The Middle School Team

Dear Families:

While there is still much to be accomplished in the 2006-2007 school year, the approaching spring also signals the beginning of our formal planning cycle for the 2007-2008 school year. A crucial piece of this planning is the hiring process, which is just getting underway. I thought that it would be useful to use this week’s blog to update you on where we are in this process.

Middle School learning specialist Jennifer Haakmat who has been on maternity leave since late September will return the week prior to spring break. She will use this week to transition with Laurie Baum to provide continuity in support. Laurie has done an inspired job in Jennifer’s absence and has helped to maintain our strong commitment to meeting the needs of all of our learners. She has also been an excellent advisor to her advisees and a wonderful colleague to the members of the Middle School faculty. We are most appreciative of Laurie’s contributions to the community during her time with us and wish her the best of luck in future endeavors.

With regard to maternity leaves, this year we had three other faculty members take maternity leaves: fifth grade core teacher Gina Ma, seventh and eighth grade art teacher Susan Leopold, and seventh and eighth grade science teacher Rebecca Webb. All three have decided to continue on in their full-time roles as mothers and while the decision to leave the LREI community was a difficult one, they are excited about the opportunity to spend this valuable time with their children. Each of these three educators has made important contributions to the life and programs at LREI. They established lasting relationships with their students and with their colleagues and they will be missed. As a community, we are most grateful for the time, energy and passion that they have given to LREI. I know that each in her own way will continue to find ways to connect with the ongoing life of LREI.

We have also been fortunate this year to have three talented teachers serving in interim roles for Gina, Susan, and Rebecca. Wendy Bassin, Carin Cohen, and Stephen Volkmann have helped to move each of their respective programs forward during the year and have become much respected members of our community. In light of their excellent work, I have asked them to continue on in their positions and am excited to report that they have accepted these on-going positions. I look forward to working with all three and to the positive contributions that I know they will continue to make to the Middle School program.

Middle School drama teacher and musical and play director Julia Collura will be taking a one year leave to travel to London, England to finish her masters degree in theater education. Julia has been a member of the LREI community for many years and her presence next year will be sorely missed. However, this year abroad will afford Julia the needed time to delve into her studies and to return refreshed the following year. We are in the process of reviewing resumes for this position and hope to identify a set of promising candidates for interviews and demo lessons before we go on break.

Finally, as many of you know, Noni Polhill will be leaving us next year to assume the position of principal of the middle school at Calhoun. This is an exciting opportunity for Noni and a logical next step following the Klingenstein Fellowship that she did last year. During her tenure in the Middle School, Noni has made important contributions to the core program and to the overall culture of the middle school. She has served admirably as an English department chair and this year as the coordinating department chair. I will miss Noni as a colleague. but know that the strong ties that she has developed with LREI will not be broken so easily. We wish Noni the very best in this new chapter of her professional life. As a result, we will be looking to hire a new eighth grade core teacher and, as with the drama position, hope to identify promising candidates before the break.

That we are only looking to hire for these two positions is a true testament to the quality and strength of the Middle School program. I am honored to work with such outstanding and passionate educators all of whom are equally committed to serving your children and to supporting each other in their own professional growth. Setting aside any pretense of modesty, the Middle School faculty really is an exceptional team!

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:

2007-2008 Calendar
Parents in Action Flyer
Big Auction Donation Forms
Spirit Game Flyer
Afghan Quilt for the Big Auction
Eighth Grade:
DC Trip Payment Letter
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .

1) An Invitation from Phil Kassen, Director: On March 20th, Tim Wise will speak with the LREI community on the topic of privilege and class in America. Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and activists in the US. Wise has spoken in 48 states and on over 400 college campuses, including Harvard, Stanford, and the Law Schools at Yale and Columbia. Many of our faculty members have heard Mr. Wise speak and found him to be engaging and insightful. He will spend a good part of the day here on March 20th and 21st meeting with students, faculty and parents. Parent Events featuring Tim Wise:

  • Tuesday, March 20th, 7:00PM, Performing Arts Center, 40 Charlton Street. (Child Care Available, please sign up at the Sixth Avenue Reception Desk.
  • Wednesday, March 21st, 8:45 AM, Sixth Avenue Cafeteria, Breakfast Discussion with Tim Wise. (We recommend you attend the evening talk on March 20th if you plan to attend this conversation.)

There are several copies of Tim Wise’s book, White Like Me, in each library. Click here for more information about Tim Wise. Tim Wise’s visit to LREI is generously supported by the Wendling Foundation as part of an ongoing grant to support diversity efforts, including the visit by the Human Race Machine, earlier this year.

