January 19, 2006

Weekly Email January 19, 2006

Dear Parents,

Many of you stopped by my office on Friday – or emailed me – to let me know how helpful you found the parent-advisor conferences. After receiving feedback from the faculty, may I say that the feeling is mutual. The overall picture I got from both sides of the equation was that in these meetings, parents and advisors shared information, learned, strategized and generally got a much more holistic view of each student – and came away with a sense of how to move forward. Thanks for being such terrific partners in your children’s education.

Below you will see announcements/descriptions of three important all-school events coming up in the next two months: Karamu!, the Art Auction and Visibility. Please do find ways to participate in one or all of these events, events which truly do set our school apart.

All the best,

Tony

In order:

* KARAMU! The Parent Multicultural Committee invites you to join us for Karamu! (see the attached flyer), our annual multicultural performance and celebration for the whole family, on Friday, January 27th. We kick it off today (Thursday), with the Taste of Karamu bake sale. Students are working on the Karamu! family exhibit that will go up next week; they’re also completing the library scavenger hunt for the chance to enter the student raffle. Tickets, t-shirts and raffle tickets for Karamu! will go on sale on Monday morning, January 23rd, in both lobbies. Please note that the event always sells out, so get your tickets early. If you would like to support Karamu! but can’t attend, please don’t buy tickets-we’d be happy to accept a donation instead. And if you buy tickets but your plans change, please turn them in-there’s always a wait list. We still need VOLUNTEERS to contribute food for the potluck dinner and to fill a number of needs on Friday-please check the volunteer board in the 6th Avenue lobby, and/or e-mail LanaFlame@yahoo.com. Thank you!

* Please mark your calendars – only two weeks until the 2006 Art Auction, a fine art silent auction of established and emerging artists to benefit the LREI Tuition Assistance Program.
ADMISSION IS FREE!!!
When: Wednesday, February 1st and Thursday, February 2nd
Gallery Hours: Gallery hours 10:00AM to 8:30PM
Reception and Final Bidding: Thursday, February 2nd, 6:00PM to 8:00PM
Where: I-20 Gallery, 529 West 20th Street, 11th Floor
This year, for the first time, LREI is hosting a shuttle bus on Wednesday, February 1st to take people from LREI’s Sixth Avenue campus to the I-20 Gallery from 10:00AM to 6:00PM. The bus will leave Sixth Avenue every hour on the hour, and will leave the Gallery on the half hour. We hope this will allow those who cannot attend the auction either Wednesday or Thursday evening to see all the wonderful art. To pre-register or get further information, please visit our website at www.lrei.org, or call 212-477-5316 x232.

The Art Auction website will go up tomorrow, Friday, January 20th.

* An entreaty for our Visibility exhibit: Please, please, please donate photos of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender friends or family members for Visibility (see the attached flyer). This important event in the life of the school depends on the broad participation of members of the community. When you come in for parent-advisor conferences or any other time, you can deposit photos and captions in the Visibility Drop Boxes at the Lower/Middle School or High School receptionist desks. From the Visibility Committee:

The deadline for photo submissions is Feb. 2nd. Photos can be of individuals or family accompanied by a close friend or relative who is lesbian or gay. The people in the picture do not have to be part of the LREI community. Snapshots are fine, and more than one photo can be submitted. All photos must be UNFRAMED and no larger than 11″ x 14″ (which is our frame size).

The name of student/parent/faculty/administrator and grade (if student) must be written (lightly not to emboss the photo) on the back of the photo in pencil or with a Sharpie (permanent marker). The caption must include your name and a few lines describing the people in the photo and why they are important to you, or, if you like, something about their experiences of being visible or invisible. Captions can be submitted in any format, including email to Nancy@Workman.com.

Photos will be returned approximately one month after the show (or sooner if necessary). We would prefer to have permission to keep the photo for future shows but this is not required. Please indicate on the photo if this we can keep the photo for future shows.

Additional announcements:

* Come see the Middle School play, Arabian Nights, Friday, January 20 at 7:00 PM and Saturday, January 21 at 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM. The preview was a big hit at Tuesday’s assembly, and the show will delight children of all ages!

* Mark your calendar – Saturday, February 4 – Coffeehouse!

* And outside of the school:

The Parents League of New York and NYC-Parents in Action invite parents of students in grades 7-12 to attend:

Teen Scene XX
February 6, 2006
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Trinity School
101 West 91st Street

Learn what really goes on in the teenagers’ world as they journey through the high school years!

RSVP to Parents League
212 737-7385

and

Parents Of Teen Scene: AFTERSHOCK
February 16, 2006
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Temple Israel
112 East 75 Street

A forum for parents who would like to discuss the issues they encounter as they partner in their teenagers’ journey through the high school years.

