The distance we’ve travelled . . .

Dear Families:

Another incredible week highlighted by sixth grade poets reading original works, the Eyebeam project students merging arts and technology, and seventh grade lawyers and judges arguing constitutional law in the Federal Court House. It has also been about a year since I met many of you at a meet-and-greet in the cafeteria. We have traveled quite a distance this year and I am grateful for the support that I have received from you. I feel like I have been a member of this community for much more than a year. I am excited about where we are going as division and as an institution and I look forward to continuing our work together next year. I wish you all the best for a summer filled with fun and learning.

Congratulation to 5th Graders Maya Peart-Hill, Robbie Neuhaus, and Cellie Pardoe, 6th Graders Noah Conley and Zoe Lubin-Fosha, and 7th Grader Xavier Garcia who premiered their art and technology installation this Tuesday afternoon at the Eyebeam Gallery on West 21st Street. At the opening, they screened and discussed their projects and celebrated the completion of the course with friends and family. The exhibition will run through this Saturday. For more information you can call the gallery at 212-937-6581. The exhibit is an ingenious construction of retrofitted toy trucks that can be “driven” by light sensitive switches, short videos, and sculptures created from the found parts of a computer. Thanks also to Susan Leopold and Sherezada Acosta for facilitating this project.

Congratulations also to 5th grader Malina Buturovic, 6th grader Zoe Lubin-Fosha, 7th grader Kelly Otterness, and 8th grader Henry Dwyer whose pieces were selected by student judges in our first Middle School Literary Contest. Thanks also to all of the contributors and judges and to the class representatives who came with the idea for the contest and developed it from an idea into an action.

This Week’s Attachments
(Click on the links below to open the attachments. If you are having trouble opening the links, go to http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ms/ to access the files.)

General:
End-of-Year Dance 6/13
8th Grade Program Changes
8th Grade:
Summer Math Assignment
7th Grade:
Summer Math Assignment
Summer Reading Assignment
8th Grade Program Changes
6th Grade:
Summer Math Assignment
Summer Reading Assignment
5th Grade:
Summer Math Assignment
Summer Reading Assignment
Foreing Language Choice Letter

Of General Interest . . .
1) Please read the attached end-of-year message from Director Phil Kasssen.

2) Please read the attached letter that outlines a number of important changes in next year’s 8th Grade program.

3) Please read the attached letter about the End-of-Year dance scheduled for Monday, June 13th at 6:00PM. The permission form for the dance, which is also attached, should be returned to homeroom teachers tomorrow. The letter also contains important information about the high school graduation on that the middle school will attend tomorrow.

4) From Dean of Co-Curricular Programs Gabrielle Keller: The Deadline to turn in money for our AIDS Walk New York team LREI, #1222, has been extended to Wednesday, June 22nd at noon. AIDS Walk walkers who still have final pledges and donations must send them to the GMHC in the envelopes provided at the Walk. Make sure you indicate our team name and number. The donations will be counted toward LREI’s contribution. We won’t know our final total until later in the summer. Again, thanks to all walkers and supporters.

5) LREI celebrates Gay Pride (Sunday, June 26, 2005): Be a part of a worldwide movement for freedom and equality, and march with the LREI banner in the 2005 NYC PRIDE parade. It’s fun and festive, kids are very welcome. High school students may earn three hours of community service credit. The LREI group will meet on the northwest corner of 29th St and 5th Ave by the Marble Collegiate Church at 12.15 pm. (We will join the march midway along with the CenterKids families.) LREI will be officially announced at two points along the route: 24th and 5th, and Christopher and Greenwich. Two years ago, we were the first school ever to march, and we proudly wore our Elisabeth Irwin t-shirts. The crowds went wild! Come and join us, or come out and cheer us on. More info: nancy@workman.com or phone Kate Edgar, 917-583-6269.

