From guest blogger Phil Kassen:

Dear Families,

I am often asked, at this point in the year, “So, how was the year?  Successful?  Are you happy with the way things are ending?”  My answer, invariably, is “Yes.”  We always have a good year. Children learn.  They are healthy and happy. New families join, seniors graduate to terrific colleges. Some things change for the better, some stay the same, also for the better.  So, “Yes,” we had a successful year this year. Can we demonstrate or illustrate this? It is not always easy to measure the success of a school (which is surprising given how much time we spend measuring our students’ progress.) Clearly, there are some indicators of how well we performed this year.  What follows, in no particular order, are my thoughts on some of our successes.

To measure success in the divisions, we can look to awards, accolades, championships, publications, etc.  To name a few:

• The high school robotics team came in first in their division in the NY region, advancing to the world championship where they came in 25th.  Upon their return to NYC, they began to “deconstruct” the 24 robots ahead of them and are planning for next year’s competition.
• A group of high school students won the award for best documentary at the Toronto Student Film Festival
• The 7th/8th grade girls’ basketball team ended their season in first place.  All other interscholastic basketball teams, in the middle and high school, made it through at least one round of playoffs.
• A number of other teams won championships or tournaments or, in individual sports, had students who came in first place—cross-country and track are two examples.
• Our recently published literary magazine IE is excellent this year, as always.  This volume is just one example of LREI’s terrific student publications, which include the yearbooks—Expressions and Really Red—and our high school newspaper, The Charlton Label.
• Throughout the three divisions there are a multitude of other demonstrations of learning—publishing parties, art shows and museums.
• In all three divisions, weekly gatherings are student led.
• We produced four major theatrical productions plus at least four smaller plays that came out of the classroom curriculum.  In addition, we held two seasonal concerts for the bands and choruses in which roughly 25% of the school participated.
• The number and variety of the field trips taken by our students is a true sign of our success as a mission driven school.
• A good number of faculty and administrators presented at conferences and workshops in New York and nationally.

Outside of the academic program:

• From an enrollment standpoint, we had a fantastic year.  Many, many applicants for all spots.  We were able to fill grades Fours-Nine with excellent students and families.  We are excited about the LREI community’s newest members and all that they will bring to the 2011-2012 school year.  We have enrolled our largest class of 9th graders ever at 63 students.  Almost 75% of eighth graders are moving up to ninth grade!
• We are thrilled by the college options and choices of the class of 2001.  Congratulations to them and thank you to our new college guidance team.  The colleges in which our seniors are enrolled are excellent, highly academic, diverse and inspiring.
• Teacher turnover is at an all-time low.
• Thanks to the generosity of the LREI community we are poised to meet our Annual Fund goal, though are still hoping that we will see an additional increase in participation. Thank you to all who contributed and to all who helped to solicit donations.  Thank you, in advance, to any who will contribute between now and June 30th. The Big Auction added significantly to our Annual Fund successes bringing in at least $250,000. Thank you to the organizers.
• We are proud of our successes in making the school accessible and inclusive. We feel successful about the ways in which we have worked with students and families on issues of equity and justice.
• The Parents Association had a successful year with ever increasing levels of participation in their various events.  Surely a sign of success.
• As you may know, almost a year ago, LREI was awarded a grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation to fund our work in looking ahead a number of years and adding to our high school program in ways that will assure that we are preparing our students for their future, even though we don’t know where it will take them or us. The redesign team has made excellent progress and our work will continue into the summer and fall. As do all E.E. Ford grants, we were required to match the $50,000 with $50,000 from the LREI community. At last accounting, we had raised $67,000 in gifts to this fund.  Thank you to all who contributed.

There are many other examples of success waiting to be included on the list above, a list that could cover many pages and still leave out something or someone. We should be proud of these accomplishments; they are exciting and say a great deal about what we value, about our students and teachers and how they spend their time.

To shift focus somewhat, we should also be proud of those things that are less easily seen, such as the four year-old who learns to separate from a parent, the first grader who learns to read and the third grader who begins to learn to do research.  We should celebrate success in learning math at all levels, in being a scientist searching for answers and in speaking in a world language. We must give pats on the back all around for robots built, for essays written, for literature deconstructed. This list, too, is long, as long as the list of each of our students is, as we know that each of them stretched intellectually this year.

