Dear Lower School Families,

One thing can be said about our community – we don’t shy away from difficult issues or uncomfortable conversations. As parents, we advocate passionately for our children and our beliefs, we listen to the views of others and seek out common ground. As a faculty, we look at difficult but necessary changes in program in order to serve your children in the best way possible. I am proud to represent an institution that grapples; that knows no status quo. At this moment, conversation - and grappling - is occurring on a few different fronts, a backdrop to the powerful learning taking place in our classrooms.

A recent case in point was the Monday evening Open PA Meeting in which issues related to class placement were discussed. On the faculty level, our Tuesday afternoon meeting looked at scheduling options for the upcoming year with the goals to:

• Provide a satisfying, coherent school experience for the students
• Ensure sufficient time for in-depth play, research and exploration, and
• Honor – do justice to - the content areas and programs that we teach.
  

We are in full agreement that a shift is called for in order to reach a school day that is less frantic and fragmented. We are thinking outside of that box. The issue – and the grappling – lies with deciding what must give in order to reach that goal. Work for the upcoming months.

May all of you enjoy your upcoming parent teacher conferences and profit from a lively exchange of insights, anecdotes and shared appreciation for your child.

Elaine

This Week's Attachments:

Parents of Kindergarten students moving to First Grade next year should read this letter from Harriet Lieber and Mary Young.

Gina and Elizabeth's First Grade

Chap and Michael's Third Grade

Kelly and Meredith's Third Grade

Parent Rep Meeting Minutes

Spanish Resource List

Announcements:

For information on Parent-Teacher Conference Childcare, click here.

Fourth Grade Parents - Don't forget the What to Expect in Fifth Grade Meeting with Mark and Elaine on Tuesday, 4/25 at 8:45AM in the Cafeteria.

Big Auction - Next Wednesday, April 26 is the Big Auction. We hope you are planning on attending but if that is not possible and you would like to bid on an item, please contact Pippa Gerard at 212-477-5316, ext. 236 or via email at pgerard@lrei.org. The auction catalog is available in the Sixth Avenue lobby or on our website. Many thanks for supporting LREI.

Lost and Found - Please look through our lost and found bin on the first floor. At the end of the month, we will donate clothing items that remain there.

Save the date! - The Literary Committee will have a Spring into Summer Book Fair in the Auditorium on May 25th. A selection of the optional and all of the required reading titles will be sold from 8AM-6:30PM.

Sites for Kids - Check out these web links with resources and information for kids:
www.metmuseum.org (click "Enter Here" and the MuseumKids)

http://www.moma.org/education/ (click on "Destination: Modern Art")

www.enchantedlearning.com


Upcoming Events:

4/21 - School Closed for Parent-Teacher Conferences

4/25 - 8:45AM - What to Expect in Fifth Grade with Mark and Elaine, Cafeteria

4/26 - 8:45AM - Third and Fourth Grade Assembly

4/26 - 6:00PM - Big Auction

4/28 - Half Day (school closes at noon, fours-first grades - 11:45AM) for Parent-Teacher Conferences

5/3 - 8:45AM - Kindergarten Assembly

5/4 - 8:00AM - Lesbian Gay Straight Alliance (LGSA) Meeting

5/4 - 8:45AM - What to Expect in Fourth Grade with Elaine, Cafeteria

5/5 - 8:45AM - What to Expect in Third Grade with Elaine, Cafeteria

5/9 - 8:45AM - Parents of Children of Color (POCOC) Meeting

5/10 - 8:45AM - Fours and EK Assembly

5/10 - 6:00PM - Erin and Carin's Fourth Grade Picnic

5/11 - 8:45AM - What to Expect in Second Grade with Elaine, Cafeteria

5/11 - 8:45AM - Multicultural Committee Meeting

5/11 - 6:00PM - Suzanne and Patricia's Fourth Grade Picnic

5/12 - 8:45AM - What to Expect in First Grade with Elaine, Cafeteria