Giving Students the Final Word

Dear Families:

With the end of the year almost upon us, students in all grades are hard at work on a range of culminating activities. I look forward to seeing all of you in the coming weeks at the various grade level potlucks and celebrations. These are always wonderful opportunities to enjoy the impressive work that students have done this year and provide a window through which you can view the richness of their daily school experience.

Students are also in the process of reflecting on the year and considering goals achieved and areas for continued effort. These reflections will ultimately be shaped into their end-of-year comments that will appear in their fourth quarter progress reports. Giving students the final word in these reports has been an exciting process for us. While it has helped to narrow the distance between the student and her/his report, it has also helped students to discover a greater sense of ownership in their work and their overall school experience.

It is a powerful experience for me to read all of these comments. Students are articulate, celebratory, demanding, critical and honest in ways that are truly inspiring. When considered in total they provide compelling evidence for the thoughtful and passionate teaching and learning that goes on in the Middle School each day. I look forward to reading this year’s collection of comments; I know that you will too.

Of General Interest . . .

1) Save The Dates:

  • From Director Phil Kassen: As the school year draws to a close, the time is upon us when we must wish a fond farewell to a few dedicated members of the LREI community.  I invite you to join me in thanking Pippa Gerard, our Director of Development, Samantha Caruth, Director of Admissions, and Sandra Song, Annual Fund Manager for all that each has done during her time at LREI.  We will miss them each dearly. Please join in our celebration of their accomplishments.

    Goodbye Breakfast
    Thursday, June 4th
    8:15AM-9:15AM
    Sixth Avenue Library

  • The 2009 LREI Camping Trip will take place the weekend of June 5-7 this year at the Riverbend Group Campground along the Delaware River, about 15 miles North of the Delaware Water Gap. Students and their families may camp Friday and/or Saturday night. Sign-up tables will be in front of the Sixth Avenue entrance on the mornings of Monday, May 11 , Friday, May 22, and Wednesday, May 27. The cost is $30 per adult and $20 per child. Payment can be by cash, check, credit card or PayPal. For more information, click here.

2) I would again like to thank this year’s Middle School Parent Representatives for their hard work on your behalf in helping to make the Middle School the vibrant learning community that it is. If you are interested in continuing as a rep next year or would like to volunteer to serve as rep for the 2009-2010 school year, please let Fung Lee know. You can email Fung at lee.funglee@gmail.com. Also, each year the Parents Association asks its members to vote on a slate of officers and representatives for the following school year. Attached is the ballot for electing Parent Association Officers for the 2009-2010 school year. All parents/guardians of LREI students are members of the association and are encouraged to vote. Ballots can also be mailed to the school, please address them to Parents Association Elections. You can print out the attachment or pick up a hard copy of the ballot from the Reception Desk at either the Sixth Avenue or Charlton Street buildings. Ballots need to be returned by Tuesday, June 9th.

3) Red is Green Committee Updates:

  • May will be our last recycling drive for the LREI school year. During the month of May we are teaming up with the Community Service Committee. We will be collecting and recycling travel size toiletries. These items will be donated to the Outreach Program at St. Francis Xavier Church on West 15th Street. We need the following UNUSED travel size toiletries: soaps, shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shaving cream and razors. These items will be given out free primarily to homeless individuals who come to the church where they are offered food, clothing and toiletries.
  • 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!
  • If you have any questions or suggestions, please email the Red is Green committee (lhommen@hotmail.com or kbeck2@nyc.rr.com).

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/.

For All Grades . . .
1) Click here for the MS Parent Rep Meeting minutes.

2) Please read this letter about an important food drive connected to one of our advisory group service projects.

3) Information about summer reading and math assignments for each grade are posted below. In addition to the regular reading and assignment, all Middle School students will read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Three Cups of Tea is a compelling story of dedication, service, education and peace (click here to watch an interview with the author).  The school will provide a copy of the book for each student and advisory groups will discuss the book in the fall and use it to frame a number of cross-divisional activities.

4) A message from librarian Jennifer Hubert Swan: Please keep in mind that as in years past, circulation in the Sixth Avenue library will end on Monday, June 1. This means that we will no longer check books out so that we can prepare the library for our annual inventory of the collection. Please do your very best to return any and all library materials during this week so the librarians can shelve them before starting inventory. This inventory is crucial to maintaining the integrity of our holdings and making sure that what is on our shelves matches what is in our computer catalog. Students and parents can continue to use the library space, computers and materials for independent reading or small group work during this time. If you have any questions or concerns about these procedures, please do not hesitate to speak to me.

