Changing Traditions

Dear Families:

One of the things that we learn from the study of history is that often those aspects of a culture, especially ritual and tradition, that seem most fixed and static really tell a story of significant evolution and change. They speak not just to origins, but to the influence of subsequent generations responding to their own local conditions as they carry the culture forward. So it is with our own Middle School community. For many years, the highlight of our Thanksgiving assembly has been the communal telling of Byrd Baylor‘s story I’m in Charge of Celebrations by the eighth grade. While always moving, there was a growing sense that the story upon many hearings had lost its connection to our own community.

As we searched for a new tradition, the idea to revise the original story to make it more reflective of the lives of our eighth graders emerged as the most appropriate solution. And so a new tradition emerged from the old one. We will now continue to reinterpret the story each year so that each new eighth grade class can leave its mark on this new tradition. This first revision reflects the collaborative work of the entire eighth grade class. While adults provided some general context and support for the work, the process that gave rise to its writing and the final product were truly student-centered efforts and reflective of our progressive practice. It is always exciting to be present at the moment when a community experiences a significant change in its traditions and practices. It was deeply moving and humbling to be present at the moment of this new tradition. I hope that the this telling of “I’m in Charge of Celebrations” gives you as much pleasure as it gave us.

Click here to read the eighth grade’s adaptation of I’m in Charge of Celebrations. Enjoy

This Week’s Attachments
(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:
“I’m in Charge of Celebrations”
Parent Rep Meeting Minutes: 11/28/06
Book Fair Pre-Authorization Form
Parents in Action Flyer
Community Service Calendar
Eighth Grade:
Spring Foreign Language Trips
Seventh Grade:
Sixth Grade:
Fifth Grade:

Of General Interest . . .

1) Middle School “Pajama Day” is next Friday. Highlights will include hot chocolate and cookies at lunch and stories read by 8th graders during independent reading. Here are a few guidelines, which were developed by the Student Association on the occasion of the first Pajama Day (they had fun coming up with them):

  • A robe adds a nice touch

  • No lingerie or underwear

  • If you wear boxers, please wear some type of undergarment beneath

  • Slippers are fine, but you should bring a pair of shoes/sneakers (especially if you have PE)

  • Blankets and stuffed animals are welcomed, but should not be so big that they require their own desk

  • If you don’t wear pajamas, we do not want to know about it!

  • If you can imagine Mark wearing it, it is probably okay.

2) Book Week is almost here! During the week of Dec. 4th through 8th, authors will be visiting all grades to read from their work and talk to the kids about books. The annual Book Fair will take place from Wednesday, Dec. 6th, through Friday, Dec. 8th, in the Sixth Avenue auditorium, with books on sale for all ages. To facilitate the purchase of books, please use the attached pre-authorization form. Please click here for more information on Book Week. This year’s Literary Evening will be on Thursday, December 7th, in the Charlton Street PAC. Please click here for more information on Literary Evening. For these events to be successful, the Literary Committee needs help from parent volunteers! Please sign up in the Sixth Avenue lobby to help with all aspects of Book Week, or e-mail susiemarples@yahoo.com.

3) The divisional Parents of Children of Color Groups will be hosting a potluck breakfast for the parents and children of color in all three divisions on Tuesday, December 5th from 8:00AM-8:30AM in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. Please attend and bring a breakfast treat to share. See you there.

4) Please join us for a longstanding LREI tradition:

  • The Glass Menagerie Chorus Holiday Concert
    Susan Glass, founder and director (former LREI music teacher, current LREI parent)
    Friday, December 8th at 8:00PM
    St. Joseph’s Church in the Village3
    71 Sixth Ave. (2 blocks south of 8th Street.)

5) From Cari Kosins and Kelly Eudailey and the Afterschool Program: As the winter break approaches, the Afterschool program is gearing up for another First Friday and two end-of-session events. This Friday, December 1st, put on your dancing shoes and join us for a flamenco workshop with a dancer and educator from the Flamenco Vivo Carlotta Santana Company. The workshop will take place in the PAPAS from 4:15-5:15, and any child not already in Afterschool is welcome to join us. Also coming up on Monday, December 11th, is the biannual Piano Recital and Instrumental Concert. The Piano Recital will take place at 5:30 in the PAPAS and the Instrumental Concert will take place at 6:30 in the Auditorium on Sixth Avenue. Letters are going home this week with details about the event. Please join us as we celebrate the efforts of our Instrumental students! Finally, Afterschool’s Enrichment Share will be taking place on Wednesday, December 13th at 6:30pm in the PAPAS. Participating Enrichment classes include Karate 1-5, Early Gymnastics, Gymnastics and The Play Must Go On. Students in these classes will be receiving letters over the next week with information about the Share. Please feel free to speak with your child’s teacher or the Afterschool office if you have any questions.

