Dear LREI Families,

Hello. Phil Kassen here, contributing to the divisional blogs this week. Please be sure to check below to read important announcements from your division’s principals.

Three short comments this week.

1) At this point in the school year most of you have been to your division’s curriculum night. You have heard from your child’s teacher(s) and have a sense of the academic journey your children will undertake this school year. If you continue to have questions about the year’s program or about how it matches your child’s interests or needs, please contact your child’s teachers or your divisional principal.

In the divisional blogs of the past few weeks, the principals have written a great deal about community and the ways in which we foster and support the development of classroom communities. This was also the topic of conversation for our LREI 101 meeting for new families this week. (New families that did not participate in LREI 101 this week should contact Chap, our Director of Diversity and Community at schapman@lrei.org to sign up for next week’s session) I encourage you to visit the Lower School blog to read Sharon Dupree’s comments on her introduction to the Lower School community as the new principal. I also suggest that you visit the Middle School blog to read Mark Silberberg’s posting on the new Middle School advisory system. Mark and the Middle School faculty worked tirelessly over the past year to create an advisory system that meets the needs of middle school students and works to create safe comfortable places in which early adolescents can foster relationships with classmates and feel increasingly comfortable taking personal and academic risks. Finally, please visit the High School blog to read Ruth’s comments on “Gender and Sexuality, What’s Next in the Conversation,” a series of discussions and assemblies that will occur throughout the year for the High School students. I was amazed at the focused attention that our high school students brought to this difficult topic at last week’s assembly with Don McPherson. Our High School students are so trusting of each other and enjoy being challenged to be their best selves individually and their best collective self. Very impressive!

2) Please visit www.lrei.org and experience the fresh look of the home page. In addition, we are excited to let you know that the LREI Event Calendar can be accessed online at http://www.lrei.org/calendar/ and from the link on the homepage. From the main calendar page you can view the calendar, by day, week or month. When you first view the calendar, you will see the events for a default set of event categories.

If you click on the “Filter Events” link in the lower left-hand corner, you will be taken to a window that will allow you to personalize the calendar. For example, sports schedules are not included in the default set of events. If your child plays on a Middle School or High School team, you can check the box for that team to have the schedule appear on your calendar. When you make changes, click on the “Apply Filter” button to have your new preferences stored.

If you have a desktop calendar or PDA compatible with the iCalendar standard you can subscribe to a calendar or download events. Currently the iCalendar standard is fully supported by Apple’s iCal, and the Mozilla Calendar. If your calendar software cannot subscribe to a whole category of events, you should still be able to download a category. To subscribe to or download the whole calendar or a specific category, click on the link “Subscribe & Download” in the lower left-hand corner of the main calendar page. You can also download individual events by clicking on the link “copy this event into your personal desktop calendar,” which you will find on each page that lists event details.

We hope that this calendar will provide an additional avenue for you to be connected to the many events at LREI.

3) Thanks to those who offered thoughts and suggestions about the dangerous crossing at Houston St. and Sixth Ave. We are working with the Sixth Precinct and our City Councilperson to address this situation. In the meantime, I encourage you to avoid crossing Houston St. on the east side of Sixth Avenue.

This Week’s Attachments
General:
Middle School Play Information & Contract
Eighth Grade:
DC Trip Payment Letter
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) From Middle School drama teacher and play director Joanne Magee: Ahoy, me Hearties! I am pleased to announce that this year’s Middle School play will be Treasure Island. Auditions for acting roles for sixth-seventh graders will be held next Tuesday and Wednesday during the day. A sign up sheet is posted on the bulletin board outside of Mark’s office. Any fifth graders who are interested in helping with the crew should speak to me directly. Please read the attached contract, which contains important information about the production. A copy of the signed contract and the Afterschool Commitment Form (included with the contract) must be submitted to me at the time of the audition. With that I’ll weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen and set out in search of a handful of hearty pirates and stalwart ladies and gentleman looking for a bold adventure.

2) For families new to LREI: LREI 101 will provide an in-depth, interactive, and engaging introduction to LREI, its mission, philosophy, and diversity initiatives. This orientation session will offer you an opportunity to understand our core values as you begin to take part in activities that help you become a member of the LREI community. A second session of LREI 101 will be held on Thursday, October 11 from 6:30pm – 8:00pm at 40 Charlton Street for those who could not attend this week’s session. If you have not done so already, please contact the receptionist at 212-477-5316 to let us know if you will attend. Contact Director of Diversity and Community Chap Chapman either by phone (x294), or by e-mail schapman@lrei.org, if you have questions about LREI 101.

3) Just a reminder that Coffee Pond Photography will be with us on Monday, October 15th to take individual and class pictures (in case of inclement weather, the pictures will be taken on Monday, October 29th). After the pictures are taken, you will receive proofs and an order form in the mail. To get the best portrait of your child, please make sure that s/he is dressed appropriately on Portrait Day. Our photographer, Coffee Pond Photography, is able to offer a limited number of photo scholarships. Please contact me (msilberberg@lrei.org or at extension 221), if you receive financial aid and are unable to pay for photographs. If you have specific questions about the ordering process, you can contact Coffee Pond Photography at lifeguards@coffeepond.com or by phone at 1-800-632-2323 extension 0.

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

5) LREI is a member of NYC-Parents in Action (NYC-PIA). 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. Please read the attached flyer to view their 2007-2008 calendar. You can also access their website at http://www.parentsinaction.org/.

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) Please make sure that you have registered and paid the initial deposit for the spring DC trip. Deposits were due September 5th. Please note that all payments should be made and sent to our tour company NCT. If you have questions about payment please do not hesitate to contact me. Click here to download the payment forms.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
No updates this week

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) Intramural soccer practice started this week. Practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8AM at JJ Walker field (Hudson and Clarkson). Participants must have a signed permission form. Click here to download a copy of the form.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Intramural soccer practice started this week. Practices are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-8AM at JJ Walker field (Hudson and Clarkson). Participants must have a signed permission form. Click here to download a copy of the form.

3) 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 15, at 8:00AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria.

For additional information, follow these links:

• Calendar of Events
• LREI Athletics

Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and other interesting school-related information.

Be well,
Mark