We each have a story to tell . . .

Dear Families:

First, a thank you to those of you who were able to attend the PA Diversity and Community evening this past Tuesday. Our discussion on “How to Continue Diversity Conversations at Home” was an engaging one and reinforced for me the need for these on-going dialogs. One theme that emerged from the evening was the power of stories. In many ways, our efforts to address issues of diversity are about creating the space for members of our community to tell their stories to each other. Whether in the context of engaging in experiences outside of the classroom, exploring challenging texts, or participating in well-structured activities, these are stories that need to be heard and shared.In the spirit of telling stories, I thought it would be useful to share with you some of the ways that we have been continuing the conversation about diversity issues in the Middle School. Last June, the middle school faculty met with a team of facilitators who led us through a series of activities aimed fostering an adult-to-adult dialog on issues related to group identification and unpacking assumptions and biases that can impact on our work with students. The workshop helped to bring us closer as a community of colleagues and raised important questions for us as to how best to tackle these issues in our Middle School community. When we returned from summer break, we revisited many of these ideas and were able to better reflect on the experience now that some time had passed. As a faculty, there was universal agreement that we need to continue this work, which we will do.

This past Tuesday afternoon, we met as a full faculty to hear reports from colleagues on grant projects that were carried out over the summer. A number of the Middle School projects that were completed took as their primary focus work on diversity and social justice issues. Fifth grade core teacher Heather Brandstetter researched and read a variety of books with diversity themes. The books ranged in topics from a family struggling to survive in Afghanistan under the Taliban rule, to the life of a migrant family from Cuba, to a Japanese-American family fighting racism in rural Georgia. Through this research, Heather identified several new texts appropriate for fifth grade and developed curriculum that integrates our language arts studies with a range of multicultural issues. Eighth grade core teachers Sarah Barlow and Noni Polhill developed a Social Justice Activist Project as a culminating project for the eighth grade. Working in partnership with Children for Children, the eighth graders will develop a service project in the community related to a social justice issue and host an event for National and Global Youth Service Day in April. Both of these grant projects will create additional focused and developmentally appropriate opportunities for students and faculty to explore important diversity related themes.

I have written elsewhere about how the Middle School core curriculum addresses issues related to multiculturalism and how this focus supports the development of important critical thinking skills and of our students’ predispositions to understanding, empathy, and action. These skills are crucial as students explore a range of perspectives and seek to better understand social justice issues that include equity, power, access and privilege. One fundamental change to the sixth grade exploration of the Middle Ages is the use of religion as a lens to explore this time period in Africa, Asia, and Europe. This change has allowed us to engage in important comparative studies across time and regions. This comparative approach helps students to better understand the ways in which the world views of individuals and groups are shaped by a common perspective; it also helps them to better understand how conflicts between individuals and groups are often mediated by these differing world views. In a way, as with Tuesday night’s dialog, we are simply searching for better ways for students to access and understand the stories that individuals, groups, tribes, empires, and nations tell about who they are and what they value.

On other fronts, our decision to reconfigure advisory groups into fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth grade groups was in part a response to discussions related to diversity issues that the Middle School faculty had last year. This decision was based on our belief that while all Middle School students should participate in diversity discussions as part of the advisory program, these discussions need to take in the varied levels of developmental readiness reflected in the Middle School population. As we talk about helping students to choose texts that are “just right,” we also need to make sure that students are exploring these complicated issues in ways that are “just right.” To this end, Middle School PE teacher and Co-Athletic Director Marcus Chang worked with Director of Diversity and Community Sharon DuPree over the summer to create a series of diversity focused activities to be used in classes and in advisory groups.

We also looked at feedback from both Marcus and fifth and sixth grade science teacher Sherezada Acosta who co-facilitate the Students of Color group and from members of the group about how to better support the group and increase opportunities for participation. This led to some changes in the schedule that we think will better support this group’s work. The Students of Color group will have their first meeting of the year in the next week or two.

So whether behind the scenes or in the classroom, these discussions and stories about diversity are always present. Our challenge is not simply to make them an extra piece that we add on, but rather to use them as the jumping off point for authentic and meaningful explorations of self and community. We invite you to partner with us in the on-going telling of these stories.

Having mentioned this past Tuesday’s faculty meeting, I would be remiss if I did not also share with you the other summer grant projects carried out by members of the Middle School faculty.

Middle School PE teachers and Co-Athletic Directors Larry Kaplan and Marcus worked on creating better avenues of communication to the LREI community with regards to the Athletic program. They created a coaches handbook, a Sports Information Packet, a new uniform policy, and worked with our publications department to make the athletic section the website more user friendly (this included posting important forms on the site and providing directions to all playing fields).