Another indication of success, I am convinced, are the many, many conversations that are going on concerning the next steps in the growth of LREI’s program, about projects for the summer and plans for the next school year.  These are not plans to remediate failure or to fill giant gaps, but are the result of thoughtful reflection on how best meet the school’s academic mission.  This sort of ongoing reflection and innovation are essential to our mission.  It is a great success when our teachers, at the end of a busy and taxing school year, continue to plan for the further development of our program.  This is clearly the path to increased success for LREI and to achieving the true potential of our progressive program.

Finally, I spent a number of hours over the past week meeting, in small groups, with all of our seniors. The goal of these exit interviews was to get some feedback from our oldest, wisest and most mature students.  Their comments and thoughts were honest and constructive.  The students have high expectations for themselves and for their schoolmates and, most importantly, for the school. They were encouraging about the directions the school is currently taking and clear about those things that should not change as well about areas where the students felt we should focus some attention.  More so than the specifics of their comments, their ability to be self-reflective, to make mature and constructive suggestions and to hold themselves accountable for some of what they wish would have happened during their time in high school are the true successes of our program.  Along with their families, we have fostered decent, caring, smart and hard working citizens who are going off to college able and eager to have an impact on their new communities, to learn and to succeed.

–Phil Kassen

Of General Interest . . .

1) School Store: The store will be open for the last time this year on Wednesday June 8th, 8:00-9:00AM.
Be prepared for summer with LREI t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and water bottles!

2) Please read this important letter from school nurses Kitty Highstein and Sue Gower. You can also access school health forms at http://www.lrei.org/community/parents/downloads.

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

4) From the Parents Association: If you’re looking for other ways to get involved, you could consider volunteering for any of our PA committees; please click here for the list. Please email us at PA-Presidents@lrei.org if you have any questions or suggestions. PA Officers Poll: Each year the Parents Association asks its members to vote on a slate of officers and representatives for following school year. Click here for the ballot for the 2011-2012 school year. All parents/guardians of LREI students are members of the association and are encouraged to vote. There is no election for class parent representatives. If you would like to volunteer to be a parent rep, please speak to your divisional coordinator or the current year’ parent reps. Once completed, please return your ballot to the receptionist in either building. Copies of the ballot are available at the front desk of either building. Ballots can also be mailed to the school; please address them to Parents Association Elections.

5) 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.

6) 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 twelfth grade are invited to participate. 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. Further information about the camping trip can be found at: http://www.lrei.org/community/parents/pa/camping?rc=0

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

8) 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) Information about summer reading lists and summer assignments can be found here: http://libresources.lrei.org/mssummerreading. Next year’s core teachers will meet with students tomorrow to go over these assignments.High school teachers will met with eighth graders as well. On-line posting information will be available next week.

2) Just a heads up that the annual End-of-Year Middle School dance will take place on Friday, June 3rd in the Charlton Street PAC. The dance will start at 6:00PM and pizza and ice cream will be provided. The dance will end at 8:30PM.

3) From judo team coaches Larry, Frank and Ana: Our final Shiai (tournament) will be held at the Thompson Street Athletic Center on the afternoon of June 10th. This is the culmination of all the work the team has done this season. It is a chance for students to demonstrate what they have learned and for families to watch and cheer them on. It is well-attended and highly anticipated each year – we strongly encourage you to come. Every student on the team will earn a medal, and everyone who has participated this season will be promoted. We hope to see you there!’

4) Afterschool Events: On June 6th, Afterschool will be having our Karate Share and Enrichment Share. The Enrichment Share (including shares from Tap 1&2, Early Gymnastics, Gymnastics, and Moviemaking) will begin at 6:00pm in the PAPAS. All students who are already in Afterschool on that day will be given a pizza snack prior to performing. Doors will at 5:55pm for seating. The schedule is as follows:

The Karate Share (For Karate 2-5 students) will begin at 5:30 in the 6th Ave auditorium.

Tap for Monday, June 6th
5:40-5:50 Tap dancers will have a brief rehearsal with Derrick in the PAPAS
6:00 Enrichment Share begins in the PAPAS.

