Benefit Coffee House

From guest blogger Phil Kassen:

Dear LREI Community,

I write with a quick update on this coming weekend’s Benefit Coffee House. On Saturday, February 6th, at 6:30 PM, LREI’s high school students will host a benefit open mike night to raise money to support relief work in Haiti.  Tickets prices are $20 for adults and $10 for students.  We have a full lineup of performers and the makings of a delectable bake sale.

From MicahDove Gottlieb, HS Assistant Principal, “This Coffee House will be an entertaining event in support of a worthy cause. We already have a great line-up of high school, middle school, faculty, and community members set to perform. If you are interested in performing or helping out in any way, please contact Micah a MDGottlieb@LREI.org. Mark your calendar now!”

The Coffeehouses are always fun events.  In addition to having a good time, this month’s Coffeehouse will support relief efforts in Haiti.  All money raised during the Coffeehouse will support the work of two organizations. One, Partners in Health, has been involved in healthcare efforts in Haiti for many years. Learn more about them at www.pih.org. The second, The Harris Rosen Foundation, was founded by LREI alum, Harris Rosen, ’57. The Rosen Foundation is working with Haitian communities in Florida to send money and supplies to Haiti. The Foundation is also beginning to plan for rebuilding efforts including funding the development of earthquake and hurricane resistant housing.  Coffeehouse proceeds will be added to the over $3,000 dollars raised at last month’s Karamu! celebration. Thank you to all who created and participated in that terrific event.

Some community members have asked about sending additional contributions to these two organizations.  A great idea. You can do so on your own or leave checks made out to one, or both, of these groups in an envelope, marked “Haiti Relief Fund” with the receptionist.  We will send these contributions to either Partners in Health or the Harris Rosen Foundation as a community gift.  Many of you already contributed to the relief efforts, in cash or in kind, through these organizations. Thank you for your generosity.

I hope to see you at the Coffeehouse on Saturday night.

Best,
Phil

PS Please don’t forget to send in your photographs for our upcoming Visibility photo exhibit.  There is additional information about Visibility farther down in the blog.  Visibility is an essential event for our community and one that helps define LREI as a leader in educating for social justice.  Please join our efforts to have all families be seen for their accomplishments and for the love they bring to the world rather than being seen through the lens of the intolerance of others.

Of General Interest . . .

1) Here are some recently uploaded photos from the fabulous Middle School play The Jungle Book:

[flickrslideshow acct_name=”lrei-photos” id=”72157623190559897″ width=”460″ height=”345″]

2) Coffeehouse – Open Mic Benefit Event, Saturday February 6th beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center (at 40 Charlton Street). All money raised during this event will support the relief efforts in Haiti. From MicahDov Gottlieb, High School Assistant Principal—This Coffee House will be an entertaining event in support of a worthy cause. We already have a great line-up of high school, middle school, faculty, and community members set to perform. If you are interested in performing or helping out in any way, please contact Micah at MDGottlieb@LREI.org. Mark your calendar now!

3) Also this Saturday, click here for information on the latest offering from the PA Community Service Committee.

4) Monday, March 1, 2010 — Project Cicero Book Drive (through March 4)
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.

5) VISIBILITY: Lesbian and Gay People We Love — An LREI Community Photo Exhibit. Exhibit dates:

  • Charlton Street, Monday, February 22nd – Friday, March 5th, 2010
  • Sixth Avenue, Monday, March 8th – Friday, March 19th, 2010
  • Reception: Sixth Avenue, Monday March 8th, 6:00 – 8:00pm

Please join LREI in celebrating diversity at the Visibility Photo Exhibit! Submit a photo of your family with a loved one who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered. Visit the exhibit and show support for family, friends and community. Come to the opening ceremony to share stories and experiences about visibility. For more information see the attached flier and poster or contact Carrie Borows or Merril Stern at Visibility@lrei.org.

6) Grandparents and Special Friends Day will be held on Friday May 7th from 1:00-3:00PM. Please send your names for Grandparent and Special Friends to Liza Sacks, lsacks@lrei.org , (212) 477-5317 ext.291. Invitations will be mailed March. You can also contact Liza if you have questions about this important community event.

7) LREI 2010 Art Auction:

  • March 3 & 4, 2010
  • Cocktail Reception & Final Bidding: March 4th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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!

