Busy and Productive Days
It has been a busy few weeks with many projects either concluding or moving into high gear as we approach the end of the year. Last week, the eighth grade had its annual Forensics Trial, which was the culmination of a month-long investigation into a simulated science room “crime scene.” Students worked in teams to analyze evidence left at the crime scene and to identify a possible faculty suspect. At the trial, each of the forensics teams presented their results; the prosecution and defense teams used these results in their arguments before the parent jury. Also on the legal front, the seventh graders are preparing for their Constitution Works event in which they will present arguments in the courtroom concerning a simulated case that involves a number of key constitutional issues. The fifth grade is hard at work on a dramatic production of Greek myths that will be the culminating activity of their study of ancient Greece. In preparation for their Poetry Potluck, the sixth graders have been writing, revising, and designing their pages for their compilation of original poems. The publication and readings will be shared next week. The eighth graders are also completing the Public Service Announcement videos that were created in their digital arts class. They will share these videos at next week’s Middle School Meeting. They are also finishing an animation project in their studio art class that will be shared at the Moving Up assembly.
So all in all these have been busy and productive days. We have also been busy on the hiring front. I’m glad to report that Stephen Volkmann who has been with us since Rebecca went on leave will continue on with us next year teaching Seventh and Eighth grade science. Carin Cohen who has worked this year as a fourth grade associate teacher, but whose background and training is in art, will teach seventh and eighth grade studio art and the eighth grade digital art class. Carin has already started working with the seventh grade classes this year and we are excited to have her join us as a Middle School faculty member. Wendy Bassin, an experienced Middle School teacher, will join us as a fifth grade core teacher. Wendy has already joined us for a number of meetings and is excited to join the LREI community.
Finally, in what has been a joyful year marked by many growing LREI faculty families, learning specialist Jennifer Haakmat will be on leave for the first half of next year as she joins this group. Jennifer will go on leave at the end of September and will return in March. During her leave, Laurie Baum who has worked with a number of our students during the year will join us as a learning specialist.
I’m excited to welcome these new faculty members to our team!
(Click on the links below to open the attachments. If you are having trouble opening the links, go to http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ms/ to access the files.)
General:
LREI Summer Institute Flyer
MS Supplemental Summer Reading List
Parent Association Ballot
Eighth Grade:
Seventh Grade:
Summer Math Letter
Summer Reading List
Sixth Grade:
Summer Math Letter
Summer Reading List
Fifth Grade:
French-Spanish Choice Letter
Summer Math Letter
Summer Reading List
Of General Interest . . .
2) Attached please find the Parent Association ballot. Please return the ballot to the Front Desk at either location by Wednesday, June 7th.
3) From High School principal Tony Fisher: Attached is a list of the colleges that our seniors have enrolled in for the past three years. This year’s class, like their predecessors, had a successful college search process. We are proud of each of them. Congratulations LREI Class of 2006!!
4) Also from Tony Fisher: Last night was an amazing night for our Seniors. This year’s Senior Project Evening featured so many fabulous presentations that I hesitate to single any of them out. I will say that in the weeks of the internships and during the research process, our students worked in the arts (“Cabaret”, “Special Effects, “The Future of Comics”, “The Integration of Hip Hop & Gospel”, “Theater for Social Change”, “Classical Music & The Test of Time” and “The Political Power of the Image”); real estate (“Real Estate 101” and “Blue: The Lower East Side”); education (“The Products of Lower Expectations” and “The Profit of Racism”); food (“The Food & Food Politics of Classical Rome”, “Chocolate” and “Catering 101”); politics (“Where the Responsibility Lies” and “Iran & The United States: A Complex Alliance”); and on and on. In addition, two of our students’ projects took them abroad (“La Nouvelle Vague” and “Falling in Love with Bavarians”). I am attaching here the the’>program for the evening and the complete list of titles and mentors. Our Mission Statement states that, “Our goal is to educate students to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners and to pursue academic excellence and individual achievement, in a context of respect for others and service to the community.” Based on these projects and these presentations, we as a school can be pleased with the extent to which we have succeeded in this goal with these students. Great credit goes to the High School faculty, who worked tirelessly to help them with their papers and their presentations and especially to Senior Project Coordinators Adele and Antonio. But even greater credit to our students, who followed their passions and made us all very, very proud.
5) On Friday, June 9th, the Middle School students will attend our High School Graduation Ceremony at the 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 12:45. 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 3:15 or so.
6) From Middle School Librarian Jennifer Hubert Swan: We will be closing to circulation starting Tuesday, May 30th. After this date, no more books may be checked out of the library so that we can begin reshelving the collection. We encourage families to begin returning as many library books as possible during this time. Of course, the library space will still be open for student use. If you have any questions, please contact Me at jhubert@lrei.org.
7) Dig the tent out of storage! It’s time for the 13th annual LREI Camping Trip, which is scheduled for June 2nd-4th. It’s a great time filled with swimming, softball, fishing, campfires, s’mores and a wonderful dinner by Peter Hoffman of the Savoy. The cost is $30 per adult and $20 per child. For more information see us in the lobby on Wednesday, May 17th and Thursday, May 25th. Or contact Richard Cleves at 917-408-6211 or at richard@cxny.org. Or check the LREI website. A great time will be had by all. Payment deadline is May, 27.
