From Phil Kassen, Director
Dear Families,
Hello to all and happy mid-Winter. We are certainly having a real winter this year—cold, snowy, long, dark. I know that in my family, while we are enjoying the season, we are beginning to look ahead to what will feel like a well-deserved spring.
Karamu was so fantastic this year! Wow! The evening began with the traditional potluck dinner. The variety of foods donated by members of the LREI community was amazing. My family’s dinner choices alone represented cultures from at least four continents. The evening continued with a series of fantastic performances (not the least of which was our very own EI Jazz Band) and the annual dance party. Thank you to the organizers, to those who donated to the potluck, to the performers and to the fabulous audience. We should all be proud of the commitment to diversity that energizes this annual event.
Following Karamu! by a few days, last week’s two “Bringing The Conversation Home” meetings were an interesting contrast in diversity events. Led by consultant Pat Romney, a familiar face at LREI, these conversations were more contemplation and struggle than celebration. Attendees discussed ways to have conversations amongst themselves and with their children about class and privilege. Pat suggested strategies for responding when your children bring home comments or questions concerning the role money and wealth can play in the ways in which we experience the world and relate to each other. These were tricky conversations and I am proud of my parent colleagues for their willingness to engage in them. We all benefited from our participation during these gatherings. Two reminders from Pat Romney:
- Engage your child in a discussion about how you “are” in the world defines your life more than what you have or don’t have;
- Help your child understand that differences are differences – not disabilities.
Celebrating our cultures, our differences and those aspects of culture—music, dance, food, art—that we share. Examining differences in daily experience—money, class, privilege—and trying to better understand the lives of our classmates, friends and neighbors. We believe that these sorts of activities are essential and it is only through honest conversation and open sharing of experience that we can truly learn to value one another as we do ourselves as we work towards strengthening the LREI community.
Finally, while the diversity work that I comment on above is important for the community and helps us all to be better community members and colleagues and people, we are first and foremost a school. I believe deeply that these conversations and experiences deepen your children’s academic experiences. Practicing the skills that allow us to value and understand the experiences of others can only deepen a student’s learning in history and literature, for example. Having a greater understanding of their classmates’ lives will make LREI students better able to work with each other, to trust each other, to take risks and to challenge each other to excel. These skills are essential for academic success and growth.
Thank you all for your willingness to participate and for your thoughtful and intelligent contributions.
Best,
Phil
Updates and Announcements:
- The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.
- Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar. You can also now access the 2009-2010 calendar here! Note that school will begin on the Wednesday after Labor Day this year, not Thursday. Middle School and High School orientation will be on the Tuesday after Labor Day. Lower School phase in schedules, for our early childhood classes, will be distributed during the summer.
- For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.
*Class of 2009 Families, please read the updated and revised important letter from Ruth Jurgensen, High School Principal regarding Senior Project.
*Please read this important announcement from our Academic Support Center.
*Director’s Drop-In–Phil will be available for drop-in conversations in his Sixth Avenue office from 8:45AM-9:30AM on Friday, January 23rd; Friday, January 30th; Thursday, February 12th; Thursday, February 19th and Friday, March 6th. Drop in, ask a question, and hear about what is going on at LREI. Can’t make these times? Give a call or send and email.
*The senior class is trying to locate a space in which to hold their prom. If anyone knows of a good space for this event, or has a contact of some sort, kindly email Vio Picayo at vpicayo@yahoo.com. Please respond as soon as possible, as time is running short before this late May event. Thank you.
*The first Coffeehouse for 2009 will be at the high school THIS SATURDAY, February 7 at 7PM, 40 Charlton Street, featuring student performers, wonderful baked goods and Special Guest Steve Earle! The High School Community Service Roundtable will be sponsoring this event, as they try and raise money for their charitable givings.
*A special event has been added to the calendar: On April 21, at 6:30 PM, in the cafeteria, Freedom Institute will be here to meet with all high school parents interested in drug and alcohol education for their teen. All high school parents are welcome to join this evening of education and discussion.
1. The Big Auction is coming in March! Take a look at the auction list!
2. Please take a look at this wonderful (and free!) summer opportunity for young women in the high school community:
Running Start is accepting applications for their 2009 Young Woman’s Political Leadership Retreat.
