LREI News 2011

L e a d i n g P r o g r e s s i v e E d u c a t i o n S i n c e 1 9 2 1

Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School | lrei.org

newssummer 2011

2 LET THERE BE ART Construction begins on the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion

4 REMEMBERING THE FIRE Fourth graders study the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in honor of its centennial

MOZARTS IN THE MAKING The Young Composers and Improvisors Workshop raises the bar

5 ENGINEERING SUCCESS LREI Robotics competes in the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship

LIVING THE THEME Summers at LREI amps it up with theme days

6 GRADUATION 2011 Overheard at commencement

8 FIRST CLASS LREI welcomes its largest ninth grade class in school history

9 FACULTY & STAFF NEWS

10 FAREWELL TO MICHAEL PATRICK

11 MEET OUR NEW TRUSTEES

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14 REUNION 2011

16 CLASS NOTES

I always thought 90 would feel old. But at 90, LREI feels young, full of life and focused both on our distinguished heritage and on what will be a long and exciting future.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate our faculty and students on all that was accomplished during

stretching to meet the challenging experiences set out by our superb teachers. Thank you, as well, to all LREI

course, congratulations to the Class of 2011! We are so proud of you.

Please read these pages carefully so as to make sure that you are up-to-date on all that made the 2010-2011 school year such a success. As we move towards the 2011-2012 school year, we invite you to keep up with life at LREI through lrei.org and our social media initiatives

Happy 90th, LREI!

Best,

Phil Kassen

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

newssummer 2011

LREI NEWS | Summer 2011 1

BIG AUCTION 2011

Bidder sweet: On May 11, the LREI community came together at Capitale to

celebrate and support the school we love. Below: Big Auction Committee

and Emma Fine (right).

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LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

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STILL TO COME

In September, LREI will break ground on the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion.

a theater shop.

unmatched arts program,” says Director Phil Kassen. Set to be completed for the fall of 2012, the Arts Pavilion will support

campus expansion, during which we opened a sky-lit student center,

Rendering of the Arts Pavilion, looking east

from Varick Street.

LET THERE BE ARTCONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL

Find out more about the Building for Action Campaign at lrei.org/buildingforaction.

Performing Arts Center (PAC)

Science and Math Centerclassrooms will be added over the PAC. Sustainable Spaces The Building for Action Campaign will continue to fund green renovation projects for lower and middle school classrooms and common areas.


“Pediatric Cancer Research” at the Westport Youth

Toronto Student Film Festival.

Left and above: sold-out spring musical, Hairspray.

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young immigrant women. The tragedy — considered the deadliest in New York City history until 9/11 — occurred on Washington Place, a short walk from our buildings.

Treitman, Farrah Khan and Nicole Keller incorporated in-depth study of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire into their unit on European immigration to the Lower East Side. Students visited

musical, “The Flames of Change,” directed by Lower School Music Teacher Ledell Mulvaney.

New York University professor Dr. Elayne Tobin, who recently led a year-long series of lectures and trips related to the Triangle Fire, was impressed by the performance.

“I applaud everyone for the historical accuracy, well-roundedness and extremely high quality of the musical,” Dr. Tobin wrote in an email to students and teachers after attending the show. “I think the women of the Triangle would have been moved, as I was.”

rooted in song. For 90 years, teachers have encouraged students to sing, play, listen and experiment with sound. But last fall, this tradition went high-tech with our Young Composers and Improvisors Workshop (YCIW), a program that has raised the bar for students at LREI—and progressive educators across the city.

The gist: Fifth and sixth graders use computer

LOWER SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

EAMIR and Garageband to compose during their regular, twice-a-week music classes, then they post their scores online, where they get feedback from composer mentors.

“Technology has helped transform our music classroom,” says Middle School Music Teacher

of the Vermont MIDI Project (vtmidi.org), an interactive music mentoring and discussion project. “Before we started, several students saw themselves as passionate music

makers, but some had never considered music as a means of creative expression.”

After months exploring melodies, rhythms and chord progressions,

YCIW students have the opportunity to hear their original pieces performed live. In the fall, Matt arranged for brass and percussion professionals to play a private show for student-composers. In the spring, he brought in an ensemble of conservatory musicians from Mannes College to perform for students and parents in the Charlton Street Performing Arts Center.

the YCIW will continue to grow. “The goal is to include other New York City independent schools next spring, and to add composer mentors as more schools take part.”

