Hello Louis Riel Families, 

January AKA “the month that never ends” is now a week behind us and the second semester is already a week old. We managed to fly past the midway point in the school year, share report cards, complete our annual celebration of learning/Science program recruitment open house, judge Science fair projects, identify our CYSF participants, and kick off Volleyball season. Our open house continues to be immensely popular with current and prospective families. The number of families who have submitted expressions of interest to join the Louis Riel community through our lottery admission process has increased over 20% from last year!  

The end of January and the beginning of February is always a busy and exciting time because of the flurry of “a year in the life of a Louis Riel student” milestones we encounter and quickly pass. One of the unique characteristics of a K-9 school like ours is the number and variety of such events, how many students experience them, and how many more are left looking forward to them in their future. Some opportunities and activities are unique to grade groups and some are school wide. We often hear from younger students looking forward to enjoying the privileges of our older students like lockers, Science Fair, choosing their CTF options, daily tuck shop access, and off-campus freedom at lunch. We also get the privilege of hearing the fondness in the voice of a grade 9 student recalling the joys of recess and lunch recess, how they met their friends, the excitement of learning with older buddies, and sharing their memories of their favorite elementary teachers. Even though our younger students may look forward and our older students may look back, we hope they see themselves growing and learning every day at Louis Riel.    

The events, opportunities, and enrichments we curate for our students as they move from kindergarten to grade 9 are intended to support the learning and development of every learner that experiences them. Some have become solidified tradition whereas other student-led activities can change as quickly as a Calgary season. Although the milestones students pass throughout the school year and over the years at Louis Riel may be experienced differently by every student, our staff are dedicated to preparing students for lifelong learning with the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to succeed.  

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. 

Science Fair is a Wrap! 

With nearly 120 entries in this year’s Science fair our judges faced a big challenge. A huge thanks to our parents and volunteers who contributed their time, energy and expertise to this annual event showcasing our young scientists’ work. Our judges have deliberated and identified contestants who will be moving on to the CYSF with their projects. The time between now and the fair will be spent refining projects with the benefit of judge feedback and additional coaching from mentors and teaching staff.  

Lottery Admission Deadline This Week 

This year we have seen a continued increase in expressions of interest to register at Louis Riel School. With two business days remaining in the application window, we have 20% more expressions of interest than last year. If you have friends or acquaintances who are considering submitting an expression of interest to register for the lottery at Louis Riel please let them know they have until noon on February 11 to do so. The draw will take place on February 12 and we will begin extending offers of acceptance following Family Day.

Accessing Academic and Assessment Information Online 

Report cards became viewable on January 27. Even though report cards are only published twice 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. If you are looking for current information about how or what your student is doing in class, log in to Powerschool with your student to ask them to help you understand what they’ve been working on or if they need any help to complete overdue or missing assignments.    

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

Louis Riel Parent Society and School Council(s)   

The January Louis Riel Parent Society and School Council meetings will be held back-to-back on Wednesday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is virtual and anyone is welcome to attend, we hope to see you there as we discuss various topics of interest to students and parents alike.  

Being an engaged part of your student's community helps to ensure we are all informed. The agenda will be posted the week prior on the Louis Riel website and on the day of, you will be sent a live link to the meeting.  

Agenda & Minutes: https://www.wearelouis.ca/agendas-and-minutes-and-budgets 

Calling all GATE Parents! Request for Casino Volunteers 

The GPA Casino Fundraising Event is taking place on Thursday March 6 and Friday March 7 at Pure Casino (1420 Meridian Rd NE). This is our most important fundraising event, which allows us to support the four GATE schools.  

Please help us support the GATE classes by volunteering for a shift. Use the following link to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A084CA5AB29A4FA7-54176840-gpacasino#/. If you have any questions, please contact us at: gatecalgary@gmail.ca. 

GATE Parent Association: gatecalgary.ca 

Email us: info@gatecalgary.ca 

Connect with us: www.gatecalgary.ca    Facebook    Instagram 

Fun Lunches 

With another calendar year come more Fun Lunches to save you and your student from un-fun ones! You can log into www.HealthyHunger.ca at any time to see the upcoming schedule and order ahead and there is always a link on the Louis Riel School website. Remember, orders always need to be placed by the Wednesday prior. 
January and February dates are: 

  • Grades 6 – 9: February 12 - Edo Japan  
  • Grades 1 – 5: February 19 - Edo Japan 

Due to health and safety protocols on food storage, the school cannot accommodate storing left-over lunches for the next day if your child is absent. Left-over lunches will be donated. 

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. 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 communicate the deadlines for forms to be returned and fees to be submitted and follow up with reminders in their weekly messages. 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 

  • February 12 Fun Lunch Grades 6-9 Edo Japan 
  • February 13 & 14 NO SCHOOL – Teacher's Convention 
  • February 17 NO SCHOOL – Family Day 
  • February 19 Fun Lunch Elementary Edo Japan 
  • February 20 Grade 9 Farewell Photos