Dear Families,

First of all, thank you so much for all of the good wishes! John and I are very excited about the new member of our family, due in April.

As you know, we are committed to community service. Please read the following message and call to action, if you will, from Community Service Coordinator (and School Historian), Nick O’Han:

Dear Parents,
At Curriculum Night, I mentioned that I would be soliciting your help in strengthening our school’s community service program this year. A number of parents approached and told me about their involvement as volunteers and, in some cases, as professionals in serving the community. I’d appreciate if others among you would take the time to share your thoughts and ideas. Our goal is to provide opportunities for meaningful and sustained commitments to others through service and civic endeavor. Perhaps you can share with us your knowledge of programs, agencies or nonprofit volunteer organizations that would provide our students with such opportunities.

Learning through service and civic engagement has been a core principle of the high school since it’s founding. As our mission statement reads, “our goal is to educate students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners and to pursue academic excellence and individual achievement in a context of respect for others and service to the community.” I’ve always found that service learning at our school brings out the very best in students. Stepping up and reaching out expands students’ personal boundaries and cultivates the imagination, skills, knowledge, maturity and resourcefulness they need to imagine and help bring about a better world.

There is a quotation from, Marion Wright Edelman that I love. “Service,” she wrote, “is the rent we pay for living … education is for improving the lives of others and leaving your community and world better than you found it.”

If you have any thoughts or contacts that could help us strengthen this ethic of service and civic involvement at our school, please feel encouraged to call or email me at Ext. 313 or nohan@lrei.org

Thanks much,

Nick O’Han

As you can see, we as a high school have dedicated ourselves to renewing our commitment to service, to encouraging students to seek out opportunities to give back in a meaningful way. With your help, we will demonstrate that the commitment is community-wide and will do a better job at presenting a variety opportunities for our students.

Speaking of opportunities, this Saturday, October 18, is the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, New York Cares Day! There are plenty of opportunities for service for your child and your family. For instance, Bartow-Pell in the Bronx, this Saturday, 10AM to 1PM, celebrate “It’s My Park” day.  Many volunteers come out to help prepare the park for winter.

Speaking of, next Saturday is the city-wide Fall It’s My Park! Day 2008 where thousands of New Yorkers volunteer in their neighborhood park. From the website: “The leaves are starting to turn and It’s My Park! Day is just around the corner on Saturday, October 25, 2008. Come join thousands of New Yorkers as they care for and celebrate their neighborhood parks! Check back in mid-October for a list of over 150 volunteer projects and free events.”

Additional events for students are posted on our new Community Service Calendar in the lobby of Charlton Street, and I will certainly keep families posted here.

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• 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.

Some 9th and 10th grade parents have tried to get homework off of “My Backpack.” When looking, in addition to looking at “Upcoming Assignments” please also look at “Completed Assignments” where weekly updated syllabi can be found. If you have any problems, please email help_desk@lrei.org and feel free to cc me on that email.

1. The HALLOWEEN FAIR is COMING! Click on the link to learn more about the festivities!

2. LREI Family Book Night is Wednesday, Nov. 5, 6:30 PM, Sixth Avenue Auditorium.

Beyond Batman: Graphic Novels for Kids and Teens

This year, your LREI librarians have teamed up with some of today’s hottest authors and illustrators of graphic novel to present an enlightening and enlivening evening of graphic novel recommendations for all ages. Along with the traditional recommendations from the librarians, Jesse Karp (Early Childhood and Interdivisional Librarian) will be moderating a Graphic Novels panel. Panelists will include Holly Black (The Good Neighbors: Kin, Beyond Spiderwick, Tithe) Cecil Castellucci (The Plain Janes, Janes in Love, Beige, Boy Proof) Geoffrey Hayes (Benny and Penny) Steven Sheinkin (The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey, Rabbi Harvey Rides Again) and LREI parent Voltaire (Deady Bear, Oh My Goth). A selection of the recommended titles will be for sale. We welcome
an audience of third grade and up. Children of all ages are welcome; there will be childcare available for the younger set, with pizza and story reading.

