Beyond the classroom

Dear Families,

Thank you to those of you who were able to attend the Middle School Awards Evening this past Tuesday. The number of students involved in extracurricular activities and the diversity of these activities was inspiring. There is no doubt that these opportunities, which challenge students to think and learn in powerful ways, play an important role in helping us to fulfill our mission of educating the whole child. As with all endeavors, these experiences are not without their own obstacles (being over-matched by an opposing team, struggling to get the harmonies just right, having to adapt materials to meet a robotics challenge). However, when we see our students pushing themselves to do their best for themselves and for the team/group, the opportunities for learning are self-evident. These programs also provide students with the opportunity to “bump” into a new passion or to deepen a commitment to an area of interest and strength. Through our extracurricular programs, students with varied prior experiences and abilities regularly come together under the guidance of experienced teacher leaders to support each other as they work to be their best selves. I hope that this year’s Awards Night sparked some new areas of interest for students and faculty alike. I look forward to future evenings where we are able to come together as a community to celebrate this important work.

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Please note: On Friday, May 28th, we will hold our annual Field Day at Pier 40. Prior to beginning the day’s Field Day festivities, we will convene as a community on Charlton Street to celebrate the completion of the most recent phase of renovations/expansion at the high school. We’re looking forward to an exciting day! School will close at 1:00PM on this day. Some additional information follows:

  • It is important for all students to arrive on time.
  • To celebrate the importance of the day, LREI will be providing each student with a Ribbon Cutting/Field Day t-shirt. T-shirts will be distributed on Friday morning. Students do not need to wear any special color shirt to school on Field Day.
  • Students will spend the first part of Field Day in activities with their buddies. The younger lower school classes will return to the school after lunch while the third through twelfth grades will participate in a variety of activities in mixed age groups.
  • Students will need to bring their own lunch along with a container of water. (No nuts or seeds, please.) Plastic bottles are fine, but please no glass containers! Clothing should be comfortable and easy to move in, shorts or sweatpants and athletic shoes. No sandals. Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat are strongly recommended.
  • We will return to school in time for 1:00PM dismissal.

Of General Interest . . .

1) Click here to access the photo collection of LREI events and happenings at our on-line photo gallery. Enjoy these fabulous pictures of the cast members of the recent middle school musical Mulan!

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2) From the Art Auction Committee: Thank you so much to everyone who helped to make this year’s Art Auction a rounding success! It was a spectacular event and everyone has a wonderful time. There are still some pieces of art that are for sale so please visit http://artauction.lrei.org/ for additional information and to view items that are available. If you have any questions, please contact Maude Kebbon at mkebbon@lrei.org or 212-477-5316, ext. 232.

3) Join us on the 17th Annual LREI Camping Trip — June 4, 5 and 6
All LREI families and their children — from the 4’s through high school — are invited to participate in fun, swimming, hiking, games, fishing, and S’mores! – Sign up in person with cash or a check the morning of Thursday, May 27 in front of the school –OR– online at http://lrei.org/caleven/camping/ with PayPal. The deadline for sign up is May 28.  Detailed information including directions/map, camping rules, etc. can be found at http://lrei.org/pdf/CampingInfo.pdf. We look forward to seeing you there!

4) Red is Green Committee Announcements:

  • For more details about our monthly recycling drives and Go Green to School dates, please click Red is Green PA Page.

5) From PA Co-Presidents Regina Trumbull and Kim Hostler: Spring is here, so we are starting to plan for the next school year. The PA would like to let you know the many ways you can participate. Becoming a parent rep is a great way to get involved. If you have not been a parent rep before but would like to try it or find out more about it, please let us know. We would be happy to talk to you more about what the job entails. In the meantime, you can look at the Family Handbook, page 36 (link on our website www.LREI.org) for the Parent Rep Guidelines. Of course, until the classes are actually made up for next year (mid-August or so), we cannot match parent reps to classes. If you’re looking for other ways to get involved, you could consider volunteering for any of our PA committees

  • Adoption Committee
  • Art Auction (the next art auction will be in the 2011-2012 year. But the committee will meet next year.)
  • Big Auction Committee
  • Community Service Committee
  • Faculty & Staff Appreciation Committee
  • Food Committee
  • Graphics & Communications Committee (Supporting other committees)
  • Halloween Fair Committee
  • Lesbian/Gay/Straight Alliance
  • Literary Committee
  • LREI Camping Trip Organizing Committee
  • Multicultural Committee (this is the committee that organized Karamu)
  • Parents of Children of Color (Lower School and Middle School)
  • Red Is Green (our sustainability committee)
  • School Store
  • Sports Committee

Also in the Family Handbook (p.38), there is a list of the co-chairs of the PA committees if you would like to contact them for more information. Please email us at PA-Presidents@lrei.org if you would like to get involved.