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REMEMBERING THE FIRE

MOZARTS IN THE MAKING

Listen to student compositions at lrei.org/yciw.

Three days this summer, Summers at LREI left the building. In the

an ocean the next, and then, to cap

days. In recent years, Summers

with wall-to-wall artwork, original song and dance numbers, and costumes to the themes of Down on the Farm, Deep Sea Divers

is delightfully incidental.)

“The goal is to completely recreate the space

exactly what camp should be,” says Cari Kosins, Director of Afterschool and Summer Programs.

SUMMERS AT LREI

Our High School Robotics Team scored a ticket to the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship (FTC Worlds) after a stellar showing in the New York City FIRST Tech

private and public schools from the Tri-State area. The group also won the PTC Design Award for innovation and function.

strategy for next year.

“That is what robotics is all about: One is never done. There are always improvements that can

the High School Blog at the start of the season.

HIGH SCHOOL

ENGINEERING SUCCESS

It should also be goofy. By getting in on the fun and taking risks themselves (non-dancers dance, non-actors act, non-singers sing—loudly!), counselors model positive behavior for their campers,

“If kids see grown-ups stepping out of their

express themselves,” says Cari.


LIVING THE THEME

MOZARTS IN THE MAKING

Thirty former and current LREI students joined the Summers at LREI

“I estimate that from this class we will

eventually have seven doctors by my count

and likely several more PhDs. We will have

at least ten artists, photographers and !lm-

makers, quite a few tech gurus, a few

choreographers, musicians, writers, and

actors, but only one magician.” –Ruth

Jurgensen, High School Principal

“Look out into the crowd, the wonderful faces who anticipated this day since when you

“...what our class really is, is a unique

collection of individuals.” –Margret Wiggins ‘11

“LREI graduates possess something very

thoughtful connection to the outside world — something Elisabeth Irwin made a central part of her approach to education. An understanding that being creative is not just an option, it is a necessity. A dedication to

Chair of the Board of Trustees

“Why is this school different from all other

schools? We recognize, and embrace, the fact

that people change. We don’t equate ‘chal-

lenging’ with ‘bad.’ We don’t confuse our own

narrow perspectives with the truth.” –Peter

Bonfanti, High School Math Teacher

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“We are here today to celebrate these young adults and their accomplishments. They have been asked during their time at LREI, whether two years or 14 years, not only to accumulate a wide range of skills and concepts, but to apply all that they have learned, to make knowledge their own and to use it for some larger purpose—to

–Phil Kassen, Director

Team Wiggins. From left: mother Chris Fleming, father and former trustee

recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach in Indonesia. During their time at LREI, each daughter received the Elisabeth Irwin Award, selected by the faculty for outstanding contributions to the community, personal motivation and academic achievement.

“We will be there with you always.” -Phil Kassen, Director


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FIRST CLASS A RECORD-SIZED NINTH GRADE

What does “progressive” mean today, when answers to

Edward E. Ford Foundation to rethink the high school curriculum for the 21st Century.

Our faculty and student redesign team will continue its work during the coming school year, examining academic and community expectations and increasing technology integration in order to equip LREI students with the skills

changing every day.

A meet-and-greet on Charlton Street: Rising ninth

graders mingle with their

New Student Welcome Party.

Students who started LREI at age four cut the ribbon before walking down the

Bleecker Street steps, an Eighth Grade Moving Up tradition.

graders to the High School — the largest

they will be a great addition to our

Director of Admissions. The Class of 2015, which includes 29 “students moving up from the Eighth Grade, enters the High School at a time full of growth, as we break ground on the Charles Street Arts Pavilion and redesign the ninth through twelfth grade curriculum.

FACULTY & STAFFNEWS

High School, Reimagined


FACULTY & STAFFNEWS

Lower School Woodshop Teacher Peggy ResnickAnn

Schaumburger

LREI librarians and Karyn Silverman presented a program at the American Library Association Annual Conference in New Orleans titled “The Embedded Librarian: Engage, Evolve, Educate: A new model of school librarianship.”

