What we’ve been writing . . .

Dear Families,

In the spirit of this week’s Book Fair, I thought I’d give you a glimpse at some of the literacy activities that have been taking place in Middle School core classrooms:

• In fifth grade, students are currently working on “A Day in the Life” journal entries written from the point of view of a real or fictional ancient Greek person. This is a culmination of their ancient Greek research unit in which students studied and took notes on a particular aspect of Greek life.
• In sixth grade, students recently completed a research project on the “ABCs of Islam.” They are currently in the middle of a poetry unit, exploring haiku (in conjunction with their study of Japan), personification poems, creative translations, elegy, poetry comics and concrete poetry. They’re also working on writing poems in the the styles of their favorite poets.
• In seventh grade, students recently completed vignettes modeled after Sandra Cisneros’ House on Mango Street. Currently, seventh graders are reading William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and will be writing literary essays on the role of fate and free will in the play. In these essays, students will argue whether or not the lovers were fated to die, and what role, if any, free will played in this tragedy.
• In eighth grade, students recently completed muckraking-style exposés on a sustainability issue after studying various Progressive Era and modern investigative journalists such as Upton Sinclair and Eric Schlosser. Students also took a variety of paths in their approach to their final written projects on Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. These included researching the real-life Scottsboro Boys trial, creating Boo Radley’s journal, interviewing friends and family about their experiences with the text, and doing a close reading of the text.

All impressive endeavors and reflective of the thoughtful approach to writing that takes place throughout the year. It is an approach that is grounded in the belief that while students must master the many aspects of writing as a craft, the literary terrain they travel must also inspire them to take risks in their thinking, to be bold in their writing, and to embrace writing as a medium for communicating their real insights and passions.

In a similar vein, thank you to those of you who were able to attend The Middle School Awards this past Tuesday evening. The number of students involved in extracurricular activities and the diversity of these activities was inspiring. There is no doubt that these opportunities, which challenge students to think and learn in powerful ways, contribute in important ways to our mission of educating the whole child. As with all endeavors, these experiences are not without their own obstacles (being over-matched by an opposing team, struggling to get the harmonies just right, having to adapt materials to meet a robotics challenge). However, when we see our students pushing themselves to do their best for themselves and for the team/group, the opportunities for learning are self-evident. These programs also provide students with the opportunity to “bump” into a new passion or to deepen a commitment to an area of interest and strength. Through our extracurricular programs, students with varied prior experiences and abilities regularly come together under the guidance of experienced teacher leaders to support each other as they work to be their best selves. I hope that this year’s Awards Night sparked some new areas of interest for students and faculty alike. I look forward to future evenings where we are able to come together as a community to celebrate this important work.

On the subject of our community, I’m pleased to let you know about the three new members of the Middle School faculty:

• Susannah Flicker who has worked this year in the lower school providing academic support will join the Middle School learning support team next year. Susannah will work primarily with the seventh grade team. Prior to coming to LREI, Susannah was the director of learning support at another NYC independent school
• Sara Roberts-Harding will join us as an eighth grade core teacher. For the past four years, Sara has taught middle school social studies in the NYC public schools. She made an immediate connection with our students during her visit and brings with her a solid background in project-based learning. Prior to her work in the public schools, Sara worked in a NYC independent school teaching and supporting a range of diversity initiatives.
• Matt McLean also comes to us from the NYC public schools. For the past 10 years he has taught music classes, directed choruses, run instrumental programs, and served as a musical director. His varied musical experience will be an asset to our music program.

All three are excited to join the LREI learning community and are looking forward to working with your children.

Be well,
Mark