Hello Louis Riel families,  

A noticeably short week has come and gone since we came back from our first Fall Break. Our students looked refreshed and seemed to genuinely appreciate the gift of an extra-long weekend. Being so well rested allowed them to get back into the business of learning. We had students outside enjoying the light snowfall, classes out of the building on field experiences, and teams jumping back into athletic competition as the basketball season wrapped up some of the final games before playoffs. Do not forget that next week will also be abbreviated with our school conferences coming up on Thursday evening and Friday morning (more below).  

Tuesday Nov. 21 Presentation by Po-Shen Loh, Professor of Mathematics  

On Tuesday November 21 we will be hosting Carnegie Mellon Professor of Mathematics, Po-Shen Loh, who will be speaking with our students about ChatGPT and its applications and implications for their future.  

A YouTube clip of the professor’s work in Math can be found here: https://youtu.be/654Z0hbrcZc?si=byU17-4uNudM007x 

A sample of his ChatGPT talk can also be found here: https://www.youtube.com/live/oO-akX66i24?si=z9R_eNiDw6KZJLdJ  

Professor Loh would also like to meet our families Tuesday Night. On the evening of November 21st, starting at 6:30 pm, Professor Loh will be returning to the gym at Louis Riel to present his talk to student families. Professor Loh's talks typically consist of a 1-hour presentation followed by a 30-minute Q&A session. Doors Open at 6:15 pm to families and students 

Booking for School Conferences November 23 pm and November 24 am OPENS TOMORROW 

Our first round of student conferences will take place next week on Thursday evening and Friday morning. Although our teachers are always accessible via email, scheduled phone calls or meetings, time is set aside to discuss your student’s learning and progress in school conferences. This is the best opportunity to hear answers to questions that your student may not be able to provide related to teaching, current learning, and their level of understanding.   

We will offer blocked opportunities to meet in person on Thursday evening and virtually on Friday morning to accommodate as many families as possible. Booking will open Saturday, November 18.  

Thursday evening 3:45 pm to 8:00 pm: meetings are in person only at Louis Riel School.  

1. Log in to the MyCBE link
2. Access School Conference App 
3. Select desired in person meeting time from available times on Thursday  

Friday Morning 8:00 am to 12:00 pm: meetings are online.  

NEW Friday Online meeting booking procedure: 

1. Log in to the MyCBE link
2. Access School Conference App 
3. Select desired online meeting time from available times (Friday only) 
4. Email the teacher with your confirmed time using the email address you will use to receive their online meeting invitation. Please include a phone/cell number they can use as a backup.    

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. 

Traffic Safety at Louis Riel 

Our crossing guards continue to see unsafe driving at drop-off and pickup times. It is up to those of you behind the wheel to be mindful of your speed and of our little pedestrians trying to get to school. Please slow down, be mindful of students crossing the road, and please respect the important work of our crossing guards.     

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! 

November 21 GATE Education Session: 

WHY I LOVE WORKING WITH  GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS:  
Embracing originality, unpredictability and challenge 

The GATE Parent Association (GPA) is excited to announce that Mr. Gary Perfect, GATE learning leader at Queen Elizabeth School, will be leading a presentation for GATE families. Mr. Perfect has worked with Calgary GATE students for over 20 years and with gifted students for over 30 years. He will share his insights on GATE students and the unique ways in which GATE students approach school projects.

Date: Tuesday November 21, 2023 
Time: 6:30pm 
Venue: Virtual meeting

Immediately following the presentation, the GPA will hold a short General Meeting. If you wish to attend the presentation and the general meeting, please register at this link and a meeting link will be sent to you a day or two before the presentation: https://gatecalgary.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=7e097cc7704c7aa4748cfdcd9&id=79f074d3d1&e=cef25d5c2b.  

Next Louis Riel Parent and School Council(s) meeting is November 29  

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. This month’s teacher presenter will be Ms. Evans who will be sharing her experience as a GATE humanities teacher in junior high/division 3 classes.   

A reminder that all current minutes and agendas are available on the LRPAC website: https://www.wearelouis.ca/ under Agendas and Minutes.

Fun Lunches at Louis  

Fun lunches are a great source of fundraising for the Parent Council, give parents a day off from packing a 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 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 was absent. Left-over lunches will be donated. 

Spectator Expectations at Louis Riel Athletics Events 

If you plan to attend as a spectator after the first game of the evening, you need an adult with you who is a parent or willing to act as your chaperone. If you have a parent or chaperone in the gym, you must be seated with them for the duration of the game(s) you choose to attend.   

Please remember our main goal is to maintain a safe and fun environment for students. 

• The players are kids. 
• The coaches are volunteers. 
• The referees are human. 

Thank you for supporting our students and our spectator expectations 

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  

November 10 – 14 Fall Break 
November 20 – Grade 9: National Geographic Live 
November 21 - GATE Education Session and GPA Virtual Meeting 
November 23 – Grade 9: Calgary Zoo 
November 23 Evening – School Conferences  
November 24 Morning – School Conferences 
November 28 – Vaccination catch-up 
November 29 – LRPAC/School Council Meeting 
December 4 – 7.3& 7.4 Journey 2050 Trip 
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 7 – 5.1 & 5.4 Fort Calgary Trip 
December 8 – No School System PD