The Teamwork of Champions

Dear Families:

On Friday, students will come home with their second quarter report cards. These reports include a narrative section that provides teachers with an opportunity to share insights, strategies, and goals that they have for your child. Always thoughtful, these narratives reveal the deep understanding that your child’s teachers have about her/his learning and social experience in the classroom. The narrative goes hand in hand with the progress grid section and connects grade level expectations to the lived experience of the teacher and the student. The narrative is at once a story and an invitation to dialog with your child about successes and challenges to date and her/his plans for the second half of the year. We hope that the new format of the reports will also make it easier for you see the story of your child’s school year as it has unfolded over these first two quarters. That said, to the extent that these reports offer a window into the daily school experience of your child, they should also be seen in the larger context of your child’s potential for growth and change. As we still have a substantial distance to travel before the end of the year, we hope that you will use these mid-year reports as we do: as one of a number of assessment maps that will guide us on our on-going journey.

For the dedicated members of the LREI Middle School Robotics Team, an important journey came to an end this past Sunday . . . and what a journey it was! Sixth graders Liam C., Hannah, Isabella, David, and Charles and seventh graders Maya P-H, Cameron, Ella, Nicholas, and Deion joined the members of over 65 other teams at Riverbank State Park for the FIRST Lego League (FLL) competition. It was a long and grueling day and one that was preceded by many weeks of preparation. After multiple rounds of competition (click here to view an overview of the competition “missions”) and the research and technical presentations, the LREI Robotics Team walked away with the first place Teamwork Award and the third place Champions Award.

Champion’s Award (1st, 2nd and 3rd Places)
The most prestigious award that any team can win. It celebrates the ultimate success of the competition mission and values. It measures how the team members inspire and
motivate others about the excitement of science and technology, solve problems, and demonstrate respect and gracious professionalism.

To be considered for the Champion’s Award, teams must perform well in both technical and team presentation categories, which are equally weighted. The weight value for each of the categories was as follows: Technical (Robot Design25%, Robot Performance 25%) and Team Presentation (Project Presentation 25%, Teamwork 25% )

Teamwork Award (1st, 2nd and 3rd Places)
Teamwork is critical to succeed in FIRST LEGO League and is the key ingredient in any team effort. FLL presents this award to the team that best demonstrates extraordinary enthusiasm, an exceptional partnership, and the practice of FLL values.

That the team was recognized for their intellectual and community-focused efforts speaks to our overarching commitment to help students to think deeply and to act with an awareness of the needs of others. While the competition is a highlight of each team members’ experience, the real work took place over many weeks in the LREI science lab. Along the way, their preparation was guided by a number of core principles that resonate with our schools progressive values. The Robotics Team and the related robotics curriculum that is part of the Middle School science program seek to ignite an enthusiasm for discovery, science, and technology in our students. Each year, the Robotics Team embarks on an adventurous challenge based on a current, real-world issue. This year, the team explored the field of Nano technology and discovered that his new frontier will impact every facet of society, from medicine to computers to the environment. Guided by team coaches Sherezada Acosta and Steve Neiman the team members:

  • Researched and solved real-world problems based on the Challenge theme

  • Presented their research and solutions

  • Built an autonomous robot using engineering concepts

Guiding this work are a number of key principles that drive the robotics program. The experience should:

  • Entice kids to think like scientists and engineers

  • Provide a fun, creative, hands-on learning experience

  • Teach kids to experiment and overcome obstacles

  • Build self-esteem and confidence

  • Inspire kids to participate in science and technology

Whether it is by creativity, technology, or research, the LREI robotics program dares kids to test, explore, expand, and revise their thinking about foundational scientific concepts as they tackle meaningful real-world problems.

Well done!

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:
Parents in Action Flyer
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .

1) From Seventh and Eighth Grade Dean of Students Gabrielle Keller: Our annual Pennies for Patients drive to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will run from January 29th through February 23rd. For more information about the drive, please read the attached parent letter. For more information about the Schools and Youth program that oversees the drive, please visit http://www.schoolandyouth.org/.

