Busy-ness

Busy is an understatement for us LREI'ers - overlapping each other, we have (and have had) Arabian Nights, Karamu, the Art Auction and Visibility, Lesbian and Gay People We Love. Increasingly, our lobby resembles Grand Central Station in miniature. In step with the times, this week saw the following within our division: A First Grade visited the Le Roy Street Library, while Second Graders toured Chinatown, initiating their next neighborhood study. Fourth Graders held their "Biography Breakfasts" and read to classmates and parents about an older immigrant relative's experience as a nine-year-old. Parent Reps had the chance to visit a Second Grade P.E. class with Pati Stolley. Parents participated in a Spanish workshop led by Julie Sterling and Delia Hernandez. It included a mini-language immersion, a discussion of program goals, a description of the new components listed above and suggestions for ways to help children extend their learning at home. This week's faculty meeting was a lively curriculum discussion with presentations by math, literacy and social studies consultants (Margaret Andrews, Tammy Glupczynski and Harriet Cuffaro). Faculty are exploring ways to "have it all" with regard to the arts and academics without sacrificing in-depth exploration and child-friendly days. A tall order in today's world, as well as a rich topic to investigate as a team! Behind the scenes, teachers are completing your child's Mid-year Reports, which will be mailed to you during the first week of February. Midweek, the whole Lower School came together for its participatory Martin Luther King, Jr., Assembly, including the traditional poetry reading by Cleo Banks.

This Week's Attachments:

First Grade

Dorothy and Romy's First Grade

Gina and Elizabeth's First Grade

Second Grade

Kelly and Meredith's Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Spanish Resources

Parent Rep Meeting Minutes

Valentine's Day

Announcements:

-- A reminder that Karamu! will begin at 5:00PM tomorrow (Friday) in the Charlton Street building. While, at this point, this event is sold out, you may want to check at the door as tickets may become available. Enjoy the show!


2006 LREI Art Auction
Wednesday, February 1ST – Thursday, February 2ND
12:00 noon – 9:00PM
I-20 Gallery
529 West 20th Street, 11th Floor
Reception & Final Bidding: Thursday, February 2nd 6:00PM - 8:30PM
PLEASE NOTE: FINAL BIDDING WILL END IN EACH OF THE THREE GALLERIES IN FIFTEEN MINUTE
INTERVALS STARTING AT 8PM.

Shuttle bus available on Wednesday, February 1st between LREI’s Sixth Avenue building and I-20 Gallery from10:00AM-6:00PM.

Kid’s Day & Scavenger Hunt: Wednesday, February 1ST from 4:00PM – 6:00PM

Click here for a preview, full list of artists and more information on Conditions of Sale, Absentee Bids and other important details.

LREI Contact: Patricia McKee 212-477-5316 x232 or events@lrei.org



Afterschool at LREI's upcoming First Friday
Vit Horejs
February 3rd
4:15pm
in the Performing and Physical Arts Space
Afterschool welcomes Vit Horejs of the Czechoslovak-American Marionette Theatre for an afternoon of Czech folk and fairy tales. The program will include an introduction to the marionettes and the characters they represent, performances of tales such as "Salt Over Gold," "Water Spirit and the Stingy Tailor" and "The Snow Maiden," and time to ask questions.
Parents and caregivers are welcome to attend. Contact the Afterschool office at 212-477-5316 ext. 239 for registration information. Click here for more information on the artist.



--The next LREI Coffeehouse is Saturday, February 4th from 7:00-9:00PM at the high school on 40 Charlton Street. We have some great performers so far, including:

*The High School Jazz Band
*The Middle School Band
*The Fourth Grade Band
*Special guest Jimmy Norman (writer of "Time Is On My Side" and composer of some of Bob Marley's early songs)

Please join us!



