Kids’ Project Puppet Theatre
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Dear Families,
The talented educator-puppeteers from Kids’ Project were in school this week to teach children very creatively and concretely about inclusivity. They brought with them puppets and dolls, along with other props, to teach out students what it is like to live with various disabilities. They taught us some sign language, they performed some skits, and they answered our questions. Our guests were Cecilia Arana and Mindy Pfeffer and they bring their wonderful message to schools at no charge courtesy of the New York State Office of Developmental Disabilities. In K through fourth grade classrooms they taught about using a wheelchair, blindness, and down syndrome in a way that was both uplifting and interactive.
Cecilia and Mindy were impressed with LREI students who took the opportunity to share what they already knew about people with disabilities in their lives. In one class students shared a book that was written in Braille and told our guests about people at school and in their families with disabilities.
Cecilia and Mindy helped us explore how we feel when we see someone with a disability or when you hear someone speaking that has a disability. The children said they felt shy, scared, curious, and confused. They taught us that children with disabilities can do the same things as children without, just in different ways. With a special ball that beeps they showed us how children who can’t see play catch and baseball. The children closed their eyes, and as the presenter tossed it across and over the group, they pointed to the ball’s location, realizing that you can figure out where the ball is just by listening!
Here are just a few of our third and fourth graders’ reflections on the experience. Ask you child what s/he remembers or learned!
“I learned that you shouldn’t be mean to people who have disabilities. Blind people can play baseball.”
“Don’t talk louder to people who have blindness disability, just talk in normal voice. The bumps on the subway are so blind people can locate where they have to stop. They use a ball with a beeper to play baseball.”
“We learned sign language. This means hello. The puppeteers can talk like the people with Down Syndrome so you could hear what it sounded like. They did different characters than they did last year.”
“I liked that the blind person could play baseball with a beeping ball. They have Braille tags on their clothing so they know what it is.”
“I learned that people do not like to be called names. I learned that everyone is different and everyone has something to work on.”
“When I read about Eric and how he was blind and climbed Mount Everest one of the life lessons is not to give up. Another life lesson is if you work together you get more done and everything works better.”
“When I was watching the puppet show I could relate to how she [a child with down syndrome] felt. I do not have a disability but my cousin does.”
“This puppet show made me happy too because it feels good just to talk about standing up to people who tease and/or are mean. I think that the puppet show was important, and I’m glad we had it.”
Sincerely,
Namita
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LETTERS FROM LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS
(click on the links below to view and print notes from teachers)
Deborah & Randi’s Second Grade: Click here for a letter from Deborah and Randi about the second graders’ new math unit and hear how the students have been carefully observing the city outside the classroom window.
Dina & Farrah’s Fourth Grade: Click here to read a note from Dina and Farrah about how they’ll wrap up their study of Enslaved and Free Africans of New York and what they’re looking forward to in the new year. Click here for photos from the fourth graders’ recent trip to Weeksville Heritage Center.
Kate & Nicole’s Fourth Grade: Click here to hear from Kate and Nicole on the important work the fourth graders have been doing with artifacts and the difference between depth and volume in math and reading.
All Fourth Grade: Click here to read a letter for all fourth grade parents on the new math unit.
Afterschool: Please visit the Afterschool blog and see what we have been up to at: http://blog.lrei.org/afterschoolphotos/category/enrichment-class/. Our most recent post includes a video – Choice Friday Cooking Show. Also, please check out Swimming, Reds Cooking Day, Reds Art Day. Enjoy!
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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.
Cold Weather Recess: We go outdoors and play to give our bodies some movement in all but the most extreme cold weather, so please send children to school with hats and gloves, in addition to coats. Warm pants are recommended, and if you must wear a skirt or dress, thick tights help!
Winter Break: School closes Friday, December 17th, for Winter Break. Dismissal on the 17th for grades 2nd-4th is 12 pm and 11:45 for Fours through 1st grades. Afterschool is closed 12/17 as well.
LREI Winter Concert: Join us on Tuesday, December 14th, to see LREI students at their musical best. The concert will start at 6:30PM in the Eisner & Lubin Auditorium, which is on the 4th floor of NYU’s Kimmel Center located at 60 Washington Square South. This wonderful annual event features performances by all three divisional choruses, the middle and high school jazz bands and the high school brass ensemble. Click here for an invitation with complete details.
