Welcome Back!

Happy New Year! I hope you and yours enjoyed the Winter Break. It was a pleasure to welcome your children back to school earlier this week. It did not take long for the hallways and classrooms in all three divisions to regain their busy hum.

The faculty spent a full and enriching day on Monday, our second professional development day devoted to looking at issues of socio-economic class, involved in a series of divisional and interdivisional conversations. High School history teacher Nick O’Han and Chap, Director of Diversity and Community, organized the day’s events, inviting two speakers from the Citizens’ Committee for Children (www.cccnewyork.org) to help us look at socio-economic class through lenses wide enough to focus on all of the children in New York City and finely focused enough to look at how issues of class emerge in classrooms in each of our three divisions. It was a truly fascinating and challenging day. Conversations and exercises such as the ones we participated in on Monday will continue throughout the rest of the school year.

In the fall, Chap facilitated a well-attended discussion focused on how parents experience socio-economic class encounters with peers and with their children. We invite you to attend Bring the Conversation Home, Part 2 during which Dr. Patricia Romney, President and Founder of Romney Associates, will return to LREI to facilitate a second parent diversity discussion addressing issues of class. The focus of Dr. Romney’s work is change. Using her finely honed assessment skills as a starting point for change efforts, she has assisted organizations in the areas of diversity, community building, and leadership development.

Join us for one or both of the following events:

Wednesday, January 28, 6:00 PM– 8:00 PM in the Charlton Street Library

(Please RSVP to the receptionist if you will need childcare for this event.)

Thursday, January 29, 8:30AM-10:30 AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria

On a different note, as we have for the past few years, early next week I will send to all LREI families a list of volunteer opportunities available during the long Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. The Parents’ Association Community Service Committee is hard at work identifying service opportunities to add to this list. If you know of ways in which LREI families can perform community service during the coming three-day weekend, please email them to me (pkassen@lrei.org) and I will add them to the list we will distribute early next week. Thank you in advance.

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.

*Class of 2009 Families, please read the updated and revised important letter from Ruth Jurgensen, High School Principal regarding Senior Project.

*Please read this important announcement from our Academic Support Center.

1. Save the Date for Karamu! Friday January 23rd… Karamu! is a multicultural celebration of music, dance, and food celebrating the diversity of our school and community – all are invited! Tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 20th. Discount tickets are available – please contact Juliet Burrows, jkka@mac.com. This event always sells out so get your tickets early! Here are ways to be involved: get tickets & come to the show, volunteer to help out on the day of or donate a prepared dish for the feast!. More details to follow… join the fun of this wonderful community building event!

2. A perfect gift!
LETTERMAN JACKETS NOW AVAILABLE!
Wool Letterman Jackets now available through
the LREI school store.
These beautiful warm, winter coats are now
available by special order only. The cost is
approximately $200 per coat. Each is personalized
with your name. For orders: Contact Kasey Picayo at
picayosmith@aol.com. See attachment for photo.

3. Red is Green Committee: January is recycle your greeting cards month! Save all your cards this holiday season and we’ll be collecting them in January. St. Jude’s Ranch accepts recycled cards which they use to make “green” holiday cards. The proceeds go towards helping abused, abandoned and neglected children.

4. CALLING ALL EMBROIDERY BUFFS!
Embroider a square for the 2009 Big Auction Community Quilt. All squares must be completed by February 1, 2009. Please see the attachment for details.

Sandra Song
Annual Fund and Special Events Manager

Dear Families,

It seems like the community service day on December 8, 2008, was quite a success! So many students volunteered at various organizations around the city, had terrific experiences and made great connections. In fact, I heard from Giovanni Casiano’s mom, and Class of 2009 parent, Lisa Arguello, who said, “I wanted to let you know…I took this one [the call to service] a step further and volunteered this morning to deliver gifts to senior citizen’s homes.” Please continue to send me your stories of service; I know your children are encouraged to see members of their families participate as they are in a great movement to give back.

On another note, grades and comments for Trimester I will be available online on “My Backpack” on December 22, by 5PM. Please check to make sure you can log on to the system successfully. If you have any problems logging on, please contact help_desk@lrei.org, which can assist you. If you would like your child’s grades or comments mailed, please send an email to Adria Maynor, amaynor@lrei.org.

Speaking of “Backpack,” posted Trimester II homework assignments cannot be seen until I post Trimester I grades. Sorry for any incovenience.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding a grade or comment, please contact the teacher directly, the student’s advisor, and/or class dean. Please note, teachers, advisors and class deans will be on vacation starting on Friday, Dec. 19 at 12 noon, so a response may not come until the week of January 4, 2009. Also, while 11th grade class dean Julia Heaton is on maternity leave, Peter Bonfanti will be taking on the role until Spring Break. As always, they stand ready to assist you in any way.

If you are a parent of a 10th or 11th grade student, you should have received a letter from Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance and your child’s PSAT scores; they were mailed last Friday. If you have not received this information, please contact the College Office at ext. 324.

11th and 12th Grade families, I hope you received my email (sent yesterday) regarding the choices and application process for the NYU College Preview Program. Applications are due on January 6, by 2:45 PM.

Finally, I wish you and your family a safe, restful, wonderful holiday break. See you in 2009!

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.

*Please read this important announcement from our Academic Support Center.

Some green holiday ideas from the Red is Green Committee…
• Looking for recycled wrapping paper? www.greenfieldpaper.com has a lovely collection. Or better yet, make it an arts & craft project with your child – use paper shopping bags and some paint to create fun and unique wrapping paper!

• Next time you want to relax by the fireplace on a cold snowy night, use eco-friendly logs, such as Java logs, made from coffee. Visit www.java-log.com

• Getting a new computer this holiday season and wondering what to do with your old one? Bring your old computers, printers and other electronics to the next e-waste recycling event on January 4 at Union Square. Visit www.lesecologycenter.org for details.

• Save your holiday cards and we will donate them to St. Jude’s Ranch, a home for abused, neglected and abandoned children. The children and volunteers recycle the old cards and sell the new ones. Starting in January we will have a box in the lobby to collect your cards.

• So far we’ve collected over 60 pairs of sneakers for the Nike Reuse a Shoe program. Since it’s going so well, we will continue to collect through January 15, so tell your friends & relatives over the holidays to bring you their old sneakers.

1. Gifts to Teachers: If your child wants to give his or her teacher a gift at winter break, the
end of the year, or any other time during the year, a homemade gift or drawing is welcome
and appreciated. A group gift from parents and children in the class may be given at the
end of the school year. This will be organized by the Parent Rep. It has been our
experience that individual gifts, though thoughtfully intended, may be misinterpreted by the
children and, consequently, we discourage this. Thank you for your awareness and
cooperation.