6) From High School Principal Tony Fisher: We are pleased to announce the start of LREI’s Mandarin Chinese program in the High School. The program will start in the 2005-2006 school year with classes taught to ninth graders by Guo-Qing (pronounced “Ching”) Zhang Heaton. Guo-Qing comes to us with over fifteen years of teaching and tutoring experience. She has not only taught Chinese in a variety of locations and situations, from Kyoto, Japan to New York, but has also taught Chinese calligraphy as well as sculpture and other fine arts as a Professor of Sculpture and Design in her native Xian, China. Guo-Qing plans to develop students’ aesthetic appreciation of Chinese characters along with proficiency in oral and written communication. The course will be designed for students who have never studied Mandarin before, but Guo-Qing is confident that she will be able to accommodate students who do have some familiarity as well. The program will expand to ninth and tenth grades in 2006-2007, ninth, tenth and eleventh grades in 2007-2008 and then to all four grades in 2008-2009. For the next few years, students in grades in which Chinese is not taught will have the opportunity to do independent study/Honors Projects with Guo-Qing (in addition to their regular foreign language classes). Please feel free to contact Foreign Language Department Chair Adele Pelz or myself if you have further questions.

For 8th Grade Families . . .
1) The Pre-Moving Up party will take place tomorrow at 6PM in the Charlton Street PAC. This is an opportunity to celebrate together and to acknowledge the hard work of both students and faculty. Specific questions about the event should be directed to the class parents as they are organizing the festivities.

On Monday, June 13th, the 8th grade will be taking its annual trip to the beach at Riis Park. Please make sure your child brings lunch (no nuts and seeds), sunscreen, a towel and sports equipment (there is a basketball court there). We will leave after morning homeroom activities and return at 3:15PM. We are looking forward to a fun last day together!

On Tuesday, 8th graders are expected to report to school at 8:30AM. The Moving Up Assembly will start promptly at 9:00AM and will run until about 10:30AM. The Assembly will take place in the 6th Ave Auditorium. Given space constraints we ask that only immediate family members attend (that being said, if there are extenuating circumstances please contact me directly). Immediately following the Assembly, the 8th graders will return to their classroom, while parents will exit out the Bleeker Street doors and gather by the steps in front of Sarah’s classroom. The rest of the middle school community will exit the building from the 6th Ave side and then join families by the steps. When all are assembled, the 8th graders will receive their certificates and process one-by-one down the steps.

Reminder: In the interest of safety, please make certain that there will be proper supervision at any “end of year” parties that your child may be attending.

3) Please read the attached letter that outlines the summer math assignment. The summer reading list will be ready in a matter of days. 9th graders will choose one book from the list of books suggested by faculty plus one mandatory book. The list will be mailed to all High School families shortly. If you are away, it will be available online at http://www.lrei.org/libres/ls_3e.html.

For 7th Grade Families . . .
1) On Monday, June 13th, the 7th grade will go to see “Mad Hot Ballroom” in the afternoon. In the morning, they will participate in a number of community building activities to help them begin to think about their leadership responsibilities as 8th graders next year. Please have your child bring a lunch (no nuts or seeds) with him/her on Monday, letters that outline the summer math and reading assignments.

3) Please read the attached letter that outlines a number of important changes in next year’s 8th Grade program.

For 6th Grade Families . . .
1) On Monday, June 13th, the 6th grade will go to Battery Park. They will eat lunch at the park and after lunch they will see the movie “Madagascar.” They will leave at 9:00AM and travel by subway to Battery Park. Please have your child bring a lunch (no nuts or seeds) with him/her on Monday.

2) Please read the attached letters that outline the summer math and reading assignments.

For 5th Grade Families . . .
1) On Monday, June 13th, the 5th grade will go to the Central Park Zoo for the day. We will leave at 9:00AM and eat lunch in the park after the zoo. We will take the subway. Please have your child bring a lunch (no nuts or seeds) with him/her on Monday.

2) Please complete the attached form concerning language choice for next year and return it to your child’s homeroom teacher by tomorrow, Friday, June 10.

2) Please read the attached letters that outline the summer math and reading assignments.

Looking Ahead . . .
On the LREI web site additional information about upcoming events can be found at http://www.lrei.org/caleven/index.html (the middle school events page can be found at http://www.lrei.org/midschool/Events.html)

  • Friday, June 10th — High School Graduation
  • Monday, June 13th, 6:00PM — MS Dance, ChSt.PAC
  • Monday, June 13th, 7:00PM — PA Thank You Party
  • Tuesday, June 14th — MS Moving Up
  • Tuesday, June 14th — Last Day of School – school closes at noon for all divisions (4s-1st gr 11:45)
  • Sunday, June 26, 2005 — LREI celebrates Gay Pride

Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and interesting information – http://www.lrei.org.

Be well,
Mark

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