2) From Fifth and Sixth Grade Dean of Students Lynne Cattafi: On Wednesday, February 14th, we will hold our annual Middle School Literary Festival. As part of the festival, students take two one-hour workshops, which are led by faculty and those members of the community who are involved in the literary arts. Workshops are hands-on and allow students to explore different literary genres. Past workshops have included news writing, comic book writing, bookmaking, political letter writing, found poetry and food writing. Workshops will be held in two sessions: session 1 will run from 12:30-1:30, and session 2 will run from 1:30-2:30. If you are interested in running a workshop or know someone who might be, please contact Lynne at lcattafi@lrei.org.

3) A reminder: The next Coffee House is scheduled for this Saturday, February 3rd from 7:00-9:00PM in the PAC. If your child or you is interested in performing please contact Micah Dov Gottlieb (mgottlieb@lrei.org).

4) Bringing the Conversation Home: On February 15th, from 8:45AM to 9:45AM, join Sharon Dupree, Director of Diversity and Community, for information, conversation (and help!) for parents with topics brought home from school by our kids (from classroom curriculum, playground, playdates) that may be sensitive, difficult, or without a ready answer by parents. This discussion will take place in the Sixth Avenue Cafeteria and is sponsored by the Adoption Committee, the LS POCOC, and the LGSA.

5) For updates on faculty performances, openings, presentations, and publications visit the Faculty in the News page on the school web site.

6) LREI is a member of NYC-Parents in Action (NYC-PIA). NYC-PIA 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. Please read the attached flyer to view their 2006-2007 calendar. You can also access their on-line calendar of events at www.parentsinaction.org.

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

Teen Scene XXI
February 5, 2007
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!

Register online at www.parentsleague.org or call
212- 737-7385 to sign up

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
No updates this week.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) Our annual seventh grade Parent Adolescent Issues Evening will take place on Wednesday, February 7th, at 6:30PM. If you have any issues/concerns/questions that you would like School Psychologist Andrew Weiss or me to address, please email one of us (aweiss@lrei.org or msilberberg@lrei.org).

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) Our annual fifth and sixth grade Parent Adolescent Issues Evening will take place on Monday, February 5th, at 6:30PM. If you have any issues/concerns/questions that you would like School Psychologist Andrew Weiss or me to address, please email one of us (aweiss@lrei.org or msilberberg@lrei.org).

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Our annual fifth and sixth grade Parent Adolescent Issues Evening will take place on Monday, February 5th, at 6:30PM. If you have any issues/concerns/questions that you would like School Psychologist Andrew Weiss or me to address, please email one of us (aweiss@lrei.org or msilberberg@lrei.org).

Middle School Sports
Schedules, permission forms and general information about Middle School sports programs can be found at http://www.lrei.org/athletics/index.html. Information is also available through the LREI Sports Hotline at 212.477.5316 x 494.

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)

  • Monday, January 29th – Friday, February 23rd — Pennies for Patients Fundraiser
  • Saturday, February 3, 2007, 7:00PM – Coffeehouse
  • Monday, February 5th, 6:30PM — Fifth and Sixth grade Parent Adolescent Issues Evening
  • Wednesday, February 7th, 6:30PM — Seventh grade Parent Adolescent Issues Evening
  • Tuesday, February 13, 2007, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Tuesday, February 13, 2007 — MS ERBs (through Thursday, February 15, 2006)
  • Wednesday, February 14, 2007 — MS Literary Festival
  • Thursday, February 15, 2007, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Meeting
  • Monday, February 19, 2007 — Presidents’ Weekend-School Closed (school reopens on Wednesday, February 21, 2007)
  • Wednesday, February 21, 2007 — MS Black History Month Assembly
  • Friday, February 23rd — 8th grade Spanish classes to the Guggenheim
  • Friday, February 23, 2007, 7:30PM — Eighth Grade DISC Dance @ Grace Church
  • Thursday, March 15, 2007, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Mtg.
  • Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Wednesday, March 21, 2007, 6:00PM — Sixth Grade Medieval Pageant
  • Thursday, March 22, 2007 — Fifth Grade Egyptian Tomb
  • Friday, March 23, 2007 — Founder’s Day
  • Friday, March 23, 2007 — MS End of 3rd Quarter
  • Friday, March 23, 2007 — Spring Break-School closes at 12:00PM (school reopens on Monday, April 9, 2006)

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

Be well,
Mark

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