School Secretary Mary Shea Conference in Tinmouth, Vt.

Director of Admissions Julia Heaton and Director of Afterschool and Summer Programs Cari Kosins were selected for the New York State Association of

.

Works by Ann Schaumburger (above) and Peggy Resnick (below).

A Return to China, by Grace Cohen

students from Beijing came to LREI. Ching Chun, a 10 year old without a word of English, was assigned to my class. In 2000, when I was ready to retire, Xu Hong, a teacher from China, came to LREI for a

invitation, I traveled to China to teach in her school. I taught 14 classes and saw 680 students a week! It was unbelievable to an American educator. Soon after I returned home, one of the 680 students and I began a correspondence that continued for

nine years. When she told me she was getting married in October 2010, I knew I had to go back. In some ways, it was like I was returning home. The bride and groom met us in the airport in Shanghai. The school where I taught was so welcoming, and many of my colleagues were still there.

Millions of miles away, and it was clear: My return

that, with all roads leading to LREI!

(now called Third Grade) for over 40 years.

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Amy Zimmerman graduated from Yale University, where she studied literature. She went on to study drama and work in New York City as an actress, singer, director and producer. Since having children — all four of whom now attend LREI — she has been a full-time mother and has provided leadership on several boards, including the Empire State Pride Agenda, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Abbot Academy Association, and the West Village Nursery School, where she was Admissions

married her wife Tanya Wexler three times and is still hoping one of those times will be

WELCOME TO OUR NEW BOARD CHAIR

FAREWELL TOMICHAEL PATRICK ‘71

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and his countless contributions in ten years as board chair. Michael — a student at LREI from Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade — reconnected with LREI shortly after graduating from law school. He helped form and lead the LREI Alumni Association in the early 1980s, and was later elected by the Board as a general trustee, a position he held until 1992. When his son Ian chose to attend LREI, Michael got back involved. He was reelected to the Board in 1999 and was named board chair two years later. Under

able to attract the very best teachers, support families and students, renovate the Sixth Avenue campus and expand the Charlton Street building.


Alexis Wright Programs at Bank Street College of Education. He began his career in education at Rye Country Day School,

Alexis served as the middle school principal before leaving to become the middle school principal at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Alexis later moved back to Rye Country Day School, where he served as the Assistant Head of School before moving to Bank Street College. Originally from New York City, Alexis earned a B.S. in Human Ecology from Rutgers University and an

the University of Miami. He and his wife, Allison, live on the Upper West Side with

is the third generation to lead his family-owned real estate development company. He graduated from the University of

Law School, where he met his wife. They live in New York City with their two children, both in the Lower School, and dog.

Frank Portella has taught at LREI since 2005 and is now a sixth grade core teacher. He received a B.A. at New York University and

in English Education. Shortly after, Frank accepted a teaching scholarship at Temple University, where he earned another M.A. and taught undergraduate writing for several years. Frank won the Pan American Tournament in

coaches. Also a comic book enthusiast, he helps

Carrie Borows is a native New Yorker who, as a child, used to walk past LREI and daydream about having a family with children attending such a hip NYC school. She is a happy mother to a

happy wife to a partner of 11 years. She enjoys all family activi-ties including theater, NYC cultural excursions and family game night. She is passionate about every aspect of LREI and hopes to

-ment to her family.

Kaiko Marie Hayes is the Assistant Dean for Administration at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Prior to Tisch, Kaiko worked in the Bloomberg administration, most notably as Chief of

area of expertise is in local, national and international arts and cultural programming from her work in the Corporate Giving/Cul-tural Programs division at Altria/Philip Morris

She received a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, where she served on the Board of Directors. Kaiko also is a graduate of The Cambridge School of Weston, a progressive independent school located in Massachu-setts where she is a member of the board of trustees. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son, who will be an eighth grader at LREI this fall.

MEET OUR NEW TRUSTEES

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Years at LREI: 14 Where she is now: The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Class of 2012.

(Tundra Books, May 2011) Major: Photography Minor: Art Education

What inspired you to write the book?

mother and I decided to illustrate “Ones and Twos” together.