2. Save the Date for Karamu! Friday January 23rd… Karamu! is a multicultural celebration of music, dance, and food celebrating the diversity of our school and community – all are invited! Tickets go on sale Tuesday, January 20th. Discount tickets are available – please contact Juliet Burrows, jkka@mac.com. This event always sells out so get your tickets early! Here are ways to be involved: get tickets & come to the show, volunteer to help out on the day of or donate a prepared dish for the feast!. More details to follow… join the fun of this wonderful community building event!

3. Please join us for the Alumni College Panel, on Thursday, January 8th at 6:30 PM at the High School. Meet recent LREI graduates and hear from them about their experiences and how LREI prepared them for college. Moderated by Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance. RSVP to Liza Sacks, at lsacks@lrei.org or (212) 477-5316 ext. 291

4. A perfect gift!
LETTERMAN JACKETS NOW AVAILABLE!
Wool Letterman Jackets now available through
the LREI school store.
These beautiful warm, winter coats are now
available by special order only. The cost is
approximately $200 per coat. Each is personalized
with your name. Order by next Wednesday,
November 26th to receive by Holiday Break. For orders: Contact Kasey Picayo at
picayosmith@aol.com. See attachment for photo.

5. From the LREI Family Handbook
Vacations: We remind families to only take vacations during LREI breaks and that your
child’s time away from school does not begin before the school break does or end
afterwards. Teachers use each scheduled day to support their classroom program goals
and the School’s mission. Students who miss days adjacent to breaks, or who take
vacations outside of our break times, miss work and can disrupt planned activities. This
affects the learning of the absent students and her/his classmates. In addition, divisional
or all-school assemblies often precede our longer vacations. These gatherings are
essential for creating the sort of community that drew you to LREI. Students sing, listen
to speakers, applaud their schoolmates, meet students in other divisions and generally
strengthen community ties.

We will not honor families’ requests to receive work their children will miss due to family
vacation plans. Families that are presented with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to make
an extended visit to another city, country, etc. should speak to their child’s principal.

In general, we are focused on making sure that we are using each moment of each
school day as effectively as possible. Part of being able to do this is to have each
student in school each of these days. Thank you for your support of these efforts.

6. Red is Green Committee:

Red is Green Monthly Recycle Drives: Thanks to all the families who participated in the first LREI Recycle Month – we collected over 1000 plastic bags to be recycled! We’ll be keeping the box in the Sixth Avenue lobby for a while longer, so please continue to drop off plastic bags. Also, you can always bring your bags to Whole Foods, Staples, Barnes & Nobles and other chain stores to be recycled.

This month, Red is Green is collecting used sneakers! Through December 19 you can bring your old athletic shoes (no shoes containing metal please) to school and drop them off in the boxes located in the lobby of either building. Sneakers will be ground up and recycled into outdoor basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, and playgrounds through the NIKE grind program. For more information please check out their website at www.nikereuseashoe.com.

Still to come… January is recycle your greeting cards month! Save all your cards this holiday season and we’ll be collecting them in January. St. Jude’s Ranch accepts recycled cards which they use to make “green” holiday cards. The proceeds go towards helping abused, abandoned and neglected children.

7. CALLING ALL EMBROIDERY BUFFS!
Embroider a square for the 2009 Big Auction Community Quilt. All squares must be completed by February 1, 2009. Please see the attachment for details.

Sandra Song
Annual Fund and Special Events Manager

Dear Families,

I hope you will join us at our annual Alumni College Panel, on Thursday, January 8th at 6:30 PM at the High School. There, you can meet recent LREI graduates and hear from them about their experiences and how LREI prepared them for college. Speaking of, one of our seniors, Susan Donohue, recently had the opportunity to visit Mt. Holyoke College for a spoken word program. While there, she was able to visit a class that she is passionate about: Mandarin Chinese. Susan has taken Mandarin Chinese here since its inception; Guo-Qing Heaton, our instructor, has worked with her and members of her class, reminding them to always “study, study, study” and to “work harder, try harder”. As a result, for four years, Susan has put in the time to learn this complex, challenging language and curriculum. As she sat in one of Mt. Holyoke’s Mandarin Chinese classes, it all came together for her. Susan understood everything the professor was teaching; in fact, the work covered in the class was worked she had already covered with Guo-Qing. Susan participated in the class, spoke freely, and afterwards, the professor, impressed with Susan’s mastery, said, “You could easily be in our Chinese II, if not Chinese III class, if you matriculated here.” Susan returned to school to share her story with Guo-Qing and with me; her work (and, of course, Guo-Qing’s instruction) has truly paid off in a way Susan did not anticipate so quickly. Confident and inspired, Susan and her classmates continue to “study, study, study.”

Guo-Qing Heaton, an instructor here for four years, has truly planned and implemented a progressive, rigorous Mandarin Chinese program, all while sometimes teaching art. (She is also a professional artist who specializes in sculpture. Please check out this link to learn more about her incredible art. ). In Guo-Qing’s ‘free’ time, and thanks to her vision and her hard work, she has formed a relationship with the China Institute, which, after several meetings with educational coordinators there and visits to classes here, will provide us with two full scholarships for travel and study for our students this summer. This Summer Study in Beijing program “offers high school students the opportunity to receive language training while being immersed in Chinese society and culture. Through rigorous small-group daily language lessons, it is expected that they will acquire the equivalent of a full academic year of Chinese. Special features of the program include accomodation in host families with resident teenagers, cultural activites as well as social activities with fellow students and Beijing residents, weekend overnight excursions and community service.” If your child is in our Mandarin Chinese program or currently studying Chinese in an independent study or Honors Project, and you would like to hear more about this summer opportunity, the next open house is on Thursday, January 22, 2009 from 6:30-8:30 PM, at the China Institute, 125 East 65th Street (between Lexington and Park Avenue), or you can contact Guo-Qing directly at gheaton@lrei.org.

P.S.  For science lovers, please check out LREI biology instructor Margaret Magee’s blogspot!

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.

*Please read this important announcement from our Academic Support Center.

SCHOOL STORE OPEN BEFORE BREAK
The LREI School Spirit store will be open
on Monday and Wednesday the 15th and 17th
of December, 8AM to 9AM in Sixth Ave lobby
and both lunch periods in the Charlton St lobby.

1. An opportunity to hear wonderful music! Please join us for the annual performance of Glass Menagerie, LREI’s resident adult chorus. Their Winter Concert’s Artistic Director is Susan Glass, High School Chorus Director and Lower School Parent.

The Program:

NOEL: Songs of the Season
Saturday, December 13, 2008, 8PM
St. Joseph’s Church in the Village
Washington Place and 6th Avenue (2 blocks below 8th St.)
$20 Admission ($15 students/seniors)

2. Gifts to Teachers: If your child wants to give his or her teacher a gift at winter break, the
end of the year, or any other time during the year, a homemade gift or drawing is welcome
and appreciated. A group gift from parents and children in the class may be given at the
end of the school year. This will be organized by the Parent Rep. It has been our
experience that individual gifts, though thoughtfully intended, may be misinterpreted by the
children and, consequently, we discourage this. Thank you for your awareness and
cooperation.

