Hello Louis Riel Families,  

The first week of October may have started a bit cold but it continued to heat up as we approached Friday. On Monday, our brave grade 8 and 9 Outdoor Education classes headed to Kananaskis for an overnight camping trip. Students worked with their groups to prepare for the trip, to set up camp, build shelters, cook meals, and clean up common spaces. A hike, cooperative games, stargazing, and a bonfire with s’mores ended the evening before a chilly -2C overnight was spent in their tents. A big shout out to Mr. Davidson for organizing this amazing adventure, and David, our parent volunteer, for his time and assistance! Ms Schulz, Ms. Campbell and Mr. Haines took their grade 4 classes to the School Program for the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games 2024 at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex. They heard messages of inspiration, active living, respect, and stories of potential, inclusion and acceptance from Sports Hall of Fame inductees, Olympians, and Games Ambassadors.  

More clubs have started to meet and some, like the D&D club, have had to split into grade groupings to accommodate the overwhelming level of interest. Elementary Run club continued to meet and compete with a race at Sam Livingston on Wednesday and another scheduled for next Wednesday at Woodbine. Patrol training has begun, debate club is prepping for their first event at Bob Edwards, and our JEDI club has resumed regular meetings as well. We’re also excited to share that all of the work Ms. Olsen and our students (and teachers) from Kindergarten to Grade 9 have poured into creating a beautiful mosaic highlighting the mighty Bow River and endemic plants and animal species is nearing completion. Stand by for further updates and an invitation to view the finished work at an unveiling once installation details are confirmed.

From the teaching and learning family at Louis Riel to yours, we wish you a restful long weekend and hope you can enjoy an opportunity to engage your student(s) in some conversation and reflection about their experience of learning with us this year.

Demographic Verification Forms

This is a reminder and request to please complete your demographic verification form online through your MyCBE account.

Fun Lunches Return to Louis

Fun Lunches are back and the deadlines to order are fast approaching! Fun lunches are a great source of fundraising for the School Council, give parents a day off from packing a lunch, and are exciting for the kids to receive! Mark your calendars with the below relevant dates.

The junior high students (grades 7-9) will have Boston Pizza on October 11. Lunch orders could be made on the Healthy Hunger website until, Friday October 6. There are gluten and dairy-free options! All future junior high fun lunch dates will be the second Wednesday of each month.

The elementary students (grades 1-6) will have Boston Pizza on October 18. Lunch orders can be made on Healthy Hunger until October 13. There are gluten and diary-free options! All future elementary fun lunch dates will be the 3rd Wednesday of each 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.

Diagnostic Assessments at Louis Riel

Assessing students early in the school year to determine their educational needs and to plan for instruction is a regular part of every school year.  Diagnostic assessments are used to check student understanding of concepts, curriculum, and skills shortly after the start of classes. This year, Louis teachers have been engaging students from grades 1 to 9 in diagnostic assessment to identify gaps in students' foundational understanding and application of the skills needed to demonstrate literacy and numeracy. This Friday our teaching teams looked at data collected from a variety of diagnostic assessments to inform their immediate and long term instructional planning as well as drafting student IPPs. This data is also used to help establish literacy, numeracy, and well-being goals that will give shape to our annual School Development Plan.  

Spectator Expectations at Louis Riel Athletics Events

Last year our division shared common expectations for spectators at athletic events. This year Louis Riel will be maintaining these spectator expectations and conditional attendance policies for spectators to support a positive environment for our student athletes. Please keep in mind that 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

With just over a month of school our Lost and Found is already spilling off the coat hooks and shelves. 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.

Field Experience Logistics and Forms at Louis Riel

Field experiences often include a series of forms to inform families about educational outcomes, logistics, itineraries, potential risks, and measures taken to mitigate them. These forms also include forms to allow families to acknowledge any risks, provide emergency contact information, and share important medical details about their student. Due to the challenges of form collection and the frequent need to confirm participants with transportation or service providers, all forms for a field experience must be submitted to the teacher in charge one (1) week prior to departure unless alternative arrangements have been made.

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: Volunteer Registration Form

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

October 9 – No School - Thanksgiving Day
October 11 – Grade 8 Outdoor Education Kayaking
October 12 – Terry Fox Day Save the Date
October 17 – Grade 6 to Fish Creek
October 18 – Grade 7 GATE to Vertigo Theatre
October 19 – Grade 7 Outdoor Ed Hike to Grassi Lake
October 20 – No School – PD Day