The Spirit of the Ridge
Dear Families,
I want to take this opportunity to make Lower School families aware of our excellent high school drama program. In two weeks, Elisabeth Irwin High School’s talented thespians will perform their original play for all LREI audiences in all divisions. The story is inspired by the lives and legends of the Lenni Lenape, the indigenous Native Americans who lived here in New York City and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic States for thousands of years before the arrival of the Dutch.
Set inside a pre-contact Lenape wigwam, it is a story about the timelessness and necessity of friendship and peace, and the importance of connecting to the past. The themes and topics covered in the play include school bullying, inner-strength, loyalty, compassion, celebrating differences, and learning about Native cultures and traditions.
Lower School students will see some scenes from the play at a special community gathering on November 9th. We encourage you to take them to see this wonderful production.
THE SPIRIT OF THE RIDGE
Performances:
Friday, November 13th at 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 14th matinee at 2 p.m. and again at 7 p.m.Location: Performing Arts Center
Elisabeth Irwin High School
40 Charlton Street
New York, NY 10014Tickets on sale next week
in both the 6th Ave and Charlton Street locations!For more information contact:
Meghan Farley Astrachan at 212-477-5316, ext. 399
Click here to download the full poster.
Sincerely,
Namita Tolia Meghan Farley Astrachan
Lower School Principal High School Drama Teacher and Play Director
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LETTERS FROM LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS
Beth & Samson’s Fours: Please click here to view this week’s letter about Fall, Field Trips, and Assemblies.
Danielle & Anne’s Fours: Please click here to view this week’s letter about Fall, Field Trips, and Assemblies.
All Fours, Fours-K, and Kindergartners: The early childhood classes are getting ready to share some music with you. Our music assemblies are coming up on November 11 (Kindergarten) and November 18 (4s’s/K and Fours). Please click here for a letter with info about our assemblies from Sue, Early Childhood Music Specialist.
Luise and Alisa’s Kindergarten: Please click here for our weekly letter – all about apples and what we’ve learned this week!
Gina & Ruthie’s First Grade: It is so exciting when your child begins to read! As you are reading with your new reader, you may find some of the following information helpful: Please click here to view our letter on reading.
All First Graders: Homework is a new and novel experience for First Graders. Please click here for an informative letter with answers to frequently asked questions about homework.
Dot & Becka’s Third Grade: Please click here to view our letter, with information about what we are up to in the classroom, and notes on an upcoming field trip!
All Fourth Graders: Please click here for ideas on how to extend learning beyond the classroom in November.
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UPCOMING LOWER SCHOOL MEETINGS & EVENTS
For the most up-to-date information visit the school’s online calendar at www.lrei.org/calendar. Click here to download the one-page 2009-10 school calendar.
10/30 Learn Your Library, 8:30 a.m.: All are invited to “learn your library” and to meet our award winning librarians. Click here for details. This is tomorrow!
11/6 & 11/13 LS/MS Parent Teacher Conferences & Childcare: Lower School closed on these dates. Sign-up sheets for childcare (conference only or full day) are now available at the front desk in the lobby. Full day childcare is $20 per child. You may pack a bag lunch (please, no nuts or seeds) for your child that day; morning snack and pizza lunch will be provided. Please contact Dena Tasse-Winter if you have any questions (dwinter@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext. 215).
11/9 Middle School Tour for 4th Grade Parents – 8:45 a.m. Parents of Fourth Graders, please attend a special tour and talk about Middle School with Mark Silberberg, Middle School Principal.
11/10 3rd and 4th Grade Family Math Night, 6:30 p.m. – Math games, math activities, smiles and laughter… count me in! Please click here for the flyer with details.
11/16 Vonick’s 3rd Grade Farm Trip Breakfast, 8:45 a.m.
11/17 Kate’s 4th Grade Farm Trip Breakfast, 8:45 a.m.
11/17 1st and 2nd Grade Family Math Night, 6:30 p.m. – Math games, math activities, smiles and laughter… count me in! Please click here for the flyer with details.
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LOWER SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
All Lower School Assemblies are held in our Auditorium at 8:45 a.m.
FALL 2009
11/4 – 4th Grade Music Assembly
11/11 – Kindergarten Music Assembly
11/18 – 4s & 4s-K Music Assembly
12/2 – 3rd Grade Music Assembly
SPRING 2010
4/7 – 4s & 4s-K Music Assembly
4/14 – 1st Grade Music Assembly
4/21 – Kindergarten Music Assembly
4/28 – 2nd Grade Music Assembly
5/12 – 3rd Grade Music Assembly
5/19 – 4th Grade Music Assembly
5/26 – Kindergarten Movement Assembly
6/2 – 4s & 4s-K Movement Assembly
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UPCOMING PARENT ASSOCIATION MEETINGS
10/30 Halloween Meeting
10/30 Literary Committee Meeting
11/2 Multi Cultural Committee Meeting
11/5 LGSA Committee Meeting
11/5 Adult Chorus, 6:30 – 9:00 p.m.
11/9 Multi Cultural Committee Meeting
11/10 LS POCOC Meeting
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
*Please click here for a thank you message to the community from the PA Halloween Fair Committee.
*Visit the Afterschool Photo Blog at http://blog.lrei.org/afterschoolphotos/ to get a glimpse of what we have been up to in Afterschool. Photos will continue to be posted, so please return throughout the year.
*Red is Green Committee Announcements:
Monthly Recycling Drive – Just a few more days to get your plastic bags into LREI for recycling. Where do you take them after this Friday? You can bring them to any chain store with more than 5 locations in the city or any retail store over 5,000 sq feet that provides plastic carryout bags… Whole Foods, Duane Reade, CVS etc.
Starting Monday November 2nd bring in your empty ink cartridges to be recycled at LREI. Every year in the US we throw over 375 million ink cartridges away in the trash. Empty ink cartridges will be accepted at both the high school and at 6th Ave locations. Bins are located by the reception desk.
Go Green to School Day:
Wednesday, November 4th is our 2nd Go Green to School Day. There are lots of green ways to get to school: Bicycle, rollerblade, scooter, walk, public transport, carpool. So Go Green to LREI and help take care of the environment!
*From the LREI Parent 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 effects 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 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 effects 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.