High School News
LREI High School’s Home on the Web

Dear Families,

After the Thanksgiving holiday, students will return on December 1 to their Trimester I Exam Week. Attached, please find the exam schedule. The exam schedule may undergo a change or two in the next day or so, likely from 11th and 12th grade electives deciding to cancel their time. The most current schedule will be posted at the high school. Below, please find what exam week will look like in case you have any questions, or need to make particular arrangements.

Monday, Dec. 1: Regular school day. Classes will review material or complete work. All students are expected.

Tuesday, Dec. 2: Reading Day.

• School open regular hours. Ninth Graders are required to attend the first trimester reading day for a study day and help with preparing for the week with our Academic Support instructors, 9 AM-2:45 PM.
• For all other grades, this is a day for students to prepare for exams, final papers and exhibitions. This is also an opportunity to catch up with outstanding work, work with groups for final presentations, use the Tech Center and printers around the school, etc. This is a quiet work day. Students may choose to work at school or at home. Students are not required to report to school, and it is not counted as an absence if they are not here. However, you may prefer your child to come to school for the full day to work. Please send him or her. School will be open. The Library will be open all day. All teachers will be at school regular school hours to provide the opportunity to meet with students.
• No classes will meet so that all teachers are available. There will be review sessions held. If a student is in crisis, teachers may encourage that student to make a mandatory appointment. Further, teachers of two of the same section class may hold mandatory class meeting time during reading day.
• So far, Jane Belton’s English 10 class will meet on Reading Day. Section 10B will meet with Jane from 9-10 AM, and Section 10C will meet with Jane from 10-11 AM. These classes, again, are mandatory for members of her class.

Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 3-5: Exams. Exam periods are 9 AM-11 AM and 1 PM-3 PM. Each day, students should come in plenty of time for their morning exam, and students may leave after their exams are complete. Again, the exam schedule is attached to this blog.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

All the best,

Ruth

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

Attached is the first LREI fall newsletter for the year. In our ongoing drive to be more sustainable we are distributing it exclusively by email. Phil welcomes your feedback as we move forward with this and other green initiatives. For additional news highlights, please visit http://www.lrei.org/news/.

1. Dear Parents: Since the auction is two months earlier this year (on Thursday, March 5th), we need to get our donation forms in earlier. We would like to have as many of the forms in by Thanksgiving break as possible, which is just around the corner. The deadline for forms is Friday, December 12th.

Our goal this year is to have each parent donate/solicit one item, and we’re attaching a form here for your convenience. If you would like to run your ideas by someone, please contact one of us or Pippa Gerard at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org or Sandra Song at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org.

Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Esposito Mamie McIndoe
917-226-0800 917-597-5603
jenn_espo@msn.com mmcindoe@marblechurch.org

2. Community Service!

The LREI Community Service Committee is hosting it’s annual
Thanksgiving Art project at Hudson Guild this Sunday Nov. 23 , 11:00AM - 1:00 PM
At HG Elliot Center at 441 West 26th St. (Bet. 9th and 10th Aves.)
LREI children and parents will join seniors from the HG Community Center
to make centerpieces for their Thanksgiving Feast.
Hudson Guild is located in Chelsea and provides services and programs for young and old which help community members achieve stability and self-sufficiency.
For more information: [ http://hudsonguild.org ]http://hudsonguild.org/ Please RSVP to Denise Adler 917-455-8302.

$1.00 For Thanks - Nov. 24 - 26
$1.00 donation allows allows LREI to provide money to a local soup kitchen for turkeys
for their Thanksgiving Dinner.
Look for the collection jar in the Sixth Ave. and Charlton St. lobbies.
For more information Contact Tatjana Kalinin - 917-371-6591.

Nov. 26th - Ongoing
Kick off for St. John’s Can Drive in the Lower School will take place this year
at the Thanksgiving Assembly and will continue throughout the year on a class by class basis.
Talk to you teacher or parent rep to find out when your class is scheduled.
Middle Schoolers will be collecting and stocking the shelves at
the St. John’s Food Pantry throughout the year.
Please check all expiration dates on your donations!

Attention all knitters! This month’s Knitting for the Sanctuary Blanket Project
will take place this Friday, Nov 21st from noon to 3pm at The Point on Bedford Street.
No experience necessary!

3. 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. Order by next Wednesday,
November 26th to receive by Holiday Break.  For orders:  Contact Kasey Picayo at
picayosmith@aol.com.  See attachment for photo.

4. A message from Phil Kassen, Director-While I am always happy to have people drop in to see me, I am not always in my office. I will be available for drop in conversations, in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria, from 8:45AM-9:30AM on November 21st, December 5th, December 12th and December 17th.

5. From the LREI Family Handbook
Vacations: We remind families to only take vacations during LREI breaks and that your
child’s time away from school does not begin before the school break does or end
afterwards. Teachers use each scheduled day to support their classroom program goals
and the School’s mission. Students who miss days adjacent to breaks, or who take
vacations outside of our break times, miss work and can disrupt planned activities. This
affects the learning of the absent students and her/his classmates. In addition, divisional
or all-school assemblies often precede our longer vacations. These gatherings are
essential for creating the sort of community that drew you to LREI. Students sing, listen
to speakers, applaud their schoolmates, meet students in other divisions and generally
strengthen community ties.

We will not honor families’ requests to receive work their children will miss due to family
vacation plans. Families that are presented with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to make
an extended visit to another city, country, etc. should speak to their child’s principal.

In general, we are focused on making sure that we are using each moment of each
school day as effectively as possible. Part of being able to do this is to have each
student in school each of these days. Thank you for your support of these efforts.

6. Red is Green Committee:
This week The Red is Green Committee launched LREI’s monthly recycling drive. Each month you will have an opportunity to recycle items that are not easily recycled at home. November’s recycling drive is dedicated
to plastic bags, which currently cannot be recycled with regular plastics.You can find a box for collecting these bags by the reception desk at the Sixth Avenue campus as well as in the Charlton Street building. Our first day we collected over
150 bags! The monthly recycling drive is a fun and easy way for our kids to get involved in taking better care of our planet so please keep an eye out for the monthly drive in the lobby. Next month’s recycling drive will be
old sneakers!

Dear Families,

Tomorrow, we hold annual family conferences. Advisors and families meet to discuss the first part of the year, to discuss work habits, organizational skills, academic successes and challenges, extracurricular pursuits and to, hopefully, set goals. I encourage you to use part of your meeting time to set goals for the remainder of the year. This year, we have scheduled another conference day, April 17, 2009, all day. This conference day in the spring is a perfect opportunity to check in regarding goals set in the winter and to have final discussions on class choice for 2009-2010 and the community service requirement.

