April 27, 2020
Dear LREI Community,
I hope that this note finds you healthy and comfortable. As we enter week five of LREI@home it seems that many have reached the fortunate and unfortunate moment where distance learning has become routine. Unfortunate as I do not want this to be our typical life, though it has become so. Fortunate as our students are settling in and learning.
Now that we are settled in we can turn a greater level of attention to the coming months. Many of you have asked about our plans for the remainder of this year, and for the summer and fall. I am going to ask for your patience for just a little longer. I will be in touch quite soon to share our thoughts about the rest of this school year, how we are thinking about the possibility of some number of us being together for some amount of time. We are rethinking the schedule and format for spring events in all three divisions. Of greatest importance, we are working with students, faculty, and families to create alternative graduation celebrations for June, with dates for in-person graduation ceremonies shared as soon as possible. Soon thereafter, we will share our thoughts about summer and fall.
I want to inform/remind you of upcoming live events.
Dr. Sandra (Chap) Chapman, Director of Equity and Community, will be hosting a discussion in her series, “Raising Race Conscious Children.” You do not have to have participated in the other conversations in this series to join this one, which I strongly encourage you to do. In her note to you on April 17, Chap wrote:
“We will use the documentary film, I’m Not a Racist…Am I? as our focus for the April 29 evening parent equity session. This film was divided into 8 learning modules by Point Made Films and you can access this film for free until April 30. This online learning experience on race and racism can be found by clicking the link below.
https://pointmadelearning.com/programs-and-services/look-deeper-race/
Each module builds on the last, however, for the purpose of our April 29 session, we will focus on Modules 1, 2, 3, and 6.
PA Open Equity Meeting
Raising Race Conscious Children, Part 3 of 3
Wednesday, April 29, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Divisional gatherings for parents with the school psychologists are scheduled as follows:
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Lower School – Tuesday, May 5, 5:00 PM| Faith’s Room
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Middle School – Tuesday, April 28, 5:30 PM | Ana’s Room
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High School – Monday, May 4, 5:30 PM| Allison’s Room
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I invite you to join me on May 6 at 7 PM. I will share a few thoughts and will answer questions. As we did last time, if you have questions now, please send them to me ahead of time. In addition, if there is time we will answer questions generated when we are together. I will send a link to this event shortly.
Finally, from high school drama teacher Joan Jubett:
Teaching theater in isolation is an interesting conundrum. Theater thrives on live performance, with hearts, minds and bodies in the same space sharing experiences, stories, insights (and learning). Connection is everything. In the present moment, we continue to look for ways to stay present and connected with one another.
No stranger to self-isolation, William Shakespeare wrote three tragedies in 1606 (Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra and King Lear), while London reeled from The Gunpowder Plot and the bubonic plague.
Last Thursday, April 23rd, was Shakespeare’s 456th Birthday. In celebration, a number of students and faculty across divisions paid their birthday respects by quoting the prolific Bard through submitted video snippets, all of which have been compiled here. Here’s hoping it gives you a lift or moment of connection today.
Enjoy
