The Tip of the Iceberg

From guest blogger Phil Kassen:

Dear LREI Community,

Hello, all. A quick blog posting before I run off to see many of you at our annual Big Auction—a terrific community building and fund raising event.

I want to take this opportunity to point out a number of highlights of the past few weeks and in the coming the days leading up to Spring Break.  This list is by no means complete.  It is just a taste of what happens each day.

In the Lower School:

  • I saw many of you at the Lower School Art Show.  Wow!  What a terrific display of all of the handiwork that children create in the art room and wood shop. Congratulations, Artists.
  • Last week the Kindergarten celebrated the 100th day of school.  The students had spent considerable time investigating the number 100 and on the big day they shared much of what they learned with parents and other LS classes.  From shells to Lego to milk cartons, the number 100 took some fascinating sizes, shapes and forms. Among my favorites were the 100 self-portraits of visitors to Luise’s room.
  • Fourth graders study immigration to the US in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  In addition to visits to Ellis Island they have experienced a number of simulations of immigrant life.  It is not surprising to walk past the fourth grade rooms and find the students dressed as “recent” immigrants.  Residents of Minetta Lane looked out of their windows last week to see our fourth graders learning old fashioned street games such as Potsy and Stickball.  A blast from the past!

In the Middle School:

  • Each eighth grader has selected one or more aspects of sustainability that he or she finds interesting and will join classmates with similar interests to arrange community service and self-education relating to this chosen area.  Their work will culminate when the eighth grade will present the “Sustainability Teach-In” for the entire Middle School.  More information at http://blog.lrei.org/greencore.
  • The fifth and sixth grades have big days next week. On Wednesday, the Sixth Graders will perform their Medieval Pageant, the annual presentation of all that they have learned about feudal societies.  This original play will be performed for students and parents.  Next Thursday, Fifth Graders will guide their schoolmates and parents through an Egyptian Tomb. One of the two fifth grade classrooms will be transformed into a tomb in which the students display all of the artifacts they have “unearthed” as part of their studies of ancient civilizations.
  • On Saturday, our Middle School Robotics teams will defend their NYC Championships. More info can be found at http://www.nycnjfirst.org/nyc_fll.html.  Last week representatives of this team were selected by league officials to discuss the league and competition with representatives of Google.  Team representatives are scheduled to be on the CBS Early Show this Friday between 8:00-8:30AM.
  • Our Middle School Rube Goldberg Contest team (winner of last year’s Creativity Award) is beginning their creation of a multi-step contraption that will meet this year’s challenge—turning off a very small light switch.  A number of high school students who have worked on this project in years past are acting advisors to this years team as they prepare for this contest, sponsored by the Fay School and MIT. More info at http://web.mit.edu/museum/rubegoldbergcontest/2009/contestoverview/

In the High School:

  • I hope that many of you were able to attend last weekend’s performances of The Taming of the Shrew.  A truly amazing production!
  • Two LREI high schools students have won Scholastic Writing Awards.  Junior Montana Jaro won a Silver Key for a short story, “Down the Stairs” and Senior Celi Lynch won a Gold Key for a personal essay/memoir titled “Identity Search.”
  • As our seniors move towards the end of their college process, our juniors are just beginning theirs.  Eleventh grade families have started their college search by having family meetings with Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance.  These students will spend several days in early April visiting a number of colleges and universities as a group in order to help them to define their ideal school and to hone their search skills. Tenth grade families will meet next week to have an introduction to the college process they will engage in during the next two years.
  • As our seniors gear up for their third trimester senior projects they are also participating in Senior Seminar, which takes time to focus on the health and well being of our twelfth graders as they transition to internships and college life—significantly increased independence—begins next week.  Joanne Gouge, School Nurse and Andrew Weiss, School Psychologist meet with the seniors over the next few days to discuss and revisit general health, first aid, emotional well being in the context of making thoughtful choices in this transitional period and into their move to college.

