and students as we begin to move through the final three months of the year and can begin to see summer on the horizon. Our students had an exciting return to school with relocated lockers to ease hallway congestion, multiple field trips to the Military Museum, and we welcomed the return of athletics with badminton tryouts this week. Next week will be equally exciting with multiple field trips and field experiences planned. Please read on for more news about all things Louis Riel.
Solar Eclipse Safety at Louis Riel
On Monday, April 8 a partial solar eclipse will be visible in Calgary. The solar event will begin just before noon and conclude by 2 PM, with the maximum coverage occurring at 12:43 PM.
We know that this provides a unique learning experience for students and staff in our schools; however, there can be serious impacts to vision as a result of viewing the eclipse in an unsafe manner. During this partial solar eclipse on Monday, we will keep our grade 1-6 students inside for lunch and will arrange indoor activities for them. We invite all students to remain inside the school during the lunch break but also recognize that some of our students walk home for lunch. If you decide that your child will walk home for lunch on Monday, please discuss with your child not to look at the sun to protect his/her eyes from damage by the solar eclipse.
During a solar eclipse, looking directly at the sun is dangerous and can cause retinal and ocular damage. Safe viewing of the eclipse always requires wearing specialized glasses or watching through a telescope or solar binoculars that have specialized lenses and should only be performed under the direction of a professional.
For more safety information can be found on the NASA website or from the Canadian Association of Optometrists.
Louis Riel Parent and School Council(s)
Our next online council meeting is scheduled for April 24 starting at 6:30pm. This month we will be discussing updating our legacy video security system and the benefits of a refreshed security camera system. We will also be discussing the ongoing planning for the upcoming school year. A virtual meeting link will be shared closer to the meeting date. We hope to see you there! Visit our website.
GPA Parent Association
The GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) Parent Association is a registered, non-profit volunteer organization, committed to supporting a high-quality GATE Program which meets the needs of learners who are gifted, within the Calgary Board of Education (CBE).
The GATE Parent Association is unique in that it represents parents and supports the GATE Program in all GATE schools, but it is independent of the Calgary Board of Education and other parent organizations within those schools. To learn more please visit our website!
Grade 6 PAT Announcement
Your grade 6 student(s) may be excited to learn that Alberta Education announced last week that Grade 6 English language arts and literature (ELAL) and mathematics provincial achievement tests will not be administered in the 2023/2024 school year.
Upcoming Events
April 9 – 12 – Grade 9 Overnight field trip to U of C Bio-geoscience Institute
April 9 – Grade 5 (5.1 & 5.2) Presentation AB Institute for Wildlife Conservation
April 11 - Grade 5 (5.3 & 5.4) Presentation AB Institute for Wildlife Conservation
April 11 – Grade 7 Hike to Grassi Lake
April 11 – Grade 7 Mandatory Parent meeting for Frank Slide overnight trip at 6pm
April 15 – Grades K-3 Fire Safety Virtual Presentations
April 16 – Kindergarten Calgary Philharmonic and Central Library Field Trip
April 16 – Grades 4 & 5 Fire Safety Virtual Presentations
April 17 – Grade 5 (5.1 & 5.2) Bow Habitat Field Trip
April 18 – Grade 5 (5.3 & 5.4) Bow Habitat Field Trip
April 19 – PD Day – NO SCHOOL