Parents, Take Action for Ally Week: A Guest Blog from Chap
Dear Families,
I would like to take a moment to highlight social justice work happening in classrooms throughout the school. In Early Childhood, students are reading books about cooperation and friendship. They are discussing ways to support each other and stand up for each other in small, yet meaningful ways. Upper elementary students are applying these same skills in a more focused way. They are revisiting how it feels to be teased about an aspect of their identity and what they can do to help each other build a strong community. Fourth Graders are role playing scenarios in order to better understand the roles of target, perpetrator, bystander and ally.
During Adolescent Issues classes in the Middle School, fifth graders have explored how community building activities that strengthen trust in and responsibilities for others are essential building blocks for being an ally. Sixth graders have been exploring the various pressures related to fitting in that can either support or interfere with being an ally. In the seventh and eighth grades, students viewed video clips and shared their own ideas about how to respond to incidents of bias. In their core classes, eighth grade social justice projects are connecting being an ally to activism. A student also informed me she plans to announce at a Middle School Meeting that Facebook friends are encouraging people to wear purple on October 20. Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that’s what these youth would like to promote, spirit for all.
High School students engaged in an open Town Hall meeting last week. The topics they raised ranged from internet safety and the use of technology, hate crimes, Tyler Clementi’s tragic suicide and LGBT bias in society. One student shared the importance of relying on family to navigate social challenges and other students and teachers encouraged us to “Choose To Act” on behalf of anyone
discriminated against.
Students are generating ideas and, more importantly, they are taking action. As a school, we are acknowledging Ally Week from October 18-22. ALLIES can help us the most to end anti-LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) bullying and harassment. Ally Week is about identifying and supporting allies in our school and asking them to intervene on behalf of LGBT equality throughout the school year.
Click here for a few things you can do to continue the dialogue, support your children’s understanding, and join us in the work of developing social justice citizens.
Chap
Director of Diversity and Community
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LOWER SCHOOL REMINDERS AND 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 2010-11 school calendar.
Lower School Attendance Policy: Parents, please do let your child’s teacher know the reason when your child misses school, has to arrive late, or leave early. When staying home sick, please email us on the same day when you get the chance. When absent for a specific reason or something planned ahead of time, please let us know as soon as you know. When leaving school early or arriving late due to a medical appointment (which we ask that you try to do after school), please stop by the front desk and let Eileen know on your way in or out, in addition to informing your child’s teacher. Please let caregivers know this same information. This will help us account for all children when we have fire drills or other occasions that require an accurate accounting of the students. Thanks for your help with this.
3rd and 4th Grade Farm Trips: Dan and Jessica’s 3rd grade and Dina and Farrah’s 4th grade farm trips are October 19th-22nd.
2nd Grade Music Assembly: Wednesday, October 20th at 8:45 am in the LS Auditorium. Second Grade Families, please join us!
1st Grade Music Assembly: Wednesday, Oct 27th at 8:45 am in the LS Auditorium. First Grade Families, please join us!
Math Parent Education Sessions Begin Next Week! Learn more about our constructivist math curriculum and our mathematics teaching approach at math parent education sessions. You will meet Rose Reilly, Lower School Math Coordinator, and learn real ways to support your child’s math learning. See below for date, time, and location information. All education sessions begin at 8:45 am. Please note date changes below.
- October 22nd in the cafeteria: 1st and 2nd grade Math Parent Education Session
- October 28th in the cafeteria: 3rd and 4th grade Math Parent Education Session
Fall Parent Teacher Conferences coming up November 5th and November 11th: Please follow these instructions carefully to make an appointment for your fall parent teacher conference. Click on the link below for your child’s classroom teacher. Clicking takes you to a Doodle site that contains the conference schedule for that teacher. Once you see the choices, please use the blue scroll bar to move sideways to view all of the choices. Once you decide on your appointment, please enter your name and click the box that corresponds to the time you’ve selected. Then hit save. (It’s critical to hit save). That’s it!
If you would like to change your mind any time after pressing save, simply use the original link to return to the schedule and click “Edit an entry” under Functions at the bottom of the page. Then select your own name, and then change your appointment from the choices that are left available.
Elizabeth & Samson’s Kindergarten
Galen & Christine’s First Grade
Deborah & Randi’s Second Grade
Daniel & Jessica’s Third Grade
School Photo Proofs Are Ready This Week: On Friday, an ordering envelope with a proof of your child’s school photo will be sent home. You may order prints in one of two ways: using the envelope that will be sent home or ordering online.
To order proofs via mail, using the ordering envelope:
- Select a package from the options listed on the envelope.
- Detach and fill out the bottom portion of the envelope, indicating which packages you’d like to order.
- Complete payment information and return in a separate envelope to:
- Marty Hyman Photography, PO Box 1058, Valley Stream, NY 11582
- Your prints will be sent directly to your home address.
- NOTE: Even if ordering prints through the mail, you may choose to view a larger version of your child’s proof online, following the instructions below for online ordering.
