Weekly Email March 17, 2005

Dear all,

As we head toward Spring Break, some important attachments:

* Parents of Juniors: Please see the attached note from Director of College Guidance Amy Shapiro on the April/May SAT prep course and the April college trip.

* Please also read Director of Education Nick O'Han's message about a wonderful community event scheduled for April 9th.

* Also, an important word about Senior Projects. Back in January, I emailed the calendar for the Senior Projects (note - this is now the final calendar, and not a rough draft as indicated on the document). The 12th graders have been hard at work securing internships or other manner of field work on which their written papers will be based. Also as I wrote then, last year's field experiences ranged from spending time in LREI's Lower School to working at Otto Ristorante to interning in the psychiatric ward of a hospital to traveling to Poland to investigate pockets of resistance during World War II (and of course I could go on and on). I would like to outline the process for parents of students in all grades, as I think that it is important that everyone understand how we structure this concluding progressive educational experience:

1) In past years, some projects were less successful than they might have been because seniors picked a topic for their paper first and then were not able to find the most appropriate field work. After a great deal of discussion, the Senior Project Committee became convinced that it makes more sense for the students to find their field experience first, and then decide what aspects or facets of that experience they will research and write about. We believe that this process will help to ensure that each senior's project is an appropriately connected mix of academic study and engagement with the real world.

2) During the first two weeks, of the trimester, seniors will be in a single seminar class each day that will help them through the process of choosing a paper topic and getting a good way through the research and writing process. The students will engage in a great deal of peer review of each other's ideas and writing as they prepare for the upcoming field work. We will expect seniors in at 10:25 AM each morning, Monday through Thursday of both weeks. During these two weeks, seniors will also begin to meet with their Mentors. Each senior has a faculty Mentor who will help to ensure that the field work is going well and generally help to see the project to fruition.

3) During the field work, Seniors are committed to doing at least twenty hours per week - preferably closer to 25 to 30 - Monday through Thursday for the four weeks. On each Friday, seniors will once again come in to school in order to share each other's experiences and work on incorporating their journal entries into their papers.

4) After the field work period ends, the students will spend the next two weeks polishing their papers and preparing for Senior Project Presentation Evening on Wednesday, June 1. In groups, the seniors will spend much of this time reading drafts of each others' work and helping each other to hone their presentations. The exact schedule of these two weeks will be established early in the new trimester.

The Committee has spent a good deal of time adding structure to the Senior Project process in order to make sure that each senior has a rewarding and meaningful experience that will act as the capstone to their progressive high school education.

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

Have a restful break and take care,

Tony


UPCOMING EVENTS

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

Wednesday, May 4, 6:30 PM - The Big Auction



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