An Integrated Curriculum

Dear Families,

First, a hearty congratulations to the members of our Rube Goldberg team who competed this past weekend in the annual Rube Goldberg Machine Competition at the Fay School in Massachusetts. With the support of Middle School science teacher Stephen Volkmann, seventh graders Lola, Maxine, Olivia, Marcello and Will and eighth grader Ivo worked diligently over the past few months to prepare for the event. This year’s event required teams to use a common set of materials to create a contraption that used multiple energy transfers to accomplish the simple task of stapling three pieces of paper together. At the competition, the teams were given a set of materials and under timed conditions the teams had to construct and run their machines. They were also required to give a presentation on their design and the associated scientific principles. While only six team members were allowed to construct the machine at the competition, our team was rounded out by sixth graders Mars and Zach, seventh graders Ben, E.D. and Nicholas and eighth grader Matan. Well done all!

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Also on the subject of accomplishments, his week’s sixth grade Medieval Pageant was a wonderful culmination to units of focused study that were carried out across core, science, and visual and performing arts classes.

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As I reflect on the Pageant and on my varied interactions with students and teachers, I am continually struck by the richness of our integrated curriculum. The value of an integrated curriculum, which connects traditionally-separate subject areas, and its particular relevance at the middle school level, is something that has been a core value at LREI from the very beginning. While students learn an incredible amount of what we traditionally consider as subject area knowledge through this process, they also learn how to use this information to solve authentic problems and to assess critically this knowledge. Through our integrated curriculum, inquiry occurs in a thematic and holistic manner. In this way, the curriculum empowers our students to see connections and to generalize and transfer knowledge to a variety of problem-solving situations.

We’re looking forward to the upcoming Family Conferences, which are scheduled for this Friday, April 16th and Friday, April 23rd, from 8:30AM-3:15PM. As in the fall, Family Conferences with your child’s advisor will address work completed in all subjects. Students and their advisors have been reviewing work completed in all of their classes over the past quarter. They have identified areas of strength and challenge and work samples that provide examples of these strengths and challenges. Students  have also done reflections in each of their classes and they will share some of these in the conference. We expect students to take the lead in this conversation and the advisor’s role is to help guide them through this process. We hope that a holistic picture of who your child is as a learner will emerge. The conference represents a moment to celebrate good work and to think about how the school and home can work together to support your child as we move towards the end of the year. If you have not done so already, please read my previous posts about Progress Reports and Family Conferences (and some additional resources).

With regard to the third quarter reports you have just received, it is likely that your child’s comments on his/her work may answer some of your questions. If you have specific questions you can address these by scheduling a brief conference with your child’s teacher on the day of your Family Conference. The structure of our Family Conferences is always an evolving one and I encourage you to let me know about your conference experience. Your feedback is tremendously useful in helping us to shape this experience so that it is a meaningful and productive one for all.

Of General Interest . . .

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

2) LREI – Adult rED: Back by popular demand—we are announcing a second term of adult ed classes.  This Spring’s Adult rED offerings are Twentieth Century American Cultural History, taught by high school history teacher Mark Bledstein, and Writing Memoir, Finding Voice, taught by high school English teacher Ileana Jimenez.  Please see the attached announcement for more details.  To enroll, please email Rowena Penaranda Askins, at rpenaranda@lrei.org or by phone at 212-477-5316, ext. 295.  Do not hesitate to email with questions.

3) Poem in Your Pocket Day: Have you noticed the beautiful poems posted on the walls of the LREI the last couple weeks? We are in the midst of National Poetry Month, and our kids have been reading, reciting, studying and writing poetry. Next Tuesday, April 20th, will bring another way for us all to appreciate poetry together: Poem in Your Pocket Day! Please encourage your kids to pick out a favorite poem to have in their pockets, ready to share with others throughout the day. (Don’t worry if you forget; there will be extra poems available at the front door that morning, or in the library.)

4) “Stir the Pot” Tasting Event Committee – The committee needs more volunteers! Please come to our meeting on Thursday , April 22nd at 8:45AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria. The “Stir the Pot” event will take place on Thursday, May 13th at 6:00PM @ Charlton Street. Click here for more information about this exciting event.

