Conferences and Communication
From guest blogger Phil Kassen:
Dear LREI Families,
Over the next couple of weeks, each of you, across the divisions, will have the opportunity to have conferences with your child’s teacher(s) or advisor(s). These meetings are essential moments in your children’s school year as the conversations that happen on these days align the efforts of school and home, reinforcing and strengthening the work done by all. As many of you know, in the middle and high school divisions the students become the third and guiding voice in these conversations, allowing for an ever more accurate understanding of the classroom experience.
The School’s goals in these discussions are to give families a sense of the student’s experience in school, to celebrate successes and to work with the family to support areas of challenge. We look forward to hearing from students and families about these areas and to creating strategies that ensure increasing success for all. While clearly the exception, there may well be times when the educators and family members disagree about the best ways to address concerns and, as is always the case in our community, we look forward to respectful conversations about these areas as we work to reach consensus. Clearly, all share the goal of creating the best school year possible for each student.
One other thought on the essential partnership between school and family. There will be times throughout the school year when families have questions or concerns and might not be sure to whom to turn for assistance. These questions might concern the School’s educational program or might have to do with the general operation of LREI. In order to help with this question, we created a diagram, which we previously shared with those families new to LREI who attended our orientation program—LREI 101. While each situation is different, we hope this diagram helps when you are unsure who is most likely to have the answer to your question. As stated on the chart, “Look for the person most directly involved with your question or concern and contact that person first.” This can be difficult. However, finding a way to approach the person most closely involved, no matter how uncomfortable, will, more often than not, lead most quickly to an answer. When in doubt, ask anyone and we will help you to find the correct person or people with whom to confer.
Thank you all for your honest and thoughtful partnership.
Best,
Phil
A final reminder: Middle School Family 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 should have contacted 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). Several fifth and sixth grade specialists who are not advisors are available to meet with families on the conference days. They are: art teacher Melissa Rubin, music teacher Henry Chapin, computer teacher Steve Neiman, and foreign language teachers Sharyn Hahn and David Lee. If you want to meet with any of these teachers to talk about your child’s work in these classes please contact them directly. In preparation for these conferences, please read my previous posts about Progress Reports and Family Conferences (and some additional resources).
This Week’s Attachments
General:
LREI 101 Communication Handout
Parents of Children of Color Breakfast
Family Book Night Event
Eighth Grade:
Irwin Scholars Application
DC Trip Payment Letter
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:
Of General Interest . . .
1) The High School Musical, Little Shop of Horrors, is up on the stage at the Charlton Street PAC this Friday and Saturday. Both performance begin at 7PM. Tickets can be purchased in the Sixth Avenue lobby and at the door. Don’t miss the show!
2) Our photography company, Coffee Pond, has mailed out school photo order packages to your homes. You should be getting these packages shortly – they include a photo proof sheet and ordering instructions. As a reminder, photos must be ordered online at www.coffeepond.com or over the phone by calling (800) 632- 2323 (dial ‘0’). For those families who wish to have photograph’s re-shot, Photo Retake day is Monday, Nov. 12. Please call Coffee Pond directly if, after reviewing your proofs, you’d like to have your children photographed again – note that there is a fee associated with having photos re-shot. You must call Coffee Pond by Wednesday, Nov. 8th if you want to participate in Photo Retake Day. If you do not receive your proofs, please call Kim Cherubin in the Lower School and she’ll coordinate getting another set of proofs to you.
3)From Director of Advancement Pippa Gerard: This year’s Grandparents and Special Friends (GPSF) Day is scheduled for May 9th. We will be sending out Save-the-Dates for GPSF day on November 1 and if there is anyone that you would like a Save-the-Date to go to, please email Aeilushi Mistry at amistry@lrei.org with the names and addresses.
4) The Parents of Children of Color Breakfast is scheduled for Tuesday, November 6th at 8:00AM in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. For additional information, please view the flyer.
5) Family Book Night! Wed., Nov. 7, 6:30 to 8 PM, Charlton St. Performing Arts Center at 40 Charlton St.—A free family-friendly event that showcases our wonderful LREI librarians. Jen, Stacy, Karyn and Jesse will give their latest recommendations for all ages on the theme, “From Double Fudge to Gossip Girls: Social Class in Youth Literature.” Middle and High School students will also present book reviews of some of their latest reads. Featured titles will be on sale. Children of all ages are most welcome. There will be food and drink, plus a separate storytime space for younger children, all courtesy of the Literary Committee. Please join us for an evening all about books that will get you and your kids reading and thinking! For more information, please read the attached flyer.
6) Would you like to contribute to a great cause and get in a good run or walk at the same time? Join the LREI Race to Deliver team! God’s Love We Deliver will hold their annual 4-mile run/walk called the Race to Deliver on Sun., Nov. 18; this year will be the first time there is an LREI team! To join, visit http://www.racetodeliver.org, click on Join a Team, and choose LREI from the list of teams. Prior to the main race, there are Fun Runs for kids, at manageable distances. It is lots of fun, the kids get goody bags, you can run, walk or cheer on the participants. Even if you don’t run, your children can participate in the kids’ runs, and any running friends you may have can sign up to be on our team as well.
7) For updates on faculty performances, openings, presentations, and publications visit the Faculty in the News page on the school web site.
8) 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) Last week you should have received an application for the Irwin Scholars merit scholarship 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. Irwin Scholar Applications are due no later than 4pm on Monday, November 19, 2007. Notification letters will be mailed during the week of December 10, 2007.
2) From High School Principal Ruth Jurgensen: Thanks to those of you who joined one of the two high school tours. It was a pleasure to meet with you and visit our classrooms together. For those parents who were unable to attend, we hope you will schedule a visit to get to know your high school, or feel free to attend my informal Thursday coffee in the high school cafeteria, 7:45-8:15 AM, through November 29. I look forward to getting to know your child’s passions, academic interests and plans for their LREI High School experience. If you have any questions regarding our diverse, rigorous program, please do not hesitate to contact me. Here are some additional opportunities to learn more about the high school program:
- If you were not able to attend one of the High School tours, please contact Director of Admissions Samantha Caruth who can schedule you for a tour at some other time that is more convenient for you. Samantha can be reached at scaruth@lrei.org or at extension 305.
- The next High School Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, November 6th and will start at 6:30PM.
- 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) On Tuesday, November 6th, the Seventh grade Spanish students will go to the Grey Art Gallery to see the exhibition “The Geometry of Hope: Latin American Abstract Art from the Collection of Patricia Phelps de Cisneros”
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