Hello Louis Riel Families,  

The final days before the winter break are now behind us and our families can take advantage of the break to enjoy some time together away from the busy work or learning. The final week at Louis Riel included many opportunities to engage in some seasonal-inspired fun activities and spirit days, and our staff still managed to support learning in our classrooms every day. It is always a challenge to manage student expectations about their recommended ratio of work to fun but learning and student well-being remained our focus amidst the dress-up days, concerts, dances, and food drive activities. Wednesday and Thursday featured our annual junior high dance and elementary sock hop. The entire school had the chance to gather in age groups in our gyms to play games, work on their dance skills and their social skills in a safe and fun environment if they felt they were up for it. Thursday evening also invited families of our current band students to take in a winter solstice concert. The band was expertly conducted by our own Dr. Houston and Luoying stepped up to the microphone to deliver a warm welcome to all attendees, our land acknowledgement, and shared the stories behind many of the musical selections for the concert. Our bands were also on the stage on Friday as they held some mini concerts for the entire school to enjoy. Our leadership students organized a food drive for the Calgary Food Bank over the past few weeks and they managed to collect over 400 pounds of donations to share with Calgarians in need. On behalf of our young leaders, we thank you for your generous donations of food items.      

I enjoyed the privilege to sit with Hotzel’s class on Friday morning as we began our final homeroom of 2024 in circle. Students were asked to share what they could share with loved ones over the winter break and, as a parent, it was heartwarming to hear so many students recognize the importance of the gift of their time. Many made pledges to not hide in their rooms listening to music, chatting with friends on their devices, or not just gaming endlessly. We hope you can enjoy some of that promised time together with family and friends without the interruption of electronic devices and without the need to worry about what to wear or what to pack for lunch at school tomorrow. We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on January 6th when classes resume.  

Thanks for taking the time to read the entire Bison Bulletin, or simply the bolded points in the bulletin that apply to you and your student. 

Athletics Update: Volleyball Season 2025 

Volleyball Tryouts begin as soon as we return to school from 3:00 – 4:30pm   

Please make sure you bring some athletic shoes and volleyball appropriate clothes 

Jan 6 – Seniors  

Jan 7 – Seniors  

Jan 8 – Juniors  

Jan 9 – Juniors 

Accessing Academic and Assessment Information Online 

Even though conferences only take place a few times a year, families can always access achievement information through Powerschool and are also encouraged to reach out to our teaching team to discuss how we can work together to support our students.     

Helpful links to current assignments, assessments, and attendance information:  

Louis Riel Parent and School Council(s)   

There will be no meeting this month, but we look forward to seeing you in January. 

LRPAC Website: https://www.wearelouis.ca/  

GATE Council Website: https://gatecalgary.ca/  

Lost and Found

Our lost and found collection continues to grow, and grow, and grow. If your student is one of those kiddos who happens to leave their possessions on the playground with regularity, please consider adding tags, labels, or some other visible means of identification in or on their clothing or personal items.     

Dogs on School Property

There have been some concerns shared with the school about the number of dogs outside the school at pickup and drop off times. Although you and your family may see your dog as a part of your family, please be considerate of those who may not experience your four-legged family member the same way. We need to ask that dog owners explore other means to manage their pet that will allow all our families to feel comfortable while waiting for their children. If you cannot leave your pet at home during pickup and drop off times, please provide adequate space for those who may benefit from the added sense of personal comfort.  

Field Trips, Forms, Payments and Deadlines

This is a reminder to please pay close attention to the forms that come home with your student for any upcoming field trips, field studies, or special events. We often have hard deadlines for confirming student numbers with service providers and venues that do not allow us to be flexible by accommodating last minute changes or adjustments. Teachers will always communicate the deadlines for forms to be returned and fees to be submitted as well as by following up with a reminder. If you cannot meet a deadline, we may not be able to accommodate a last-minute request to attend. When paperwork comes home, we request your prompt attention to avoid disappointment for your student.    

Louis Riel is a busy and dynamic K-9 school, and it can be challenging to keep up with everything that happens here daily. Providing families with multiple information streams and sources including our website, teacher/classroom emails, paperwork for field trips, and the Bison bulletin should cover everything that families need to know. The challenge for some families may be that the information, timelines, and deadlines for activities can be hard to track. Our school and staff do our best to notify and remind families of upcoming dates and deadlines through the Schoolmessenger app and email. Thanks for reading the bulletin.  

Upcoming Dates of Importance 

  • December 21 – January 5 WINTER BREAK 
  • January 6 – CLASSES RESUME 
  • Volleyball Tryouts begin the week return to school from 3:00 – 4:30pm  
  • Jan 6 – Seniors 
  • Jan 7 – Seniors 
  • Jan 8 – Juniors 
  • Jan 9 – Juniors