Guest Blog from Phil

Dear Families,

Hello and welcome back from Spring Break. Whether you found yourself in a far-flung locale or here in NYC (with the least “springy” weather of any Spring Break in memory) I hope you had good times with family and friends. As we enter the last quarter of the school year, I offer a couple of updates:

  • The admissions season for the 2011-2012 school year (next year) is officially over. Now we can look ahead to next fall when we will have wait lists in all grades, Fours-Ninth. We will enroll our largest ninth grade class ever – over 60 new excited, eager and talented freshmen will arrive in September. This growth is an essential component of LREI’s strategic plan and includes 75% of our current eighth grade continuing on to ninth grade.
  • Speaking of admissions, we are in the home stretch of the college admissions process. I look forward to sharing lists of acceptances and final choices with you in the next few weeks.  Congratulations to the class of 2011!
  • The 11th grade spent today visiting Bard College and Sarah Lawrence College as a way to learn more about how to visit and evaluate schools. Tomorrow, the juniors get back on the bus with Director of College Guidance Carey Socol and her Associate, Analisa Cipriano LREI ’05, and will set off to visit Brown University and Connecticut College.  Not to be left out, 10th grade families will meet with our college guidance staff next week to begin their journey.
  • As you read in a recent email from me, our high school robotics team came in first in the recent NY/NJ championships. Before they leave for the world championships at the end of this month they would like to share their robots with you. Members of the middle school and high school robotics teams will be out in Little Red Square before school on Monday, April 25th. Stop by and congratulate your robotics champions.
  • The 25 honors projects created for the coming trimester by our high school students include: a ninth grade study of non-Euclidian geometry, a tenth grade study of the Watergate scandal and a group of five students studying organic chemistry.  We will also have an eleventh grade student studying the portrayal of Christ and Christ-like figures in cinema, another studying stem cells and a third focusing on Before Night Falls: Spanish Literature and Poetry.  We will also have a senior focusing on drawing human anatomy.

There are so many special events and classroom projects this month and during May and June. Participating in these is a great way to see the power of the education your children are engaged in each day. Choose a concert or play to attend.  How about cheering for a middle or high school baseball team?  Take time to see how your children and their schoolmates apply what they learn in class, ask questions and find new answers to old problems. Of special note, please make time to attend the all school benefit to support relief efforts in Japan on April 16th. More information coming soon.

Lastly, I draw your attention to the Parents Association’s Red is Green Committee’s plans for Earth Week—April 18th – April 22nd.

  • We are asking that students give a pledge of one thing they will do to help the environment. For example- Lily, Kindergarten: “I will turn lights off when I leave the bathroom“. These pledges will stream on the TV in the Sixth Avenue lobby during Earth Week. Please send your pledges to redisgreen@lrei.org.
  • Monday April 18th – after school, children will decorate canvas tote bags and we will have a demonstration of how to make green cleaning supplies. (The recipes will be posted in the blog.)  We will also have a petition for people to sign about stopping the use of plastic bags.
  • Wednesday April 20th from 6:00PM-8:00PM – the PA will host a presentation/workshop with Jamie Cloud (LREI parent) of the Cloud Institute on Sustainability. This will be an interactive and enlightening evening during which participants will think about sustainability and their relationship to the planet. Basically, how you can start thinking in new ways to help us “operate the planet” in a more effective, sustainable manner. For more information, see is www.cloudinstitute.org.  All LREI adults and students in the fifth grade and older are invited.  It is very important to RSVP to redisgreen@lrei.org. Click to see the flyer with complete details.
  • Thursday April 21st – children are invited to attend an after school gathering during which they will learn to plant and care for their own seedlings.

Sincerely,

Phil

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LETTERS FROM LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS

(click on the links below to view and print notes from teachers)

Beth and Stephanie’s Fours: Click here for a letter from Beth and Stephanie about some of the Fours’ exciting Spring related activities.

Diane and Alexia’s Fours-K: Click here for a letter about Poem in Your Pocket Day (coming up next Wednesday!).

Dan and Jessica’s Third Grade: Click here to watch a movie of and see pictures from the 3rd grade Lenape Museum.


