Hello Louis Riel families,  

This past week Louis Riel students enjoyed many opportunities to learn from experts and explore as scientists as we hosted presenters and classes left the building to experience field studies. The week opened with a presentation by Ms. Domstad from E.P. Scarlett for our grade 9s about their upcoming transition to high school. This is the time of year when our most senior students begin to set their sights on the next steps in their education and presentations like these (as well as grade 9 farewell photos) always generate a lot of excitement and conversations about their future. On Monday evening the school hosted a pre-season volleyball tournament for the junior boys and gave them their first chance to play together and against opponents. The tournament also gives teams an idea of who their greatest competition will be in the upcoming season and our Bisons now have a good idea of what they’re up against this year. Teacher’s Pet came to teach and learn with multiple classes and our grade 4s created some amazing feats of engineering! We saw students head out the doors on field studies on the land in Fish Creek and across multiple habitats at the Zoo. Grade 9 social studies classes also got to experience a presentation about Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act and the role it plays in governance. The highlight of the week had to have been the first round of judging for our annual Science Fair! With a new format for judging this year our Grade 5 and 6 students were the first to present their projects for feedback. Friday afternoon’s judges were impressed by the projects they saw and the enthusiasm of our young scientists as they presented them. This week will see the final round of judging with our grade 7 to 9 scientists and their projects.   

Louis Riel Parent and School Council(s) meeting: Wednesday January 31, 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. This month’s teacher presentation will be Ms. Neamtu who will talk about student services/resource at Louis Riel School and how she facilitates upcoming High School Transitions. Council uses Zoom for meetings Click here to join: Zoom Meeting ID 7967478647  

• You will be put into a waiting room after clicking, and our moderator will let you in. 
• Please feel free to enable your webcam - we’d love to see you! 

A reminder that all current minutes and agendas are available on the LRPAC website under Agendas and Minutes 

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! 

Report Cards Available January 30  

Teachers have been teaching and assessing student work since the school year began in September. Ongoing assessment information is typically 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 have been working 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 will be available to view on January 30 in MyCBE.   

Annual Open House Feb 1 

Louis Riel is home to our GATE program and Science program yet they both have their own unique admissions processes. GATE program admissions rely on an internal referral and committee selection process whereas Science program admissions are subject to a lottery due to demand and capacity limitations. In order to maintain healthy enrolment levels, the Science program relies not only on our reputation but also on active promotion through events such as school visits and our annual open house. 

This annual event will take place on the evening of Thursday, February 1st and will involve opportunities for prospective new families as well as our current families to learn about the school, our programs, and the learning that takes place here. Presentations for new and prospective families will begin the evening in the gym and then classrooms will be opened to showcase and celebrate student learning at Louis Riel.  

Link: Open House

Book Fair Volunteers Needed Wednesday & Thursday 

In addition to our learning displays, we plan to host the Owl’s Nest book fair in the learning commons, so please come by with your student and have a look. We are still looking for Volunteers during the day Wednesday and Thursday and on Thursday evening. If you are available to donate some time on any of these dates, please email Ms. Echo at edmiller@cbe.ab.ca  

 Please save the date and spread the word! 

Science Fair is Here!  

We are no longer counting down the days until our young scientists bring their projects to present to judges at the annual science fair. Our Grade 5 and 6 students opened the first round of the Science fair on Friday afternoon and the projects were impressive! We sincerely appreciate all the energy our students put into this event and all the support our families provide each year. Our Grade 7-9 students will go through their round of judging next Friday so please check in with your young scientist(s) to learn how they are doing and to help them manage any last-minute refinements and adjustments.   

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.   

Upcoming Events  

January 29 – Grade 9 to Henry Wise Wood 
January 30 – Grade 4.1 Teacher’s Pet Visit 
REPORT CARDS AVAILABLE IN MyCBE 
January 31 – February 1 – Grade 9 Outdoor Ed Castle Mountain Hostel Trip 
February 1 – Grade 9 Vaccinations 
February 1 – Louis Riel Open House 
February 2 – Grades 7- 9 Science Fair