Director’s Blog, January 2010
Dear LREI Community,
Happy New Year and welcome back for LREI 2010! It was fun to greet your children on Tuesday. The students were excited to see their friends and teachers and to begin classes again, while at the same time it seemed to be a little bit of a challenge for them to leave the restful habits of Winter Break behind.
On Monday, the faculty gathered for our second colleague led professional day. Much of the day was spent in workshops that allowed teachers to engage in conversations with colleagues from all three divisions about a variety of topics—gender issues in education, learning to draw, the architecture of NYC, math in everyday life and Flash animation, for example—while examining how to have the teaching and learning of these topics, and others, meet the progressive mission of the school. It was an energizing day and a joyful celebration of the school and our talented faculty.
On Friday, January 22nd, the Parents Association’s Multicultural Committee will present Karamu!, our annual multicultural celebration. (Karamu means “joyful celebration” in Swahili.) The evening begins with a delicious potluck supper in the Charlton Street cafeteria. If past years are any indication, dinner will present a tremendous range of enticing offerings from families in all three divisions, representing a range of cultures and tastes. Following dinner, attendees will be treated to a series of performances reflecting a variety of artistic traditions. This year’s performers include a Latin alternative band, West African drummers, Irish dancers and our annual multi-culti dance party. My favorite part of Karamu is that it illustrates the importance of exploring those traditions—culinary and artistic—that are unique to specific cultures while also reinforcing those values shared by all cultures—a need to connect with each other, food as a cultural messenger and the arts as a center of celebrations. How are we the same and how do we differ—together these questions allow us to better understand others and ourselves.
Sign up sheets to help produce Karamu! will be posted in the Sixth Avenue lobby in the coming days, as will sheets to sign up to contribute to the potluck. If you would like to sign up and do not visit the buildings often, you can email Juliet Burrows at julietburrows@mac.com or Holly Glass at hcritch@earthlink.net. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, January 19th. I hope to see you at Karamu!
Best,
Phil
P.S. If your contact information—address, phone numbers, email addresses—has changed since we distributed the directory in September, please contact Mary Shea, mshea@lrei.org, as she is preparing an updated directory for distribution in the coming weeks. Thanks.
Updates and Announcements:
TONIGHT: Join us for our annual Alumni College Panel. This is a terrific opportunity to hear recent LREI grads discuss their transition from high school to college and how their time at LREI prepared them for success. Tonight, January 7, 6:30PM, Performing Arts Center, 40 Charlton Street. RSVP to Liza Sacks at (212) 477-5316 ext. 291 or lsacks@lrei.org.
1. Save the Date for Karamu! Friday January 22nd!… Karamu! is LREI’s annual multicultural event of music, dance, and food celebrating the diversity of our school and community. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 19th.…Karamu! always sells out; get your tickets early (discounted tickets available – contact Juliet Burrows: julietburrows-at-mac.com. We need food and volunteers!..Sign up boards will be in the 6th Ave. lobby – please volunteer and join this wonderful community building event. If you would like to solicit a donation of food or wine from a restaurant or business please use this letter and forward information to Juliet.
2. Visibility is going up in February! Now is the perfect time to find your photographs for this wonderful exhibit. Please consider participating and click here for more information.
3. New LREI Event–Many of you have asked about the yellow “Stir the Pot” postcards that you received in recent days. We wanted to whet your appetite and to be sure that you mark your calendars for LREI’s Spring tasting event called “Stir the Pot: Taste of the Future.” You won’t want to miss the chance to meet and mingle with other parents and enjoy great food–Thursday, May 13th in the Charlton Street campus. For further information, please contact Maude Kebbon in the Office of Advancement at 212-477-5316, ext. 232.
4. New event added to the calendar: Freedom Institute will offer drug and alcohol education and answer questions about how to talk with your teen about substance issues on Thursday, January 28, 2010, at 6:30 PM, Charlton Street Cafeteria.
5. Red is Green Committee:
During the month of January we will be recycling holiday and greeting cards. These cards will be donated to St. Jude’s Ranch. No photo cards please.
Also during the month of January you can bring in your wrapping paper scraps. These scraps will be used to decorate the school for Faculty / Staff Appreciation Day. Look for the box in the lobby at 6th Avenue after the holidays.
Mulchfest 2010: Recycle Your Christmas Tree at NYC Parks Jan 9-10, 2010. Click here for more information on where you can drop off your tree in the 5 boroughs.