WHAT: Running Start encourages high school girls from across the country to channel their leadership into politics. Participants will meet extraordinary women leaders of diverse backgrounds and learn the importance of having more women in political leadership and running for office. EVEN if the you’re not interested in politics, this is a great program way to practice public speaking and learn to collaborate with other young women.
WHO: Open to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school
WHERE: American University, Washington D.C.
WHEN: July 15-19, 2009 (no applications will be accepted after February 16,
2009)
COST: The program is entirely FREE of charge, and travel scholarships are
available.
Young Women’s Political Leadership Program:
July 15-19, 2009 Washington, DC
Application deadline: February 16, 2009
The Young Women’s Political Leadership Program encourages high school girls to channel their leadership into politics. Running Start is hosting our second annual program this July to train high school girls in political leadership skills and to plant the seed that they should run for office. Fifty girls chosen for their leadership potential from around the country will come to Washington, DC for this exciting program. The girls are chosen from public, charter and private schools and we pride ourselves on recruiting a diverse group of young women to attend our program. The program is entirely free of charge, and travel scholarships are available.
The program, which takes place at American University over 4 days and 3 nights, allows the participants to meet extraordinary women leaders of diverse backgrounds and to learn about the importance of having more women in political leadership and of running for office themselves. They learn by doing through the highly interactive sessions. By the end of the summer retreat, they will have gained confidence in their own leadership abilities, and be ready to bring their leadership to their schools and communities. The girls learn about political leadership by working with inspirational women leaders, including Congresswomen and other elected officials and leaders in business, media and the law.
The program trains the girls in important skills necessary for political leadership including:
Public Speaking and Presentation: Students will learn how to structure a speech and adjust to an audience, as well as learning and practicing the importance of posture, tone and answering post-speech questions.
Advocacy: Students will learn the art of persuasive speaking and will practice basic debate and advocacy.
Persuasive Writing: Students will learn critical thinking skills that correlate to the kinds of applications necessary in advocacy and politics. The girls will examine campaign materials, floor speeches, as well as grammatical and literary tactics that are often incorporated into successful persuasive writing.
Campaigning: As a culmination of the program, the students will create a campaign for themselves tying in the aspects learned from the workshops throughout the leadership program, and they will give campaign speeches to the class and their parents.
Our goal is to create political leadership programs for high school girls across the US, so that young women can learn the value of political participation and the importance of their leadership in this area.
3. BIG AUCTION ‘09
COUNTRY QUILT
WE HOPE TO HAVE ALL
FINISHED EMBROIDERED
SQUARES BY NEXT WEEK,
SO GET STITCHIN’.
(If you have any blank squares,
please leave in box
on lower school front desk,
no questions asked!)
All squares must be in
by February 9th
in order to be included
in this beautiful quilt.
Have fun!
For more info, contact Liz Kurtzman
(lizknyc@aol.com)
4. Class pictures are here!
5. “Have a Heart, Get a Heart”: We’re collecting new and gently used clothes and baby equipment for children 0 to 5 years for donation to “Room-to-Grow” (click here for details on items you could donate). On February 11th, 12th and 13th, when you drop yourdonations to the Sixth Ave. lobby you’ll get a heart sticker. (Or just stop by and ask for a sticker.)
6. A perfect gift!
LETTERMAN JACKETS NOW AVAILABLE!
Wool Letterman Jackets now available through
the LREI school store.
These beautiful warm, winter coats are now
available by special order only. The cost is
approximately $200 per coat. Each is personalized
with your name. For orders: Contact Kasey Picayo at
picayosmith@aol.com. See attachment for photo.
7. Announcements from the Red is Green Committee:
Recycle Updates:
In February, we will be partnering with Project KOPEG to recycle cell
phones, chargers, ipods, inkjet cartridges and digital cameras. And the
best part is we can raise money for LREI by recycling our electronic waste!
Look for the drop-off boxes in the 6th Ave lobby and the high school lobby
beginning Monday, February 2.
Walk to School Wednesdays:
Also beginning in February, we are starting a campaign to encourage everyone at LREI to either walk to school or use public transportation. Once a month we will have Walk to School Wednesdays! Reduce greenhouse gases and get the kids involved at the same time. Our first Walk to School Wednesday will be February 25, rain or shine!