A leader in progressive education since 1921, LREI teaches children to be independent thinkers who work together to solve complex problems. Students graduate from our diverse community as active participants in our democratic society, with the creativity, integrity, and courage to bring meaningful change to the world.
Approved by the Board of Trustees, October 6, 2014
Dear LREI Community,
I remember three school trips from my childhood. The first — In fifth grade, we went to see the premier of Disney’s Robin Hood at Radio City Music Hall. I remember liking the movie a lot and was mesmerized by the grandeur of the theater. I spent as much time looking around, feeling so small in this palace, feeling the importance of the experience. I felt closer to the lives of those who were alive when the music hall was built than I ever had and certainly like I was learning more about them than I was about Robin and Little John. No one really talked to us about the building, nor about the movie, and I had so many questions. An excursion
I remember our only overnight. In sixth grade we went to the New Jersey School of Conservation (where LREI’s third grade went for many years) and just experienced so much. We spent days with our classmates and really got to know each other (who knew that Brian Stayziak walked in his sleep?) I still remember the meatballs. We made crafts and took hikes and got to know each other deeply and learned to trust. I also had my heart broken for the first time but that is another story. I loved this trip, but the learning ended when we got on the bus for the long trip home. A trip
The third trip was when the middle school newspaper staff (I was the paper’s photographer) visited The New York Times when its printing plant was still in the old Times building on 43rd Street. We met with reporters, learned about the editorial process, watched type being set and saw the papers flying off of the printing presses. I felt like a member of the team. These were my people and I finally understood how the whole thing worked. We talked about this trip for weeks and the newspaper advisor never failed to remind us of some bit of advice that our fellow reporters shared when we were in the newsroom. Fieldwork
Little Red and Elisabeth Irwin students have always participated in fieldwork — the carefully constructed experience of getting closer to a person, a people, a time, a place — that was pioneered by Elisabeth Irwin and continues today in the hands of the teachers who have followed in her footsteps. In the pages of this magazine you will read about the whys and hows of our fieldwork. For those of you who are reading this many years after leaving LREI, and you remember a trip that was just so important to your learning, please be in touch. I want to hear your stories. Did you participate in June Camp? Let us know. Did you go down in the mines in high school? Please share your memories! Were you in the Class of '17 and did you participate in the first year of the eleventh grade trip? Do you still think about this experience? We want to know.
See you out in the world,
Phil Kassen, P’18, ’22 Director
Little Red and Elisabeth Irwin students have always participated in fieldwork that was pioneered by Elisabeth Irwin and continues today in the hands of the teachers who have followed in her footsteps.
Two guiding questions of the 4s social studies curriculum are, "Who am I?" and "Who are we?" As a way to answer these questions, the 4s participate in home visits each autumn. For these visits, small groups of children (three to four) take trips to each other’s homes during the school day with a teacher. These are not playdates, but rather a chance for children to learn about and appreciate our different families and lives outside of school. The home visits offer a unique opportunity for each child to feel valued, and to illustrate the commonalities in our families (they love and care for each other) and the differences (families can have different grown-ups and children, live in different neighborhoods, and eat different foods).
On each home visit, the hosting child is the guide, showing their trip partners special parts of their neighborhood and meaningful aspects of their home. Children complete observational drawings of noticings along the journey, and gather information about common elements of each visit (mode of transportation, floor number, neighborhood in the city, etc.). The home visit work continues back in the classroom, where children discuss, answer each other's questions, and analyze data.
Kindergarten students visit a local apple orchard, where they pick apples while learning about farming, growing, and harvesting.
First grade artists study lines and composition. This exploration takes them into our neighborhood, learning from the city around them.
Second grade classroom experiences help provide the context for fieldwork. Second graders work best when they know the "why" or connection between what they are studying and the focus of their fieldwork. Fieldwork experiences aim to harness student curiosity, generate interest, and tap into prior knowledge. Teachers carefully select and pre-trip fieldwork locations to support children's understanding of various social studies topics, such as city geography and how specific city systems work.
Second graders also explore city government by identifying problems in a city and learning more about how they are solved to help people get what they need. While doing this fieldwork as social scientists, children learn to concretely record what they see and experience rather than what they think they see, want to see, or imagine. This fieldwork is later used to help create working maps of the city using various materials, to answer or pose questions, to clarify information, and to build a city model towards the end of the year.
Third graders visit Inwood Hill Park to do some critical observing. Students consider what Manhattan may have looked like long ago and write focusing on each of their senses.
Fourth graders learn handson about the various jobs and histories present in our city through fieldwork at Oko Farms, Hawthorne Valley, and more!
By Ian Patrick ‘03
As is common with LREI alums, service and social justice have underpinned my personal and professional life, ultimately leading me to the Tenement Museum, a New York City institution dedicated to sharing the stories of immigrants, migrants, and refugees who lived in the tenements to inspire connections between past and present and build a more inclusive and expansive American society.