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

7) LREI is a member of NYC-Parents in Action (NYC-PIA – http://www.parentsinaction.org/). 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. Click here to view upcoming events and/or to download their calendar.

For All Grades . . .

1) 24 Tournament – Monday, May 24th at 7:45AM in the seventh grade rooms – Come enjoy some early-morning mathematical fun!  Students from the third to the eighth grades will challenge themselves and each other to solve mathematical puzzles.  Students can sign up at one of many levels of play, from one-digit to two-digit to integer-level cards.  There will be door prizes for everyone and a few students will compete as finalists in each category.  All students are encouraged to sign up and parents are welcome to come support the players.

2) From the Afterschool program:

  • The Afterschool Piano and Voice Recital and Instrumental Concert will take place on Tuesday, June 1st.
    Piano and Voice Recital, 5:30 in the PAPAS
    Instrumental Concert, 6:30 in the Auditorium
  • The Afterschool Karate Share and Enrichment Share will take place on Thursday, June 3rd.
    Karate Share, 5:30 in the Auditorium
    Enrichment Share, 6:00 in the PAPAS
  • Take a look at what we’ve been cooking in Afterschool!  Our recipe blog includes detailed recipes and pictures of the dishes that the Reds and Blues have been making in Afterschool: http://blog.lrei.org/afterschoolphotos/recipes/

3) A message from librarian Jennifer Hubert Swan: Please keep in mind that as in years past, circulation in the Sixth Avenue library will end on Monday, May 31st. This means that we will no longer check books out so that we can prepare the library for our annual inventory of the collection. Please do your very best to return any and all library materials during this week so the librarians can shelve them before starting inventory. This inventory is crucial to maintaining the integrity of our holdings and making sure that what is on our shelves matches what is in our computer catalog. Students and parents can continue to use the library space, computers and materials for independent reading or small group work during this time. If you have any questions or concerns about these procedures, please do not hesitate to speak to me.

4) Just a heads up that the annual End-of-Year Middle School dance will take place on Friday, June 4th a the Charlton Street PAC. The dance will start at 6:00PM and pizza and ice cream will be provided. The dance will end at 8:30PM.

5) On Friday, June 11th, the Middle School students will attend our High School Graduation Ceremony held at New York University. Please note that this is not an early dismissal day for Middle School students. Students will leave the Sixth Avenue building at about 12:45PM. At the graduation, Middle School students will be recognized for their hard work, completion of their current grade and their movement to the next and will join in the celebration of the accomplishments of the seniors as they move on to the next phase in their education. As this is a very special occasion, we ask that students dress appropriately—no jeans, no printed T-shirts, shirts with collars and shoes are preferable. After graduation, the students will return to the Sixth Avenue buildings by 3:15PM.

6) The Judo team will hold its annual spring LREI Shiai (tournament) an Friday, June 11th at 3:30PM in the Thompson Street Athletic Center. For the tournament , students will be grouped into small subsections determined by gender and weight to compete against each other. The winners of each of the smaller subsections will then compete against each other for the title, “The Grand Champion.” There will be one Grand Champion for boys and one for girls. Each Judoka (practitioner) will have at least one match and will medal. The awards for “Best Technique” and “Best Fighting Spirit” will be on the line for both girl and boy divisions respectfully. The award ceremony and belt promotions immediately follow the Shiai and, at this time, we will  issue the esteemed honor of “Player of the Year.”  The Shiai is always a great event and, as in years past, we hope to see many students and families in the stands.

book fair7) The annual LREI Spring Book Fair is open today and tomorrow. As usual, the book selection for this fair is based on the summer reading lists put together by the faculty and librarians. The lists are posted online at http://lrei.org/libres/sr.html, so please check them with your kids to plan out some great summer reading! All grades have reading requirements, which will be noted on the lists. Click here for a credit card pre-authorization form for parents to fill out; this form will enable kids to purchase books at the book fair, spending up to a limit determined by their parents. Please fax the forms to (212) 677-9159 (Attention Tracie McGee) by Monday, May 17. Students can also bring the forms with them to the book fair.

8) POCOC-Spring Book Club: This event, scheduled for May 21st, 2010 from 6:00- 8:00PM in the Sixth Avenue Auditorium, is a potluck event open to the families of both committees. After the potluck, children will break into their age/book groups with a facilitator (LREI teachers) to discuss the book they have read and/or do a project around it. During this time parents will be free to socialize. Book selections: 5th – 6th –Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis; 7th – 8th – Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson. Click here for the event flyer.