3. Please join us for the Alumni College Panel, on Thursday, January 8th at 6:30 PM at the High School. Meet recent LREI graduates and hear from them about their experiences and how LREI prepared them for college. Moderated by Amy Shapiro, Director of College Guidance. RSVP to Liza Sacks, at lsacks@lrei.org or (212) 477-5316 ext. 291

4. Dear Parents: Since the auction is two months earlier this year (on Thursday, March 5th), we need to get our donation forms in earlier. The deadline for forms is Friday, December 12th.

Our goal this year is to have each parent donate/solicit one item, and we’re attaching a form here for your convenience. If you would like to run your ideas by someone, please contact one of us or Pippa Gerard at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org or Sandra Song at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org.

Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Esposito Mamie McIndoe
917-226-0800 917-597-5603
jenn_espo@msn.com mmcindoe@marblechurch.org

5. A perfect gift!
LETTERMAN JACKETS NOW AVAILABLE!
Wool Letterman Jackets now available through
the LREI school store.
These beautiful warm, winter coats are now
available by special order only. The cost is
approximately $200 per coat. Each is personalized
with your name. Order by next Wednesday,
November 26th to receive by Holiday Break. For orders: Contact Kasey Picayo at
picayosmith@aol.com. See attachment for photo.

6. From the LREI Family Handbook
Vacations: We remind families to only take vacations during LREI breaks and that your
child’s time away from school does not begin before the school break does or end
afterwards. Teachers use each scheduled day to support their classroom program goals
and the School’s mission. Students who miss days adjacent to breaks, or who take
vacations outside of our break times, miss work and can disrupt planned activities. This
affects the learning of the absent students and her/his classmates. In addition, divisional
or all-school assemblies often precede our longer vacations. These gatherings are
essential for creating the sort of community that drew you to LREI. Students sing, listen
to speakers, applaud their schoolmates, meet students in other divisions and generally
strengthen community ties.

We will not honor families’ requests to receive work their children will miss due to family
vacation plans. Families that are presented with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to make
an extended visit to another city, country, etc. should speak to their child’s principal.

In general, we are focused on making sure that we are using each moment of each
school day as effectively as possible. Part of being able to do this is to have each
student in school each of these days. Thank you for your support of these efforts.

7. Red is Green Committee:

Red is Green Monthly Recycle Drives: Thanks to all the families who participated in the first LREI Recycle Month – we collected over 1000 plastic bags to be recycled! We’ll be keeping the box in the Sixth Avenue lobby for a while longer, so please continue to drop off plastic bags. Also, you can always bring your bags to Whole Foods, Staples, Barnes & Nobles and other chain stores to be recycled.

This month, Red is Green is collecting used sneakers! Through December 19 you can bring your old athletic shoes (no shoes containing metal please) to school and drop them off in the boxes located in the lobby of either building. Sneakers will be ground up and recycled into outdoor basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, and playgrounds through the NIKE grind program. For more information please check out their website at www.nikereuseashoe.com.

Still to come… January is recycle your greeting cards month! Save all your cards this holiday season and we’ll be collecting them in January. St. Jude’s Ranch accepts recycled cards which they use to make “green” holiday cards. The proceeds go towards helping abused, abandoned and neglected children.

Dear LREI Community,

Greetings! This month, four brief notes and reminders.

There are many special events this month, from concerts to Afterschool shares to a variety of grade and class presentations. I hope that you are able to participate in some number of these wonderful occasions. One event that will involve all LREI students is next week’s Book Week. (You will find more information about the specifics of Book Week after my letter.) A central component of Book Week is that each student will have the opportunity to spend time with an author, illustrator, editor or publisher—someone who makes her or his living in a manner that uses skills and talents that your children are asked to practice and develop on a daily basis. For LREI’s students, these visits validate the hard work put into honing their literary skills. Thank you to the Literary Committee for making these experiences possible as well as for the energy and thought that goes into the creation of the book fair and the annual Literary Evening. Tickets for this event are on sale now in the Sixth Avenue lobby. One final literary note. All four of our librarians are now members of American Library Association committees. This is quite an honor. Congratulations to these dedicated professionals.

· Lower School Librarian Stacy Dillon is serving on the 2009 Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC) Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Award.

· Early Childhood and Interdivisional Librarian Jesse Karp (LREI ’87) has just been invited to serve on the 2009-2010 Young Adult Library Services Association’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens selection committee.

· High School Librarian Karyn Silverman is currently serving on the 2009 Young Adult Library Services Association’s Michael L. Printz Award. The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature.

· Middle School Librarian and Library Department Chair Jennifer Hubert Swan is currently serving on the 2009 Young Adult Library Services Association’s Alex Award. The Alex Awards are given to ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults, ages 12 through 18.

1. A reminder and an update. While I am always happy to have people stop by to see me in my office at anytime, I am not always there. In order to make it easier to find me, I will be available for drop-in conversations in my Sixth Avenue office from 8:45 AM-9:30 AM on December 9^th (NEW DATE), December 12^th and December 17^th. No drop in hours on Friday, December 5^th.
2. We will be distributing an updated LREI Directory after Winter Break. Please contact Mary Shea (mshea@lrei.org) if you would like to revise your family’s information. Remember that you can print individual pages from the electronic version of the directory if you wish. Also, the most up-to-date school calendar is the one on the website. On this page, you can download LREI’s calendar to your iCal. You can choose which events are displayed on your version of our calendar by clicking on the “filter events” button on the left hand side of the calendar page.
3. Important Reminders
   • Deadline for applying for Tuition Remission is December 15, 2008/
   • Re-enrollment contracts will be mailed to all families no later than January 15, 2009.
   • Re-enrollment contracts are due on February 1, 2009.

We recognize that given current economic conditions, many families’ circumstances may have changed. If you are not currently receiving Tuition Remission and feel that changes in your family’s particular situation may now qualify you for Tuition Remission, we encourage you to apply now. Contact the Business Office to do so.

Warmly,

Phil

Updates and Announcements:

*Please read this important announcement from our Academic Support Center.

1. Book Week is back!

December 8 – 12, 2008

Children’s and Young Adult authors and illustrators will be visiting classrooms throughout the school, from the Fours to Twelfth Grade. Please check the bulletin board in the Sixth Avenue Lobby for the day’s schedule.

Tuesday, December 9, is this year’s Literary Evening, called “LAUGH LINES.” Five talented humor writers – David Rakoff, Patty Marx, Jenny Allen, Isabel Rose and Marisa Marchetto – will read from their work at the Charlton Street Performing Arts center from 7:00PM – 9:00PM We hope you’ll be there to enjoy these witty writers, whose work has produced novels, graphic memoirs, SNL skits, New Yorker stories and children’s books. Tickets are being sold in the Sixth Avenue Lobby and the Library. Childcare is available so please sign up.

