Hello Louis Riel families,  

Another unseasonably snowless week has passed despite the flurry of classroom activity at Louis Riel. There were surprisingly few field experiences this week as we said goodbye to the final week of November. Our LRPAC meeting took place online Wednesday evening and we learned from Ms. Evans about her experience of teaching Humanities in Div 3 GATE classrooms at Louis Riel. Thank you to all who attended to learn about how to support your students and the teaching and learning at LRS. This week also saw the final basketball games played by our Senior Girls team who advanced all the way to the first-ever city of Calgary basketball championship final help at Joanne Cardinal Schubert High School on Friday night. The girls faced a very tough opponent in the Branton Tigers and played a strong game against a team that just proved to be just a little stronger. We’re so proud of our student athletes as they proved to be among the two absolute best teams in the entire city this season and we will look forward to what the next season will hold. As usual, our student athletes will have a chance to teach their teachers a lesson or two on the court as we play our annual staff vs student games this month. Standby for updates, anecdotes and admissions from the grownups that they were schooled by your students. 

The next athletics season of play will be volleyball after a brief gap for our students and coaches to catch their breath.  

Instagram

Want to see a bit more of what’s up at Louis? Follow us on Instagram @ louisrielschoolyyc   

Next Louis Riel Parent and School Council(s) meeting is January 31, 2024 

Each month we will have teachers from different divisions, departments, and programs present to council and community about the teaching and learning going on in their classrooms. A reminder that all current minutes and agendas are available on the LRPAC website: https://www.wearelouis.ca/ under Agendas and Minutes 

2023-24 Report to Parents/Guardians on Fees Posted on our Website 

Annual system fees are set each year when the operating budget is passed by the Board of Trustees. To keep fees as low as possible, the CBE is committed to being as efficient as possible in the provision of services. Costs of providing the services include direct labour and supplies, as well as the cost of fee waivers and uncollectible accounts.  

Fees are assigned to each student’s MyCBE account beginning in October. School fees are due when assigned and schools must account for every dollar that is charged and every dollar paid. This tracking process also involves a reporting element to ensure transparency. Each year, schools are required to post their Report to Parents/Guardians of Fees. The report accounts for fees charged by the school and paid by families for such things as option courses, field trips, enrichment experiences, special events, in-school activities, teams, clubs, and grade or program specific activities such as grade 9 farewell. 

The report can be viewed on our website by clicking the following link: https://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/louisriel/about-us/school/pages/default.aspx

Inline Skating Starts Next Week for Div 1 & 2 Students 

We’re excited to welcome Alien Inline back to Louis Riel for another Inline Skating internship for all our Div. 1 & 2 classes next week. Please ensure you have signed all acknowledgement of risk forms and have accessed your MyCBE account to confirm payment at the following link: MyCBE  

Attendance 

Before school begins for the day, please call the school 403-777-7650 to let us know if your child will be absent or late. This will help us ensure that all Louis Riel students are safe and accounted for promptly. After reaching the school press 1 and leave your message on the Attendance Line. Please let us know your child’s first and last name (spelling the last name), teacher’s name, and the reason for, and duration of the absence, if known. 

GPA Parent Association 

Did you know if you have a child in GATE as of September 2023 you are automatically a member of the GATE Parent Association? Sign up to receive the GPA newsletter on their website https://gatecalgary.ca/  and be a part of the GPA Community! 

Fun Lunches at Louis  

Fun lunches are a major source of fundraising for the Parent Council, give parents a day off from packing lunch, and are exciting for the kids to receive! Fun Lunches will continue throughout the year with our regular rotation for Elementary and Junior High students each month. All future junior high fun lunch dates will be on the 2nd Wednesday of each month and Elementary will be on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.  

Sign up at www.HealthyHunger.ca. There is also a link on the Louis Riel School website. 

It is important to note that due to health and safety protocols on food storage, the school will not be able to accommodate storing left-over lunches to the next day if your child is absent. Left-over lunches will be donated. 

Lost and Found at Louis Riel 

Please remind your student(s) to walk by and locate any lost or misplaced clothing and lunch container items and take them home. If your student regularly loses items at school, please also consider sewing nametags on their clothing items.  

Volunteers Support Our Program 

Volunteers are often required to meet supervision ratio requirements for off-campus field experiences. Without parent volunteers to help meet the required supervision ratio, off-campus activities and field experiences cannot proceed. Please volunteer for some off campus activities and field experiences this year to support your student and their class.  

Interested in volunteering this year? Please fill out the following form: https://cbe.ab.ca/FormsManuals/Annual-Volunteer-Registration-Form.pdf 

Digital Citizenship at Louis Riel   

We are an Away for the Day school. Student brains need a break from mobile devices, and they all benefit from opportunities to engage in other ways of communicating, creating and exploring. Part of our work is to promote safety, lessen cyberbullying, and to foster and sustain focus on learning. How our Away for the Day policy supports this is simple: 

• Cell phones/personal electronic devices are powered off and go into lockers as you enter 
• cell phones/devices do not come out until you’re exiting after the final bell at 2:50 pm 
• cell phones may only be used for learning tasks during the school day with teacher permission 

Upcoming Events  

December 4 – 7.3 & 7.4 Journey 2050 Trip 
December 4 – Alien Inline Skating Residency Begins 
December 5 – Kindergarten Teacher Pet Visit 
December 5 – 7.1 & 7.2 Journey 2050 Trip 
December 5 – 5.2 & 5.3 Fort Calgary Trip 
December 6 – Grade 3 Teachers Pet Visit 
December 7 – 5.1 & 5.4 Fort Calgary Trip 
December 7 – Band Concert 
December 8 – No School System PD 
December 12 – Grade 8 Telus Spark Trip 
December 12 & 13 – Grade 6 Astronomer Visit 
December 13 – Staff vs Jr. Basketball game 
December 14 – Staff vs Sr. Basketball game