6) Please take a moment to review the Community Service calendar for a range of service opportunities.

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

8) 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. Please read the attached flyer to view their 2006-2007 calendar. You can also access their on-line calendar of events at www.parentsinaction.org.

9) Upcoming Events from the NYU Child Study Center! There is no fee to attend these events, but registration is requested. RSVP online today at http://www.aboutourkids.org/news/rsvp.html.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
The Sunny and Abe Rosenberg Foundation Lecture Series
The Academic Consequences of Substance Use & Abuse in Adolescents
Understanding the typical patterns of substance use among NY teens can provide educators and mental health practitioners a head start in the race to prevent risky behaviors and their harmful effects. This presentation will provide insights from the presenters’ research, experience in schools, and clinical work to help educators learn how use and abuse hinders achievement and adjustment. The program will emphasize tobacco, alcohol, and drugs, both legal and illegal. The presenters will cover the following topics:
• Early signs of use
• The indirect and direct impact of even “mild” or “experimental” use
• The latest information on gateways to heavy use
• Ways to respond to situations demanding treatment

Presenter: Richard Gallagher, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
Educators: Edward Ballen, LCSW, CASAC, CPP Senior Clinical Supervisor Archdiocese of NY Drug Abuse Prevention Program and Marjorie Terry, LMSW Prevention Specialist, Freedom Institute
Time: 4:15–6:30PM
Place: The Chapin School, 100 East End Avenue (between 84th & 85th Streets), New York, NY 10028
Registration is required: Register online.
For more information: Contact NYU Child Study Center at (212) 263-2744 or view the flyer (PDF).

For Eighth Grade Families . . . .
1) From Gabrielle and Sharyn: To avoid any late fees for the Spring Foreign Language Trips, please register now. Price increases will occur for those of you who register after November 30th. If you follow the steps on the attachment, you can access all of the information about the trip. (Note: there will not be any flight or hotel info until the group is complete.) You will see that while there are several payment options, you need to pay the $95 registration fee to Explorica to get your child into the system. If you have financial aid questions, please speak to Mark. For general trip questions, please email us at gkeller@lrei.org or shahn@lrei.org.

For Seventh Grade Families . . .
1) Just a heads up to let you know that the Colonial Museum Exhibit/Potluck will take place on the evening of Wednesday, December 13th. This is a change from the date that appears on the art calendar (December 12th).

2) Tomorrow is the seventh grade DISC dance. The dance will be held at the Charlton Street PAC and will run from 7-9PM. If you have not turned in a permission form and need one, please email me (msilberberg@lrei.org).

 

 

For Sixth Grade Families . . .
1) Practices for the intramural basketball season will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00-8:00AM at the Athletic Center, starting December 5th. Games, which will be held on Fridays after school, will start after the winter break. Please check the Winter Sports page for the listing of practice and games schedules for the Middle School basketball teams.

2) Also, a reminder that sixth graders who want/need to use the library and/or computer lab afterschool must do so under the supervision of a parent or caregiver.

For Fifth Grade Families . . .
1) Practices for the intramural basketball season will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00-8:00AM at the Athletic Center, starting December 5th. Games, which will be held on Fridays after school, will start after the winter break. Please check the Winter Sports page for the listing of practice and games schedules for the Middle School basketball teams.

2) Also, a reminder that fifth graders who want/need to use the library and/or computer lab afterschool must do so under the supervision of a parent or caregiver.

Middle School Sports
Schedules, permission forms and general information about Middle School sports programs can be found at http://www.lrei.org/athletics/index.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)

  • Friday, December 1, 2006, 7:00PM — Seventh Grade DISC Dance 40 CHST
  • Monday, December 4, 2006 — Book Week (through Friday, November 8, 2006)
  • Wednesday, December 6, 2006 — Book Fair (through Friday November 8, 2006)
  • Thursday, December 7, 2006, 7:00PM — Literary Evening
  • Friday, December 8, 2006, 7:00PM — MS Play
  • Saturday, December 9, 2006, 2:00PM and 7:00PM — MS Play
  • Tuesday, December 12, 2006, 8:15AM — MS Parent Rep. Mtg.
  • Wednesday, December 13, 2006, 6:00PM — Seventh Grade Colonial Museum
  • Thursday, December 14, 2006, 6:00PM — Winter Concert
  • Thursday, December 14, 2006, 6:00PM — MS POCOC Mtg.
  • Friday, December 15, 2006 — Winter Break – School closes at 12:00PM (school reopens on Wednesday, January 3, 2007)

Don’t forget to check the LREI website for updates and interesting information – http://www.lrei.org.

Be well,
Mark

To view the attached .pdf files, please download Adobe Reader, if you do not already have it. Click on the following link or paste it into your browser: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

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