Dear Families:

At this Wednesday’s Middle School Meeting, we had our annual National Geography Bee. Prior to this, students competed in their homerooms to identify our eight finalists. The first round was exciting and challenging. Students pondered a range of questions and supported each other as we worked through this preliminary competition. A number of these competitions were decided by tie breakers, which added to the excitement. So with a thank you first to all of those students who participated, the participants in the Final Round were as follows: Fifth Grade – Marcelo and Ryan, Sixth Grade – Josh and Julian., Seventh Grade – Adam and Hannah, and Eighth Grade – Micki and Nicholas. At the end of the Final Round, two students – Micki and Nicholas – moved on to the Championship Round. The Championship Round was decided after three questions with Micki emerging as the champion. Next week, he will take the qualifying exam for the State Geography Bee competition. The state level competition will take place in the spring in Albany, NY. Congratulations to all of the finalists for a job well done.

In addition to the good fun that the National Geography Bee provides, it also points to the critical importance that a basic understanding of geography plays in being an informed citizen of the world. As technology makes the world smaller and increases our interconnectedness, we should not let ourselves be fooled into thinking that the boundaries, borders, and geographic features of our planet don’t matter any more. The geography of our planet provides a key to understanding important aspects of history and culture and provides a lens for focusing on issues that are “of the moment.” Knowing where something is by necessity establishes a relationship between places. With an understanding of place, we can gain a deeper insight into the people who inhabit that place while we simultaneously gain new insights about our own place in the world. It is these moments of insight that help to define us as citizens of the world.

Also at this week’s Middle School meeting, we formally recognized the 2007-2008 Irwin Scholars. The Irwin Scholars program is a merit-based scholarship that recognizes eighth graders for their sustained commitment to academic excellence, active participation in the life of the Middle School, service to the community, demonstrated leadership, and the potential to serve as a community leader in the High School. This year we had a most excellent cohort of applicants; this made the selection process all the more difficult because the quality of applicants was so strong. I would like to extend my thanks on behalf of the faculty and administration to all of the applicants for their thoughtful essays and interviews and am pleased to share with you the 2007-2008 Irwin Scholars. They are Ama, Deion, Hannah S., Nicholas, and Quinn.

On another celebratory note, this from former MS and current HS parent Chris Fleming:

I had the pleasure of being one of the chaperones accompanying the 29 LREI middle and high school students to the American Library Association (ALA) Mid-Winter Conference in Philadelphia on Sunday. To say they were impressive is an understatement. Led by our incredible librarians; Jennifer, Karyn, Stacy and Kerri the students were given a few guidelines and were free to roam the exhibits. On the exhibit floor I witnessed them politely and enthusiastically engage in conversations with the book publishers and exhibitors. But they really sparkled at the Teen press conference attended by publishers, editors and librarians. Clad in various LREI shirts and sweatshirts the students individually stepped up to the mics to share their book reviews. They were articulate, humorous, full of insight and completely honest. It was clear to everyone that these students were well read and had strong opinions about literature. You would have been very proud of them.

An indeed we are!

This Week’s Attachments
General:
Karamu Letter to Parents
Visibility Exhibit Letter
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) Middle School “Pajama Day” is scheduled for this Friday, January 18th. Highlights will include hot chocolate and cookies at lunch and stories read by eighth graders during independent reading. Here are a few guidelines, which were developed by the Student Representatives on the occasion of the first Pajama Day:

• Just because it’s Pajama Day doesn’t mean the dress code went to sleep
• A robe adds a nice touch
• No lingerie or underwear
• If you wear boxers, please wear some type of undergarment beneath
• Slippers are fine, but you should bring a pair of shoes/sneakers (especially if you have PE)
• Blankets and stuffed animals are welcomed, but should not be so big that they require their own desk
• If you don’t wear pajamas, we do not want to know about it!
• If you can imagine Mark wearing it, it is probably okay.

2) 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 will go on sale soon. This is one of the high points of each school year. For additional information click here.
3) MLK Day: We encourage all families who are able to do so to make this year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—Monday, January 21st—a day on rather than a day off. As stated by the Mayor’s Volunteer Center, “The mission of the MLK Day of Service is to realize Martin Luther King’s dream and legacy by breaking down barriers amongst people and establishing volunteer service as a means for social change.” Among the service opportunities available on this day are:

• “Share the Dream, Live the Reality” will be held on Monday, January 21, 2008, from 9:00AM-3:30PM. The event will take place in Queens at Long Island City High School, 14-30 Broadway, Long Island City, NY. Please register now to join hundreds of volunteers and help revitalize the community by painting murals, cleaning schools, and giving back to the community. Register online as an individual or group. For additional questions, please call Shante Smith at 212-542-0798 or visit http://www.cityyear.org/newyork.
• 5th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Anti-Hunger Serve-A-Thon
  On January 19th-21st, 2008, celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday by partaking in the New York City Coalition Against Hunger (NYCCAH) 5th Annual Anti-Hunger Serve-A-Thon. The Anti-Hunger Serve-A-Thon is similar to a walk-a-thon, but instead of walking you’re performing a service to help pantries and kitchens meet their immediate needs. Individuals and groups can sign-up through the Coalition’s Volunteer Matching System to serve at selected food pantries and/or soup kitchens on Saturday, Jan. 19, Sunday, Jan. 20, and/or Monday, Jan. 21. The time commitment is flexible and is meant to fit within a busy schedule. Service opportunities will be available in all five boroughs. For questions, contact Andrea Dispenza 212-825-0028 ext 202, adispenza@nyccah.org.
• Children for Children (http://www.childrenforchildren.org) hosts an annual event on this day. Last year, more than 2,000 volunteers came together for this event and we look forward to another momentous day this year. Participants will have the chance to complete a wide variety of hands-on projects, benefiting many different New York City-based and international causes. See their website for more details.

4) Please read the attached letter from the LREI Lesbian Gay Straight alliance (LGSA) announcing the upcoming Visibility show.

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: Starting this week, 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. The Wednesday afternoon rehearsal remains: 3:00PM (or, after dismissal) until 4:00pm, snack provided! This gives an opportunity for students who don’t want to go outside for recess in the cold winter an alternative. 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) Parent meetings for the foreign language class trips to Spain and France will take place on Wednesday, January 23rd at 800AM. Gabrielle’s meeting will be held in the auditorium and Sharyn’s meeting will be held in the science lab. These meetings will provide an opportunity to here more about the specifics of the trip and to ask questions. Some additional points to help you prepare for the meeting:

• We will be asking for information including medical info and prescriptions, allergies, emergency contacts, birthdays abroad, etc.
• Please bring in a copy of your child’s passport (or the passport and we’ll make a copy).
• We will talk about the itinerary, evening activities, currency (electrical and monetary), etc.
• Please plan to be there with your child so that everyone is on the same page in terms of educational and behavioral expectations.

You can email Gabrielle (gkeller@lrei.org) or Sharyn (shahn@lrei.org) anytime with questions/concerns that you’d like addressed at the meeting.

2) Please click here for the new math unit letter.

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

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) On Tuesday, January 22nd, the sixth grade will travel to St. John the Divine for a series of medieval-themed workshops. Students should bring a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, and bottles).

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).

2) Please click here for the new math unit letter.

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