Sending Them Off – What Do Kindergarten and College Have in Common?
A guest blog from Dawn Wheatley, Lower School Assistant Principal
Dear Lower School Families,
As I begin my fourth year working in the Lower School at LREI, it has been so much fun to welcome back many familiar faces and to see the faces of the new children I will have the chance to get to know this year.
Beginnings are always filled with both excitement and a little bit of anxiety for me. At the end of August I dropped two of my children off at different colleges in distant cities to begin their freshmen years. Since then, I have been struck by several similarities between sending children off to college and sending children off to Lower School!
The first similarity has to do with what we want for our children. Of course I want them to be challenged, to meet a wide range of people, and to work hard. But what I really want is for them to be safe and happy. I bet this is the same for you. From what I hear from my friends who have adult children, this never changes.
As I dropped each of them off, there came a moment when I realized that it was time for me to leave. They were ready to begin this new journey, and there was nothing else I could do for them. In both instances I got to the airport much earlier than I needed to, and it reminded me of the years when I wanted to stay just a little longer in their preschool rooms but knew that staying would only make things more difficult for both of us.
And then there are the bumps in the road. My daughter has two roommates in a basement room meant to be a double. There is no air conditioning (the week I dropped her off the temperature in L.A. was in the high 90’s), and cell phone service is poor. I was upset, but all she reports is that she is having a fabulous time. We want their paths to be smooth, and sometimes that just means staying out of the way.
The news of fires in L.A. and the flu hitting college campuses hard caused me short-term anxiety. In response to both situations, I received emails showing me that the schools had given careful thought to these situations and had plans in place should either become a problem for the school. I have learned to trust schools and know that they have the students’ best interests at heart.
And how am I doing with this empty nest? Like so many things, the anticipation was far worse than the reality. This is partly because of my rich and full life at LREI. I am looking forward to spending the school year with all of you.
Best wishes,
Dawn
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LETTERS FROM LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS
(click on the links below to view and print notes from teachers)
Danielle & Anne’s 4s: Please click here to view Danielle and Anne’s September Letter, containing all sorts of important information about your child’s class.
A correction has been made to some contact info in Danielle’s class list. Please click here for the most up-t0-date list.
Beth & Samson’s 4s: Please click here to view Beth & Samson’s September Letter, containing all sorts of important information about your child’s class.
Luise & Alisa’s Kindergarten: Click here to read a note from Luise and Alisa about settling into a new school year and how we are learning to work together.
All First Grade Classes: A note from Ann, Lower School Art Teacher – Collages from all the 1st grades are now hanging in the Bleecker Street Lobby. Children were asked how they would arrange paper shapes around their initial to make a design. They thought about whether they would put the shapes close together, far away, or on top of each other. They made choices about what sizes to use. The results are exciting visual designs! Hope you will have a chance to take a look, and please feel free to stop by the Art Room in the basement if you have any questions or comments.
Colleen & Lindsay’s 2nd Grade: Please click here to view our September Letter, containing news and updates about our classroom.
Dot & Becka’s Third Grade: Click here for our weekly update, with information about homework, curriculum, and other goings-on in the classroom!
Vonick & Randi’s Third Grade: Click here for our weekly update, with information about homework, curriculum, and other goings-on in the classroom!
3rd & 4th Grade Overnight Farm Trips: By now all third and fourth grade families should have received an email about the upcoming farm trips, which included information about the trips as well as several forms that need to be filled out. All these forms are included below as well. If you did not receive the email about the trips, please contact Dena Tasse-Winter (dwinter@lrei.org).
Vonick & Randi’s 3rd Grade – Forms Due: Friday, October 2nd
Click here for an informational letter, and here to download all forms.D0t & Becka’s 3rd Grade – Forms Due: Monday, October 5th
Click here for an informational letter, and here to download all forms.Kate & Karen’s 4th Grade – Forms Due: Friday, October 2nd
Click here for an informational letter, and here to download all forms.Dina & Kruti’s 4th Grade – Forms Due: Monday, October 5th
Click here for an informational letter, and here to download all forms.
All Fourth Grade Classes: We can’t wait to go to the Department of City Planning next week! Click here to learn about our trip coming up on September 29th.
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UPCOMING LOWER SCHOOL MEETINGS & EVENTS
For the most up-to-date information visit the school’s online calendar at www.lrei.org/calendar.
Click here to download the one-page 2009-10 school calendar.
**Reminder – School will be closed this coming Monday, September 28, in observance of Yom Kippur
Third Grade Farm Trip Parent Information Meeting: All Third Grade Families, please join us on September 30th at 8:00 am to learn more about this year’s exciting trip to the farm.
Photo Day is almost here! Please note the following:
- Coffee Pond Photography will be taking individual portraits of each student and each class. All students will have their picture taken on Monday, October 5, 2009. To get the best photo of your child, please make sure they are dressed appropriately that day.
- Coffee Pond Photography is able to offer a limited number of photo scholarships. If you receive tuition assistance and would like the scholarship, please contact Dena Tasse-Winter via email, dwinter@lrei.org, (or call at extension 215) by the end of the day Thursday, 10/1. Because of the small number of scholarships available, they will be first-come first-serve. Please list the name(s) and grade(s) of the children for whom you are requesting the scholarship package.
- Coffee Pond’s new E/Proof program will notify you a few weeks after photo day via email when your child’s proofs are ready to be viewed online. If you have any questions about ordering, you can email Coffee Pond at lifeguards@coffeepond.com or call 800.635.2323 between 9AM and 5PM on weekdays.
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UPCOMING PARENT ASSOCIATION MEETINGS
Click here to view the official minutes from September 17th’s Lower School PA Meeting.
9/25 Halloween Meeting
9/29 PA Community Service Meeting
10/1 LGSA Committee Meeting
10/2 Halloween Meeting
10/5 Multi Cultural Comm. Meeting
10/6 Vonick’s 3rd Potluck
10/7 Parent SEED Meeting
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Second through Fourth Grade Curriculum Night Childcare: October 1st at 6:00 p.m. The cost is $15 per child and $5 for an additional (sibling) child. Childcare will be available for LREI students only. Pizza and juice will be served. If you intend to use this service, please sign up at the reception desk as soon as possible. The deadline to sign up is Tuesday, September 29th.
Open to all in the LREI community! Please join members of the Multicultural Committee on their first “field trip” of the year next Saturday, Oct 3rd to the Brooklyn Museum for the October “Target First Saturday”, a free afternoon-evening of programming featuring the art and culture of Hungary. Please contact Juliet Burrows (julietburrows@mac.com) or Holly Glass (hcritch@earthlink.net) for details and follow this link for more info on the event: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php
Bank St. Online Math Course: All about Whole Numbers for Parents, Teachers, and Tutors. Endorsed by Rose Reilly, Lower School Math Coordinator, this course is meant for those people (including parents) who feel that if they knew more math and felt more confident about their math abilities, they would be better able to support children’s learning. The exercises in the course are meant to give you a strong foundation in the mathematics of whole numbers. A wide variety of online and other resources that can be used with children are an integral part of the course. The course will be highly interactive and will reflect the kind of teaching done at Bank Street College: student centered, learning through doing, problem solving, and connected to the real world. Follow this link – http://www.bankstreet.edu/onlinecourses/courses.html t0 find out more or register (by October 9).