Our school has many hearts...

Dear Lower School Parents,

I feel like our school has many "hearts" and certainly one that beats strongly is that of the arts. This week’s Lower School Art Show not only furthers its own tradition and that of Little Red through the decades, but surpasses all of these in vibrant depictions loaded with color and character. There is no doubt but that each and every child committed themselves to the creative process. We see examples of new techniques explored, such as observation drawing, weaving, glazing and printing. New colors have been mixed and designs generated. Students shaped clay bowls and vessels and created animals sturdy enough to stand upright. In some cases, children’s own experience is primary; in others, their work reflects social studies projects such as Northeast Woodland artifacts and papier mache immigrant representations. Much of the work is individual, but some, like the murals and quilts, represent collective sharing and effort.

I hope that some of you had the chance to attend this afternoon’s parent "opening" and to tour the exhibits with your children. During the day, children replicated this experience with each other. In true and meaningful progressive fashion, classes visited the exhibit in pairs so that children could describe their work, their process and their goals to students from another group. Admiring Q and A sessions followed each presentation.

Thanks go to art teacher Ann Schaumburger for her sensitive and talented leadership of our program and for her coordination of the Art Show; likewise to shop teacher Peggy Resnick for teaching students to appreciate and enjoy the potential of wood working, carving and animation and for her many efforts in making the show happen. Though fleeting, it is a wonderful gift to us all, and, in some ways, the heart of our program.

Also noteworthy this week is the marking of the 100th Day of School. In celebration, Luise and Julia’s Kindergarten invited interested Lower School classes to visit their collections of 100 objects. In their room are baggies filled with 100 bottle caps, candies, popcorn kernels and lids. There are 100 piece block and lego buildings and puzzles. One hundred cookies are frosting-numbered. Chains of paper clips and paper adorn the walls, while collections of paper towel tubes, small milk cartons and miscellaneous boxes line the floors. In their own best phonetic spelling, students labeled the following: 100 COCEZ, 100 JLE BENS, 100 PES POZZL, 100 BIG PAPR CLIPS, 100 MLC KRTNS and 100 CRNOLS (of popcorn).

HAPPY 100TH DAY!
HAPPY ART SHOW!

This Week's Attachments:

Tasha and Caroline's Second Grade

Placement Conversations

Parent Rep Meeting Minutes

Spanish Resource List

Announcements:

From Phil Kassen, Director: Please see the attached invitation to join The Glass Menagerie--an adult chorus started at LREI over 20 years ago. We are thrilled to continue to host their rehearsals and that many members of the LREI community are part of this talented group of singers.

Fourth Grade Parents: Please note that Celeste is sending home letters today with each Fourth Grader regarding their Keyboarding Class.

Tomorrow is the last day that items will be collected for the Room to Grow drive. For more information on the organization and a detailed list of accepted donations, please visit www.roomtogrow.com

Afterschool's March 3rd First Friday
Afterschool welcomes musicians Sruli and Lisa for an afternoon of Klezmer folk music and dance on Friday, March 3rd at 4:15pm. The afternoon will be a lively introduction to the Jewish folk music that people played, sang, and danced to for hundreds of years in the Eastern European countries of Russia, Poland, the Ukraine, Hungary and Bulgaria, and brought with them to the United States in the 1880's. Parents and caregivers are welcome to attend and participate. Come ready to move! Contact the Afterschool office at 212-477-5316 ext. 239 for more information.

Sruli and Lisa are multitalented musicians who play the clarinet, violin, accordion, bass recorder and drum, as well as teaching and performing internationally. They have performed on Polish National Television, were featured on PBS-TV, and frequently perform live on National Public Radio. They have also performed at festivals including the Jewish Festival in Crakow, Poland, The Lower East Side Festival, and at the Lincoln Center, The Museum of Jewish Heritage, and the Jewish Museum. They are on staff at KlezKanada and regularly teach Klezmer and Yiddish music at the Workmen's Circle schools.

DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY DISCUSSION SERIES:
Part I: March 7, 2006 at 6:00PM
Sixth Avenue Auditorium
Topics:
Introduction of LREI's Diversity and Community Action Plan.
How to continue diversity conversations at home.
Hosted by: Sharon DuPree, Director of Diversity and Community; Phil Kassen, Director and the divisional principals.

Part II: Date TBA (will be after Spring Break)
Sixth Avenue Auditorium
Topic:
Discussion of Lower School Class and Middle School Class Placement Policy
Hosted by: Phil Kassen, Director; Elaine Winter, Lower School Principal; Mark Silberberg, Middle School Principal; Sharon DuPree, Director of Diversity and Community and Samantha Caruth, Director of Admissions.