3. The high school has been invited to participate in a survey on “Friendship Qualities of Internationally Mobile Adolescents” investigated by a member of the Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. We are the only school in the United States to participate in the survey; other schools from around the world include the International School in Switzerland and the International School in the Philippines. On October 24, at 2:45 PM, student volunteers will have the opportunity to fill out the survey, which asks questions about friendship. Any student volunteer would be awarded 1 hour of community service for their participation. All students who participate must have a form signed by a parent or family member. Please look for permission slips sent home with students on Tuesday, Oct. 21. Many thanks!

4. From the LREI PA Literary Committee and the LREI PA Multicultural Committee: Please take a look at the attached letter for ways you can get involved! Your participation is key!

5. 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.

6. 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.

Dear LREI Families,

Thank you to those who were able to join us last Wednesday for our Building for Action event. It was wonderful to have so many of you there, along with alumni, past parents and staff, to share in the tremendous support for LREI that was in the room. For those of you who were not there, you might want to visit our web site, click on the Building for Action button to view much of the information we shared on the 24^th. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you can watch the Then and Now slide show that was a crowd favorite at the event. Or, just click here.

As you heard last week, or will see on the web site, we announced plans to renovate and green all of the classrooms in the Sixth Avenue buildings over the next few summers—we completed the majority of the middle school classes this summer—and to add a great deal of space to the Charlton Street campus, as well as to renovate current Charlton Street spaces. This work grows out of the strategic plan created by the Board of Trustees, and a large group of LREI community members, in 2000. In addition to creating improved spaces for our current student body in the lower, middle and high schools, this campaign will create a larger high school building to provide for the planned increase in the high school student body. A larger high school student body will be more attractive to many prospective families, will allow for an increasingly academic program and will support our tuition remission program for all three divisions and ongoing increases to faculty salaries and professional development funds.

In the weeks and months to come there will be many opportunities to learn more about Building for Action. There will also be opportunities for those who want to join the Building for Action team. There will be a drop-in information session on the morning of Wednesday, October 8^th from 8:15-9:30, in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. I will be available to discuss our goals and to answer any questions you may have.

I look forward to continuing the conversation.

Best,

Phil

Updates and Announcements:

• 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. You are invited to join us to learn about the Annual Fund and the significant role it plays in the school’s operating budget. You can attend one of three sessions:

8:15AM, Friday October 3rd, Sixth Avenue cafeteria
8:45AM, Friday October 3rd, Sixth Avenue cafeteria
6:00PM, Tuesday October 14th, Charlton Street library

Annual Fund co-chair Mindy Goldberg and LREI’s Director of Advancement Pippa Gerard will be available to answer any questions you may have.

Please RSVP to Sandra Song in the Office of Advancement at 212-477-5316 x275 or via email at ssong@lrei.org.

Thank you,

Mindy Goldberg, Ronnie Halper and Mamie McIndoe
Annual Fund Co-Chairs

2. The high school has been invited to participate in a survey on “Friendship Qualities of Internationally Mobile Adolescents” investigated by a member of the Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. We are the only school in the United States to participate in the survey; other schools from around the world include the International School in Switzerland and the International School in the Philippines. On October 24, at 2:45 PM, student volunteers will have the opportunity to fill out the survey, which asks questions about friendship. Any student volunteer would be awarded 1 hour of community service for their participation. All students who participate must have a form signed by a parent or family member. Please look for permission slips sent home with students on Monday. Many thanks!

3. A message from Chap, Director of Diversity & Community
2008/2009 PARENT SEED GROUP

SEED (Seeking Educational Equity & Diversity) work invites the engagement of head, heart, and soul. Participants examine inner and outer ways in which systems bear on lives inside and outside of school. SEED work develops ways of understanding complex relations between self and system with regard to race, class, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability/disability and cultural experience.

