To go to the Festival!

Dear Families:

What a wonderful surprise to walk into the building on Monday and to see such a visible display of your appreciation. While your appreciation is felt throughout the year in gestures large and small, this week’s collective gesture (and the tasty treats) provided just one more reminder of how grateful I am to be a member of this community. So on behalf of all of the members of the Middle School division, thank you.

That said, the lobby was not the only space that underwent a transformation as students and teachers entered the Middle School. This week, the usual dynamic hum of students exploring new ideas and working on exciting studies and projects gave way to the routines of chairs-in-rows, number 2 pencils, and bubbling in answer sheets that are hallmarks of the ERBs. In the midst of that change, our annual Wednesday afternoon Literary Festival provided a wonderful counterpoint to the morning’s testing activities. While lots of fun, the Literary Festival also provides an opportunity for students to encounter writing in some novel and engaging contexts. The list of this year’s offerings follows:

  • Booktalking (with Jennifer Hubert Swan). Want to find a more dynamic way to tell someone, “You’ve got to read this book!”? Jen, the Queen of the Book Talk, worked with participants as they explored how to help uncover the joys of reading for others.
  • Found Poetry (with Heather Brandstetter). Heather led participants on a poetry-finding adventure where they explored the the LREI building in lieu of the slushy streets of New York to look the poetry that is hidden in the everyday.
  • Who the Heck Are You?! (with Dennis Kitchen). Ever wonder who that person is who you see wandering around the building? You know they work here, but you’re not quite sure what they do. In this workshop, students outfitted with a camera and pen “hunted” these people down, snapped their picture and then interviewed them. Dennis shared interviewing techniques and helped participants to create a fascinating bio on a person they thought they knew, but not really….
  • Movie Reviews (with Jeannie Park). Students joined editors from People Magazine and heard what it’s like to have to watch movies day in and day out and then write about them–even the ones they hate! Students got tips about what makes a review interesting to a reader and then took a stab at writing their own reviews.
  • Visual Autobiography and Bookmaking Workshop (with Melissa Rubin and Robin Shepard). Armed with a range of personally relevant items (their prose and poetry, photos, maps, stamps, feathers, ticket stubs, playbill covers, movie ads, pressed flowers, etc.), students created their very own hardcover autobiography and their turned memorabilia into a story about themselves.
  • Slam Poetry (with Leila Sinclaire). What is slam poetry? Is it like a slam dunk? In this workshop, students found out more about this exciting form of performance poetry that resembles freestyle rap, stand up comedy, and traditional poetry all rolled into one. Participants watched filmed slam poetry performances and learned how to write and perform their own slam poems in a non-competitive, supportive atmosphere.
  • Comic Books (with Aaron Renier). In this workshop, students got tips from the author of the graphic novel Spiralbound, Aaron Renier, on how to write and illustrate a graphic novel. At the end of the workshop, students walked away with their very own graphic novel, one that they’d written and illustrated.
  • Turning Anger Into Stories (with Willard Cook). What is a story? Why do people tell stories? Willard, the editor of the literary journal Epiphany, led students in a writing activity that improved their ability to tell a good story. Beginning with a situation that aroused their anger, students discussed character and plot development, point of view and conflict and turned this seed into a story.
  • Playwriting (with Raquel Cion). In this workshop, students joined in a facilitated discussion about what constitutes dramatic writing. The building blocks of playwriting (character, action, conflict, setting) were then explored using tools such as automatic writing, image, and structured writing time. Students learned about the who, where, what, and how of constructing scenes. Through this exploration each student wrote their own “mini-play”. These plays were then read aloud and the workshop culminated with a discussion of how to continue writing and creating plays on your own.
  • Pitching a Pilot – Writing for TV (Diana Son). Ever want to write for television? Diana Son, who writes for Law and Order: Criminal Intent, taught students how to pitch a pilot to TV executive and then students worked on ideas for their own pilot pitch.
  • The Op Ed Page (with Aaron Jaffe). In this workshop, students learned about the art of opinion writing with Wall Street Journal reporter Aaron Jaffe. Aaron discussed the primary election process and then students decided if this is the best process in deciding on a presidential candidate. They then wrote an op ed piece in which their opinion on the process is front and center.
  • Everyone’s a Critic (with Julie Salamon). What’s it like to be paid to watch TV and movies? Sounds easy huh? Except that telling the truth and being judged for it can be hard. Author and culture critic Julie Salamon took students through the ups and downs of writing your creative opinions at the risk of offending your friends and possibly becoming unpopular! Students explored questions like: Can a reviewer be honest and generous? Helpful and critical?
  • Seize the Day! (with Danny Gregory). You don’t have to be a great artist or a devoted writer to turn the most ordinary day into a beautiful illustrated journal. Danny showed students how to make a book out of a single piece of paper, which they then filled with simple line drawings and little captions about these found moments.
  • Ad Power (with Helayne Spivak). Award-winning copywriter, Helayne Spivak showed students how advertisers use words and pictures to persuade people to do or buy things that they never knew they needed! They also found out what goes on behind the scenes when marketers are trying to grab our attention and influence us. Students the created an advertising campaign for something they either hated, or for a product or idea that they believed in!
  • Striking Viking Story Pirates In this interactive workshop, students worked with members of the Striking Viking Story Pirates theater troupe. They guided students through a dynamic process in which individuals and small groups wrote and acted out stories. The Story Pirates took these ideas back to their secret headquarters/laboratory, and in several weeks, they will return for Middle School meeting with newly-built puppets, props, and a brand new sketch comedy show, including some new stories written by participants in the workshops.
  • Finding Story Ideas Everywhere (with Liz Braswell). Ever wonder how writers come up with story ideas? Is a story idea always something major, huge? It doesn’t matter what genre you prefer – every story begins with an idea, and sometimes these ideas are very small. Writer Liz Braswell helped students through that most agonizing of writing moments – the blank page!

