Habits of Mind

Dear LREI Families,

Next week marks the end of the first quarter and students are hard at work completing a variety of projects and units of study. Planning for Family Conferences is also getting under way. A reminder that conferences are scheduled for Wednesday, November 7th from 12:15-3:15PM (please note that the 7th is a regular day for students) and for the full day on Friday, November 9th. If your child is in the fifth or sixth grade, his/her advisor will be contacting you to set up a conference on either the 7th or the 9th. Sign-up sheets for seventh and eighth grade families are posted outside of core classrooms and on the bulletin board outside of my office (for conferences with specialists).

Advisors in all four grades and individual subject area teachers are working with students to identify significant pieces of work to share at the conferences and to identify areas of strength and challenge in their classes. It is our hope that the Family Conference will provide multiple perspectives on your child’s learning experience. In addition to highlighting her/his performance in individual subjects, we also hope that the conversations that take place during these conferences help to paint a clearer picture of who your child is as a learner. A related and overarching goal of the Family Conference is to bring into focus the broader themes and the habits of mind that we want to cultivate in our students.

Last year in advisory (and we will revisit them again this year), we framed some of our preparation for Family Conferences around an essay by Charles Slater entitled, “What does it mean to be an educated person?” In our conversations, we discussed his observations that students should be:

  • Readers of literature
  • Poets whose words envision new ways of being
  • Writers who reflect thoughtfully
  • Problem solvers who can use mathematics
  • Observers who sense the wonder of science
  • Citizens who study history and take action
  • Speakers of two languages who cross cultural borders
  • Workers who can create with their hands and use technology
  • Artists who sculpt, draw or paint
  • Musicians who sing or play an instrument
  • Athletes who exercise for a lifetime
  • Leaders who recognize the moral dimension

I think that these outcomes resonate strongly with our daily work in the Middle School and that they are characteristics that we want to see in our students. How do you answer the question, “What does it mean to be an educated person?” Make it the subject of your next dinner table conversation as a family. Let me know of any new habits of mind that surface in your conversations.

This Week’s Attachments
General:
MS Parent Rep Meeting Minutes (10-16)
Eighth Grade:
DC Trip Payment Letter
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) Our photographer, Coffee Pond Photography, is able to offer a limited number of photo scholarships. Please contact me (msilberberg@lrei.org or at extension 221), if you receive financial aid and are unable to pay for photographs. If you have specific questions about the ordering process, you can contact Coffee Pond Photography at lifeguards@coffeepond.com or by phone at 1-800-632-2323 extension 0.

2) Coat Drive for St. John’s Church — October 22-26: We are holding our annual coat and outerwear drive for the clients of the St. John Food Pantry. The church has asked that we focus on larger sizes this year- older teen and adult. THEY WOULD ALSO WELCOME MEN’S PANTS, JEANS, AS WELL AS NEW (IN PACKAGE) UNDERWEAR FOR BOTH MEN AND WOMEN. Please bring your clean and gently used donations to Matthew’s room in the Middle School (push 2 in the elevator) beginning Monday, October 22rd. Thanks!

3) This Saturday, October 20th at 7PM in the PAC at 40 Charlton Street is the first Coffee House of the school year. The Coffee House is always a great show and an excellent opportunity to hear student and faculty performers.

4) Save the Date!!! The LREI Halloween Fair is coming up soon. It is the first PA community event of this school year. It will be held on Sunday, October 28, 2007 from 1– 4PM, at the Thompson Street Athletic Center, 145 Thompson Street (just below Houston St). There will be fun games, spooky crafts, great food, and a haunted maze. Volunteer sign up sheets are located in the lobby. We need you to get involved, so take a look at the board and see what might interest you. There is also a box for donating old toys to recycle into Halloween Fair prizes. So, this is a great opportunity to clean out the toy bin and recycle at the same time. This year’s theme is Ancient Egypt with lots of mummies and pyramids. So wear your favorite costume and join us for a spooktacular good time. If you have any further questions, please contact Pam at PamDalton@aol.com or Zoe at ZedPicayo@aol.com.

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 2007-2008 calendar. You can also access their website at http://www.parentsinaction.org/. Upcoming Seminar:

  • Life Skills 101:
    Mastering the Big Transitions in Middle and Upper School
    The seminar will take place Thursday November 8, 2007 from 6:00-7:30 PM at Temple Israel located at 112 East 75th Street in New York City.
    Featured panelists will include: Bernard Dreyer, M.D. NYU Professor of Pediatrics and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics, Kimberly Williams Psy.D. NYU Child Study Center, Edes Gilbert Retired Head of the Spence School and President of Resource Group 175, an education consultantcy, and Bruce Breimer Principal Emeritus of Collegiate School and college consultant.
    This seminar will be moderated by Lucy Martin Gianino. Reservations are required. To place a reservation send an email to reservations@parentsinaction.org, or call NYC-Parents in Action at 212-987-9629. To view a copy of the Seminar Flyer click on http://parentsinaction.org/file/Life_Skills_Flyer.

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) Opportunities to learn more about the high school program:

  • The second High School tour for eighth grade families is scheduled for Monday, October 22nd at 9AM. Please contact Director of Admissions Samantha Caruth at scaruth@lrei.org or at extension 305 to let her know if you are planning on attending one of these tours. Samantha can also schedule you for a tour at some other time that is more convenient for you.
  • The High School Open Houses are scheduled for this Thursday, October 18th and Tuesday, November 6th. Both Open Houses will start at 6:30PM.
  • Wednesday, October 31st through Friday, November 2nd: Eighth graders will participate in Minimester at the High School. Minimester affords eighth graders the opportunity to work and learn with high school students and faculty. Students choose an elective of interest from a range of offerings, which they then explore in-depth over the three days of Minimester. In groups of two and three, eighth graders will also spend a half-day in the high school following a regular schedule with a high school buddy.
  • During the week of October 22nd, you will receive an application for the Irwin Scholars program. The Irwin Scholars program recognizes selected eighth grade students moving on to the high school who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to their academic success, contributed to the co-curricular life of the school, and exhibited strong leadership skills. The program provides a scholarship in the amount of $3-5K each year for four years.
  • If you have any questions about the high school program, please contact Ruth (rjurgensen@lrei.org or at extension 303). If you would like to make a reservation for one of the Open House nights or one of the tours, please contact Director of Admissions Samantha Caruth (scaruth@lrei.org or at extension 305).

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) A reminder that students should arrive to school on Monday at 7:45AM so that we can leave promptly at 8:15AM. Please supervise your child’s packing so that s/he packs appropriately. Also, please make sure that your child brings either cash for lunch or a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles) for the trip down to Williamsburg.

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

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

For additional information, follow these links:

Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and other interesting school-related information.

Be well,
Mark

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