A Progressive Odyessy

Dear Families,

What a week! Tuesday began with wonderful Sixth Grade Poetry Potluck where those present were treated to an incredible selection of poetic delights all expertly read by their authors. Tuesday evening saw the auditorium transformed into our Science Exploratorium. Students presented the results of their individual science research projects that addressed an impressive range of questions that appear below for your consideration:

• How do different materials react to different liquids with a range of pH values?
• How does axle size effect the movement of a vehicle powered by a mousetrap?
• How can the speed of a mousetrap vehicle be increased by the use of gears?
• What role does shape play in designing an effective wind turbine?
• What effect does the size of wind turbine fins have on the speed of a turbine?
• What conditions or factors determine why organisms may have similar or different responses to the same stimuli?
• What effect does changing the amount of wire in a coil have on the speed of a motor?
• How does the shape or size of a coil or its distance from a fixed magnet effect the motor’s speed?
• What effect does changing the number of fins on a waterwheel have on its speed?
• How does changing the shape of a wing effect it’s ability to produce a lift force?
• What effect does the shape of a vehicle’s body have on the maximum speed at which it can travel?

Wednesday saw the fifth grade regale students and families with their rousing musical adaptation of  The Adventures of Ulysses. Prior to the performance, families had a chance to view students’ technology animation projects, science robotics projects, core memoirs and essays and to play a variety of math games.
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On Friday, the seventh grade will present its Constitution Works First Amendment role play at the courthouse in Brooklyn and, on Friday night, the eighth grade will celebrate their upcoming Moving Upon, which will take place on Tuesday.

No question that this has been an amazing week that is capping off a truly wonderful year in the middle school and at LREI. In addition to the potlucks at which teachers are formally thanked, I hope that you will each find a moment over the next few days to thank the members of the middle school faculty for their inspired teaching and  unwavering care of your children.

I also hope that the summer provides you with ample opportunities to spend quality time with family and friends and to think about trying something new together as a family. To get you thinking, take a look at the following list of items that high school students will be tackling over the summer. If you come up with your own ideas, let me know.

Enjoy!

Of General Interest . . .

1) Click here to see the most up to date list of our seniors’ college acceptances. Click here to see the most up to date list of college matriculation plans for the Class of 2009.

2) Follow Your Art! is a high school student run art exhibition and sale benefiting a number of organizations.  This event will take  place at Kaffe 1668 (275 Greenwich Street between Murray Street and Warren Street) from June 12th to June 14th. Organizations benefiting from this event include: Doctors Without Borders, Action Against Hunger, 100cameras, American Humane Association. Times: Friday, June 12th, 1:00-8:00pm; Saturday, June 13th, 11:00AM-8:00PM; Sunday, June 14th, 1:00-7:00PM. Stop by when ever! Tell everyone and anyone!

3) This summer we will be renovating the 40 Charlton Street campus. Click the following links to view renderings of the lobby, cafeteria/student center and a new spacious outdoor courtyard. We will also be renovating our chemistry lab, adding an elevator and renovating the townhouse (future home to the college guidance and admissions offices, humanities classrooms and faculty offices) to the west of the current high school building and integrating this restored landmark building into the existing facility. We will also be adding considerable space to the high school’s basement classrooms.The bulk of the work will be completed in time for the opening of school with the rest coming on line in mid-September.

4) Lost and Found — the Lost and Found bin on the Sixth Avenue campus is over flowing with jackets, hats, scooters, socks, coats, gloves, etc. We will be donating all that is left on the day after school ends. If you are missing anything that might have found its way to the lost and found, now is the time to take a look. Thanks.

5) From the Lesbian, Gay, Straight Alliance (LGSA): Information on the upcoming upcoming Gay Pride March — The parade this year is Sunday, June 28th and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. These riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. They are frequently cited as the first instance in American history when gays and lesbians fought back against a government-sponsored system that persecuted homosexuals, and they have become the defining event that marked the start of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. This year LREI’s participation in the parade will include a float along with music, balloons, bubbles, flags and more. For the first time we will be joined by families from The Calhoun School, another independent school in New York City. The theme for the float this year is “Together We Are One” and t-shirts for the event will be sold outside the Lower School on Wednesday, June 10th, and Thursday, June 11th, in the morning. Anyone who is interested in attending the parade should contact Keith Stout at keithstout@mac.com or Carrie Borows at cborows@gmail.com to be placed on the mailing list for informational updates such as when and where to arrive for the parade, safety tips, weather forecasts, etc. The parade and the LREI float are an amazing way to show support for our school and community and as always is a day of amazing fun and excitement for the kids. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you. Click here to view the flyer.

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

7) 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 to get a jump on school supplies for next year. The attachment has the lists for all four grades.

2) 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.

3) A sign-up sheet is posted on the Community Service Bulletin Board in the stairwell for students who want to help lower school teachers pack up their rooms. Lower school teachers will need help all day on Wednesday, June 17th. Some Middle School teachers may also need some help packing up their rooms on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 17th and throughout the day on Wednesday, June 18th. Students who want to help Middle School teachers should speak directly to their teachers. Students will be paid $5 per hour for work that is done after school hours. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

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) Mark your calendar: Eighth Grade Pre-Moving Up Party, Friday, June 12, 2009. Please arrive by 5:30PM 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.

3) For Monday June 15, please make sure that your child comes to school with a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), bathing suit, towel, hat, sunglasses, sunblock and any sports equipment (including basketballs as there are courts there next to the wild beach roses).  We also recommend a sweatshirt in case of chilly breezes and anything else one might want at the beach (ipod, book, etc). As students will receive their yearbooks in the morning, a pen is also recommended.

4) 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.

2) The seventh grade potluck breakfast and Constitution Works is tomorrow 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. A reminder that students should also bring a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, glass bottles) as we will eat in the park adjoining the courthouse after the event. You are also welcome to bring a lunch and join us. Please click here for additional information about the event and directions to the courthouse for those planning to meet us there.

For Seventh and Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) Please review the attached performing arts elective sign-up sheet (your child was given a hard copy) with your child over the weekend. Please make sure that your child brings a completed signed form in on Monday and return it to her/his advisor. These choices are not binding; we will use this information to get a sense of the level of interest for each class. Students will officially sign-up for their electives in the fall. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions about this exciting new program.

2) For Monday, June 15, please make sure that your child comes to school with a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), a hat and sunblock. The sixth and seventh graders will be off for a day of fun at Inwood Park in upper Manhattan.

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.

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.

2) For Monday, June 15, please make sure that your child comes to school with a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), a hat and sunblock. The fifth grade will be going to Central Park for lunch and after lunch will visit the Central Park Zoo.

============= 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