Art Auction
Thanks to all who attended LREI's Art Auction on February 2, 2006. The Art Auction is an annual silent auction of contemporary fine art. This year's auction has raised almost $100,000 for the Tuition Assistance Program. Please help us to meet our goal by browsing the work still available - go to the Events section of www.lrei.org. If you see a piece that you are interested in buying, feel free to drop by LREI's Sixth Avenue Campus (272 Sixth Avenue at Bleecker Street) between 8AM-5PM, Monday through Friday. You may also call 212.477.5316 ext. 236 to make an appointment.

The Big Auction
LREI's spring benefit, The Big Auction, will be held on Wednesday, April 26. The auction committee needs help in securing donations from the community in order to be able to offer a wide range of items to make the auction exciting for all who attend. We welcome all creative and unique ideas. Please use the attached donation form and return it to the Development Office. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss a potential donation, contact Pippa Gerard in the Development Office by phone: 212-477-5316 ext. 236 or email: pgerard@lrei.org.

In the next few weeks...

2/24 - Last day of the Lower School Art Show

3/1 - 8:45AM - Kindergarten Assembly

3/2 - 8:00AM - Lesbian Gay Straight Alliance (LGSA) Meeting

3/8 - 8:45AM - Fours and EK Assembly

3/15 - 8:45AM - Fourth Grade Assembly

3/16 - 8:45AM - Parent Rep Meeting

3/17 - Founder's Day; school closes at noon (11:45, Early Childhood) for Spring Break

4/3 - School Reopens

Click here to view the full calendar.

In Third Grade, History Comes Alive

Dear Lower School Families,

The culmination of an in-depth study in Third Grade warrants celebration! Since the fall, students have been learning about the "Northeast Woodland" Native Americans. Their study extended over months so that students could organize and develop topics thoroughly and in great depth; so that different aspects of curriculum could be meaningfully interwoven.

Our Third Graders took trips, researched, read and experimented firsthand. They then discussed, reflected on and organized what they had learned in order to construct aspects of an authentic Northeast Woodlands Village life. With just a few "final touches" remaining, they are now ready to teach others – their fellow students. Tomorrow morning, each Second Grade class will visit the model village to learn about the lives, ways and culture of the Natives. Third Graders focused their efforts on specific projects and will present accordingly. They’ll offer descriptive background in order to orient the Second Graders and will then highlight the important ideas. Students will also discuss the process they followed to create representational models.

Here are examples of the work on display: There is a series of village murals with specific, carefully researched detail. A topographical model features clay figures actively hunting and fishing for food. Student-made cornhusk dolls replicate children’s playthings, and beaded wampum belts provide the opportunity for new math experiences. Some students recalled their earlier farm experience of weaving and then created individual woven mats. Another group measured and sewed moccasins, while others used Native techniques to form a coil pot.

As Second Graders pass by the birch bark walls and slip through curtains made of "animal hides", they will feel they are entering a real longhouse. As they tour the exhibits and listen to presentations, they will know they’re in the presence of experts. Some may even think ahead to next year when they themselves will be those Third Grade experts.


I’d like to acknowledge some people who have enriched our experience and community in extraordinary ways of late:

• Members of the Lesbian Gay Straight Alliance for their truly tireless and creative efforts with Visibility
• Members of the Parent Multi-Cultural Committee for filling our halls and the PAC with Karamu!
• Members of the faculty Multi-Cultural Committee for planning and coordinating the moving Martin Luther King, Jr. and Families Assemblies
• Ann Schaumburger for her work on next week’s Lower School Art Show
• And, behind the scenes, our Admissions team for the great care they take in meeting and inviting wonderful new families into our community.

This Week's Attachments:

Third Grade Spellography

Third Grade Knitting

Fourth Grade

NEW ADDITIONS to the Spanish Resource List

Announcements:

DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY DISCUSSION SERIES:

Part I: March 7, 2006 at 6:ooPM
Sixth Avenue Auditorium
Topics:
Introduction of LREI’s Diversity and Community Action Plan.
How to continue diversity conversations at home.
Hosted by: Sharon DuPree, Director of Diversity and Community; Phil Kassen, Director and the divisional principals.

Part II: Date TBA (will be after Spring Break)
Sixth Avenue Auditorium
Topic:
Discussion of Lower School Class and Middle School Class Placement Policy
Hosted by: Phil Kassen, Director, Elaine Winter, Lower School Principal; Mark Silberberg, Middle School Principal; Sharon DuPree, Director of Diversity and Community and Samantha Caruth, Director of Admissions.


Art Auction
Thanks to all who attended LREI's Art Auction on February 2, 2006. The Art Auction is an annual silent auction of contemporary fine art.This year's auction has raised almost $100,000 for the Tuition Assistance Program. Please help us to meet our goal by browsing the work still available - go to the Events section of www.lrei.org. If you see a piece that you are interested in buying, feel free to drop by LREI's Sixth Avenue Campus (272 Sixth Avenue at Bleecker Street) between 8AM - 5PM, Monday through Friday. You may also call 212.477.5316 ext. 236 to make an appointment.

