Dear Families:

On Wednesday, we had our annual MLK assembly. We continued our tradition of using this assembly to examine social justice issues in the context of Martin Luther King’s words and work. This year’s assembly was organized by our eighth graders as a kick-off to a more comprehensive day-of-learning event that they will organize for the whole Middle School in April. The focus of our assembly was on making connections between social justice and sustainability issues both of which relate to the eighth grader’s year-long humanities theme “Choosing to Participate.” Through presentations on the impact of bus idling on health, industrial fishing in Africa, and the disposal of toxic waste in North Carolina, students introduced the concept of environmental racism and how these issues can have immediate and long-term local and far-reaching impacts. Students also shared poems that were written on a variety of sustainability themes; these poems crystallized their profound observations and deeply held convictions on this issue. The observations and insights offered were framed by an excerpt from King’s speech “Where do we go from here?” and video clips of social justice and environmental activists Van Jones and Paul Hawken. Our assembly concluded with a rousing performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” performed by the eighth grade members of the Middle School band The Special Guests. It was a truly thoughtful assembly the spirit of which was continued by students today in advisory as they engaged in a series of follow-up activities. Our eighth graders really rose to the occasion and left us all, students and faculty, with much to consider about how we can “choose to participate.” Well done!

This Friday, students will be coming home with their progress reports for the second quarter. We ask that students not open their reports in school or after school with friends. Rather, they should share them with you at home. The reports provide an important opportunity for shared discussion about successes to date and challenges to address as we move forward into the second half of the year. Our decision to move to reports that show a student’s progress over the four quarters was motivated by a desire to help students and families to see the work of a particular quarter in a broader context of their overall learning experience. Prior to receiving these reports, take the opportunity to speak with your child about his/her perceptions of the work s/he has completed this past quarter and how s/he sees this work in relation to the work completed last quarter. This will help to frame your discussions when you go over the progress reports together.

While progress reports 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.

Also on the subject of assessment, I’d like to say a few words about the upcoming ERBs, which are scheduled For February 12th-14th. 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.

This Week’s Attachments
General:
MS Parent Rep Meeting Minutes 1-15-08
Karamu Letter to Parents
Visibility Exhibit Letter
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) Karamu! —On Friday, January 25th from 6:00PM to 9:00PM the PA Multicultural Committee will host Karamu!, a celebration of food and the arts and community. Tickets are on sale in the Sixth Avenue lobby. This is one of the high points of each school year. For additional information click here.

2) NEWS from the MS Robotics Team:

• EVENT: First Lego League Robotics Championship Tournament
• When: Saturday, January 26th
• Time: 9:30AM-12:00PM & 1:00-2:00PM
• Location: Riverbank State Park (145th St. and Riverside Drive)

The Middle School Robotics Team season is coming to its grand finale! Both middle school teams won first place awards at the Manhattan Competition back in December and were invited to compete at the Citywide First Lego League Championship Tournament this Saturday, January 26th. The competition will bring together the top teams of the different New York City boroughs. Around 80 teams will be present at this event. You are all invited to come cheer us on! The more the better. If you come, please wear red to show your support for our team. Check out the links below for a more detailed schedule of the competition and directions on how to get there. If you have any questions feel free to contact LREI Robotics Team coach and Middle School science teacher Sherezada Acosta at sacosta@lrei.org. Hope to see you there!

3) The 2008 LREI Art Auction is only two weeks away:

• Wednesday, February 6th – Thursday, February 7th
  12:00 noon – 8:00PM
  Andrew Edlin and Kathyrn Markel Galleries
  529 West 20th Street, 6th Floor
  Admission is Free
• Kid’s Preview: Wednesday, February 6th from 4:00PM – 6:00PM.
  Bus available on Wednesday, February 6th from LREI’s Sixth Avenue building to 529 West 20th Street at 3:15PM.
• Reception & Final Bidding: Thursday, February 7th 6:00PM – 8:00PM

Visit our website to view a full list of artists and preview and for more information on Conditions of Sale, Absentee Bids and other important details. LREI Contact: Sandra Song 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org

4) Please read the attached letter from the LREI Lesbian Gay Straight alliance (LGSA) announcing the upcoming Visibility show. The deadline for photos and captions is February 11th.

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

6) 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/.

For all grades . . . .
1) From Middle School music teacher Henry Chapin: The Little Red Singers will rehearse Tuesdays during lunch/recess from 11:20AM-12:00PM. Any Middle School student who wants to sing can eat a quick lunch at 11:00AM, and then go to the auditorium. This gives an opportunity for students who don’t want to go outside for recess in the cold winter an alternative. The Wednesday afternoon rehearsal remains: 3:00PM until 4:00pm, snack provided! I encourage students to give this new schedule a try. There is no need to commit to the Little Red Singers at this time. Let’s sing together and stay warm.

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) Please make sure that your child is registered for the DC trip and that all balances are due by 3/4/08. Click here to access the registration form.

2) The eighth grade will travel to the Tenement Museum on Monday, February 4th. Students should bring a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles) on that day.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
No updates this week.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
No updates this week.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) On Thursday, January 31st, the fifth grade will travel to the Brooklyn Museum of Art to see the Egyptian collection. Students should bring a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, and bottles).

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.

Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and other interesting school-related information.

Be well,
Mark