Collaborations

Dear Middle School Families,

Collaboration is a hallmark of the LREI experience. We expect students to work together in thoughtful and respectful ways so that they can address novel and demanding problems. This work is challenging when you know your collaborators well; it is even more challenging when your collaborator is someone you’ve just met. This was the case for the members of the seventh and eighth grade instrumental music performing arts elective who last Friday put on a collaborative jazz band concert with students from the Bronx Charter School for the Arts. Each band prepared and played selections from their own repertoire and then learned a number from the other school’s repertoire, which the bands then performed together.

For several weeks, each band practiced on its on. Last Thursday, the members of the Bronx Charter School for the Arts band came to LREI to rehearse together. While most of the time was spent playing, there were opportunities for the students to get to know each other and share some of their experiences. The following day, we traveled up to the Bronx to The Point, an important local community center, for the concert.

Reflecting on the experience, band members offered the following observations:

It was a great way to come together with new people and play music for an audience. In some ways it allowed us to build musical friendships with new people and hear how other people express themselves with the same instrument. The performance was really fun And I hope that we have another opportunity to play music with new and unfamiliar people because it made us rise to the occasion.

I loved doing a collaboration with the kids from the Bronx they were nice and very experienced. I think they taught us a lesson, and we taught them some things too in a way. I would definitely want to do another collaboration at their school again.

It felt great to me to be able to go to a new environment and play in front of new people while learning new songs. I think that it’s also a great opportunity for us to meet new kids as well, getting able to play with kids we don’t even know and still being able to play as well as we did.

I thought that the concert went very well. I felt good about my solo as well as other people’s solos, we all did a very nice job. Overall I had fun and thought that we played well.

Click here for some pictures of the event. Additional pictures and video to follow in next week’s blog.

This exciting opportunity for students was coordinated by Middle School Band Director Matt McLean and technology teacher Chris Jung. As a public-private collaboration, it affirms our institutional commitment to engagement with the broader community and connects us with our schools historic roots as an experimental public school. This is an area that we will continue to explore as it is one that is rich with profound learning opportunities for our students.

Of General Interest . . .

1) Important Calendar Update: Please note the following dates. Some of these dates were changed earlier in the year and this is just a reminder. Others were changed quite recently. Only those dates that have been changed since the beginning of the school year have been noted.

  • The HS will be closed on Friday, April 8 for a Professional Day
  • The MS will be closed on Thursday, April 14 and Friday, April 15 for Advisor/Family Conferences
  • The LS will be closed on Friday, April 8 and Friday, April 15 for conferences.
  • The School will be closed on Tuesday, April 19 for Passover. (This is a change.)
  • The Sprint Concert (chorus and band) has been rescheduled. It will now be held on Wednesday, May 18.
  • Two changes to LS end-of-year potlucks—Rebecca and Jessi’s First Grade’s picnic will move to Thursday, May 26. Deborah and Randi’s Second Grade’s picnic will move to Monday, May 23.

Click here to access the most current “At a Glance” calendar for the 2010-2011 school year.

2) Adult r (ED): The third term of our adult classes, Adult r(ED), begins after Spring Break. Click here to see a listing for these courses.

3) A message from Chap, Director of Diversity and Community: A reminder that our final Open PA Diversity morning, How to Raise an Ally: Social Justice at LREI Part 3 of 3 is on Friday, April 29, 8:45 – 10:00 am

4) From the LREI librarians: LREI’s WELL REaD event is coming up on Thursday, April 7th from 6-8 pm. This year WELL REaD offers a book club model in place of the panel of librarian we’ve had in the past. This means audience participation! You will be reading the books in advance and joining in the discussion. Each group has an overarching thread that the librarians have pulled out, and each book chosen is there for specific reasons. Where the discussion goes is entirely up to the group! This is what makes it so exciting! We invite you to choose a book according to your interest (not necessarily by your child’s age).

  • Perhaps you are interested in the supernatural or have heard all of the buzz around the Hunger Games series – sign up for Karyn Silverman’s group (Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins).
  • If graphic novels are your thing, sign up for Jesse Karp’s group (American Born Chinese by Gene Yang and The Arrival by Shaun Tan).
  • Are you interested in exploring a mix of dystopian and realistic fiction? Jennifer Hubert Swan’s group (The Schwa Was Here by Gary Schmidt, Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer) demonstrates just how fabulous middle grade fiction can be.
  • If you are interested in teasing out positivity and exploring social justice in a more subtle way, come to Stacy Dillon’s group with a mix of a picture book, a graphic novel and an illustrated novel (A Beach Tail by Karen Lynn Williams, Cameron and His Dinosaurs by Scott Christian Sava, and The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow).

We are very excited to have this opportunity to “talk books” on a deeper level with you all! You’ll find information about when and where you can sign up for a book group and purchase these books in the next item below, and a sign up to attend at the front desk of the Sixth Avenue building. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to stop by the library and speak with one of the librarians! We hope to see you there!