The Museum welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, including tens of thousands of students, into our Orchard Street tenements to learn about the lives of workingclass families who never thought their stories would be told but who helped build the city and the nation. Walking into our historic tenement buildings is a visceral experience. You not only see the natural aging of these centuries-old structures, you also visit the recreated apartments of families who called these spaces home throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. These explorations happen in small groups to facilitate conversation and connection.
An immersive, interactive experience to build knowledge, foster empathy, and reflect on parallels between past and present? Count LREI in. So far this school year, we have welcomed multiple LREI classes, including high school courses exploring themes such as “What it Means to Be American” and “Poverty and Inequality in America.” But most common is an annual field trip from LREI’s fourth grade, visiting the Museum as part of the curriculum’s first foray into immigration and migration in New York.
A school visit to the Museum is unlike most other class field trips. Led by one of our highly trained (and equally passionate) educators, small groups of students step into the historic halls of New York City tenements for a 60-to-90-minute engaging experience. Conversation-based, each tour explores both the physical fabric of the building as well as the stories of real families who called the tenements home, such as an Irish family in the 1860s, a Russian Jewish family in the early 1900s, an Italian family in the 1930s, and a Chinese family in the 1970s, among others. For LREI fourth graders, this exploration provides historical context on the rich history of immigration to the City, illuminating the diversity of newcomers who have sought out New York as a place to build a new life for their family.
The LREI approach is never more apparent than on a Tenement Museum tour. These class visits truly are a conversation with the Museum educator as LREI students are (unsurprisingly) interested in digging deeper; it is known that LREI classes ask challenging questions, provide new observations, and share thought-provoking reflections. Students aren’t simply interested in how many layers of wallpaper there are in 97 Orchard Street (a lot!); they want to know things like how an Irish Catholic family might have felt living in a neighborhood known in the 1860s as Kleindeutschland (meaning Little Germany), or what community-building looked like for Jewish immigrant women on the Lower East Side took who organized the Kosher Meat Boycott of 1902, ultimately and successfully lowering the price. Students are invited to interrogate the history of these tenements and their residents as they illuminate the threads between past and present — and LREI classes lean into this idea of learning as a laboratory for critical thinking.
The best part is that the conversation does not end once an LREI class leaves the Museum; it begins. Back in the classroom, the family stories explored inside the tenements help to provide a human element to the broader understanding of immigration and migration over time in New York. Through both the Tenement Museum approach and the LREI educational philosophy, these fourth graders are helping to use the past to consider the present and plan for the future. Together, they will think about the lives of these tenement residents to build empathy and foster a connection to our similarities as opposed to our differences. Through fieldwork experiences like a trip to the Tenement Museum, LREI students help to build a better tomorrow.
The best part is that the conversation does not end once an LREI class leaves the Museum; it begins.
IAN PATRICK,
’03
By Eliza Zygmuntowicz, Middle School Science Teacher
The seventh grade science class at LREI has been diving deep into Earth science this year, focusing on weather, climate, and water. As part of their research, students embarked on fieldwork to Clearpool Model Forest and the Cross River Dam and Reservoir (Westchester, New York). This trip is designed to further student understanding of watersheds and their critical role in our environment and water supply.
In the classroom, students lay the groundwork for these hands-on experiences by studying the water cycle and modeling the movement of water molecules across different parts of the Earth.
One of the most exciting aspects of the trip was collecting and testing water samples, giving students an up-close look at the health of the water, and allowing them to analyze how human activities can impact natural resources. The fieldwork directly ties into their broader studies on climate change, as the class prepares for an upcoming project on mitigating flooding and understanding how the health of watersheds affects the overall well-being of communities.
In the classroom, students lay the groundwork for these hands-on experiences by studying the water cycle and modeling the movement of water molecules across different parts of the Earth. They track patterns to understand where most of the water on our planet is located and how it travels through the atmosphere and ground. Using simple materials like paper and markers, students also explore the concept of a watershed by simulating runoff and creating models that show how water flows, collects, and carries pollution along the way.
During their visit to the Cross River Dam, students had the opportunity to observe firsthand one of the reservoirs that supplies New York City with drinking water. The trip gave them a glimpse into how vast and essential these water systems are to our daily lives. They learned how watersheds — the areas of land where water collects and drains into larger bodies of water — affect the health of our drinking water and our communities.
At Clearpool Model Forest, the seventh graders got their hands dirty — literally! Equipped with nets and an enthusiasm for discovery, they explored the pond, finding beetles, tadpoles, and other small creatures that call the watershed home. This hands-on experience allows students to directly engage with the ecosystem and understand the biodiversity that thrives
within a healthy watershed. Afterward, they hiked around the lake, observing best management practices in place to reduce polluted runoff and safeguard the watershed.
