Dear LREI Community,

Greetings.  This month, four brief notes and reminders. 

 1.      There are many special events this month, from concerts to Afterschool shares to a variety of grade and class presentations. I hope that you are able to participate in some number of these wonderful occasions. One event that will involve all LREI students is next week’s Book Week.  (You will find more information about the specifics of Book Week after my letter.)  A central component of Book Week is that each student will have the opportunity to spend time with an author, illustrator, editor or publisher—someone who makes her or his living in a manner that uses skills and talents that your children are asked to practice and develop on a daily basis.  For LREI’s students, these visits validate the hard work put into honing their literary skills. Thank you to the Literary Committee for making these experiences possible as well as for the energy and thought that goes into the creation of the book fair and the annual Literary Evening.  Tickets for this event are on sale now in the Sixth Avenue lobby.  One final literary note.  All four of our librarians are now members of American Library Association committees.  This is quite an honor.  Congratulations to these dedicated professionals. 

1.  
   • Lower School Librarian Stacy Dillon is serving on the 2009 Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC) Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Award.
   • Early Childhood and Interdivisional Librarian Jesse Karp (LREI ’87) has just been invited to serve on the 2009-2010 Young Adult Library Services Association’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection committee.
   • High School Librarian Karyn Silverman is currently serving on the 2009 Young Adult Library Services Association’s Michael L. Printz Award. The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.
   • Middle School Librarian and Library Department Chair Jennifer Hubert Swan is currently serving on the 2009 Young Adult Library Services Association’s Alex Award. The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18. 

A reminder and an update.  While I am always happy to have people stop by to see me in my office at anytime, I am not always there. In order to make it easier to find me, I will be available for drop-in conversations in my Sixth Avenue office from 8:45AM-9:30AM on December 9^th (NEW DATE), December 12^th and December 17^th.   NO drop in hours on Friday December 5^th.  

We will be distributing an updated LREI Directory after Winter Break.  Please contact Mary Shea (mshea@lrei.org) if you would like to revise your family’s information.  Remember that you can print individual pages from the electronic version of the directory if you wish.  Also, the most up-to-date school calendar is the one of the web site.  On this page you can download LREI’s calendar to you iCal.  You can choose which events are displayed on your version of our calendar by clicking on the “filter events” button on the left hand side of the calendar page. 

4.      Important Reminders

 Deadline for applying for Tuition Remission is December 15, 2008. 

 Re-enrollment contracts will be mailed to all families no later than January 15, 2009. 

Re-enrollment contracts are due on February 1, 2009

We recognize that given current economic conditions, many families’ circumstances may have changed.  If you are not currently receiving Tuition Remission and feel that changes in your family’s particular situation may now qualify you for Tuition Remission, we encourage you to apply now.  Contact the Business Office to do so. 

Warmly,

Phil