Speaking of community service, this week, eleventh and twelfth grade students in Ileana’s Fierce and Fabulous: Feminist Women Writers, Artists, and Activists were encouraged by Emma Reinhardt, the executive director of HERVoices based in Boston. Their mission is to facilitate cross cultural knowledge, openness, empathy and understanding by empowering and amplifying the voices of underrepresented women and girls. They collect personal testimonies from women and girls to develop participatory, multimedia presentations which are shared with diverse audiences. Emma shared stories from Kenya, in particular women peacekeepers in Wajir, with the class, who were moved by the presentation. From them, action will come.

Please remember, December 8th is a free day for students to participate in community service opportunities. There are no classes that day (the Monday after exams) and students do not have to report to school, unless the service opportunity requires it. Certainly, some in-school opportunities will be available here for in-school community service hours. Additional outside opportunities will be posted underneath the community service calendar located in the lobby. The outside opportunities will not be for everyone; please have a conversation with your child about what opportunity he or she would like to participate in that day. This is a terrific website to find volunteer opportunities around the city.

Finally, this Saturday students can volunteer with members of our community service roundtable at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. If interested, please meet at school at 9 AM sharp or at the park at 9:30 AM. Students should come dressed warmly and for outdoor work.

Have a wonderful conference day and a wonderful weekend,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

LREI School Night at the Apple Store
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
6:30 PM

12th Grade Arts Showcase

Come celebrate Senior Arts including Music, Film, Photography and Theatre

School Night at the Apple Store is designed to give students the opportunity to celebrate the works they have created using Apple technology. The store becomes a theater for students and teachers to showcase these projects for family, friends and teachers.

Apple Store Soho
second floor screening room
103 Prince Street, NYC

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

Attached is the first LREI fall newsletter for the year. In our ongoing drive to be more sustainable we are distributing it exclusively by email. Phil welcomes your feedback as we move forward with this and other green initiatives. For additional news highlights, please visit http://www.lrei.org/news/.

1. A message from Phil Kassen, Director-While I am always happy to have people drop in to see me, I am not always in my office. I will be available for drop in conversations, in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria, from 8:45AM-9:30AM on November 21st, December 5th, December 12th and December 17th.

2. From the LREI Family Handbook
Vacations: We remind families to only take vacations during LREI breaks and that your
child’s time away from school does not begin before the school break does or end
afterwards. Teachers use each scheduled day to support their classroom program goals
and the School’s mission. Students who miss days adjacent to breaks, or who take
vacations outside of our break times, miss work and can disrupt planned activities. This
affects the learning of the absent students and her/his classmates. In addition, divisional
or all-school assemblies often precede our longer vacations. These gatherings are
essential for creating the sort of community that drew you to LREI. Students sing, listen
to speakers, applaud their schoolmates, meet students in other divisions and generally
strengthen community ties.

We will not honor families’ requests to receive work their children will miss due to family
vacation plans. Families that are presented with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to make
an extended visit to another city, country, etc. should speak to their child’s principal.

In general, we are focused on making sure that we are using each moment of each
school day as effectively as possible. Part of being able to do this is to have each
student in school each of these days. Thank you for your support of these efforts.

3. Red is Green Committee:
This week The Red is Green Committee launched LREI’s monthly recycling drive. Each month you will have an opportunity to recycle items that are not easily recycled at home. November’s recycling drive is dedicated
to plastic bags, which currently cannot be recycled with regular plastics.You can find a box for collecting these bags by the reception desk at the Sixth Avenue campus as well as in the Charlton Street building. Our first day we collected over
150 bags! The monthly recycling drive is a fun and easy way for our kids to get involved in taking better care of our planet so please keep an eye out for the monthly drive in the lobby. Next month’s recycling drive will be
old sneakers!

Dear Families,

The dynamic cast and crew, and musical directorJoanne Magee, have been working hard to put together a fantastic evening of music and drama. “City of Angels” opens tonight with shows on Friday and Saturday evening, 7PM, Charlton Street Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available at the reception desk this week and Saturday evening. Hope to see you at the show!

Below, please find a message from Phil Kassen, Director of LREI:

Wednesday was a thrilling day at LREI. As they greeted each other, teachers, students and parents were bubbling with excitement, thoughts, ideas and hopes. No matter which candidate one supported, it was not lost on anyone that we were living in an historic moment. Even our youngest students knew that it was a day to work hard to understand. Each division had an assembly to mark the day. These gatherings varied so as to be age-appropriate, yet all were joyful events filled with conversation, singing, speeches and, most of all, optimism.

We are thrilled by the level of interest the students, in all three divisions, have shown for the candidates, the election process and the issues. As many of you know the election has been a part of the curriculum throughout the fall and for many of our students for much of last year, as well. Our fourth graders worked with librarian Stacy Dillon to study electoral politics through a process of “electing” their favorite books. Stacy announced the winner on Wednesday. Congratulations go to Green Eggs and Ham. The middle school students participated in a national mock election that allowed them to vote on the major party candidates for President and on local ballot initiatives. I am looking forward to seeing the results. In addition, one of our middle school advisory groups spent time out and about in the neighborhood registering more than a dozen people to vote. In the high school, discussions, projects and assemblies dealing with the candidates and the campaign have been going on for quite some time. Throughout the primary season the high school students created a series of debates with students portraying the candidates. Our high schoolers are to be commended for their deep understanding of each candidate’s beliefs. One of our high school students even arranged for the candidates from the Socialist Workers Party to come in and speak to interested schoolmates about this party’s platform. Over the past couple of weeks, many high school faculty and students traveled to Pennsylvania on the weekends to campaign. A group of faculty and students spent last Thursday supporting the last moments of their candidate’s campaign as part of our Minimester—a series of three-day intensive classes in which all eighth – twelfth graders participate. (See Ruth’s blog from two weeks ago to see all of the Minimester offerings.) As I have said to a number of you, I have been in the school for five election cycles and have never seen this level of interest, education and commitment. I hope that our students’ interest in civic involvement remains at this level. Excellent work, all.

My family decided that we would vote very early on Tuesday morning. All agreed that the excitement of Election Day and avoiding lines was a good reason to set our alarm clocks to rouse us before the usual time. The plan was to vote and go out for a celebratory breakfast before the school day began. As I sat on the edge of my four year old son’s bed, watching him at peace and allowing him a last moment’s rest before our adventure began, I realized that there was a possibility, that is now a reality, that the first face he really remembers as the face of a leader, of a President, will be a Black man’s face. That for him and many others this simple fact will change their assumptions and judgments, the goals they will have and the plans they will make. Am I making too much of this? We will have to wait and see, but I don’t think so. While there is still much work to do, the fact that in a few short months the United States of America will have an African-American President will have a long lasting and far-reaching impact. I am eager, for myself and for our children, to see what the future holds.

