Honoring a dream
Dear Lower School Families:
“It was an extraordinary time, when people of all races and all walks of life came together…”
Remember: The Journey to School Integration by Toni Morrison
On January 23rd our children will honor Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) at our annual assembly. Children will read poems, share stories, sing civil rights songs and listen to some of MLK’s famous ‘I Have a Dream’, speech. For the past couple of weeks children have read books about this courageous civil rights leader’s work and have had many classroom discussions about the impact of his work on our nation. MLK challenged us to come together as nation of people, regardless of our differences, to celebrate each other’s strengths and to support each other in our struggles. Many people who marched on Washington were ordinary people leading ordinary lives but who made a choice to stand up for rights of themselves and others.
At LREI we study MLK and other human rights leaders to help our children become aware of past and present equity and to generate ideas about how children can “live” those principles in their everyday lives. I see glimpses of your children’s efforts to practice human kindness and to treat each other as equals each day. From 4s through fourth grade I see your children caring for each other, trying to understand each other and taking responsibility for each other. I’ve seen four year olds meticulously setting the snack table for their classmates, kindergartners visiting classrooms and sharing the food they cooked with others and third graders having discussions about why it is not okay to bully or tease a peer. I’ve watched as fourth graders walked their early childhood buddies to the High School building for Winter Assembly—making sure coats are buttoned, hats are securely in place and scarves are positioned just so around their necks so they can still see where they’re going. I’ve seen a fourth grader hold a 4s student in his lap so comfortably and gently the student fell right off to sleep. Children advocate for each other by speaking up for a friend when that person is not able to on a daily basis. In every Lower School grade we also begin to help your children better understand the social ways in which they contribute to the world around them, and encourage them to think of ways they can use their assets to help people in the school community and beyond. Just back from break we learned second graders won a $1000 Penny Harvest grant to give to the charity of their choice.
Martin Luther King, Jr. dreamed of a world where we would all be equal in every way. We continuously try to find ways at LREI to realize that dream with each other. We will continue to work towards embodying MLK’s vision for equity each day with the hopes-just like MLK-that one day in the future our children, or children’s children, will actually reach that mountaintop of freedom and make history for those who will continue to come.
Below is a list of community service and social justice activities that also reflect on the work and ideals of MLK.
“Share the Dream, Live the Reality” will be held on Monday, January 21, 2008, from 9:00AM-3:30PM. The event will take place in Queens at Long Island City High School, 14-30 Broadway, Long Island City, NY.
Please register now to join hundreds of volunteers and help revitalize the community by painting murals, cleaning schools, and giving back to the community.Register online as an individual or group. For additional questions, please call Shante Smith at 212-542-0798 or visit www.cityyear.org/newyork.
5th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Anti-Hunger Serve-A-Thon
On January 19th-21st, 2008, celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday by partaking in the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH) 5th Annual Anti-Hunger Serve-A-Thon. The Anti-Hunger Serve-A-Thon is similar to a walk-a-thon but instead of walking you’re performing a service to help pantries and kitchens meet their immediate needs. Individuals and groups can sign-up through the Coalition’s Volunteer Matching System to serve at selected food pantries and/or soup kitchens on Saturday, Jan. 19, Sunday, Jan. 20, and/or Monday, Jan. 21. The time commitment is flexible and is meant to fit within a busy schedule. Service opportunities will be available in all five boroughs. Contact Andrea Dispenza 212-825-0028 ext 202, adispenza@nyccah.org with questions.
Children for Children (www.childrenforchildren.org) hosts an annual event on this day.
Last year, more than 2,000 volunteers came together for this event and we look forward to another momentous day this year. Participants will have the chance to complete a wide variety of hands-on projects, benefiting many different New York City-based and international causes. See their website (http://childrenforchildren.org/index.php?q=node/36)for more details.
Best,
Sharon
Please view our on-line Lower School gallery for great photo’s of recent events: http://lrei.org/photos/0708/ls.
WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Save the Date for Karamu! on Friday January 25th. Karamu! is a multicultural celebration of dance & music – performers from around the world – all are invited.
Tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 22nd. Discount tickets available, please see Regina Trumbull or Kasey Picayo (picayosmith-at-aol.com). This event always sells out so get your tickets early! Here are ways to be involved: get tickets & come to the show, photo project, scavenger hunt & heritage map. Sign up sheets are in the lobby; If you’d like to solicit donations from shops and restaurants, please this letter (PDF). Please volunteer to help and join the fun!
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A Visibility Photo Exhibit Reminder! Your holiday break may be the perfect opportunity to photograph a loved one, family member, or friend you don’t see during the year who is lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Visibility is fast approaching, running from 2/20 to 3/14, and this exhibition is so much richer when everyone participates! If you need more information please see the attachment on Visibility (PDF attachment).
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PARENT MEETINGS & EVENTS
- Monday, 1/21 – Martin Luther King, Jr. day – School Closed
- Thursday, 1/24 – 8:45AM: Adoption Committee Meeting
- Friday, 1/25 – 6PM (5PM, Dinner): Karamu!
- Friday, 2/1: Afterschool’s First Friday
- Wednesday, 2/6 & Thursday, 2/7: Art Auction (Final bidding on 2/7 from 6 – 9PM)
- For an up-to-date, searchable all school calendar, please visit lrei.org/calendar
LOWER SCHOOL NOTES & ATTACHMENTS