Our First Parent SEED Meeting:
Wed. October 15th at 6PM, in the MS Art Room (Sixth Ave)

Take a look at the attached to join LREI’s monthly Parent SEED Group. Contact Sandra (Chap) Chapman, Director of Diversity & Community at schapman@lrei.org, or Peggy Peloquin ppeloquin@lrei.org to learn more.

4. From the LREI PA Literary Committee and the LREI PA Multicultural Committee: Please take a look at the attached letter for ways you can get involved! Your participation is key!

5. 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.

6. 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.

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.

 

 

 

Dear Families,

As a faculty, we love when the hint of fall comes, the weather cools, and the students are energized for annual trips!

Our Ninth Grade went to Ramapo yesterday with Peer Leaders from the Class of 2009 and faculty to enjoy boating, hiking and a challenging ropes course. Tenth Graders, with more faculty members, joined them there today to do the same, but also to build bridges and new friendships between the classes. I have to say, members of both grades packed significantly! They have plenty to keep them warm and dry. The weather is to be beautiful throughout their stay, and they will return tomorrow by 3PM.

Our Eleventh Graders are enjoying a thoughtful program implemented by Nick O’Han, History and English Teacher and School Historian. Today, students are on a field trip to the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This trip focuses on the background to Dreamland, the novel they read this past summer. Thursday’s trip is an important part of their academic work in Gotham this year – even for those who are not in Gotham this trimester.

On Friday, Eleventh Graders will be giving back as a class. They will return to Thursday’s neighborhood to perform community service in Sara Delano Roosevelt Park. Before leaving Friday morning, they will spend some time discussing the trip the day before and break out into advisories to discuss the book based on questions handed out on Wednesday morning in homeroom. These book discussions will be led by student moderators, with Eleventh Grade Advisors setting the tone.

The Class of 2009, minus Peer Leaders, is spending the day working on college applications; they also have the opportunity to hear from select schools today, including Smith College, Hartwick College, Bryant College and Bennington College. To have the undivided attention of select faculty and Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance, is important.

Equally important is the work Peer Leaders are doing while Upstate. They have spent time coming together and getting to know members of the Ninth Grade and have worked hard training for ropes course leadership yesterday, putting together campfire last night, and the annual talent show tonight. Peer Leaders for the 2008-2009 school year are: Jessica Wilson, AJ Sims, Gio Casiano, Ariele Baptiste, Dominique Fils-Aime, Thea Aguiar, Lola Lorber, Vio Picayo, Yanilda Gonzalez and Zoe Harris.

Tomorrow, Twelfth Graders have the opportunity to visit colleges; some who have made the decision to apply early have chosen to participate in the Eleventh Grade community service trip, which is terrific.

Finally, one of the first class trips of the year occured yesterday; the Twelfth Grade Drama Class went to see a matinee of Equus, which they loved! Equus is one of my all time favorite plays, and I can’t wait to see it myself.

All in all, aren’t our students so fortunate?

Please remember Curriculum Night is Monday night, September 22, 2008, at 6:30 sharp! Please come a bit early to participate in the Parent Association Welcome Fair, which begins at 6:00 PM.

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• 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. Please join us for a very special event, Building for Action, Wednesday, September 24, at NYU Law School.  Please don’t forget to RSVP and to bring ID for entry into the event.

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.

4. Please don’t forget to sign your child’s Acceptable Use Policy! To have permission to use the school’s computers and network, all students must have a signed Acceptable Use Policy on file. If the form has been misplaced, please contact your child’s advisor.

Dear Families,

Today, we respectfully remember the lives lost on September 11. Today, students were able to enjoy the annual September Concert organized by music teacher and Jazz Band director, Vin Scialla.

On another note, during student orientation, we focused on the hallmarks of successful LREI students in order to help our new community members determine where they are and how they can, too, be successful.