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LOWER SCHOOL REMINDERS AND 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 2010-11 school calendar.

School Closed: Lower School will be closed Friday, April 8th (tomorrow) and Friday, April 15th for Parent Teacher conferences.

Reminder, 1st Grade Music Assembly: The first grade music assembly will be Wednesday, Apr 13, at 8:45 am in the 6th avenue auditorium.

Parent Teacher Conference Childcare: There is no charge for 30-minute drop-in childcare that takes place during your conference time. Full day childcare (8:00am-3:45pm) is $20 per child. All childcare will take place in the big room. Sign-up sheets for childcare (both drop-in and full day) are available, at the front desk in the lobby. Please sign-up if you plan to use  childcare on either a drop-in or full-day basis. You may pack a bag lunch (please, no nuts or seeds) for your child that day if you like; morning snack and pizza lunch will be provided. Please contact Autumn Giles if you have any questions (agiles@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext. 215).

Afterschool Recitals:

  • Tuesday, May 3rd at 5:30 – Early Concert for students ages 4s-1st grade. (This concert includes Piano, Voice and Instrumental (guitar/bass, drums, brass and flute) students, PAPAS
  • Tuesday, May 31st at 5:30 – Piano & Voice Recital for 2nd grade – Middle School, PAPAS
  • Tuesday, May 31st at 6:30 – Instrumental Concert for 2nd grade – Middle School, 6th ave auditorium

Looking ahead:

  • 4th grade moving up: The Fourth Grade moving up calendar has just been added to the calendar on the LREI home page. It will be Monday, June 13th at 9 am. More details to come.

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PARENTS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

All parent association meetings are held in the LS Cafeteria at 8:45 am, unless otherwise noted

Mon, Apr 11, 2011: Multi-Cultural Comm. Mtg.
Thu, Apr 14, 2011: Red is Green Comm. Mtg.
Fri, Apr 15, 2011: Lit. Comm. Mtg.

Red is Green: Save the Date.  April 20th, 6-8pm.  During “Earth Week” at LREI, Jamie Cloud of the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education (and LREI parent) will be giving a presentation/workshop for parents, teachers and students (5th grade and older).  Jamie has worked with several schools to advance sustainability in the classroom. She will lead a hands-on workshop that will help participants develop an awareness of sustainability and how to apply it to every day living and learning. If you want to attend, please email Red is Green at RedisGreen@lrei.org

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LOWER SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES

All Lower School Assemblies are held in our Auditorium at 8:45 a.m, unless otherwise noted.

Wed, Apr 13, 2011: First Gr. Music Assembly
Wed, Apr 20, 2011: K’s Music Assembly
Wed, Apr 27, 2011: 2nd Gr. Music Assembly
Wed, May 4, 2011: 4s/4k Music Assembly
Wed, May 11, 2011: 3rd Gr. Music Assembly
Wed, May 18, 2011:  K’s Movement Assembly  (note change)
Wed, May 25, 2011:   4th Gr. Musical (note change)
Wed, Jun 1, 2011: 4s/4k Movement Assembly

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LOWER SCHOOL PARENT REPRESENTATIVES 2010-2011

Beth’s Fours Maren Berthelsen, Becca Markley
Fours/K Marjorie Goldner,
Sara Taplitz
Elizabeth’s K Juliet Burrows,
Carmen Lenzi
Luise’s K Shannon Barden,
Yael Goverover
Gina’s 1st Diane Hoffman,
Ceci Van Blerkom
Galen’s 1st Dawn Eig,
Christine Boyle
Rebecca’s 1st Hilary Meltzer,
Mishi Hosono
Tasha’s 2nd Mary Gerzema,
Linda Phillips
Deborah’s 2nd A.M. Homes,
Fia Hatsav,
Julia Wilbur
Dan’s 3rd Holly Glass,
Denise Roederer
Vonick’s 3rd Heather McMaster,
Beth Dary
Dina’s 4th Connie Butler,
Lara Olivieri
Kate’s 4th Susan Harris,
Liselotte Vince

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