8) From the LREI Adoptive Families Committee: Join us for a Family Picnic on Sunday, June 11th — LREI families touched by adoption and the friends and classmates who support us invite you to join in a celebration of LREI’s diverse community of families. ALL ARE WELCOME! Time: 11:00AM and continuing throughout the afternoon. Place: Hudson River Park (just north of the World Financial Centre). We’ll set up on the grass just across from the playground. Look for lots of balloons! Bring your own lunch/snack/beverage and something to sit on. There are sprinklers for younger kids so bring bathing suits and towels. Rain Date: Sometime in September. For more information, contact Susan Glass at: sglass9@nyc.rr.com or Mamie McIndoe at: mmcindoe@marblechurch.org.
9) Summers at LREI announces the LREI Institute. Please read the attached flyer for information about this exciting summer opportunity for students.
10) For updates on faculty performances, openings, presentations, and publications visit the Faculty in the News page on the school web site.
11) 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. You can access their on-line calendar of events at www.parentsinaction.org.
For Eighth Grade Families . . .
1) For those families moving on to EI, you will receive information about summer reading and summer math from the high school.
2) Mark your calendar: Eighth Grade Pre-Moving Up Party, Friday, June 9, 2006. Please Arrive by 6:00PM for Potluck Dinner and Recognition Program followed by dancing til 9:00PM at 40 Charlton Street, PAC.
3) The Moving Up Assembly will take place on Tuesday, June 13th, 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 8th graders will return to their classroom, while 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 6th Ave side and then join families by the steps. When all are assembled, the 8th graders will receive their certificates and process one-by-one down the steps.
For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) Please read the attached letter from the math department regarding the summer math assignment. Summer math review books will be distributed next week. If you have not already, please read the attached summer reading list.
2) The seventh grade potluck breakfast and Constitution Works event will take place on Thursday, June 8th. The breakfast will begin at 8:00AM and we will leave for Constitution Works at 9:15AM. This year’s venue is the US Bankruptcy Eastern Court House, which is located at 271 Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn, NY. We can take the A or the C train to Boro Hall. Your parent reps will be in touch with you about the potluck breakfast.
For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) Please read the attached letter from the math department regarding the summer math assignment. Summer math review books will be distributed next week. If you have not already, please read the attached summer reading list.
2) The annual sixth grade poetry and potluck breakfast will take place on Tuesday, June 6th at 8:00AM. Your parent reps will be in touch with you about the potluck breakfast.
For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Please read the attached letter from the math department regarding the summer math assignment. Summer math review books will be distributed next week. If you have not already, please read the attached summer reading list.
2) Please read the attached letter about choosing a foreign language for sixth grade. This letter must be returned before June 8th.
3) Our inaugural Grecian Festival will take place on the evening of Wednesday, June 7th at 6:30PM in the Sixth Avenue auditorium, to be followed by the fifth grade potluck in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. Your class reps have sent out invitations and e-mails re: the potluck dinner. Please respond to Nancy Booke (nb2514@yahoo.com) by Monday with what dishes you will bring. Also, help is needed with the set-up and decorations for the potluck: contact Jennifer Petrie (jennywiseacre@mac.com) if you can help out on Wednesday at 5:00PM before the play.
4) From Grecian Festival director Katie Rogers: Just have a couple of notes regarding costumes: we will be using a simple base of large, tunic-like white t-shirts and black shorts for each student. We will be adding aspects to each costume to help with characterization. I have several costumes already set, but if you have any dresses or tops that look “Greek” (long and flowing, oversized, really anything that looks like it might work) I would greatly appreciate it if you could send it to school with your child tomorrow (Friday, June 2nd) or Monday, June 5th. Please send white t-shirts and black shorts with these other costume pieces. If you would like to help with costume alterations, I will be working on them after school on Friday, June 2nd. Please email me at krogers@lrei.org if you are available and would like to help with this aspect of the production. Thanks in advance and I look forward to seeing all of you on teh evening of June 7th.
Middle School Sports
Schedules and general information about Middle School sports programs can be found at http://lrei.org/athletics/at_4b.html. Information is also available through the LREI Sports Hotline at 212.477.5316 x 494.
Looking Ahead . . .
On the LREI web site additional information about upcoming events can be found at http://www.lrei.org/caleven/index.html (the middle school events page can be found at http://www.lrei.org/midschool/Events.html)
- Tuesday, June 6th, 8:00AM – Sixth Grade Potluck and Poetry Breakfast
- Wednesday, June 7th, 6:30PM – Fifth Grade Grecian Festival and Potluck
- Thursday, June 8th, 8:15AM – Seventh Grade Potluck Breakfast and Constitution Works!
- Friday, June 9th – High School Graduation – School closes at noon.
- Friday, June 9th, 6:00PM – Eighth Grade Pre-Moving Up Party
- Monday, June 12th, 6:00PM – MS Dance
- Tuesday, June 13th, 9:00AM – MS Moving Up Ceremony – School closes at noon for Summer Break
Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and interesting information – http://www.lrei.org.
Be well,
Mark
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