Our most successful students are:

• Involved. They are invested in the day to day aspects of school. They participate fully in clubs, either creating their own or joining existing clubs, they participate in our athletic and arts after school. They invest their time in chorus, jazz band, “IE”, our literary magazine, write for the newspaper or are members of the community service roundtable, or student government.
• Living the life of the mind. Our most successful students understand that the classroom goes beyond four walls, that discussions and conversations and analysis continue in the lobby, at the lunch table, in a faculty member’s office. Our most successful students realize that once homework is finished, it is time to study.
• Thoughtful and respectful. Of differences, of culture, gender, ethnicity and sexuality. Students may need help with this, so respectful participation in Life Issues classes (for Ninth Grade) and informative assemblies are key.
• Engaged citizens of the world. They read the news, they are aware of happenings beyond our block, are curious about social justice issues and bring the world into the curriculum as our teachers do.
• Committed to service. Our 25 hour requirement won’t do. Our most successful students make a significant impact with work for an organization, church, synagog, or community program. To encourage this aspect of success, this year, we have two days designated as individual community service days. Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 and Monday, March 9, 2009 are days where we will not have classes, but students may use those days for individual service opportunities. In December, there are many opportunities to be found helping organizations or religiously affiliated groups with holiday charity and service. In March, students will find a perfect opportunity to participate in spring cleanup.

In order to help us help your students become our most successful, please let me know if you have information or are affiliated with an organization that could use our students’ help. Help us build our inventory of community service opportunities for students.

Also in the effort to assist all of our students in the quest for success, Pat Carter, Academic Support teacher, will be hosting Homework Help drop-in hours.

ASC After-School Homework Sessions: Beginning Monday, September 15th, the ASC will be 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.

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• 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. Please join us for a very special event, Wednesday, September 24.

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. As you may know, all 9th and 10th Graders participate in our trip Upstate to Ramapo. 9th Graders leave on Wednesday, Sept. 17, and the 10th Graders join them on Thursday, Sept. 18. While they are there, the 11th and 12th Graders will not have classes. Rather, on Thursday, Sept. 18th, all 11th Graders will have a mandatory trip for their “Gotham” class requirement, and 12th Graders will have the opportunity to work with Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance, and begin work on their college applications. On Friday, Sept. 19, 11th Graders will have a class community service opportunity, which will last all day. The 12th Graders may use that Friday, Sept. 19th for college visits if they wish, or may join the community service opportunity. All students are expected by 8:30 AM on all days.

4. Please don’t forget to sign your child’s Acceptable Use Policy! To have permission to use the school’s computers and network, all students must have a signed Acceptable Use Policy on file. If the form has been misplaced, please contact your child’s advisor.

Dear LREI Community,

I am writing this to you mid-day today, the first day of school. As I write, the upper classes in the high school have been dismissed and the ninth grade is continuing their orientation. The middle school is moving from a morning with a schedule of abbreviated classes to an afternoon filled with family conferences. Our youngest students are all gone for the day, having spent some time in their new classrooms as part of the phase-in schedule and the upper elementary students are enjoying lunch and recess. The past few hours have been filled with excited reunions and the eagerness to return to school that we see each year on this most wonderful of occasions. The school year is off to a terrific start and over the next few days all students will begin their full program. I look forward to sharing their many and varied successes with you.

Of special note, as you have heard, we did significant construction in the middle school and the high school over the summer. I invite you to visit the middle school classrooms which are as functional as they are beautiful. I also extend an invitation to all to attend a gathering on Wednesday, September 24th to hear more about our plans for both sites.

I have attached two letters to this week’s blog. Click here to read a note from Chap, Director of Diversity and Community, reminding families of students new to LREI about our family orientation, LREI 101, which we ask you to attend on Monday, September 8th at 8:45AM. The second is from the parents of a student in our Early Kindergarten introducing their son, who has a physical disability, to the community.

A reminder of a few upcoming events:

• Monday, September 8th, from 8:45AM-10:15AM I ask that all new families attend LREI 101, our orientation program for new families. This gathering is an essential component of your entry into the LREI community. We will meet in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria.
• Monday, September 8th, 6:00PM, Michael Patrick, ’71, Chair of the LREI Board of Trustees and his wife, Carol Sedwick, invite new families to a reception in their home at 6:00PM, 250 West 94th Street, 15E.
• Wednesday, September 24th the LREI Board of Trustees will host an event to share plans for the future of LREI. Please plan on attending this evening event. You will receive an invitation shortly.