RSVP to NYC-Parents in Action
212 987-9629

January
* Monday 2 School closed – Legal Holiday
* Tuesday 3 School closed – Professional Development Day
* Wednesday 4 School reopens
* Thursday 5 LREI College Panel and Parent Reception
* Thursday 12 Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support meeting
* Friday 13 School closed (High School) – Parent-Advisor Conferences
* Monday 16 School closed – MLK, Jr. Day
* Tuesday 17 High School Parent Rep Meeting
* Friday 27 Karamu!
February
* Wednesday 1- Thursday 2 2006 Art Auction
* Saturday 4 Coffeehouse!
* Tuesday 14 High School Parent Rep Meeting
* Monday 20 – Tuesday 21 School closed Ã‚– PresidentsÃ‚’ Weekend
* Tuesday 28 Last day of Trimester II classes
March
* Wednesday 1 – Friday 3 Trimester II Exams/Presentations
* Monday 6 First day of Trimester III classes

As always, please browse the web site at www.lrei.org. Also, note the links to the Middle and Lower School weekly emails on the right. Please take a look at what the students in the other two divisions are up to!

All attachments are in .pdf format. To view these files, please download Adobe Reader, if you do not already have it. Click on this link or paste it into your browser: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html.
If you are having trouble opening the attachments, go to http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ms/ to access the files.

January 12, 2006

Weekly Email January 12, 2006

Dear parents,

Last Thursday, a good number of recent LREI graduates talked during the day with our eleventh and twelfth graders, and later in the evening with parents, about their college experience. I was struck by the following patterns in their answers:

* LREI graduates are especially prepared for the writing demands of college, but are also prepared for courses in mathematics, science, history, foreign language and the arts;

* LREI graduates know how to approach and work with college and university professors;

* LREI graduates are leaders in the extracurricular lives of the colleges and universities they attend;

* LREI graduates know how to live balanced lives.

I should expand on that last item. During the afternoon session, the panel was asked by a current twelfth grader about the “after-hours” life of college. The answer, which came from several members of the panel, was that they had quickly learned to navigate a healthy balance between the curricular, extracurricular and social lives of their schools. I was also struck by what one graduate from the class of ’02, who currently attends a large university with a number of far more traditional courses, said about those courses and about the seminar-style classes that she is taking now in her senior year. She reported that she found her freshman and sophomore lecture courses – many with multiple choice midterms and finals – far easier to navigate than the courses she was used to at LREI, and that she was now having a far easier time with the smaller, discussion based courses than many of her peers.

In all, I could not have been more proud, both of the students from my time and of those from before my time.

Looking ahead
An entreaty for our Visibility exhibit: Please, please, please donate photos of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender friends or family members for Visibility (see the attached flyer). This important event in the life of the school depends on the broad participation of members of the community. When you come in for parent-advisor conferences or any other time, you can deposit photos and captions in the Visibility Drop Boxes at the Lower/Middle School or High School receptionist desks. From the Visibility Committee:

The deadline for photo submissions is Feb. 2nd. Photos can be of individuals or family accompanied by a close friend or relative who is lesbian or gay. The people in the picture do not have to be part of the LREI community. Snapshots are fine, and more than one photo can be submitted. All photos must be UNFRAMED and no larger than 11″ x 14″ (which is our frame size).

The name of student/parent/faculty/administrator and grade (if student) must be written (lightly not to emboss the photo) on the back of the photo in pencil or with a Sharpie (permanent marker). The caption must include your name and a few lines describing the people in the photo and why they are important to you, or, if you like, something about their experiences of being visible or invisible. Captions can be submitted in any format, including email to Nancy@Workman.com.

Photos will be returned approximately one month after the show (or sooner if necessary). We would prefer to have permission to keep the photo for future shows but this is not required. Please indicate on the photo if this we can keep the photo for future shows.

January and February have many divisional and all-school events. Coming up:

* The next meeting of the Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support will take place tonight – Thursday, January 12th at 6:30 PM.

* No classes Friday, January 13 – Parent-Advisor conferences.

* No school Monday, January 16 – MLK, Jr. Birthday

* Our next Parent Reps meeting will be on Tuesday, January 17.

* For parents of eleventh graders from College Guidance Counselor Amy Shapiro: Veritas Test Prep begins on January 18th. Secure your child’s spot with a check for $600, payable to LREI.

And looking ahead:

* Friday, January 27: Karamu!

* Saturday, February 4 – Coffeehouse!

And outside of the school:

The Parents League of New York and NYC-Parents in Action invite parents of students in grades 7-12 to attend:

Teen Scene XX
February 6, 2006
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Trinity School
101 West 91st Street

Learn what really goes on in the teenagers’ world as they journey through the high school years!

RSVP to Parents League
212 737-7385

and

Parents Of Teen Scene: AFTERSHOCK
February 16, 2006
6:00 – 8:00 pm
Temple Israel
112 East 75 Street

A forum for parents who would like to discuss the issues they encounter as they partner in their teenagers’ journey through the high school years.

RSVP to NYC-Parents in Action
212 987-9629

All the best,

Tony

February
* Saturday 4 Coffeehouse!
* Tuesday 14 High School Parent Rep Meeting

January 5, 2006

Weekly Email January 5, 2006

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year! I hope the vacation has left you and your family rested and relaxed. Two important events in the next two weeks:

* TONIGHT!!! LREI College Panel and Parent Reception
Join recent LREI graduates and hear them talk about their college experiences and how LREI influenced their transition to college.
Thursday, January 5, 6:30 PM
40 Charlton Street, Library
Panel discussion and questions, reception to follow.

