LREI at the UN
Dear Parents,
I’d like to highlight a middle school accomplishment that has made our whole school so proud. The pursuit of social justice is an important part of LREI’s mission and we are always looking for ways to bring this value to life for the students. This week some of our students were invited to speak at the UN because of the research they’d done on gun violence prevention in New York City. Their project is connected to a larger middle school effort that will culminate in April with a Social Justice Teach In. It’s quite amazing to imagine our little ones speaking with such confidence and knowledge some day, holding their own in a group of adults all focused on one cause. I’m so glad they are in a school where this ability will be guided and developed and where they’ll have these opportunities.
~Namita
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As eighth grade teacher Sara-Momii Roberts described in her own words:
I had the pleasure of taking three eighth grade students to speak at the United Nations this week. As a part of a social justice project “Choosing to Participate,” Phoebe Thomases, Samantha Maison, and Niles Ellis began researching gun violence and gun violence prevention in New York City and started volunteering at IANSA (International Action Network against Small Arms). IANSA subsequently asked the three to speak on a panel at the United Nations, addressing their research and their school project. They worked for two months to prepare. The group presented statistics, interviews with a number of NYC gun violence victims and activists in our city, and shared about their personal interest in the topic. The other speakers on the panel included women from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Columbia, Guyana and Norway, in addition to a United Nations representative from the Department of Disarmament Affairs. The students were very well received and the response to having a “youth voice” from the “field” was overwhelming! It was a very proud moment for their family members and our school.
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LETTERS FROM LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS
Beth & Samson’s Fours: Please click here to view this week’s updates. And here for some photos!
Danielle & Anne’s Fours: Click here to view our latest photo album, “Danielle and Anne’s Fours January/February.”
Luise & Alisa’s Kindergarten: Please click here for this week’s letter.
Dina & Jessi’s Fourth Grade: Please click here for some quick reminders!
A Note to All Families from Peggy, in Woodshop: Our Second Graders made percussion instruments to be used in music class. Their shakers have inside and outside sounds. Be sure to see them in the Sixth Avenue lobby display case!
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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.
2/22 – 3/19 VISIBILITY: Lesbian and Gay People We Love, an LREI community photo exhibit. Please join LREI in celebrating diversity at the Visibility Photo Exhibit! Submit a photo of your family with a loved one who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. Visit the exhibit and show support for family, friends and community. Come to the opening ceremony to share stories and experiences about visibility. For more information, click here or contact Carrie Borows or Merril Stern at visibility@lrei.org.
Summers at LREI Registration – General Registration for Little Red Summer Camp (ages 3.4-13) and Musical Theater Workshop (ages 7-8 and 9-14) opened on Monday, March 8th. You can register through our website, directly accessible by going to summers.lrei.org. You may also go to the website to view details about our programs, including class descriptions. Please note that as programs fill quickly, we recommend registering early.
Little Red Summer Camp and Musical Theater Workshop are offered in three two-week sessions as follows:
Session 1: June 28-July 9
Session 2: July 12-July 23
Session 3: July 23-August 6
3/19 Spring Break — School closes at 11:45 a.m. for 4s through 1st grade, and at 12 noon for 2nd through 4th grades. School resumes on Monday, April 5. Happy Spring!
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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
3/12 Literary Committee Meeting
3/16 LS POCOC Meeting
3/19 Community Service Meeting
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
*LREI 2010 Art Auction… Thank you so much to everyone who helped make this year’s Art Auction a rounding success! It was a spectacular event and everyone had a wonderful time. There are still some pieces of art that are for sale, so please visit http://artaction.lrei.org/ for additional information and to view items that are available. If you have any questions, please contact Maude Kebbon at mkebbon@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext. 232. Additionally, please watch this space for information regarding upcoming art related events in the spring.
*Art Auction photos are up on the LREI Photo Gallery page – click here to check them out!
*Click here for information on Stir the Pot: Taste of the Future, which will take place on Thursday, May 13th at 6:00 p.m.
*All members of the LREI community are invited to cheer on our Middle and High School Robotics Teams as they appear in the 2010 City-Wide Championships. We are so proud of both teams. The championships will be held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street in Manhattan. The schedule is as follows:
Saturday, March 13th — the high school robotics team will begin to compete at 9:45 a.m.
Sunday, March 14th — the middle school robotics team will compete from 8:00 – 3:30 with the best times to see our team being between 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
These events are free!
*We want your recipes! Plans for the LREI Community Cookbook are under way, and we are now seeking recipes from all members of the community. Recipes can be for any dish that you would bring to a potluck. Please send recipes or questions to cookbook@lrei.org. The deadline for recipes is March 19 (right before Spring Break). Help us create a cookbook that represents the diversity of our community! Please see this flyer for more information.