Joyful Celebration!
Dear LREI Community,
Happy New Year and welcome back for LREI 2010! It was fun to greet your children on Tuesday. The students were excited to see their friends and teachers and to begin classes again, while at the same time it seemed to be a little bit of a challenge for them to leave the restful habits of Winter Break behind.
On Monday, the faculty gathered for our second colleague led professional day. Much of the day was spent in workshops that allowed teachers to engage in conversations with colleagues from all three divisions about a variety of topics—gender issues in education, learning to draw, the architecture of NYC, math in everyday life and Flash animation, for example—while examining how to have the teaching and learning of these topics, and others, meet the progressive mission of the school. It was an energizing day and a joyful celebration of the school and our talented faculty.
On Friday, January 22nd, the Parents Association’s Multicultural Committee will present Karamu!, our annual multicultural celebration. (Karamu means “joyful celebration” in Swahili.) The evening begins with a delicious potluck supper in the Charlton Street cafeteria. If past years are any indication, dinner will present a tremendous range of enticing offerings from families in all three divisions, representing a range of cultures and tastes. Following dinner, attendees will be treated to a series of performances reflecting a variety of artistic traditions. This year’s performers include a Latin alternative band, West African drummers, Irish dancers and our annual multi-culti dance party. My favorite part of Karamu is that it illustrates the importance of exploring those traditions—culinary and artistic—that are unique to specific cultures while also reinforcing those values shared by all cultures—a need to connect with each other, food as a cultural messenger and the arts as a center of celebrations. How are we the same and how do we differ—together these questions allow us to better understand others and ourselves.
Sign up sheets to help produce Karamu! will be posted in the Sixth Avenue lobby in the coming days, as will sheets to sign up to contribute to the potluck. If you would like to sign up and do not visit the buildings often, you can email Juliet Burrows at julietburrows@mac.com or Holly Glass at hcritch@earthlink.net. Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, January 19th. I hope to see you at Karamu!
Best,
Phil
P.S. If your contact information—address, phone numbers, email addresses—has changed since we distributed the directory in September, please contact Mary Shea, mshea@lrei.org, as she is preparing an updated directory for distribution in the coming weeks. Thanks.
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LETTERS FROM LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS
Beth & Samson’s Fours: Happy winter greetings to you all! Please click here for our letter.
Dot & Becka’s Third Grade: Please click here for a welcome back to school message.
Vonick & Randi’s Third Grade: Happy 2010! Our first week back has been enjoyable– click here for the update.
Dina & Jessi’s Fourth Grade: Please click here for our New Year Newsletter!
A note from Peggy in woodshop: Animals made by the Third Graders have moved into the Sixth Avenue lobby display case. Each animal has at least three moving parts. Be sure to see them!
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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.
1/8 Afterschool Spring Registration Information – The deadline to register for Afterschool is tomorrow, Friday January 8. Here are the links for the Winter-Spring 2010 Registration Materials: Instrumental – Registration, Instrumental – Bios, Core Afterschool – Registration, Core Afterschool – Descriptions. The materials have also been e-mailed to all Lower School and Middle School families, and are available on the school’s website. Registration forms are being processed on a first come, first served basis through Friday, January 8th.
1/11 First day for all Afterschool Programs
1/14 Karamu Bake Sale in the lobby & Reading Room, 2:45 p.m.
1/18 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – School Closed
1/22 Save the Date for Karamu! Friday January 22nd… Karamu! is LREI’s annual multicultural event of music, dance, and food celebrating the diversity of our school and community. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 19th… Karamu! always sells out; get your tickets early (discounted tickets available – contact Juliet Burrows: julietburrows@mac.com). We need food and volunteers! …Sign up boards will be in the 6th Avenue Lobby – please volunteer and join this wonderful community building event. If you would like to solicit a donation of food or wine from a restaurant or business please use this letter and forward information to Juliet.
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LOWER SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
All Lower School Assemblies are held in our Auditorium at 8:45 a.m.
SPRING 2010
4/7 – 4s & 4s-K Music Assembly
4/14 – 1st Grade Music Assembly
4/21 – Kindergarten Music Assembly
4/28 – 2nd Grade Music Assembly
5/12 – 3rd Grade Music Assembly
5/19 – 4th Grade Music Assembly
5/26 – Kindergarten Movement Assembly
6/2 – 4s & 4s-K Movement Assembly
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UPCOMING PARENT ASSOCIATION MEETINGS
1/11 Multi Cultural Committee Meeting
1/11 Community Service Meeting
1/13 Parent SEED Meeting
1/14 Cookbook Committee Meeting
1/14 Karamu! Bake Sale
1/15 Literary Committee Meeting
1/19 LS POCOC Meeting
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
*Dear Parents,
Beth Levison and Amy Schatz of HBO have worked with volunteer LREI families before to include them in an educational film about diverse families. They are looking currently for families who would like to participate in a film about divorce and step-families. These types of educational efforts generally endeavor to showcase positive perspectives, educate viewers about healthy family processes, and reduce stereotypes. If you would like to consider having your child (ages 4-8) participate, please read this letter and contact Beth or Amy.
Thank you,
Namita Tolia
*Congratulations, Seniors! We are so proud of our twelfth graders. Included in our early information about college admissions is early admission to Carleton College, Smith College, Georgetown University, Brown University, Vassar College, Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications, McDaniel College, Ithaca School of Photography and Cinematography, Marymount Manhattan College, the Universities of Mississippi, Montana, Rhode Island, Tampa and Vermont and Quinnipiac College. A list as diverse as our seniors and their interests and futures. Bravo!
*Red is Green Committee Announcements:
During the month of January we will be recycling holiday and greeting cards. These cards will be donated to St. Jude’s Ranch. No photo cards please. For more information click here. Also during the month of January you can bring in your wrapping paper scraps. These scraps will be used to decorate the school for Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day. Look for the box in the lobby this month.
Mulchfest 2010: Recycle your Christmas Tree at NYC Parks Jan 9-10, 2010. Click here for more information on where you can drip off your tree in the 5 boroughs. Alternatively, you can put your tree outside with your regular garbage for recycling. Clean, non-bagged Christmas trees that are left at the curb will be recycled into compost. Pickup dates are Monday, January 4th through Friday, January 15th.
*New LREI Event–Many of you have asked about the yellow “Stir the Pot” postcards that you received in recent days. We wanted to whet your appetite and to be sure that you mark your calendars for LREI’s Spring tasting event called “Stir the Pot: Taste of the Future.” You won’t want to miss the chance to meet and mingle with other parents and enjoy great food–Thursday, May 13th in the Charlton Street campus. For further information, please contact Maude Kebbon in the Office of Advancement at 212-477-5316, ext. 232.