2) Tomorrow is the last day to support Project Cicero, our annual book drive designed to create — or supplement — school and classroom libraries for children in under-resourced New York City public schools. Books can still be dropped off Friday morning in the Sixth Avenue lobby.

3) Please join us this Friday afternoon for the championships of the Fifth and Sixth Grade Intramural Basketball Season. It’s been a great season so far and these final games promise to continue the trend. Here’s the schedule:

  • 3:30PM — Consolation Game: Red versus Black
  • 4:15PM — Championship Game: Navy versus Gray
  • 5:15PM — Parent-Student game. Four 15-minute no stop clock games as follows: First game: Red; Second game: Black; Third game: Gray; Fourth game: Navy

4) Middle School Sports Update: For the spring season we will field the following teams:

All eighth graders are eligible to participate on the high school teams. Any seventh graders who are interested in participating on one of the high school teams must speak to Larry and Marcus.

Fifth and Sixth Grade Intramural Softball will start after Spring Break. The team will be coached by Luis Hernandez (louishernandez@rcn.com).

Specific dates for practices for all teams will be posted as soon as fields are finalized.

5) Attention Sports Fans — Friday, March 16th is the date of the annual LREI Spirit Basketball Game that will match up LREI’s multi-talented faculty/staff against the up-and-coming stars of the Middle School and High School basketball teams. This will be a great opportunity to witness the athletic talents of our student athletes and to experience firsthand how exciting it is to have a home court gym. At half time, there will be a foul shooting contest for athletes in the Sixth Grade or younger. We have hosted some amazing games this season, where the roars for the home team were heard on Houston Street. So come out and see what all of the excitement is about — March 16th at 3:30PM at the Thompson Street Athletic Center, 145 Thompson Street between Houston Street and Prince Street. We look forward to having a big crowd to help celebrate the end of our first year of having a “home court advantage.”

6) Coming soon! The LREI Step Team will be performing as part of FAMILY MATTERS Dance Theater Workshop on March 17th at 2:00PM. The theater is located at 219 West 19th Street. The show is appropriate for ages 3 and up. Tickets are $10 for kids and $20 for adults. Call for 212-924-0077 for reservations. Program Description: The body becomes a canvas on which colorful legends and rueful stories are painted. On the menu: Strokes of genius are delivered by Merce Cunningham alum Glen Rumsey’s gender-bending ballet, the inspirational stepdancing of the LREI STEP TEAM, and the Brazilian influenced free world music of The Nation Beat. The feast continues with Lawrence Goldhuber and his all-diva cast who serve-up a cautionary tale about what can happen if you eat too much. Flamenco fans will delight in the foot falls of the Ballet Hispanico School Ensemble, while the graceful Trinayan Collective will execute a fable in the Odissi style of classical Indian dance.

7) Think LREI Big Auction! While shopping in your favorite stores or dining out at your favorite restaurant, take along some donor forms and make on-the-spot requests. It’s easier than you think! Think… Restaurants, Entertainment (tickets to shows, sporting events, film festivals), Beauty and Health (facials, massages, spa gift certificates), Wine, Champagne and Specialty Foods, Children’s Items, Services (passes to museums, classes, birthday party certificates), Designer Fashion (handbags, gift certificates, jewelry), Vacation Homes, Creative One-of-a-Kind Events (behind the scenes tours, backstage passes), Frequent Flyer Miles and Preferred Guest Points. Donation forms can be found here or in the Sixth Avenue and Charlton Street lobbies. If you have any questions, please contact Sandra Song at ssong@lrei.org. Remember…The Big Auction is on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007. All proceeds of the auction support Tuition Assistance. Donations are tax deductible.

8) An open invitation to those in our community who would like to participate in creating this year’s Afghan Quilt for the Big Auction: It is time to pick up your needles and yarn and knit or crochet a 6×6″ square in colors and patterns of your choosing to be assembled into a beautiful, cozy, handmade creation. In celebration of this group effort, Claudia Baez will host a Champagne & Cheese Knitting Circle on Wednesday, March 14th for anyone who would like to participate. Beginners to seasoned knitters and crocheters are welcome. Please bring your children and encourage them to give it a try! All you need to start is some yarn and a pair of knitting needles or a crochet hook. We will meet at 260 West Broadway, #11B, from 4-6PM. If you can’t join us on March 14th, you can drop completed squares off in the collection box in the Sixth Avenue lobby up until Thursday, April 12th. This us a perfect project for Spring Break that will also support the school. If you have any questions, please contact Jenna Torres at jennasdreamworld@hotmail.com.