Middle School music teacher Henry Chapin explored a number of tools for integrating technology in the music classroom. Henry spent each day, for a week, in a music studio in Cabot, VT, under the tutelage of trumpeter Brian Boyes. Together, they worked with Sibelius, which is notation software that Henry will use to increase the clarity of his published lead sheets. They also worked with GarageBand, which is a music composition program that is on every LREI Mac computer. Henry is going to use GarageBand in a unit with the fifth grade later in the year.

Middle School art teacher and visual arts department chair Melissa Rubin participated in a weeklong seminar designed to foster creativity through the integration of writing and art. Called “The Creativity Workshop”, the seminar provided opportunities to write through visual observation of art, objects and environment, visual map-making, collaborative exercises, and an examination of how scientists, writers and artists throughout history have used art and writing in combination to make connections and inspire creativity. The seminar was designed for artists, educators and those wishing to expand their creativity through the writing and art process. Her intention was to learn some effective strategies through this seminar whereby the transition between creating and looking at art, and then writing/reflecting about the work, is seamless. As a result of her experiences in the workshop, she has developed, and continue to develop, a variety of templates (reflection/idea sheets) and prompts (questions and ‘wonderings’ to consider) that can jump-start writing in the art studio and beyond.

Thanks for listening to this story!

As a final reminder, I hope that you will spend some time reviewing our new format for the progress reports and the accompanying year-long subject area skills. This work represents substantial effort on the part of the middle school faculty and is also the result of the thoughtful feedback that you provided to us last year. The purpose for this new format is to make the assessment and evaluation process more transparent and better aligned with our progressive values. If you have any questions about these new reports, do not hesitate to contact me.

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:
Early Childhood Admissions Letter
Sample Progress Report
Year-Long Skills
Parents in Action Flyer
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Williamsburg Trip Information Letter
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .

1) Parents! Have your own LREI experience through the SEED (Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity) monthly parent dialogue group. Share stories, explore assumptions, view films and exchange information. The first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 18th at 6pm. Please contact Sharon DuPree (sdupree@lrei.org) or Peggy Peloquin (ppeloquin@lrei.org) if you are interested in joining LREI’s first parent SEED group.

2) From the Admission Office: Please read the attached note concerning early childhood (4s-K) admissions.

3) Relocation of LREI Business Office – The LREI Business Office has relocated into 40 Charlton Street. Members of the Business Office can now be reached through LREI’s main phone number, 212-477-5316, Michel de Konkoly Thege at ext. 319, Tema Tischler at ext. 306 and Marie Horan at ext. 317. E-mail addresses remain the same. In general, inquiries regarding status of tuition accounts may be directed to Tema, regarding facility rentals to Marie and all others, including tuition remission issues to Michel. Thanks, Michel

4) From High School Dean of Student Life Micah Dov Gottlieb: The first COFFEE HOUSE of the year will take place on October 14th at 7:00PM in the PAC at 40 Charlton Street. If any of your children are interested in performing (music, dance, poetry, comedy, etc…) please let me know by Friday, October 13th. I can be reached at mgottlieb@lrei.org or at 212-477-5316 xt.304.

5) Please read the important note from nurse Kitty Highstein on preventing colds.

6) Just a reminder that Coffee Pond Photography will be with us on Monday, October 16th to take individual and class pictures (in case of inclement weather, the pictures will be taken on Monday, October 23rd). After the pictures are taken, you will receive a proofs and an order form in the mail. To get the best portrait of your child, please make sure that they are dressed appropriately on Portrait Day. If you have specific questions about the ordering process, you can contact Coffee Pond Photography at lifeguards@coffeepond.com or by phone at 1-800-632-2323 extension 0

7) Attention book lovers: On Tuesday, November 8th join the Literary Committee as the LREI librarians present, “East Meets West,” an evening of youth books that feature culture clashes and truces, diverse viewpoints and changing perspectives. Each year our nationally recognized librarians share their literary suggestions for students in all grades, Fours-12th grade, with the LREI community as they do with other school and professional audiences throughout the school year. All three of our full time librarians have served, or are presently serving, on American Library Association panels responsible for selecting prize winning books. Join this evening as Stacy, Jennifer and Karyn share their book selections with us, along with LS library teacher and graphic novel reviewer, Jesse Karp (LREI ’87), who will give his suggestions for the best in graphic novels. Each year the Literary Committee brings us the book fairs, Book Week, the amazing Literary Evening (December 7) and this evening with our librarians. The Committee also supports the librarians’, and their students’, attendance at conferences. If you have questions for the librarians, don’t forget to join us for Learn Your Library morning on October 23rd in the Sixth Avenue Library.

