Weekly Email March 10, 2005

Dear all,

In last week's email, I wrote about leadership, choice, and risk as they relate to some of the outstanding achievements of our students. I am happy this week to continue this theme with more details of our students'' (and school's) accomplishments:

* From Media Arts Director Chris Reed: Five LREI High School students' films were selected for the Urban Visionaries Film Festival at the Museum of Television and Radio on March 23 & 24.

This is a great event for our kids.

Here are the films that were selected:

1. NEW YORK - Experimental 2:10 minutes
Produced by: Nick Heller and Kortney Hartz
This visual poem explores the expansive landscape of New York City.

2. MUSIC IN WORDS - Experimental 52 seconds
Produced By: Brunnell Velasquez
A poem about a young man's passion for playing the saxophone.

3. PROTEST? WHAT PROTEST? - Documentary 9:10 minutes
Produced By: Alex Zhang
Zhang investigates civil rights abuses and manipulation on the part of the NYC government during the Sunday Republic National Convention protest.

4. THRUSTING - Experimental 2:24 minutes
Produced By: Matt Levinson, Sam Haavisto, Adam Schroeder
A video poem displays a cacophony of images surrounding a boy's unrequited feelings for a girl.

5. BREAKTIME - Narrative 14:50 minutes
Produced By: Alex Coles
This is a comedy about three high school friends that cut class everyday. One day, one friend is late for their usual “break time.” The two other friends journey on a perilous path to find their buddy before they are caught by the villainous principal and get sent to the dungeon, uh, detention.

In addition, Jerelyn Rodriguez, also an LREI student, had a film or hers, from last summer at the Ghetto Film School, accepted as well.

6. SWEET AFFAIR - Narrative 5:45 minutes
Produced By: Jerelyn Rodriguez
A short narrative about a married man's affair and how the choices he makes changes three lives.

The first three films, plus Jerelyn's, are screening just once, on Wednesday, March 23rd, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Films #4 & #5 are playing on both Wednesday, March 23rd, 1:00-3:00pm and Thursday, March 24th, 10am-12pm.

Chris notes that LREI is the group/school with the most films at the event!

* A record number of students have signed up for Honors Projects in the Spring. These projects will occur in Science, History, Writing, Photography, Spanish and Philosophy. When the time comes, I will be happy to share the results of these endeavors.

* Stefan Holt, a senior at LREI and President of the Student Body, spent ten days in Washington, DC, from February 26 until March 5, as one of two representatives of the state of New York in the 43rd Annual United States Senate Youth Program, sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Stefan visited Capitol Hill, the White House, the Supreme Court, the Pentagon, and the State Department. The program awards participants a $5,000 college scholarship for undergraduate studies as well.

The program began with a reception at which current representatives could meet alumni of the program. The alumni were arranged at different tables by profession with a table each for business, medicine, government, and journalism, among others. Some of the most famous alumni of the program include Senator Susan Collins from Maine and Karl Rove of the Bush White House. Stefan especially recalls a conversation with a Michigan delegate from the late seventies who is planning to start up his own brokerage firm. He advised Stefan that in business or in any other field, it pays to be “a qualitative person as well as a quantitative person.” Stefan has attended a number of student leadership programs but felt that this one “by far granted students the most access to the real world of politics.” The group met with President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, long-time White House Correspondent Helen Thomas, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy and many other luminaries from Washington, DC. Stefan feels that the overall goal of the week was to “get the students excited about a life of public service.” He feels that the week really changed his life: “I feel that I learned how to become a better leader – by being around so many student leaders as well as real-world leaders.”

* The High School play - "And You Thought You Had Problems...A Contemporary Retelling of the Oedipus Cycle based on Sophocles' ancient Greek trilogy-Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone" - was masterful. Congratulations to Director Meghan Farley Astrachan and to a magnificent cast and crew.

* Last but not least - The School Spirit game was a wonderful event - students from all LREI basketball teams played against a conglomeration of faculty from all three divisions. A terrific time was had by all!

Take care,

Tony

Announcements/attachments:

* Reminder - Final exams/presentations will occur Tuesday, March 15 through Thursday, March 17. The school day Tuesday through Friday will start at 8:45 AM.

As always, please browse the web site at www.lrei.org for updates and information about goings on around the school.

Take care,

Tony


UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday, March 15, 6:30 PM - High School Parent Reps Meeting, Charlton Street

Tuesday, March 15 - Thursday, March 17 - Trimester II Final Exams/Presentations

Friday, March 18, 12:00 PM - Spring Break begins

Monday, April 4, 8:30 AM - School resumes; start of Trimester III

Saturday, April 9, 7:00 PM - COFFEEHOUSE AT CHARLTON STREET!!

Friday, April 15 - School closed - High School Professional/Planning Day

Tuesday, April 19, 6:30 PM - High School Parent Reps Meeting, Charlton Street




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