Dear Middle School Families,

Already this year (10/21 and 4/14), I’ve written about the eighth grade social justice project “Choosing to Participate,” which has become a cornerstone of the eighth grade humanities curriculum. The culminating event of this project took place yesterday at our annual Social Justice Teach-In, as the the eighth graders ran two assemblies and facilitated workshops for the fifth through seventh graders. The day’s events were not only exceedingly well-executed, but also challenged middle schoolers to think deeply about a range important social justice issues and asked participants to consider how they can make a difference. The Teach-In was the culmination of substantial investigation and inquiry carried out by the eighth graders over the past few months and included significant volunteering opportunities and research/interviews with an impressive range of organizations and institutions. You can also learn more about this work by exploring the websites that were created by each of the ten social justice groups.

At the Teach-In’s opening assembly, the eighth graders provided some important context to help frame the day’s activities.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z754lhcX6qw&feature=related

They also shared their public service announcement posters, which were created in core and art (these posters are also on display in the lobby and outside of the eighth grade rooms) . . .

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The morning assembly concluded with an introduction of our afternoon keynote speaker Michael Blake who is  the Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement & Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o_n2n1QwWc&feature=related

Following the assembly, fifth through seventh graders participated in two hour-long workshops created and facilitated by the eighth graders. The following descriptions of the workshops give you a clear sense of the richness and depth of the morning’s activities:

• Monopoly: The Amnesty Edition: “Amnesty” for illegal immigrants is like a “Get of Jail Free” card in Monopoly. Come and find out why illegal immigrants are facing jail time, learn about legal immigrants’ lives, all while playing an immigration-themed game of Monopoly.
• ABC’s and 123’s!: What makes a good school good? And, what makes school something kids want to attend? We will introduce you to the school leaders we met and you’ll learn about what they are doing to make education better for all children. Next, you’ll get the chance to build your very own ideal Charter School, a community-funded school with a specific mission; you can design the classrooms, etc.!
• Puppets For Prevention: How do children learn to speak up and prevent child abuse? One proven technique is to use puppets! Our workshop will take on this serious issue in a fun and educational way. You will have a chance to make your own puppet, write and give your very own puppet show. Sign up so you can make Puppets for Prevention!
• UN Summit 2011 — Save Our Soldiers: Welcome to the United Nations Children in Armed Conflict Summit 2011! Activists from all over the world are coming together to rescue children who have been forced into armed conflict. Your mission: Rescue child soldiers in four different locations. The United Nations and the world are counting on you to help these children AND bring those exploiting them to justice.
• Paint the Rainbow: Did you know that the rainbow flag is a symbol of lesbian and gay pride? Using your artistic abilities you will “paint the rainbow” and make artwork that raises awareness about the bullying that gay teens can face. Your creative expressions will decorate the halls with a painted rainbow of awareness and pride!
• Buzz Off, Malaria!: Malaria kills between 1 million and 3 million people each year. So, how can artwork help prevent it? After a short lesson, you will make a public service announcement with a twist: you and a group of other kids will be assigned a surprise material with which to work. So, come prepared to be extra creative, have fun, and say, Buzz Off, Malaria!
• Life in Plastic – Is it so Fantastic? Female Images in the Media: Have you ever noticed how “plastic” and “fake” idealized images of women and girls can be in the media? We understand how damaging these images are to a girl’s self image. So, how can you be empowered to stop this issue? In this workshop we will observe common media stereotypes about girls and women. Then, we will act to make a difference by creating a 3D collage with our own messages and images that we want to send out to the world. This workshop is not just for girls! Boys, we need you to be our allies and be educated too!
• Close to Home: Have you ever wondered how someone ends up living on the street or in a homeless shelter? It can be easier to end up without a home than you think. In Close to Home you will participate in a variation of the Game of Life where you will take on the role of a person and live his/her life, experiencing his/her successes and challenges. As you try to stay close to home (and in your home), you will find out surprising things about how people end up homeless.
• Eliminating Crime, One Leaf at a Time: Have you ever heard of the “broken window theory”? The theory is that a neighborhood’s environment and look can reduce its crime rate. In our workshop, you will learn the surprising facts about how plants and trees can help a neighborhood be safer. You will also have the chance to plant flowers and make a fun, informational pamphlet. Come get your hands dirty to clean up NYC!
• Pin Down Gun Violence: As you know, in today’s media, guns are often shown to be cool. As a result many of us are not that bothered by the gun violence we see in films, advertising, and video games. Come learn about the reality of gun violence in the United States and put your new awareness to work while you create your very own protest pins to Pin Down Gun Violence.

