Dear Middle School Families,

We spend a lot of time in the middle school talking about the idea of perspective and the equally important interplay between differing perspectives. When students consider the meaning of historical events, an author’s intent, particular theories in science and mathematics or their own relationships with others, they are always bumping up against the complexities posed by the presence of differing views and the many underlying assumptions that can get in the way of understanding.

To explore some of these issues, fifth graders in Adolescent Issues played a game called Barnga. In the game:

Participants play a simple card game in small groups, where conflicts begin to occur as participants move from group to group. This simulates real cross-cultural encounters, where people initially believe they share the same understanding of the basic rules. In discovering that the rules are different, players undergo a mini culture shock similar to actual experience when entering a different culture. They then must struggle to understand and reconcile these differences to play the game effectively in their “cross-cultural” groups. Difficulties are magnified by the fact that players may not speak to each other but can communicate only through gestures or pictures. Participants are not forewarned that each is playing by different rules; in struggling to understand why other players don’t seem to be playing correctly, they gain insight into the dynamics of cross-cultural encounters. — Description by Andrea MacGregor

As the fifth graders moved through the game, frustrations increased as did some accusations of “cheating.” In the final round, each players’ ability to trust in the play of her/his partner was taken away as partners were switched and players found themselves struggling to make sense of their own partner’s play. As we debriefed the game, students offered a range of important insights whose relevance extends well beyond the narrow confines of the Barnga game. Here is a sampling of some of their thoughts:

• Don’t get mad if someone else sees something a different way.
• Poor communication can lead to conflict.
• Be patient and really listen to what others are trying to say.
• Be more flexible when dealing with others.
• Speak up when something doesn’t seem right.
• Try to work through misunderstandings.
• When people have different ideas in their heads, things can get confusing.
• Different people can have different ideas about things and both can be correct.
• To communicate well, you have to be sensitive and observant.
• Don’t assume that others have the same opinion or ideas that you do.
• It can be hard to work with someone with different views if you aren’t willing to listen to each other.
• When you don’t realize that you and another person are looking at things differently, it can create real problems.
• You shouldn’t assume that people see things the way you do.
• Your assumptions about things can often turn out not to be true.
• It can be hard to see things from another person’s point of view.
• We often spend too much time trying to convince others that our way of seeing things is the right way to see them.
• Don’t jump to conclusions when you don’t understand what someone else is doing.
• Sometimes you need to change what you are doing to work with others.
• You can sometimes learn more by going with the flow than with fighting it.
• Just because something looks the same doesn’t mean that it is.
• If you allow yourself to listen or look for the other side of the story you might learn something important.
• Communication tends to break down when you get angry.
• Always try to listen to what other people have to say.
• Thinking that you are always right can be a trap.
• Before you can really say something about someone you need to try and understand her/him.
• It helps to try to identify what the real problem is.
• Don’t always expect to be right.
• Respect the idea that the “same” experience can be different for each person involved.

Certainly, words of wisdom for us all. It is difficult work, but learning to unpack our assumptions and to recognize that we often see only “part of the picture” in our interactions with ideas and with others is a key driver behind the teaching and learning that takes place each day in the middle school.

Of General Interest . . .

1) 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:

• 2/11/2011 – Intramurals – Red/Blue TieDye/Black
• 2/14/2011 – MS Girls vs Packer 4PM
• 2/15/2011 – Varsity Teams Big Apple Conference Playoff 2 vs 3
• 2/16/2011 – MS Boys vs VCS 4PM
• 2/17/2011 – MS Boys vs BWL 4PM
• 2/18/2011 – Intramurals Playoffs
• 2/23/2011 – Varsity Boys and Girls ISAL PLAYOFF
• 2/24/2011 – JV Boys vs LFNY 4PM
• 2/25/2011 – Varsity Boys and Girls ISAL FINAL and Intramurals Playoffs
• 2/28/2011 – MS Boys and Girls Finals
• 3/1/2011 – JV Boys Playoff
• 3/3/2011 — JV Boys FINAL
• 3/4/2011 — Intramurals Finals/Consolation Game
• 3/11/2011 – Intramurals Parents Game

2) High School Musical: HAIRSPRAY: February 24th, 25th and 26th at 7:00PM and 2:00PM on Saturday the 26th in the PAC at 40, Charlton Street. Tickets on sale Tuesday, February 16th, at 8:00AM in both school lobbies. $10 students and senior citizens, $12 for adults.

In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. She then launches a campaign to integrate the show. HAIRSPRAY is not only a social commentary on the injustices of parts of American society in the 1960s but also a story of how a single person can make a change within a community. Tracy is a tornado of positivity and open mindedness that we follow as she navigates through high school and beyond.

