May 26, 2011

Student Reflections

Dear Families,

With the end of the year almost upon us, students in all grades are hard at work on a range of culminating activities. I look forward to seeing all of you in the coming weeks at the various grade level potlucks and celebrations. These are always wonderful opportunities to enjoy the impressive work that students have done this year and provide a window through which you can view the richness of their daily school experience.

Students are also in the process of reflecting on the year and considering goals achieved and areas for continued effort. These reflections will ultimately be shaped into their end-of-year comments that will appear in their fourth quarter progress reports. Giving students a voice in these reports has been an exciting process for us. While it has helped to narrow the distance between the student and her/his report, it has also helped students to discover a greater sense of ownership in their work and their overall school experience.

Seen in this light, progress reports are not simply something that happen to a student; they are a reflection of a yearlong relationship between the student, the subject, her/his teacher, and her/his peers. As part of this process, students have been asked to explore a range of questions about their work this year. A sampling of these questions follows:

Discuss the work you completed this quarter, in terms of process and product.
Reflect upon your participation in group work and in-class discussions.
Assess your homework in terms of depth, completion, and timeliness.
Look back over the entire year and reflect upon how you and your learning process have changed.
Think about all the work you’ve done in class this year. What strengths emerge from this work? Why do you think that this is the case?
In what ways has your work improved this year? Describe the differences you see between the beginning of the year and now.
What areas still need work? How do you plan to work on them next year?
What ways do you learn best? Select 1 or 2 pieces of work that you did this year of which you are particularly proud—could be a piece of writing, a class comment, a response, a project. What do you think these items show about you as a learner? What have you discovered about yourself as a learner this year?
Think about all the work that you’ve done this year in class. Did you develop any new areas of strength? What are they? What was most helpful to your growth as a learner?
What areas do you still need to work on improving? What strategies will you use next year to do so? How can your teachers and families be helpful? (Do not say, “Work harder”—instead, describe what that looks like for you to be doing it.).
Are you satisfied with your effort this year? Explain.
Comment on the quality and organization of your work.
What will you work on next year to better your experience and performance in class? How can I help?
Are you satisfied with the quality of your homework? Why or why not? What would you change and why?
Think about your note taking and our most recent notebook check. Comment on your organization and thoroughness. (Would your notes be legible, clear, and understandable to other readers? Could an absent student use your notes to get a clear idea of what he/she missed?)
Comment on your class participation (listening, questioning, offering ideas, etc.).
What new skills did you learn? What progress did you make on previously learned skills? Explain.
Look at the list of projects at the back of this handout and choose one that you felt you did your best work. a. Why do you think this project represented your best work? b. What is one thing you did in this project that helped you do so well?
Choose one project that you felt you did not do your best work. a. Which aspects of this project were not your best? b. Why do you think you did not do as well in this project? c. What could you have done differently to improve your performance in this project?
Your middle school years have been something of an adventure. A part of that story is coming to a close as new stories begin to unfold. Take a moment to examine the diagram below and consider and how it can be used as a lens to reflect on your experience in the middle school. In the spaces below and in whatever form is comfortable for you (e.g., poetry, narrative, lists, etc.), see if you can capture some of your thoughts about your middle school years as you begin to think about moving up.

All of the above are deep and thoughtful questions that push students to reflect on the meaning and purpose of their learning. Along with the discrete knowledge and skills acquired over the course of the year, the ability to find meaning in their own learning experience is crucial goal for all Middle School students. It is a worthy goal in that it also calls on students to see the larger context within which they will use their knowledge and skills.

It is a powerful experience for me to read all of these comments. Students are articulate, celebratory, demanding, critical and honest in ways that are truly inspiring. When considered in total, they provide compelling evidence for the thoughtful and passionate teaching and learning that goes on in the Middle School each day. I look forward to reading this year’s collection of comments; I know that you will too.

Finally, tomorrow, Friday, May 27th, we will hold our annual Field Day and Senior Appreciation at Pier 40. 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.

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.

Middle school students and their buddies will wear matching color t-shirts. Writing on the shirt or some design is okay, no need to buy a whole new shirt if you’ve got the right color. Buddy groups have been assigned the following colors of shirts to wear to field day:

4s and 4s/K and Sixth grades: LIGHT BLUE

Ks and Seventh grades: WHITE

First and Eighth grades: GREEN

Fifth and Twelfth grades: RED

Of General Interest . . .

1) Please read this important letter from school nurses Kitty Highstein and Sue Gower. You can alos access school health forms at http://www.lrei.org/community/parents/downloads.

