Hard Work and Excellence

From guest blogger Director Phil Kassen:

Dear Middle School Families,

Congratulations to the scores of students and faculty whose talent, and seemingly limitless energy, created the spectacular that was LREI’s production of Hairspray! We are so proud of your hard work. Along these same lines, please join me in congratulating our 7th-12th grade basketball teams—all of which had fantastic seasons. Special congratulations to the players and coaches of the 7th/8th grade and varsity girls’ teams who won league championships! The 7th/8th grade team had an undefeated season. What an achievement! For those who have not had enough of exciting LREI roundball, the last two games of the middle school intramural basketball league will be played on Friday (tomorrow) at 3:30PM and 4:15PM in the Thompson Street Athletic Center. Come on out and cheer for your student athletes. Whether actors or athletes, or both, our students work hard in the classroom and in so many other ways in the community. We congratulate you and thank you!

Just as producing a play or a championship basketball season requires practice, so to does excellent teaching. Your LREI faculty is dedicated to on-going professional development. This focus on teaching practice can take many forms. Weekly faculty meetings are essential to our examination of what is happening in classrooms. At times these gatherings are focused on the students and their participation in the community. Sometimes the discussion is about procedures and protocols. Often, faculty share strategies, ask for input, review resources and engage in activities that allow the adults to better understand the students’ learning. At times these are informal conversations while often there is a more formal presentation and feedback process. The middle school teachers, for example, participate in a practice called “Critical Friends Groups” that requires structured classroom observations and feedback. The majority of faculty meetings happen by division, though full school faculty meetings happen throughout the year, as do the academic departments. I spent a terrific hour with the lower school faculty earlier this week in a math workshop led by Rose Reilly, lower school math specialist, and Ana Chaney, middle school math teacher and math department chair. The adults grappled with sophisticated math concepts embedded in an elementary math challenge and discussed how best to open these up to our students. A great afternoon. There is a lot of conversation about practice at the meetings of the committee that is looking ahead 10 years at the future requirements for the high school program. (To hear more about this, join me for a discussion on March 8th at 8:45AM in the Sixth Avenue building.)

In addition to in-house opportunities, there are many offerings in the wider educational community. Among the conferences and workshops that LREI faculty members have participated this year include:

  • We sent 13 teachers and students to the National Association of Independent School’s People of Color Conference.
  • Ana Chaney, math department chair, and Rose Reilly, LS Math Specialist, attended a national math leadership conference.
  • Four early childhood teachers attended the 92nd Street Y’s Wonderplay Preschool Conference, at which LS librarian Stacy Dillon was a presenter.
  • High School teachers Mark Bledstein and Amy Chang attended a workshop at the China Institute.
  • Teachers from all three divisions attended a conference focused on educating girls. High school English teacher Ileana Jimenez (currently on a Fulbright scholarship in Mexico) was a presenter.
  • A number of middle school teachers attended workshops on literature and history offered through the New York Public Library.
  • The New York Association of Independent Schools hosts dozens of workshops throughout the year. Our teachers attend many of these, including the annual diversity conference organized by Chap, our Director of Diversity and Community.
  • The senior administrators attend their statewide affinity conferences—gatherings of people in similar positions from around NY State. Namita Tolia, Ruth Jurgensen, Michel de Konkoly Thege and I are members of the planning bodies for our conferences.
  • Cari Kosins, Director of Afterschool and Summer Programs, Clara Campos, Associate Director of Afterschool, attended the National Association of Independent Schools’ Annual Conference, where I was a panelist discussing the head of school’s role in a school’s diversity efforts.

Combine all of these experiences with ongoing school-wide conversations about our diversity themes and progressive education, the topic of our two full day professional days, and you have a rich educational experience for LREI’s faculty and staff. Our faculty is dedicated to ongoing reflection and discussion of how best to serve LREI’s 600 students. Asking questions such as, “How can we provide the most intellectually challenging progressive education, each and every day,” or “How best to respond to new challenges and possibilities?” is an essential to our success. A faculty focused on growth, as ours is, is indispensible. I am continually impressed with the thought, creativity and sharp thinking that come out in these discussions. Thank you teachers!