Panelists:
Akim St. Omar ’02 – Boston College
Shayna Jeffers ’02 – Wesleyan
Thea Bardin ’02 – University of Florida
Ian Patrick ’03 – Vassar College
Brian Marmolejos ’04 – Yale University
Michael Sokol ’04 – Drexel University
Alison Wiggins ’05 – Skidmore College

* Parent-Advisor Conference Day – Friday, January 13
Your child’s advisor should call to set up an appointment in the next couple of days if he or she has not done so already. This is a vital time for you and your child, working with your child’s advisor, to take stock of how the first trimester went and look to the remainder of the school year. During the next week and a half, students will discuss their first trimester results with their advisors and set goals for themselves for the remainder of the school year. During the conferences on Friday, parents and advisors will have some time by themselves and then will be joined by the students. The purpose of these meetings is not only to help each student think about how to improve academic performance, but also and in the long run more crucially, to help each student come to know him- or herself as a student and as a person, and to move toward becoming an independent and self-correcting life-long learner.

Other announcements:

* Important announcements for parents of eleventh graders from College Guidance Counselor Amy Shapiro:

(1) Mark your calendars for College Night (see attachment): Tuesday, January 10 for parents of Sarvjit’s and Janet’s advisees or Wednesday, January 11 for parents of Julia/Ruth’s, Vin’s, and Karyn’s advisees.

(3) Veritas Test Prep begins on January 18th. Secure your child’s spot with a check for $600, payable to LREI.

* The next meeting of the Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support will take place on Thursday, January 12th at 6:30 PM.

* Our next Parent Reps meeting will be on Tuesday, January 17.

* Finally, another reminder – please see the invitation to participate in VISIBILITY: Celebrating the Lesbian and Gay People We Love, coming February 13, 2006.

* I am sorry to report that, after struggling with her health over the past several months, first-year Mathematics and Science Teacher Alissa Wall has decided not to return to LREI for the remainder of the school year. Nicholas Taussig, who has been filling in for Alissa since early November, has agreed to stay on and continue to teach her classes. Tenth Grade Dean Tom Murphy will continue to serve as Advisor to Alissa’s advisees, as he has been. Please join me in wishing Alissa well.

All the best,

Tony

February
* Saturday 4 Coffeehouse!
* Tuesday 14 High School Parent Rep Meeting

December 15, 2005

Weekly Email December 15, 2005

Dear Parents,

All the best for a restful vacation filled with family and friends,

Tony

Announcements:

* Tomorrow is a half-day. School will close at 12:00PM (11:45AM, Early Childhood).

* From Phil: In the case of a transit strike, no school on Friday, December 16th. If we decide to close we will send out a community-wide email and phone call.

* Important announcements for parents of eleventh graders from College Guidance Counselor Amy Shapiro:

(1) Proposals for NYU college preview courses (see attachment) are due at the end of the day on Wednesday, Jan. 4th – no exceptions!

(2) Mark your calendars for College Night (see attachment): Tuesday, January 10 for parents of Sarvjit’s and Janet’s advisees or Wednesday, January 11 for parents of Julia/Ruth’s, Vin’s, and Karyn’s advisees.

(3) Veritas Test Prep begins on January 18th. Secure your child’s spot with a check for $600, payable to LREI.

* LREI College Panel and Parent Reception
Join recent LREI graduates and hear them talk about their college experiences and how LREI influenced their transition to college.
Thursday, January 5, 6:30 PM
40 Charlton Street, Library
Panel discussion and questions, reception to follow.

* Please see the attached letter from Director of Education Nick O’Han about the visit to the school of Dr. Joseph Featherstone on January 3rd and 4th.

* The next meeting of the Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support will take place on Thursday, January 12th – NOTE THE DATE CHANGE – at 6:30 PM.

* Please note that LREI will be closed on Monday, January 2 and that we will have a professional day on Tuesday, January 3. Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 4.

* There will also be no classes on Friday, January 13 to allow for Parent-Advisor conferences. Your child’s advisor will be in touch with you during the first week back to set up appointments.

* Our next Parent Reps meeting will be on Tuesday, January 17.

* A very nice note from Middle School Community Service Coordinator Gabrielle Keller: Last year, for three weeks in February and March, the MS participated in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Pennies for Patients” program. The students collected their pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters in core homerooms and together raised more than $1700! On Wednesday, December 14th, Andi Grahlman, LREI’s campaign coordinator, came to MS meeting to present the school with a plaque on behalf of the Society. The MS was recognized for tripling its giving last year from the first year, and we also had the highest per capita donation amount in the five boroughs! Congratulations to all the students. We look forward to participating again come February.

* Finally, another reminder – please see the invitation to participate in VISIBILITY: Celebrating the Lesbian and Gay People We Love, coming February 13, 2006.