Visibility: Lesbian and Gay People We Love - Please take this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) and straight children, families, and faculty by taking (or digging up) a photo and submitting it with a brief caption by Thursday, February 2. In years past, we have had nearly one hundred photos featuring our community members in this exhibit. It has been an exciting event with palpable effects on our admissions, press coverage, and connectedness as a group, while it has also helped to solidify our position as a leader in education in the area of LGBT issues. All classes have seen the exhibit in past years and the discussion has resonated or been a touchstone for years afterwards. Currently, we are at a total of thirty photos, but would like many more. Click here for photo submission guidelines and here to see LREI's press release on this exhibit.



-- Click here to access the new "Faculty in the News" section of the LREI website.


In the next few weeks...

1/27 - 5:00PM - Karamu!

1/31 - 8:45AM - Parent Discussion: speaking to children regarding lesbian and gay issues

2/1 - 8:45AM - First Grade Assembly

2/2 - 8:00AM - Lesbian and Gay Straight Alliance Meeting

2/1-2/2 - LREI Art Auction

2/6 - VISIBILITY photos on display

2/8 - 8:45AM - Second Grade Assembly

2/9 - 6:00PM - Life in Independent Schools for LGBT Families - Parent Panel Discussion and Q & A

2/13 - 6:00PM - VISIBILITY photo exhibit Opening Reception

2/14 - 8:45AM - Parents of Children of Color Meeting

2/15 - 8:45AM - Families Assembly (students only)

2/15-2/17 - Fourth Grade ERB testing

2/16 - 8:45AM - Parent Rep Meeting

Click here for the full calendar.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

This Week's Attachments:

Early Kindergarten

Jamie and Dave's First Grade

Colleen and Ronnie's Second Grade

Chap and Michael's Third Grade

LREI Art Auction

Announcements:

Playdate Reminder: Please remember to leave a note (or sign a sheet) when your child has a playdate arrangement -- whether the playdate is at your home or at a classmate's. It's essential that we have signed and dated notes from both families. Thank you.

Lower School Spanish Workshop: Are you curious to know more about your child's Spanish learning? Do you wonder how you can help further your child's Spanish skills? If so, please join Julie Sterling for a Spanish workshop on Tuesday, January 24th, at 8:45AM in the cafeteria. Learn about the goals of the Lower School Spanish program and the many resources we have available. ¡Hasta Luego!

Karamu! - The Parent Multicultural Committee invites you to join us for Karamu!, our annual multicultural performance and celebration for the whole family, on Friday, January 27th. Tickets, t-shirts and raffle tickets for Karamu! will go on sale on Monday morning, January 23rd, in both lobbies. Because Karamu! tickets sell out every year, please buy your tickets early, turn them in if you buy them but decide not to attend, and give a donation (instead of buying tickets) if you would like to support us but are unable to attend. Volunteers are still needed. Please check the volunteer board in the lobby to find out how you can help and/or email LanaFlame@yahoo.com. Click here for Karamu! details.

Don't forget to bring in your photos for the VISIBILITY - Lesbian and Gay People We Love photo exhibition! Click here for details.

In the next few weeks...

1/23 - 8:45AM - Suzanne and Patricia's Fourth Grade Biography Breakfast

1/24 - 8:45AM - Lower School Spanish Workshop

1/25 - Martin Luther King, Jr., Assembly (students only)

1/26 - 8:45AM - Erin and Carin's Fourth Grade Biography Breakfast

1/27 - 5:00PM - Karamu!

1/31 - 8:45AM - Parent Discussion: speaking to children regarding lesbian and gay issues

2/1 - 8:45AM - First Grade Assembly

2/2 - 8:00AM - Lesbian Gay Straight Alliance Meeting

2/1-2/2 - LREI Art Auction

2/6 - VISIBILITY photos on display

2/8 - 8:45AM - Second Grade Assembly

2/9 - 6:00PM - Life in Independent Schools for LGBT Families - Parent Panel Discussion and Q&A

2/13 - 6:00PM - VISIBILITY photo exhibit Opening Reception

2/14 - 8:45AM - Parents of Children of Color Meeting

2/15 - 8:45AM - Families Assembly (students only)

2/15-2/15-2/17 - Fourth Grade ERB testing

2/16 - 8:45AM - Parent Rep Meeting

Click here for the full calendar.