Finally, two opportunities for the wider LREI community to experience the faculty’s expertise:

  • The third term of our adult classes, Adult r(ED), begins after Spring Break. Click here to see a listing for these courses. I highly encourage you to participate. Whichever class you choose, you will have a terrific experience.
  • Participate in a book discussion with one of our four nationally recognized librarians by attending Well-REaD, on Thursday, April 7th from 6:00PM-8:00PM. Choose a book, read it, attend the discussion. This is an adult event. Learn what it is that makes your children love the books they read (and the librarians who help to choose them.) All four books are fantastic; the discussions will be as well. If you want to participate and have not ordered a book, stop by the Well-REaD table in the Sixth Avenue lobby on Friday, March 4th and Tuesday, March 8th-Thursday, March 10th.

As communicated in an email that I sent out earlier —
In an effort to better understand the community’s thoughts and perceptions of the school, all in order to build on our momentum, we are embarking on an essential research program focused on internal and external communications. The first component of this program is the survey found here and at the link below.  It is aimed at gathering the community’s input about certain aspects of our mission and program.  I would be most grateful if you would please take a few minutes within the next week to respond to this questionnaire.  Following this, we will be contacting a sampling of families to discuss their thoughts in greater detail. Thanks in advance for your participation. Click on the link to access the Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LREICommunitySurvery2011

Of General Interest . . .

1) Important Calendar Update: Please note the following dates. Some of these dates were changed earlier in the year and this is just a reminder. Others were changed quite recently. Only those dates that have been changed since the beginning of the school year have been noted.

  • The HS will be closed on Friday, April 8 for a Professional Day
  • The MS will be closed on Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15 for Advisor/Family Conferences
  • The LS will be closed on Friday, April 8 and Friday, April 15 for conferences.
  • The School will be closed on Tuesday, April 19 for Passover. (This is a change.)
  • The Sprint Concert (chorus and band) has been rescheduled. It will now be held on Wednesday, May 18.
  • Two changes to LS end-of-year potlucks—Rebecca and Jessi’s First Grade’s picnic will move to Thursday, May 26. Deborah and Randi’s Second Grade’s picnic will move to Monday, May 23.

Click here to access the most current “At a Glance” calendar for the 2010-2011 school year.

2) Save the Date: The High School Community Service Roundtable will be hosting a  Coffeehouse benefit for Haiti this Saturday, March 5, at 7PM in the Charlton Street PAC. Come hear excellent music and other performances by members of the LREI community and support an important cause.

3) A message from Chap, Director of Diversity and Community: Family Diversity Discussion – March 9, 2011 – 6:00 – 8:00 pm at Sixth Avenue: Families of Fours through 6th Grade students, please join us for fantastic storytelling, creative art, memorable videos and more as we explore gender themes and practice being allies. Click here to view the flyer!

Fours – 1st grade program will run from 6:00 – 7:15pm
Elizabeth Gonzalez, Kindergarten Teacher, will tell a short story and read sections of Jennifer Bryan’s book The Different Dragon. Discussions, art projects and a share will help our youngest students raise awareness of gender related Put-Ups and Put-Downs. The goal is to help shave away limits imposed on us because of our gender and to open further possibilities for us to be Free to Be!

2nd – 4th grade program will run from 6:00 – 7:30pm
Randi Reinhold, 2nd grade Associate Teacher, will use children’s literature to explore how society places limits on us because of our gender. Students and families will then act out scenarios which aim to develop ally skills.

5th and 6th grade program will run from 6:00 – 8:00pm
Chap, Director of Diversity & Community, will screen parts of the film Oliver Button is a Star, based on Tomie dePaola’s classic children’s book Oliver Button is a Sissy. This video uses a variety of media to tell the story of a boy who is ridiculed simply because he’d rather sing and dance than play sports or engage in activities other boys enjoy.