December 8, 2005

Weekly Email December 8, 2005

Dear all,

What a week at the High School! The start of the new trimester, with all of the excitement of new science classes for ninth and tenth graders, new arts classes in all grades, and new English and history electives for eleventh and twelfth graders, has coincided with an incredible array of speakers who have come in to delight and enlighten and challenge us as part of this year’s Book Week (see attached flyer). At Tuesday’s assembly, Diana Ossana, co-writer of the movie script of Brokeback Mountain (based on short story by Annie Proulx), showed a few clips of the film and gave an absolutely fabulous talk about reading and writing, the creative process, adaptation, and the trials and tribulations of putting on a movie that pushes the boundaries. Once again, here are the other authors who have come to speak this week (or are coming tomorrow):
+ Gini Alhadeff, author of The Sun at Midday, Tales of a Mediterranean Family
+ Holly Black, author of VALIANT: A Modern Tale of Faerie
+ Libba Bray, author of A Great and Terrible Beauty
+ Jim Knipfel, author of Slackjaw and Ruining It for Everybody
+ John Leland, New York Times Reporter and author of History of Hip
+ Eliot Schrefer, author of The Glamorous Disasters
+ John Patrick Shanley, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Doubt
+ Ed Sikov, author of Mr. Strangelove: A Biography of Peter Sellers and Screwball
+ Diana Son, playwright, author of BOY and Stop Kiss
+ Martha Southgate, author of The Fall of Rome

Then, today. Led by eleventh grader Adriane Alicea, the Human Rights/Amnesty International Club led an emotional, thought-provoking day centered around a viewing of the movie Hotel Rwanda. As mentioned in last week’s email, the discussion groups that followed were co-led by students and faculty who trained specifically for this day and will use materials developed by high school educators, including our own Spanish teacher Nick Sullivan, specifically for Amnesty International USA (for more information about this program, see Amnesty International USA’s education website, or look at the “Hotel Rwanda Teacher’s Guide”). In the best progressive tradition, this was a charged and challenging day, one that will have lasting positive effects; however, it was also a thoughtful and safe day, and all credit goes to Adriane and the other students who put an enormous amount of time and energy and care into its planning.

Finally, a personal word. When discussing my new role next year at LREI with both the High School faculty and with the parent reps on Tuesday, I emphasized that we are not in a place in the growth of the High School where we can afford to pause in our management of that growth or our planning for the future, and I intend to do neither over the next six months. Know also that, as always, my first priority will be the care of your children, and that I will continue to be here for whatever assistance I can provide. Do not hesitate to contact me for whatever reason.

Sincerely,

Tony

Announcements:

* The next meeting of the Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support will take place on Thursday, January 12th – NOTE THE DATE CHANGE – at 6:30 P.M.

* TONIGHT is Literary Evening! Please see attachment for details.

* Please see the following from the Community Service Committee:
1) A letter about an upcoming event this Saturday;
2) A list of December events;
3) Pictures from the recent Thanksgiving activity.

* The Food Committee will meet on 12/12 at 8:30AM in the 6th Avenue Cafeteria. All are welcome to attend.

* Please note that LREI will be closed on Monday, January 2 and that we will have a professional day on Tuesday, January 3. Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 4.

* There will also be no classes on Friday, January 13 to allow for Parent-Advisor conferences. More on that next week …

* Our next Parent Reps meeting will be on Tuesday, January 17.

* An announcement from High School and Middle School Musical Director Julia Collura:

Dear all:

The Middle School is currently in production for “Arabian Nights”, which goes up January 20th and 21st. If you have any of the following items that you are able to lend or donate for the production, I and the cast would be very grateful. Thanks so much and hope to see you at the show!

Theatrical regards,

Julia Collura
Middle School Drama Director

old cushions that can be re-covered.
oriental rugs
two or three divans
sari tops
wide turkish type pants
belly dancing outfits and/or accessories
pointed slippers
costume jewelry
very wide leather belts

* Finally, another reminder – please see the invitation to participate in VISIBILITY: Celebrating the Lesbian and Gay People We Love, coming February 13, 2006.

December
* Monday 5 Trimester II begins
* Monday 5 – Friday 9 Book week
* Tuesday 6 Parent Reps Meeting, 6:30 PM
* Tuesday 6 Book Week Assembly
* Thursday 8 Literary Evening, 7:00 PM
* Thursday 15 Winter Concert, 6:00 PM

December 1, 2005

Weekly Email December 1, 2005

Dear all,

The High School is buzzing with terrific presentations of culminating projects over the past week and a half. As the Trimester I exams/presentations period comes to a close, we look forward to a truly exciting first week of the new trimester:

* BOOK WEEK!!! LREI Book Week (see attached flyer) is December 5 through 9, and we have an incredible line-up of authors coming to visit High School classes, as well as the High School assembly:

+ Tuesday’s Assembly-Diana Ossana, co-writer of the movie script of Brokeback Mountain (based on short story by Annie Proulx)
+ Gini Alhadeff, author of The Sun at Midday, Tales of a Mediterranean Family
+ Holly Black, author of VALIANT: A Modern Tale of Faerie
+ Libba Bray, author of A Great and Terrible Beauty
+ Jim Knipfel, author of Slackjaw and Ruining It for Everybody
+ John Leland, New York Times Reporter and author of History of Hip
+ Eliot Schrefer, author of The Glamorous Disasters
+ John Patrick Shanley, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Doubt
+ Ed Sikov, author of Mr. Strangelove: A Biography of Peter Sellers and Screwball
+ Diana Son, playwright, author of BOY and Stop Kiss
+ Martha Southgate, author of The Fall of Rome

Also as part of Book Week, on Thursday, December 8th at 7 PM at Charlton Street, we will have the 9th annual Literary Evening. This year we are featuring six outstanding Gulf Coast authors (including LREI parent and poet Ron Price), and serving Gulf Coast cuisine; see attached flyer for more details. Tickets cost $20 and will be available in the 6th Avenue lobby or at the door. As part of the evening, on the 8th we will have the Book Fair Annex at Charlton Street from 2 PM to 6 PM, featuring many of the authors who are visiting High School classes as well as those who will speak at the Literary Evening. Please see a note from the Literary Commitee to High School parents regarding Book Week in general and the purchasing of books inn particular.