One final thought, I hope that the future holds a recognition that two people choosing to commit themselves to each other is good for everyone and that all people should have the same right to be a family. So even as we celebrate Tuesday’s victory, we should not ignore Tuesday’s defeats. We need to keep our eyes on any discrimination that needs our continued focus and energy.

On a completely different note…..I want to take this opportunity to remind you of some important upcoming due dates.

Irwin Scholar applications are due Monday, November 17, 2008. Each year LREI offers merit scholarships to students moving from our eighth grade into the ninth grade who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishment and promise in the areas of scholarship, citizenship, leadership and service.

Sibling and Alumni/ae Admissions to the Fours, Kindergarten and First Grade:

LREI offers the option of Early Notification to siblings of current LREI students, and to the children and grandchildren of LREI alumni. Should you wish to participate in this program, please download the Early Notification form from our web site and submit by Monday, December 1, 2008. Please note that all Early Notification application files must also be completed by this date.

Tuition Remission deadline for applying for Tuition Remission is December 15, 2008.
Re-enrollment contracts will be mailed to all families no later than January 15, 2009
Re-enrollment contracts are due on February 1, 2009
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Phil

Have a great weekend,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

Attached is the first LREI fall newsletter for the year. In our ongoing drive to be more sustainable we are distributing it exclusively by email. Phil welcomes your feedback as we move forward with this and other green initiatives. For additional news highlights, please visit http://www.lrei.org/news/.

Mark Bledstein, who has been teaching at LREI for 40 years, will be presenting “Teaching Modern China: Art and Politics/Images and Documents” on November 11, 2008, 3:45-5:15, Charlton Street. Parents and student families are invited to attend. This presentation is sponsored by Teaching East Asia at the University of Colorado, Boulder and funded by the Freeman Foundation and an LREI summer grant.

Family/Advisor conferences are on November 14, all day. Advisors make appointments with families. If you have not heard from your advisor yet, and would like to make this appointment, please feel free to contact the student’s advisor or class dean.

1. A message from Chap, Director of Diversity and Community:

Bring The Conversation Home: Strategies for addressing challenging diversity topics your child brings home: Part I
Join us on Tuesday, November 11th at 8:45 AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria for a discussion and Q&A on a number of diversity topics you and your family face on a regular basis, with a particular focus on socioeconomic class. Please consider inviting another LREI parent or two to this important community discussion.

2. From the Big Auction Committee: The Big Auction will be held on March 5th, 2009 and the Art Auction is scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 school year. You should have received a letter in the mail, along with a donation form. Our goal this year is to have every parent solicit one item for the auction…we hope that you will join us in realizing this goal! If you have any questions or would like to discuss a potential donation, please contact Jenn at jenn_espo@msn.com or Mamie at mamie.mcindoe@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can also contact the Office of Advancement. Pippa can be reached at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org, and Sandra at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org. Thank you in advance for your support!

3. From the LREI PA Literary Committee and the LREI PA Multicultural Committee: Please take a look at the attached letter for ways you can get involved! Your participation is key!

4. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

5. Red is Green Committee:
Thanks to all who turned out for our first Red is Green Committee meeting. We had a great turn out. Starting Monday November 10th we will begin our monthly recycling drive. During the month of November we will be collecting plastic bags in the lobbies of both buildings. Plastic bags currently can not be recycled with our plastics in NYC. We will take them to venues in NYC where they can be recycled. Future recycling drives: December - bring in any brand of old sneakers to be recycled into sports surfaces like basketball courts or playgrounds. Stay tuned for future recycling drives. Our next meeting is Monday November 24th at 8:45am in Sixth Ave. cafeteria. If you would like to receive updates please email Liselotte at lhommen@hotmail.com or Kim at kbeck2@nyc.rr.com.

Dear Families,

As the election season comes to a close, I have to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work of our history department during the seamingly endless time period between the primaries and this week. The history department, Tom Murphy, Bill Bailey, Mark Bledstein and Nick O’Han have been the community’s teachers and have educated faculty and students alike through a series of assemblies and through timely elective offerings. The assemblies have included presentations, mock debates and discussions on the primaries, each candidate participating in the primaries, the issues and election strategy in the primaries. Once the candidates were determined, we were able to start the year with a workshop on the electoral college, then to the candidates’ position on a variety of issues, including energy, foreign policy, gay marriage, and the economy.

Action has been inspired by these assemblies. Almost every weekend in October, faculty and students have travelled to far and wide to canvas; one of the options for students in Bill Bailey’s American Government and Politics class was to travel with Bill to Pennsylvania. For the students who participated in this option, they were quite shocked by the blatant racism they encountered while canvasing for Barack Obama. In fact, members of the department were worried about what students may be exposed to but ultimately it was decided that students need to experience a difference of opinion to say the least (we are a pretty bias school with the majority of the community supporting Obama openly; we do have community members also supporting McCain). Today, even more students, participating in Bill’s Election minimester are on their way to Pennsylvania; others are headed to Obama’s Brooklyn headquarters to help out today. It is terrific to see the engagement of our students; this election is important to them. Regardless of the outcome, on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 8:30 AM, the community will gather together as a community to support each other and to discuss the results in a thoughtful and respectful manner, as all assemblies require.

Here are two opportunities for you to experience our history department yourselves!

1. Bill Bailey, a master teacher, has had a rich history of action and a significant career in education. To hear Bill give a recent (and terrific) convocation speech at Concord Academy this fall, click here.
2. Mark Bledstein, who has been teaching at LREI for 40 years, will be presenting “Teaching Modern China: Art and Politics/Images and Documents” on November 11, 2008, 3:45-5:15, Charlton Street. Parents and student families are invited to attend. This presentation is sponsered by Teaching East Asia at the University of Colorado, Boulder and funded by the Freeman Foundation and an LREI summer grant.

On another note, I have to share with you the talent of Graham Whitford, Class of 2010. This weekend, he is performing in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with the Experience Hendrix Tribute tour. Please click on the link to see this amazing LREI student in action! We are so proud of him.

Finally, The LREI KNIGHTS Girls Varsity Volleyball Team won their semi-final match vs The Garden School in two straight sets with scores of 27-25, 10-25. The win was a great all-around team effort! Notable stats include Setters Fallon Lucombe, ‘11 and Marissa Bendit, ‘11 with 3 assists/3 kills, and 2 aces/3 assists/2 kills respectively; Violeta Picayo, ‘09 with 7 aces, 1 assist, and 5 kills; Kary Caiza, ‘10 with 3 aces; and Blakeley Blackman, ‘10 with 2 kills and a block. The team is back in action TODAY for the Girls Independent School Athletic League Division 2 playoffs final to be played at Lycee Francais, 505 E.75th Street, at 4PM. Come out and support KNIGHTS VOLLEYBALL!!!

