Sharing Thanks, guest blog from Dawn

Dear Lower School Families,

As we begin to think about upcoming break for Thanksgiving, lower school students are getting involved in three different projects that will help them think of others and share the bounty of their own lives. Last week we wrote about the Penny Harvest, and bags of pennies have started coming in. Fourth Graders will continue to collect the pennies throughout the month of November and may have the opportunity to decide where the money will go next spring. If you have not sent your pennies in yet, it is not too late.

We are also beginning to revive the longstanding tradition of contributing to St. John’s Bread of Life Food Pantry which serves more than 500 people every Wednesday, many of them children. They need our help and are asking for the following food donations:

  • Pasta
  • Black Beans
  • Soups (chicken, tomato, minestrone)
  • Rice
  • Peaches
  • Green Beans
  • Pears
  • Corn
  • Apricots
  • Tomatoes
  • Juices in cans
  • Peas
  • Tuna Fish
  • Cereal
  • Ravioli
  • Chili
  • Kidney Beans
  • Jello, Pudding
  • Tomato Sauce
  • White Beans

All items should be in cans except cereal, rice, and pasta, which should be in cardboard boxes. Please, No Glass Containers. We are asking that each lower school child bring at least one item from the list to the Thanksgiving Assembly on Wednesday. I encourage you to include your children in shopping for these items. You might ask them to choose a few items from the list that they would enjoy receiving. You could find a few items that would go nicely together, such as beans and rice or pasta and sauce. I met with a class of second graders today, many of whom seemed very excited about bringing items in. We talked about the fact that most people who come to the food pantry have homes but don’t have enough money for all the food they need. It is empowering to children to know that they can help, especially in a city where they can see people with needs on a daily basis. All of the collected items will be delivered to Saint John’s on Wednesday afternoon. After Thanksgiving we will continue to collect food weekly.

Lastly, each class will be baking at least two loaves of bread this week. One loaf will be contributed to the lower school snack, and the other loaf will be donated to a local Thanksgiving meal for the hungry.

Over the break I look forward to the return of my college aged son, cooking our traditional recipes with my family, watching some football with my boys, and enjoying some unstructured time. In this time of stress and strain for many, my hope is that your days will also be filled with such blessings.

Best Wishes,

Dawn, Acting Assistant Principal

 

LOWER SCHOOL NOTES & ATTACHMENTS
(click on the links below to view and print information from teachers and specialists.)

  • Fours: From Beth & Stacey (1120-4s)
  • Early Kindergarten: From Diane & Charles(1120-EK)
  • Kindergarten: For Luise & Abby’s class (1120-K-LA); for Crystal & Samson’s class (1120-K-CS)
  • First grade: For Gina & Randi’s class (1120-1-GR); Jamie & Lindsay’s class (1120-1-JL); Rebecca & Emily’s class (1120-1-RE)
  • All grades: Please click here for the ‘at a glance’ calendar for the 2008-09 school year.

UPCOMING PARENT MEETINGS & EVENTS

  • 11/26: School Closes at 12Noon (11:45 for Fours – 1st grade) for Thanksgiving Holiday
  • 12/1: School Re-opens
  • 12/3, 8:45AM: Third grade Assembly
  • For an up-to-date, searchable all school calendar, please visit www.lrei.org/calendar

 

 

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Big Auction: Please click here (1120-BigAuction) for a letter about the 2009 LREI Big Auction.

* * *

From MS Principal Mark Silberberg:
For fourth grade parents and guardians who were unable to make the tour on Monday, please join me in the Bleecker Street Library on Friday at 8:45AM for a tour and overview of the Middle School Program. I look forward to sharing our vibrant Middle School program with you.

Regards,
Mark

* * *

Community Service Committee Update:

  • Attention all knitters! This month’s Knitting for the Sanctuary Blanket Project will take place this Friday, Nov 21st from noon to 3pm at The Point knitting cafe on Bedford Street. No experience necessary – Please stop by!
  • The LREI Community Service Committee is hosting it’s annual Thanksgiving Art project at Hudson Guild this Sunday Nov. 23 , 11:00 – 1:00 pm At HG Elliot Center at 441 West 26th St. (Bet. 9th and 10th Aves.) LREI children and parents will join seniors from the HG Community Center to make centerpieces for their Thanksgiving Feast. Hudson Guild is located in Chelsea and provides services and programs for young and old which help community members achieve stability and self-sufficiency.  For more information: www.hudsonguild.org Please RSVP to Denise Adler, 917-455-8302.
  • $1.00 For Thanks –  Nov. 24 – 26: $1.00 donation allows allows LREI to provide money to a local soup kitchen for turkey for their Thanksgiving Dinner. Look for the collection jar in the Sixth Ave. and Charlton St. lobbies. For more information Contact Tatjana Kalinin – 917-371-6591.
  • Nov. 26th – Ongoing: Kick off for St. John’s Can Drive in the Lower School will take place this year at the Thanksgiving Assembly and will continue throughout the year on a class by class basis.  Talk to you teacher or parent rep to find out when your class is scheduled. Middle Schoolers will be collecting and stocking the shelves at the St. John’s Food Pantry throughout the year. Please check all expiration dates on your donations!

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The LS and MS Parents of Children of Color Committees (POCOCs) Book Club:
Last Spring the LS and MS POCOCs launched a very successful book club for the children of color in the lower and middle schools. We are excited to announce that we are now ready follow up with our Winter Book Club session! We would like to invite all families with children of color in the lower school to participate fully and again help us make this a wonderful, successful event. We look forward to another fun evening of books, camaraderie, community building and of course, food! Please click here (1120-POCOCbookclub) for more information.

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Holiday Helpers, from the Class of 2010:
Dear Parents, Do you need to get your holiday shopping done without the stress of dragging your children along with you? Send them to Holiday Helpers sponsored by the class of 2010!

On Saturday, December 6th between 9:00AM-3:00PM, the eleventh grade will be hosting a Day of
Holiday Fun for your children. Activities will include holiday card making, movies, games, and much, much more! We will provide lunch to those children who are with us between 12:00PM and 1:30PM and healthy snacks for all. The high school students participating in this event all have babysitting experience
and there will be three faculty members present, including the high school nurse, Joanne. We believe this day of holiday cheer will be beneficial for parents and enjoyable for the kids. The hourly fee is $8.50
and 50% off for families of two or more.

For more information or to reserve a spot contact:

You can also sign up at the Sixth Avenue reception desk.

Note: This event is a fundraiser for the class of 2010 and your support is greatly appreciated.
We hope to see you and your child on December 6th!

Sincerely,
The Class of 2010

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