Speaking of books: Here is a response from a High School in Louisiana to the great quantity of High School books that were gathered by our terrific Literary Committee with High School Librarian Karyn Silverman and sent down to the area from LREI:

Once again, I can’t thank you and all of those who helped you for your time and generosity. I have divided books among eleven English teachers, a drama teacher and a chemistry teacher. The leftover chemistry books will go to my friend who is the principal of the Math/Science High School in New Orleans. Their building flooded and most of their materials could best be described as mush. They think they may re-open in January. My school’s enrollment is at about 80%, and our principal announced that we will probably lose about 7 teachers. (We are supposed to be one of the lucky schools.) I am not concerned about my job, but I do feel for the younger faculty members. It is a very strange year indeed. We have taken in kids form New Orleans and other area schools so obviously many of ours have not returned.

Things here are far from normal– even though much of the stuff in our neighborhoods has been picked up. Some neighborhoods are still piled with trees, trash, sheet rock and carpets, and most New Orleans neighborhoods are still uninhabitable after dark because there is still no electricity. In some areas people come in to work during the day and then drive 50 or more miles to sleep at night. The French Quarter and the University areas are slowly coming back. The mayor estimates that about 20% of New Orleaneans are back now. Others say less. Others should return as utilities are restored; however, we know some areas will never be the same or even rebuilt.

Anyway– I wanted to thank you again and update you on our progress. Your generosity made a difference.

And there’s even more going on during this packed week:

* On Tuesday and Wednesday, the school store will be open (see attached flyer) during both lunch periods (11 to 1 and 12 to 2, respectively). Nothing says “Happy Holidays” like stuff with the LREI logo!

* Our next Parent Reps meeting will be on Tuesday, December 6 and will focus on issues regarding safety and the Internet. High School Graphic Arts teacher and Technology Coordinator Tim Cooper will join us. Please peruse the minutes of the most recent meeting on November 15.

* On Thursday, December 8, the Human Rights/Amnesty International Club will run an ambitious day centered around a viewing of the movie Hotel Rwanda. The discussion groups will be run by students and teachers who have trained specifically for this day and will use materials developed by high school educators, including our own Spanish teacher Nick Sullivan, specifically for Amnesty International USA. For more information about this program, see Amnesty International USA’s education website, or look at the “Hotel Rwanda Teacher’s Guide.”

* An announcement from High School and Middle School Musical Director Julia Collura:

Dear all:

The Middle School is currently in production for “Arabian Nights”, which goes up January 20th and 21st. If you have any of the following items that you are able to lend or donate for the production, I and the cast would be very grateful. Thanks so much and hope to see you at the show!

Theatrical regards,

Julia Collura
Middle School Drama Director

old cushions that can be re-covered.
oriental rugs
two or three divans
sari tops
wide turkish type pants
belly dancing outfits and/or accessories
pointed slippers
costume jewelry
very wide leather belts

A quick summary of just some of the recent events at the High School:

* Buddy Day activities linking our students with their fellow LREI-ers from the Lower and Middle Schools
* An exciting and fun-filled Spirit Game (yes, the faculty were victorious!)
* A student-run Hispanic Heritage assembly
* Another successful showing at Apple Store Soho
* A student-run assembly paying tribute to departing Biology teacher Bhawanie Singh (see the email from October 27 for more details about Bhawanie’s careers inside and outside of LREI)

Finally, another reminder – please see the invitation to participate in VISIBILITY: Celebrating the Lesbian and Gay People We Love, coming February 13, 2006.

All the best,

Tony

December
* Thursday 1 – Friday 2 Trimester I Exams/Presentations; End of Trimester I
* Monday 5 Trimester II begins
* Monday 5 – Friday 9 Book week
* Tuesday 6 Parent Reps Meeting, 6:30 PM
* Tuesday 6 Book Week Assembly
* Thursday 8 Literary Evening, 7:00 PM
* Thursday 15 Winter Concert, 6:00 PM

January
* Monday 2 School closed – Legal Holiday
* Tuesday 3 School closed – Professional Development Day
* Wednesday 4 School reopens
* Friday 13 School closed (High School) – Parent-Advisor Conferences
* Monday 16 School closed – MLK, Jr. Day
* Tuesday 17 High School Parent Rep Meeting
* Saturday 21 Coffeehouse!

November 17, 2005

Weekly Email November 17, 2005

Dear all,

Upcoming events/attachments:

* From the LREI Parents Association Community Service Committee: Please see information about the current coat drive (donations can be brought through Friday to the 6th Avenue Lobby) and upcoming “Thanksgiving Drives and Activities.”

* See the attached flyer for Monday’s LREI Fall Spirit Game. Yes, the High School Principal, fashionably dressed as always, will be playing!

* A second reminder – please see the invitation to participate in VISIBILITY: Celebrating the Lesbian and Gay People We Love, coming February 13, 2006.

* Finally, we are going back to Apple Store SOHO! Come see the photography and films of twelfth grade artists on Wednesday, November 23rd, 6:30 PM, at 103 Prince Street (see the attached flyer).

