March 6, 2008

Visibility

The following note from Phil was published for the opening celebration of the Visibility: Lesbian and Gay People We Love photo exhibit. The exhibit is currently up in the Sixth Avenue auditorium and hallway and will be there until Spring Break. Please feel free to drop in and visit this wonderful show.

Dear LREI Community,

Thank you for joining us for the opening of this year’s Visibility: Gay and Lesbian People We Love photo exhibit. I am sorry to miss this wonderful event. While not here in body, I am with you in spirit and as a fellow supporter of the School’s social justice mission. This mission was clearly present at the student organized opening at the high school last week.

Thank you to Keith and Kim, to the other members of the LGSA, to the many volunteers and to Chap for the time and energy and care that has gone into creating this show. Thank you, as well, to all who have contributed photos. Without your participation and, in many cases, your courage, this show would not be possible.

We host this exhibit every other year and are often asked the same two questions as we approach the opening. The first question concerns the goals for the exhibit. This is an excellent question and one that we spend a good deal of time discussing. As a school and as a community we need to support colleagues who are not afforded the same rights as others. LREI has always been active in the fight for equality and social justice. We host this exhibit to give voice and hope to those who must hide part of themselves from family, friends and colleagues. I have never had to hide who I love from anyone. As a matter of fact, society has always encouraged me to be very open about this part of my life—whether when I was in school or now as an adult. Yet many people risk rejection and injury for sharing this joy with family and friends. Often, when discussing the visibility exhibit, it is suggested that the prejudice against people who are lesbian or gay does not exist anymore. Unfortunately this is not so. Witness the tragic killing of Lawrence King in Oxnard, CA just a few weeks ago. King, a middle school student, was shot to death in school, reportedly because he was gay.

The second question often comes from parents of our youngest students. They ask about our sharing and discussing this exhibit with our youngest students. As you view the photos in the exhibit a number of themes will emerge for you–dignity, friendship, equality and courage, among others. But most of all, the theme or feeling or emotion that you will take away from viewing these beautiful photographs is love—love for family and friends and parents and children—and I can think of no reason that, of all things, we should ever question the appropriateness of love, the power of love, the importance of love and the right to love. This seems to me to be a wonderful topic for discussions with young children, and with people of all ages, for that matter.

Enjoy the show,
Phil

This Week’s Attachments
General:
2008-2009 LREI Calendar
High School Preview Night Flyer
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) The homework blog “feeds” for every class can be accessed from the Digital Classroom link on the sidebar (you may want to bookmark this page for easy access). These feeds provide an easy “one-click” solution to find out what has been assigned for homework. Keep in mind that a feed will only show what has been posted as of the time you check it.

2) March 8th Community Service Coffee House: One Night for New York’s Children: A Coffee House Benefit for the High School Community Service Roundtable. The High School Community Service Roundtable is a unique service learning program in which students work on behalf of New York City’s children, their families and their communities both through direct volunteer service and grants of financial assistance. Since 2002, the Roundtable’s Student Action for Children project has devoted hundreds of hours of volunteer service and distributed grants totaling more than $60,000 dollars to over twenty-five literacy, leadership, cultural and arts programs for children from communities throughout New York City and, when special circumstances arise, beyond. You can be part of this worthy cause by attending the March 8th Community Service Coffee House (7PM in the Charlton Street PAC). Enjoy performances by student musicians and performers, as well as hear from special guest Stephen Shames whose foundation that provides education for AIDS orphans and child soldiers in Uganda the Community Service Roundtable has supported over the past two years.

3) The NY INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL runs from February 29 through March 16. Check out the best new film and video for ages 3-18 featuring animated, live action and experimental shorts and features. For info and to purchase tickets click here and use the LREI discount code (DCT2007)

4) As a class fundraiser, the ninth graders are collecting used ink jet cartridges and old/broken cell phones. They will send the collected items to an organization that recycles them and the class will receive cash for these items. Please note that the collection is limited to used ink jet cartridges and old/broken cell phones. For additional information go to www.fundingfactory.com. They will begin collecting used cartridges and cell phones on Wednesday, February 6th and will continue until Thursday, May 22nd. A collection box will be located in the Sixth Avenue lobby. Tell your friends and family about this opportunity so that these items can be recycled and don’t end up in landfills.

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/.

Seminar with Dr. Mel Levine: NYC-PIA and Mt. Sinai Children’s Center Foundation are co-sponsoring a seminar with Dr. Mel Levine on Thursday, April 17, 2008 at the 92nd Street Y at 1395 Lexington Avenue. In this seminar,”A Mind in the Middle: What Leads To, Takes Place, and Results from Middle School Learning”, Dr. Levine will speak about the critical brain changes that occur during early adolescence. Please make a reservation by calling us at (212)987-9629.
Luncheon Speaker Event: On Tuesday, May 6th, NYC-Parents in Action is holding a luncheon speaker event, “Ready, Set, Go: Preparing for Transitions in Childhood and the Tween Years”. The speakers are Jean Mandelbaum, Head of All Souls Preschool and Jeanette Friedman, consultant and therapist focusing on the causes and effects of substance use in teens and families. To receive your invitation to this luncheon, contact your NYC-PIA School Representative Carol Pratt.