Each child must be accompanied by their own family member(s). There will be opportunities for students to talk amongst themselves as well as dialogue with families. A small meal will be provided. Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, March 8 to me at schapman@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext 294. Don’t hesitate to call or email me if you have questions. A reminder that our final Open PA Diversity morning, How to Raise an Ally: Social Justice at LREI Part 3 of 3 is on Friday, April 29, 8:45 – 10:00 am

4) Sports Committee: Ready for some indoor fun on a chilly afternoon? Our basketball teams are RED HOT! So warm up with friends and come to one of our exciting home games! Be prepared to scream, yell, wave your flags and MAKE SOME NOISE as we CHEER OUR TEAMS ON TO VICTORY! All games are held at Thompson Street Athletic Center, 145 Thompson Street. LET’S GO KNIGHTS!! Knights home game schedule for next week:

  • 3/3/2011 — JV Boys FINAL
  • 3/4/2011 — Intramurals Finals/Consolation Game
  • 3/11/2011 – Intramurals Parents Game

5) Summers at LREI Registration: We are happy to announce the opening of General Registration for Summers at LREI programs next Wednesday, March 9th at 1pm! If you are interested and would like to know more please visit the website at summers.lrei.org. How to Register on March 9th:

1. Visit the registration website at summersatlrei.org.
2. Create a Summer Builder account. Please note that you will need to have access to your email account to confirm your password prior to logging in.
3. You will receive an email with a temporary password which you may use to log in and register.  Copy and paste this temporary password and click on the link provided to access the Registration log in page.
4.  After you log into your account, follow steps 1, 2 and 3 listed on the left sidebar in order. Please note that the next page does not load automatically. Be sure to select the next page from the left sidebar after you have saved your current page.

*The registration system works on current browsers, for example Internet Explorer 8 or Firefox 3.5 and higher. If you have an older browser you may need to update it in order to complete registration. Registration is not possible via smartphone at this time.

6) From the LREI librarians: LREI’s WELL REaD event is coming up on Thursday, April 7th from 6-8 pm. This year WELL REaD offers a book club model in place of the panel of librarian we’ve had in the past. This means audience participation! You will be reading the books in advance and joining in the discussion. Each group has an overarching thread that the librarians have pulled out, and each book chosen is there for specific reasons. Where the discussion goes is entirely up to the group! This is what makes it so exciting! We invite you to choose a book according to your interest (not necessarily by your child’s age).

  • Perhaps you are interested in the supernatural or have heard all of the buzz around the Hunger Games series – sign up for Karyn Silverman’s group (Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins).
  • If graphic novels are your thing, sign up for Jesse Karp’s group (American Born Chinese by Gene Yang and The Arrival by Shaun Tan).
  • Are you interested in exploring a mix of dystopian and realistic fiction? Jennifer Hubert Swan’s group (The Schwa Was Here by Gary Schmidt, Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer) demonstrates just how fabulous middle grade fiction can be.
  • If you are interested in teasing out positivity and exploring social justice in a more subtle way, come to Stacy Dillon’s  group with a mix of a picture book, a graphic novel and an illustrated novel (A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams, Cameron and His Dinosaurs by Scott Christian Sava, and The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow).

We are very excited to have this opportunity to “talk books” on a deeper level with you all! You’ll find information about when and where you can sign up for a book group and purchase these books in the next item below, and a sign up to attend at the front desk of the Sixth Avenue building. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to stop by the library and speak with one of the librarians! We hope to see you there!

7) Literary Committee: Did you ever wonder what that book was that had your child so enthralled, or why everyone is suddenly so gaga over teenage vampires? Then come to Well-REaD, an evening of book discussions for parents about children’s and young adult books, led by our wonderful librarians. It will be held on Thursday, April 7th, from 6-8pm, in the Sixth Avenue building. Like all good book discussions, wine and cheese will be served along with lots of lively discussion on some of the most popular titles published for youth today. Please sign up for one of the four book discussions and purchase books at our table in the Sixth Avenue Lobby, Friday (March 4) or Tuesday to Thursday (March 8-10), from 8-9am.  RSVP forms will also be available at the reception desk if you are unable to sign up at our table by next week, or you may e-mail us at LiteraryCommittee@LREI.org. Childcare will be available for those attending Well-REaD ($15 per child, $5 for siblings). Sign-up for childcare at the Sixth Avenue reception desk (or you may e-mail Mary Shea, at mshea@LREI.org) by Monday, April 4. We’re looking forward to a night of interesting and informative discussions. Hope to see you there!