8) A reminder form the PA Community Service Committee: We will be doing the Thanksgiving Decorations for Hudson Guild Fulton Center again this year as a volunteer opportunity for the whole community (4’s through 12th grade and beyond) on Saturday, November 18th at 11:00 -1:00. Save the date and we hope to see you there!

9) For updates on faculty performances, openings, presentations, and publications visit the Faculty in the News page on the school web site.

10) 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. Please read the attached flyer to view their 2006-2007 calendar. You can also access their on-line calendar of events at www.parentsinaction.org.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) The second A High School tour for eighth grade families is scheduled for Wednesday, October 18th at 9AM. Also, the High School Open Houses are scheduled for Thursday, October 12th and Tuesday, October 24th. Both Open Houses will start at 6:30PM. If you would like to make a reservation for one of the Open House nights or one of the tours, please contact Director of Admissions Samantha Caruth (scaruth@lrei.org or at extension 305). If you are unable to make one of these times, please contact Director of Admissions Samantha Caruth at scaruth@lrei.org or at extension 305. Samantha can sign you up for one of the general high school admissions tours or she can schedule you for a tour at some other time that is more convenient for you. Finally, if you have any questions about the high school program, please contact Ruth (rjurgensen@lrei.org or at extension 303) who will be glad to answer your questions.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) Please read the attached letter that contains information about our Williamsburg itinerary, a permission form, and a packing list. A parent meeting to go over the trip is scheduled for Wednesday, October 18th at 8:00AM.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) The sixth grade will visit the Cloisters museum on Wednesday, October 18th. We will be participating in the “Medieval Artist” tour. This will provide a great introduction to the art and techniques of the middle ages (how artists worked, what kinds of techniques and materials they used, etc), as well as give a historical overview of this time period in European history. Students should bring a bag lunch (please remember no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles).

2) Pictures from the trip to Greenkill can be viewed at http://lrei.emptyfortunecookie.com/ms/.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Pictures from the trip to Greenkill can be viewed at http://lrei.emptyfortunecookie.com/ms/.

Middle School Sports
Schedules, permission forms and general information about Middle School sports programs can be found at http://www.lrei.org/athletics/index.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)

  • Saturday, October 14th, 2006 7:00PM — Coffee House, Charlton St. PAC
  • Monday, October 16, 2006 — Photo Day (raindate Monday, October 23, 2006)
  • Tuesday, October 17, 2006, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Wednesday, October 18, 2006 – Sixth Grade to the Cloisters
  • Wednesday, October 18, 2006 — Eighth Grade HS Tour
  • Wednesday, October 18, 2006, 6:00PM – SEED Mtg.
  • Thursday, October 19, 2006, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Meeting
  • Saturday, October 21, 2006, 7:00PM — Coffeehouse
  • Monday, October 23, 2006, 8:00AM — Seventh Grade to Williamsburg (return on Friday, October 27, 2006)
  • Tuesday, October 24, 2006 — HS Minimester (through Thursday, October 26, 2006)
  • Tuesday, October 24, 2006, 6:30PM — HS Open House
  • Sunday, October 29, 2006 — Halloween Fair
  • Tuesday, October 31, 2006 — Fifth Grade to the Met (Ancient Near Eastern Art)
  • Friday, November 3, 2006 — MS-End of 1st Quarter
  • Tuesday, November 8, 2006 — LREI librarians present, “East Meets West”
  • Wednesday, November 15, 2006, 12:15PM — MS Parent-Teacher Conferences
  • Thursday, November 16, 2006, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Mtg.
  • Friday, November 17, 2006, 8:30AM — MS Parent-Teacher Conferences (MS closed)
  • Monday, November 20, 2006 — Irwin Scholars Application due
  • Tuesday, November 21, 2006, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Wednesday, November 22, 2006 — Thanksgiving-School closes at 12:00PM (school reopens on Monday, 27, 2006)
  • Friday, December 1, 2006, 7:00PM — Seventh Grade DISC Dance 40 CHST
  • Monday, December 4, 2006 — Book Week (through Friday, November 8, 2006)
  • Wednesday, December 6, 2006 — Book Fair (through Friday November 8, 2006)
  • Thursday, December 7, 2006, 7:00PM — Literary Evening
  • Friday, December 8, 2006, 7:00PM — MS Play
  • Saturday, December 9, 2006, 2:00PM and 7:00PM — MS Play
  • Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 6:00PM — Seventh Grade Colonial Museum
  • Thursday, December 14, 2006, 6:00PM — Winter Concert
  • Thursday, December 14, 2006, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Mtg.
  • Friday, December 15, 2006 — Winter Break – School closes at 12:00PM (school reopens on Wednesday, January 3, 2007)

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

Be well,
Mark

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