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 http://www.parentsinaction.org/.

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) If you have not done so already, please read the attached letter with information about the upcoming DC trip.

2) Save the date: Our annual Forensics Unit Trial is scheduled for Thursday, April 12th at 6PM. Additional information from Stephen Volkmann will be forthcoming.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
No updates this week

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) The annual Middle School Intramural Basketball League student-parent game will take place this Friday, March 9th after the regularly scheduled playoff games.

2) Save the date: The annual Medieval Pageant is scheduled for Wednesday, March 21st at 6:00PM. Your parent reps will be contacting you about the evening’s potluck.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) The annual Middle School Intramural Basketball League student-parent game will take place this Friday, March 9th after the regularly scheduled playoff games.

2) A reminder that the Ancient Egyptian Tomb will be open all day on Thursday, March 22nd. In preparation for our big day, here are some ways that you can help:

  • Please check your child’s homework planner for important due dates for tomb-related projects.
  • If you have junk jewelry, beads, or other decorative art material we can use for our Egyptian projects, please send them in with your child as soon as possible.
  • The tomb will be set up on Wednesday, March 21st. We will need about four creative and handy volunteers to help cover Wendy’s classroom walls with craft paper, hang posters, and transform the room into a tomb. Please let us know if you’re willing and available for a few hours after school that day. We will also need a couple of volunteers to help take everything down after school on Thursday.

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)

  • Thursday, March 15, 2007, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Mtg.
  • Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Wednesday, March 21, 2007, 6:00PM — Sixth Grade Medieval Pageant
  • Thursday, March 22, 2007 — Fifth Grade Egyptian Tomb
  • Friday, March 23, 2007 — Founder’s Day
  • Friday, March 23, 2007 — MS End of 3rd Quarter
  • Friday, March 23, 2007 — Spring Break-School closes at 12:00PM (school reopens on Monday, April 9, 2006)
  • Tuesday, April 10, 2007, 6:30PM — Fifth – Seventh Grade HS Preview Night
  • Friday, April 13, 2007, 7:00PM — Sixth Grade DISC Dance @ VCS
  • Saturday, April 14, 2007, 7:00PM — Human Rights Coffeehouse
  • Tuesday, April 17, 2007, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Wednesday, April 18, 2007, 12:15PM — MS Parent-Teacher Conferences
  • Wednesday, April 18, 2007, 7:00PM — Literary Evening
  • Thursday, April 19, 2007, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Mtg.
  • Friday, April 20, 2007, 8:30AM — LS/MS Parent-Teacher Conferences-LS/MS Closed
  • Friday, April 27, 2007 — HS Arts Festival
  • Thursday, May 3 & Friday, May 4, 2007 — Middle School Art Show, Sixth Avenue Auditorium
  • Friday, May 11, 2007, 7:00PM — MS Musical
  • Saturday, May 12, 2007, 2:00PM and 7:00PM — MS Musical
  • Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 8:00AM — Eighth Grade to DC (return on Friday, May 18, 2006)
  • Tuesday, May 15, 2007, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Thursday, May 17, 2007, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Mtg.
  • Friday, May 18, 2007 — Seventh Grade HS Visiting Day
  • Saturday, May 19, 2007, 7:00PM — Literary Magazine Coffeehouse
  • Monday, May 21, 2007, 6:00PM — MS Awards Night
  • Thursday, May 24, 2007 — Spring Book Sale
  • Friday, May 25, 2007 — Field Day
  • Friday, May 25, 2007 — Memorial Day Weekend-School closes at 1:00PM (school reopens on Tuesday, May 29, 2006)
  • Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 8:00AM — Sixth Grade Potluck & Poetry Breakfast
  • Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 6:00PM — Fifth Grade Grecian Festival & Potluck
  • Thursday, June 7, 2007, 8:00AM — Seventh Grade Potluck Breakfast and Constitution Works
  • Friday, June 8, 2007 — High School Graduation (regular dismissal for MS)
  • Friday, June 8, 2007 — MS End of 4th Quarter
  • Friday, June 8, 2007, 6:00PM — Eighth Grade Pre-Moving Up Party
  • Monday, June 11, 2007, 6:00PM — MS Dance
  • Tuesday, June 12, 2007, 9:00AM — Eighth Grade Moving Up
  • Tuesday, June 12, 2007 — Last Day of School, School closes at 12:00PM for all Divisions

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

Be well,

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