High School doings:

* Honors Projects: The following letter was posted for all ninth, tenth and eleventh graders:

November 16, 2005

Dear Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Graders,

As last year, we will offer Honors Projects to our students in the ninth, tenth and eleventh grades (Seniors will, of course, spend their entire spring doing the Senior Project, a sort of Uber-Honors Project!). By electing to pursue an honors project, students challenge themselves above and beyond the requirements of the curriculum. Honors Projects will run according to the Oxford-Cambridge tutorial system, wherein students meet with teachers once per week to go over work that they have been doing largely on their own. The exact nature of the projects will be defined at least in part by the common interests of the students and teachers, but in all cases, a student who successfully completes an Honors Project will have done a work of considerable scholarship and/or art. Honors projects promote intellectual curiosity, independence, commitment, initiative and rigor. Successful completion of an honors project is entered on the official high school transcript. Honors Projects involve some kind of presentation at the end of the trimester.

In the Winter trimester, Honors Projects will be available to students in the following disciplines:

English
Creative Writing
Mathematics
Science
History
Visual Art
Technology/Graphic Arts/Animation

Students who are interested in pursuing such a project must be in good academic standing, and must write a letter of interest that suggests a possible topic for study and submit it to my office no later than 1:00 PM Tuesday, November 22nd. Students will be notified as soon as possible if their proposals have been accepted. Other subjects will be available in the Spring; depending on sign-ups, some proposed projects may be postponed until the Spring.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,

Tony

* Parents of ninth graders: Please read the attached letter about the start of the Peer Leadership program.

* Some terrific assemblies: The High School, along with the eighth grade, was recently treated to civil rights lawyer and talk show host Ron Kuby discussing the Constitution and civil rights. Coming up – a student-run Hispanic Heritage assembly. Stay tuned for more updates …

* Biology teacher: I am pleased to announce that we have hired Dan Levy to take on Bhawanie’s classes for the remainder of the school year. Dan has a B.S. in Biochemistry from Drexel University and an M.A in Secondary Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. He taught most recently both 7th and 12th grade students at the Young Women’s Leadership School of East Harlem. All of the faculty and students – including those in the class he taught and those who met him at lunch – were impressed by his knowledge, his energy and his commitment to project- and inquiry-based education.

* Final exams/presentations: Trimester I will end with three days of final exams and presentations, Wednesday November 30 – Friday December 2, culminating in an arts assembly on Friday afternoon. On each day, students will be expected in at 8:45 AM.

All the best,

Tony

CALENDAR
November
* Wednesday 23 School closes at noon for Thanksgiving
* Tuesday 29 Last day of Trimester I classes
* Wednesday 30 Trimester I Exams/Presentations

December
* Thursday 1-Friday 2 Trimester I Exams/Presentations; End of Trimester I
* Monday 5 Trimester II begins
* Monday 5 – Friday 9 Book week

November 10, 2005

Weekly Email November 10, 2005

Dear Parents,

What a fantastic show! Congratulations to the cast and crew of the High School Musical:
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
I could not have been more proud of our students, who sang beautifully and were funny, warm, and engaging. Please see the website for a picutre gallery of the show!

Important upcoming event:
Parents of ninth graders: Do you ask yourselves the following questions?
* What curfew should I set?
* Is my child ready to spend time socializing with the eleventh and twelfth graders?
* Are “teen parties” really safe?
* WHAT ARE OTHER PARENTS SAYING TO THEIR CHILDREN?

If so, the please join other parents of LREI ninth graders at 6:00 PM this Tuesday, November 15 at Charlton Street for a discussion group facilitated by NYC – Parents In Action, Inc. From their website:

“NYC-Parents in Action provides parenting education, information and a communications network to help parents prepare their children and teenagers to cope with social pressures and to make sound choices towards a future free of alcohol and drug abuse.”

Other upcoming events:
* Thursday, November 10, 6:30 PM – Tenth Grade potluck dinner

* Tuesday, November 15
6:30 PM – Tenth, eleventh and twelfth individual grade parent reps meetings
7:30 PM – Full High School Parent Reps Meeting
Minutes from the last meeting are attached.

* Check out the updated news and notes at www.lrei.org.

* Finally, please see the inivitation to participate in VISIBILITY: Celebrating the Lesbian and Gay People We Love, coming February 13, 2006.

All the best,

Tony

CALENDAR
November
* Thursday 10 Tenth Grade Potluck
* Tuesday 15 Ninth grade parents discussion group with Parents In Action, Inc.; High School Parent Reps Meeting
* Wednesday 23 School closes at noon for Thanksgiving
* Tuesday 29 Last day of Trimester I classes
* Wednesday 30 Trimester I Exams/Presentations

December
* Thursday 1-Friday 2 Trimester I Exams/Presentations; End of Trimester I
* Monday 5 Trimester II begins
* Monday 5 – Friday 9 Book week

November 2, 2005

Weekly Email November 3, 2005

Dear Parents,

Snapshots from the High School, Tuesday, November 1:

* The Senior class gathers in the PAC for a 1 & 1/2-hour, one-teacher-for-every-six-student college essay writing workshop

* An expert Sitar player teaches eleventh grade music students about the microbeat patterns of different ragas