9) Some other important dates:

  • Wed, May 19, 2010, 3:00pm Spring Book Fair (through Friday)
  • Fri, May 21, 2010, 6:00pm POCOC-Spring Book Club
  • Thu, May 27, 2010, 6:30pm Spring Concert
  • Fri, May 28, 2010, Field Day-School closes at 1pm
  • Fri, Jun 4, 2010, 4:00pm LREI Camping Trip (through Sunday)
  • Fri, Jun 4, 2010, 6:00pm MS Dance
  • Tue, Jun 15, 2010, Last Day of School-School closes at 12noon

10) IMPORTANT SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES: As a follow up to the eighth grade Social Justice Teach-In, here is some information about related fund-raising opportunities:

  • Getting Tools To City Schools – Over the course of the year, we have had a number of collection drives to collect school supplies to make 200 binders that will be donated to students in one of Getting Tools to City Schools‘ partner schools. As we enter the final phase of this work, we are excited to announce a service drive that will run through the end of the month. We are asking middle school students to ask parents, friends and relatives if there are chores around the home that they can do. In compensation for this work, you will contribute $2/hour worked to support our collaboration with Getting Tools to City Schools. All of the money raised will be used to buy school supplies at wholesale cost. Please use the attached certificate to record hours worked by your child. We ask that the monies earned and the completed certificate(s) be returned to your child’s advisor. At the end of the month, the homeroom that has logged the most hours will earn a pizza lunch party.
  • Free Rice – http://www.freerice.com/index.php (this site quizzes in many subject areas: math, vocab, foreign language, chemistry, geography and art–correct answers earn rice donations)

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) Please join is on Tuesday, June 8th, at 6:00PM in the Sixth Avenue auditorium for the Science Exploratorium. This culminating event will afford students an opportunity to share with you the fruits of their independent research on key science concepts that were explored throughout the year.

2) Mark your calendar: Eighth Grade Pre-Moving Up Party, Friday, June 11th. Please arrive by 6:00PM for the Potluck Dinner and Recognition Program. Additional details from your parent reps will follow. Click here to access the potluck sign-up form (make sure that you select the tab for the correct event).

3) The Moving Up Assembly/Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 15th, in the Sixth Avenue auditorium. The assembly will start promptly at 9:00AM and will run until about 10:30AM. 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 eighth graders will return to their classroom and parents will exit out the Bleecker 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 Sixth Avenue side and then join families by the steps. When all are assembled, the eighth graders will receive their certificates and process one-by-one down the steps.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .

1) The seventh grade potluck breakfast and Constitution Works is scheduled for Thursday, June 10th. The breakfast will begin at 8:00AM in the seventh grade classrooms. Following the potluck, we will leave for the Constitution Works program at 9:15AM, which will be conducted at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. Parents are encouraged to attend this exciting event. Your parent reps will be in touch with you about the potluck breakfast. Click here to access the potluck sign-up form (make sure that you select the tab for the correct event).

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) The annual sixth grade poetry and potluck breakfast will take place on Tuesday, June 8th at 8:00AM in the cafeteria. Your parent reps will be in touch with you about the potluck breakfast. Click here to access the potluck sign-up form (make sure that you select the tab for the correct event).

2) Looking further ahead to next year, click here to access the registration form for the Williamsburg / Jamestown trip that will take place next October. I’m sending you this information now so that you can spread out payments over a longer period of time. If you register online, please use the following trip ID#: A76310. W e would like all families to register for the trip by the end of the month. If you have specific questions about payment, please do not hesitate to contact me.

For Sixth and  Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) From intramural softball coaches Peter and Luis: This year’s intramural regular season came to end after 5 weeks of great practices and games!  Every morning was a blast for the players, coaches and fans (thank you for the coffee!).  We all had a great time playing and learning together and the teams came a long way from the first day.  There were spectacular plays, big hits and heads up base running every day from the 5th and 6th graders.  The Championship game is scheduled for 7AM at JJ Walker on Tuesday, May 25th.  The Penguins will be playing the Ant Eaters in the final game.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) Our annual Grecian Festival will take place on the evening of Wednesday, June 9th at 6:00PM. From 6:00-6:30PM, you are invited to view students’ projects in the computer lab and in the science lab. At 6:30PM, we will convene in the Sixth Avenue auditorium for a dramatic presentation, which will be followed by the fifth grade potluck in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. Your class reps will be contacting you about the potluck. Click here to access the potluck sign-up form (make sure that you select the tab for the correct event).

============= For additional information, follow these links: =============

A reminder that the individual homework blog and the “feeds” for every class can be accessed from the Digital Classroom link on the sidebar (you may want to bookmark this page for easy access). These feeds provide an easy “one-click” solution to find out what has been assigned for homework. Keep in mind that a feed will only show what has been posted as of the time you check it.

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

Be well,
Mark

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