Hello Louis Riel families,

A huge week of learning, reporting, meeting, presenting, showcasing, hosting, and teaching has just wrapped up. We had our LRPAC Council meeting on Wednesday evening where families learned about the transition from grade 9 to high school as well as enrichment experiences and school enhancements that are in the works for this year and beyond. Our annual open house, celebration of learning, and Owl’s Nest book fair took place on Thursday evening. The turnout of current families was lovely to see and the level of interest from prospective families for next year was as impressive as always. There were active demonstrations or performances of learning as well as fantastic displays of the work our students complete across our K-9 Science program classrooms and 4-9 GATE classrooms. Families were also invited to take in the science fair projects on display in our North Gym. Louis Riel’s reputation as an engaging, safe, and inclusive place to learn and grow continues to draw new families from across our catchment area. Friday after school saw the final round of judging for our grade 7-9 young scientists in the science fair. Our parent volunteers and teacher judges were thoroughly impressed by the variety of research projects and the effort that our students devoted to their presentations and displays. All of the judges and teachers would like to acknowledge the efforts of our young scientists and we look forward to learning how our competitors will do in the next steps at the CYSF.

Another Annual Open House is Done!

This annual event took place on the evening of Thursday, February 1st. Prospective new families and our current families were welcomed to the school to learn about the building, our programs, our staff, and the learning that takes place here. Presentations for new and prospective families began the evening in the gym and then everyone headed to classrooms to see examples of student work and to celebrate student learning at Louis Riel. Thank you to everyone who attended and to our many student volunteers who helped our new families navigate our hallways.

GPA Parent Association

We were fortunate to have GATE Parent Association members present at the Open House this week to help field questions about all things GATE and to connect with new and existing families. Their support and guidance was appreciated by our teachers, our current GATE families, and families who are interested in learning more about the GATE program.

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!

Next Louis Riel Parent and School Council(s) meeting: Wednesday February 28, 2024

Each month we invite teachers from different divisions, departments, and programs to present to the council and community about the teaching and learning going on in their classrooms and beyond. We are currently lining up a teacher guest speaker for the upcoming meeting but should have a topic and speaker to announce next week. In addition to the teacher speaker we will be launching our annual school planning survey focused on collecting stakeholder input about our future school development plan and identifying areas of need we can plan to support.

A reminder that all current minutes and agendas are available on the LRPAC website:

https://www.wearelouis.ca under Agendas and Minutes.

Report Cards Went Live on January 30

Throughout the year, ongoing assessment information is shared with families through MyCBE, in copies of completed tasks and assignments that are returned to students, and even through email or phone calls when needed. Teachers work diligently all semester long to collect, interpret, analyze and formally report on student learning in our upcoming report cards. Report cards and teacher comments to support ongoing conversation about student learning became available to view on January 30 in MyCBE. Please log in to MyCBE to learn more about your student’s progress so far this year.  

Registration at Louis Riel

If you are reading this Bison Bulletin you already have a student at Louis Riel. If you have family, friends, colleagues, or neighbors who would like their students to join the learning community at Louis please share this information with them.

Admission to Louis Riel’s Science program is managed using a lottery process. This process was established to ensure fair and equitable access to schools, programs (regular, alternative) or grades, experiencing a student population that is either at capacity or over capacity. This process provides a consistent approach across our system. 

Registration for the 2024-25 school year began on Jan. 15 and, due to ongoing demand, our Science program continues to have limited capacity for new students.

The lottery deadline occurs in February each year. For the 2024-25 school year, registrations submitted prior to the lottery deadline of 12 PM (noon) on Feb. 13, 2024, will be included in the lottery draws. All registrations received after noon on Feb. 13, 2024, will be added to the callback list (based on the appropriate priority level) in the order they are received.

To learn more about the lottery process click HERE.

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.

We can only keep lost and found items on display for so long until we are left to assume that they are no longer wanted. Twice a year we donate unclaimed items from the lost and found to charitable organizations to share with those who are in need.

Child & Youth Well-Being Family & Caregiver Series

Well-being is a precondition for student achievement. Students need to be well to succeed. Currently, students face a wide range of mental health challenges, including stress, anxiety, and depression. This trend is alarming and requires our attention.

The Calgary Board of Education invites all parents and guardians to join us in an online series focusing on child and youth well-being. These sessions will be hosted in partnership with experts from Alberta Health Services and will explore topics such as vaping, brain development, mental health, and sexual health. These sessions will be free and provide information, resources, helplines, and services to support healthy child and youth development.

Upcoming Session: Mental Health & Anxiety (Grades K-6) February 8, 2024 6:30 to 8:00 PM

Learn how to support elementary-aged children with stress and anxiety. Our partners from AHS will clarify the language around mental health and provide effective coaching strategies to help children grow more resilient. You'll also learn about the signs that indicate the need for professional assessment and support, as well as how to boost your own mental health.

MEETING LINK

Upcoming Events

February 8 - Child & Youth Well-Being Family & Caregiver Series: Mental Health & Anxiety ONLINE 6:30 to 8:00 pm
February 13 – Grade 7-9 MADD Presentation
February 14 – Grade 9s to Vertigo Theatre
February 15 & 16 – Teacher's Convention
February 19 – Family Day NO SCHOOL
February 21 – Grade 9 Virtual Reality Space Experience