The Book Fair begins on Wednesday, December 10, at 2:00 PM in the Sixth Avenue Auditorium and ends on Friday, December 12, at 6:00 PM. Stop by and buy! Browsers welcome too! Books for all ages, librarian recommendations, perennial favorites, adult reading, gift ideas, cookbooks and gift vouchers for teachers and specialists are available.

All proceeds go towards the LREI Literary Initiative, which helps the school’s library and librarians better serve our community.

There are many ways to volunteer during Book Week – Book Fair set up or clean up, sell Literary Evening tickets, be an author buddy – so please check the sign-up sheet in the Sixth Avenue Lobby and help Book Week be another great success.

2. Attached is the first LREI fall newsletter for the year. In our ongoing drive to be more sustainable we are distributing it exclusively by email. Phil welcomes your feedback as we move forward with this and other green initiatives. For additional news highlights, please visit http://www.lrei.org/news/.

3. Dear Parents: Since the auction is two months earlier this year (on Thursday, March 5th), we need to get our donation forms in earlier. The deadline for forms is Friday, December 12th.

Our goal this year is to have each parent donate/solicit one item, and we’re attaching a form here for your convenience. If you would like to run your ideas by someone, please contact one of us or Pippa Gerard at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org or Sandra Song at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org.

Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Esposito Mamie McIndoe
917-226-0800 917-597-5603
jenn_espo@msn.com mmcindoe@marblechurch.org

4. A perfect gift!
LETTERMAN JACKETS NOW AVAILABLE!
Wool Letterman Jackets now available through
the LREI school store.
These beautiful warm, winter coats are now
available by special order only. The cost is
approximately $200 per coat. Each is personalized
with your name. Order by next Wednesday,
November 26th to receive by Holiday Break. For orders: Contact Kasey Picayo at
picayosmith@aol.com. See attachment for photo.

5. From the LREI Family Handbook
Vacations: We remind families to only take vacations during LREI breaks and that your
child’s time away from school does not begin before the school break does or end
afterwards. Teachers use each scheduled day to support their classroom program goals
and the School’s mission. Students who miss days adjacent to breaks, or who take
vacations outside of our break times, miss work and can disrupt planned activities. This
affects the learning of the absent students and her/his classmates. In addition, divisional
or all-school assemblies often precede our longer vacations. These gatherings are
essential for creating the sort of community that drew you to LREI. Students sing, listen
to speakers, applaud their schoolmates, meet students in other divisions and generally
strengthen community ties.

We will not honor families’ requests to receive work their children will miss due to family
vacation plans. Families that are presented with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to make
an extended visit to another city, country, etc. should speak to their child’s principal.

In general, we are focused on making sure that we are using each moment of each
school day as effectively as possible. Part of being able to do this is to have each
student in school each of these days. Thank you for your support of these efforts.

6. Red is Green Committee:

Red is Green Monthly Recycle Drives: Thanks to all the families who participated in the first LREI Recycle Month – we collected over 1000 plastic bags to be recycled! We’ll be keeping the box in the Sixth Avenue lobby for a while longer, so please continue to drop off plastic bags. Also, you can always bring your bags to Whole Foods, Staples, Barnes & Nobles and other chain stores to be recycled.

This month, Red is Green is collecting used sneakers! Through December 19 you can bring your old athletic shoes (no shoes containing metal please) to school and drop them off in the boxes located in the lobby of either building. Sneakers will be ground up and recycled into outdoor basketball courts, volleyball courts, tennis courts, soccer fields, and playgrounds through the NIKE grind program. For more information please check out their website at www.nikereuseashoe.com.

Still to come… January is recycle your greeting cards month! Save all your cards this holiday season and we’ll be collecting them in January. St. Jude’s Ranch accepts recycled cards which they use to make “green” holiday cards. The proceeds go towards helping abused, abandoned and neglected children.

7. Introducing the 2008-2009 Boys Basketball Varisty Team!

Dear Families,

After the Thanksgiving holiday, students will return on December 1 to their Trimester I Exam Week. Attached, please find the exam schedule. The exam schedule may undergo a change or two in the next day or so, likely from 11th and 12th grade electives deciding to cancel their time. The most current schedule will be posted at the high school. Below, please find what exam week will look like in case you have any questions, or need to make particular arrangements.

Monday, Dec. 1: Regular school day. Classes will review material or complete work. All students are expected.

Tuesday, Dec. 2: Reading Day.

• School open regular hours. Ninth Graders are required to attend the first trimester reading day for a study day and help with preparing for the week with our Academic Support instructors, 9 AM-2:45 PM.
• For all other grades, this is a day for students to prepare for exams, final papers and exhibitions. This is also an opportunity to catch up with outstanding work, work with groups for final presentations, use the Tech Center and printers around the school, etc. This is a quiet work day. Students may choose to work at school or at home. Students are not required to report to school, and it is not counted as an absence if they are not here. However, you may prefer your child to come to school for the full day to work. Please send him or her. School will be open. The Library will be open all day. All teachers will be at school regular school hours to provide the opportunity to meet with students.
• No classes will meet so that all teachers are available. There will be review sessions held. If a student is in crisis, teachers may encourage that student to make a mandatory appointment. Further, teachers of two of the same section class may hold mandatory class meeting time during reading day.
• So far, Jane Belton’s English 10 class will meet on Reading Day. Section 10B will meet with Jane from 9-10 AM, and Section 10C will meet with Jane from 10-11 AM. These classes, again, are mandatory for members of her class.

Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 3-5: Exams. Exam periods are 9 AM-11 AM and 1 PM-3 PM. Each day, students should come in plenty of time for their morning exam, and students may leave after their exams are complete. Again, the exam schedule is attached to this blog.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

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 game recaps.

Attached is the first LREI fall newsletter for the year. In our ongoing drive to be more sustainable we are distributing it exclusively by email. Phil welcomes your feedback as we move forward with this and other green initiatives. For additional news highlights, please visit http://www.lrei.org/news/.

1. Dear Parents: Since the auction is two months earlier this year (on Thursday, March 5th), we need to get our donation forms in earlier. We would like to have as many of the forms in by Thanksgiving break as possible, which is just around the corner. The deadline for forms is Friday, December 12th.

Our goal this year is to have each parent donate/solicit one item, and we’re attaching a form here for your convenience. If you would like to run your ideas by someone, please contact one of us or Pippa Gerard at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org or Sandra Song at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org.

Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Esposito Mamie McIndoe
917-226-0800 917-597-5603
jenn_espo@msn.com mmcindoe@marblechurch.org

2. Community Service!

The LREI Community Service Committee is hosting it’s annual
Thanksgiving Art project at Hudson Guild this Sunday Nov. 23 , 11:00AM – 1:00 PM
At HG Elliot Center at 441 West 26th St. (Bet. 9th and 10th Aves.)
LREI children and parents will join seniors from the HG Community Center
to make centerpieces for their Thanksgiving Feast.
Hudson Guild is located in Chelsea and provides services and programs for young and old which help community members achieve stability and self-sufficiency.
For more information: [ http://hudsonguild.org ]http://hudsonguild.org/ Please RSVP to Denise Adler 917-455-8302.

$1.00 For Thanks – Nov. 24 – 26
$1.00 donation allows allows LREI to provide money to a local soup kitchen for turkeys
for their Thanksgiving Dinner.
Look for the collection jar in the Sixth Ave. and Charlton St. lobbies.
For more information Contact Tatjana Kalinin – 917-371-6591.

Nov. 26th – Ongoing
Kick off for St. John’s Can Drive in the Lower School will take place this year
at the Thanksgiving Assembly and will continue throughout the year on a class by class basis.
Talk to you teacher or parent rep to find out when your class is scheduled.
Middle Schoolers will be collecting and stocking the shelves at
the St. John’s Food Pantry throughout the year.
Please check all expiration dates on your donations!

Attention all knitters! This month’s Knitting for the Sanctuary Blanket Project
will take place this Friday, Nov 21st from noon to 3pm at The Point on Bedford Street.
No experience necessary!

3. A perfect gift!
LETTERMAN JACKETS NOW AVAILABLE!
Wool Letterman Jackets now available through
the LREI school store.
These beautiful warm, winter coats are now
available by special order only. The cost is
approximately $200 per coat. Each is personalized
with your name. Order by next Wednesday,
November 26th to receive by Holiday Break.  For orders:  Contact Kasey Picayo at
picayosmith@aol.com.  See attachment for photo.

4. A message from Phil Kassen, Director-While I am always happy to have people drop in to see me, I am not always in my office. I will be available for drop in conversations, in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria, from 8:45AM-9:30AM on November 21st, December 5th, December 12th and December 17th.

5. From the LREI Family Handbook
Vacations: We remind families to only take vacations during LREI breaks and that your
child’s time away from school does not begin before the school break does or end
afterwards. Teachers use each scheduled day to support their classroom program goals
and the School’s mission. Students who miss days adjacent to breaks, or who take
vacations outside of our break times, miss work and can disrupt planned activities. This
affects the learning of the absent students and her/his classmates. In addition, divisional
or all-school assemblies often precede our longer vacations. These gatherings are
essential for creating the sort of community that drew you to LREI. Students sing, listen
to speakers, applaud their schoolmates, meet students in other divisions and generally
strengthen community ties.

We will not honor families’ requests to receive work their children will miss due to family
vacation plans. Families that are presented with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to make
an extended visit to another city, country, etc. should speak to their child’s principal.

In general, we are focused on making sure that we are using each moment of each
school day as effectively as possible. Part of being able to do this is to have each
student in school each of these days. Thank you for your support of these efforts.

6. Red is Green Committee:
This week The Red is Green Committee launched LREI’s monthly recycling drive. Each month you will have an opportunity to recycle items that are not easily recycled at home. November’s recycling drive is dedicated
to plastic bags, which currently cannot be recycled with regular plastics.You can find a box for collecting these bags by the reception desk at the Sixth Avenue campus as well as in the Charlton Street building. Our first day we collected over
150 bags! The monthly recycling drive is a fun and easy way for our kids to get involved in taking better care of our planet so please keep an eye out for the monthly drive in the lobby. Next month’s recycling drive will be
old sneakers!

Dear Families,

Tomorrow, we hold annual family conferences. Advisors and families meet to discuss the first part of the year, to discuss work habits, organizational skills, academic successes and challenges, extracurricular pursuits and to, hopefully, set goals. I encourage you to use part of your meeting time to set goals for the remainder of the year. This year, we have scheduled another conference day, April 17, 2009, all day. This conference day in the spring is a perfect opportunity to check in regarding goals set in the winter and to have final discussions on class choice for 2009-2010 and the community service requirement.

Speaking of community service, this week, eleventh and twelfth grade students in Ileana’s Fierce and Fabulous: Feminist Women Writers, Artists, and Activists were encouraged by Emma Reinhardt, the executive director of HERVoices based in Boston. Their mission is to facilitate cross cultural knowledge, openness, empathy and understanding by empowering and amplifying the voices of underrepresented women and girls. They collect personal testimonies from women and girls to develop participatory, multimedia presentations which are shared with diverse audiences. Emma shared stories from Kenya, in particular women peacekeepers in Wajir, with the class, who were moved by the presentation. From them, action will come.

Please remember, December 8th is a free day for students to participate in community service opportunities. There are no classes that day (the Monday after exams) and students do not have to report to school, unless the service opportunity requires it. Certainly, some in-school opportunities will be available here for in-school community service hours. Additional outside opportunities will be posted underneath the community service calendar located in the lobby. The outside opportunities will not be for everyone; please have a conversation with your child about what opportunity he or she would like to participate in that day. This is a terrific website to find volunteer opportunities around the city.

Finally, this Saturday students can volunteer with members of our community service roundtable at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. If interested, please meet at school at 9 AM sharp or at the park at 9:30 AM. Students should come dressed warmly and for outdoor work.

Have a wonderful conference day and a wonderful weekend,

Ruth

Updates and Announcements:

LREI School Night at the Apple Store
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
6:30 PM

12th Grade Arts Showcase

 

 

Come celebrate Senior Arts including Music, Film, Photography and Theatre

School Night at the Apple Store is designed to give students the opportunity to celebrate the works they have created using Apple technology. The store becomes a theater for students and teachers to showcase these projects for family, friends and teachers.

 

Apple Store Soho
second floor screening room
103 Prince Street, NYC

• 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.

Attached is the first LREI fall newsletter for the year. In our ongoing drive to be more sustainable we are distributing it exclusively by email. Phil welcomes your feedback as we move forward with this and other green initiatives. For additional news highlights, please visit http://www.lrei.org/news/.

1. A message from Phil Kassen, Director-While I am always happy to have people drop in to see me, I am not always in my office. I will be available for drop in conversations, in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria, from 8:45AM-9:30AM on November 21st, December 5th, December 12th and December 17th.

2. From the LREI Family Handbook
Vacations: We remind families to only take vacations during LREI breaks and that your
child’s time away from school does not begin before the school break does or end
afterwards. Teachers use each scheduled day to support their classroom program goals
and the School’s mission. Students who miss days adjacent to breaks, or who take
vacations outside of our break times, miss work and can disrupt planned activities. This
affects the learning of the absent students and her/his classmates. In addition, divisional
or all-school assemblies often precede our longer vacations. These gatherings are
essential for creating the sort of community that drew you to LREI. Students sing, listen
to speakers, applaud their schoolmates, meet students in other divisions and generally
strengthen community ties.