The Big Auction
LREI's spring benefit, The Big Auction, will be held on Wednesday, April 26. The auction committee needs help in securing donations from the community in order to be able to offer a wide range of items to make the auction exciting for all who attend. We welcome all creative and unique ideas. Please use the attached donation form and return to the Development Office. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss a potential donation, contact Pippa Gerard in the Development Office by phone: 212-477-5316 ext. 236 or email: pgerard@lrei.org.


The LREI PA Community Service Committee will extend the Room to Grow drive and will collect donations through Friday, February 24th in the Sixth Avenue lobby. For more information on the organization and a detailed list of accepted donations, please visit www.roomtogrow.com


In the next few weeks...

2/20-2/21 - School Closed for Presidents' Weekend

2/23-2/24 - Lower School Art Show

3/1 - Kindergarten Assembly

3/2 - 8:00AM - Lesbian Gay Straight Alliance (LGSA) Meeting

3/8 - 8:45AM - Fours and EK Assembly

3/15 - 8:45AM - Fourth Grade Assembly

3/16 - 8:45AM - Parent Rep Meeting

3/17 - Founder's Day; school closes at noon (11:45, Early Childhood) for Spring Break

4/3 - School reopens

Click here for the full calendar.

SHHHH! Testing in Progress

Dear Lower School Parents,

Next week our Fourth Grade students will take the ERB (Educational Record Bureau) tests. These are achievement tests not to be confused with those requested by admissions offices. They have two parts – reading and math. We ask this of our Fourth Graders for a range of reasons, primary among them are the following:

Mastery of process: For students to be and feel successful during this process, they need to achieve confidence within a new context – one with time constraints, #2 pencils and answer bubbles. Students will work entirely on their own, without discussion or teacher support of any kind. They need to harness their stamina and control their nerves so they can pace the work efficiently. They need to be calm and maintain their focus so they can weigh possible answers and hazard reasonable guesses.

New learning: "Save is to waste as accumulate is to disperse." While much of the preparation for this test sequence is tightly curriculum-based, some is broader, aimed at students’ abilities to think logically and critically. Analogies are a good example of this and reflect a way of thinking and writing that underpin our students’ future Middle School endeavors. As students grapple with expository and narrative pieces hunting for salient ideas, on the lookout for misleading phrases and descriptions, they are utilizing and strengthening their critical thinking skills.

Consolidation: Students are asked to combine, mix and match, aspects of their year’s study in order to arrive at more complex solutions. In preparation, they receive intensive support from their classroom teachers, Erin, Carin, Suzanne and Patricia, as well as Tina (literacy) and Margaret (math). Practice sheets come home. Work is reviewed and presented in different formats. Previous knowledge is consolidated and expanded upon.

Practice and product: Not unlike sports events, the standardized test-taking experience is a one-shot challenge. It can’t be taken back or done over. And the results have no shades of grey; they’re strictly objective. At the moment of the test, students have an opportunity (one most of us recall only too well) to assess the effectiveness of their study habits and practice; to gauge their preparedness and pocket this assessment for future reference.

Rite of passage: The taking of a timed standardized test, # 2 pencils and all, is an important step for this age group, and they’re ready for it. It’s a move toward greater independence, a small distancing from adult guidance and reassurance. The ERBs represent a new form of intellectual challenge. Students can feel proud of their efforts and own them completely.

So, if you walk through the halls next Wednesday through Friday, you may see a sign on a second floor door alerting you to the fact that testing is in progress. We acknowledge all that our Fourth Graders commit to this process – from a good night’s sleep and hearty breakfast to the actual event – and we cheer them on from the wings.
Elaine

This Week's Attachments:

Fours

Early Kindergarten

Brooke and Charle's Kindergarten

Tasha and Caroline's Second Grade

Chap and Michael's Third Grade

Spanish Resource List

Announcements:

TONIGHT! - Life in Independent Schools for LGBT Families - Parent Panel Discussion and Q&A, 6:00PM, Auditorium

Monday night! - VISIBILITY Photo Exhibit Opening Reception - 6:00PM, Auditorium

The LREI PA Community Service Committee will collect donations for Room to Grow from Monday, February 13 through Friday February 17 in the Sixth Avenue lobby. For more information on the organization and a detailed list of accepted donations, visit www.roomtogrow.com


In the next few weeks...

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

2/20-2/21 - School Closed for Presidents' Weekend

2/23 - 2/24 - Lower School Art Show

3/1 - Kindergarten Assembly

3/2 - 8:00AM - LGSA Meeting

Click here for the full calendar.