It was truly a wonderful afternoon. I certainly hope that you will talk to your young writer about her/his Lit Festival experience.

This Week’s Attachments
General:
2008-2009 LREI Calendar
MS Parent Rep Meeting Minutes
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .
1) Click here to view the 2008-2009 LREI Calendar.

2) We are very pleased to announce that six of our high school photography students were selected among High School and University student submissions for an upcoming exhibition at Synchronicity Fine Arts, 106 West 13th Street. The opening reception is on February 9 from 2-5 PM; the show runs from February 5 through March 1.

3) Presentation on LREI’s Finances: Michel de Konkoly Thege will make a presentation concerning LREI’s finances that is open to all interested members of the LREI community. The presentation will be in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria at 8:45AM on Tuesday, February 26.

4) The NY INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL runs from February 29 through March 16. Check out the best new film and video for ages 3-18 featuring animated, live action and experimental shorts and features. For info and to purchase tickets click here and use the LREI discount code (DCT2007)

5) Upcoming Service events:

  • Monday, February 4, 2008 — Pennies for Patients Drive begins (through 2/25)
    The funds, collected during this three-week period, benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
  • February 11 through 15th – is the “Have a Heart/ Get a Heart” collection sponsored by the LREI Community Service Committee for the Room To Grow organization. We are collecting new and GENTLY used items (baby, toddler needs: clothing, equipment and books) for ages new born to 5 years old. Donations can be left at the front desk. Please click here for more information.
  • Monday, March 3, 2008 — Project Cicero Book Drive (through March 6)
    We are an annual non-profit book drive designed to create — or supplement — school and classroom libraries for children in under-resourced New York City public schools. Now in its eighth year, Project Cicero has distributed nearly 1,000,000 new and gently used books to 5,500 New York City classrooms and libraries, reaching 180,000 students. We solicit donations from individuals and families from over 90 independent, public, and parochial schools each year, and have received generous contributions from many book publishers.
  • As a class fundraiser, the ninth graders are collecting used ink jet cartridges and old/broken cell phones. They will send the collected items to an organization that recycles them and the class will receive cash for these items. Please note that the collection is limited to used ink jet cartridges and old/broken cell phones. For additional information go to www.fundingfactory.com. They will begin collecting used cartridges and cell phones on Wednesday, February 6th and will continue until Thursday, May 22nd. A collection box will be located in the Sixth Avenue lobby. Tell your friends and family about this opportunity so that these items can be recycled and don’t end up in landfills.

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

7) On Thursday, February 28, 2008, 7:00PM, Freedom Institute‘s Independent School Program presents an evening with Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair on “How to Be a Go-To Parent: Raising Kids of Character.” To be held at the Nightingale-Bamford School (20 East 92nd Street, New York, NY). For more information, contact: Charlanne Zepf Bauerlein at 212-838-0044 ext. 11.

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/.

For grades 6-8
It’s time to go….. “INTO THE WOODS” for the Middle School musical! This adapted version of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapin’s original Broadway hit exquisitely combines our favorite fairy tale characters in a humorous script with unforgettable music. The results promise to be a hugely entertaining production for all ages.

  • Joanne invites interested 6th-8th grade students to attend a mandatory meeting on Wednesday, February 20th after school.
  • As an ensemble, we will sing a portion of the prologue together. You can practice the piece by listening to the sound file that appears below (click here to view the lyrics).
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  • Auditions will take place after this general meeting and on Thursday, February 21st after school.
  • At the audition, students will be asked to sing a song of their choosing and to present one of the following scenes from the musical (Rapunzel’s/Cinderella’s Prince or Cinderella).
  • Actors can find out more about the play and the characters online at Audition Central.
  • Sign up sheets and contracts will be on the bulletin board outside of Mark’s office on Friday, February 15th.
  • Students will need to attend assigned rehearsals after school from February 25th leading up to the performances on May 9th and 10th. (No rehearsals will take place during spring break). Contracts will need to be signed before a role can be assigned.

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) Please make sure that your child is registered for the DC trip and that all balances are due by 3/4/08. Click here to access the registration form.

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

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) The Medieval Pageant is scheduled for Wednesday, March 12th . Students are enthusiastically learning their music, making props and rehearsing their parts to get ready for the big event. Joanne has requested that all sixth grade students bring in a basic black outfit for the week of March 10th. The black bottoms and tops need to be comfortable and practical with regards to movement and will likely have other items of costume layered on top. Sneakers and shoes do not need to be black. If you have questions, you can contact Joanne directly at jmagee@lrei.org.

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

For additional information, follow these links:

  • Calendar of Events
  • LREI Athletics. For general LREI Athletics news go to this link . This page will provide general announcements, game summaries, league standings and season recaps.
  • Click here to view the Middle School Photo Gallery.

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

Be well,
Mark

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