Summer reading and you, a note from Stacy

Dear Families,

If you were to take television as reality, you would think that summer reading has to be a chore, and that children across the board do not like to read. This is simply not true, and at LREI we recognize the wide range of readership among our students. Since we are big believers in reading throughout the summer, as we believe in reading throughout the year, our reading lists are broad in structure and scope. The lists that the librarians provide are not “must-reads” rather they are “can-reads.” Lower School parents will find 3 lists to choose from for their children. Please click here to view the lists on the LREI Library web page. Jesse designs the “Early Childhood” reading list for ultimate enjoyment for our youngest students. Stacy designs the “Early Elementary” and “Upper Elementary” reading lists with 1st through 4th graders in mind. There are books on all of the lists for independent reading, for sharing, and for reading aloud. Our lists are simply suggestions of titles with some or all of the following qualities: they are reflective of the LREI community, they are ALA award winners, they are classics, they are stand outs in their genres, they are quality read aloud titles, they have been suggested by classroom teachers.

Helpful Hints: Since we do not want summer reading to become arduous, here are some suggestions from your librarians and classroom teachers to make reading fun instead of frustrating.

  • Sit down with your child to map out summer reading. Which titles will your child read independently? Which will you read together?
  • If your child is becoming frustrated with a particular book, try to find out what is going on. Is it too difficult for independent reading? If it is, take the opportunity to make that title a read aloud.
  • Feel free to drop a title. If your child is not enjoying a book simply for plot reasons, choose another book! Not every book is made for every child.
  • Don’t leave summer reading until the last week of August. Reading should happen throughout the days of summer.
  • Don’t feel too tied to our lists. There are many opportunities for summer reading out there. Check out the public libraries where your family will be during the summer. New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queen’s Borough Public Library all have summer reading lists and summer reading programs in which your children can participate.
  • Create your own summer reading lists. Have your child come up with 5 or so books that s/he wants to read this summer. Set some goals, and read together!
  • Take reading outside. There is no reason to be cooped up inside…books are portable! Have a reading picnic in a local park.
  • Have a book swap. Summer play-dates can be reading themed. Have your child swap some well-loved books with their friends.
  • Start a book club. Get together with friends and choose some books to read together. Then meet up to have a book discussion over snacks!

As always, please see your librarians or your child’s teacher if you have any questions about book titles or reading choices.

Stacy Dillon, Lower School Librarian

 

 

 

LOWER SCHOOL NOTES & ATTACHMENTS
(click on the links below to view and print information from teachers and specialists.)

  • All grades: Please click here for the ‘at a glance’ calendar for the 2008-09 school year. Click here for the 2009-10 school calendar. To view photo galleries from all divisions of the school, click here.
  • EK: A letter from Diane and Charles (0514-EK-mayletter)
  • First grade: A letter for all First grade families (0514-1-mayletter)

UPCOMING PARENT MEETINGS & EVENTS

  • For the most up-to-date, searchable all school calendar, please visit www.lrei.org/calendar. Click here for the 2009-10 school calendar.
  • Friday, May 15 – 8:45am: What to expect in 4th Grade
  • Thursday, May 21 – 6:30pm: Spring Concert
  • Friday, May 22: All School Field Day – school closes at 1pm (Fours through First grade at 12:45pm) Afterschool closed

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Music Assemblies:

  • April 15th – First grade assembly
  • April 29th – Second grade assembly
  • May 13th – Third grade assembly (featuring recorders)
  • May 20th – Fourth grade original musical

 

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What to Expect: Please join us on the following mornings for discussions about moving on to the next grade level. All meetings will be held in the Bleecker street cafeteria.

  • What to expect in first grade – May 4 at 8:45am
  • What to expect in second grade – May 7 at 8:45am
  • What to expect in third grade – May 14 at 8:45am
  • What to expect in fourth grade – May 15 at 8:45am
  • What to expect in fifth grade – New date! May 29 at 8:45am

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LS class picnic schedule: All class picnics start at 6pm. Please contact your classroom parent representative to confirm the time, date and location for your class.

