Weekly Email April 21, 2005

Dear all,

As you read this email, second trimester grades and comments are on their way to you. As I reviewed the comments, I was struck by a number of things:

* These comments demonstrate the enormous number of ways that students are able to choose their own educational paths. From personal narratives to science projects to creative presentations across the disciplines to uniquely individualized artistic opportunities, in class after class, students are able to direct their own curricula in ways large and small. This is one of the basic tenets of progressive education - that students will be more invested in material they own and will thus better internalize lifelong learning habits and, indeed, love of learning.

* These comments also demonstrate the great extent to which our faculty knows and cares about each individual student. In comment after comment, I was impressed by the insight the teachers have into the students' learning styles and habits. More impressive, however, was the affection that is so obvious in so many of the comments. I especially noticed the tone of the comments to Seniors. Many of the comments came from teachers who had known the students for several years, and there was an unmistakable mixture of pride and sadness as faculty wished the 12th graders well as they completed their LREI classwork. This continues to be a school built upon the wonderful relationships between students and faculty.

It is also true that because the writing of these comments coincided with the start of the third trimester, the comments took a long time to complete and assemble, longer really than is acceptable. The faculty spent a good deal of time in a recent meeting discussing ways in which we can make our communication home more efficient. As we come up with concrete proposals, I will be sure to discuss these ideas with the parent reps. In addition, High School Technology Coordinator Tim Cooper and I are hard at work on a technological approach that will allow the comments to have a more unified look and format (we are on our way there already, but have not yet arrived at where we should be). Again, the content of the comments is – I think - terrific in the ways I have discussed above, but as we grow as a school we need to improve our format and delivery.

Some announcements:

1) Please see the attached Literary Committee "Stay-at-Home" Flyer. Stay at home and read TONIGHT!!!

2) The next High School Parents of Students of Color Group meeting will take place on Thursday, April 28th from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM, at 40 Charlton Street, Room 13. Please see the attached flyer for more details.

Take care,

Tony


UPCOMING EVENTS

Thursday, April 21 - Literary Committee "Stay-at-Home" Evening

Thursday, April 28, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM - High School Parents of Students of Color Group Meeting, Charlton Street

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


As always, please browse the web site at www.lrei.org for updates and information about goings on around the school. All attachments are in .pdf format. To view these files, please download Adobe Reader, if you do not already have it. Click on this link or paste it into your browser: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html.