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 Aaron and Isabella and eighth graders Cameron, Emma, Maya and Nicholas 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 blowing a bubble. 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. The members of the LREI team completed the task successfully and were awarded the prize for Most Creative Design. Well done!

We’re looking forward to the upcoming Family Conferences, which are scheduled for this Friday, April 18th, from 8:30AM-3:15PM and on Wednesday, April 23 from 12:15-3:30PM (this will still be a full day for students). These conferences will be with your child’s advisor and will address work completed in all subjects. Because the format of this conference will be different for some of you, I wanted to take a moment to share with you our ideas about the goals for the conference. 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.

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 many of your questions. If you have specific questions that are not answered by the end of the conference, we ask that you contact that teacher directly as s/he will be best able to answer the question. 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). 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.

While there is still much to be accomplished in the 2007-2008 school year, spring also signals the beginning of our formal planning cycle for the 2008-2009 school year. A crucial piece of this planning is the hiring process, which is well underway. I thought that it would be useful to update you on where we are in this process.

Middle School PE teacher and Co-Athletic Director Marcus Chang who has been on leave this year completing a Masters degree at Teachers College Columbia University will return next year. While he has been on leave, Marcus has continued to support the athletic program and we are excited to have him back full-time. That said, I would also like to thank Peter Fisher who has done an inspired job in Marcus’ absence and has helped to maintain our strong PE and athletic programs. I look forward to Peter’s continued contributions through the end of the year and hope that he will be able to continue to support our athletic program as a coach next year.

With regard to other faculty on leave, drama teacher Julia Collura has been on leave this year in London where she has also been completing a Masters degree. While a difficult decision, Julia has decided to remain in London and to pursue other opportunities. During her lengthy tenure at LREI, Julia has made important contributions to the life and programs of the school. She established lasting relationships with her students and with her colleagues and she will be missed. As a community, we are most grateful for the time, energy and passion Julia has given to LREI. Despite the distance, I know that she will continue to find ways to connect with the ongoing life of the school.

We have also been fortunate this year to have a talented drama teacher serving in an interim role for Julia. Joanne Magee has helped to move the Middle School drama curriculum forward and has ably stepped into the director’s role for the High School musical, the Middle School play, and the upcoming Middle School musical. In light of her excellent work, I have asked her to continue on in her position and am excited to report that she has accepted this on-going position. I look forward to working with Joanne and to the positive contributions that I know she will continue to make to the Middle School program.

Middle School learning specialist Jennifer Haakmat is also in the midst of completing a Masters program and for next year will go from four days a week to two days. Jennifer will continue to work with the eighth grade and we will hire an interim learning specialist to work with the seventh grade. We have already seen a number of excellent candidates for this position.

Finally, Middle School music teacher Henry Chapin Henry has decided to leave LREI in order to continue his work as a community dance and song leader and arts-in-education administrator. I am most grateful to Henry for the work that he has done in moving our music curriculum forward. And while we have certainly benefited from her energy and teaching expertise over the course of this year, eighth grade core teacher Leila Sinclaire has made the difficult decision to return to her home in Bay Area this summer with her husband. She is pulled westward by her extended family and hopes to expand her nuclear family in the not-too-far-off future. I wish Leila the best in her future endeavors and know that we have benefited as a community from her time with us.

We are in the process of identifying a set of promising candidates for interviews and demo lessons. we have already met a number of strong candidates and hope to conclude both of these searches soon. That we are only looking to hire for these two positions is a true testament to the quality and strength of the Middle School program. I am honored to work with such outstanding and passionate educators all of whom are equally committed to serving your children and to supporting each other in their own professional growth. Setting aside any pretense of modesty, the Middle School faculty really is an exceptional team!

This Week’s Attachments
General:
2008-2009 LREI Calendar
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) Next Monday evening, April 21, the Literary Committee invites you to stay home with your family and read together. Choose an old favorite, try a new story, or peruse poetry to get ready for our schoolwide Poem-in-Your-Pocket Day on Tuesday, April 22. Please click here for the flyer.

2) Big Auction 2008 is coming on May 1. You should have received an invitation during the last week – if not please contact Pippa Gerard at pgerard@lrei.org. Attached is a flyer about a wonderful auction tradition – the community afghan. If you are a knitter or crocheter there is still time to participate and donate a square to be included in the afghan. April 11th is the deadline for afghan submissions.

3) Mark you calendars! Come to the annual Middle School Art Show on Thursday, May 1st and Friday, May 2nd. Come and see artwork created by the Middle School students over the course of the year. The exhibition will be on display in the Sixth Avenue auditorium all day on the both days. Please join us for a closing reception on Friday, May 1st from 3:00-4:00PM. See you there!