We will not honor families’ requests to receive work their children will miss due to family
vacation plans. Families that are presented with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to make
an extended visit to another city, country, etc. should speak to their child’s principal.

In general, we are focused on making sure that we are using each moment of each
school day as effectively as possible. Part of being able to do this is to have each
student in school each of these days. Thank you for your support of these efforts.

3. Red is Green Committee:
This week The Red is Green Committee launched LREI’s monthly recycling drive. Each month you will have an opportunity to recycle items that are not easily recycled at home. November’s recycling drive is dedicated
to plastic bags, which currently cannot be recycled with regular plastics.You can find a box for collecting these bags by the reception desk at the Sixth Avenue campus as well as in the Charlton Street building. Our first day we collected over
150 bags! The monthly recycling drive is a fun and easy way for our kids to get involved in taking better care of our planet so please keep an eye out for the monthly drive in the lobby. Next month’s recycling drive will be
old sneakers!

Dear Families,

The dynamic cast and crew, and musical directorJoanne Magee, have been working hard to put together a fantastic evening of music and drama. “City of Angels” opens tonight with shows on Friday and Saturday evening, 7PM, Charlton Street Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available at the reception desk this week and Saturday evening. Hope to see you at the show!

Below, please find a message from Phil Kassen, Director of LREI:

Wednesday was a thrilling day at LREI. As they greeted each other, teachers, students and parents were bubbling with excitement, thoughts, ideas and hopes. No matter which candidate one supported, it was not lost on anyone that we were living in an historic moment. Even our youngest students knew that it was a day to work hard to understand. Each division had an assembly to mark the day. These gatherings varied so as to be age-appropriate, yet all were joyful events filled with conversation, singing, speeches and, most of all, optimism.

We are thrilled by the level of interest the students, in all three divisions, have shown for the candidates, the election process and the issues. As many of you know the election has been a part of the curriculum throughout the fall and for many of our students for much of last year, as well. Our fourth graders worked with librarian Stacy Dillon to study electoral politics through a process of “electing” their favorite books. Stacy announced the winner on Wednesday. Congratulations go to Green Eggs and Ham. The middle school students participated in a national mock election that allowed them to vote on the major party candidates for President and on local ballot initiatives. I am looking forward to seeing the results. In addition, one of our middle school advisory groups spent time out and about in the neighborhood registering more than a dozen people to vote. In the high school, discussions, projects and assemblies dealing with the candidates and the campaign have been going on for quite some time. Throughout the primary season the high school students created a series of debates with students portraying the candidates. Our high schoolers are to be commended for their deep understanding of each candidate’s beliefs. One of our high school students even arranged for the candidates from the Socialist Workers Party to come in and speak to interested schoolmates about this party’s platform. Over the past couple of weeks, many high school faculty and students traveled to Pennsylvania on the weekends to campaign. A group of faculty and students spent last Thursday supporting the last moments of their candidate’s campaign as part of our Minimester—a series of three-day intensive classes in which all eighth – twelfth graders participate. (See Ruth’s blog from two weeks ago to see all of the Minimester offerings.) As I have said to a number of you, I have been in the school for five election cycles and have never seen this level of interest, education and commitment. I hope that our students’ interest in civic involvement remains at this level. Excellent work, all.

My family decided that we would vote very early on Tuesday morning. All agreed that the excitement of Election Day and avoiding lines was a good reason to set our alarm clocks to rouse us before the usual time. The plan was to vote and go out for a celebratory breakfast before the school day began. As I sat on the edge of my four year old son’s bed, watching him at peace and allowing him a last moment’s rest before our adventure began, I realized that there was a possibility, that is now a reality, that the first face he really remembers as the face of a leader, of a President, will be a Black man’s face. That for him and many others this simple fact will change their assumptions and judgments, the goals they will have and the plans they will make. Am I making too much of this? We will have to wait and see, but I don’t think so. While there is still much work to do, the fact that in a few short months the United States of America will have an African-American President will have a long lasting and far-reaching impact. I am eager, for myself and for our children, to see what the future holds.

One final thought, I hope that the future holds a recognition that two people choosing to commit themselves to each other is good for everyone and that all people should have the same right to be a family. So even as we celebrate Tuesday’s victory, we should not ignore Tuesday’s defeats. We need to keep our eyes on any discrimination that needs our continued focus and energy.

On a completely different note…..I want to take this opportunity to remind you of some important upcoming due dates.

Irwin Scholar applications are due Monday, November 17, 2008. Each year LREI offers merit scholarships to students moving from our eighth grade into the ninth grade who have demonstrated exceptional accomplishment and promise in the areas of scholarship, citizenship, leadership and service.

Sibling and Alumni/ae Admissions to the Fours, Kindergarten and First Grade:

LREI offers the option of Early Notification to siblings of current LREI students, and to the children and grandchildren of LREI alumni. Should you wish to participate in this program, please download the Early Notification form from our web site and submit by Monday, December 1, 2008. Please note that all Early Notification application files must also be completed by this date.

Tuition Remission deadline for applying for Tuition Remission is December 15, 2008.
Re-enrollment contracts will be mailed to all families no later than January 15, 2009
Re-enrollment contracts are due on February 1, 2009
Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Phil

Have a great weekend,

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.

Attached is the first LREI fall newsletter for the year. In our ongoing drive to be more sustainable we are distributing it exclusively by email. Phil welcomes your feedback as we move forward with this and other green initiatives. For additional news highlights, please visit http://www.lrei.org/news/.

Mark Bledstein, who has been teaching at LREI for 40 years, will be presenting “Teaching Modern China: Art and Politics/Images and Documents” on November 11, 2008, 3:45-5:15, Charlton Street. Parents and student families are invited to attend. This presentation is sponsored by Teaching East Asia at the University of Colorado, Boulder and funded by the Freeman Foundation and an LREI summer grant.

Family/Advisor conferences are on November 14, all day. Advisors make appointments with families. If you have not heard from your advisor yet, and would like to make this appointment, please feel free to contact the student’s advisor or class dean.

1. A message from Chap, Director of Diversity and Community:

Bring The Conversation Home: Strategies for addressing challenging diversity topics your child brings home: Part I
Join us on Tuesday, November 11th at 8:45 AM in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria for a discussion and Q&A on a number of diversity topics you and your family face on a regular basis, with a particular focus on socioeconomic class. Please consider inviting another LREI parent or two to this important community discussion.

2. From the Big Auction Committee: The Big Auction will be held on March 5th, 2009 and the Art Auction is scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 school year. You should have received a letter in the mail, along with a donation form. Our goal this year is to have every parent solicit one item for the auction…we hope that you will join us in realizing this goal! If you have any questions or would like to discuss a potential donation, please contact Jenn at jenn_espo@msn.com or Mamie at mamie.mcindoe@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can also contact the Office of Advancement. Pippa can be reached at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org, and Sandra at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org. Thank you in advance for your support!

