Thursday, May 17, 2007

BIG DAY A COMIN’

A week from today, on Thursday, May 24th, we’ll be celebrating!

Spring Book Fair
The Spring Book Fair will be happening from 8:00AM-6:00PM in the Sixth Avenue Auditorium. This is a wonderful opportunity to stock up on quality summer reading for your children. And what could be more convenient?!?

Spring Concert
The Spring Concert begins at 6:30PM in the PAC. Simply put, it is joyous! I hope you will try to attend with your children, whatever their age. Come to enjoy the music of our choruses and band – to relax and be transported.

QUOTE FROM THE NEW YORKER, May 21, 2007:

Staff writer Louis Menand remarked in this week’s The Talk of the Town article, “The Graduates”, “You can’t learn when you’re afraid of being wrong.” His context was meritocracy and the extraordinarily selective process surrounding entrance into competitive colleges. He framed it with, “Everything you do in a meritocratic society is some kind of test, and there is never a final exam. There is only another test. People seem to pick up on this earlier and earlier in their lives, and at some point it starts to get in the way of their being educated. You can’t learn when you’re afraid of being wrong.”

I’d like to let this quote stand on its own, only to underscore how highly everyone at LREI values intellectual risk taking, that willingness on the part of students to offer up original answers and theories when they’ve thought through but are not sure of their accuracy – when they might be wrong. Only by going out on a limb can students reflect on and extend their knowledge and understandings, only then can they truly learn.

Elaine




This Week's Announcements:

The Diversity Dialogue Continues:
Topic: Socio Economic Diversity
Sharon Dupree will facilitate a conversation in the Sixth Ave cafeteria this Friday, May 18th at 8:45 am.
All are welcome.
Thank You,
The Parents' Association
Please Click Here

Fourth Grade Moving Up Ceremony:
PLEASE SAVE THE DATE! The Fourth Grade Moving Up Ceremony will take place on Monday, June 11th at 9:00 AM in the auditorium.

Parent Representatives:
Thank you to all of you who have served as Parent Representatives during the 2006-2007 school year. Your attention to the children is much appreciated. If you would like to be a Parent Rep during the 2007-2008 school year, email Kasey Picayo at picayosmith@aol.com.

Spring Concert:
Please join our music department choruses and instrumentalists at the LREI Spring Concert Thursday, May 24th, from 6:30PM until 8:00PM , in the PAC on Charlton Street. The concert is free. This grand culminating event for the performing arts this year includes singers and instrumentalists from all three divisions, and was inadvertently omitted from the Parent Association calendar:
The Little Red Chorus (Lower School) directed by Helen Yoo
The Little Red Singers (Middle School) directed by Henry Chapin
The Elizabeth Irwin Singers (High School) directed by Sunny Kim
The High School Jazz Band directed by Vin Scialla
The concert will conclude with a grand finale: All choruses and jazz band players will join forces to perform "Des Colores," LREI’s 2007 anthem-like favorite, which has been sung at various assemblies this year, including Founder’s Day.
This concert is for the entire LREI community, including families of students who are not participating currently in school ensembles. Come out and support our music department, and hear a splendid concert of magnificent choral and instrumental music.

LREI Annual Camping Trip:
The 14th annual LREI camping trip will be held on the weekend of June 1-3. All LREI families and their children -- pre-K through high school -- are invited to participate. As in past years, we expect that a good time will be had by all: hiking, swimming, sports, fishing, camping, cooking, eating, singing around the campfire, etc.The site, as in past years, will be near the Delaware Water Gap (somewhat north of where I-80 crosses the Delaware River). The cost will be $30 per adult, $20 per child. Also, we need volunteers to help with hauling food and supplies and equipment out to the camp site (and back) and providing extra space in their vehicles for those who need a ride out and back.
More details will be forthcoming for those who are interested. We will have a sign-up table for a few mornings at LREI in May, when we get closer to the camping trip weekend. Please see the attached flyer.Please save the date and let us know if you are interested in receiving more information -- and especially if you are interested in volunteering: Send an email to Larry White(Lwhite@stern.nyu.edu).
Organizers:
Neil Capobianco (CapobiancoN@gtlaw.com)
Seth Tapper (sethtapper@yahoo.com)
Dave Trumbull (dave.trouble@gmail.com)
Larry White (Lwhite@stern.nyu.edu)
Please Click Here

From the LREI Librarians:
The library will be converting to a new computer catalog towards the end of June. You may have noticed that the library catalog can no longer be accessed through your computers, or any computer in the school. This is because the software (Winnebago) we currently have is incompatible with the newer Macs. The new system (Follett) is far superior to the product we have now, and will enable parents, faculty, students and staff to view our holdings via the Internet and link directly to websites from subject headings. We are extremely excited about the conversion upgrade because it will provide the entire LREI community with much improved library services that will greatly enhance all aspects of the reading and research process. While we hope to make this transition as painless as possible for everyone involved, it will require some level of cooperation from the whole school community. Because of the upcoming conversion, it is more important than ever that all LREI library books be returned to both libraries by Friday, June 1st. Like past years, we will be closing to circulation on this day, which means that while we will continue to check materials in, we will no longer check any more materials out. Please look through your child's bookshelves at home, through closets and under beds for any stray LREI library books. We will be sending home overdue slips as usual, and please let us know if there are any errors on your child's slip. Thanks for your patience, and please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about this process.



In the Upcoming Weeks...

5/18- Diversity Dialogue, 8:45AM, Cafeteria

5/21- Dorothy and Stacey's First Grade Picnic, 6:00PM

5/22- Tasha and Romy's Second Grade Picnic, 6:00PM

5/23- Second Grade Assembly, 8:45AM, Auditorium

5/24- LREI Chorus Concert

5/25- Field Day and 1:00PM dismissal (12:45EK) for Memorial Day Weekend

5/28- School Closed for Memorial Day

5/29- What to Expect in Fifth Grade, 8:45AM, Cafeteria

5/30- Kindergarten Movement Assembly, 8:45AM, Big Room

5/30- Jamie and Bonnie's First Grade Picnic, 6:00PM

6/4- Luise and Michelle's Kindergarten Picnic, 6:00PM

6/6- Fours and EK Movement Assembly, 8:45AM, Big Room

6/7- Diane and Lisa's Early Kindergarten Picnic, 6:00PM

6/11- Fourth Grade Moving Up Ceremony, 9:00AM, Auditorium

6/11- Suzanne and Caroline's Fourth Grade Picnic, 6:00PM

posted by LREI Lower School News @ Thursday, May 17, 2007