Dear Families,

With the end of the first quarter just behind us, progress reports and family conferences are just around the corner. During the next few days, you will receive an email from your child’s advisor with information about how to sign up for a conference. Conferences are scheduled for November 7th and 14th (the Middle School will be closed on both days). Progress reports will go out on Tuesday, November 4th. As part of our sustainability efforts they will be sent out as pdf files. You will receive a paper copy of the fourth quarter report that will include progress report information for the whole year.

Progress reports provide an important opportunity for shared discussion about successes to date and challenges to address as we move forward into the second quarter. I encourage you to review the section on progress reports in the handbook so that you are familiar with the format of the reports.

For sixth grade families, this will be your first set of reports with letter grades. Letter grades are based on a set of evaluations in three categories that are outlined on the report card. There is some variability in these categories across subjects. The reported letter grades reflect a student’s progress in comparison to grade level expectations. For example, a “C” means progress that is approaching grade level expectations and a “B” signifies progress that meets grade level expectations. However, within these ranges could be unsatisfactory class participation balanced by excellent quiz scores and/or homework assignments. It is natural for there to be some anxiety around grades. As with all assessments, it is important for students and families to view them as representative of where the student stands as a learner at a particular moment in time. Areas of struggle as indicated by reported grades can be addressed by committed hard work.

Our decision to move to reports that will show a student’s progress over the four quarters was motivated by a desire to help students to see the work of a particular quarter in a broader context of their overall learning experience. Prior to receiving the reports, take the opportunity to speak with your child about his/her perceptions of the work he/she has completed this past quarter. This will help to frame your discussions when you go over the progress reports together.

For all families, while progress reports and family conferences provide an opportunity to reflect on a student’s progress and to think about strengths and challenges, it is important to remember that assessment is an on-going process at LREI; it is a means to an end, but not an end in and of itself. Its aim is to improve student understanding of key ideas and skills. In the Middle School, teachers strive to develop assessments that are learner-centered and focused on student understanding in relation to the particular goals identified for each area of inquiry. Rather than being separate from learning, assessment plays a central role in the instructional process. The assessment process also sheds light on which instructional strategies are most effective. Through thoughtful assessment, the teacher gains critical feedback for choosing and utilizing those teaching strategies that can best help a learner progress towards the goals of a particular unit of study. Opportunities for meaningful assessment also allow students to gain deeper insight into areas of strength and challenge and allow them to develop plans to address growth in both of these areas.

The Family Conference is an extension of these assessment activities and should be viewed as a dynamic opportunity to talk about growth and development. The student’s presence and participation in these discussions is of vital importance. The Family Conference affords the student an opportunity to reflect, applaud, and problem-solve with two of her/his most important advocates, family members and her/his advisor. These conferences should be approached with a forward-looking perspective. As prior performance is reviewed, all of the participants should seek to work together to identify strategies and opportunities for learning that will support the student’s continued growth and development.

The Family Conference in the Middle School places the student at the center as an active participant. We do this for a number of reasons:

1. to encourage students to accept personal responsibility for their academic performance;
2. to help students develop the reflective skill of self-evaluation;
3. to facilitate the development of students’ organizational and oral communication skills and to increase their self-confidence; and
4. to encourage students, parents, and the advisor to engage in open and honest dialogue.

Family conferences are an important part of the educational experience at LREI. They are important for students, parents/guardians, and teachers. Like all learning opportunities, the Family Conference requires trust and a willingness to take risks on the part of all participants. While the conference may not be tension-free, it does provide an opportunity for inquiry and understanding. Here are two discussion ideas that you might want to consider as you prepare for these important dialogues:

• share with your child memorable experiences from when you were a middle school student and consider why such memories may be important to the educational life of your child
• explore how you and your child approach the concept of learning and reflect on why looking at the differences and similarities in your responses might be important.