Moviemakers for Monday, June 6th
5:30-5:40 Students will have a brief meeting with Bradford in the PAPAS and stay with Bradford until the Share begins.
6:00 Enrichment Share begins in the PAPAS.

Early Gymnastics, Gymnastics for Monday, June 6th
All Gymnastics classes will meet at their usual class times on Thursday. All students who are not    picked up after class will return to Afterschool until their pizza snack at 5:30 in Dan/Jessica’s 4th Floor Room (Early Gymnastics) and Vonick/Jason’s 4th Floor Room (Gymnastics). Any students not staying for the pizza snack and not in Afterschool should meet their Gymnastics teacher in the designated classroom by 5:45. At 6:00 the Enrichment Share will begin.

5) On Friday, June 10th, the Middle School students will attend our High School Graduation Ceremony held at New York University. Please note that this is not an early dismissal day for Middle School students. Students will leave the Sixth Avenue building at about 12:45PM. At the graduation, Middle School students will be recognized for their hard work, completion of their current grade and their movement to the next and will join in the celebration of the accomplishments of the seniors as they move on to the next phase in their education. As this is a very special occasion, we ask that students dress appropriately—no jeans, no printed T-shirts, shirts with collars and shoes are preferable. After graduation, the students will return to the Sixth Avenue buildings by 3:15PM.

6) From Athletic Director, Peter Fisher: Get ready for LREI Basketball Camp! Great players are made in the off-season! Don’t miss this opportunity to work on basketball skills, play fun and exciting games, and hang out with all your friends! Varsity basketball coaches and players will be running drills and skill work in the mornings, breaking for lunch, and then running games and tournaments in the afternoons. The camp runs from 9AM-4PM for one week only: June 20-24. We have two gyms (Thompson Street Athletic Center and our High School) and are looking forward to a big turnout. The camp is open to all fourth though eighth graders, no matter their skill level. If you are interested, please contact Peter Fisher — pfisher@lrei.org 212-477-5316 ext 233

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) Please join is on Tuesday, June 7th, at 6:00PM in the Sixth Avenue auditorium for the Science Exploratorium. This culminating event will afford students an opportunity to share with you the fruits of their independent research on key science concepts that were explored throughout the year.

2) Mark your calendar: Eighth Grade Pre-Moving Up Party, Friday, June 10th. Please arrive by 6:00PM for the Potluck Dinner and Recognition Program. Additional details from your parent reps will follow. Click here to access the potluck sign-up form (make sure that you select the tab for the correct event).

3) The Moving Up Assembly/Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 14th, in the Sixth Avenue auditorium. The assembly will start promptly at 9:00AM and will run until about 10:30AM. Given space constraints we ask that only immediate family members attend (that being said, if there are extenuating circumstances please contact me directly). Immediately following the assembly, the eighth graders will return to their classroom and parents will exit out the Bleecker Street doors and gather by the steps in front of Sarah’s classroom. The rest of the Middle School community will exit the building from the Sixth Avenue side and then join families by the steps. When all are assembled, the eighth graders will receive their certificates and process one-by-one down the steps.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .

1) The seventh grade potluck breakfast and Constitution Works is scheduled for Thursday, June 9th. The breakfast will begin at 8:00AM in the seventh grade classrooms. Following the potluck, we will leave for the Constitution Works program at 9:15AM, which will be conducted at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. Parents are encouraged to attend this exciting event. Your parent reps will be in touch with you about the potluck breakfast. Click here to access the potluck sign-up form (make sure that you select the tab for the correct event).

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) The annual sixth grade poetry and potluck breakfast will take place on Tuesday, June 7th at 8:00AM in the cafeteria. Your parent reps will be in touch with you about the potluck breakfast. Click here to access the potluck sign-up form (make sure that you select the tab for the correct event).

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) Our annual Grecian Festival will take place on the evening of Wednesday, June 8th at 6:00PM. From 6:00-6:30PM, you are invited to view students’ projects in the classrooms. At 6:30PM, we will convene in the Sixth Avenue auditorium for a dramatic presentation, which will be followed by the fifth grade potluck in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. Your class reps will be contacting you about the potluck. Click here to access the potluck sign-up form (make sure that you select the tab for the correct event).

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