Curriculum Night

Dear Families,

 

Thank you so much for attending curriculum night this past Monday. Even though it is one of many events to get families, advisors, teachers and administrators together in the fall, because it is the first one and the one where we get to show our incredible and varied program to students’ families, it is one of the faculty’s favorite events. In case you were unable to attend, let me highlight some of the things families learned:

 

  • This is the first year of Chinese IV. In Chinese IV, Twelfth Graders will prepare for the choice of taking the Advanced Placement test in the language, and Guo-Qing has added materials found at the National Chinese Language Teachers Conference last spring and during her study trips to China. Some new materials for all levels of Mandarin Chinese include supplemental interactive and multi-media materials called “Live Interactive Chinese” which will help to engage the students more directly with contemporary Chinese culture and the living language.
  • The English Department is offering new electives in the Eleventh and Twelfth Grades, including, “Oh, Boy! Exploring Masculinity in Contemporary American Culture,” “There’s No Place Like Home: The Return from War,” “Fierce and Fabulous: Feminist Women Writers,”From Fiction to Film: The Art of Adaptation,” and “We Are Pilgrims Here: Reading Dante’s Divine Comedy.”
  • We have a new science course in the Twelfth Grade, “Experimental Design,” a project-based physics class, an alternative to the math-based physics class we also offer in the Twelfth Grade.
  • We have a new math course, also for Twelfth Grade, a course that is between precalculus and calculus, called Advanced Math, where students study graph theory for management science, logic for information science, financial math, statistics and probability for voting and social choice, and more.
  • Our new teachers, English instructor Celine Kagan, biology teacher Margaret Magee, math teacher Sergei Mihkelson, and tech coordinator Stephen MacGillivray are making a huge difference in students’ lives already. We are thrilled to have them with us.

If you missed curriculum night, please note a couple of dates. Starting Oct. 2, every Thursday through November 20, I will host a drop in coffee from 7:45 AM to 8:15 AM in the cafeteria. This is a very informal event; feel free to attend any or all.

Parent/Advisor conferences are November 14, all day. Your child’s advisor will be in touch at the end of October or the beginning of November to make your appointment. Before conferences, several classes are hosting potlucks. The grade-level potluck dinners are organized by parents and hosted by class deans and advisors. They are informative and provide families with the opportunity for fellowship. All potlucks begin at 6:30 PM unless noted and are in our cafeteria or in the PAC.

  • Ninth Grade Potluck: October 7, 2008 (This potluck will also include discussion on the topics of student wellness and responsibility in high school with school psychologist Dr. Andrew Weiss and school nurse, Joanne Gouge, R. N.)
  • Tenth Grade potluck: October 21, 2008
  • Eleventh Grade Potluck: January 13, 2009 (This potluck will begin at 6:00 PM, with the College Night program beginning at 6:30 PM in the PAC)
  • Twelfth Grade Potluck: October 2, 2008 (This potluck will begin at 6:00 PM, with the College Night program beginning at 6:30 PM in the PAC)

Finally, a most important calendar note. Class Picture Day is on Friday, Oct. 4! While we take wonderful class pictures which will be available for purchase through a password protected online service, we do not take individual pictures.  If you are interested in individual pictures, we can coordinate with the photographers who come to the lower school and middle school to take your child’s individual photo.

Have a great weekend!

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:
LREI participates in a voluntary program under which we have agreed to reduce our energy consumption when peak energy requirements may place extreme demands on the system. In preparation for an actual event of this kind, we are required to reduce energy consumption in exercises (not real events) that take place twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer. As you may have heard from your children, today we participated in such an exercise. From 11:00AM-12:00PM we turned off as many lights, computers and other electronic devices/appliances as possible. All seems to have gone smoothly.

  • The school’s calendar can be accessed by clicking here.
  • Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.
  • For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and game recaps.

1. Acclaimed author T.A. Barron will be visiting LREI on Monday, September 29th to introduce Merlin’s Dragon, the first book in his new trilogy. After speaking with the sixth grade, Mr. Barron will be available to meet, speak with, and sign books for all students and parents from 3:15-4:15PM in the Sixth Avenue library. Orders for books must be placed in advance through the attached payment form and informational flyer.

2. Ronnie Halper, P’11, is the Vice-President for the Parent Association and is available if you need to talk to someone, bring an issue or question to the Parent Association, or would like to know how to get involved. She can be reached at rsh@panix.com.

3. Please make a note: ASC After-School Homework Sessions: The ASC is available for after-school homework/quiet study on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 pm to 5:45 pm. This is an excellent time for students to study independently in a quiet, supervised environment or meet with me for extra planning or organizational assistance. Students may also obtain extra homework help in certain subjects (English, History, Spanish). And if students fall behind in their work, faculty are encouraged to require students to make-up missing assignments in the ASC during these sessions. Please be sure to pass this information along to your child.

 

 

 

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