This year we will also be holding a series of art-related events called “LREI Loves Art.” These events will kick off with a private tour given by Gabriel Orozco, an LREI parent and artist, of his current show at MoMA. The tour takes place on Thursday, February 11th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $200 and space is limited to 25 people. Tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis so please contact Maude Kebbon in the Office of Advancement at mkebbon@lrei.org if you are interested in attending. Additional information for other “LREI Loves Art” fundraising events will soon follow.

8) 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.

9) We want your recipes! Plans for the LREI Community Cookbook are under way, and we are now seeking recipies from all members of the community. Recipes can be for any dish that you would bring to a potluck. Please send recipies 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!

10) Click here to access the new LREI on-line photo gallery.

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

12) 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) Middle School “Pajama Day” is scheduled for this Friday, February 5th. Highlights will include hot chocolate and cookies at lunch and stories read by eighth graders during independent reading. Here are a few guidelines, which were developed by the Student Representatives on the occasion of the first Pajama Day:

  • Just because it’s Pajama Day doesn’t mean the dress code went to sleep
  • A robe adds a nice touch
  • No lingerie or underwear
  • If you wear boxers, please wear some type of undergarment beneath
  • Slippers are fine, but you should bring a pair of shoes/sneakers (especially if you have PE)
  • Blankets and stuffed animals are welcomed, but should not be so big that they require their own desk
  • If you don’t wear pajamas, we do not want to know about it!
  • If you can imagine Mark wearing it, it is probably okay.

2) ERBs are scheduled for February 9th-11th. The ERBs represent one piece of the assessment puzzle at LREI and it is important that they are seen in this light. They convey useful information, but not the full-picture of a child’s achievement. While the content of the ERBs is generally aligned to grade-level expectations, there are areas where this is not the case. For example, a math concept that appears on the sixth grade test, may not be addressed in our curriculum until the seventh grade and teaching this concept out of context may not always make sense. Your child’s teachers will make every attempt to identify these particular alignment areas. So while much of our ERB prep is focused on reviewing concepts that have been addressed in the curriculum, teaching general test prep skills, and helping students to feel comfortable with standardized testing conditions, our focus tends not to be on “cramming” new concepts. Please do not hesitate to speak with me if you have questions about the ERB process. Please also read the attached letter from the Middle School math teachers regarding prep for the upcoming ERBs.

3) Both the girls and the boys Middle School basketball teams are likely headed to the playoffs. Both play important home games on Thursday, February 11th. We hope to see as many of you as possible in the stands. Go Knights!

4) Please read Middle School librarian Jennifer Hubert’s most recent blog post that provides an overview of the 2010 American Library Association‘s award winning books.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) A reminder that final payments for the DC trip are 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 . . .

No updates this week.

For Fifth and Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) From Athletic Director Peter Fisher: The Athletic Department would like to invite you and your child(ren) to our Middle School Home Games, on Feb 17th (MS Boys vs St. Luke’s – 4:15PM Start) and 18th (MS Girls vs VCS – 4:00PM Start). The 7th/8th grade MS basketball teams have been playing very well and we would like to invite our future players to see the teams in action. This will be a great way to support the teams and to see what MS traveling team experience is like. Larry Kaplan will be available to walk the kids to the Thompson Street Athletic Center from Sixth Avenue at 3:30PM to watch our middle school teams play. There will be a half time shoot out contest for all kids in attendance with prizes available. Please contact me at pfisher@lrei.org if you would like Larry to walk your child over to the Athletic Center after school on these days. We will expect all students to be picked up at Thompson Street by a parent/care giver around 5PM.

2) Click here for the intramural team rosters. Regular team practices will start on Wednesday and Thursday, December 16th and 17th. Players must have a completed permission slip to play. Forms can be downloaded from the Athletics section of the LREI website.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

No updates this week.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) On Tuesday, February 9th, after the morning ERB sessions, the fifth grade will head off to the New Victory Theater to see a performance of the comic opera The Enchanted Pig. Your child should bring a bagged lunch AND a snack on that day (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles). They will eat the snack while en route to the play and will eat lunch in the classroom when they return. The students will also participate in a pre-performance workshop on Monday, February 8th. Click the following links for additional information about the production:

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