Thoughts on a new year
Dear Families:
The start of the year is always an exciting time in the Middle School. Students look older and they move through the building with a sense of anticipation as they consider the new adventures that are about to unfold. While there is much conversation about procedures and organization, there is also an important dialog unfolding about the work to be done this year. Fifth graders realize that this year they will be the ones to build and guide visitors through their Egyptian tomb. Sixth graders contemplate how their Medieval Pageant will be different from previous years. Seventh graders are aware that in a few short weeks they will be in Williamsburg doing research for their Colonial Museum. The eighth graders have already shared their summer Warriors Don’t Cry projects in a moving gallery display focused on the events and themes connected to the experiences of the Little Rock Nine, which will serve as a touchstone for much of their work in humanities this year.
I anticipate a year rich in collaboration between students, students and teachers, the school and homes, and within each of your families. In this spirit of collaboration, we are looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening at 6:30PM for our Middle School Curriculum Night. At the event, you will get to meet your child’s teachers who will provide you with an overview of their classes and their class expectations. We hope that all of you will be able to attend as Curriculum Night helps to provide a meaningful frame for the work that we will undertake together over the course of the year. Childcare for this event is available. Please contact Mary Shea at mshea@lrei.org to register or to inquire about the details. Please do not drop your child off on the evening of the event without having first contacted Mary.
This Week’s Attachments
General:
PA Welcome Fair Flyer
Eighth Grade:
DC Trip Payment Letter
Seventh Grade:
Williamsburg Trip Payment Letter
Sixth Grade:
Greenkill Trip Forms
Fifth Grade:
Math Unit Letter
Greenkill Trip Forms
Of General Interest . . .
1) From Director of Diversity & Community Sandra (Chap) Chapman: I hope your and your child(ren) experienced a fulfilling first few days of school. I would like to inform you of our orientation session for families of children that are new to LREI. LREI 101 will provide an in-depth, interactive, and engaging introduction to LREI, its mission, philosophy, and diversity initiatives. This orientation session will offer you an opportunity to understand our core values as you begin to take part in activities that help you become a member of the LREI community. LREI 101 will be held on Wednesday, October 3 from 8:45am – 10am at 272 Sixth Avenue, and then again on Thursday, October 11 from 6:30pm – 8:00pm at 40 Charlton Street. Please contact the receptionist at 212-477-5316 to let us know which session you will attend. Contact me either by phone (x294), or by e-mail schapman@lrei.org, if you have questions about LREI 101. I look forward to further discussions with you about LREI.
2) A reminder that Our Policy For A Nut And Seed Aware Environment at LREI was instituted several years ago to provide a safe environment for students with allergies to these foods. Please review the guidelines set out in the policy and adhere to them with care. We hope you understand that these are necessary safeguards to protect children’s lives. Please note that food containing nuts or seeds of any kind must never be brought into school, either for your child or for yourself. This includes classroom snacks, birthday parties and special occasions, potlucks, food drives, field trips, backpacks, pockets and cubbies. (Nuts include: walnuts, almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts/filberts, pine nuts, pistachios, cashews, pecans, macadamia nuts, etc). (Seeds include: sesame, poppy, sunflower, mustard, etc). Nut and seed butters and oils should not be used in the preparation of food.
3) From School Nurse Kitty Highstein: Welcome back! It’s good to see everyone after summer vacation. Now is the time when we do our school-wide, post-vacation head checks for lice. As a measure of insurance that the school remains lice free, we ask “Licenders” to come in and help us out. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Licenders, it’s a company that sends trained personnel into schools to check children’s heads for lice. Each individual head check takes only a few minutes at most. Licenders will be coming to the school on Monday, September 17th, and will begin checking children, class by class, at 8:30 am in the Lower School art room. Head lice do not discriminate, not by age group, area or economics. If your child is found to have lice and/or nits, s/he will need to go home to be treated. In that case, we will call you right away and ask that you come to pick him/her up. I will make your child comfortable in my office until you arrive. On the morning that your child returns to school, please stop by my office before going to the classroom so that I can do a final head check. The following week, I will be checking the Fours in their own classroom. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to stop by my office or give me a call. My extension is 235.
4) The Parent Association Welcome Fairs are scheduled for Monday, September 17, 2007, 6:00PM at 40 Charlton Street and for Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 8:00AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria. This is a great opportunity to learn about the various PA groups and how you can be involved. Please read the attached flyer for additional information.
5) For updates on faculty performances, openings, presentations, and publications visit the Faculty in the News page on the school web site.
6) 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 2007-2008 calendar. You can also access their website at http://www.parentsinaction.org/.
For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) Please make sure that you have registered and paid the initial deposit for the spring DC trip. Deposits were due September 5th. Please note that all payments should be made and sent to our tour company NCT. If you have questions about payment please do not hesitate to contact me. Click here to download the payment forms.
For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) Please make sure that you have registered for the upcoming Williamsburg trip. Full payment was due by Friday, September 14. Please note that all payments should be made and sent to our tour company NCT. If you have questions about payment please do not hesitate to contact me. Click here to download the payment forms.
For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) Please make sure that you have returned the Greenkill information and payment forms. These forms and payment must be returned to the school by Friday, September 14. Click here to download the trip forms.
For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Please make sure that you have returned the Greenkill information and payment forms. These forms and payment must be returned to the school by Friday, September 14. Click here to download the trip forms.
2) Please read the attached letter from fifth grade math teacher Ana Chaney about the new math unit.
For additional information, follow these links:
Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and other interesting school-related information.
Be well,
Mark