Weekly Email March 9, 2006

Dear parents,

First - THANKS FOR THE APPRECIATION!!!

From all of us to all of you.

Last week's three-day Trimester II Exams/Presentations showed the range of product that results from our excellent progressive program. Just a few highlights:

* Tenth grade English students gave multi-media presentations on major figures from the Harlem Renaissance in the PAC, while ninth grade English students performed scenes from Macbeth. One student in Fairy Tale Literature presented from the point of view of a therapist who treats those characters who, it turns out, do not live so "happily ever after" after all.

* Students in the ninth grade Arts rotations displayed amazing work in Studio Art and Photography and gave rousing dance and dramatic performances. Meanwhile, students in the various music classes entertained the entire High School in a post-exams assembly.

* Students in science classes from all grades gave presentations to their peers on everything from comparative digestive systems in lions and sea lions to futuristic "green" communities to the physics of planetary orbits.

* Students in tenth grade history presented outlines of their upcoming research papers on major historical figures of the United States.

* Students in Calculus demonstrated that using integrals to calculate volumes of revolution actually works by measuring common household shapes (e. g., a Bundt cake pan), performing the calculations and then filling the shapes with water. Meanwhile, ninth grade mathematics students showed their geometrical prowess in everything from designs to bridge-building.

* Students in various French and Spanish classes presented on a variety of cultural aspects of various countries and regions where those languages are spoken. As always, food was involved.

Needless to say - with my apologies to many of my colleagues - this list is not complete. And needless to say, there were many papers handed in and many "traditional" tests being taken. In all, the week represented a terrific window into a High School where students amass the facts and learn the skills they need, but then put those facts and skills to use toward authentic tasks in which they are deeply invested.

Another window into the High School is this year's list of assemblies to date. The attached list - as impressive as it is - does not do justice to the richness of experience that the students have come to expect every Tuesday afternoon. The list of assemblies up through January included civil rights lawyer Ron Kuby and Diana Osana, co-screenwriter for the - I can say this now - Oscar-winning screenplay for Brokeback Mountain, and also included inspiring multi-media presentations on Diwali, Hispanic Heritage, Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Chinese New Year. Despite these highlights, the presentations from the past four weeks have raised the bar even higher. The four presentations - by Shirin Neshat, Iranian-born filmmaker, visual artist and political activist; Staceyann Chin, Jamaican-born lesbian, feminist and performance artist; Kyra Gaunt, NYU Associate Professor and author of The Games Black Girls Play; and the Central Asian Cultural Exchange presenting the musical and oral traditions of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan - were, in turns and together, entertaining, absorbing, thrilling, emotionally and intellectually challenging.

In and out of the classroom, we - students and faculty alike - are continually expanding our horizons.

This week's announcements:
* I have attached a workshop proposal, in .pdf format and in .doc format, for the LREI Arts Festival 2006! This year, the Arts Festival is occurring on Friday, April 28, and will involve all students from grades 8 through 12. This is an exciting day when students choose from a variety of workshops offered by faculty, friends, parents and others in and out of the LREI school community. The workshops run in the morning and are followed by an afternoon of exhibitions. For more details, please see the attachment; in particular, if you or someone you know is interested in offering a workshop, please send the form in to me by Friday, April 14.

* COME TO THE SHOW! That is, this year's H.S. Play, Gone Wilde - An Evening with Oscar Wilde (see the press release on the web site), which will open Thursday evening, March 9th at 7pm, with performances Friday, March 10th, and Saturday March 11th, also at 7pm, in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $8 in advance (available at the Charlton Street front desk), $10 at the door.

* Repeat announcement: For parents of Seniors: A letter outlining the details of how the Senior Project will run during the third trimester.

* The next Parent Rep meeting will be on Tuesday, March 14 at 6:30 PM. Director of Diversity and Community Sharon Dupree will join us.

All the best,

Tony

CALENDAR
February
* Wednesday 22 VISIBILITY opens at Charlton Street
* Tuesday 28 Last day of Trimester II classes

March
* Wednesday 1 - Friday 3 Trimester II Exams/Presentations
* Thursday 2 Parents of Children who Receive Academic Support Meeting
* Monday 6 First day of Trimester III classes
* March 7 Diversity and Community Discussion
* Thursday 9 - Saturday 11 High School Play
* Tuesday 14 High School Parent Rep Meeting
* Friday 17 Founder's Day; School closes at noon for Spring Break

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!

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.
If you are having trouble opening the attachments, go to http://www.lrei.org/weekly/ms/ to access the files.