Weekly Email September 22, 2005

Dear LREI families,

Only two weeks in, but the school already feels like it is in full swing. I saw many of you at curriculum night and felt much of the same positive energy in the ten-minute sessions that I feel walking around the school every day. It is truly exciting to see some of the courses that we planned last year, such as Latino/Latina literature, Global Literature, "Girls Gone Wild" (Gender and Madness), Astronomy and Mandarin, coming to fruition. Those of us who attended new Math/Science teacher Alissa Wall's tenth grade Physics class learned that an unopened can of Dr. Pepper will sink, while an unopened can of Diet Dr. Pepper will float. Who knew?

We have a number of initiatives under way outside of the curriculum as well. As I mentioned in my letter home over the summer, we have created a weekly period for clubs and activities, and already we are feeling the increased buzz. Many students are considering the creation of new clubs; as of this writing, the club/activity list consists of:

Lesbian-Gay-Straight Alliance
Choreography Workshop
Documentary Film Club
Chinese Club
Video Club
Book Review
Harry Potter Club
Newspaper
Fiber Arts Club
Human Rights/Amnesty International
Speech/Debate
Yearbook
Jazz Band
Chorus
Step Team
Cooking Club
Chess Club
Improv Club
ie (The Literary Magazine)
Chocoholics Club
Community Service Roundtable

We are also thrilled to announce the creation of a formal Peer Leadership program. Peer Leadership will be a weekly commitment for interested twelfth graders, who will spend a good deal of time learning about how best to talk with younger High School students about a wide variety of issues, ranging from academic workload to peer pressure and everything in between. Then, starting in late October, those students will spend every other session working individually with small groups of ninth graders, with planning sessions in between. It gives me enormous pleasure to announce that leading this group will be Ruth (Geyer) Jurgensen, returning to us after two years at Miss Porter's School. Ruth received her BA in English Literature from Connecticut College and her MA in English and American Literature from Brown University. Before going to Miss Porter's, Ruth was at LREI from 1996 through 2003, teaching 9th and 12th grade English as well as working as the 9th Grade Dean. Ruth will be teaching English classes in the Winter and the Senior Project seminar in the Spring, as well as working on projects (such as Peer Leadership) which are directly related to school community.

Announcements:
* Please see a message on school safety from Director Phil Kassen.

* Check out the schedule for High School athletics events by clicking on the appropriate link on the right (the link goes to http://lrei.org/athletics/at_4b.html).

* We have a student teacher with us from Germany who is in dire need of housing! She is a student at the Munich Academy of Arts, from which she will graduate in one year. She has been with us for about a week, but her housing arrangements have fallen through, so she is looking for a place to stay from now until mid-December. She can pay a modest amount (around $500 a month). If you can possibly help, please contact Tom Murphy at tmurphy@lrei.org.

* Please see the attached flyer for an upcoming talk on Tuesday, October 11 at 6:30 PM in the Charlton Street PAC, "High School Student Drug Use Across the Nation and in the Independent Schools of New York City," presented by Marjorie Terry of Freedom Institute.

* Save the date: Hurricane Katrina Benefit Concert - Monday, October 17. For information about LREI's efforts to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina please go to http://www.lrei.org/whoweare/katrina.html.


Other important events coming up:

- The first HALLOWEEN FAIR MEETING will take place at 6th Avenue on Friday, September 23rd at 8:45 AM.

- To the entire LREI Community: Please join us for the annual, school-wide Welcome (Back) Potluck Lunch, hosted by the Parent Multicultural Committee, noon-3 PM, Saturday, September 24th, at the home of parent Manuel Jaimes, 201 Eastern Parkway, 6A, Brooklyn (across from the Brooklyn Museum & Botanic Garden), tel: 718-398-1192. (2/3 train to Eastern Parkway; 4/5 to Franklin). Sign up in the 6th Ave lobby or the Charlton Street lobby starting Monday; or e-mail MCC co-chairs Mario Murillo and Noreen Stallings-Hall at mario@wbai.org. Come and meet new families and catch up with old friends, even if you can stop by for only a bit!

- Third reminder - The Germans are coming, and we're looking for hosts! Our annual exchange group of students will arrive on October 15th and stay for two weeks. Please contact Tom Murphy at tmurphy@lrei.org if you are interested in hosting a student. Students who host (and who are in good academic standing) have priority when we go to Germany over Spring Break.

- Second Reminder: The first Parent Reps meeting will now take place at 6:30 PM on Tuesday, September 27th. Please contact Denise Adler at daja53@aol.com if you are interested in being a Parent Rep; however, all are welcome to the meeting.

- Second Reminder: All ninth and tenth grade parents: The trip to Ramapo is coming up on Thursday and Friday September 29th and 30th (see the attached letter about the trip). You should already have received, signed and returned the permission slip . Attached please find the packing list as well. Important note: Medications, including Advil, etc. must be brought by individuals - Ramapo will not distribute any meds. Please contact your child's Dean or Advisor if there are special concerns.

Take care,

Tony

UPCOMING EVENTS
September
* Thursday 22 6:30 PM Senior Class Potluck/College Informational Evening
* Friday 23 8:45 AM 1st Halloween Fair meeting (6th Avenue)
* Saturday 24 Welcome (Back) Potluck Lunch, 12 PM - 3 PM (see above for details)
* Tuesday 27 6:30 PM High School Parent Rep Meeting
* Thursday 29-Friday 30 Ramapo Overnight Trip - 9th and 10th Grades

October
* Tuesday 4 School Closed - Rosh Hashanah
* Thursday 6 6:30 PM High School Open House
* Monday 10 School closed - Columbus Day
* Tuesday 11 6:30 PM "High School Student Drug Use Across the Nation and in the Independent Schools of New York City," Charlton Street PAC (see above)
* Thursday 13 School closed - Yom Kippur
* Monday 17 Katrina Benefit Concert
* Tuesday 18 Last day of 9th Grade Arts Rotation #1; High School Parent Rep Meeting
* Wednesday 19-Friday 21 Minimester
* Thursday 20 6:30 PM Eleventh Grade Potluck
* Saturday 22 7:00 PM Coffeehouse!
* Tuesday 25 6:30 PM High School Open House
* Sunday 30 Halloween Fair

As always, please browse the web site at www.lrei.org. Also, note the links to the Middle and Lower School weekly emails on the right. Please take a look at what the students in the other two divisions are up to!

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