Dear Families,
Hello, all, and welcome back from Spring Break. While many students seemed tuckered on Monday morning, with warmer weather and a couple of days of school under their collective belt all seems right as a spring rain.
Among the harbingers of springtime at LREI we find the end of another very successful admissions season. We have new students in each division, including robust Fours and Kindergarten groups, a number of new students in the middle school and a ninth grade of more than 60—comprised of the majority of our eighth graders and 35+ LREI newcomers, accepted from an applicant pool of over 250.
On the other end of the spectrum, our seniors are hearing from the colleges and universities to which they applied. We will share the full list of schools to which our students have been accepted and in which they are enrolling as soon as we have all of the data. You can learn more about LREI’s college guidance process and hear from Director of College Guidance Carey Socol, Assistant Director of College Guidance Kellen O’Gara, and a number of current seniors/parents of seniors on Tuesday, April 15th at 8:45 a.m. in the Sixth Avenue cafeteria. Hope to see you then.
A colleague informed me that yesterday (Wednesday 4/2) was National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. Truth be told, PB & J is my favorite food, no question about it. To be completely truthful, PB & J and bacon sandwiches, washed down with cold chocolate milk, is my very favorite—a hold over from early morning fishing trips with my dad when I was a little boy. I checked the calendar where my colleague learned of yesterday’s observance and sure enough, PB & J Day it was. And, while I am not one to fall into step with this sort of made up, arbitrary observance, I was curious to see the designation for today (Thursday, April 3.)
According to this calendar April 3 is “Don’t Go to Work Unless It Is Fun Day.” As supportive as I am of peanut butter, and as much as I like fun, I am not sure that fun is the be-all-and-end-all of a workday. I feel the same way about a school day. We want our students to be comfortable and secure in school. Happy even. I imagine that most children go through the day and find some fun, maybe even a lot. However, I am not sure that fun should be the overriding goal, that it should decide if you go to work or not, that it should determine if you had a good school day or not. I love my job, but not everyday is fun. Do you find your work, or school, meaningful? Challenging? Intellectually engaging? In part, I judge work, for myself, and school, for your children, by asking if there are some days that are hard and frustrating, maybe not very much fun at all? Do those days lead to others that feel more fulfilling and successful? There is nothing quite as satisfying as overcoming a long-standing obstacle. Challenge leading to hard work leading to success, leading to hard work…and so on. Maybe tomorrow can be Go To Work and Have an “Overcome a Challenge During What is Ultimately a Fulfilling, Put-Up-Your-Feet at the End and Enjoy a Quiet, Restful, Contented, Moment of Satisfied Self-Reflection Day.”
Wishing the same for all of you,