June 10, 2010

Inspiring Students and Inspired Teachers

Dear Families,

What a week! Tuesday began with our wonderful Sixth Grade Poetry Potluck where those present were treated to an incredible selection of poetic delights all expertly read by their authors. Tuesday evening saw the auditorium transformed into our Science Exploratorium. Eighth grade students presented the results of their individual science research projects that addressed an impressive range of questions that appear below for your consideration:

Can mice be trained to run a maze? And do mice learn better when they have been trained in a maze?
Do changing maze conditions affect how fast a mouse can learn a maze?
What living conditions do crickets prefer?
How can goldfish adapt to changes in their environment?
Do colors affect people physiological state?
How does lying effect people physically?
How do forensic scientists study fingerprints?
Can you tell a person’s gender from their bones? How do forensic scientists discover how bones have been broken or cut?
Which citrus fruit battery produces the most electricity?
What solutions can be separated using chromatography?
What factors determine a physical or chemical change in a substance?
What is the science behind pinhole cameras?
Which fin size and shape produces the greatest output from a waterwheel?
In a wind turbine, what blade configuration generates the most electricity?
What blade shape produces the most effective wind turbine?
How can buildings be reinforced to withstand earthquakes?
What weather conditions cause tornadoes?
How does arm length affect the distance a trebuchet throws a projectile?

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Wednesday saw the fifth grade regale students and families with their rousing adaptations of a series of Greek myths accompanied by an original musical prologue and epilogue. The performance began with the showing of an animation project created in their art classes with an accompanying original soundtrack created in their music class. Prior to the performance, families had a chance to view students’ technology animation projects, science robotics projects, core memoirs and essays and to play a variety of math games.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52PPl6mFnsI

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58tCZRfvCQk

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Today, the seventh grade presented its Constitution Works First Amendment role play at the courthouse in Brooklyn and, tomorrow night, the eighth grade will celebrate their upcoming Moving Up, which will take place on Tuesday.

Congratulations to eighth grader Ivo who was selected as this year’s recipient of the Andrew McLaren Scholarship. This award was established in honor of former LREI Director Andrew McLaren to recognize an eighth grader moving on to the high school who exemplifies the school’s values and who has also showed dedication and promise in the arts.

No question that this has been an amazing week that is capping off a truly wonderful year in the middle school and at LREI. In addition to the potlucks at which teachers are formally thanked, I hope that you will each find a moment over the next few days to thank the members of the middle school faculty for their inspired teaching and unwavering care of your children.

I also hope that the summer provides you with ample opportunities to spend quality time with family and friends and to think about trying something new together as a family.

Enjoy!

Of General Interest . . .

1) Click here to access the most current “At a Glance” calendar for the 2010-2011 school year. This calendar includes Family Conference dates not included in the last version that was sent by Phil.

2) Join us on the LREI Float to Gay Pride March 2010:

Sunday, June 27th, 2010: 12 p.m. -end
March sign up to come
Click here for the flyer
contact: cborows@gmail.com for more details.

3) From the Admissions Team: Spring Admissions Alert — Greetings! In order to facilitate our planning for 2011-2012 we ask that you contact the Admissions Office by June 11th to provide your child’s name, date of birth, current grade and school name, and the grade to which she or he will apply for the 2010-2011 school year. As a point of reference, please be advised that LREI offers an optional Early Notification Program for applicants to Fours, Kindergarten and First Grade who are siblings of current LREI students, children of faculty or staff, and children or grandchildren of alumni. This program expedites the admissions process for those who are members of the community and benefits the School by clarifying the number of places available in each grade for the general applicant pool. Applicants to Fours and Kindergarten must be four years old and five years old respectively by September 1st of the year in which a child will begin school. Should you have any questions about the admissions process for your child, please contact the admissions office at 212.477.5316. You may also send us information about your child by sending the aforementioned details to admissions@lrei.org. We look forward to our continued work with LREI families. Best wishes for a healthy spring!

4) Click here to access the photo collection of LREI events and happenings at our on-line photo gallery.

5) From the Art Auction Committee: 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.