  • Wed, May 6 – Alison’s 3rd Grade Picnic
  • Tue, May 12 – Dina’s 4th Grade Picnic
  • Wed, May 13 – Dot’s 3rd Grade Picnic
  • Mon, May 18 – Rebecca’s 1st Grade Picnic
  • Wed, May 20 – Gina’s 1st Grade Picnic
  • Tue, May 26 – Colleen’s 2nd Grade Picnic
  • Wed, May 27 – Jamie’s 1st Picnic
  • Thu, May 28 – Tasha’s 2nd Grade picnic
  • Mon, Jun 1 – Luise’s K’s Grade Picnic
  • Wed, Jun 3 – Crystal’s K Picnic
  • Mon, Jun 8 – Diane’s EK Picnic
  • Tue, Jun 9 – Fours Picnic
  • Wed, Jun 10 – Kate’s 4th Picnic

 

 

WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Field Day is next Friday, May 22. Please click here for an important letter about the days activities!

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Save The Dates: The 2009 LREI Camping Trip will take place the weekend of June 5- 6- 7 this year at the Riverbend Group Campground along the Delaware River, about 15 miles North of the Delaware Water Gap. Students and their families may camp Friday and/or Saturday night. Sign-up tables will be in front of the Sixth Avenue entrance on the mornings of Monday, May 11 , Friday, May 22, and Wednesday, May 27. The cost is $30 per adult and $20 per child. Payment can be by cash, check, credit card. or PayPal. For more information, click here.

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The Spring Book Fair will take place next Thursday, May 21st, from 8 AM to 6 PM in the Sixth Ave. auditorium–ONE DAY ONLY! (See attached flyer.) We will also hold a Mini-Fair in the Charlton Street building from 11 AM to 3 PM that day. The suggested reading lists for 2009 will be online (http://lrei.org/libres/sr.html) by this Thursday, May 14th. Please take the time to look over the lists with your child(ren) to pick out which books they would like to have for the summer. If you have questions as to which books are right for them, please ask their teachers and/or a librarian for help before the fair. We will also have a selection of summer reading for adults.

Not all books on all lists will be available at the fair, but the Literary Committee will do its best to have a wide selection. We hope that you shop at the fair first, instead of getting your books elsewhere, as the proceeds benefit the LREI Literary Initiative, which supports our libraries and librarians in order to enhance the reading experience for everyone at LREI.Please sign up in the Sixth Ave. lobby if you would like to volunteer to help out at the fair. Thank you and happy reading! The Literary Committee

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The Spring Concert featuring the Little Red Chorus: The Little Red Singers (MS), the Elisabeth Irwin Singers (HS), the MS and HS jazz band will perform their Spring Concert on Thursday, May 21st at 6:30 in the PAC. All singers please meet me at 6:00 in the PAC wearing black and white. I look forward to seeing you all there!

and…

The Fourth grade immigration musical “Island of Hope” will be presented to Fourth grade parents on Wed. May 20th at 8:45 a.m. in the Big Room. The entire lower school and 5th graders will view the Dress rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday at 1:30. The students wrote the script based on their social studies curriculum and immigration assimilations. Original songs were composed by Ledell Mulvaney and a very special song was composed by Chelsea Maeglin and Guthrie McCarty Vachon. Students created their own costumes and scenery was supervised by Ann Schaumburger. The students have been rehearsing for weeks and are very excited about the performance!

Ledell Mulvaney, Lower School Music Teacher

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High School 10th Grader named Playwriting Finalist! For a dramatic writing project in Meghan’s 9th and 10th Drama classes, students were required to write a ten-minute play that they had to complete in five weeks and submit online to a new playwriting contest for teens put together by Elton John and Billy Eliot the Musical in conjunction with Fidelity Investments. All of the plays were quite remarkable, but special congratulations go to 10th Grader, Ayana Workman, who has been named a finalist in the Fidelity FutureStage Playwriting Contest! Ayana’s play entitled “Lucy” was selected as one of the top five plays from 500 submissions from high school students from NY and NJ. Ayana will be honored at the Gala Finale on June 15th at the Imperial Theatre on Broadway.

 

 

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PA Election Poll: Each year the Parents Association asks its members to vote on a slate of officers and representatives for the following school year.  Click here for the ballot for the 2009-2010 school year.  All parents/guardians of LREI students are members of the association and are encouraged to vote.  There is no election for class parent representatives.  If you would like to volunteer to be a parent rep, please speak to your divisional coordinator or the current year’s parent reps. Once completed, please return your ballot to the receptionist in either building.  Ballots can also be mailed to the school, please address them to Parents Association Elections.

 

 

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