Class Reps: A Lesson in Civics
Dear Families,
One of the fall traditions in the Middle School is the election of student representatives. In Adolescent Issues classes, we discuss the characteristics that might make one a good representative and we explore the many responsibilities that representatives are expected to meet. After these discussions, students who are interested in being a rep write an essay to their classmates in support of their candidacy. At the same time, students who are not running for class rep consider what they are looking for in a class rep. In fifth through seventh grades, these essays are then read by their teacher to the class without attribution. This calls on students to really listen to the substance of each essay and makes the election of a class rep more than just a popularity contest.
The essays are always thoughtful and, while some candidates make bold promises (e.g., a three-day school week, extended recess, nap time), all address issues of real concern to middle school students (e.g., more recess equipment, additional clubs, independent art time). In the eighth grade, students discuss the pros and cons of reading their own speeches and consider the additional obligations that come when a candidate reads her/his own speech. These are always intense conversations and the students’ commitment to the integrity of the democratic process really rises to the fore. This year, one of the eighth grade classes is wrestling with the idea of having the candidates debate each other in lieu of simply reading speeches.
Students in all grades take the voting process seriously, applaud the efforts of all of the candidates, are supportive of those candidates that are not selected, and have high expectations for their elected representative. As the terms of these newly elected representatives begin, they will be asked to seek out the full range of opinions on issues discussed by their classmates, help their classmates to work towards consensus on these issues, on occasion represent ideas with which they may not agree, help to resolve conflicts, problem solve with their classmates, welcome and speak with families visiting the school as part of the admission process, make presentations at middle school meeting, and work with the deans and the principal to clarify old roles and develop new roles for class representatives. These are weighty challenges and this year’s reps in collaboration with their classmates are ready to meet them.
In this spirit of collaboration, we are looking forward to seeing you on Tuesday evening at 6:30PM for our Middle School Curriculum Night. At the event, you will get to meet your child’s teachers who will provide you with an overview of their classes and their class expectations. We hope that all of you will be able to attend as Curriculum Night helps to provide a meaningful frame for the work that we will undertake together over the course of the year.
Childcare for this evening is available. Please contact Mary Shea at mshea@lrei.org to register or to inquire about the details. We ask that you make every effort to contact Mary by mid-day on Monday and that you do not drop your child off on the evening of the event without having first contacted Mary.
Of General Interest . . .
1) Reminder – School will be closed this coming Monday, September 28th, in observance of Yom Kippur.
2) Open to all in the LREI community! Please join members of the Multicultural Committee on their first “field trip” of the year next Saturday, Oct 3rd to the Brooklyn Museum for the October “Target First Saturday”, a free afternoon-evening of programming featuring the art and culture of Hungary. Please contact Juliet Burrows (julietburrows@mac.com) or Holly Glass (hcritch@earthlink.net) for details and follow this link for more info on the event: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php.
3) For updates on faculty performances, openings, presentations, and publications visit the Faculty in the News page on the school web site.
4) LREI is a member of NYC-Parents in Action (NYC-PIA – http://www.parentsinaction.org/). 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. Click here to view upcoming events and/or to download their calendar.
For All Grades . . .
1) Click here to read the minutes from the September 15th Middle School Parent Rep Meeting.
2) A reminder that you can access teachers’ blogs by following the “Digital Classroom” link on the sidebar.
3) Photo Day is almost here! Please note the following:
- Coffee Pond Photography will be taking individual portraits of each student and each class. All students will have their picture taken on Monday, October 5, 2009. To get the best photo of your child, please make sure they are dressed appropriately that day.
- Coffee Pond Photography is able to offer a limited number of photo scholarships. If you receive tuition assistance and would like the scholarship, please contact Dena Tasse-Winter via email, dwinter@lrei.org, (or call at extension 215) by the end of the day Thursday, 10/1. Because of the small number of scholarships available, they will be first-come first-serve. Please list the name(s) and grade(s) of the children for whom you are requesting the scholarship package.