Finally, mark your calendar for your child’s curriculum night:

• Fours-First Grade—Thursday, October 2nd, 6:00PM (new date)
• Second-Fourth Grade—Tuesday, October 7th, 6:00PM
• Middle School—Tuesday, September 16th, 6:30PM (correct date)
• High School—Monday, September 22nd, 6:30PM

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Best,

Phil 

Updates and Announcements:

• 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. 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. 

2. As you may know, all 9th and 10th Graders participate in our trip Upstate to Ramapo. 9th Graders leave on Wednesday, Sept. 17, and the 10th Graders join them on Thursday, Sept. 18. While they are there, the 11th and 12th Graders will not have classes. Rather, on Thursday, Sept. 18th, all 11th Graders will have a mandatory trip for their “Gotham” class requirement, and 12th Graders will have the opportunity to work with Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance, and begin work on their college applications. On Friday, Sept. 19, 11th Graders will have a class community service opportunity, which will last all day. The 12th Graders may use that Friday, Sept. 19th for college visits if they wish, or may join the community service opportunity. All students are expected by 8:30 AM on all days.

Dear Families,

I hope you have a terrific and safe summer, and thanks for a wonderful year. Tonight at the Senior Banquet, we will be honoring all of the Class of 2008 for their acheivements with their families at what always proves to be a most beautiful dinner. Tomorrow is graduation at the Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University. We are thrilled to be graduating our largest class to date!

Just a few things to wrap up the year:

• Please remember, all students are required to attend graduation! Students are expected tomorrow at 9 AM. We will meet at Thompson Street Athletic Center for yearbook distribution and signing, end of the year awards at 10 AM, then Arts Assembly. After lunch (provided), students will walk over to NYU for graduation, which begins at 1 PM. Graduation will end by 3 PM.
• We are saying goodbye to three of our colleagues and friends, Tim Cooper, Jane Gabin, and Biology instructor Rebecca Leahy. Rebecca is moving to Seattle for her husband’s work (but hopes to return for the 2009-2010 school year!) and will be teaching at The Overlook School, Jane Gabin is moving on to be the Director of College Counseling at The Frisch School in Paramus, NJ, and Tim Cooper is heading off to Friends Seminary to teach and grow their robotics program. More about new faculty members (and we have terrific folks joining us for 2008-2009!) in the summer letter!
• One more personnel announcement, Marcus Chang–middle school PE teacher and Athletic Director–has resigned from his position at LREI.  Peter Fisher, coach of the championship 8th grade boys basketball team and the high school baseball team and currently teaching in the lower and middle schools, will take on these responsibilities.
• Summer reading can be found on our school website, www.lrei.org! Important health forms can also be found there. Remember, all forms need to be in before the first day of school!
• Grades and comments will be available to families through “My Backpack” on June 26. If you would like your child’s grades and comments mailed, please contact Adria Maynor, 212-477-5316, x 323 or amaynor@lrei.org, before July 1. Any questions about your child’s grades or comments, please contact your child’s teacher, advisor, or *rising* class dean, in that order. Class deans for 2008-2009 are for Ninth Grade: Micah Dov Gottlieb (he is also Dean of Students), mgottlieb@lrei.org, for Tenth Grade: Thomas Murphy, tmurphy@lrei.org, for Eleventh Grade, Julia Heaton, jheaton@lrei.org, and for Twelfth Grade, Adele diBiasi Pelz, apelz@lrei.org. You may also contact Sarvjit Moonga, Vice-Principal during the summer at smoonga@lrei.org.
• Please note, faculty access to email will vary widely this summer. If a matter is urgent, please email me directly.

Until September, all the best!

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• 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 season recaps.

Dear High School Families,

A quick update after my last email to you. Our summer work on the high school building began earlier this week. We have been preparing the building for construction and moving materials and equipment to secure locations. Your children, as always, have been terrific—rolling with changes in rooms and procedures. They have exhibited patience and resilience and have been focused on their final exams and projects. You should be proud of them. We are. Thank you for all of your support and participation this year. I look forward to seeing you at end of year events. I know you join me in congratulating the seniors on all of their successes.