To view/order proofs online:
- Go to www.martyhyman.com
- Click the yellow link that reads “PLEASE CLICK HERE TO ORDER PHOTOS ONLINE,” in the top left corner.
- Click where it says “please click here” after where it says “If your ‘WEB PASSWORD’ consists of letters & numbers.”
- Enter your child’s web password. The web password is a combination of letters and numbers that is listed on the ordering envelope both in the top right (below the student’s name) and in the bottom left corner just above the bar code. Click “login.”
- Click “No, thanks” or enter your email address to receive notifications.
- You will now be taken to an online proof of your child’s photo.
- Use the buttons at the right of the photo to view packages and color options and to place your order.
Save the Date – The Lower School Family Math Nights are coming – The Lower School Family Math Night is an event designed for families to come together in a celebration of mathematics. Join us from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. in the Sixth Avenue Auditorium for an hour of games and activities. You can count on plenty of family fun!
- Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010 – 3rd & 4th Grade Family Math Night
- Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2010 – 1st & 2nd Grade Family Math Night
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Red is Green recycling drive: Did you know that approximately 500 to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide? Did you also know that plastic bags are not biodegradable and take from 500 to 1000 years to decompose? It would help the environment if we all used less plastic bags. But, it is sometimes unavoidable so let’s recycle the bags we have. Red is Green is kicking off its 2010-’11 school year recycling drive with plastic bags. We will collect clean plastic bags in the entryway of the lower school throughout October. After that, you can bring your bags to most chain stores for collection.
LREI Knights Volleyball: Both the Middle School Co-ed team and the Varsity Girls are having a great season so far and its always fun to have some fans in the bleachers cheering on our student athletes. Wear your team colors and join us!
Upcoming games:
Monday 18th October 4pm Varsity Girls vs Garden
All home games are played in the Thompson Street Athletic Center (145 Thompson, just below Houston). All game schedules and news can be found at www.lrei.org/athletics.
Upcoming MS and HS home soccer games:
Tuesday, 11/2 Middle School Soccer vs Garden, 3:00PM Pier 40
Adult r(ED): There are still a few more days to enroll in Adult r(ED). Click here to see the full list of courses. Please contact Rowena at rpenaranda@lrei.org to enroll.
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PARENTS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
All parent association meetings are held in the LS Cafeteria at 8:45 am, unless otherwise noted
Fri, Oct 15, 2010: Halloween Committee Meeting
Fri, October 15th, 6:00 pm: Luise’s Kindergarten Welcome Parent Potluck Party (off-site)
Mon, Oct 18, 2010: Multi-Cultural Committee Meeting
Tue, Oct 19, 2010: Red is Green Committee Meeting
Tue, Oct 19, 2010: LS POCOC Committee Meeting
Tue, Oct 19, 2010, 7:00 pm: Beth’s 4s Welcome Parent Potluck Party (off-site)
Wed, Oct 20, 2010: Cookbook Committee Meeting
Thu, Oct 21, 2010: LS Parent Rep Meeting
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LOWER SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
All Lower School Assemblies are held in our Auditorium at 8:45 a.m, unless otherwise noted.
Wed, Oct 20, 2010: 2nd Grade Music Assembly
Wed, Oct 27, 2010: First Grade Music Assembly
Wed, Nov 3, 2010: 4th Grade Music Assembly
Wed, Nov 10, 2010: Ks Music Assembly
Wed, Nov 17, 2010: Fours/Fours K Music Assembly
Wed, Dec 1, 2010: 3rd Grade Music Assembly
Fri, Dec 17, 2010: 10:15am, Lower School Winter Assembly
Wed, Jan 19, 2011: 9:00am, LS MLK Jr. Assembly
Wed, Feb 23, 2011: 9:00am Families Assembly
Wed, Apr 13, 2011: First Gr. Assembly
Wed, Apr 20, 2011: K’s Music Assembly
Wed, Apr 27, 2011: 2nd Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 4, 2011: 4s/4k Assembly
Wed, May 11, 2011: 3rd Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 18, 2011: 4th Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 25, 2011: K’s Movement Assembly
Wed, Jun 1, 2011: 4s/4k Movement Assembly
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LOWER SCHOOL PARENT REPRESENTATIVES 2010-2011
Beth’s Fours Maren Berthelsen, Becca Markley
Fours/K Marjorie Goldner, Sara Taplitz
Elizabeth’s K Juliet Burrows, Carmen Lenzi
Luise’s K Shannon Barden, Yael Goverover
Gina’s 1st Diane Hoffman, Ceci Van Blerkom
Galen’s 1st Dawn Eig, Christine Boyle
Rebecca’s 1st Hilary Meltzer, Mishi Hosono
Tasha’s 2nd Mary Gerzema, Linda Phillips
Deborah’s 2nd A.M. Homes, Fia Hatsav, Julia Wilbur
Dan’s 3rd Hillary Butler, Holly Glass, Denise Roederer
Vonick’s 3rd Heather McMaster, Beth Dary
Dina’s 4th Connie Butler, Lara Olivieri
Kate’s 4th Susan Harris, Liselotte Vince