5) On Friday, June 5th, the Middle School students will attend our High School Graduation Ceremony held at New York University. Please note that this is not an early dismissal day for Middle School students. Students will leave the Sixth Avenue building at about 12:45PM. At the graduation, Middle School students will be recognized for their hard work, completion of their current grade and their movement to the next and will join in the celebration of the accomplishments of the seniors as they move on to the next phase in their education. As this is a very special occasion, we ask that students dress appropriately—no jeans, no printed T-shirts, shirts with collars and shoes are preferable. After graduation, the students will return to the Sixth Avenue buildings by 3:15PM.

6) Just a heads up that the annual End-of-Year Middle School dance will take place on Friday, June 5th (not the 15th as indicated on the Art calendar). The dance will start at 6:00PM and pizza and ice cream will be provided.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .
1) For those students moving on to EI, you should have received the summer work assignments. If you have not received them, please contact admissions director Samantha Caruth at scaruth@lrei.org.

2) Next Tuesday, June 2nd, as part of our eighth grade core curriculum surrounding memorialization, we will pay a visit to the former site of the World Trade Center. Our guide will be an LREI parent whose job includes planning the future National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the site. We anticipate that it will be an emotional, but thought-provoking experience for all.

3) Please join is on Tuesday, June 9th, at 6:00PM in the Sixth Avenue auditorium for the Science Exploratorium. This culminating event will afford students an opportunity to share with you the fruits of their independent research on key science concepts that were explored throughout the year.

4) Mark your calendar: Eighth Grade Pre-Moving Up Party, Friday, June 12, 2009. Please arrive by 6:00PM for the Potluck Dinner and Recognition Program, which will be followed by dancing until 9:00PM. The event will take place in the Sixth Avenue auditorium. Please note that due to space consideration, we ask that attendance at this event be limited to parents/guardians and their eighth grader. Additional details from your parent reps will follow.

5) The Moving Up Assembly/Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 16th, in the Sixth Avenue auditorium. The assembly will start promptly at 9:00AM and will run until about 10:30AM. Given space constraints we ask that only immediate family members attend (that being said, if there are extenuating circumstances please contact me directly). Immediately following the assembly, the eighth graders will return to their classroom and parents will exit out the Bleecker Street doors and gather by the steps in front of Sarah’s classroom. The rest of the Middle School community will exit the building from the Sixth Avenue side and then join families by the steps. When all are assembled, the eighth graders will receive their certificates and process one-by-one down the steps.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) Please read the attached summer reading and summer math assignments. Click here to view the supplemental reading list. Next year’s core teachers will visit the class to go over the assignment. If you have questions about the summer math work, please let me know. If there is sufficient interest, we will do a morning informational session for parents/guardians with the math teachers.

2) The seventh grade potluck breakfast and Constitution Works has been rescheduled for Friday, June 12th. The breakfast will begin at 8:00AM in the seventh grade classrooms. Following the potluck, we will leave for Constitution Works program at 9:15AM, which will be conducted at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. Parents are encouraged to attend this exciting event. Your parent reps will be in touch with you about the potluck breakfast.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1 ) Please read the attached summer reading and summer math assignments. Click here to view the supplemental reading list. Next year’s core teachers will visit the class to go over the assignment. If you have questions about the summer math work, please let me know. If there is sufficient interest, we will do a morning informational session for parents/guardians with the math teachers.

2) The annual sixth grade poetry and potluck breakfast will take place on Tuesday, June 9th at 8:00AM in the cafeteria. Your parent reps will be in touch with you about the potluck breakfast.

For Sixth and Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Intramural Softball News: Playoffs will be held on Tuesday, May 26th, and Thursday, May 28th, at JJ Walker Field. Congratulations to Team 2, who finished in first place during the regular season! Team 1 will play Team 3 on Tuesday and the winner will play Team 2 on Thursday. The Parents versus Kids game will be played on Tuesday, June 2nd at JJ Walker field. Awards will be given out at the end of the game. JJ WALKER FIELD is located on the corner of Hudson and Clarkson Street (click here for a map). Thank you to all the parents, players and coaches for all of your help this season! GO KNIGHTS!!

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Please read the attached summer reading and summer math assignments. Click here to view the supplemental reading list. Next year’s core teachers will visit the class to go over the assignment. If you have questions about the summer math work, please let me know. If there is sufficient interest, we will do a morning informational session for parents/guardians with the math teachers.

2) Our annual Grecian Festival will take place on the evening of Wednesday, June 10th at 6:00PM. From 6:00-6:30PM, you are invited to view students’ robotics projects in the computer lab and in the science lab. At 6:30PM, we will convene in the Sixth Avenue auditorium for a dramatic presentation, which will be followed by the fifth grade potluck in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. Your class reps will be contacting you about the potluck.

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

  • 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

Comments are closed.