LREI’s high school students have been working hard in rehearsals through this tough winter to bring you a spectacular show. We guarantee to warm you up and blast away the winter blues! This huge production, with larger than life characters and up beat numbers featuring our fantastic students should not to be missed. HAIRSPRAY is for the whole family and we sincerely hope you will come and support the many high school students and faculty involved.

• Directed by Joanne Magee and Lorna Jordan
• Musical Director: Matt McLean
• Choreographer: Peggy Peloquin
• Set Design: Jorge Dieppa
• Costume Design: Mark Caswell
• Vocal Coach: Susan Glass

3) Community Service Committee: LREI COLLECTION DRIVE FOR ROOM TO GROW: Help a baby born into poverty by donating to room to grow (new and nearly new items for children aged 3 months -7 years old; clothing, toys, strollers, high chairs, all in good condition). Click here to view a flyer with complete details.
WHEN: Monday, February 14th – Friday, February 18th.
WHERE: Drop-off bins will be located in the Sixth Avenue lobby each morning from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. To receive a receipt for tax purposes, please fill out the attached form with information about your donations and return to the front desk.

4) Red is Green: In February the Red is Green Committee will be recycling plastic bottle caps.  We are collecting rigid plastic caps such as caps on shampoo, water, milk and other beverage bottles. Also, pharmaceutical lids, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), and laundry detergents.  When these caps are thrown away, they often end up in rivers and oceans with drastic consequences for both wildlife and the environment. The caps will be recycled through the Aveda plastic bottle cap recycling program. Caps can be dropped off in the collection bin in the 6th avenue lobby. Click here to view a flyer with complete information.

5) 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, a children’s and young adult book discussion event for parents, sponsored by the LREI Literary Committee. It will be held on Thursday, April 7th, from 6-8pm, in the Sixth Avenue building. Sign up for one of four book discussions led by our LREI librarians featuring titles that your children have read and enjoyed. 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. Books will be made available for order through the LREI Literary Committee, and make great additions to your child’s bookshelf. Click here for the list of books/order form and credit card authorization form. Childcare will be available for those attending WELL REaD.  The cost will be $15 per child and $5 for siblings.  A sign-up sheet will be available at the front desk (you may also e-mail Mary Shea, at mshea@LREI.org). We’re looking forward to a night of lively discussions. Hope to see you there!

6) Come check out the Afterschool blog at: http://blog.lrei.org/afterschoolphotos/
New posts include Reds: Experiments/Explorations: Bones Project- 1/25; Choice Friday: Rope Swing Art-1/28; Reds: Art Day: Hand Art-1/31, Blues Stop Motion Animation Art Project (Fall), and Blues/Reds Cooking Project: Monkey Bread- 2/3

7) 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.

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

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

10) 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) Please join Director, Phil Kassen on Monday February 14, 2011 at 8:00AM in the Sixth Avenue Library to learn about the re-design of the high school curriculum and how LREI is preparing our students for life in the 21st Century. RSVP to lsacks@lrei.org, (212) 477-5316 ext.291

2) ERBs are scheduled for February 15th-17th. 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.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) On Friday, February 11th, author Cynthia Leitich Smith (http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/) will visit the eighth grade class. She writes a series of paranormal romances, similar to the Twilight series. Students will have an opportunity to read excerpts of her work prior to the visit.

2) Click here to read librarian Jennifer Hubert’s most recent Social Justice Project post to her blog.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .

No updates this week.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) A reminder that tomorrow, Friday, February 11th, is the Sixth Grade DISC dance. The dance runs from 7:00-9:00PM and is being hosted by St. Lukes (487 Hudson Street). Permission forms will be handed out next week. Please make sure that your child returns the permission form along with the dance fee of $5.

For Sixth and Fifth Grade Families . . .

Intramural Basketball: The link to the schedule can be found HERE. Below is our season schedule:

• Every Tuesday – Blue and Green Teams practices from 7-8AM at TSAC (145 Thompson St.)
• Every Wednesday – Black Team practices from 7-8AM at TSAC (145 Thompson St.)
• Every Thursday – Red and Tie Dye Teams practices from 7-8AM at TSAC (145 Thompson St.)

Game Schedule:
Friday Feb 11th – Red vs Blue 3:30, Tie Dye vs Black 4:15 – Green – Bye Week
Friday Feb 18th – Playoffs
Friday Feb 25th – Playoffs
Friday Mar 4th – Consolation and Championship
Friday Mar 11th – Parents Game 3:30

**The last practice will be March 3rd, no practices the week of the parents game

If you have any questions, please let me know!

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) Some photos from Ana’s advisory at the food pantry and deli trip:

[flickrslideshow acct_name=”lrei-photos” id=”72157626018949972″ width=”460″ height=”345″]

[flickrslideshow acct_name=”lrei-photos” id=”72157625893638521″ width=”460″ height=”345″]

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