6) The cookbook committee is still taking pre-orders for our new LREI community cookbook, Downtown Potluck, to be published in the fall of this year. Look for us in the lobby, or send an email to cookbook@lrei.org if you would like to order a copy ($25 each). If you place an order by the end of the school year, you will be entered in a drawing to win a free cookbook and a dinner for two at Minetta Tavern!Thanks to everyone,

7) 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.

8) I would again like to thank this year’s Middle School Parent Representatives for their hard work on your behalf in helping to make the Middle School the vibrant learning community that it is. If you are interested in continuing as a rep next year or would like to volunteer to serve as rep for the 2010-2011 school year, please email the PA Co-Presidents PA-Presidents@lrei.org. Also, each year the Parents Association asks its members to vote on a slate of officers and representatives for the following school year. Click here for the 2010-2011 Ballot for Parents Association Officers. To cast your ballot, please print the form, complete it and return it to the receptionist in either building by Monday, June 14th.

9) The LREI Exchange, an informal discussion Google group run by and for current LREI parents, has been up and running since the start of the school year. Its purpose is to enable parents and guardians to communicate about non-school issues and share resources. Since starting the group, there have been a number of useful and interesting posts ranging in subject from new dance classes for kids, Carnival Night in Central Park, doctor referrals, sublet requests, and parents making other parents aware of new trends in our kids’ internet activities. All LREI families are currently members of the LREI Exchange, however, you must ‘Opt In’ to join the conversation. Please click here for instructions and more information.

10) LREI is now on Facebook and Twitter! Click here to view our Facebook page, and here for our Twitter account. These are two new great ways to stay in the LREI loop.

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

12) 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) So far 177 hours have been logged in our “Getting Tools to City Schools — Turning Chores into Service Drive.” Let’s see if we can get to 250 by the last day of school. The weekend should provide ample opportunity for some helpful work that your child can do around the home. 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.

2) Tomorrow, 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.

3) The Judo team will hold its annual spring LREI Shiai (tournament) tomorrow 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.

4) Click here to get a jump on school supplies for next year. The attachment has the lists for all four grades.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1) Eighth graders moving on to EI should have their summer reading assignments. Additional information about summer work can be found at http://lrei.org/libres/sr.html. Also, click here to view faculty book talks on the summer reading choices.

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) For Monday June 14th, the eighth graders will be making their annual trip to Jacob Riis beach. Please make sure that your child comes to school with a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), bathing suit, towel, hat, sunglasses, sunblock and any sports equipment (including basketballs as there are courts next to the wild beach roses). We also recommend a sweatshirt in case of chilly breezes and anything else one might want at the beach (ipod, book, camera, etc). As students will receive their yearbooks in the morning, a pen is also recommended.

4) 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) Please read the attached summer reading and summer math assignments. Click here to read the grade level reading list and here to view the supplemental reading list. Next year’s core teachers will visit the class to go over the assignment. The lists and assignments are also accessible on the school website at http://lrei.org/libres/sr.html.

2) On Monday, June 14th, the seventh graders will make their annual end-of-year trip to Bear Mountain. Please make sure that your child comes to school with a comfortable light backpack containing a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), a hat, sunblock and a windbreaker. Students must wear comfortable walking shoes or sneakers. No open toed shoes, sandals or flip flops.

4) Looking further ahead to next year, click here to access the registration form for the spring Gettysburg/DC trip that will take place next May. 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#: 55757. If you have specific questions about payment, please do not hesitate to contact me.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

2) On Monday, June 14th, the sixth graders will be participating with their advisory group and advisor in an adventure-packed scavenger hunt around the neighborhood. Please make sure that your child comes to school with a comfortable light backpack containing a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), a hat, and sunblock. Students must wear comfortable walking shoes or sneakers. No open toed shoes, sandals or flip flops.

4) 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 Fifth Grade Families . . .

2) On Monday, June 14th, the fifth graders will make their annual end-of-year trip to The New York Aquarium. Please make sure that your child comes to school with a comfortable light backpack containing a bag lunch (no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), a hat, and sunblock.

============= 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