For all Grades:
1) Please note that the Family Conferences scheduled for Wednesday, April 16th, from 12:15-3:30PM, will take place the following week on Wednesday, April 23 (this will still be a full day for students). These conferences will be with your child’s advisor and will address work in all subjects. Your child’s advisor will contact you to set up a conference on either Friday, April 18, or Wednesday, April 23. These two conferences days will not be days to meet with individual subject area teachers. If you have questions or concerns about a specific subject you should contact that teacher directly to set up a time to meet or speak on the phone.

2) A reminder that Grandparents and Special Friends Day is scheduled for Friday, May 9. For Middle School students, those grandparents and special friends who do attend will be treated to a tour of the school by their student from 1:00-2:30PM, which will be followed by tea, coffee and discussion with Phil and I. We will send invitations home, which you can send to a grandparent or special friend. Click here to view the invitation.

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) A reminder that we will take another class picture for the yearbook tomorrow at 11:30AM.

2) Please note that the science Forensics Evening, which had been scheduled for Thursday, April 3, will take place on Monday, April 28, at 6:30PM in the Sixth Avenue auditorium.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) Please read the new math unit letter from math teacher Michelle Boehm.

2) Thinking ahead? Join us for the High School Preview Night on Tuesday, April 8th at 6:30pm in the Charlton Street Performing Arts Center (PAC). This event is a wonderful opportunity for Middle School and Lower School parents to learn more about the High School from parents, students and recent alumni. We hope to see you there! RSVP to Samantha Caruth, Director of Admissions, at 212-477-5316 ext. 305, scaruth@lrei.org.

3) Monday, April 14th from 6:30PM to 8:00PM: Adolescent Issues Parent Evening

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) On Wednesday, March 12, at 6PM your presence is requested at our annual Medieval Pageant. The evening will afford you the opportunity to view your child’s work as it relates to their on-going studies of the Middle Ages. Following the viewing of this work, we will convene in the auditorium for a dramatic and musical telling of tales connected to this study. The evening will conclude with a potluck supper in the cafeteria. Your class reps will be contacting you about preparations. In the spirit of the event, you are encouraged to bring in medieval inspired dishes. Below are a number of useful resources for potential recipes:

2) A related Medieval Pageant request: Students are enthusiastically learning their music, making props and rehearsing their parts to get ready for the big event. Joanne has requested that all sixth grade students bring in a basic black outfit for the week of March 10th. The black bottoms and tops need to be comfortable and practical with regards to movement and will likely have other items of costume layered on top. Sneakers and shoes do not need to be black. If you have questions, you can contact Joanne directly at jmagee@lrei.org.

3) Intramural Basketball: A reminder that the consolation game, championship, and parents game will all take place on Thursday, March 13. The parents game will follow the championship game with the teams playing in order (4th place through 1st place) against their parents. The parent game is always a highlight to the season and we hope that many of you will be able to participate.

4) Thinking ahead? Join us for the High School Preview Night on Tuesday, April 8th at 6:30pm in the Charlton Street Performing Arts Center (PAC). This event is a wonderful opportunity for Middle School and Lower School parents to learn more about the High School from parents, students and recent alumni. We hope to see you there! RSVP to Samantha Caruth, Director of Admissions, at 212-477-5316 ext. 305, scaruth@lrei.org.

5) Monday, April 14th from 6:30PM to 8:00PM: Adolescent Issues Parent Evening

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) A reminder that our annual Egyptian Tomb exhibit will take place during the day on Thursday, March 13. Heather and Wendy will be in contact with you about scheduling visit times. They would also appreciate a few parent volunteers to help on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 12, with set up for the tomb.

2) Intramural Basketball: A reminder that the consolation game, championship, and parents game will all take place on Thursday, March 13. The parents game will follow the championship game with the teams playing in order (4th place through 1st place) against their parents. The parent game is always a highlight to the season and we hope that many of you will be able to participate.

3) The second parent Adolescent Issues evening will take place on Monday, April 7th at 6:30PM and will be lead by Mark Silberberg and Middle School psychologist Andrew Weiss. All parents/guardians are encouraged to attend. Childcare will be available for this event. Please email Mary Shea directly at mshea@lrei.org to confirm that you will need childcare.

For additional information, follow these links:

Calendar of Events
LREI Athletics. For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and season recaps.
Click here to view the Middle School Photo Gallery.

Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and other interesting school-related information.

Be well,
Mark