An Evening at Home

One day this week I was sitting at my work desk after hours sipping a cup of tea and reading e-mails. All of a sudden I heard a song I used to play for my sisters when we were young girls. I couldn’t help but stop what I was doing to find out who was making such wonderful music. An LREI student and his mom were standing outside of the 4th grade classroom looking at the personal timelines on a hall bulletin board. Mom was busy reading and the young student was playing Mary Had a Little Lamb on his recorder. He kept playing his “just right” rendition of the song over and over again, just as I did as a child. I remember being so proud of myself because I could play an entire song without the help of my teacher. I also remember how good I felt inside when my sisters sang to the music I played. At that moment, sitting in my office watching the natural light fade, relaxed and serenaded by youth, I felt very much at home.

For the past couple of weeks, children have been talking about the ways they feel at home in and outside of school in classroom discussions about families. On Wednesday, we all came together as a school family to sing songs, hear music, celebrate and just be at home in our school community. It was touching to hear about all of the different ways children support, celebrate and work with each other. When the Fours read The Family Book with their 4th grade reading buddies everyone in the room felt a sense pride and joy in their collaborative accomplishment. Third graders prompted reflection from all when they shared the following thoughts in a poem they wrote about families:

  • “A family is a group of people you can rely on.”
  • “Families can include pets.”
  • “Families can be different religions.”
  • “Families help each other during hard times.”
  • “Families are for life!”
  • “The word family makes me think of home.”

Find the moments where you and your children feel at home and that’s where you’ll find family.

 

— 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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“One Night for New York’s Children” – Coffee House Benefit for the High School Community Service Roundtable –
Student Action for Children – The High School Community Service Roundtable is a unique service learning program in which students work on behalf of New York City’s children, their families and their communities both through direct volunteer service and grants of financial assistance. Since 2002, Student Action for Children has devoted hundreds of hours of volunteer service and distributed grants totaling more than $60,000 dollars to over twenty-five literacy, leadership, cultural and arts programs for children from communities throughout New York City and, when special circumstances arise, beyond.

You can be part of this worthy cause by attending the March 8th Community Service Coffee House. Enjoy performances by student musicians and performers, as well as hear from special guest Stephen Shames whose foundation providing education for AIDS orphans and child soldiers in Uganda the Community Service Roundtable has supported over the past two years. Click here for a PDF flyer.

On behalf of all the members of Student Action for Children, I look forward to seeing you on March 8th!

Nick O’Han, Faculty Advisor
Alley Dumas, Class of ’08, Chair, Coffee House Committee, Student Action for Children

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Dear Parents,
Remember that the LREI Community Photo Exhibit Visibility: Lesbian and Gay People We Love will be on display at 40 Charlton Street until February 29th. You are welcomed to join us this evening for the High School Reception. Beginning March 3rd, the exhibit will be on display for two weeks in the 6th Avenue building. Please join us for the Reception on Tuesday, March 4th, from 6-8pm. If you are unable to attend either reception, we invite you to view the photos with your child and family. Please click here (0221-VisibilityHS) for a schedule of the Visibility show at the HS building.
– Chap, Director of Diversity & Community

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Grandparents & Special Friends Day is May 9, 2008 and invitations will be sent home before Spring Break. For those who haven’t had a chance to forward the names and addresses of those grandparents or special friends you would like invited, there will be sign-up sheets in each classroom starting Monday, 2/25. You may also forward the information to Aeluishi Mistry via email at amistry@lrei.org or via phone 212-477-5316, ext. 232, by February 29. Please click here for more information about the event.

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Our Annual School Spirit Game, in which our middle school and high school basketball teams play against the faculty has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 5th at 3:30PM in the Thompson Street Athletic Center at 145 Thompson Street. This is a fun event for young and old. You are all invited to attend. See you at the gym!

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PARENT MEETINGS & EVENTS

  • Thursday, 2/28 – Saturday, 3/1: HS Play at 40 Charlton Street
  • Friday, 2/29 – School Closed: Professional Development Day
  • Tuesday, 3/4 – 6PM: Visibility opening reception at Bleecker Street
  • Thursday, 3/6 – 8:45AM: LGSA Mtg – and, separately – Adoption Committee Mtg.
  • Friday, 3/7: Afterschool’s First Friday
  • Tuesday, 3/11 – 8:45AM: LS POCOC Mtg.
  • Wednesday, 3/12 – 6PM: Parent Seed Mtg.
  • Thursday, 3/13 – 8:45AM: LS Parent Rep Mtg.
  • Friday, 3/14 – School Closes at 12Noon for Spring Break, (Fours through First Grade 11:45) Afterschool closed
    School re-opens on Monday, 3/31
  • For an up-to-date, searchable all school calendar, please visit lrei.org/calendar

 

 

LOWER SCHOOL NOTES & ATTACHMENTS

  • Early Kindergarten: Please click here (0228-EK) for a letter from Diane & Charles.
  • First grade: Please click here (0228-1st-JB) for a letter from Jamie & Bonnie.
  • All First grade: Please click here (0228-1st-all) for a letter from all first grade teachers.
  • All grades: Please click here for the calendar for the 2008-09 school year.

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