[flickrslideshow acct_name=”lrei-photos” id=”72157626599735036″ width=”460″ height=”345″]

The day concluded with an inspiring conversation with Michael Blake whose engaging story of pursuing a passion provided an important affirmation of the importance of service and civic engagement.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the influence of our eighth graders was profoundly felt by their peers and teachers during this year’s “Teach-In.” As a fitting conclusion to this work, the eighth graders will be presenting their work to a broader audience next Monday at the NYC Social Justice Expo at NYU (high school media students will also be presenting three social justice focused student created documentary films). The Expo is a forum for high school students around the city who have been working on social justice oriented projects to showcase them for each other and for other New York educators and activists. Well done and good luck!

Here are the links to the High School documentary films:

• Pediatric Cancer Research by Simon Staples-Vangel ‘12, Tiffany Ramos ‘12,  Leon Sukhram ‘13
• The Public Issue by Sam Irwin ‘12and Aaron Naves ‘12
• Gatfish by Arvid Logan ‘12,  Zac Teller ‘12  and Julian Pratt ‘12

Of General Interest . . .

1) Click here for the 2011-2012 school calendar.

2) Afterschool: There will be a special music event this Friday, April 29th, in the Sixth Avenue auditorium at 4:15. Our very own Ken Zwerin will be performing with his band, The Candy Shop Boys. The Candy Shop Boys is a five piece jazz band that plays music from the 1920’s through the 1960’s. The band consists of a violinist, tenor saxophonist, pianist, drummer and bassist. There will be plenty of audience participation including dance, art and improv! All are welcome!! Please note: Children who are not attending Afterschool on Friday must be accompanied by an adult. This is a free event.

3) BIG THANK YOU to all who participated in the coffeehouse fundraiser for Japan! So far, LREI with the previous bake sale and coffehouse combined has collected over $5000 for Japan’s Red Cross Society. Donations will still be accepted until May 6. Donation boxes are at reception at both Sixth Avenue and Charlton Street buildings.

4) From the Parents Association: Spring is here, so it is time to start planning for the next school year. The Parents Association would like to let you know the many ways you can participate. Becoming a parent rep is a great way to get involved. If you have not been a parent rep before but would like to try it or find out more about it, please let us know. We would be happy to talk to you more about what the job entails. You can also refer to the Family Handbook (accessible through our website www.LREI.org) for the Parent Rep Guidelines. We will be matching parent reps to classes in mid-August or so, when the class lists are finalized. If you’re looking for other ways to get involved, you could consider volunteering for any of our PA committees; please click here [http://lrei.org/ParentsAssociation/index.html] for the list. Please email us at PA-Presidents@lrei.org if you have any questions or suggestions. All parents are cordially invited to the Volunteer Thank You and Welcome Breakfast on Friday, May 20th, from 8 to 9:30 AM in the courtyard at 40 Charlton St. This event is for all present and future parent volunteers, and will be a time to learn more about what the PA does. Representatives of all PA committees will be present, so it will be a great opportunity to ask any questions you may have.

5) A message from Chap, Director of Diversity and Community: please join us for the screening of Straightlaced: How Gender’s Got Us All Tied Up during Part 3 of 3 of How to Raise an Ally: Social Justice at LREI, Friday, April 29, 8:45 – 10:45 am in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria. Click here for the flyer.

6) From the Red is Green Committee: For the remainder of the school year middle school science teacher Stephen Volkman’s Middle School advisory group is collecting batteries and corks for recycling. Their creatively designed boxes are in the lobby for your drop off. The group will also be collecting CD’s and cellphones. Watch for the new containers. Thank you to Steve and his group for their efforts.

7) From the LREI Community Service Committee: The 11th Annual Kids Walk is on Saturday, May 7, at 2 pm, in both Central Park, NYC and Turkey Swamp Park in Freehold NJ. All details are at www.kidswalkforkidswithcancer.org. As always, 100% of funds will be used for important pediatric cancer research at MSKCC. Please get all your friends and family to walk and to register at www.kidswalkforkidswithcancer.org!

• Registering online automatically creates a fundraising page so donors can sponsor you online. (Can’t make it to the park? Get online sponsors as a “virtual” walker!)
• Walkers under age 14 can’t register themselves online but parents can do that (use the “select someone to register” prompt, when registering or by logging back into your active.com account).
• Walkers can also register at the event. Just fill out the brochure and sign the consent form (this should be signed by a parent for walkers under 18).

