September 27, 2007

Out in the Field

Dear Families:

Last night at about 8:30PM, the fifth and sixth graders, their teachers and I walked back from the Greenkill Recreation Center to our bunks in silence. We were, however, surrounded by a symphony of sounds – crickets, birds, frogs, and toads – no doubt commenting on the strange procession of flashlight-bearing city dwellers passing through their neighborhood. As New Yorkers, we sometimes like to think of ourselves as sufficiently in control of our environment to deal with life’s many daily challenges, but a trip to the woods directly confronts this sense of perceived authority over our surroundings.

The journey unsettles us and forces upon us a shift in perspective; it leaves us with the realization that we are not such much in control as we may have thought. The wet ground, the smells, the bugs, a rain shower that catches us by surprise conspire to help us to see ourselves in relation to this environment and, by extension, to each other. So as we share a living space and meals and work together to solve a variety of physical challenges, fifth and sixth graders and their teachers discover each other as an interdependent community. This is an awareness that biologist Gary Nabhan comments on In The Geography of Childhood, “It is a crime of deception-convincing people that their own visceral experience of the world hardly matters, and that pre-digested images hold more truth than the simplest time-tried oral tradition. We need to turn to learning about the land by being on the land, or better by being in the thick of it. That is the best way we can stay in touch with the fates of its creatures, its indigenous cultures, [and] its earthbound wisdom. That is the best way we can be in touch with ourselves.”

So while the Greenkill trip represents but a small portion the school year, we hope that the moments shared and lessons learned during these three days continue to resonate and amplify as we move through the year. That our world should become a bit bigger as a result of our direct experience of living in it, that we can also learn to look more deeply at that which is right in front of us, that we need to recognize the impact that an action in one place can have on others in some other place, and that our obligations to each other must extend also to the natural and human-made worlds in which we live – these are a few of the goals of our Greenkill adventure that we hope to build on as we continue our work out in the “field.”

This Week’s Attachments

General:
Eighth Grade:
DC Trip Payment Letter
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) As a follow up to Phil’s email regarding the tragic accident at the Sixth Avenue and Houston Street intersection, please know that all PE walks to the Thompson Street Athletic Center follow a route that takes them down Bleecker Street and then south on Thompson where we cross Houston Street. This avoids all of the intersections along Houston that were part of our usual route. We have been following this new route since the beginning of the year.

2) A reminder for families 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 Director of Diversity and Community Chap Chapman either by phone (x294), or by e-mail schapman@lrei.org, if you have questions about LREI 101.

3) From Michel de Konkoly Thege, Associate Director, regarding the Debate Series: Phil Kassen has asked me to help organize the creation of a series of debates and discussions leading up to the Presidential elections in November 2008. Our hope is to create a community forum to discuss and debate the issues, not the candidates. If you would like to be part of a small group of faculty, parents and students who will organize these debates, or if you have suggestions for debate topics, please contact me at mdekonkolythege@lrei.org or 212.477.5316, ext 319 by October 3 to let me know of your interest. I would like to convene an initial meeting of the organizing group in mid-October to discuss the format and potential content of these debates.”

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

5) 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.

2) The eighth grade will be traveling to Prospect Park on Friday to help with our annual park cleanup service. Students should wear closed-toe shoes and should bring a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, and glass bottles).

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) The seventh grade will be traveling to Prospect Park on Friday to help with our annual park cleanup service. Students should wear closed-toe shoes and should bring a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, and glass bottles).

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) The sixth grade should return from Greenkill in time for dismissal on Friday. If we run into traffic and are delayed, we will leave a message with reception.

2) Intramural soccer practice starts next week. Practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8AM at JJ Walker field (Hudson and Clarkson). Participants must have a signed permission form. Click here to download a copy of the form.

3) On Wednesday, October 3rd, sixth graders will participate in our annual Downtown Independent Schools Committee (DISC) Field Day at Pier 40. Sixth graders from LREI will participate in a variety of games and athletic events with students from Village Community School, Grace Church School, Friends, City and Country, and St. Luke’s School. The students will leave at 11:00AM and have a picnic lunch at 11:30AM. The field day activities will begin at 12:30PM and will finish around 2:00PM. We should return to the Sixth Avenue building by about 3:00PM. We expect all sixth graders to participate in this event. In preparation for this event, students should dress appropriately for the waether. A jacket or sweatshirt will be important. Sneakers, hats, water bottles, sunglasses, etc. are recommended. Students will need to bring a lunch on this day (no nuts, seeds, and glass bottles). This is an exciting day for sixth graders. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) The fifth grade should return from Greenkill in time for dismissal on Friday. If we run into traffic and are delayed, we will leave a message with reception.

3) From fifth grade math teacher Ana Chaney: Are you curious about your child’s experience learning math in the Middle School? Do you want to know how you child will be challenged and supported in fifth grade and beyond? Are you wondering how you can be involved at home? Join me for a hands-on investigation taken from the curriculum, short talk and Q&A. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the Fifth Grade Math Breakfast, which will take place on Monday, October 15, at 8:00AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria.

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