3. 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!

4. 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.

5. Red is Green Committee:
Thanks to all who turned out for our first Red is Green Committee meeting. We had a great turn out. Starting Monday November 10th we will begin our monthly recycling drive. During the month of November we will be collecting plastic bags in the lobbies of both buildings. Plastic bags currently can not be recycled with our plastics in NYC. We will take them to venues in NYC where they can be recycled. Future recycling drives: December – bring in any brand of old sneakers to be recycled into sports surfaces like basketball courts or playgrounds. Stay tuned for future recycling drives. Our next meeting is Monday November 24th at 8:45am in Sixth Ave. cafeteria. If you would like to receive updates please email Liselotte at lhommen@hotmail.com or Kim at kbeck2@nyc.rr.com.

Dear Families,

As the election season comes to a close, I have to take a moment to acknowledge the hard work of our history department during the seamingly endless time period between the primaries and this week. The history department, Tom Murphy, Bill Bailey, Mark Bledstein and Nick O’Han have been the community’s teachers and have educated faculty and students alike through a series of assemblies and through timely elective offerings. The assemblies have included presentations, mock debates and discussions on the primaries, each candidate participating in the primaries, the issues and election strategy in the primaries. Once the candidates were determined, we were able to start the year with a workshop on the electoral college, then to the candidates’ position on a variety of issues, including energy, foreign policy, gay marriage, and the economy.

Action has been inspired by these assemblies. Almost every weekend in October, faculty and students have travelled to far and wide to canvas; one of the options for students in Bill Bailey’s American Government and Politics class was to travel with Bill to Pennsylvania. For the students who participated in this option, they were quite shocked by the blatant racism they encountered while canvasing for Barack Obama. In fact, members of the department were worried about what students may be exposed to but ultimately it was decided that students need to experience a difference of opinion to say the least (we are a pretty bias school with the majority of the community supporting Obama openly; we do have community members also supporting McCain). Today, even more students, participating in Bill’s Election minimester are on their way to Pennsylvania; others are headed to Obama’s Brooklyn headquarters to help out today. It is terrific to see the engagement of our students; this election is important to them. Regardless of the outcome, on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 8:30 AM, the community will gather together as a community to support each other and to discuss the results in a thoughtful and respectful manner, as all assemblies require.

Here are two opportunities for you to experience our history department yourselves!

1. Bill Bailey, a master teacher, has had a rich history of action and a significant career in education. To hear Bill give a recent (and terrific) convocation speech at Concord Academy this fall, click here.
2. Mark Bledstein, who has been teaching at LREI for 40 years, will be presenting “Teaching Modern China: Art and Politics/Images and Documents” on November 11, 2008, 3:45-5:15, Charlton Street. Parents and student families are invited to attend. This presentation is sponsered by Teaching East Asia at the University of Colorado, Boulder and funded by the Freeman Foundation and an LREI summer grant.

On another note, I have to share with you the talent of Graham Whitford, Class of 2010. This weekend, he is performing in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with the Experience Hendrix Tribute tour. Please click on the link to see this amazing LREI student in action! We are so proud of him.

Finally, The LREI KNIGHTS Girls Varsity Volleyball Team won their semi-final match vs The Garden School in two straight sets with scores of 27-25, 10-25. The win was a great all-around team effort! Notable stats include Setters Fallon Lucombe, ’11 and Marissa Bendit, ’11 with 3 assists/3 kills, and 2 aces/3 assists/2 kills respectively; Violeta Picayo, ’09 with 7 aces, 1 assist, and 5 kills; Kary Caiza, ’10 with 3 aces; and Blakeley Blackman, ’10 with 2 kills and a block. The team is back in action TODAY for the Girls Independent School Athletic League Division 2 playoffs final to be played at Lycee Francais, 505 E.75th Street, at 4PM. Come out and support KNIGHTS VOLLEYBALL!!!

Enjoy Election Day!

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.

Interims are now available on “My Backpack”. If you have lost or do not have a user name or password, please email or call Adria at x323 or amaynor@lrei.org. If you would like your child’s interims mailed, please contact Adria.

1. 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.

2. From the Big Auction Committee: The Big Auction will be held on March 5th, 2009 and the Art Auction is scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 school year. You should have received a letter in the mail, along with a donation form. Our goal this year is to have every parent solicit one item for the auction…we hope that you will join us in realizing this goal! If you have any questions or would like to discuss a potential donation, please contact Jenn at jenn_espo@msn.com or Mamie at mamie.mcindoe@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can also contact the Office of Advancement. Pippa can be reached at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org, and Sandra at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org. Thank you in advance for your support!

3. 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!

4. 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.

5. 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 after-school session.

Dear Families,

Next week is “Minimester”! While some faculty call it “Megamester” because it feels so big, Minimester, our three day immersion program, is a wonderful break from the every day, and something the community really enjoys. The 2008-2009 program offerings include:

Bike Minimester! with Nick Sullivan and Susan Now

Students will be biking through NYC to several destinations near and far. They will learn about bike repair, and will also work with Transportation Alternatives, an organization that among many other things gives recommendations to the city about how to make biking in New York a safe and viable form of urban transportation and fun. Great eats will be found on their trips!

CSI: LREI with Preethi Thomas and Margaret Magee

“If you have ever wondered how forensic scientists use fingerprints, DNA and fibers to investigate crimes, then this minimester is for you.  We will investigate a crime of our own to determine “whodunnit.”  In order to thoroughly and accurately investigate a crime scene you must be extremely attentive to detail in order to determine what the evidence is telling you.  Investigation of this crime scene will include amny of the following:  Documenting the scene, dusting for fingerprints, fiber identification, blood spatter analysis, handwriting analysis, hair identification, DNA fingerprinting and bloodtyping.”

Chinese culture with Mark Bledstein and Guo-Qing Heaton
Students will learn how to write in Chinese characters. They will create Chinese ink and brush landscapes. Take a guided tour through Chinatown. Enjoy both the wonders of Chinese cinema and a slide show on contemporary Chinese art. Sample popular Chinese music and “dig into” authentic Chinese lunch.

Election 2008-History in the Making-You Can Make a Difference! with Bill Bailey, Meghan Farley Astrachan and Stephen MacGillivray
“Join us if you love politics. Join us if you think you know a lot or if you think you know “next to nothing” about the subject. We will spend the first day learning about the electoral process with both the White House and the U.S. Congress as subjects. Once we have some basic facts under our belts, we will look at the campaign in depth, examining the Republican and Democratic platforms, the debates, political ads and the issue of accuracy and of appeal, the battleground states, and whatever else might unfold. The class does not pretend to be uncommitted in the race, and Thursday, we will head to Pennsylvania (by bus) to campaign for Barack Obama. We’ll do some role playing to build our confidence before we meet with residents of Wilkes Barre or Scranton who are enthusiastic about Obama, skeptical or hostile. On Friday, we will debrief and look at polls. Bring your lunch on Thursday and enough cash to stop for fast food on the way home.”

