Dear Lower School Families,

"Eighty years ago, Elisabeth Irwin revolutionized American education by taking students out of the classroom and into the world —
and by bringing the world into the classroom."
(from the LREI website, written by Nick O’Han)

Eighty years later, our school is still doing just this. As an institution, we value opportunities which allow our students to extend and enrich their studies inside the classroom by going out into the world: visiting places, interviewing people, and making observations to bring back. Here is a sampling of just a few places our classes are exploring outside of their classrooms lately, allowing a more meaningful experience of studies inside the classroom:

• Fourth Graders have been studying how instruments can work together as an ensemble through their work with recorders. To bring this idea to life, they traveled to Lincoln Center to attend a dress rehearsal of the New York Philharmonic, allowing children to hear many instruments working together in the performance of George Gershwin's An American in Paris and Melinda Wagner's Trombone Concerto (a world premiere!).
  
• As Third Graders come to the end of a recent collaborative research project on the planets, a trip to the Rose Center for Earth & Space on Monday will be a culminating experience. Students will view large scale models of the planets and other interactive exhibits, allowing classroom experiments, research and discussions about the solar system, stars and constellations, and universe to be considered through a different perspective and presentation.
  
• After interviewing, observing and gathering information at various local bookstores, Gina and Rebecca’s First Graders celebrated the opening of the "Booksey Boo Bookstore" this week! Children worked to create merchandise, modeled after important things they saw for sale in the bookstores they visited, including books, bookmarks, postcards, "books on DVD," and cupcakes.
  
• In Kindergarten, children have learned and discussed the ways that animals stay warm and survive outside during the winter months. To deepen this understanding, they traveled today to the Central Park Zoo to observe first-hand how animals living outdoors in New York City adapt and adjust to the challenges of and changes in temperature and weather during winter, and now the beginnings of spring.

In a similar way, our school community welcomes visitors from the world of education, interested in learning about our progressive ideals, to come into our classrooms. For a school that is not associated with a college, university, or education training program, the number of educators who visit our school each year is astounding. Each year, we welcome educators to observe, listen, and learn – as Elisabeth Irwin believed, to go out of their own classrooms and into the world. By opening our classrooms to others, we have the opportunity to engage in conversation about our practice, and to connect with the broader educational community.

During this school year alone, our visitors have included experienced teachers, undergraduate and graduate students, new teachers, and administrators from New York City, New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and even other countries, including:

• Westchester Community College
• Hunter College
• Fieldston School
• Bank Street College of Education
• Medgar Evers Community College
• Corlears School
• New York University
• Episcopal School
• Buckley School
• and Iceland, where groups of teachers, principals, and founders of new playschools now visit NYC independent school annually, primarily to observe our work with blocks.

In addition, many schools typically organize one or two professional development days during the school year – a day off for students, a day of learning from outside speakers, discussions, workshops or meetings for faculty. This year, the Children’s Aid Society school in our neighborhood used their professional development day to bring the entire faculty of more than 35 teachers to visit our school! This was another special opportunity for us to share our practices and ideas with other educators, and to deepen our connection with a neighboring school.
As we move into warmer weather and the beginnings of springtime, may the coming of a new season bring you new opportunities to go out into the world, and to bring the world in. I’m happy to have had a chance to share with you in this week’s blog.

Take care,
Megan

This Week's Attachments:

Letter Responding to Tragic Incident

Dorothy and Stacey's First Grade

Second Grade Publishing Party

Third Grade Reading

Third Grade Feature Article

Third Grade

Math at LREI

Parent Rep Meeting Notes

Spanish Resource List



This Week's Announcements:

Visiting Author:
On March 20th Tim Wise will speak with the LREI community on the topic of privilege and class in America. Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and activists in the U.S. Wise has spoken in 48 states, and on over 400 college campuses, including Harvard, Stanford, and the Law Schools at Yale and Columbia. Many of our faculty members have heard Mr. Wise speak and found him to be engaging and insightful. He will spend a good part of the day here on March. 20th and 21st meeting with students, faculty and parents.
Parent Events featuring Tim Wise:
Tuesday, March 20th, 7:00PM, Performing Arts Center, 40 Charlton Street. (Child Care Available, please sign up at the Sixth Ave. Reception Desk.
Wednesday, March 21st, 8:45 AM, Sixth Avenue Cafeteria, Breakfast Discussion with Tim Wise. There are several copies of Tim Wise’s book, White Like Me, in each library.Click here for more information about Tim Wise: www.timwise.org.
Tim Wise’s visit to LREI is generously supported by the Wendling Foundation as part of an ongoing grant to support our diversity efforts, including the visit by the Human Race Machine earlier this year.

Dance Performance:
THE LREI STEP TEAM will be performing as part of FAMILY MATTERS Dance Theater Workshop on March 17th at 2:00pm. The body becomes a canvas on which colorful legends and rueful stories are painted. Strokes of genius are delivered by Merce Cunningham alum Glen Rumsey presenting a gender-bending ballet, the inspirational step dancing of the LREI STEP TEAM, and the Brazilian influenced free world music of The Nation Beat. The feast continues with Lawrence Goldhuber and his all-diva cast who serve-up a cautionary tale about what canhappen if you eat too much. Flamenco fans will delight in the foot falls of the Ballet Hispanico School Ensemble, while the graceful Trinayan Collective execute a fable in the Odissi style of classical Indian dance.The Dance Theatre Workshop is located at 219 west 19th street. For reservations call (212) 924-0077 TKTS $10.00 children $20.00 adults

High School Preview Night
Thinking Ahead? Join us for the High School Preview Night on Tuesday, April 10th at 6:30pm in the Charlton Street Performing Arts Center (PAC). This is a wonderful opportunity for Middle School and Lower School parents to learn more about the High School from parents, students and recent alumni. We hope to see you there! RSVP to the Admissions Office at ext. 305.


In the Upcoming Weeks...

3/17- LREI High School Step Team performs in "Family Matters"

3/20- Tim Wise Reading, 7:00PM

3/21- Breakfast Discussion with Tim Wise, 8:45AM

3/23- Founder's Day, Noon Dismissal (11:45 for Early Childhood)

3/23-4/9- Spring Break

4/10- High School Preview Night