Welcome Back

Dear Families:

Rested and relaxed, Middle School faculty and students have returned to our usual intense pace of purposeful activity. This past Tuesday’s professional day gave us an opportunity to reflect on our progressive practice, begin work on developing some important long-term divisional goals, and to address a number of crucial diversity issues. These are all significant areas of work that will enrich the middle school experience as we continue to work through them.

Just a reminder that the second quarter ends next week. In many classes, students are completing important projects. Please make sure that your child is on top of all of her/his required work. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact your child’s teachers.

This Week’s Attachments
(Click on the links below to open the attachments. If you are having trouble opening the links, go to http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ms/ to access the files.)

General:
MS Basketball Schedule
Pakistan Relief Run Pledge Form
Visibility Photo Exhibit
PA Community Service Committee Calendar
Eighth Grade:
New Math Unit Letter
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Intramural Basketball Program
Fifth Grade:
Intramural Basketball Program

1) LREI College Panel and Parent Reception: Join recent LREI graduates on Thursday, January 5th at 6:30PM in the High School Library at 40 Charlton Street and hear them talk about their college experiences and how LREI influenced their transition to college. Panel discussion and questions, reception to follow. Panelists: Akim St. Omar ’02 – Boston College; Shayna Jeffers ’02 – Wesleyan; Thea Bardin ’02 – University of Florida; Ian Patrick ’03 – Vassar College; Brian Marmolejos ’04 – Yale University; Michael Sokol ’04 – Drexel University; and Alison Wiggins ’05 – Skidmore College.

2) Please remind your child that they can continue to collect pledges for our Pakistan Relief Run up until Thursday, January 12th. A copy of the pledge form is attached.

3) We had an exciting final and championship round of preliminary National Geographic Geography Bee in Middle School meeting this week. At the end of the final round, sixth grader Quinn emerged as the third place finalist and seventh grader Lucas and eighth grader Nick moved on to the championship round. After several rounds of difficult questions, Nick persevered to become our school champion. Congratulations to all participants: fifth graders Ava and Rachel; sixth graders Calen, Quinn, and Maya; seventh graders Amy and Lucas; and eighth graders Ben, Nick, and Nora.

4) From Middle School play director Julia Collura: The Middle School is currently in production for “Arabian Nights”, which goes up January 20th and 21st. If you have any of the following items that you are able to lend or donate for the production, the cast and I would be very grateful. Thanks so much and hope to see you at the show! Needed: old cushions that can be re-covered, oriental rugs, two or three divans, sari tops, wide Turkish type pants, belly dancing outfits and/or accessories, pointed slippers, costume jewelry, and very wide leather belts.

5) From sixth grade parent Terri Gloyd: We are getting down to the wire for lining up parent volunteers for our children’s Middle School play. We need: Volunteers who can sew with a machine (if that’s you, please contact Julia directly at jcollura@lrei.org; parents who can help sell tickets starting Wednesday, January 11th and the week of the 16th (if you can help one or two mornings, please contact me, terri.gloyd@verizon.net); and parents to oversee dinners during the week of the 16th and the first day of the play (Friday January 20th). Please help if you can.

6) Whether you are lesbian, gay, straight or none of the above, we invite you to recognize the lesbian and gay people in your life or your child’s life and to let them tell their stories. Invite them to join you in LREI’s photo exhibit, “VISIBILITY: Celebrating the Lesbian and Gay People We Love.” For more information, please read the attached letter.

7) LREI is a member of NYC-Parents in Action (NYC-PIA). NYC-PIA provides parenting education, information and a communications network to help parents prepare their children and teenagers to cope with social pressures and to make sound choices towards a future free of alcohol and drug abuse. You can access their on-line calendar of events at www.parentsinaction.org.

For 8th Grade Families . . .
1) There will be a parent meeting for the spring trip to Spain on Thursday, January 26th at 8:00AM.

2) Please read the attached letter about the new math unit from math teacher Michelle Boehm.

For 7th Grade Families . . .
1) A parent Adolescent Issues evening will he held on Tuesday, January 10th at 6:30PM in the Sixth avenue cafeteria.

For 6th Grade Families . . .
1) The fifth/sixth grade intramural basketball program is underway. Please read the attached team roster and practice/game schedule.

For 5th Grade Families . . .
1) The fifth/sixth grade intramural basketball program is underway. Please read the attached team roster and practice/game schedule.

Middle School Sports
Schedules and general information about Middle School sports programs can be found at http://lrei.org/athletics/at_4b.html. Information is also available through the LREI Sports Hotline at 212.477.5316 x 494.

Looking Ahead . . .
On the LREI web site additional information about upcoming events can be found at http://www.lrei.org/caleven/index.html (the middle school events page can be found at http://www.lrei.org/midschool/Events.html)

  • Monday, January 9th — Fifth Grade trip to American Museum of Natural History
  • Tuesday, January 10th at 6:30PM — Seventh Grade parent Adolescent Issues evening
  • Tuesday, January 17th, 8:15 AM — Parent Rep. Meeting
  • Thursday, January 19th, 6:00PM — Middle School Parents of Children of Color meeting
  • Friday, January 20th, 7:00PM — Middle School Play
  • Saturday, January 21st, 3:00PM and 7:00PM — Middle School Play
  • Friday, January 27th, 5:00PM — Karamu
  • Sunday, Jan 29, 2006 — Robotics Team Competition Day
  • Thursday, February 2nd, 8:45AM — Lesbian/Gay/ Straight Alliance Meeting in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria
  • Friday, February 3rd, 7:00PM – Middle School Dance
  • Monday, February 6th – Friday February 17th – Visibility Photo Show at Sixth Avenue
  • Friday, February 10th — Fifth Grade trip to Brooklyn Museum of Art
  • Monday, February 13th – Friday March 10th – Visibility Photo Show at Sixth Avenue
  • Tuesday, February 14th, 8:15AM — Parent Rep Meeting
  • Tuesday, February 14th – Thursday, February 16th – ERBs
  • Thursday, February 16th — Sixth grade to the Met to view the arms and armor collection
  • Thursday, February 16th, 6:00PM — Middle School Parents of Children of Color meeting
  • Wednesday, February 22nd – Black History Month Assembly
  • Friday, February 24th, 7:30PM-9:30PM — Eighth Grade DISC dance. The dance will be held at Grace Church School (86 Fourth Avenue)
  • Wednesday, March 1st, 6:00PM – Seventh Grade Colonial Museum Exhibit
  • Thursday, March 2nd, 8:45AM– Lesbian/Gay/ Straight Alliance Meeting in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria
  • Tuesday, March 14th, 8:15AM — Parent Rep Meeting
  • Wednesday, March 15th, 6:00PM – Sixth Grade Medieval Pageant
  • Thursday, March 16th, 8:45AM-3:00PM – Fifth Grade Egyptian Tomb
  • Thursday, March 16th, 6:00PM — Middle School Parents of Children of Color meeting
  • Friday, March 17th – School closes at noon for Spring Break.

Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and interesting information – http://www.lrei.org.

Be well,
Mark

To view the attached .pdf files, please download Adobe Reader, if you do not already have it. Click on the following link or paste it into your browser: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

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