- Coffee Pond’s new E/Proof program will notify you a few weeks after photo day via email when your child’s proofs are ready to be viewed online. If you have any questions about ordering, you can email Coffee Pond at lifeguards@coffeepond.com or call 800.635.2323 between 9AM and 5PM on weekdays.
For Eighth Grade Families . . .
1) High School Tours for eighth grade families are scheduled for Friday, October 16th and Monday, October 26th at 9AM. If you are unable to make one of these times, please contact Director of Admissions Barbara Scott at bscott@lrei.org or at extension 210. Barbara can sign you up for one of the general high school admissions tours or she can schedule you for a tour at some other time that is more convenient for you. High School Open Houses are scheduled for Thursday, October 29th and Tuesday, November 3rd. Both Open Houses will start at 6:30PM. During the week of October 19th, you will receive an application for the Irwin Scholars Program. The Irwin Scholars program recognizes selected eighth grade students moving on to the high school who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to their academic success, contributed to the co-curricular life of the school, and exhibited strong leadership skills. The program provides a scholarship in the amount of $3-5K each year for four years. If you have any questions about the high school program, please contact Acting Principal Julia Heaton (jheaton@lrei.org or at extension 314). If you would like to make a reservation for one of the Open House nights or one of the tours, please contact Director of Admissions Barbara Scott (bscott@lrei.org or at extension 210).
2) For students in Michelle Boehm’s math X section, click here to read the new unit letter.
For Eighth and Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) As outlined in the handbook, seventh and eighth graders who want to leave the building after dismissal and then return to use the library or lab must have a signed permission form. Click here to download the form.
2) A reminder for those interested in participating in the Middle School chorus that rehearsals take place on Tuesdays. Seventh and eighth graders should meet Ledell at 11:30AM in the auditorium. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Ledell at lmulvaney@lrei.org.
3) Practices for the Middle School robotics team are on Wednesday and run from 3:15PM until 5:15PM. A snack will be provided. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact coach Sherezada Acosta at sacosta@lrei.org.
For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) If you have not done so already, please register your child for the October Williamsburg trip. Click here to download the registration form. A reminder that payments should be made directly to the tour company NCT. If you have payment questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
2) Click here to read the new unit letter from math teacher Michelle Boehm
For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1 ) On Wednesday, September 30th, 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 10:30AM and have a picnic lunch at Pier 40 at 11:00AM. The field day activities will begin at 11:30PM and will finish around 1:30PM. We should return to the Sixth Avenue building by about 2:00PM. We expect all sixth graders to participate in this event. In preparation for this event, students should dress appropriately for the weather. 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.
2) On Wednesday, October 14th, the sixth grade will visit the Cloisters to view their Medieval collection. Students will need to bring a lunch on this day (no nuts, seeds, and glass bottles).
3) On Wednesday, October 21st, please join me at 8:00AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria for a discussion on “Making Sense of MS Reports.” This will be an opportunity to discuss how to the inclusion of grades on the report will inform your conversations with your child. It will as be an opportunity to discuss how best to prepare for Middle School Family Conferences.
4) Practices for the Middle School robotics team are on Wednesday and run from 3:15PM until 5:15PM. A snack will be provided. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact coach Sherezada Acosta at sacosta@lrei.org.
For Sixth and Fifth Grade Families . . .
1 ) The Middle School Intramural Soccer program has started. Practices are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7AM at JJ Walker Field (click here for a map and address) with subsequent practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you have any questions, please contact Larry Kaplan at lkaplan@lrei.org.
2) A reminder for those interested in participating in the Middle School chorus that rehearsals take place on Tuesdays. Fifth and sixth graders should meet Ledell at 11:00AM in the auditorium. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Ledell at lmulvaney@lrei.org.
3) For those interested in participating in the band, practice sessions will take place on Fridays. Fifth and sixth graders should meet Matt in the auditorium at 2:15PM. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Matt at mmclean@lrei.org.
For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) On Tuesday, October 13th, please join me at 8:00AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria for a discussion on “Making Sense of MS Reports.” This wil be an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the format of the Middle School progress report and to think about how best to prepare for Middle School Family Conferences.
2)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 19th, at 8:00AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria.
============= 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