Dear Lower School Parents,

This Tuesday Sharon, Heidi and I met with a small group of you to think together about talking with children about lesbian and gay issues.

The conversations that teachers have in the classroom as well as the upcoming Families Assembly are made richer by the talk that occurs at home. Of course, lesbian and gay-related talk reaches children from many directions, not just from school. We want to help them reach a level of understanding that mirrors their stage of development. As in other areas in which values are central, we emphasize human decency, equity – social justice.

In our early childhood classrooms, the focus is on families. These may be lesbian- or gay-headed, single parent, grandparent, bi- or multi-racial. The “Families Curriculum” is a way for young children to learn about themselves and others. In one way, family is our children’s first “community”. When asked, “What is a family?”, the answer is often, “People who love each other.” Teachers spend a lot of time talking with children about differences and similarities, about respecting others for who they are, not what they have or what they look like. These conversations add meaning and resonance to young children’s learning.

In upper elementary years, students are familiar with discussions regarding lesbian- and gay-headed families. They have attended Visibility and participated in numerous classroom conversations. Around Third and Fourth Grades, students begin to hear, if not participate in, some name-calling, and their attention begins to turn from families to themselves and their friends. Teachers include the dynamic of name-calling within larger social justice conversations. Teasing and bullying are addressed, and students consider the choice of responding as “activist” or “bystander” when they witness unkind behavior.

A lively part of this week’s parent conversation focused on “real-life” situations; ones that our children may bring to us. I’d like to share those here, so we can all be thinking about possible responses and/or questions should one of these situations arise. As always, Sharon, Heidi and I are happy to talk individually with you, as well. See you at the exhibit!

1. Your six-year-old has a friend over for a play date and they’ve built a huge house out of Legos. Your son says, “Our house will have two dads and three kids.” “Naw, I don’t like that,” says his friend. “There has to be a mom. It’s nicer.” You’re nearby. What do you say, if anything?

2. Your Fourth Grader is on the phone with a friend. This is what you overhear: “Yah, we’re talking about THAT again! Lesbian moms, gay dads, yada, yada…Enough already!” When he hangs up, he’s laughing. Do you comment?

3. Parents of a classmate of your daughter are talking in the hallway. They’re upset. Really upset. “When we joined this school we knew it was sympathetic to lesbian and gay issues. Fine. But we had no idea you’d be talking about them in class. Our daughter is only four-years-old, just figuring things out. Why does she need to know about this now?!? Aren’t there more important things to deal with, like friendship?” How do you respond?

4. Your eight-year-old son just read that Cheryl Swoopes has announced she is lesbian. He asks you, “How come she never said that before? Would she lose her job?”

5. Your seven-year-old daughter has a close friend with lesbian moms. One of the moms is expecting a second child, and your daughter is full of questions: “How can she be pregnant? There’s no dad! I don’t get it!” You’re just about to put dinner on the table. How do you respond?

6. “There’s that new boy. He is sooo gay!” says your nine-year-old daughter as you’re walking to school. “All he wants to do is play with the girls. He’s ridiculous!”

7. You’re in the car with your Third Grade son and your parents, his grandparents. He’s talking about a meeting in school and begins listing achievements made by lesbian and gay people throughout history. Your parents are shocked, “Exactly what kind of a school are you sending him to?!?” You, in fact, support conversations around lesbian and gay issues, but what do you say to your parents? To your son?

You’re talking with another parent at dismissal time while your Fourth Grader and theirs toss a football back and forth. When your son fumbles the ball, the other boy good-naturedly shouts out, “You faggot! That was an easy catch!” Do you intervene or pretend you didn’t hear?

Elaine

This Week's Attachments:

Dorothy and Romy's First Grade

Colleen and Ronnie's Second Grade

Chap, Michael and Barrett's Third Grade

Spanish Resource List


Announcements:

Don't forget about Life in Independent Schools for LGBT Families - Parent Panel Discussion and Q & A next Thursday, February 9 at 6:00PM.

The LREI PA Community Service Committee is once again collecting donations for Room to Grow from Monday, February 13 through Friday, February 17 in the Sixth Avenue lobby. Get a heart for making a donation! Donated items can be anything appropriate for a child from newborn to three years that is in good condition (something you would pass on to a friend or family member). Room to Grow does not accept stuffed animals, reacalled items, furniture, diapers, car seats or cribs.

If you would like a tax donation receipt, please label all your boxes and bags with your name and address. Please hold on to larger items until the last collection day, Thursday, February 16. For more information on the organization and a more detailed list of what is accepted, go to www.roomtogrow.com.


In the next few weeks...

2/2 - TONIGHT - Art Auction Reception and Final Bidding, 6:00-8:00PM

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

2/20-2/21 - School Closed for Presidents' Weekend

2/23-2/24 - Lower School Art Show

Click here for the full calendar.