Dear Parents,

This week I had the good fortune of attending a workshop entitled "Addressing Gender Expression, Sexuality and Family Diversity in Pre-K, Elementary and Middle School". I was joined by Bonnie, Suzanne and Kelly, and, of course, by teachers and administrators from NYC and further a-field. It was a lively, thought-provoking conference – one that made us proud of LREI’s commitment to these issues and our willingness to grow and learn in this area. It also demonstrated how many questions remain.

At the end of this month, on Tuesday, January 31st (in anticipation of the "Visibility" photo exhibit and our Families Assembly), Sharon Dupree and I will speak with some of you about ways of talking to your children about lesbian and gay issues. We’ll meet in the cafeteria at 8:45AM, and I invite any of you who are interested to join us. I’m hoping this will develop into a discussion rather than a Q & A, so that we can share our experiences.

If you have a question, comment or anecdote, I hope you’ll email it to me so that it can become a part of our discussion. I look forward to this conversation! To prompt your thinking, here is some of the feedback I have heard over the years:

• My children talk about their classmates’ lesbian moms without skipping a beat. I wish I’d had that opportunity.
• My child asks, "How do people know they are gay or lesbian?" I don’t know what to say.
• My son wonders if he might be gay when he grows up. How do I answer?
• My daughter asks, "How can two mommies have a baby?" What do I say?
• She’s only five! Why does she have to hear about these issues now?
• My son’s classmate is teased for being a sissy. What do I say to my son?
  

As we open the photo exhibit, "VISIBILITY: Lesbian and Gay People We Love", on February 6th (Opening Reception on February 13th), we’ll have ample opportunity for discussion with our children.

Elaine

This Week's Attachments:

Fours - http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/michelle%20january.pdf

Early Kindergarten - http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/diane%20january.pdf

Third & Fourth Grades - http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/new%20choristers.pdf

Spanish Resource List - http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/Lower%20School%20Spanish%20Resource%20List.pdf

Announcements:

Lower School Spanish Workshop - Are you curious to know more about your child's Spanish learning? Do you wonder how you can help further your child's Spanish skills? If so, please join Julie Sterling for a Spanish workshop on Tuesday, January 24th, at 8:45AM in the cafeteria. Learn about the goals of the Lower School Spanish program and the many resources we have available. ¡Hasta Luego!

Don't forget to bring in your photos for the VISIBILITY - Lesbian and Gay People We Love photo exhibition! Click here for details: http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/poster-visibility.pdf

In January...

1/13 - Third Grade trip to the Museum of Natural History

1/16 - School Closed for Martin Luther King, Jr., Day

1/18 - 8:45AM - Third Grade Assembly

1/19 - 8:45AM - Parent Rep Meeting

1/23 - 8:45AM - Suzanne and Patricia's Fourth Grade Biography Breakfast

1/24 - 8:45AM - Lower School Spanish Workshop

1/25 - Martin Luther King, Jr., Assembly (students only)

1/26 - 8:45AM - Erin and Carin's Fourth Grade Biography Breakfast

1/27 - 5:00PM - Karamu!

1/31 - 8:45AM - LREI Parents on Lesbian and Gay Issues

Click here for the full calendar: http://www.lrei.org/lowerschool/ls_2b.html

T-Shirt Day!