2) Just a quick notes of thanks and to let you know that this week’s bake sale coordinated by the eighth graders and their first grade buddies raised $405. This money will be donated to http://helptuscaloosaschools.com/ and will support the rebuilding of schools in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Well done!

3) EE Ford Grant: As you may know, LREI has been awarded a prestigious $50,000 matching grant from the Edward E. Ford Foundation to redesign the high school curriculum for the 21st century. EE Ford is the only foundation that awards money solely to independent secondary schools and it is a huge honor for LREI to be among the few recipients. This is a challenge grant and LREI has been successful in raising the needed matching funds from our community. Phil has given several talks about the grant and his vision for our high school curriculum. If you have not already attended his presentation, please join him on Tuesday, May 31st at 8:45am in the Sixth Avenue Library to learn more.

4) Click here for the 2011-2012 school calendar.

5) From the Parents Association: If you’re looking for other ways to get involved, you could consider volunteering for any of our PA committees; please click here for the list. Please email us at PA-Presidents@lrei.org if you have any questions or suggestions. PA Officers Poll: Each year the Parents Association asks its members to vote on a slate of officers and representatives for following school year. Click here for the ballot for the 2011-2012 school year. All parents/guardians of LREI students are members of the association and are encouraged to vote. There is no election for class parent representatives. If you would like to volunteer to be a parent rep, please speak to your divisional coordinator or the current year’ parent reps. Once completed, please return your ballot to the receptionist in either building. Copies of the ballot are available at the front desk of either building. Ballots can also be mailed to the school; please address them to Parents Association Elections.

6) From the Red is Green Committee: For the remainder of the school year middle school science teacher Stephen Volkman’s Middle School advisory group is collecting batteries and corks for recycling. Their creatively designed boxes are in the lobby for your drop off. The group will also be collecting CD’s and cellphones. Watch for the new containers. Thank you to Steve and his group for their efforts.

7) Come check out the Afterschool blog at: http://blog.lrei.org/afterschoolphotos/. We have just posted The Afterschool Music Video!

8) LREI Camping Trip: The 18th Annual LREI Camping Trip will take place June 3-5 this year at the Riverbend Group Campground along the Delaware River. All LREI families and their children from all grades fours through twelfth grade are invited to participate. Sign-up tables will be in front of the 6th Ave building on Fri May 6, Tues May 17, and Thurs May 26. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help organize, please contact Larry White at LWhite@stern.nyu.edu or (212) 533-1966. Further information about the camping trip can be found at: http://www.lrei.org/community/parents/pa/camping?rc=0

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

10) 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) Last Friday, we had our annual 24 Challenge Tournament and the finals were held at this week’s Middle School meeting. The object of the game is to make 24 from the four numbers on the game card. Players can add, subtract, multiply and divide all four numbers on the card, but each number can only be used once. Here is an example:

Example: One solution to the card shown above is:

4 x 3 = 12, 12 x 2 = 24, 24 ÷ 1 = 24

Congratualtions to the following middle schoolers for winning their respective categories:

Single-digit single dot: fifth grader Lulu

Single-digit double dot: sixth grader Julia N.

Single-digit triple dot: sixth grader Tyrell

Double-digit single dot: fifth grader Anna

Integer one dot: seventh grader Alexa

Integer double dot: seventh grader Kai

2) From judo team coaches Larry, Frank and Ana: We will continue to work out on Wednesday and Fridays after school through June. There are enough practices left that students who join now can participate in our final Shiai (tournament) at the end of the season and earn a belt promotion. The Shiai will be held at the Thompson Street Athletic Center on the afternoon of June 10th. This is the culmination of all the work the team has done this season. It is a chance for students to demonstrate what they have learned and for families to watch and cheer them on. It is well-attended and highly anticipated each year – we strongly encourage you to come. Every student on the team will earn a medal, and everyone who has participated this season will be promoted. We hope to see you there!’

3) Afterschool Recitals:

Tuesday, May 31st at 5:30 – Piano & Voice Recital for 2nd grade – Middle School, PAPAS

Tuesday, May 31st at 6:30 – Instrumental Concert for 2nd grade – Middle School, 6th ave auditorium

4) Afterschool Events: On June 6th, Afterschool will be having our Karate Share and Enrichment Share. The Enrichment Share (including shares from Tap 1&2, Early Gymnastics, Gymnastics, and Moviemaking) will begin at 6:00pm in the PAPAS. All students who are already in Afterschool on that day will be given a pizza snack prior to performing. Doors will at 5:55pm for seating. The schedule is as follows:

The Karate Share (For Karate 2-5 students) will begin at 5:30 in the 6th Ave auditorium. Participating students who are already in Afterschool will be given a pizza snack at 5:00. Doors will open at 5:25 for seating.