5) A message from Chap, Director of Diversity & Community:

Affinity Groups – what are they and how do they benefit my child? Why are schools across the country developing informal and formal affinity groups for students of all ages, parents, and former students? The term affinity group is used as a bringing together of people who have something important in common, e.g. race, gender, profession, or special interests. Any significant historical movement or everyday social interaction could probably be traced to the actions of people who share a common experience and passion.

Join us for our last discussion of How to Raise an Ally: Social Justice at LREI to learn more about successful affinity groups. Monday, April 19 at 8:45 a.m. in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria. Grab some coffee, bring a friend, and engage in the last of our three part series of discussions with fellow LREI parents. Please click here for more information.

6) The Internet Is Public Life Today- social networking for parents. Join your fellow LREI parents/guardians for a discussion of our childrens’ online lives with a presentation by Don Buckley, Director of Communications Technology at the School at Columbia.  April 26th, 6:30-8:00PM, Sixth Avenue Auditorium.

7) From the Art Auction Committee: Thank you so much to everyone who helped to make this year’s Art Auction a rounding success! It was a spectacular event and everyone has a wonderful time. There are still some pieces of art that are for sale so please visit http://artauction.lrei.org/ for additional information and to view items that are available. If you have any questions, please contact Maude Kebbon at mkebbon@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext. 232. Additionally, there are still tickets available for two exciting events this spring. Please contact Maude if you are interested!

• The Jim Cottrell/Joe Lovett & Sue Scott Collections: Wednesday, May 5th at 6:00PM
  Hosted by LREI Parent Sue Scott: An evening of art & conversation at two private collections including works by Baechler, Basquiat, Murray and Bourgeois. Tickets are $200 each.
• “Greater New York” Emerging Artists Survey, PS 1: Saturday, May 22nd at 2:00PM
  A private tour with curator & LREI parent Neville Wakefield one day before the exhibit opens. Meet the artists and see their art! Tickets are $200 each.

8) Grandparents/Special Friends Day is coming on May 7th for Lower and Middle School students. We will be sending invitations out very soon. If you have not given us addresses yet, please email them to Liza Sacks at lsacks@lrei.org. Thanks.

9) LREI Camping Trip: The 17th Annual LREI Camping Trip will take place June 4-6 this year at the Riverbend Group Campground along the Delaware River. All LREI families and their children — from all grades pre-K through high school — are invited to participate. Watch for details and sign-up tables coming soon. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help organize, please contact Larry White at LWhite@stern.nyu.edu or (212) 533-1966.

10) Red is Green Committee Announcements:

• We will be having an organic bake sale on Monday, April 19 after school. Weather permitting, we hope to be outside the Sixth Avenue building. Sign-up sheets are posted in the Sixth Avenue lobby, next to the receptionists desk. Please stop by for some tasty organic treats!
• Save the date for LREI’s 2nd annual Earth Day Celebration! April 22, 2010 marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Our afterschool event takes place in the Sixth Ave. Auditorium and will be a fun and interactive way for kids to celebrate the day and learn about their environment. Click here for our poster.
• Earth Day Celebration Request: As part of our Earth Day celebration, we are planning to have a slide show with a variety of images that are representative of Earth Day in some way. Please send us your pictures of what Earth Day means to you. So far we have received pictures of kids working in the garden, children at the beach, families playing together outside, animals, pictures of the earth and pictures from last year’s Earth Day. Thank you to all those who have already sent in pictures. Please send pictures in .jpg format to kbeck2@nyc.rr.com by this Friday, April 16.
• Please join us for a presentation on Monday, April 26, at 8:45 a.m. in the Sixth Ave. cafeteria on how climate change is affecting our NYC water supply and wastewater infrastructure. Hilary Meltzer, LREI parent and part of NYC’s environmental law team will discuss regional projections about environmental changes and threats to our water supply all posed by climate change.
• April’s recycle drive is… Corks. Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. While it is a renewable resource, it takes a long time to harvest (25 years for the first harvest, 9 years thereafter). We recycle corks either by fulfilling teacher demand for them, or sending them to Terracycle, who turns them into products like cork boards. Drop off all used corks – natural or synthetic, wine or champagne. Drop off corks in the Red is Green bins in the Sixth Ave. or Charlton St. lobbies through the month of April.
• For more details about our monthly recycling drives and Go Green to School dates, please click Red is Green PA Page.