In preparation for these conferences, Middle School students will spend  time reflecting on their work thus far this school year. With their teachers’ and advisor’s guidance, students will identify areas on which to focus during the next quarter and will develop plans for achieving these goals. Your child will have these reflections with her/him during your conference. Here are some additional topics/questions that you might reflect on before your family conference:

• Your child’s work habits at home–when are the most and least successful?
• Which assignments, or types of assignments, seem to lead to the most success? To be the most frustrating?
• Is our organizational plan working for your child? How is your child managing her/his time?
• When you and your child discuss school/school assignments at home, are there consistent themes that should be discussed at the conference?
• Are there extracurricular commitments or extenuating circumstances that should be discussed at the conference?

There’s no doubt that conferences are hard work, but the potential for learning that can take place when all participants commit to the process is clearly worth the effort.

I look forward to seeing you at the conferences.

This Week’s Attachments
General:
Eighth Grade:
DC Trip Registration Form
Seventh Grade:
Williamsburg Itinerary, Packing List and Permission Form
Fifth and Sixth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) Click here for important information for current families applying another child to LREI.

2) Please read the attached letter from the PA Literary and Multicultural committees.

3) The annual LREI Halloween Fair is just around the corner (Sunday, October 26). Volunteers are still needed. For more information, please read the attached flyer.

4) Red is Green Committee: Our very first committee meeting will be held on Monday, October 27th, at 9:30AM in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. We will typically meet the last Monday of every month. Please see the online school calendar for the actual meeting dates. We look forward to meeting with all of you and discussing how we can make LREI more “green,” teach our children about the impact we have on our community and the environment and find ways to give back as a community in “green” ways. If you have ideas or suggestions about topics you would like addressed at this committee or future meetings, please feel free to email us. Kim Beck (kbeck2@nyc.rr.com — cell: 917-225-4753), Liselotte Vince (lhommen@hotmail.com — cell: 646-321-9436) Looking forward to seeing you on the 27th!

5) LREI Family Book Night is scheduled for Wednesday, November 5th at 6:30PM in the Sixth Avenue auditorium (not the Charlton Street PAC as reported last week). The theme for this year’s event is Beyond Batman: Graphic Novels for Kids and Teens. This year, your LREI librarians have teamed up with some of today’s hottest authors and illustrators of graphic novel to present an enlightening and enlivening evening of graphic novel recommendations for all ages. Along with the traditional recommendations from the librarians, Jesse Karp (Early Childhood and Interdivisional Librarian) will be moderating a Graphic Novels panel. Panelists will include Holly Black (The Good Neighbors: Kin, Beyond Spiderwick, Tithe) Cecil Castellucci (The Plain Janes, Janes in Love, Beige, Boy Proof) Geoffrey Hayes (Benny and Penny) Steven Sheinkin (The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, Rabbi Harvey Rides Again) and LREI parent Voltaire (Deady Bear, Oh My Goth). A selection of the recommended titles will be for sale. We welcome an audience of third grade and up. Children of all ages are welcome; there will be childcare available for the younger set, with pizza and story reading.

6) From the Big Auction Committee: The Big Auction will be held on March 5th,  2009 and the Art Auction is scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 school year. You should have received a letter in the mail, along with a donation form. Our goal this year is to have every parent solicit one item for the auction…we hope that you will join us in realizing this goal! If you have any questions or would like to discuss a potential donation, please contact Jenn at jenn_espo@msn.com or Mamie at mamie.mcindoe@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can also contact the Office of Advancement. Pippa can be reached at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org, and Sandra at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org. Thank you in advance for your support!

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

8) 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 2008-2009 calendar. You can also access their website at http://www.parentsinaction.org/.