Fourth Grade Knitting Workshop: December 15th, 8:00-8:30 am, Lower School Art Room. Please join us to knit. Bring your needles if you have them. Yarn and instructions will be available. Hope to see you there.
Afterschool Reminder: The Piano/Voice Recital and Instrumental Concert will take place at the Sixth Avenue location on Wednesday, December 15th. This is an opportunity for students to share a piece they have been working on throughout the session. Your child and her/his teacher have discussed whether or not to perform in the upcoming program (as not all students choose to perform at this time), so please touch base with your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
- The Piano/Voice Recital will be held in the PAPAS, and will start at 5:30pm (doors will not open until 5:25pm as performers will need time with their teachers, and to get settled before the recital)
- The Instrumental Concert (Guitar, Drum, Recorder, Flute and Brass) will be held in the Auditorium, and will start at 6:30pm (doors will not open until 6:25pm as performers will need time with their teachers, and to get settled before the concert)
Note: Performers should arrive 15 minutes before showtime. We look forward to seeing you there! Please contact the Afterschool Office with any questions at (212) 477-5316, x239
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Alumni College Panel: Join us for our annual Alumni College Panel. This is a terrific opportunity to hear recent LREI grads discuss their transition from high school to college and how their time at LREI prepared them for success. Thursday, January 6th, 6:30PM, PAC 40 Charlton Street. Moderated by our new Director of College Guidance Carey Socol. RSVP to Liza Sacks at (212) 477-5316 ext. 291 or lsacks@lrei.org. Click here to view and print a flyer with full details.
Adult r(ED): There is still time to sign up for the second two terms of Adult r(ED). Don’t miss out! Click here to view and print the complete course listing and sign up information.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Middle School is proud to present William Shakespeare’s much-loved, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This vibrant and colorful production, which features thirty middle school students, is ideal for the whole family. Join us as we enter a world in which fairies are mischievous and interfere with mortals lives and where love, revenge, jealousy and magic entangle the human world with the fairy kingdom. This is a “must see” production, with many strong performances from our cast of sixth through eighth graders. Tickets are on sale in the Sixth Avenue lobby starting on Friday, December 3rd and on the days leading up to the shows. Performances are scheduled for Friday Dec 10th at 7:00PM, and Saturday, Dec 11th at 2:00PM and 7:00PM. Tickets are $12 adults and $10 students, children and senior citizens. Click here to view a formal invitation with complete details.
Spirit Club: Get out of the cold and come and join the fun at one of our Knights home games next week! All games are held at Thompson Street Athletic Center, 145 Thompson Street.
- Monday 13th December 4pm Varsity Girls vs Churchill
- Tuesday 14th December 4pm JV Boys vs Churchill
- Wednesday 15th December 3:30pm MS boys vs Friends, 4:30pm MS Girls vs Friends
- Thursday 16th December 4pm Varsity Girls vs Steiner, 5:15 JV Boys vs Steiner
We will also be having the last Spirit Super Fan Club of the year before the double-header on Wednesday from 3pm until game time. Spirit Club is open to all – come hang out and have a snack, do your homework and have some fun while the teams warm up. So come ready to scream, yell, wave your flags and MAKE SOME NOISE!! LET’S GO KNIGHTS! Click here for a flyer with all the information.
WINTER CONCERT: CAROLS AND CARMINA. The Glass Menagerie Chorus, LREI’s resident adult chorus, conducted by Susan Glass, will perform its winter concert on Saturday, December 11th, at 8pm, at St. Joseph’s Church, 6th Ave. and Washington Place. Click here to view a flyer with complete details.
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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, Dec 10, 2010: Winter Book Fair, LS auditorium through 6pm
Fri, Dec 10, 2010: Affinity Co-Chair Meeting
Mon, Dec 13, 2010: Multi-Cultural Committee Meeting.
Tue, Dec 14, 2010: Big Auction Meeting
Wed, Dec 15, 2010: LS/MS POCOC Meeting, 8:15am
Thu, Dec 16, 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.
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