Best,

Phil

• 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 season recaps.

Updates and Announcements:

1. Please remember, all students must attend their class meeting the week of June 8. Ninth Grade will meet on June 9, Tenth Grade will meet on June 10, and Eleventh Grade will meet on June 11.

All meetings will run from 9-11 AM, and will be at the TSAC, the school’s athletic center. Also, all students are expected for graduation and must report at 9 AM on June 13, again at TSAC, for end of the year awards, yearbooks and the final arts assembly. Students will have lunch at 11:30, then leave for NYU for the Class of 2008’s graduation at 1PM. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for this important event.

2. From Sharon Fong:

“Dear LREI Parents,

Attached is the ballot for electing Parent Association Officers for the 2008-09 school year. You can print out the attachment or pick up a hard copy of the ballot from the Reception Desk at either the Bleecker Street or Charlton Street. Ballots need to be returned by Tuesday, June 10th. If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to contact Kasey Picayo or Sharon Fong. Thanks so much for participating in the election.”

Dear Families,

Tomorrow is the last day of classes, with exam week all next week. On Monday and Tuesday, students have reading days where they can come in for review sessions as scheduled, meet with teachers, and work with fellow classmates. Wednesday begins the last exam session. Please note, because of construction possibilities in the afternoon, all morning exams and assessments begin promptly at 8:30 AM. Afternoon sessions begin at 12:00 PM.

These students, a terrific group of individuals, have worked hard this year. Today, we celebrated our students in the first of the two end-of-year arts assemblies, and will celebrate our dynamic athletes tonight at 6:30 PM at the annual High School Sports Awards. While we have class meetings and graduation to come, please join the faculty in celebrating each individual acheivement. We look forward to working with them (and you!) in the coming school year.

All the best,

Ruth

• 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 season recaps.

Updates and Announcements:

1. Please join us to thank Dorothy for her many years of service to the students of LREI, June 4th from 3:00 – 4:30PM in the Sixth Avenue Auditorium.
[Click here to download the PDF]

2. Please remember, all students must attend their class meeting the week of June 8. Ninth Grade will meet on June 9, Tenth Grade will meet on June 10, and Eleventh Grade will meet on June 11. All meetings will run from 9-11 AM, and will be at the TSAC, the school’s athletic center. Also, all students are expected for graduation and must report at 9 AM on June 13, again at TSAC, for end of the year awards, yearbooks and the final arts assembly. Students will have lunch at 11:30, then leave for NYU for the Class of 2008’s graduation at 1PM. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for this important event.

3. From Sharon Fong:

“Dear LREI Parents,

Attached is the ballot for electing Parent Association Officers for the 2008-09 school year. You can print out the attachment or pick up a hard copy of the ballot from the Reception Desk at either the Bleecker Street or Charlton Street. Ballots need to be returned by Tuesday, June 10th. If you have any questions about the process, please feel free to contact Kasey Picayo or Sharon Fong. Thanks so much for participating in the election.”

Dear Families,

First, please join me in congratulating the Class of 2008 on their college acceptances! Here is the matriculation list from 2004 through 2008.

I truly believe that literature is equipment for living, that within literature, one can find his or her own survival guide for life. Our humanities program here at the high school is one of many highlights in the academic program. Eleventh and Twelfth Graders have the opportunity to take elective courses in English and history. This week, rising Eleventh and Twelfth Grades heard about the offerings for the 2008-2009 school year from members of both departments; students will be choosing electives next week.