March also signals the end of the basketball season.  Thank you to all of the fans who came out and cheered our teams on as they represented the School in a variety of playoff games and end of season tournaments.  Don’t forget tomorrow’s Spirit Game—come out and watch our student athletes play against their teachers, Friday, March 6th, 3:30PM, Thompson Street gym.  You can also watch the Championship games of the Middle School Intramural Basketball League next Thursday, March 12th, beginning at 3:30 in the Thompson Street gym.  These are great games for lower school basketball fans.

Phew!  That is just the tip of the iceberg.  LREI is a busy and challenging place of learning.  Stay tuned for future updates.

Of General Interest . . .

1) Director’s Drop-In — Phil will be available for drop-in conversations in his Sixth Avenue office from 8:45AM-9:30AM on Friday, March 6th. Drop in, ask a question, and hear about what is going on at LREI. Can’t make these times? Give a call or send and email.

2) From Mary Shea: If you did not receive an email and/or the phone call announcing our snow day on Monday please contact Mary Shea to update your contact information.  Also let Mary know if you would like to add to or change your contact numbers or addresses.  You can reach Mary at mshea@lrei.org or at extension 244.

3) “Folk Music Performance At EI on March 28th and 29th”… Please see the attached message from High School history teacher and school historian Nick O’Han about two very exciting events for the whole family taking place during Spring Break that are being co-sponsored by LREI and the New York Folk Music Society.

4) Red is Green Committee Updates:

  • Our March recycle drive is… Corks!  We will be sending them to Terracycle, a company that upcycles various waste items into useful products (www.terracycle.net).  They will accept both natural and synthetic corks. Look for the box in the 6th Ave. lobby and help keep corks out of our landfills.
  • If you have any questions or suggestions, please email the Red is Green committee (lhommen@hotmail.com or kbeck2@nyc.rr.com).
  • And don’t forget to check out Lets Go Green’s website for eco-friendly water bottles, garbage bags, light bulbs, paper goods etc. LREI receives 25% of all sales as profit. Thanks for all your help. Start collecting and keep recycling!

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 2008-2009 calendar. You can also access their website at http://www.parentsinaction.org/.

This Week’s Attachments
General:
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Fifth Grade:
Sixth Grade:

For All Grades . . .
1) Our Annual School Spirit Game, in which our Middle School and High School basketball teams play against the faculty is scheduled for Friday, March 6th at 3:30PM in the Thompson Street Athletic Center at 145 Thompson Street. This is a fun event for young and old. You are all invited to attend. See you at the gym. Click here for more information.

3) This Saturday, March 7th you can cheer for our Middle School Robotics teams as they take their First Place finish in the Manhattan championships to the 2009 New York City FIRST LEGO League Championship. For more information, click here.

4) THE ARTS EFFECT is thrilled to invite you to FIND YOUR VOICE! on MARCH 8th @ The Brooklyn Lyceum from 2-6pm. This exciting, unprecedented GIRL POWER event will bring girls (ages 8-14) and their families together to share their voices, celebrate their history, and raise awareness. Enjoy amazing performances, inspiring guest speakers, a dance party and more—all while supporting Eve Ensler’s VDay Organization. 100% OF PROCEEDS will help END VIOLENCE against girls around the globe!!

5) Thinking ahead? Join us for the High School Preview Night on Tuesday, April 7th 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.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .
For students in the Math X section, please read the new unit letter from math teacher Michelle Boehm.

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

2) Monday, April 13th from 6:30PM to 8:00PM: Adolescent Issues Parent Evening

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) On Wednesday, March 11th, your presence is requested at our annual Medieval Pageant. The evening will begin at 6:00PM and will afford you the opportunity to view your child’s work as it relates to her/his 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 9th. 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) Monday, April 13th 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 12. 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 11, with set up for the tomb.

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

============= For additional information, follow these links: =============

  • View important middle school dates here.
  • View all events with the LREI On-line Calendar
  • Click here to see the 2009-2010 calendar.
  • 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.

A reminder that the individual homework blog and the “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.

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

Be well,
Mark

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