5) Literary Committee: Get ready for a great evening of wine, cheese and lots of lively discussion about the books our kids are reading! Make sure you give yourself time to read those books. Spring Break is right around the corner and a perfect time to do just that! If you didn’t get a chance to sign up, the RSVP and Childcare forms are at the Sixth Avenue Reception Desk. (Childcare is $15 per child, $5 for siblings.) You may also e-mail Mary Shea, at mshea@LREI.org. Please sign up by Monday, April 4. If you still need books, please write to us at LiteraryCommittee@lrei.org. We’re looking forward to a fun night of spirited discussions with our fellow parents and librarians! Hope to see you there!

6) Red is Green: Save the Date.  April 20th, 6-8pm.  During “Earth Week” at LREI, Jamie Cloud of the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education (and LREI parent) will be giving a presentation/workshop for parents, teachers and students (5th grade and older).  Jamie has worked with several schools to advance sustainability in the classroom.  She will lead a hands-on workshop that will help participants develop an awareness of sustainability and how to apply it to every day living and learning. If you want to attend, please email Red is Green at RedisGreen@lrei.org

7) Come check out the Afterschool blog at: http://blog.lrei.org/afterschoolphotos/

8) The Big Auction Committee needs your help! We have four weeks to collect all our donations for the auction. The auction benefits LREI’s tuition remission program. The deadline for donations is March 13th. We have received some amazing donations so far but we need more! We would love to get 100% participation from all the families at the school. If each family could solicit or donate one item that would be amazing. We welcome donations that are big and small. Here is a list of ideas/suggestions:

  • Restaurant gift cards (we have very few restaurant donations so far)
  • Services like music lessons, exercise sessions, cooking lesson, closet makeover, spa treatment, interior design consultation
  • Air miles
  • Know a designer? Is there a store you frequent? Bags, dresses, jeans, all clothing, mens, womens, kids (all new of course)
  • Jewelry (again, new of course)
  • Theatre tickets, sport event tickets
  • Studio tours
  • Holiday homes
  • Kids’ parties
  • Beauty products
  • Hotels
  • Autographed signed items, guitars, posters, etc.
  • Cases of wine

These are just some ideas. Please feel free to email us, bigauction@lrei.org, with questions or suggestions. We have attached a donation form; completed donation forms should be returned to Liza Sacks in the Advancement Office. You should have all received the Save the Date card. The Big Auction will be at Capitale on May 11th. We are planning a great party and look forward to seeing you all there.

9) Our new community cookbook, Downtown Potluck, a compilation of recipes from our talented parents and teachers, has been garnering praise in the media, including Time Out New York Kids and Esquire. It will be on sale at upcoming school events. It will also be available through the school store (perfect for gift-giving!). The book costs $25; supplies are limited. Email cookbook@LREI.org for information.

10) For additional school news, you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

11) 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) Family Conferences and Subject Area Meetings (April 14th and 15th): Click here to sign up for conferences . At the Family Conference, your child will share work samples, offer reflections on her/his work and identify some goals for the fourth quarter. It is also a time for you to dialog with your child and her/his advisor about your child’s learning experience in the Middle School so far this year.

As we did in the first quarter, you will also be able to have brief meetings with each of your child’s teachers should you so choose. To schedule these subject specific meetings please click here (link will be activated shortly). As always, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teachers if you have questions about her/his performance and/or the curriculum.

2) From Director of Diversity and Community Sandra Chapman and middle school science teacher Sherezada Acosta: The next meeting for MS Students of Color will take place on Wednesday, March 16 from 11:00AM-12:00PM. With the help of middle school faculty Frank Portella, Sara-Momii Roberts and Elizabeth Simmons, students will meet in affinity groups (racial / ethnic groups) to discuss the idea of microaggressions. Microaggressions, as defined by Dr. Derald Wing Sue, are the “everyday indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate negative or derogatory racial slights and insults to People of Color.” You may be thinking, “This seems like a heavy concept for young folks to discuss over lunch.” While the term “microaggressions” is a mouthful, the idea of everyday indignities is a reality for people of color and one middle schoolers and their families do face. We expect the meeting will generate healthy discussions and hopeful takeaways for the students. In affinity groups the students will answer two primary questions; “What I never want people to do, say, or think about our group is…” and “What I want people to know about our group is…”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAIFGBlEsbQ

Dr. Sue, Dr. Beverly D. Tatum, Tim Wise, and others encourage us to talk to young people about these experiences and to offer strategies for coping. Dr. Sue writes, “For mental health purposes, it would be useful to explore the coping mechanisms used by people of color to stave off the negative effects of microaggressions. The fact that people of color have had to face daily microaggressions and have continued to maintain their dignity in the face of such hostility is a testament to their resiliency (D. W. Sue, 2003). What coping strategies have been found to serve them well? A greater understanding of responses to microaggressions, both in the long term and the short term, and of the coping strategies employed would be beneficial in arming children of color for the life they will face.” While the MS SOC meetings are optional, it is helpful to the students in attendance when we have a critical mass, particularly seventh and eighth grade Students of Color who are role models for fifth and sixth grade students. The group’s ability to process and support each other is key to reaching our goal of “helpful takeaways.” Thank you in advance for encouraging your Child of Color to attend the meetings.