The new offerings in English, joining popular classes such as, Dangerous Language, Latino/a Literature, Creative Writing and Journalism are:

In American Literature–

City of Dreams – New York in Literature

New York is too vast to capture in one work of art. There is no New York story, only countless New York stories. Perhaps it is incomprehensible. But that hasn’t stopped writers and other artists from trying to get at the truth – or truths – of it. The poetry and prose we read in this class should be considered parts of an ongoing, collective and necessarily fragmentary rendering of the New York experience. Our authors probe New York’s social, psychological and moral landscape. They capture the tumultuous, rude, often violent drive of the place. They measure its great personalities alongside its huddled, anonymous masses. They attempt to unravel its mosaic of class, race and ethnicity, register its shocking contrasts and unlock its layered mysteries. New York writers bear witness to the city’s endless capacity for surprise, its rapid fire-transitions and its surreal juxtapositions. Most of all, perhaps, they dissect its dreams. New York is, above all, a city of dreams. And with its dreams, the obsession with inventing oneself anew that is at the heart of the New York personality. The result of this collective effort is a mythology that rivals that of Greece or Rome. Students will supplement their study of this mythology in a number of ways. They will explore places in the city that figure in the texts they are reading, they will look for parallels to the literature in other art forms, and they will keep a journal that renders their own imaginative experience of the city, their own contributions to its unfinished mythology.

Oh, Boy! Exploring Masculinity in Contemporary American Culture

What does it mean to be a boy? What does it mean to be a man? How are notions of masculinity formed? Who forms them? In this class, we will be exploring different ways masculinity is defined, perpetuated, and challenged in contemporary American culture. We will be using a variety of mediums, such as fiction, non-fiction, plays, films, mass media, and current events to look at what it means to be a man in the contexts of race, class, and sexual orientation. Texts for this course may include Vernon God Little, Drown, The White Boy Shuffle, “The Laramie Project,” and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

There’s No Place Like Home: The Return from War

Stories of home and homecoming pervade American literature and film. What are our relationships to home and how do these relationships change as we travel through our lives? Once we leave home, can we ever truly return again? Who do we leave behind? Where do we find “home” after an experience has altered us? In this course, we will examine stories of home and homecomings, situating these themes in personal, social, cultural, and political contexts. Specifically, we will examine the experiences of soldiers coming home from war, as depicted in literature and the media. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, will serve as a central text of the course. Additional texts may include: Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home,” Jonathon Shay’s Achilles in Vietnam, and films such as “Stop Loss,” “In the Valley of Elah,” and “Cold Mountain.” We will also read selections of poetry and essays from writers, past and present.

In World Literature–

Fierce and Fabulous: Feminist Women Writers

Think feminism is dead? Think again. Today’s young feminist writers are engaging in an amazing and challenging dialogue about the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, politics, and human rights in every medium from novels and poetry to ‘zines and films. From the feminist literary canon to the feminist blogosphere, we will trace the patterns and complexity of words and women, identity and politics, social justice and activism. Readings will include themes related to girls and body image, female friendships, women and the law, women artists, women of color, and queer youth. We will create a feminist blog to track our conversations and discoveries about favorite feminist writers, activists, and artists. Visits to the Barnard Center for Research on Women, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, and the Bluestockings feminist bookstore will also be scheduled. Authors may include Jacqui Alexander, Gloria Anzaldúa, Staceyann Chin, Simone de Beauvoir, Patricia Hill Collins, Audre Lorde, Catherine McKinnon, Chandra Mohanty, Cherríe Moraga, Alice Walker, and Naomi Wolf.

From Fiction to Film: The Art of Adaptation

In this class, we will be pairing movies with the texts from which they were adapted. We will be “reading” the films, examining the choices made by the screenwriter and the techniques employed by the director, as they attempt to bring the written word to the big screen. What is gained by adapting a piece of literature into a film? What is lost? How are tone, theme, and character translated and modified from one medium to another? How do lighting and camera angles function as a bridge between text and screen? Examples of texts/films that may be used for this class include Fight Club, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Il Postino, Pablo Neruda, Slaughter House Five, Trainspotting, Blow-up, Black Orpheus, Memento.

