Everything Old Is New Again

From guest blogger Phil Kassen:

Dear LREI Community,

Welcome to March—today it was warm enough for adventurous sixth graders to pull out a pair of shorts only a few days after our second snow day of the year.  I missed this historic event as last Friday I was in San Francisco for the National Association of Independent School’s Annual Conference.  It was a fascinating two days during which I heard a number of engaging speakers.  Among the sessions I attended was a panel discussion entitled, “Building Schools for a Digital Age, Imagining Schools of the Future.” During one exchange, the moderator, Wanda M. Holland Greene—the head of the Hamlin School in San Francisco—asked what the panelists thought that schools would look like in the future.  One panelist, Milton Chen, senior fellow at Edutopia: The George Lucas Education Foundation, said, “The future is changing, but it’s going to look a lot like the past. We’re returning to an age when kids were taught in a more intimate way.”  As recounted on the NAIS web site, he then “cited the intersection of what technology offers with the ideas of progressive education pioneer John Dewey, calling him ‘Saint John.’ Chen said that Edutopia, the Lucas Foundation online space, is very much about project-based learning and integrated studies that break down the boundaries between disciplines.”  “Dewey wanted to make kids more responsible for their own learning,” said Chen.  Sounds a lot like LREI.

Stanford education profession Shelley Goldman also spoke of Dewey.  In response to Chen’s comments she said, “Milton reminds me that I love Dewey, and his quote, ‘Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

In a conversation of where we all need to be headed, it was nice to hear references to one of LREI’s founders and about one of our ongoing guiding principals.

On other fronts:

Of General Interest . . .

1) Click here to access other photo collections of LREI events and happenings at our on-line photo gallery.

2)  VISIBILITY: Lesbian and Gay People We Love — An LREI Community Photo Exhibit.
The Visibility Opening Reception will be held Monday March 8th, 6:00-8:00PM at the Sixth Avenue Auditorium. Please join us to celebrate this year’s exhibit which includes over 120 submissions. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served. For more information see the attached flier and poster or contact Carrie Borows or Merril Stern at Visibility@lrei.org. The exhibit will be on display at Sixth Avenue from Monday, March 8th through Friday, March 19th, 2010.

3) LREI 2010 Art Auction:

• TONIGHT: Cocktail Reception & Final Bidding: March 4th from 6:00-8:00PM

Don’t miss the chance to see artwork by some of the world’s finest artists and community members. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend! It’s our main fundraiser this year. The event provides essential support for our Tuition Assistance Program and it is going to be a wonderful evening with refreshments and fun. Admission is free! Visit http://artauction.lrei.org/ for additional information and to view items that will be auctioned.

4) Summers at LREI Registration: General Registration for Little Red Summer Camp (ages 3.4-13) and Musical Theater Workshop (ages 7-8 and 9-14) will open on Monday, March 8th in the early afternoon. Registration will be online through our website, directly accessible by going to summers.lrei.org. We will send an email to LREI families on Friday with more detailed instructions about how to register. You may also go to the website to view details about our programs, including class descriptions.

Little Red Summer Camp and Musical Theater Workshop are offered in three two-week sessions as follows:
Session 1: June 28-July 9
Session 2: July 12-July 23
Session 3: July 23-August 6

Please note that as programs fill quickly, we recommend registering early.

5) Red is Green Committee Announcements:

• Donate Old Cell Phones: Cell phones will be donated to Phones for Haiti, a partnership with the American Red Cross and ReCellular, Inc. For more info, see phonesforhaiti.com. By donating your old cell phone, you can provide critical aid to people in Haiti, protect the environment and bring new technology to developing areas. 100% of the proceeds from Phones for Haiti will go to aid victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
• Recycle Used Batteries: We will accept all rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries. Electronic waste is the fastest growing was concern in the world! Batteries contain toxic substances like mercury that are harmful to our landfills. Don’t throw them out in your regular trash – let us help you recycle them.
• Batteries and cell phones can be dropped off in the Red is Green recycle bins at the Sixth Avenue and Charlton St. lobbies throughout February and March.
• For more details about our monthly recycling drives and Go Green to School dates, please click Red is Green PA Page.

6) We want your recipes! Plans for the LREI Community Cookbook are under way, and we are now seeking recipes from all members of the community. Recipes can be for any dish that you would bring to a potluck. Please send recipes or questions to cookbook@lrei.org. The deadline for recipes is March 19 (right before spring break). Help us create a cookbook that represents all the diverse facets of our community!

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

8) 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) As promised, here is some video from last week’s Black History Month Assembly:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxZ5fFWm-Dg

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Y5NOC1M60o

2) Congratulations to players and coaches on both the Boys and the Girls Middle School Basketball teams for their hard work and successful seasons. While both teams lost in championship games decided in the final minutes, they should not let this diminish their accomplishments over the course of the season. Well done!

3) Thinking ahead? Join us for the High School Preview Night on Tuesday, April 13th 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 Barbara Scott, Director of Admissions, at 212-477-5316 ext. 305, bscott@lrei.org.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) A reminder that final payments for the DC trip were due on February 18th. If you have payment questions, please let me know. If you have not registered, please do so ASAP using the attached form.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .

1) Mark your calendars for our annual Sixth and Seventh Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Tuesday, April 20th at 6:30PM.

For Fifth and Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) Intramural Basketball Schedule:

NO MORE PRACTICES
Friday, March 5 Playoffs 3:30 (Red vs Gray), 4:15 (Blue vs Green)
Friday, March 12 Consolation game 3:30, championship game 4:15
Wednesday, March 17 parents game at 3:30

Parents game schedule will be:
3:30 – Green vs Green’s parents
3:50 – Red vs Red parents
4:10 – Grey vs Grey Parents
4:30 – Blue vs Blue parents

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) On Wednesday, April 14th, 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:

• http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/recipe_index.html
• http://www.bitwise.net/~ken-bill/med-p1.htm
• http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/food.html
• http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/islamic_dinner.html
• http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cariadoc/recipe_toc.html

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 April 12th. 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) Mark your calendars for our annual Sixth and Seventh Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Tuesday, April 20th at 6:30PM.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) A reminder that our annual Egyptian Tomb exhibit will take place during the day on Thursday, March 18. Heather and Wendy will be in contact with you about scheduling visit times (8:30AM, 9:00AM, and 12:00PM — you should plan to spend about 30 minutes at the exhibit). They would also appreciate a few parent volunteers to help on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 17, with set up for the tomb and would also appreciate a few volunteers to help with taking down the tomb the day of the 18th starting at 2:15PM.

2) Mark your calendars for our annual Fifth Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Wednesday, April 21st at 6:30PM.

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

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