3) Mark your calendars: Just a heads up that our annual MS Arts Festival will open on Thursday, April 28th at 6:00PM for seventh and eighth grade families and at 6:30PM for fifth and sixth grade families. The evening will feature studio art work from students in all grades, digital art created by the eighth graders and performances by the seventh and eighth grade performing arts major classes (instrumental music, vocal music, dance and drama). The entire Sixth Avenue building will come alive with the arts. We hope to see you all there. In addition, the art displays in the auditorium will also be up on Friday, April 29th.

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

No updates this week.

For Eighth and Seventh Grade Families . . .

1) The New York State Theatre Education Association (NYSTEA) and Reaching Andromeda Theatre (RAT) invite you to attend the NYC Student Theatre Conference hosted by and taking place at LREI. This interactive conference for seventh and eighth graders will take place on Saturday, April 9th, 2011 at Charlton Street and will run from 10:00AM-4:00PM.  A broad range of performing arts workshops available from introductory to advanced levels. A sample of workshop offerings include: Theatre Sports, Improvisation, Shakespeare, Juggling, Acting, Commedia dell’arte, Directing, Radio Plays, Theatre Tech, and Musical Theatre, just to name a few… The conference is  great way to get to know kids from other schools and an amazing opportunity to work with theatre educators and professionals in the arts in NYC! There is a $5.00 entrance fee. Email Mark Silberberg to sign up your child. For more information contact Meghan Farley Astrachan, mastrachan@lrei.org

For Seventh Grade Families . . .

1) Mark your calendars for our annual Sixth and Seventh Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Monday, April 11th at 6:30PM.

2) From Elizabeth and Matthew: We are excited to inform you that in conjunction with our current study of the American Revolution and our upcoming study of the Constitution itself, on Thursday, April 21st, the seventh grade will travel to Philadelphia for a day-long trip. We will visit the National Constitution Center, where we will participate in several activities that will help us better understand the founding and establishment of our country and its constitution. We will also visit Independence Hall and, time permitting, other historical sites. Like our trip to Williamsburg, the trip to Philadelphia will give us a first-hand understanding of important events in Colonial American history. Students should arrive to LREI on the morning of April 21st by 7:00AM. Our chartered bus will be departing promptly at 7:15AM. Students should be sure to bring their writer’s notebook, a bag lunch (with an extra snack for the return trip — we will not stop at a rest stop on the return trip — and as always no nuts, seeds, or glass bottles), an extra sweatshirt and a backpack for these items. Cameras and some spending money (no more than $10) are optional. Students should dress appropriately for the day’s predicted weather, and they should be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. We will be departing from Philadelphia at around 2:45PM, and expect to return to LREI by 4:15PM. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. Thank you.

For Sixth Grade Families . . .

1) Mark your calendars for our annual Sixth and Seventh Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Monday, April 11th at 6:30PM.

2) On Wednesday, April 13th, your presence is requested at our annual Medieval Pageant. The evening will begin at 6:00PM and will afford you the opportunity to view your child’s work as it relates to her/his on-going studies of the Middle Ages. Following the viewing of this work, we will convene in the auditorium for a dramatic and musical telling of tales connected to this study. The evening will conclude with a potluck supper in the cafeteria. Your class reps will be contacting you about preparations. In the spirit of the event, you are encouraged to bring in medieval inspired dishes. Below are a number of useful resources for potential recipes:

2) A related Medieval Pageant request: 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 April 11th. 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 Sixth and Fifth Grade Families . . .

Intramural Basketball: Friday Mar 11th – Parents Game 3:30

On Friday March 11, we will have our parents vs kids game, on our last game of the season.  This is a friendly, fun scrimmage and we hope as many parents and kids come to play as possible!  We recommend, shorts or athletic pants, and sneakers are required to play on the court. Each team will play the parents for about 15 minutes, starting at 3:30 PM at 145 Thompson St.  The order of the teams playing will be as follows:

RED, GREEN, TIE-DYE, BLACK, BLUE

Thank you all for such a wonderful season.  It was a joy, as always, to work with all of the kids and watch them all grow and develop!

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) A reminder that our annual Egyptian Tomb exhibit will take place during the day on Thursday, March 17th. Heather and Wendy will be in contact with you about scheduling visit times (8:30AM, 9:00AM, and 12:00PM — you should plan to spend about 30 minutes at the exhibit). They would also appreciate a few parent volunteers to help on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 16th, with set up for the tomb and would also appreciate a few volunteers to help with taking down the tomb the day of the 17th starting at 2:15PM. Click here for additional information.

2) Mark your calendars for our annual Fifth Grade Parents Adolescent Issues Evening scheduled for Tuesday, April 12th at 6:30PM.

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