We Are Pilgrims Here: Reading Dante’s Divine Comedy

Poised between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, Dante Alighieri set upon an impressive task – to write an epic poem that would lead readers on a virtual pilgrimage through the afterlife. In language that is at once gruesome, fantastical and exquisitely beautiful, Dante’s Divine Comedy depicts the three realms of hell, purgatory, and heaven in vivid detail. Meanwhile, the poet grapples with questions of faith, morality, personal and civic responsibility, and social justice: What is the nature of good and evil? Is there a human tendency towards sin or virtue? Are those in power immune from justice and punishment? What is the redemptive potential of love? This course will examine these questions from both a literary and a contemporary perspective, as students and teacher journey together through the entire Comedy. We will also examine artistic interpretations and modern adaptations of Dante’s work from across cultures.

 

In History, new offerings include:

Economics and Social Justice
Economics is the study of how people satisfy their needs and wants through the activities of production, consumption and exchange. These economic activities require the allocation of time, energy, and scarce material and financial resources. This course will provide a general introduction to the discipline of economics, including both microeconomics and macroeconomics. Students will also develop an understanding of how economic principles and analysis can be used to study social problems and issues. Topics include supply and demand, comparative advantage, inflation, unemployment, economic growth, money and the banking system. Throughout the course economic choices and policies decisions will be examined in light of their impact on society and in the context of social justice in the United States and the world. Students will be expected to complete daily assignments and maintain a consistent grasp of current events.

and…

Introduction to Western Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of everything that counts.

–from An Incomplete Education, by Judy Jones and William Wilson

As is so often the case, the Greeks got there first. When they weren’t busy inventing mathematics, drama, and architecture, they spent their time trying to answer the Big Questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? How should human beings treat each other? What can we truly know to a certainty?

Questions like these don’t come with easy answers; as new civilizations developed, they found themselves asking the same questions, and adding some of their own. We will do the same in this class.
Our goal in this course will be twofold: first, to explore the development of the various branches of philosophy over the history of western civilization. Second, to try to add our own insights to those of the philosophers who have come before us. To these ends, we will spend much of our time reading the writings of the great philosophers of history. But we will spend an equal amount of time in informal discussions and structured debates, as we weigh the value of the various theories that we have studied.
If you’re someone who always wants to know the answers, this may not be the course for you. But if you can take satisfaction in simply discovering a new set of questions, you will find the class a worthwhile journey.

We encourage you to help your child to think critically and enthusiastically about their course offerings for next year! Students have a wonderful opportunity to live the life of the mind, here at LREI.

All the best,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

• 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 season recaps.

*The Spring Concert is TONIGHT at 6:30pm features the Little Red Chorus, Elisabeth Irwin Singers, cast of “Into the Woods” and the EI Jazz Band. All parents and friends of LREI are invited to attend this joyous music event.

*Field day is tomorrow! Dismissal will be at 1:00PM. Please click here, FieldDay, for an important announcement about the day’s activities.

1. The 15th annual LREI camping trip will be held on the weekend of June 6-8. All LREI families and their children — pre-K through high school — are invited to participate. As in past years, we expect that a good time will be had by all: hiking, swimming, sports, fishing, camping, cooking, eating, singing around the campfire, etc. The site, as in past years, will be near the Delaware Water Gap (somewhat north of where I-80 crosses the Delaware River). The cost will be $30 per adult, $20 per child. Also, we need volunteers to help with hauling food and supplies and equipment out to the camp site (and back) and providing extra space in their vehicles for those who need a ride out and back. More details will be forthcoming for those who are interested. We will have a sign-up table on the mornings on Friday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 28 at LREI. Please save the date and let us know if you are interested in receiving more information — and especially if you are interested in volunteering. Send an email to Larry White, Lwhite@stern.nyu.edu. Click here for more information.

2. It’s a Party to celebrate Sharon Dupree’s four years at LREI! Please join us for a Sixth Avenue Rooftop celebration on Tuesday, May 27th from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. All parents welcome. Childcare will be available in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria. Please RSVP to Sharon Fong at sharonf@bflnyc.org if you plan to attend and to sign up for childcare by Thursday, May 22nd.

3. Please join a parent discussion on internet safety. Click here for more information.