* Ninth grade students act out a chance meeting in the street, complete with introductions – conducted entirely in Mandarin

* Ninth grade English students build vocabulary by looking at new words in context in Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”

* A captivating assembly filled with film, sitar music and singing, celebrating the Hindu and Sikh holiday Diwali, the “Festival of Lights”

* Tenth grade students plan to rendezvous with their history teacher later in the week to work at the soup kitchen at the uptown Rutgers Presbyterian Church

* Ninth grade world history students discuss the debasement of currency in the Roman Empire and compare that to modern-day inflation

* Eleventh grade astronomy students use the interactive “Starry Night” software to calculate the azimuth and altitude of various celestial objects from different places in the Western hemisphere

Events coming up soon/attachments:

The High School Musical

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM

Friday November 4, 7:00 PM, Saturday November 5, 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM at the Charlton Street PAC!!!
$8 in advance (tickets on sale in the Sixth Avenue and Charlton Street lobbies), $10 at the door.

Thursday, November 3, 6:30 PM – The first Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support meeting, Charlton Street

If there are any questions please contact Lisa Auerbach at Luna671@aol.com.

Saturday, November 5, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM – Community Service Committee Event

This Saturday, the LREI Parents Association Community Service Committee (including students from the HS Roundtable) are going to East New York Farms! in Brooklyn to experience a community agriculture project by working in a garden, touring several of the local gardens and visiting the farmers’ market where the gardeners sell their own produce. Please see the attached flyer for details. See also the Parents Association Community Service Committee calendar for Fall ’05.

Thursday, November 10, 6:30 PM – Tenth Grade Potluck

Thursday, November 10, 6:30 PM – Tenth Grade potluck dinner

Tuesday, November 15
6:00 PM – For ALL parents of ninth graders – a discussion group facilitated by NYC – Parents In Action, Inc.

From their website: “NYC-Parents in Action provides parenting education, information and a communications network to help parents prepare their children and teenagers to cope with social pressures and to make sound choices towards a future free of alcohol and drug abuse.”

6:30 PM – Tenth, eleventh and twelfth individual grade parent reps meetings
7:30 PM – Full High School Parent Reps Meeting
Minutes from the last meeting are attached.

All the best,

Tony

CALENDAR
November
* Thursday 3 The first Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support meeting, Charlton Street, 6:30 PM
* Friday 4-Saturday 5 High School Musical
* Saturday 5 Community Service Committee Event
* Thursday 10 Tenth Grade Potluck
* Tuesday 15 Ninth grade parents discussion group with Parents In Action, Inc.; High School Parent Reps Meeting
* Wednesday 23 School closes at noon for Thanksgiving
* Tuesday 29 Last day of Trimester I classes
* Wednesday 30 Trimester I Exams/Presentations

December
* Thursday 1-Friday 2 Trimester I Exams/Presentations; End of Trimester I
* Monday 5 Trimester II begins

October 26, 2005

Weekly Email October 27, 2005

Dear Parents,

I have had many occasions to think in the past few weeks about traditions. There have been three signature events recently that represent new incarnations of venerable LREI traditions. Let me speak first about our visitors from Germany. Immediately after September 11, 2001, students from the Gunter-Stohr-Gymnasium School outside of Munich, Germany felt the need to reach out to students from a school in downtown New York City. Out of this initial correspondence, the German exchange program was founded. Ten German students and their chaperone arrived nearly two weeks ago, and they have fully integrated themselves into our community over these past days. On our website, we note that, “Eighty years ago Elisabeth Irwin revolutionized American education by taking students out of the classroom and into the world.” Now in its fourth year, this exchange represents a natural manifestation of that philosophy.

Next, Minimester: Last week, all students from grades eight through twelve, plus our German exchange students, participated in mixed grade groups in our three-day immersion term of mini-courses designed to engage students in a stimulating range of subjects. Students are afforded extraordinary opportunities to learn and experience a subject on multiple levels – immersion in one topic, an interdisciplinary approach and freedom from the constraints of the regular schedule. Minimester itself is only five years old as a tradition, but the spirit behind Minimester springs from the long history of LREI as a laboratory school. This year’s offerings (descriptions attached): Contemporary Art; Food; Kinetic Sculpture; Foreign Culture Through Cinema; Bollywood Musical; Drumline; Buddhism; Genealogy – Learning About Your Family; From Pictures to Print: A VERY Concise History and Exploration of Publishing; Pinhole Photography; Box Sculpture: Remnants of Memory – Sculpture, Painting, and Collage; Broadcasting; The Sikh Faith; Religious Observance in New York City. Students built robots and pinhole cameras; visited galleries and restaurants and schools and houses of worship; analyzed foreign films and modern art trends; made exotic dishes and decorative book jackets; formed a drumline, recorded part of a radio show and filmed a Bollywood musical; and investigated themselves by designing family trees, creating personal history box sculptures and interviewing family members about their religious traditions. The final presentation on Friday afternoon, which consisted of visual presentations outside of the PAC and performances/demonstrations inside, showed what students can accomplish together when they are engaged in meaningful work. An entire community left for the weekend exhilarated by the fruits of this collective progressive endeavor.