Enjoy Election Day!

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

Some 9th and 10th grade parents have tried to get homework off of “My Backpack.” When looking, in addition to looking at “Upcoming Assignments” please also look at “Completed Assignments” where weekly updated syllabi can be found. If you have any problems, please email help_desk@lrei.org and feel free to cc me on that email.

Interims are now available on “My Backpack”. If you have lost or do not have a user name or password, please email or call Adria at x323 or amaynor@lrei.org. If you would like your child’s interims mailed, please contact Adria.

1. LREI Family Book Night is Wednesday, Nov. 5, 6:30 PM, Sixth Avenue Auditorium.

Beyond Batman: Graphic Novels for Kids and Teens

This year, your LREI librarians have teamed up with some of today’s hottest authors and illustrators of graphic novel to present an enlightening and enlivening evening of graphic novel recommendations for all ages. Along with the traditional recommendations from the librarians, Jesse Karp (Early Childhood and Interdivisional Librarian) will be moderating a Graphic Novels panel. Panelists will include Holly Black (The Good Neighbors: Kin, Beyond Spiderwick, Tithe) Cecil Castellucci (The Plain Janes, Janes in Love, Beige, Boy Proof) Geoffrey Hayes (Benny and Penny) Steven Sheinkin (The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, Rabbi Harvey Rides Again) and LREI parent Voltaire (Deady Bear, Oh My Goth). A selection of the recommended titles will be for sale. We welcome
an audience of third grade and up. Children of all ages are welcome; there will be childcare available for the younger set, with pizza and story reading.

2. From the Big Auction Committee: The Big Auction will be held on March 5th, 2009 and the Art Auction is scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 school year. You should have received a letter in the mail, along with a donation form. Our goal this year is to have every parent solicit one item for the auction…we hope that you will join us in realizing this goal! If you have any questions or would like to discuss a potential donation, please contact Jenn at jenn_espo@msn.com or Mamie at mamie.mcindoe@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can also contact the Office of Advancement. Pippa can be reached at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org, and Sandra at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org. Thank you in advance for your support!

3. From the LREI PA Literary Committee and the LREI PA Multicultural Committee: Please take a look at the attached letter for ways you can get involved! Your participation is key!

4. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

5. Please make a note: ASC After-School Homework Sessions: The ASC is available for after-school homework/quiet study on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm. This is an excellent time for students to study independently in a quiet, supervised environment or meet with me for extra planning or organizational assistance. Students may also obtain extra homework help in certain subjects (English, History, Spanish). And if students fall behind in their work, faculty are encouraged to require students to make-up missing assignments in the after-school session.

Dear Families,

Next week is “Minimester”! While some faculty call it “Megamester” because it feels so big, Minimester, our three day immersion program, is a wonderful break from the every day, and something the community really enjoys. The 2008-2009 program offerings include:

Bike Minimester! with Nick Sullivan and Susan Now

Students will be biking through NYC to several destinations near and far. They will learn about bike repair, and will also work with Transportation Alternatives, an organization that among many other things gives recommendations to the city about how to make biking in New York a safe and viable form of urban transportation and fun. Great eats will be found on their trips!

CSI: LREI with Preethi Thomas and Margaret Magee

“If you have ever wondered how forensic scientists use fingerprints, DNA and fibers to investigate crimes, then this minimester is for you.  We will investigate a crime of our own to determine “whodunnit.”  In order to thoroughly and accurately investigate a crime scene you must be extremely attentive to detail in order to determine what the evidence is telling you.  Investigation of this crime scene will include amny of the following:  Documenting the scene, dusting for fingerprints, fiber identification, blood spatter analysis, handwriting analysis, hair identification, DNA fingerprinting and bloodtyping.”

Chinese culture with Mark Bledstein and Guo-Qing Heaton
Students will learn how to write in Chinese characters. They will create Chinese ink and brush landscapes. Take a guided tour through Chinatown. Enjoy both the wonders of Chinese cinema and a slide show on contemporary Chinese art. Sample popular Chinese music and “dig into” authentic Chinese lunch.

Election 2008-History in the Making-You Can Make a Difference! with Bill Bailey, Meghan Farley Astrachan and Stephen MacGillivray
“Join us if you love politics. Join us if you think you know a lot or if you think you know “next to nothing” about the subject. We will spend the first day learning about the electoral process with both the White House and the U.S. Congress as subjects. Once we have some basic facts under our belts, we will look at the campaign in depth, examining the Republican and Democratic platforms, the debates, political ads and the issue of accuracy and of appeal, the battleground states, and whatever else might unfold. The class does not pretend to be uncommitted in the race, and Thursday, we will head to Pennsylvania (by bus) to campaign for Barack Obama. We’ll do some role playing to build our confidence before we meet with residents of Wilkes Barre or Scranton who are enthusiastic about Obama, skeptical or hostile. On Friday, we will debrief and look at polls. Bring your lunch on Thursday and enough cash to stop for fast food on the way home.”

Friday Afternoon Live-Sketch Comedy with Micah Dov Gottlieb and Vin Scialla
Live from EI . . . its Friday Afternoon!!!
“Do you like Saturday Night Live? We will recreate the SNL experience by writing and performing a twenty-minute sketch comedy show in two and a half days. From filming our own “parody” commercials, to the weekend update, let’s make EI Laugh! We will need writers, actors, musicians, and directors.”

Hidden New York with Nick O’Han
Put on your urban archeologist’s hat and go exploring in your own (or at least some new Yorker’s) backyard. New York is one big archeological dig. Visit places that tell New York’s story, see spaces inhabited by ghosts of the past, and peel back the layers of history all around you.

Kitchen Sink Printmaking with Karyn Silverman and Celine Kagan
“Have you ever used a potato to create a one-of-a-kind tee-shirt? Here’s your chance! Printmaking is often thought of as an expensive medium, requiring lots of special equipment and training. But basic print techniques and household tools can be used to transform vegetables, soap, sponges, erasers and other common items into fabulous monochrome printmaking materials. We will experiment and explore materials and surfaces and make a variety of textile and paper prints. We will spend some time searching for raw materials at grocery stores and in nature and then work on creating art from the unexpected.”

Mapping the Psyche with Antonio Valle and Ruth Jurgensen
Astrology is a form of imagination emerging from nature and having relevance for everyday life, which can take us into areas of self-reflection as no other system of symbols and images can do. This minimester will be an introductory course on the basic building blocks of astrological language. Participants will be taken on a fascinating journey through the solar system, the ancient planetary knowledge, and the energies represented by their astrological equivalents; and then through the signs of the zodiac, their elements and qualities, and the ways in which different planets express through them in the astrological chart.