• November 11, 2008
  An Expert’s Guide to Negotiating the Prickly Points of the ‘Tween Years
  Temple Israel, 112 East 75th Street, 12:00-2:00 pm
  Speaker: Julie Ross, M.A., Executive Director and Founder of Parenting Horizons; Author of “Practical Parenting for the 21st Century: The Manual You Wish Had Come With Your Child” and “How to Hug a Porcupine: Negotiating the Prickly Points of ‘Tween Years”

For all grades . . .
1) This Saturday is the city-wide Fall It’s My Park! Day 2008 where thousands of New Yorkers volunteer in their neighborhood park. As we do each year for this event, we will turn our attention to taking care of Little Red Square. We will be doing planting and planning for the construction of new barriers for the tree pits. Come for an hour or several hours. If your child(ren) (and you) are interested in joining us please let me know.

2) The annual Halloween fair is this Sunday and it is an excellent volunteer opportunity for Middle School students. Opportunities for middle schoolers include:

• Assisting an adult volunteer with a game  (e.g., resetting bowling pins, giving out prizes)
• Assisting adult volunteer at a craft table  (e.g., helping children with a craft activity, restocking supplies)
• Working one of the “stores” on our spooky trick or treat street. This will require a small measure of acting skills — kids  will be handing out candy and prizes from their stores, with an emphasis on the treat rather than the trick, no scaring the little kids!)
• Helping at the cupcake decorating tables (e.g., cleaning up, refilling bowls with toppings)

Shifts for adults are 90 minutes (1:00-2:30PM and 2:30-4:00PM).  Middle schoolers might want to pair up and split shifts for 45 minutes each. Interested students should sign-up by Friday on sign-up sheet posted on the Community Service bulletin board in the middle school stairwell. Alternatively, you can email Zoe Picayo at zedpicayo@aol.com to let her know how your child would like to help.

3) Retakes and individual and class pictures for the fifth and sixth grade will be taken on Tuesday, November 18th. If you want your child to do a retake, please contact me directly at msilberberg@lrei.org. You will receive proofs in the mail directly from Coffee Pond and can choose which photograph you like best. All orders will be placed online using the Coffee Pond website. If you have any questions about ordering, you can email Coffee Pond at lifeguards@coffeepond.com or call 800.635.2323 between 9AM and 5PM on weekdays.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .
1) Next week (Wednesday-Friday), the eighth grade will participate in Minimester at the high school. Thisis an exciting time to experience life in the high school and to dig into an exciting elective offering. For more information about Minimester, please read High School principal Ruth Jurgensen’s blog for this week.

2) From Phil: I want to extend an invitation to you to join a tour of the High School this month. Eighth grade parents are invited tour our classrooms and see our students and teachers in action on Monday, October 27th. The tour will begin at at 9AM. If you are unable to make this date, please contact Director of Admissions Samantha Caruth at scaruth@lrei.org or at extension 305. Samantha can arrange a visit for a time that is more convenient for you. In addition to the morning tours, we also invite LREI eighth grade students and parents to attend the High School Open Houses. The open houses provide a forum for students and parents to speak directly with faculty and students about curriculum and program in the High School. The evening events are scheduled for Thursday, October 23rd and Monday, November 3rd. Both open houses will start at 6:30PM. We hope you will join us for one of these visits, and see the High School as the right next step for your son or daughter. Please don’t hesitate to contact Mark, Ruth or me with any questions.

3) While the trip to DC is not until the spring, please use the attached form to register your child for the trip. If you have questions about payment, please do not hesitate to contact me.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) The expected arrival time back from Williamsburg is 4:00PM. For more accurate arrival information, you can call the reception desk.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) Click here to view the photo gallery from the Ashokan trip.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Click here to view the photo gallery from the Ashokan trip.

2) Click here to read the new math unit letter from Ana Chaney. Thank you to those of you who were able to attend the Math Breakfast. We hope that you found the presentation and activities useful in helping you to understand the Middle School math program.

3) On Thursday, November 13th, the fifth grade will visit the Met to view their Ancient Near East collection. Students will need to bring a lunch on this day (no nuts, seeds, and glass bottles).

===============For additional information, follow these links: ===============

• View important middle school dates here.
• View all events with the LREI On-line Calendar
• LREI Athletics. For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and season recaps.
• Click here to view the Middle School Photo Gallery.

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