Weekly Email September 29, 2005

Dear all,

I send this email early as I am off to Ramapo with the ninth and tenth grades. Yesterday, the ninth grade spent some time at Pier 40 doing some group exercises that helped to build trust and helped them to get to know more about each other. As I told the grade at the end of the day, these exercises, and trips such as Ramapo that help students learn to take risks and support one another, pay serious dividends all through high school, in and out of the classroom. From doing a group ninth grade mathematics or tenth grade history project to dealing with the stress of waiting for college acceptance letters, having peers you can truly count on makes for a more rewarding and richer education and a more fulfilling high school experience. And as anyone who has been there can tell you, working productively in groups can be a real key to success in college, in graduate or professional school, and in life.

A link to be aware of: Click here to see the current list of outside-of-the-school community service opportunities, compiled by High School Community Service Coordinator Nick Sullivan. For more information, you can call email Nick at nsullivan@lrei.org.

Please take a look at the calendar below, as October is an outrageously full month of events. Some highlights:

* Tuesday, October 4: No School - Rosh Hashanah

* Monday, October 10: No school - Columbus Day

* Tuesday, October 11: * Please see the attached flyer for a talk 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.

* Thursday, October 13: No school - Yom Kippur

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

* Tuesday, October 18: Next parent reps meeting, 6:30 PM

* Wednesday, October 19: Literary Evening - Stay tuned for more details ...

* Saturday, October 22: Coffeehouse!

* Thursday, October 27 - NEW DATE - The 11th Grade Potluck Dinner has been moved from Thursday, October 20th to Thursday, October 27th. 6:30 PM!

An exciting honor to announce: Librarian Karyn Silverman has been asked to chair the American Library Association (ALA) Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA) Committee for the next calendar year (Feb 06-Jan 07)! This is a huge honor, both for Karyn and for LREI. We will continue to receive a wealth of free books, have additional opportunities for our students to be involved in ALA activities, and bring us to the attention of book people across the country. Click here for more information about the ALA's Best Books for Young Adults program.

More announcements:
* Parents of children who receive academic support: The PA is interested in forming a parent group for parents of children who receive academic support in or out of school.  This can be a place to meet, exchange information and learn more on the subject of learning style differences.  If you are interseted in this group please contact Lisa Auerbach at luna671@aol.com.

* Multicultural Committee Meeting -- Thanks to everyone who came to the potluck lunch last weekend. This parent committee's first official meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 6th, 8:45 a.m., 6th-Avenue Cafeteria. On the agenda: brainstorming for activities and meeting topics for the year and early planning for Karamu!, our annual high-energy performing arts event in January. All parents from all divisions are encouraged to join this very diverse group. Questions? Contact co-chairs Mario Murillo (mario@wbai.org) or Noreen Stallings-Hall (nstallings@lcbf.com).

* Asian-American Families Breakfast -- Please bring your whole family for this group's first get-together of the year. Friday, Oct. 7th, 7:45 a.m.-9:00 a.m., 6th-Avenue Cafeteria. If you have to come late or leave early, that's fine, it's very informal. It's also potluck, so please let Ruth Yang (ryang@walzyanglaw.com) know what food you will bring. And if you forget to sign up or can't bring anything, please still come!

* Last (!) 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.

All the best,

Tony

UPCOMING EVENTS
September
* Thursday 29-Friday 30 Ramapo Overnight Trip - 9th and 10th Grades

October
* Tuesday 4 School Closed - Rosh Hashanah
* Thursday 6 8:45 AM Multicultural Committee Meeting, 6th Avenue Cafeteria
* Thursday 6 6:30 PM High School Open House
* Friday 7 7:45 AM - 9:00 AM Asian-American Families Breakfast, 6th Avenue Cafeteria
* 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
* Saturday 22 7:00 PM Coffeehouse!
* Tuesday 25 6:30 PM High School Open House
* Thursday 27 6:30 PM Eleventh Grade Potluck NEW DATE
* 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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