Russian NY with Tom Murphy and Sergei Mihkelson
In this minimester students will explore Russian New York. A century ago millions of Russian immigrants poured into New York. Bringing their language and traditions, these immigrants transformed the Lower East Side. In the late 20th century further waves of Russian immigration left their mark on outer boroughs. For three days students will explore both the Jewish and Christian threads of Russian culture in New York. We will visit Brighton Beach and sample traditional cuisine.

Conceptu-what?? with Zoe Harris, ‘09, Vinay Chowdhry and Janet Atkinson
“Does hearing the term “conceptual art” make you bored, interested, angry, nauseated, frustrated, befuddled or perhaps all of the above? If your answer is yes to any of these, this is the minimester for you! Together, we will explore the curious world of contemporary conceptualism, in all of its forms, by visiting galleries and museums, attending a lecture, watching films, and learning about aesthetics and historical contexts the work different artists we see. We’ll discuss what we like, dislike, don’t understand, and just plain despise, what works and what doesn’t, representation, themes, and messages, and then on the last day create our own pieces in response to what we’ve seen.”

PASSION FOR FASHION with Adele deBiasi-Pelz
An exploration of women’s fashion and design influenced by French and American artists. Students will research and write about designers of their choice and keep a sketch book. We will visit museums and view art exhibits around the city . (A sketch book is required)

Rube Goldberg Machines with Stephen Volkmann
During this minimester, students will explore simple machines and energy transfer through a mechanical system. We will begin by researching Rube Goldberg cartoons/machines and look at some examples on the. Students will then explore how everyday materials can be transformed into machine elements. After reviewing simple machines and energy transfer students will work in groups to design and then construct a Rube Goldberg machine complete with a Rube style sketch.

Fall Produce Minimester with Thea Aquiar, ‘09, Jessica Wilson, ‘09, Jane Belton and Julia Heaton
“During this minimester we will be learning about and cooking with fall produce! We will visit the farmer’s market and an apple-picking orchard where we will learn about, see and use fall produce first hand. Then we will learn to cook using our knowledge and all of our fresh fall ingredients. Feel free to bring your own recipes to share.”

Architecture and Urbanism: Constructing the City with Peter Bonfanti and Sarah Barlow
What makes a city? What makes something a neighborhood? In this minimester, students will explore these questions through the lens of architecture. While New York City is much more than the sum of its buildings, the forms of those buildings play a profound role in shaping our experience of the city.
Each day will begin at school, with a combination of lecture, discussion, and research on that day’s central topics. These topics will then be illustrated and expanded upon through a visit to a different neighborhood each afternoon: the Upper West Side on the first day, Battery Park City on the second, and the East Village on the third. Students, be forewarned: we will be walking two to three miles each day, so come prepared!

Faculty, who work tirelessly all year, somehow find the time to plan and implement these exciting workshops, and I know students appreciate their efforts. Students are signing up for workshops this week with Micah Gottlieb, Dean of Students.

Please remember, two important and upcoming community service opportunities:

Saturday is the city-wide Fall It’s My Park! Day 2008 where thousands of New Yorkers volunteer in their neighborhood park. From the website: “The leaves are starting to turn and It’s My Park! Day is just around the corner on Saturday, October 25, 2008. Come join thousands of New Yorkers as they care for and celebrate their neighborhood parks! Check back in mid-October for a list of over 150 volunteer projects and free events.”

and

The high school has been invited to participate in a survey this Friday on “Friendship Qualities of Internationally Mobile Adolescents” investigated by a member of the Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. We are the only school in the United States to participate in the survey; other schools from around the world include the International School in Switzerland and the International School in the Philippines. On Friday at 2:45 PM, student volunteers will have the opportunity to fill out the survey, which asks questions about friendship. Any student volunteer would be awarded 1 hour of community service for their participation. All students who participate must have a form signed by a parent or family member. Please look for permission slips sent home with students on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

Some 9th and 10th grade parents have tried to get homework off of “My Backpack.” When looking, in addition to looking at “Upcoming Assignments” please also look at “Completed Assignments” where weekly updated syllabi can be found. If you have any problems, please email help_desk@lrei.org and feel free to cc me on that email.

Interims are now available on “My Backpack”. If you have lost or do not have a user name or password, please email or call Adria at x323 or amaynor@lrei.org. If you would like your child’s interims mailed, please contact Adria.

1. The HALLOWEEN FAIR is THIS SUNDAY! Click on the link to learn more about the festivities and volunteer opportunities for your child!

2. LREI Family Book Night is Wednesday, Nov. 5, 6:30 PM, Sixth Avenue Auditorium.

Beyond Batman: Graphic Novels for Kids and Teens

This year, your LREI librarians have teamed up with some of today’s hottest authors and illustrators of graphic novel to present an enlightening and enlivening evening of graphic novel recommendations for all ages. Along with the traditional recommendations from the librarians, Jesse Karp (Early Childhood and Interdivisional Librarian) will be moderating a Graphic Novels panel. Panelists will include Holly Black (The Good Neighbors: Kin, Beyond Spiderwick, Tithe) Cecil Castellucci (The Plain Janes, Janes in Love, Beige, Boy Proof) Geoffrey Hayes (Benny and Penny) Steven Sheinkin (The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, Rabbi Harvey Rides Again) and LREI parent Voltaire (Deady Bear, Oh My Goth). A selection of the recommended titles will be for sale. We welcome
an audience of third grade and up. Children of all ages are welcome; there will be childcare available for the younger set, with pizza and story reading.

3. Red is Green Committee:

Our very first committee meeting will be held on Monday, October 27th, at 9:30 AM in the Sixth Ave. cafeteria. We will typically meet the last Monday of every month. Please see the school calendar online for the actual meeting dates. We look forward to meeting with all of you and discussing how we can make LREI more “green,” teach our children about the impact we have on our community and the environment and find ways to give back as a community in “green” ways.

If you have ideas or suggestions about topics you would like addressed at this committee or future meetings, please feel free to email us.

Kim Beck kbeck2@nyc.rr.com cell: 917-225-4753
Liselotte Vince lhommen@hotmail.com cell: 646-321-9436

Looking forward to seeing you on the 27th!

4. From the Big Auction Committee: The Big Auction will be held on March 5th, 2009 and the Art Auction is scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 school year. You should have received a letter in the mail, along with a donation form. Our goal this year is to have every parent solicit one item for the auction…we hope that you will join us in realizing this goal! If you have any questions or would like to discuss a potential donation, please contact Jenn at jenn_espo@msn.com or Mamie at mamie.mcindoe@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can also contact the Office of Advancement. Pippa can be reached at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org, and Sandra at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org. Thank you in advance for your support!

5. From the LREI PA Literary Committee and the LREI PA Multicultural Committee: Please take a look at the attached letter for ways you can get involved! Your participation is key!

6. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

7. Please make a note: ASC After-School Homework Sessions: The ASC is available for after-school homework/quiet study on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm. This is an excellent time for students to study independently in a quiet, supervised environment or meet with me for extra planning or organizational assistance. Students may also obtain extra homework help in certain subjects (English, History, Spanish). And if students fall behind in their work, faculty are encouraged to require students to make-up missing assignments in the after-school session.

Dear Families,

First of all, thank you so much for all of the good wishes! John and I are very excited about the new member of our family, due in April.

As you know, we are committed to community service. Please read the following message and call to action, if you will, from Community Service Coordinator (and School Historian), Nick O’Han:

Dear Parents,
At Curriculum Night, I mentioned that I would be soliciting your help in strengthening our school’s community service program this year. A number of parents approached and told me about their involvement as volunteers and, in some cases, as professionals in serving the community. I’d appreciate if others among you would take the time to share your thoughts and ideas. Our goal is to provide opportunities for meaningful and sustained commitments to others through service and civic endeavor. Perhaps you can share with us your knowledge of programs, agencies or nonprofit volunteer organizations that would provide our students with such opportunities.

Learning through service and civic engagement has been a core principle of the high school since it’s founding. As our mission statement reads, “our goal is to educate students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners and to pursue academic excellence and individual achievement in a context of respect for others and service to the community.” I’ve always found that service learning at our school brings out the very best in students. Stepping up and reaching out expands students’ personal boundaries and cultivates the imagination, skills, knowledge, maturity and resourcefulness they need to imagine and help bring about a better world.

There is a quotation from, Marion Wright Edelman that I love. “Service,” she wrote, “is the rent we pay for living … education is for improving the lives of others and leaving your community and world better than you found it.”

If you have any thoughts or contacts that could help us strengthen this ethic of service and civic involvement at our school, please feel encouraged to call or email me at Ext. 313 or nohan@lrei.org

Thanks much,

Nick O’Han

As you can see, we as a high school have dedicated ourselves to renewing our commitment to service, to encouraging students to seek out opportunities to give back in a meaningful way. With your help, we will demonstrate that the commitment is community-wide and will do a better job at presenting a variety opportunities for our students.

Speaking of opportunities, this Saturday, October 18, is the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, New York Cares Day! There are plenty of opportunities for service for your child and your family. For instance, Bartow-Pell in the Bronx, this Saturday, 10AM to 1PM, celebrate “It’s My Park” day.  Many volunteers come out to help prepare the park for winter.

Speaking of, next Saturday is the city-wide Fall It’s My Park! Day 2008 where thousands of New Yorkers volunteer in their neighborhood park. From the website: “The leaves are starting to turn and It’s My Park! Day is just around the corner on Saturday, October 25, 2008. Come join thousands of New Yorkers as they care for and celebrate their neighborhood parks! Check back in mid-October for a list of over 150 volunteer projects and free events.”

Additional events for students are posted on our new Community Service Calendar in the lobby of Charlton Street, and I will certainly keep families posted here.

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

Some 9th and 10th grade parents have tried to get homework off of “My Backpack.” When looking, in addition to looking at “Upcoming Assignments” please also look at “Completed Assignments” where weekly updated syllabi can be found. If you have any problems, please email help_desk@lrei.org and feel free to cc me on that email.

1. The HALLOWEEN FAIR is COMING! Click on the link to learn more about the festivities!

2. LREI Family Book Night is Wednesday, Nov. 5, 6:30 PM, Sixth Avenue Auditorium.

Beyond Batman: Graphic Novels for Kids and Teens

This year, your LREI librarians have teamed up with some of today’s hottest authors and illustrators of graphic novel to present an enlightening and enlivening evening of graphic novel recommendations for all ages. Along with the traditional recommendations from the librarians, Jesse Karp (Early Childhood and Interdivisional Librarian) will be moderating a Graphic Novels panel. Panelists will include Holly Black (The Good Neighbors: Kin, Beyond Spiderwick, Tithe) Cecil Castellucci (The Plain Janes, Janes in Love, Beige, Boy Proof) Geoffrey Hayes (Benny and Penny) Steven Sheinkin (The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, Rabbi Harvey Rides Again) and LREI parent Voltaire (Deady Bear, Oh My Goth). A selection of the recommended titles will be for sale. We welcome
an audience of third grade and up. Children of all ages are welcome; there will be childcare available for the younger set, with pizza and story reading.

3. The high school has been invited to participate in a survey on “Friendship Qualities of Internationally Mobile Adolescents” investigated by a member of the Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. We are the only school in the United States to participate in the survey; other schools from around the world include the International School in Switzerland and the International School in the Philippines. On October 24, at 2:45 PM, student volunteers will have the opportunity to fill out the survey, which asks questions about friendship. Any student volunteer would be awarded 1 hour of community service for their participation. All students who participate must have a form signed by a parent or family member. Please look for permission slips sent home with students on Tuesday, Oct. 21. Many thanks!

4. From the LREI PA Literary Committee and the LREI PA Multicultural Committee: Please take a look at the attached letter for ways you can get involved! Your participation is key!

5. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

6. Please make a note: ASC After-School Homework Sessions: The ASC is available for after-school homework/quiet study on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm. This is an excellent time for students to study independently in a quiet, supervised environment or meet with me for extra planning or organizational assistance. Students may also obtain extra homework help in certain subjects (English, History, Spanish). And if students fall behind in their work, faculty are encouraged to require students to make-up missing assignments in the ASC during these sessions. Please be sure to pass this information along to your child.

Dear LREI Families,

Thank you to those who were able to join us last Wednesday for our Building for Action event. It was wonderful to have so many of you there, along with alumni, past parents and staff, to share in the tremendous support for LREI that was in the room. For those of you who were not there, you might want to visit our web site, click on the Building for Action button to view much of the information we shared on the 24^th. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you can watch the Then and Now slide show that was a crowd favorite at the event. Or, just click here.

As you heard last week, or will see on the web site, we announced plans to renovate and green all of the classrooms in the Sixth Avenue buildings over the next few summers—we completed the majority of the middle school classes this summer—and to add a great deal of space to the Charlton Street campus, as well as to renovate current Charlton Street spaces. This work grows out of the strategic plan created by the Board of Trustees, and a large group of LREI community members, in 2000. In addition to creating improved spaces for our current student body in the lower, middle and high schools, this campaign will create a larger high school building to provide for the planned increase in the high school student body. A larger high school student body will be more attractive to many prospective families, will allow for an increasingly academic program and will support our tuition remission program for all three divisions and ongoing increases to faculty salaries and professional development funds.

