Director’s Blog, April 2010
Four Additional “Rs”
Welcome back! The students returned from a seemingly long Spring Break brimming with energy, mostly reserved for time with friends, and have now settled back into their routines and all is running smoothly and productively.
The Kassen family had an invigorating Break. Deciding it was time for our kids to see the nation’s capital, my wife and I packed the car and off we went down I-95 to Washington, DC. We visited museums and memorials, landed on the edge of a major demonstration for immigration rights and had many mealtime conversations about government, history and democracy. Our trip coincided with the health care debate/vote, leading to even more conversations about governance, compromise and representation. At the end of it all, the most important thing we took away with us, more important than any gift shop knick-knack, was the fact that all of the museums and memorials, statues and pictures that we saw, visited and learned about represented real people; that society and leadership require regular women and men to take on significant responsibility and to act for the common good. The words and ideas seen in the National Archives have less meaning when not seen in concert with the actions of the men and women represented by the World War II memorial who had responsibility thrust upon them, for the most part, or, a short walk away, with the life of Honest Abe, who sought out his participation. In both cases, these memorials represent real people who took on life altering responsibilities in order to protect the common good.
From DC we continued on to Williamsburg, VA to visit historic Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg. We had a terrific few days visiting the site of the original Jamestown colony, the recreation of Jamestown fort and the Powhatan Village and Colonial Williamsburg. I found that even though I had visited these sites in years past with LREI’s seventh graders (who make this same pilgrimage to Virginia each fall) there was so much to learn and do. After three days of doing our best to live in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries we felt that we had gained some sense of what life must have been like back then. It became clear, as we discussed the trip on our long drive back north, that the Powhatan, and their new neighbors, were incredibly resourceful and resilient people. Life was hard back then, with few safety nets and many life and death consequences. Survival required a mix of self – reliance and true reliance on your community. (We learned that one way to accomplish all that had to be achieved each day was by giving real work and responsibility to the children in the community, beginning at a very early age. This was not a popular “take-away” for two members of the Kassen clan.) Our conversations did prompt me to think about the skills that LREI should be teaching in order to help your children be resourceful and resilient in the 21st century. Some are similar to those taught and learned in the 17th and 18th centuries, others would have been unimaginable then. This is a conversation that we are having with increasing frequency in all three divisions of the school. I wonder what you find you need to know to be a resourceful, reliable and resilient person today? What will you need to know to be so tomorrow? Please share your thoughts on this.
Responsible, resourceful, reliable and resilient—an important roster of attributes and, while we do a good job of fostering them in our students, always worth reflecting on and discussing.
-Phil
Updates and Announcements:
About Registering for Special Testing Accommodations
Hello 9th Graders & 9th Grade Families!
If you are interested in applying for special testing accommodations (extended time, use of a computer on essays, etc.) please contact me. Some of you have already started going through this process and a few may already have a letter from the College Board confirming your accommodations. If you have a confirmation letter from the College Board, you do not need to contact me at this time. Any family interested in applying now, please be in touch. I am happy to let you know what documentation needs to be in place and to help you navigate the process. I would like to have applications prepared for 9th graders well before the end of the year so that accommodations will be in place in time for the October PSAT.
Thank you!
Carrie Korn, College Guidance Associate, x324, ckorn@lrei.org
1. Mark your calendars for LREI’s Spring tasting event called “Stir the Pot: Taste of the Future.” And the committee needs more volunteers! Please come to our meeting on Friday, April 9th at 8:45AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria.
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.
2. From Red is Green Committee…
Save the date for LREI’s 2nd annual Earth Day Celebration! April 22, 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Our afterschool event takes place in the Sixth Ave. auditorium and will be a fun and interactive way for kids to celebrate the day and learn about their environment. Click here for our poster.
Please join us for a presentation on Monday, April 26, 8:45am in the Sixth Ave. cafeteria on how climate change is affecting our NYC water supply and wastewater infrastructure. Hilary Meltzer, LREI parent and part of NYC’s environmental law team will discuss regional projections about environmental changes and threats to our water supply all posed by climate change.
April’s recycle drive is…Corks. Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. While it is a renewable resource, it takes a long time to harvest (25 years for the first harvest, 9 years thereafter). We recycle corks either by fulfilling teacher demand for them, or sending them to Terracycle, who turns them into products like cork boards. Drop off all used corks – natural or synthetic, wine or champagne. Drop off corks in the Red is Green bins in the Sixth Ave. or Charlton St. lobbies through the month of April.
3. ATTENTION LREI PARENTS!!
Please join us for a special Parent Association Breakfast!
We hope you can stop after drop-off on Tuesday, April 13th at 8:30am for LREI’s “Thank You and Welcome” PA Breakfast.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Parents Association yet, drop by the Sixth Ave. cafeteria, have a cup of coffee and a breakfast treat. This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow parent co-chairs and become better acquainted with our wonderful parent affinity groups and committees.
Find out what your PA is up to and what we can look forward to!
4. LREI 2010 Art Auction, March 3 & 4, 2010
Thank you so much to everyone who helped to make this year’s Art Auction a rounding success! It was a spectacular event and everyone has a wonderful time.
There are still some pieces of art that are for sale so please visit http://artauction.lrei.org/ for additional information and to view items that are available. If you have any questions, please contact Maude Kebbon at mkebbon@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext. 232.
Additionally, please watch this space for information regarding upcoming art related events in the spring.
Remember, if you are a parent at LREI you are a member of the PA.
5. Recipe Raffle! Send in your last-minute recipe submissions to win a pair of tea towels! This is the absolute last call for submissions to be part of Downtown Potluck, the new LREI community cookbook. We’ve extended our deadline to April 12th; after that date we will draw names of contributors to find our lucky winner! Please see the attached flyer for more information.
6. A Message from Chap, Director of Diversity & Community
Affinity Groups – What are they and how do they benefit my child? Why are schools across the country developing informal and formal affinity groups for students of all ages, parents, and former students? The term affinity group is used as a bringing together of people who have something important in common, e.g. race, gender, profession, or special interests. Any significant historical movement or everyday social interaction could probably be traced to the actions of people who share a common experience and passion.
Join us for our last discussion of How to Raise an Ally: Social Justice at LREI to learn more about our successful affinity groups. Monday, April 19 at 8:45 AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria. Grab some coffee, bring a friend, and engage in the last of our three part series of discussions with fellow LREI parents.