IMG_06378) Brazil Donations: From Luzia Leung — Thank you to the whole LREI community for all of your donations and  support connected to the flood relief drive. It was very successful and we are still in the process of sending all of the collected materials to the upstate areas of Rio. All of the items collected over the last few weeks will be going to four different organizations doing important relief work. They are Cruz Vermelha, Klabin Foundation, Jobim Foundation, and Afro Reggae.

9) Come check out the Afterschool blog at: http://blog.lrei.org/afterschoolphotos/

10) The Big Auction Committee needs your help! We have four weeks to collect all our donations for the auction. The auction benefits LREI’s tuition remission program. The deadline for donations is March 13th. We have received some amazing donations so far but we need more! We would love to get 100% participation from all the families at the school. If each family could solicit or donate one item that would be amazing. We welcome donations that are big and small. Here is a list of ideas/suggestions:

  • Restaurant gift cards (we have very few restaurant donations so far)
  • Services like music lessons, exercise sessions, cooking lesson, closet makeover, spa treatment, interior design consultation
  • Air miles
  • Know a designer? Is there a store you frequent? Bags, dresses, jeans, all clothing, mens, womens, kids (all new of course)
  • Jewelry (again, new of course)
  • Theatre tickets, sport event tickets
  • Studio tours
  • Holiday homes
  • Kids’ parties
  • Beauty products
  • Hotels
  • Autographed signed items, guitars, posters, etc.
  • Cases of wine

These are just some ideas. Please feel free to email us, bigauction@lrei.org, with questions or suggestions. We have attached a donation form; completed donation forms should be returned to Liza Sacks in the Advancement Office. You should have all received the Save the Date card. The Big Auction will be at Capitale on May 11th. We are planning a great party and look forward to seeing you all there.

11) Our new community cookbook, Downtown Potluck, a compilation of recipes from our talented parents and teachers, has been garnering praise in the media, including Time Out New York Kids and Esquire. It will be on sale at Karamu! and other upcoming school events. It will also be available through the school store, and in the Sixth Ave. lobby shortly before Valentine’s Day (perfect for gift-giving!). The book costs $25; supplies are limited. Email cookbook@LREI.org for information.

12) For additional school news, you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

13) 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) Check out LREI middle schoolers on Good Morning America.

2) Our Pennies for Patients Drive ends this Friday. Since 1994, millions of dollars have been raised in pennies and other spare change by more than 10 million elementary, middle and high school students throughout the country. The funds, collected during a three-week period, benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Everyone who participates is a winner! Students across the country are collecting pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters during the Pennies for Patients campaigns benefiting the Society.

3) Monday, March 7th, 2010 — Project Cicero Book Drive (through Thursday, March 10th) — Project Cicero is an annual non-profit book drive designed to create — or supplement — school and classroom libraries for children in under-resourced New York City public schools. Now in its tenth year, Project Cicero has distributed nearly 1,000,000 new and gently used books to 5,500 New York City classrooms and libraries, reaching 180,000 students. Boos can be dropped off in the Sixth Avenue lobby.

4) Please join Director Phil Kassen to learn about the redesign of the high school curriculum and how LREI is preparing its students for life in the 21st Century. When/Where: Tuesday March 8, 2011 at 8:45AM in the Sixth Avenue Library. (Please note this is a second presentation of the discussion Phil led on Monday, February 14, 2011. RSVP to lsacks@lrei.org, (212) 477-5316 ext.291

5) From Director of Diversity and Community Sandra Chapman and middle school science teacher Sherezada Acosta: The next meeting for MS Students of Color will take place on Wednesday, March 16 from 11:00AM-12:00PM. With the help of middle school faculty Frank Portella, Sara-Momii Roberts and Elizabeth Simmons, students will meet in affinity groups (racial / ethnic groups) to discuss the idea of microaggressions. Microaggressions, as defined by Dr. Derald Wing Sue, are the “everyday indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate negative or derogatory racial slights and insults to People of Color.” You may be thinking, “This seems like a heavy concept for young folks to discuss over lunch.” While the term “microaggressions” is a mouthful, the idea of everyday indignities is a reality for people of color and one middle schoolers and their families do face. We expect the meeting will generate healthy discussions and hopeful takeaways for the students. In affinity groups the students will answer two primary questions; “What I never want people to do, say, or think about our group is…” and “What I want people to know about our group is…”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAIFGBlEsbQ

Dr. Sue, Dr. Beverly D. Tatum, Tim Wise, and others encourage us to talk to young people about these experiences and to offer strategies for coping. Dr. Sue writes, “For mental health purposes, it would be useful to explore the coping mechanisms used by people of color to stave off the negative effects of microaggressions. The fact that people of color have had to face daily microaggressions and have continued to maintain their dignity in the face of such hostility is a testament to their resiliency (D. W. Sue, 2003). What coping strategies have been found to serve them well? A greater understanding of responses to microaggressions, both in the long term and the short term, and of the coping strategies employed would be beneficial in arming children of color for the life they will face.” While the MS SOC meetings are optional, it is helpful to the students in attendance when we have a critical mass, particularly seventh and eighth grade Students of Color who are role models for fifth and sixth grade students. The group’s ability to process and support each other is key to reaching our goal of “helpful takeaways.” Thank you in advance for encouraging your Child of Color to attend the meetings.

6) Family Conferences and Subject Area Meetings (April 14th and 15th): Information about how to sign-up for conferences will be forthcoming.  At the Family Conference, your child will share work samples, offer reflections on her/his work and identify some goals for the fourth quarter. It is also a time for you to dialog with your child and her/his advisor about your child’s learning experience in the Middle School so far this year.

As we did in the first quarter, you will also be able to have brief meetings with each of your child’s teachers should you so choose. To schedule these subject specific meetings please click here (link will be activated shortly). As always, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teachers if you have questions about her/his performance and/or the curriculum.

7) Mark your calendars: Just a heads up that our annual MS Arts Festival will open on Thursday, April 28th at 6:00PM for seventh and eighth grade families and at 6:30PM for fifth and sixth grade families. The evening will feature studio art work from students in all grades, digital art created by the eighth graders and performances by the seventh and eighth grade performing arts major classes (instrumental music, vocal music, dance and drama). The entire Sixth Avenue building will come alive with the arts. We hope to see you all there. In addition, the art displays in the auditorium will also be up on Friday, April 29th.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) For students in Math X, please read the new unit letter from teacher Michelle Boehm.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .

1) Mark your calendars for our annual Sixth and Seventh Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Monday, April 11th at 6:30PM.

2) From Elizabeth and Matthew: We are excited to inform you that in conjunction with our current study of the American Revolution and our upcoming study of the Constitution itself, on Thursday, April 21st, the seventh grade will travel to Philadelphia for a day-long trip. We will visit the National Constitution Center, where we will participate in several activites that will help us better understand the founding and establishment of our country and its constitution. We will also visit Independence Hall and, time permitting, other historical sites. Like our trip to Williamsburg, the trip to Philadelphia will give us a first-hand understanding of important events in Colonial American history. Students should arrive to LREI on the morning of April 21st by 7:00AM. Our chartered bus will be departing promptly at 7:15AM. Students should be sure to bring their writer’s notebook, a bag lunch (with an extra snack for the return trip — we will not stop at a rest stop on the return trip — and as always no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), an extra sweatshirt and a backpack for these items. Cameras and some spending money (no more than $10) are optional. Students should dress appropriately for the day’s predicted weather, and they should be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. We will be departing from Philadelphia at around 2:45PM, and expect to return to LREI by 4:15PM. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. Thank you.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) Mark your calendars for our annual Sixth and Seventh Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Monday, April 11th at 6:30PM.

2) On Wednesday, April 13th, 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 April 11th. 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.

For Sixth and Fifth Grade Families . . .

Intramural Basketball:
Friday Mar 4th – Consolation and Championship
Friday Mar 11th – Parents Game 3:30

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) A reminder that our annual Egyptian Tomb exhibit will take place during the day on Thursday, March 17th. 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 16th, with set up for the tomb and would also appreciate a few volunteers to help with taking down the tomb the day of the 17th starting at 2:15PM. Click here for additional information.

2) Mark your calendars for our annual Fifth Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Tuesday, April 12th 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

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