In the weeks and months to come there will be many opportunities to learn more about Building for Action. There will also be opportunities for those who want to join the Building for Action team. There will be a drop-in information session on the morning of Wednesday, October 8^th from 8:15-9:30, in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. I will be available to discuss our goals and to answer any questions you may have.

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

Best,

Phil

Updates and Announcements:

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

1. You are invited to join us to learn about the Annual Fund and the significant role it plays in the school’s operating budget. You can attend one of three sessions:

8:15AM, Friday October 3rd, Sixth Avenue cafeteria
8:45AM, Friday October 3rd, Sixth Avenue cafeteria
6:00PM, Tuesday October 14th, Charlton Street library

Annual Fund co-chair Mindy Goldberg and LREI’s Director of Advancement Pippa Gerard will be available to answer any questions you may have.

Please RSVP to Sandra Song in the Office of Advancement at 212-477-5316 x275 or via email at ssong@lrei.org.

Thank you,

Mindy Goldberg, Ronnie Halper and Mamie McIndoe
Annual Fund Co-Chairs

2. The high school has been invited to participate in a survey on “Friendship Qualities of Internationally Mobile Adolescents” investigated by a member of the Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. We are the only school in the United States to participate in the survey; other schools from around the world include the International School in Switzerland and the International School in the Philippines. On October 24, at 2:45 PM, student volunteers will have the opportunity to fill out the survey, which asks questions about friendship. Any student volunteer would be awarded 1 hour of community service for their participation. All students who participate must have a form signed by a parent or family member. Please look for permission slips sent home with students on Monday. Many thanks!

3. A message from Chap, Director of Diversity & Community
2008/2009 PARENT SEED GROUP

SEED (Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity) work invites the engagement of head, heart, and soul. Participants examine inner and outer ways in which systems bear on lives inside and outside of school. SEED work develops ways of understanding complex relations between self and system with regard to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability/disability and cultural experience.

Our First Parent SEED Meeting:
Wed. October 15th at 6PM, in the MS Art Room (Sixth Ave)

Take a look at the attached to join LREI’s monthly Parent SEED Group. Contact Sandra (Chap) Chapman, Director of Diversity & Community at schapman@lrei.org, or Peggy Peloquin ppeloquin@lrei.org to learn more.

4. From the LREI PA Literary Committee and the LREI PA Multicultural Committee: Please take a look at the attached letter for ways you can get involved! Your participation is key!

5. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

6. Please make a note: ASC After-School Homework Sessions: The ASC is available for after-school homework/quiet study on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm. This is an excellent time for students to study independently in a quiet, supervised environment or meet with me for extra planning or organizational assistance. Students may also obtain extra homework help in certain subjects (English, History, Spanish). And if students fall behind in their work, faculty are encouraged to require students to make-up missing assignments in the ASC during these sessions. Please be sure to pass this information along to your child.

Dear Families,

Thank you so much for attending curriculum night this past Monday. Even though it is one of many events to get families, advisors, teachers and administrators together in the fall, because it is the first one and the one where we get to show our incredible and varied program to students’ families, it is one of the faculty’s favorite events. In case you were unable to attend, let me highlight some of the things families learned:

• This is the first year of Chinese IV. In Chinese IV, Twelfth Graders will prepare for the choice of taking the Advanced Placement test in the language, and Guo-Qing has added materials found at the National Chinese Language Teachers Conference last spring and during her study trips to China. Some new materials for all levels of Mandarin Chinese include supplemental interactive and multi-media materials called “Live Interactive Chinese” which will help to engage the students more directly with contemporary Chinese culture and the living language.
• The English Department is offering new electives in the Eleventh and Twelfth Grades, including, “Oh, Boy! Exploring Masculinity in Contemporary American Culture,” “There’s No Place Like Home: The Return from War,” “Fierce and Fabulous: Feminist Women Writers,”From Fiction to Film: The Art of Adaptation,” and “We Are Pilgrims Here: Reading Dante’s Divine Comedy.”
• We have a new science course in the Twelfth Grade, “Experimental Design,” a project-based physics class, an alternative to the math-based physics class we also offer in the Twelfth Grade.
• We have a new math course, also for Twelfth Grade, a course that is between precalculus and calculus, called Advanced Math, where students study graph theory for management science, logic for information science, financial math, statistics and probability for voting and social choice, and more.
• Our new teachers, English instructor Celine Kagan, biology teacher Margaret Magee, math teacher Sergei Mihkelson, and tech coordinator Stephen MacGillivray are making a huge difference in students’ lives already. We are thrilled to have them with us.

If you missed curriculum night, please note a couple of dates. Starting Oct. 2, every Thursday through November 20, I will host a drop in coffee from 7:45 AM to 8:15 AM in the cafeteria. This is a very informal event; feel free to attend any or all.

Parent/Advisor conferences are November 14, all day. Your child’s advisor will be in touch at the end of October or the beginning of November to make your appointment. Before conferences, several classes are hosting potlucks. The grade-level potluck dinners are organized by parents and hosted by class deans and advisors. They are informative and provide families with the opportunity for fellowship. All potlucks begin at 6:30 PM unless noted and are in our cafeteria or in the PAC.

• Ninth Grade Potluck: October 7, 2008 (This potluck will also include discussion on the topics of student wellness and responsibility in high school with school psychologist Dr. Andrew Weiss and school nurse, Joanne Gouge, R. N.)
• Tenth Grade potluck: October 21, 2008
• Eleventh Grade Potluck: January 13, 2009 (This potluck will begin at 6:00 PM, with the College Night program beginning at 6:30 PM in the PAC)
• Twelfth Grade Potluck: October 2, 2008 (This potluck will begin at 6:00 PM, with the College Night program beginning at 6:30 PM in the PAC)

Finally, a most important calendar note. Class Picture Day is on Friday, Oct. 4! While we take wonderful class pictures which will be available for purchase through a password protected online service, we do not take individual pictures.  If you are interested in individual pictures, we can coordinate with the photographers who come to the lower school and middle school to take your child’s individual photo.

Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:
LREI participates in a voluntary program under which we have agreed to reduce our energy consumption when peak energy requirements may place extreme demands on the system. In preparation for an actual event of this kind, we are required to reduce energy consumption in exercises (not real events) that take place twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer. As you may have heard from your children, today we participated in such an exercise. From 11:00AM-12:00PM we turned off as many lights, computers and other electronic devices/appliances as possible. All seems to have gone smoothly.

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

1. Acclaimed author T.A. Barron will be visiting LREI on Monday, September 29th to introduce Merlin’s Dragon, the first book in his new trilogy. After speaking with the sixth grade, Mr. Barron will be available to meet, speak with, and sign books for all students and parents from 3:15-4:15PM in the Sixth Avenue library. Orders for books must be placed in advance through the attached payment form and informational flyer.

2. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

3. Please make a note: ASC After-School Homework Sessions: The ASC is available for after-school homework/quiet study on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm. This is an excellent time for students to study independently in a quiet, supervised environment or meet with me for extra planning or organizational assistance. Students may also obtain extra homework help in certain subjects (English, History, Spanish). And if students fall behind in their work, faculty are encouraged to require students to make-up missing assignments in the ASC during these sessions. Please be sure to pass this information along to your child.

Dear Families,

As a faculty, we love when the hint of fall comes, the weather cools, and the students are energized for annual trips!

Our Ninth Grade went to Ramapo yesterday with Peer Leaders from the Class of 2009 and faculty to enjoy boating, hiking and a challenging ropes course. Tenth Graders, with more faculty members, joined them there today to do the same, but also to build bridges and new friendships between the classes. I have to say, members of both grades packed significantly! They have plenty to keep them warm and dry. The weather is to be beautiful throughout their stay, and they will return tomorrow by 3PM.

Our Eleventh Graders are enjoying a thoughtful program implemented by Nick O’Han, History and English Teacher and School Historian. Today, students are on a field trip to the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This trip focuses on the background to Dreamland, the novel they read this past summer. Thursday’s trip is an important part of their academic work in Gotham this year - even for those who are not in Gotham this trimester.

On Friday, Eleventh Graders will be giving back as a class. They will return to Thursday’s neighborhood to perform community service in Sara Delano Roosevelt Park. Before leaving Friday morning, they will spend some time discussing the trip the day before and break out into advisories to discuss the book based on questions handed out on Wednesday morning in homeroom. These book discussions will be led by student moderators, with Eleventh Grade Advisors setting the tone.

The Class of 2009, minus Peer Leaders, is spending the day working on college applications; they also have the opportunity to hear from select schools today, including Smith College, Hartwick College, Bryant College and Bennington College. To have the undivided attention of select faculty and Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance, is important.

Equally important is the work Peer Leaders are doing while Upstate. They have spent time coming together and getting to know members of the Ninth Grade and have worked hard training for ropes course leadership yesterday, putting together campfire last night, and the annual talent show tonight. Peer Leaders for the 2008-2009 school year are: Jessica Wilson, AJ Sims, Gio Casiano, Ariele Baptiste, Dominique Fils-Aime, Thea Aguiar, Lola Lorber, Vio Picayo, Yanilda Gonzalez and Zoe Harris.

Tomorrow, Twelfth Graders have the opportunity to visit colleges; some who have made the decision to apply early have chosen to participate in the Eleventh Grade community service trip, which is terrific.

Finally, one of the first class trips of the year occured yesterday; the Twelfth Grade Drama Class went to see a matinee of Equus, which they loved! Equus is one of my all time favorite plays, and I can’t wait to see it myself.

All in all, aren’t our students so fortunate?

Please remember Curriculum Night is Monday night, September 22, 2008, at 6:30 sharp! Please come a bit early to participate in the Parent Association Welcome Fair, which begins at 6:00 PM.

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

1. Please join us for a very special event, Building for Action, Wednesday, September 24, at NYU Law School.  Please don’t forget to RSVP and to bring ID for entry into the event.

2. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

3. Please make a note: ASC After-School Homework Sessions: The ASC is available for after-school homework/quiet study on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm. This is an excellent time for students to study independently in a quiet, supervised environment or meet with me for extra planning or organizational assistance. Students may also obtain extra homework help in certain subjects (English, History, Spanish). And if students fall behind in their work, faculty are encouraged to require students to make-up missing assignments in the ASC during these sessions. Please be sure to pass this information along to your child.

4. 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.

Dear Families,

Today, we respectfully remember the lives lost on September 11. Today, students were able to enjoy the annual September Concert organized by music teacher and Jazz Band director, Vin Scialla.

On another note, during student orientation, we focused on the hallmarks of successful LREI students in order to help our new community members determine where they are and how they can, too, be successful.

Our most successful students are:

• Involved. They are invested in the day to day aspects of school. They participate fully in clubs, either creating their own or joining existing clubs, they participate in our athletic and arts after school. They invest their time in chorus, jazz band, “IE”, our literary magazine, write for the newspaper or are members of the community service roundtable, or student government.
• Living the life of the mind. Our most successful students understand that the classroom goes beyond four walls, that discussions and conversations and analysis continue in the lobby, at the lunch table, in a faculty member’s office. Our most successful students realize that once homework is finished, it is time to study.
• Thoughtful and respectful. Of differences, of culture, gender, ethnicity and sexuality. Students may need help with this, so respectful participation in Life Issues classes (for Ninth Grade) and informative assemblies are key.
• Engaged citizens of the world. They read the news, they are aware of happenings beyond our block, are curious about social justice issues and bring the world into the curriculum as our teachers do.
• Committed to service. Our 25 hour requirement won’t do. Our most successful students make a significant impact with work for an organization, church, synagog, or community program. To encourage this aspect of success, this year, we have two days designated as individual community service days. Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 and Monday, March 9, 2009 are days where we will not have classes, but students may use those days for individual service opportunities. In December, there are many opportunities to be found helping organizations or religiously affiliated groups with holiday charity and service. In March, students will find a perfect opportunity to participate in spring cleanup.

In order to help us help your students become our most successful, please let me know if you have information or are affiliated with an organization that could use our students’ help. Help us build our inventory of community service opportunities for students.

Also in the effort to assist all of our students in the quest for success, Pat Carter, Academic Support teacher, will be hosting Homework Help drop-in hours.

ASC After-School Homework Sessions: Beginning Monday, September 15th, the ASC will be available for after-school homework/quiet study on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm. This is an excellent time for students to study independently in a quiet, supervised environment or meet with me for extra planning or organizational assistance. Students may also obtain extra homework help in certain subjects (English, History, Spanish). And if students fall behind in their work, faculty are encouraged to require students to make-up missing assignments in the ASC during these sessions. Please be sure to pass this information along to your child.

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.

• Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

• For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

1. Please join us for a very special event, Wednesday, September 24.

2. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

3. As you may know, all 9th and 10th Graders participate in our trip Upstate to Ramapo. 9th Graders leave on Wednesday, Sept. 17, and the 10th Graders join them on Thursday, Sept. 18. While they are there, the 11th and 12th Graders will not have classes. Rather, on Thursday, Sept. 18th, all 11th Graders will have a mandatory trip for their “Gotham” class requirement, and 12th Graders will have the opportunity to work with Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance, and begin work on their college applications. On Friday, Sept. 19, 11th Graders will have a class community service opportunity, which will last all day. The 12th Graders may use that Friday, Sept. 19th for college visits if they wish, or may join the community service opportunity. All students are expected by 8:30 AM on all days.

4. 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.