Tap for Monday, June 6th
5:00 Tap students have a pizza snack in Tasha’s room (4^th floor) and get ready for the Share.
5:40-5:50 Tap dancers will have a brief rehearsal with Derrick in the PAPAS
6:00 Enrichment Share begins in the PAPAS.

Moviemakers for Monday, June 6th
5:00 Students will have a pizza snack in Deborah/Randi’s 4^th floor classroom.
5:30-5:40 Students will have a brief meeting with Bradford in the PAPAS and stay with Bradford until the Share begins.
6:00 Enrichment Share begins in the PAPAS.

Early Gymnastics, Gymnastics for Monday, June 6th
All Gymnastics classes will meet at their usual class times on Thursday. All students who are not picked up after class will return to Afterschool until their pizza snack at 5:30 in Dan/Jessica’s 4th Floor Room (Early Gymnastics) and Vonick/Jason’s 4th Floor Room (Gymnastics). Any students not staying for the pizza snack and not in Afterschool should meet their Gymnastics teacher in the designated classroom by 5:45. At 6:00 the Enrichment Share will begin.

5) From librarian Jennifer Hubert: Just wanted to remind everyone that circulation of books in the Sixth Avenue library ends Tuesday, May 31st. That means no more books may be checked out, as the librarians will be doing their end of the year shelf-reading and inventory.

6) Just a heads up that the annual End-of-Year Middle School dance will take place on Friday, June 3rd in 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.

7) On Friday, June 10th, 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.

8) From Athletic Director, Peter Fisher: Get ready for LREI Basketball Camp! Great players are made in the off-season! Don’t miss this opportunity to work on basketball skills, play fun and exciting games, and hang out with all your friends! Varsity basketball coaches and players will be running drills and skill work in the mornings, breaking for lunch, and then running games and tournaments in the afternoons. The camp runs from 9AM-4PM for one week only: June 20-24. We have two gyms (Thompson Street Athletic Center and our High School) and are looking forward to a big turnout. The camp is open to all fourth though eighth graders, no matter their skill level. If you are interested, please contact Peter Fisher — pfisher@lrei.org 212-477-5316 ext 233

For Eighth Grade Families . . .

1)Please join us Thursday morning, June 2nd, at 8:00AM in the eighth grade rooms for slide shows and presentation about the France and Spain trips.

2) Please join is on Tuesday, June 7th, 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.

3) Mark your calendar: Eighth Grade Pre-Moving Up Party, Friday, June 10th. 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).

4) The Moving Up Assembly/Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 14th, 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) In preparation for the Seventh Grade Constitution works program, on Thursday, June 2nd, Rachel Meeropol, an attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights, will speak to the seventh grade about First Amendment Rights and the U.S. Supreme Court.

2) The seventh grade potluck breakfast and Constitution Works is scheduled for Thursday, June 9th. 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 7th 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).

For Fifth Grade Families . . .

1) An update on fifth grade music from music teacher Matt Mclean: Our Young Composers Concert is scheduled for Thursday, June 2nd, at 3:15PM in the Performing Arts Center at 40 Charlton Street. During the school day, students will hear rehearsals of their pieces and have a chance to speak with the performers who are musicians from Mannes College. At 3:15PM the concert performance will begin without interruption. This will allow for everyone to hear all of the pieces in a timely manner. Some students have chosen to not have their pieces performed so be sure to check with your child. Performances of student work is a vital aspect of the creative process. Each child came to music class this year with varying degrees of experience and knowledge. These compositions represent the process of exploring the following questions: “what makes a melody memorable and singable?” “how can we combine melodies to create harmony?” “what part does repetition play in music?” “what gives music form?” “how do chord progressions work?” and more. Students were given the time and space to explore the musical concepts involved in answering these questions in a way that appropriately challenged each individual. Technology made the process immediate and engaging in the same way that in art class students manipulate materials to readily express themselves. The process will come to completion when they help the performers bring their pieces to life.

2) Our annual Grecian Festival will take place on the evening of Wednesday, June 8th at 6:00PM. From 6:00-6:30PM, you are invited to view students’ projects in the classrooms. 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