One other LREI tradition that is very much alive is that of service to the community. Last week, I wrote about the Hurricane Katrina Benefit Concert, the second benefit concert in two years. Through a long history of activism and of involvement in a variety of movements, most notably the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s, LREI students have, as long as the school has existed, poured their minds and their bodies and their souls into the service of the community and of those in need. And, when all goes well, administrators are smart enough to get out of their way.

Other long-held LREI traditions continue as well. While we do not go on one trip per week as an entire school, as the whole of LREI did for many years at its inception, just recently – along with the many Minimester trips referenced above – twelfth grade Data Analysis students visited the New York Stock Exchange; tenth and eleventh grade music students went to hear Itzhak Perlman and the New York Philharmonic rehearse Mozart’s Adagio in E and Rondo in C, Schubert’s Symphony No. 3 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 at Avery Fisher Hall (see the New York Philharmonic website for more open rehearsal dates); tenth grade history students went to explore the Slavery in New York exhibition at the New York Historical Society; eleventh and twelfth graders from the Dangerous Language English elective traveled to Bleecker Street and Sixth Avenue to teach lower school students about banned children’s books; and on, and on. These trips all serve a common purpose, just as they did in 1921 – to inspire students who are blessed with a rich, interdisciplinary, rigorous, progressive educational experience, one I see in classrooms every day.

What traditions will the High School Principal be writing about in twenty, thirty, forty years? What tradition will your child start?

Important announcement
Bhawanie Singh, LREI High School Biology and Environmental Science Teacher since 1994, has decided to retire in the middle of this year in order to pursue his many outside-of-school passions. Prominent among these are the Bhawanie Singh Sunday Night Show. From his website:

Bhawanie Singh has been hosting radio shows for approximately five years. He’s currently hosting The Bhawanie Singh Sunday Night Show on WWRL 1600 AM Super Radio. The show is aired every Sunday Night from 8.30 – 10.30 pm. The Bhawanie Singh Sunday Night Show is in its third year and is listened to by a population with a density of approximately 4 to 5 million people in the tri-state area.

The Bhawanie Singh Sunday Night Show offers two full hours of solid entertainment. Listeners get a chance to interact with Bhawanie Singh on matters of Hinduism, Sensitive Community Issues, The News from Guyana and Trinidad and Provocative Indian Songs. Listeners described the experience as truly thrilling and rewarding. The show specially targets the Indo- community in the Tri-State area, an amalgamation of people from India, Guyana, Trinidad, and the rest of the world. Prior to this Bhawanie hosted the Local Talent show on WPAT 930 AM radio for three years. He also did some work on WBAI 99.5 FM.

A search for Bhawanie’s replacement for the remainder of this year is already underway, and several excellent candidates have been identified; the new teacher will start at the beginning of the second trimester. Bhawanie has graciously agreed to continue to work for the school through January in order to ensure a smooth transition for the students, the continuation of trips to such places as the Gowanus Canal and our connection with the River Project at Pier 26. I will be in touch with the parents of Bhawanie’s advisees directly. Please join me in wishing Bhawanie the best as he begins this next chapter in his life.

Events coming up soon/attachments:

Please see Director Phil Kassen’s letter on the Hurrican Katrina relief efforts at LREI.

Thursday, October 27, 6:30 PM – Eleventh Grade Potluck/College Information Evening

Sunday, October 30 – Halloween Fair (see attached flyer), 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Don’t Miss the Halloween Fair!
This Sunday, October 30th from 1:30pm-4:30pm at St. Anthony’s Gym, 143 Thompson Street (between Houston & Prince)

There is still a need for volunteers to help run ghostly games, creepy crafts and the haunted maze. Please sign up in the Sixth Avenue lobby or contact PamDalton@aol.com or ZedPicayo@aol.com.

For those who want to help set up and decorate, please come to St. Anthony’s Gym on Saturday, October 29th from 10am to 6pm. Childcare will be available.

Don’t miss the fun!

Tuesday, November 1, 6:30 PM – Ninth Grade Potluck

Thursday, November 3, 6:30 PM – The first Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support meeting, Charlton Street

If there are any questions please contact Lisa Auerbach at Luna671@aol.com.

Thursday, November 10, 6:30 PM – Tenth Grade Potluck

Friday, November 4 – Saturday, November 5 – High School Musical: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Tuesday, November 15, 6:30 PM – High School Parent Reps Meeting

Grade level meetings followed by group meeting. Ninth grade parents will meet at 6:00 PM for a discussion group facilitated by NYC- Parents In Action, Inc.; other grades meet at 6:30 PM. Minutes from the last meeting are attached.

Take care,

Tony

CALENDAR
October
* Thursday 27 Eleventh Grade Potluck, 6:30 PM
* Sunday 30 Halloween Fair, 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

November
* Tuesday 1 Ninth Grade Potluck, 6:30 PM
* Thursday 3 The first Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support meeting, Charlton Street, 6:30 PM
* Friday 4-Saturday 5 High School Musical
* Thursday 10 Tenth Grade Potluck
* Tuesday 15 High School Parent Reps Meeting
* Wednesday 23 School closes at noon for Thanksgiving
* Tuesday 29 Last day of Trimester I classes
* Wednesday 30 Trimester I Exams/Presentations

December
* Thursday 1-Friday 2 Trimester I Exams/Presentations; End of Trimester I
* Monday 5 Trimester II begins