How did you split up the work? My mother handled the writing part but we split the illustrating pretty evenly. We would pick separate pages and work until we got stuck, and then trade and start where the other left

NELL JOCELYN ‘08

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ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

What projects are you working on at the moment?

How did LREI prepare you for college? I had a lot of opportunities to explore what I wanted to do in college. LREI helped me get two internships senior year, and I was always allowed to shape my assignments and projects, working them into what I was interested in (collage, photography, etc.).

What was your favorite class at LREI?

photo classes. Does your LREI class stay in touch? I still keep in touch with most of my friends from LREI. The Alumni

espresso beans — so we always text and call each other when we get our gifts.

What would be yourpost-college dream job?

the time I graduate, so I would love to teach art. Phil said

serious he was about that. I also would love to travel for a bit before I settle down.

Need an intern? Need an internship?

connect with other professionals in

the LREI community. Go to

linkedin.com and search for

“LREI.” Once a member, you

can post and view job openings,

network with people in your

industry and wear your LREI

LREI on the Road

Director Phil Kassen is coming to a city

near you!

After a successful spring event in Santa

his wife Diedre Wallace, we are arranging

alumni gatherings across the country. Some

towns on our to-visit list: Boston, D.C., San

Francisco, Seattle, Orlando and Chicago

Weigh in on where we go by emailing

[email protected].


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Starting this fall, visit lrei.org Email Laura Hahn at [email protected].

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LREI welcomed over 80 alumni to the 26th Annual Alumni Reunion, held on

campus. Classes ending in “1” and “6”

of all classes, as well as current and former

of celebration.

a lunch at Charlton Street. Alums of all years gathered later for an afternoon tea, during which Director Phil Kassen hosted

leadership in progressive education and our plans for the future.

[[Happy Birthday, Class of 1949!

1949 — 16 of them! — celebrated their 80th birthdays and 62nd year reunion at LREI. Each alum brought memorabilia and pictures of their families; some brought authored books, others brought paintings.Director Phil Kassen joined them for conversation, before they ended the school day in a very LREI

a dinner Saturday night and a brunch on Sunday morning.

REUNION2011


In the evening, alumni enjoyed wine and

Street Courtyard. Alumni Council President

Honorary Alumnus award, and Board

our Distinguished Alumnus award.

2. We will honor classes ending in “2” and

Sacks at [email protected] or ext. 291.

died at home on Saturday, March 5 after a long battle with lymphoma cancer. “She lived a full and good life as mother, musician, artist, community volunteer, lover of life and fun, and was beloved by very many,” writes her son Paul.

Carol Oates, Stephen King, Toni Morrison and more, died on August 10, 2010 in New York. She is survived by her husband Bill Koster and

, who attended LREI for four years, died on

LREI of his passing.

, dearly loved son of Christine Semenenko and Anthony

and graduated from Hartwick College in 2009. His passion was for all things metal: both in sculpture and music. -NYT

John Cipriano, a valued member of the LREI community for over 25 years, died

college guidance associate.

Edmund O. Rothschild

and gentle person and a loving mother to her three children and wife to husband Amos.

Sheran Theodoro, a longtime Greenwich Village resident, died March 20. She was the loving wife of husband Gus and parent to daughters

In Memoriam

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writes,

physically, culturally and politically, of course. The weather is great!”

, who lives in

doing social studies, working as a commu-

Director of Diversity and Community, and her partner Wendy Curtis serve on Morningside

which Levine started and chairs. The group works to build relations with the community

, emerita professor of philosophy at University of Massachusetts Boston, sent LREI her recently published book

of our copy, she wrote: “For the schoolthat is always in my thoughts.”

who lives in Staten Island, writes, “After approximately six years, I have

at times, left me in a wheelchair. I am now pain free and almost 100 percent mobile.

is a Visiting Fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. In November 2010, his book, “Solving the Re-

-trial Relations Section recently awarded him

-ing Book in Labor Economics and Industrial Relations for 2010.

emails, “Clark and I

and are looking forward to our golden one next year. He is gold and our relationship is yummy. Our grandchildren (all in California) are also yummy, but too far away.”