Friday Afternoon Live-Sketch Comedy with Micah Dov Gottlieb and Vin Scialla
Live from EI . . . its Friday Afternoon!!!
“Do you like Saturday Night Live? We will recreate the SNL experience by writing and performing a twenty-minute sketch comedy show in two and a half days. From filming our own “parody” commercials, to the weekend update, let’s make EI Laugh! We will need writers, actors, musicians, and directors.”

Hidden New York with Nick O’Han
Put on your urban archeologist’s hat and go exploring in your own (or at least some new Yorker’s) backyard. New York is one big archeological dig. Visit places that tell New York’s story, see spaces inhabited by ghosts of the past, and peel back the layers of history all around you.

Kitchen Sink Printmaking with Karyn Silverman and Celine Kagan
“Have you ever used a potato to create a one-of-a-kind tee-shirt? Here’s your chance! Printmaking is often thought of as an expensive medium, requiring lots of special equipment and training. But basic print techniques and household tools can be used to transform vegetables, soap, sponges, erasers and other common items into fabulous monochrome printmaking materials. We will experiment and explore materials and surfaces and make a variety of textile and paper prints. We will spend some time searching for raw materials at grocery stores and in nature and then work on creating art from the unexpected.”

Mapping the Psyche with Antonio Valle and Ruth Jurgensen
Astrology is a form of imagination emerging from nature and having relevance for everyday life, which can take us into areas of self-reflection as no other system of symbols and images can do. This minimester will be an introductory course on the basic building blocks of astrological language. Participants will be taken on a fascinating journey through the solar system, the ancient planetary knowledge, and the energies represented by their astrological equivalents; and then through the signs of the zodiac, their elements and qualities, and the ways in which different planets express through them in the astrological chart.

Russian NY with Tom Murphy and Sergei Mihkelson
In this minimester students will explore Russian New York. A century ago millions of Russian immigrants poured into New York. Bringing their language and traditions, these immigrants transformed the Lower East Side. In the late 20th century further waves of Russian immigration left their mark on outer boroughs. For three days students will explore both the Jewish and Christian threads of Russian culture in New York. We will visit Brighton Beach and sample traditional cuisine.

Conceptu-what?? with Zoe Harris, ’09, Vinay Chowdhry and Janet Atkinson
“Does hearing the term “conceptual art” make you bored, interested, angry, nauseated, frustrated, befuddled or perhaps all of the above? If your answer is yes to any of these, this is the minimester for you! Together, we will explore the curious world of contemporary conceptualism, in all of its forms, by visiting galleries and museums, attending a lecture, watching films, and learning about aesthetics and historical contexts the work different artists we see. We’ll discuss what we like, dislike, don’t understand, and just plain despise, what works and what doesn’t, representation, themes, and messages, and then on the last day create our own pieces in response to what we’ve seen.”

PASSION FOR FASHION with Adele deBiasi-Pelz
An exploration of women’s fashion and design influenced by French and American artists. Students will research and write about designers of their choice and keep a sketch book. We will visit museums and view art exhibits around the city . (A sketch book is required)

Rube Goldberg Machines with Stephen Volkmann
During this minimester, students will explore simple machines and energy transfer through a mechanical system. We will begin by researching Rube Goldberg cartoons/machines and look at some examples on the. Students will then explore how everyday materials can be transformed into machine elements. After reviewing simple machines and energy transfer students will work in groups to design and then construct a Rube Goldberg machine complete with a Rube style sketch.

Fall Produce Minimester with Thea Aquiar, ’09, Jessica Wilson, ’09, Jane Belton and Julia Heaton
“During this minimester we will be learning about and cooking with fall produce! We will visit the farmer’s market and an apple-picking orchard where we will learn about, see and use fall produce first hand. Then we will learn to cook using our knowledge and all of our fresh fall ingredients. Feel free to bring your own recipes to share.”

Architecture and Urbanism: Constructing the City with Peter Bonfanti and Sarah Barlow
What makes a city? What makes something a neighborhood? In this minimester, students will explore these questions through the lens of architecture. While New York City is much more than the sum of its buildings, the forms of those buildings play a profound role in shaping our experience of the city.
Each day will begin at school, with a combination of lecture, discussion, and research on that day’s central topics. These topics will then be illustrated and expanded upon through a visit to a different neighborhood each afternoon: the Upper West Side on the first day, Battery Park City on the second, and the East Village on the third. Students, be forewarned: we will be walking two to three miles each day, so come prepared!

Faculty, who work tirelessly all year, somehow find the time to plan and implement these exciting workshops, and I know students appreciate their efforts. Students are signing up for workshops this week with Micah Gottlieb, Dean of Students.

Please remember, two important and upcoming community service opportunities:

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.”

and

The high school has been invited to participate in a survey this Friday 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 Friday 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.

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.

Interims are now available on “My Backpack”. If you have lost or do not have a user name or password, please email or call Adria at x323 or amaynor@lrei.org. If you would like your child’s interims mailed, please contact Adria.

1. The HALLOWEEN FAIR is THIS SUNDAY! Click on the link to learn more about the festivities and volunteer opportunities for your child!

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. Red is Green Committee:

Our very first committee meeting will be held on Monday, October 27th, at 9:30 AM in the Sixth Ave. cafeteria. We will typically meet the last Monday of every month. Please see the school calendar online for the actual meeting dates. We look forward to meeting with all of you and discussing how we can make LREI more “green,” teach our children about the impact we have on our community and the environment and find ways to give back as a community in “green” ways.

If you have ideas or suggestions about topics you would like addressed at this committee or future meetings, please feel free to email us.

Kim Beck kbeck2@nyc.rr.com cell: 917-225-4753
Liselotte Vince lhommen@hotmail.com cell: 646-321-9436

Looking forward to seeing you on the 27th!

4. From the Big Auction Committee: The Big Auction will be held on March 5th, 2009 and the Art Auction is scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 school year. You should have received a letter in the mail, along with a donation form. Our goal this year is to have every parent solicit one item for the auction…we hope that you will join us in realizing this goal! If you have any questions or would like to discuss a potential donation, please contact Jenn at jenn_espo@msn.com or Mamie at mamie.mcindoe@gmail.com. If you prefer, you can also contact the Office of Advancement. Pippa can be reached at 212-477-5316 x236 or pgerard@lrei.org, and Sandra at 212-477-5316 x275 or ssong@lrei.org. Thank you in advance for your support!

5. 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!

6. 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.

7. 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 after-school session.

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.