Dear Parents,

Just before school ended for Winter Break, lower school students celebrated something new - the first-ever T-Shirt Day. The plan was a simple one – every child and teacher who chose to would wear a t-shirt, bracelet or pin in support of a cause dear to them. Then, at our weekly Friday morning meeting, students and teachers took turns sharing the message each had chosen to display. Our Second through Fourth Graders rose to this occasion with personal, heartfelt and often sophisticated allegiances. Some created their own apparel, others dug into their drawers or their parents’. I think we surprised ourselves by the range and depth of commitment to the "bettering of our world". It was a powerful moment of "learning from and with each other".
Without editing, I’d like to share some of their T-shirt pledges and comments with you, including a sprinkling from our teachers:

• World Wildlife Fund
• Free the Animals (in zoos)
• Support Animals with Disabilities
• Rescue Animal Victims of Katrina
• Bad Rap – Support Pit Bull
• ONE!
• Support the Westside Highway
• See it! Film it! Change it!
• Harvard "It’s a school – a college, I think. It’s a good school."
• No a la Exploracion Petrolera en el Caribe de Costa Rica (Since this T-shirt was printed in Spanish, it was particularly difficult to read upside down by the wearer. A native Spanish speaker read it for us, then translated the message into English.)
• Wear Hemp!
• "I’m wearing a pink ribbon because three of my relatives have breast cancer."
• "I’m wearing a green ribbon pin because my aunt has Lyme disease."
• Support After School Programs
• AIDS Walk
• Dog Haven: Dogs are just little people in fur coats.
• FDNY – "Because they’re brave and they save people everyday"
• Peace or peace symbol
• Dog tags – gays can marry
• More Trees Less Bush
• No Blood for Oil
• Withdraw U.S. Forces from Iraq!
• Red sweatshirt – "Wearing red on Friday means I’m against war and I’m also wearing it because I believe in Santa and Christmas."
• New Orleans / Katrina Relief
• It’s up to women
• Star of David – "Because I’m Jewish and I’m proud of that."
• Donate to Kids with Cancer
• Jesus loves me
• Save Siberian Tigers

Bracelets:

• Live Strong!
• Trust!
• Believe!
• Rainbow colors "Because I’m proud to be a lesbian!"
• Tsunami Support

Our meeting reminded me how much we, as educators, parents, and members of a school community, can learn from children, how strong their voices are, and how important it is to listen closely to them.

Elaine

This Week's Attachments:

Fours - http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/Fours%20morning.pdf

Important: Core Afterschool Pricing - http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/Core%20Pricing.pdf

After Five Adult Enrichment - http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/After%20Five.pdf and http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ls/After%20Five%20Registration%20F%202.pdf

Announcements:

Third Grade Parents are reminded to take a tour of the middle school on Tuesday at 9:00AM.

All Parents are reminded to leave photos for the VISIBILITY - Lesbian and Gay People We Love photo exhibit at the front desk. This exhibit is an opportunity for you to support your friends and loved ones by giving them a chance to be visible with you at LREI. Simply bring in a photo of you and your loved one who is lesbian or gay, plus a caption about the people in the photo.

And don't forget to save the date -- on January 31st at 8:45AM in the Cafeteria, all LREI parents are invited to attend a discussion of lesbian and gay issues.

In January...

1/9 - Erin and Carin's class trip to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum

1/10 - 8:45AM - Parents of Children of Color (POCOC) meets

1/10 - 9:00AM - Middle School Tour for Third Grade Parents

1/10 - Suzanne and Patricia's class trip to the Lower East Side Tenement Museum

1/11 - Dorothy and Romy's First Grade Memoir Publishing Celebration

1/13 - Third Grade trip to the Museum of Natural History

1/16 - School Closed for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

1/18 -8:45AM - Third Grade Assembly

1/19 - 8:45AM - Parent Rep Meeting

1/23 - 8:45AM - Suzanne and Patricia's Fourth Grade Biography Breakfast

1/24 - 8:45AM - Lower School Spanish Meeting

1/25 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly (students only)

1/26 - 8:45AM - Erin and Carin's Fourth Grade Biography Breakfast

1/27 - 5:00PM - Karamu!

1/31 - 8:45AM - LREI Parents on Lesbian and Gay Issues