Hello Louis Riel Families,
We’re a few weeks into the school year and staff and students alike are finding their rhythm of teaching, learning, and growing together as a learning community. September is always full of opportunities and challenges as we settle back into school routines, re-establish connections, and remind each other of our school norms and how to contribute to and maintain a positive school culture. This year we are welcoming many new students into our community of learners so if your student is an existing Bison or a new member to our herd, they have an important part to play in how learning looks and feels at Louis Riel School each and every day. Rather than asking the usual “how was your day” consider asking your student how or what they chose to learn today and why, or how they helped a fellow classmate or teacher. Such mindsets and community building habits all contribute to the type of positive classroom and school culture we strive to maintain at Louis Riel School.
The excitement from new learning activities and extracurricular opportunities has already filled classrooms, hallways, and our surrounding community pathways and natural spaces. Field trips are happening, students are learning on the land, wonder-walks are sparking scientific minds, student clubs are meeting, athletics are underway, school councils are preparing to reconvene, and the list of upcoming events is beginning to stack up. Thank you for taking the time to read through the points in the bulletin that apply to you and your student; we hope the revised format and frequency of the Bison bulletin will help you keep you in the loop on all things Louis Riel.
"Meet the Teacher" Night / Save the Date
Thursday, September 26 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. You are invited to attend Louis Riel’s annual “Meet the Teacher” Night. The evening will begin with a welcome in the gym, some time to circulate through the school to meet staff and visit instructional spaces, and presentations from the admin team about how we do what we do at Louis. We are looking forward to this opportunity to welcome you to our school.
Bussing
The start of each new year of bussing can involve some adjustment as new students, new drivers, new routes and new routines are established. This year has been no different and we have been assured by First Student and our transportation team that they’re working hard to improve service and safety for all students. One thing we ask all our families to do to help us out with bus attendance is to notify the office before the end of the day whenever they are picking up their child rather than having them bus home.
Parking and Dropoff Zones
Please do not park in front of the school to drop your child in the mornings. This area is a designated bus zone and parking there causes significant challenges for our drivers to safely navigate around parked vehicles. Drop your student to the South of the school or past the second crosswalk to the north. A short walk for your student will allow them to arrive safely at a school entrance without disrupting bus traffic or compromising road safety for anyone.
Terry Fox Day and “Toonies for Terry”
If you can manage any contribution to fund cancer research, please send your student with a toonie or two to school next week. We are collecting donations for this worthy cause and hope to meet our goal of . Our annual Terry Fox Day will take place on Thursday, September 19.
Louis Riel School Council & Parent Society
On Wednesday, September 25 starting at 6:30pm, please join us via Zoom (link below) for the first School Council meeting of the 2024/25 school year. You will hear from the school administration about updates and changes for the year and plans for the year ahead. School Council Executives will be providing an update on the current and forecasted state of our financials, upcoming fundraising schedule and school improvement initiatives. All parents are welcome. We will need you to vote and provide feedback.
All future School Council meetings will be held on the last Wednesday of every month at 6:30pm. We are excited to be hosting our meetings in person at the school during some of the more temperate months. More information to follow.
To learn more, please visit our website to see what’s new: https://www.wearelouis.ca or follow us on Instagram @wearelouisyyc .
GPA Parent Association
Welcome back to our new and returning GATE families!
The GATE Parent Association will be hosting our Annual General Meeting on Monday September 23 at 7:00 pm, on Zoom (registration link below). We will be discussing the work of the GPA in prior years and goals for the upcoming year, and presenting our audited financials for the previous year. We will also be voting in a new Vice President and Treasurer. Please register at: https://gatecalgary.ca/meeting-registration/.
All parents and guardians of GATE students are automatically members of the GATE Parent Association.The GPA is a great way to stay connected to the GATE community and receive updates on GATE-specific matters. Please sign up for the newsletter here: https://gatecalgary.ca/
Demographic Forms Reminder
Please submit the Demographic Verification and Annual Authorization forms in SchoolEngage for your child(ren) by Monday, September 16. These forms are mandatory every year for Alberta Education to confirm student funding. Thank you for completing them.
Lost and Found
Our lost and found is already beginning to grow and we’re only half-way through the first month of school. If you or your child are missing items, please remind them to visit the lost and found by the learning commons.
Upcoming Dates of Importance
- Sept. 19 – Terry Fox Run
- Sept. 20 – Grade 9 walking trip to South Glenmore
- Sept. 25 – Grade 4 (4.1&4.2) to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump
- Sept. 26 – Grade 2 Metis Experience
- Sept. 26 – Meet the Teacher