Director’s Blog, May 2010
The Beginning of the End
Dear Families,
It is surprising how quickly it happens, but the long ending of the school year has started. Signaled by the first lower school potluck earlier this week, or maybe it was the middle school Performing Arts Showcase last week (a great new event), and culminating with the school’s 65th commencement exercises in June, the end is beginning. Between now and then, when the ending ends, we will host 14 lower school potlucks, the middle school musical (tomorrow evening, Saturday afternoon and evening), senior project presentations, the senior banquet, MS and HS awards ceremonies, the fourth grade immigration play, the Spring Concert, field day, Stir the Pot (buy your tickets now) and the Afterschool share and instrumental concert, among others. I encourage you to make time not only for your child’s events but also for events that sound interesting, maybe featuring students in another division. This is a great way to see what is going on at LREI.
One event that took place this week and that was a very big deal in the life of the School was this past Monday’s High School Ribbon Cutting—a small ceremony for the high school students and faculty inaugurating our newly enlarged high school campus. After some thoughtful words from Ruth Jurgensen, high school principal, and Michael Patrick ’71, Board Chair, the ribbon was cut and the students streamed into our newly expanded facility. They were so excited! Maybe it was the beautiful cake provided by the PA, but I like to think that it was the new classrooms, the student lounge and the courtyard. A very exciting morning indeed. However, I think that the next day may have been even more exciting. The hoopla was over and, from the student lounge to the new seminar room, the students had made the building their own. In one day we went from brand new to well used. Fantastic! Stay tuned for information about an all LREI Ribbon Cutting event—coming soon!
As with the new high school spaces, in the midst of all of the big events of the season, I encourage you to keep your eye on the day-to-day, the “regular.” While the big moments are exciting, and I surely don’t want to minimize their importance, the day-to-day learning, hard work, struggle and success continue to be our main focus. So, while you are finding time to be with children at big moments be sure to ask them about the journey that took them there. These will truly be things of which to be proud.
Updates and Announcements:
1. Stir the Pot: Taste of the Future, Thursday, May 13th at 6:30pm, Charlton Street
It is hard to believe that Stir the Pot, our cocktail party/restaurant tasting event, is only a week away! This new event will allow us to gather as a community in the renovated high school building to enjoy each other’s company and reconnect before the school year ends. A lot of work has gone into the planning of this event and we need all of you to make it a success. We hope that you have already purchased your tickets, in case you have not, we will continue to sell tickets during drop off at the Sixth Avenue building this week and next until the day of the event. You can contact the advancement office to purchase a ticket if you cannot make it into the building. Even if you can’t make the party, we ask that you join in the fun and purchase raffle tickets. We have some amazing raffle items including PK’s NYC -a year of monthly hand selected goodies by the Phil Kassen ($5.00 or 6 for $25), or for $10 (6 for $50) a table for 6 at RAO’s, an overnight stay at the Bowery Hotel with dinner at Gemma, A tour of the Fresh Direct plant, cookbooks, gift certificates to fabulous restaurants all over town and more! Raffle tickets can be bought ahead of time or at the event.
There is free childcare for LREI students only at the Sixth Avenue building during the event. YOU MUST SIGN UP AHEAD OF TIME TO USE THE CHILDCARE. Contact Maude Kebbon at mkebbon@lrei.org.
We hope to see you at Stir the Pot! The Stir the Pot Committee
2. The GLASS MENAGERIE, LREI’s resident adult chorus, conducted by HS Chorus Director Susan Glass, will hold their annual spring concert this Saturday, May 8th, at 8PM. St. Joseph’s Church, 6th Avenue and Washington Place
3. The annual LREI Spring Book Fair is coming up on May 20-21. As usual, the book selection for this fair is based on the summer reading lists put together by the faculty and librarians. The lists will be posted online at http://lrei.org/libres/sr.html before the fair starts, so please check them with your kids to plan out some great summer reading! Some grades have reading requirements; these will be noted on the lists, or check with your kids’ teachers.
Click here for a credit card pre-authorization form for parents to fill out; this form will enable kids to purchase books at the book fair, spending up to a limit determined by their parents. Please fax the forms to (212) 677-9159 (Attention Tracie McGee) by Monday, May 17. Students can also bring the forms with them to the book fair. Please note that high school books will also be on sale at Charlton St. the afternoon of May 18, just after the book assembly.
4. Dear Parents,
Spring is here, so we are starting to plan for the next school year. The PA would like to let you know the many ways you can participate. Becoming a parent rep is a great way to get involved. If you have not been a parent rep before but would like to try it or find out more about it, please let us know. We would be happy to talk to you more about what the job entails. In the meantime, you can look at the Family Handbook, page 36 (link on our webiste www.LREI.org) for the Parent Rep Guidelines. Of course, until the classes are actually made up for next year (mid-August or so), we cannot match parent reps to classes. If you’re looking for other ways to get involved, you could consider volunteering for any of our PA committees; a list is attached. Also in the Family Handbook (p.38), is a list of the co-chairs of the PA committees if you would like to contact them for more information. Please email us at PA-Presidents@lrei.org if you would like to get involved.
5. Save the Date: The 17th Annual LREI Camping Trip will take place June 4-6 this year at the Riverbend Group Campground along the Delaware River. All LREI families and their children — from all grades pre-K through high school — are invited to participate. Watch for details and sign-up tables coming soon. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help organize, please contact Larry White at LWhite@stern.nyu.edu or (212) 533-1966
6. 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, there are still tickets available for an exciting event this spring. Please contact Maude if you are interested!
“Greater New York” Emerging Artists Survey, PS 1
A private tour with curator & LREI parent Neville Wakefield one day before the exhibit opens. Meet the artists and see their art! Tickets are $200 each.
Saturday, May 22nd at 2:00pm