Little Red School House
and Elisabeth Irwin High School

A Pre-K-12 Progressive Education

Our Program

Our Principals' Blog

Please enjoy these posts from our lower, middle and high school divisions:

Our Most Recent Posts

List of 3 news stories.

  • Welcome Back!

    Amanda Finigan
    Dear Families,
     
    Welcome to the 2023 - 2024 school year. I am excited to be a part of this community and be on this journey with you. We want to give a LREI welcome to the students and families of the Class of 2027! They are a group of 66 strong, and have entered the high school with excitement. When I visited them on their Ramapo trip yesterday, I was overwhelmed by their kindness and enthusiasm. They were eager to share stories about their adventure and didn’t let the heat disturb their time. Real bonds were formed! They are clearly showing up and are ready for 9th grade.
     
     
     
     
    Our 10th through 12th graders have also shown up for the school year in really wonderful ways, engaging immediately in community building activities, in the Junior Trip Lab, and in College Class and Senior Project Lab. I’ve enjoyed connecting with students about the first three days of school and their excitement for the new school year. 
     
     
     
     
    I mentioned my love for music during the first morning meeting with 10th - 12th grade students on Wednesday. As a new member of the LREI community I expressed that I want to use this year to listen and learn. I promised that I would “respect the architect” as the rapper, MF Doom said in his song "Next Levels." They are the architects of our school and I am looking forward to learning from them and with them.
     
    I want to remind you of some upcoming opportunities to connect to our high school community and to learn more aboutyour student’s program. Below are the dates for the parent coffees, and the 9th/10th and 11th/12th Curriculum Nights, which I hope you are able to attend. The parent coffee will allow for families and I to get to know one another, and Curriculum Night affords the opportunity to hear from your student’s teachers. All will build and strengthen your connection to LREI and help support you in navigating this school year.
     
    HS Parent Coffees
    Tuesday, September 12 at 8:00 a.m.
    Friday, September 15 at 8:00 a.m.
    Wednesday, September 20 at 8:00 a.m.
     
    9th/10th Curriculum Night
    Tuesday, September 19 @ 6:30 p.m.
     
    11/12th Curriculum Night
    Wednesday, October 4 @ 6:30 p.m.
     
     
    And finally, I am including as an attachment a “Who to Contact'' page for the high school. I hope this will help you get the information you need as quickly as possible. Please know that we, along with your advisors and grade-level deans, are here for your questions as this school year gets up and running. Please don’t hesitate to reach out as needed.
     
    Reminder:
    From Kalil Oldham, Director of Equity and Community - 
    For families new to LREI, we ask you to RSVP here for one of three sessions of LREI 101, to be held in the first two weeks of school. 

  • Welcome Back!

    Heather McKay
    Welcome back to a new school year! The first day of school is one of my favorite days of the year. Though I loved the first day as a teacher, and beginning to build the classroom community, as the principal I get a peek into every grade’s first day. Students are beginning to get to know their classrooms, the routines and the responsibilities that come with their grade. Soon the writing and drawing they are doing will fill their classroom walls. At lunch, second, third and fourth graders chatted with new classmates and connected with old friends. There are things that are familiar and so many opportunities for a fresh start, new learning and new experiences. 
    Many of our younger students listen to the story, First Day Jitters on their first day of school. In this story (spoiler alert) it turns out that the person who is nervous about going to school is the new principal! She shared many of the worries that many of your children may have had these past few weeks. This year marks my twentieth working in schools and I will admit that though I can’t wait to come to school on the first day, I too still have jitters. Our teachers do a wonderful job of acknowledging the combination of feelings that we all may have when we start something new. We can feel both excited and nervous at the same time or even a little sad that summer is over. 

    Though there is nothing like the energy of the first day of school, I also welcome the days that follow when students begin to settle into their classrooms and we all begin to find a rhythm. Students who showed hesitation at first are participating in discussions or playing with a new friend. There is more student autonomy and purpose. This is just the beginning and a great year of learning is ahead. 
     
    Reminder:
    From Kalil Oldham, Director of Equity and Community - 
    For families new to LREI, we ask you to RSVP here for one of three sessions of LREI 101, to be held in the first two weeks of school. 

    Heather McKay
    Lower School Principal
     
     

  • Welcome Back!

    Nathan Sokol-Margolis
    When the sixth and eighth graders came into the lunch room yesterday, it was putting theory to the test. We had counted tables, we had counted chairs, we had ensured egresses; we were ready. However, as is sometimes the case, what you plan does not play out as you expect. Kids were crunched in a way we did not want. At the end of the introduction to lunch, they were off again, but one table of eighth-grade boys stuck around. Working alongside faculty, they helped us rearrange the room to make it comfortable for everyone. 

    In the Middle School, just as is true of Middle Schoolers, we make grand plans. We imagine what could be and then try to carve the path to get there. Students here do the same. At the start of the year, they say, "This is who I am this year," or in a class, they say, "This is what I am imagining for my project," but as time passes, and what we picture turns to reality, our plans often play out differently than expected. This truth is one of the characteristics of life that we begin to learn in Middle School, particularly at the start of a year. On the first day of the year, kids rush in the front door, and we see who has grown, who is making a new fashion choice, and who is associating with whom. These choices are reflections of plans that a student has created for themselves. But just as our plans for the setup of the lunchroom did not play out, kids' plans often shift and change along the way, leading them to new and unexpected places. The key is that they are in a community where this change is supported and welcomed when someone desires it. Just as the eighth graders came to our rescue in the lunchroom, every kid here receives support throughout this year so they can change who they are and who they want to be if they so decide.

    A few reminders for the coming days:
    • All students receive lunch and snacks everyday. Please do not send your child with their own food unless requested by the school for specific events..
    • Tomorrow, Friday, September 8, we are going on an all day, all division, trip to Govenor’s Island. Please be sure your child has the following:
      • A packed lunch and snack that does not include any seeds or nuts
      • A water bottle
      • A hat
      • Appropriate clothing and shoes for running around
    • Next week are our Welcome Conferences. They are scheduled for every morning from 8:00-8:45 am. You can sign up here. Students won’t be able to enter the Middle School until 8:45 am. If you need to drop your child off before that, please know that our security guard and administrators are in Little Red Square beginning at 8:10 am and will keep an eye on the students.
    • From Kalil Oldham, Director of Equity and Community - For families new to LREI, we ask you to RSVP here for one of three sessions of LREI 101, to be held in the first two weeks of school.

    I’m looking forward to seeing how plans morph and find new avenues of fruition this year.
     
    Nathan Sokol-Margolis
    Middle School Principal

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