The Sounds of School
Dear Families,
It has been a busy first week at the high school! On Tuesday, we welcomed 41 new students to our community at New Student Orientation. On Wednesday, the entire faculty and student body gathered together in the PAC to celebrate the start of a new school year. Today, classes began in earnest and at 3:00 the building was buzzing with activity. While the newspaper staff edited their first issue, the newly formed High School Robotics Team had its first meeting. The cross country team set out a cool autumn run as budding actors nervously awaited their chance to audition for the high school play. The lobby was alive the rhythmic sounds of the Step Team practice and the dulcet voices of the EI chorus. School is most certainly back in session, and it is music to my ears!
In my Opening Day remarks, I spoke about President Obama’s Back-to-School speech and its relevance to our students. Here is an excerpt from Obama’s speech and my comments:
“ ‘But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world – and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities…Every single one of you has something you’re good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide….But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. You won’t click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try…. you can’t let your failures define you – you have to let them teach you.’
Work hard –take responsibility – keep trying – learn from your mistakes… Great advice, right? So why the controversy? Why did some state officials and school leaders and teachers say they didn’t want their students to listen to Obama’s address yesterday? Some felt that a presidential speech would be disruptive or intrusive to the already planned school day. Others felt uncomfortable with the president using his position to “indoctrinate” children or promote his political agenda. Some of you may agree. While I personally find Obama’s advice to be sensible, albeit familiar, I am actually more interested in the debate than the speech itself.
Contrary to some of my counterparts at other institutions, I believe that school is the perfect place to contemplate the role of the president, the power of the spoken word, and the potential for those in power to misuse or abuse their position. I feel privileged to work at a school where we are not bound by a single agenda or point of view, where we do not eschew controversy, where voices are not silenced. At LREI, we pride ourselves on the diversity of our community and we strive to uphold the diversity of our opinions. We feel free to disagree, with the knowledge that we will respect each other no matter what. Thus there is no better place for students to try, and fail, and try again.
For all of you, whether freshman or seniors, returning students or new, let this be a year of new risks, new challenges, and perhaps, even a few new failures. We will be there to guide you along the way, brush you off when you fall, and keep you trying again until you succeed.”
Here’s to a great year for all! If I can do anything to assist you and your family this fall, please let me know.
All best,
Julia Heaton, Acting High School Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS
LREI 101 for New Families: On Monday, September 14th, from 8:45AM-10:15AM, Phil Kassen asks all new parents/guardians attend LREI 101, our orientation program for new families. This gathering is an essential component of your entry into the LREI community. We will meet in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria.
New Family Reception: On Tuesday, September 15th, Michael Patrick, ’71, Chair of the LREI Board of Trustees and his wife, Carol Sedwick, invite new parents to a reception in their home at 6:00PM. You should have received an official invitation to this gathering. If you have not received that, please contact lsacks@lrei.org.
High School Special Programs, September 16-18, 2009
- 9th and 10th Graders will go to Ramopo for their Orientation trip. 9th Graders and 12th grade Peer Leaders leave on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 8:15 AM. The 10th Graders leave on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 8:15 AM. All return Friday, Sept. 18 at 3:00 PM.
- The 11th Grade will have Special Programs and no regular classes. On Thursday, Sept. 17th, all 11th Graders will go on a mandatory field trip for their “Gotham” (New York City history) course led by history teacher Nick O’Han. On Friday, Sept. 18, 11th Graders will have an all-day community service outing, led by Nick, 11th grade Dean Ileana Jimenez and the 11th grade advisors. Both days starts at 8:30 AM and end at 3:00 PM.
- The 12th Grade will have two days devoted to the college applications process. On Thursday, Sept. 17, there will be an all-day College Workshop with Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance, and Carrie Korn. The workshop runs from 8:30 AM-3:00 PM. 12th graders do not need to come to school on Friday, Sept. 18th but may use the day to schedule college visits and/or interviews.
Parent Association Welcome Fair: Come learn about how to get involved with the Parent Association on September 16th or September 22nd. Meet committee members and hear about opportunities and events. Click here to download the invitation with more detailed information.
HS Parent Rep Meeting [PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE]: Friday, September 18th at 8:30 a.m. at Charlton Street.
HS Curriculum Night: Tuesday, September 22 at 6:30 pm at Charlton Street.
12th Grade College Night: Wednesday, September 30 at 6:00 pm.
For more calendar items, please visit the all school calendar www.lrei.org/calendar.
Click here for the 2009-10 school calendar.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS
- Please don’t forget to sign your child’s Acceptable Use Policy! To have permission to use the school’s computers and network, all students must have a signed Acceptable Use Policy on file. If the form has been misplaced, please contact your child’s advisor. You can download a copy of the form by clicking here
- Please take a moment to read the High School Student Handbook which contains information about the academic program, the daily schedule and trimester dates, rules and community norms, and a list of the high school faculty members. You can download a copy of the handbook by clicking here