June 5, 2008
Dear Lower and Middle School Families,
As the school year comes to a close, your families are involved in a variety of culminating activities—potlucks, recitals, award ceremonies, performances and concerts. No doubt about it, LREI is a busy place. Clearly, the most significant conclusions are filling the lives of the twelfth graders. In the days to come, the seniors will share their Senior Projects, celebrate their time together at the annual Senior Banquet and participate in our 63rd Commencement Exercises—tremendously important events in the lives of our seniors and their families.
While the school year is winding down, this summer is shaping up to be one filled with much excitement. Only a few days after school ends our summer program, Summers at LREI, begins. This program, the summer camp and the Summer Institute for middle school aged students, will fill the buildings with activity until the end of July.
As if that is not enough for one summer, the Sixth Avenue buildings and the Charlton Street building will be undergoing significant work this summer. Over the next three summers we will be updating, renovating and “greening” all lower and middle school classrooms and offices, as well as a number of the larger, community spaces. With new lights, floors, paint and cabinetry, at the end of this process the rooms will be brighter with better storage and will be more environmentally responsible. This summer, the work will begin with the middle school classrooms and the two fourth grade rooms. In the coming summers, we will pay equal attention to all Sixth Avenue spaces. All work on the Sixth Avenue campus will be completed in time for school to begin in September.
Work on the Charlton Street building is part of a larger effort. In 2003 the Board of Trustees approved a Strategic Plan that called for the high school to grow to 240 students in a site that supported this larger student body and our expanding program. In order to fulfill this plan the School purchased, debt free, the townhouse directly to the west of the 40 Charlton Street building. The plan is to combine the two buildings into a larger, improved facility. At a special Board meeting in mid-May the Trustees voted to begin this work this summer. The work on Charlton Street has started already and will continue through the summer and into the school year. The more disruptive work will be completed by the time school begins in September. This project, as I have explained to high school families, will continue throughout the 2008-2009 school year in the rear of the building and in the townhouse adjacent to the high school. All work on our Charlton Street campus will be completed by September 2009. While I am not able, now, to share the complete plans as they are still evolving, we are looking forward to doing so in the fall—on September 24th to be exact.
We are very excited about the coming months and the improvement that they will bring to our buildings and to the program. I will send home periodic updates of the projects in both buildings. Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.
Best, Phil