4) A message from Chap, Director of Diversity & Community– Bringing the Conversation Home: Strategies for addressing challenging diversity topics your child brings home. Thank you to those who were able to attend last Tuesday’s diversity discussion. A list of articles and parent resources can be found at the following link: http://lrei.org/diversity/pdf/bit_parent_resources.pdf

5) AIDS Walk 2008: The AIDS Walk is an important LREI community service event and is scheduled this year for Sunday, May 18, 2008. We’re hoping for strong representation from all Middle School grades this year. Please remember that students in grades six and below must be accompanied by an adult. Registering for AIDS Walk New York has never been easier. Just click on this link below and choose your registration type (“Join a Team” — we are team #1222). If you prefer, you can always register by phone. Simply call (212) 807-WALK (9255) and they will be happy to register you. If you are not able to walk, please make every effort to support the team by making a donation.

6)  Save the date: The annual LREI Camping Trip is scheudlued for June 6-8. This event is a great, fun LREi family tradition! You can camp out on Friday night and/or Saturday night. You supply the tent and sleeping bags and we supply the food. Enjoy swimming, games, fishing, bird-watching and s’mores. For more information contact: David Trumbull at dave.trouble@gmail.com, Neil Capobianco at ncapobianco@seyfarth.com, or Larry White at lwhite@stern.nyu.edu.

7) As a class fundraiser, the ninth graders are collecting used ink jet cartridges and old/broken cell phones. They will send the collected items to an organization that recycles them and the class will receive cash for these items. Please note that the collection is limited to used ink jet cartridges and old/broken cell phones. For additional information go to www.fundingfactory.com. They will begin collecting used cartridges and cell phones on Wednesday, February 6th and will continue until Thursday, May 22nd. A collection box will be located in the Sixth Avenue lobby. Tell your friends and family about this opportunity so that these items can be recycled and don’t end up in landfills.

8) Summers at LREI news: You may download the registration form from the Summers at LREI website or call the Summers at LREI office to receive a hard copy in the mail. Registration for LREI Institute will begin in late March. Please see the attached flyer for a listing of the major workshops being offered this year. Feel free to contact the Summers at LREI office with any questions at 212-477-5316 ext. 506 or email cfriesen@lrei.org.

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

10) 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/.

• Luncheon Speaker Event: On Tuesday, May 6th, NYC-Parents in Action is holding a luncheon speaker event, “Ready, Set, Go: Preparing for Transitions in Childhood and the Tween Years”. The speakers are Jean Mandelbaum, Head of All Souls Preschool and Jeanette Friedman, consultant and therapist focusing on the causes and effects of substance use in teens and families. To receive your invitation to this luncheon, contact your NYC-PIA School Representative Carol Pratt.

For all Grades:
A reminder that Grandparents and Special Friends Day is scheduled for Friday, May 9. For Middle School students, those grandparents and special friends who do attend will be treated to a tour of the school by their student from 1:00-2:30PM, which will be followed by tea, coffee and discussion with Phil and I. We will send invitations home, which you can send to a grandparent or special friend. Click here to view the invitation.

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) Please note that the science Forensics Evening, which had been scheduled for Thursday, April 3, will take place on Wednesday, April 23, at 6:00PM in the Sixth Avenue auditorium.

2) The Eighth Grade DISC Dance has been rescheduled for this Friday, April 18. If your emergency contact information or plans for how your child will get home from the dance have changed from what was on your original permission form, please contact Lynne Cattafi at lcattafi@lrei.org with the correct information. The dance will take place at 40 Charlton Street and will run from 7:30-9:30PM.

3) For those students continuing on to the high school, the math placement exam will be given on Tuesday, April 29, 2008, 3:30PM – 4:30 PM at 40 Charlton Street.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) On Friday, April 25, the seventh grade will travel to Philadelphia for the day to visit Independence Hall and the Constitution Center. Additional information from Matthew and Victor will be forthcoming.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) Practice days for the fifth and sixth grade intramural softball program are Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7AM at Houston Street Ball Field. Players should bring gloves; all other equipment will be provided. If you have not done so already, you should also download and complete a copy of the permission form. Louis Hernandez and Peter Fisher will run the program.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Practice days for the fifth and sixth grade intramural softball program are Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7AM at Houston Street Ball Field. Players should bring gloves; all other equipment will be provided. If you have not done so already, you should also download and complete a copy of the permission form. Louis Hernandez and Peter Fisher will run the program.

2) A reminder that a follow up discussion evening with the folks from Parents In Action is scheduled for Thursday, May 8, at 6:15PM. Childcare will be available for this event. Please email Mary Shea directly at mshea@lrei.org to confirm that you will need childcare.

For additional information, follow these links:

• Calendar of Events
• 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 homework blog “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