8) Piano Painting Event for LREI Students and Families on Saturday, May 14, noon – 3pm: Sing for Hope, a New York City-based non-profit, will place 88 pianos in parks and public spaces throughout the five boroughs from June 18 – July 2.  A symbol of Sing for Hope’s commitment to make the arts available to all, the Pop-Up Pianos will unite and engage diverse communities throughout New York City. After their public residency, the Sing for Hope Pop-Up Pianos will be donated to local schools, hospitals, and community centers, enriching lives for years to come. Last year, LREI students painted the piano placed at Little Red Square!  This year, we are inviting LREI students and their families to do the same, under the guidance of a Sing for Hope Teaching Artist.  On May 14, from noon to 3pm, participants will have the chance to decorate a piano at Sing for Hope’s Piano Warehouse at 32 Avenue of the Americas in TriBeCa.  We hope that you will take part in this special celebration of public art! To sign up, RSVP to Rowena Penaranda-Askins at rpenaranda@lrei.org. To learn more about Sing for Hope, please visit www.singforhope.org.

9) Come check out the Afterschool blog at: http://blog.lrei.org/afterschoolphotos/. We have just posted The Afterschool Music Video!

10) The Big Auction will be at Capitale on May 11th. We are planning a great party and look forward to seeing you all there. For more information, click here.

11) LREI Camping Trip: The 18th Annual LREI Camping Trip will take place June 3-5 this year at the Riverbend Group Campground along the Delaware River. All LREI families and their children ­ from all grades fours 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.

12) Downtown Potluck, LREI’s own community cookbook, will be on sale in the Sixth Avenue lobby Thursday and Friday, May 5th and 6th, for all your spring gift giving needs. (Mother’s Day is May 8th!)

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

14) 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 Musical: This year’s middle school production of Oliver is next week on Friday, May 6th at 7:00PM and Saturday, May 7th at 2:00PM and 7:00PM. With a cast and crew of 60 students, this is one of the biggest musicals we have seen at LREI. The musical has been winning awards since 1963, but is still as exciting and entertaining as ever. Charles Dickens originally wrote the novel Oliver Twist, which is a rich story of the impoverished lives of characters in the 1850s in London, England. This musical is an entertaining and compelling adaption, with many musical numbers and larger than life characters. We celebrate the wonderful talents of our middle school students and hope that you all come. Tickets are on sale in the Sixth Avenue lobby between 8:00-9:00AM, so make sure you get yours before we sell out! Adults $12 and students and senior citizens $10.

2) Mark your calendars: Just a heads up that our annual MS Arts Festival will open tonight 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.

4) Afterschool Recitals:

• Tuesday, May 3rd at 5:30 – Early Concert for students ages 4s-1st grade. (This concert includes Piano, Voice and Instrumental (guitar/bass, drums, brass and flute) students, PAPAS
• Tuesday, May 31st at 5:30 – Piano & Voice Recital for 2nd grade – Middle School, PAPAS
• Tuesday, May 31st at 6:30 – Instrumental Concert for 2nd grade – Middle School, 6th ave auditorium

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) Some important dates :

• Wed, May 4, 2010, 8:00am — 8th Gr. DC trip Parent Mtg.
• Tue, May 10, 2010, — 8th Grade trip to DC (return on Friday)
• Tue, Jun 7, 2010, 6:00pm — 8th Grade Science Exploratorium
• Fri, Jun 10, 2010, 6:00pm — 8th Grade Moving Up Party
• Tue, Jun 14, 2010, 9:00am — 8th Grade Moving Up

2) On Friday, May 6th, the eighth grade will travel to Lincoln Center for a Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola performance of “Blues is the Roots.” This performance is part of the Jazz at Lincoln Center series.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .

1) On Friday, May 6th, the seventh graders will participate in our annual High School Arts Festival. The Arts Festival is an intensive one-day arts elective experience. Each student will participate in a workshop led by a practicing artist.

For Sixth and Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) Intramural Softball:  As of Tuesday, April 26th, we  moved to JJ Walker (located on the corner of Hudson and Clarkson). The coaches will meet the kids at JJ Walker. Practice starts at 7:00AM. This is a turf field, so sneakers are fine. We will walk the kids back to school after each practice. Click here to download a permission form. If you have questions, email Athletic Director Peter Fisher at pfisher@lrei.org.

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