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.

13) How To Raise Financially-Fit Children: Presented by: Larry Greenwald of Lenox Advisors — Wednesday, April 21, 2010, 7–9PM at The Churchill School and Center (301 East 29th Street)
Just as parents teach their children about being physically fit, it is important in our world today to teach children about financial fitness. Financial Education develops a lifetime of independence, good judgment, and responsible habits. Larry Greenwald and other Lenox Advisors, developers of the Lenox Money-Smart Kids Program, will provide you with tools to raise financially literate children and informative answers to these common questions from parents:

• When are the best ages to begin an allowance, and how much is appropriate?
• How can we introduce the ideas of saving, charity, and philanthropy?
• What can we do when our teenager doesn’t pay bills on time or in full, and then asks for more money?

To Register, please call 212-722-0610

For All Grades . . .

1) Family Conferences and Subject Area Meetings (April 16th and 23rd): Please check your child’s advisor’s blog to schedule a family conference for one of the dates indicated above. As we did in the fall, you will also be able to schedule brief meetings with each of your child’s teachers should you so choose. To schedule these subject specific meetings please click here. As always, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teachers if you have questions about her/his performance and/or the curriculum.

2) Mark your calendars: Just a heads up that our first MS Art Festival will open on Thursday, April 29th 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 on this special evening. We hope to see you all there. In addition, the art displays in the auditorium will also be up on Friday, April 30th.

3) From middle school librarian Jennifer Hubert: April is National Poetry Month so please check out the library blog post for April: http://blog.lrei.org/jhubert/2010/04/05/4-5-10-april-is-national-poetry-month/. I’d love it if any of you were moved to leave a poem or favorite poet in the comments!

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

No updates this week.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .

1) 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 22nd the seventh grade will travel to Philadelphia for a day-long trip. We will visit to the National Constitution Center, where we will participate in 4 events 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 22nd 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 as appropriately for that 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 Seventh and Sixth 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. Please let me know if you have topics you’d like us to address/discuss.

2) High School Preview: Are you thinking about what’s on the horizon for your sixth or seventh grader? Please join us on May 14th at 8:30AM for High School Preview Morning with High School Principal Ruth Jurgensen. You will learn about the program, hear from students and briefly see classes in action as we tour our our fabulous new space! Contact the admissions office at bscott@lrei.org to confirm your attendance no later than May 12th. This event is a rescheduling of the High School Preview evening previously slated  for April and is designed to connect with Seventh Grade Visiting Day that will take place on the 14th as well.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) LREI sixth graders are invited to attend the “School for a School Dance!” an interschool sixth grade dance, which is scheduled for Friday, April 30th from 7-9PM. The dance will take place in the auditorium at the Nightingale-Bamford School (92nd and Madison). The cost is $10 to be paid at the door. Funds raised from the dance will support an all-school campaign at Nightingale to build a co-ed school in Cambodia (you can find more information at www.cambodiaschools.com). R.S.V.P to abuckfire@nightingale.org. Parents should email giving permission and a phone number where they can be reached during the dance. There will be chaperones present from Nightingale-Bamford present.

2) Looking further ahead to next year, click here to access the registration form for the Williamsburg / Jamestown trip that will take place next October. I’m sending you this information now so that you can spread out payments over a longer period of time. If you register online, please use the following trip ID#: A76310. W e would like all families to register for the trip by the end of the month. If you have specific questions about payment, please do not hesitate to contact me.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) Mark your calendars for our annual Fifth Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Wednesday, April 21st at 6:30PM. Please let me know if you have topics you’d like us to address/discuss.

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