, who lives in Brooklyn, co-authored two health reference

and “Alcohol,” for ABC-CLIO, and was appointed to the National Addiction Studies Accreditation Commission.

years in academic ophthalmology, 20 years of which he was Professor and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. “I help out at our local Veterans

Administration Hospital in Iowa City, working with our residents and medical students, but have been spending the majority of my time doing photogra-phy, traveling and spend-ing time with our four children and two granddaughters,” he writes via email.

In May, was elected chairman of the Metropolitan Museum

writes, “In my semi-retirement, my wife and I have discovered home swaps,

started up Rock Around the Block Tours (rockaroundtheblocktours.com), walking tours about rock history in New York City. One of them, of course, is set in the Village.”

as does his fellow LREI classmate and friend . He emails,

“Our daughter Emily (who prefers Emma) is a freshman at Bryn Mawr. She did a pioneering independent study project on the achieve-ment gap in her senior year of high school in Teaneck. Our son, Sam, is a junior in the Science & Technology Academy of Bergen County Academies, the county-wide magnet school, where he is lead trumpet player in the

has been with the U.S.

-ues at Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Conn. “Life has been good so far. Our son Michael is in Ph.D. program in Rus-sian at the University of Virginia. Our daughter Kathryn is sophomore at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va.”

starred in Arlene

coming to the 6/4 reunion, plan on taking in

“I was in the original production 10 years ago

received an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Social Network.”

CLASS NOTES

titled “Sombras” at Sala Deus Máquina in Madrid, Spain.

Alumni Calendar 2011-2012

SAVE THE DATE!


and Valerie

venture called The Simple Gifts Project (simplegiftsproject.org) which they hope will help schools around the country raise money, while at the same time raising money for worthy programs serving children here and abroad. The project launched this fall and they already have schools signed on in places as diverse as Aspen and inner city Baltimore.

, owner/executive chef of Fetch Bar and Grill (fetchbarandgrill.com), competed on “Chopped” on Food Network

spread the news via the LREI Alumni Facebook page.

is living in the Bay Area, running the internship program for

still remains my top educational experience

“Feel free to contact me if you are thinking about computer science, are interested

and the open Web!”

This fall, , who is work-ing on his doctorate in psychology at Yeshiva University, will intern with ,

at Summers at LREI this year.

(aplumberstale.com) premiered in

shared via Facebook.

is currently starring as Peter Parker in the Broadway production

was everything we could have hoped for: an -

music and lyrics for the show, has said. Reeve,

who still plays in his band Carney (carneyband.com) with his brother

, performed his single “Rise Above,” featuring Bono and The Edge, on the

is teaching second grade at Stevens Cooperative School in Hoboken

graduated from Columbia University in 2010 with a B.A. in English and philosophy. He is currently a master student at Beijing University, studying ancient Chinese literature with a focus on pre-Han philosophy, science and customs.

, who graduated from

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship for 2011-2012. While she will spend the majority of her 10-month stint in Indonesia teaching high school students, Lily also plans to

but I have initially proposed to research the

performance,” she said via email. “Needless to say, I am unbelievably excited and honored to be among the ranks of past and present Fulbright Scholars.”

stars in the independent movie “The Hungry Ghosts” (thehungryghostsmovie.com), which was an

-national Film Festival, the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Warsaw Interna-tional Film Festival.

co-authored “Ones and Twos”

by Tundra Books.

9/14 Alumni Cocktail Party

LREI on the Road: Chicago Time and place TBD

LREI on the Road: OrlandoTime and place TBD

Young Alumni BreakfastCharlton Street 9:00 a.m.

Alumni College PanelCharlton Street, 6:15 p.m.

Young Alumni Taco Day

Homecoming Basketball Game & PartyThompson Street Athletic Center,

LREI on the Road: San Francisco Time and place TBD

LREI on the Road: SeattleTime and place TBD

LREI Art AuctionTime and place TBD

Charlton Street, time TBD

Visit lrei.org for upcoming events throughout the year.

join us

portraits of his classmates as an honors project—and a gift

classmates during the process, mainly because the nature of LREI had made it so that I already knew them well,”

it: The portraits were fun to shoot because, more than

a personality and a character of people I knew and loved.” Lucas will attend Amherst College, where he plans to study anthropology, environmental studies or photography.

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