Before their watershed fieldwork, students met with two members of the NYC Parks Department. Park officials brought an enviroscape model to their LREI classroom visit, to demonstrate how pollution enters our water systems and what can be done to prevent it. This interactive lesson helped students visualize the effects of pollution in urban environments and the importance of responsible land management to protect our water supplies.
Through these combined experiences — both in the classroom and out in the field — our seventh graders are developing a comprehensive understanding of water systems, and their critical role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and communities. The knowledge gained from their fieldwork at Clearpool and Cross River will be crucial as they continue their studies on climate change. Students focus on and engage in real-world solutions to problems like flooding, runoff, and the preservation of clean drinking water.
By Sara Momii Roberts P‘33, ‘35, Eighth Grade Humanities Teacher
Each year, the eighth grade class embarks on an unforgettable journey to Washington, D.C. This trip is not a sightseeing excursion — it is a fieldwork opportunity to explore the foundations of U.S. citizenship, government, and democracy through firsthand experiences. By visiting some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, museums, and cultural spaces, students begin to connect the dots between historical events, laws, and the ongoing challenges of shaping a fair and just society. Students grapple with national hardships and celebrate historical triumphs and joy. Along the way, students bond as a community in preparation for our year together in humanities.
A few highlights on our itinerary capture the heart of students’ exploration: A tour of the U.S. Capitol helps students consider the work of lawmakers that affect every American. Encountering the crypt and Statuary Hall in the Capitol Rotunda, we think about who is represented in the halls of Congress and how our national story is told through these spaces. Our visit to the Supreme Court details the importance of judicial review. One of the most poignant moments came when we saw artifacts from the Little Rock Nine, a history we studied before leaving. A visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture is a transformative experience where students explore the centrality of African American history to American history. By exploring exhibits ranging from the harrowing journey of the Middle Passage to the triumphs of the Civil Rights Movement, and touring Fredrick Douglass’ house, students find themselves immersed in stories of resilience, innovation, and justice in ways impossible from within classroom walls.
Visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is another unforgettable experience that transforms classroom lessons into a personal journey. For eighth graders, walking through the museum’s exhibits — bearing witness to survivor testimonies and seeing artifacts from the events — engages them in a way classroom study cannot. By “learning in the field," students connect their understanding of history to their lives and the present-day. This immersive experience deepens their grasp of history and empowers them to become thoughtful citizens who recognize the weight of their choices in shaping a more compassionate future. These visits remind students that
history is not just about dates and facts, but about the people whose lives shaped, and continue to shape, our world.
In addition to these iconic landmarks, we spend time exploring the vibrant neighborhoods of D.C., particularly the NoMa and Union Market districts. Here, students discover how street art can transform urban spaces. They see artists use their work to reflect on society, critique political issues, and add beauty to the landscape.
Another powerful aspect of this trip is the opportunity to build community and create memories with classmates. Walking through the National Mall together, sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, and sharing experiences from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery build strong bonds between students. It is a formative moment in their emotional and social development.
Upon returning to school, students reflect on their experiences and consider what person or event they believe should be memorialized on the National Mall. They design and build their own memorials, applying the lessons of the trip to their personal understanding of history, identity, and the national narrative.
This journey to Washington, D.C., is more than just a trip — it is a way for students to see themselves as active participants in the story of the United States. By stepping out of the classroom and into the nation’s capital, they further develop their power of civic engagement, the importance of historical memory, and their role in shaping a future built on justice and equality.
By Daniel Li, High School Science Teacher
Our high school science curriculum follows what we call “modeling” instruction. We expose students to phenomena in the world around them and ask them to take data and make observations, with the objective of constructing a representation or model that accurately represents what they have seen. By emphasizing that this is a collaborative, discussion-based process, students come to respect the value of individual viewpoints. Their classmates may propose critical components of the model they have not considered. Vice-versa, they might have a question or thought that neatly explains a lingering point of confusion. This is precisely how science is conducted in "real-life" laboratories.
Dr. Catherine Hartley, a professor of psychology at New York University, has kindly collaborated with my Introduction to Neuroscience class for many years. We had the opportunity to visit her lab for the first time this fall. Dr. Hartley studies decision-making and risk aversion in adolescents and is passionate about sharing her work with students in the city. During our visit to NYU, we were able to experience multiple components of the scientific process. Students participated in a mock “study” assessing their risk aversion in an online task quantifying their success in gathering honey. They learned that these tasks could be completed in parallel with an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scan to determine what parts of the brain were most oxygenated at the time of task completion, suggesting that these brain regions were responsible for decision-making. Finally, they were able to physically examine human brains and make comparisons to the brains of different animals, as well as brain tissue suffering from a disease state.
This visit highlighted the parallels between our classroom experiences and the real work of scientists. First, Dr. Hartley asked questions about a phenomenon: how are decision-making and risk-taking different in adolescents vs. adults? Then, she collected both behavioral data in the form of computer tasks and functional data in the form of brain scans. Finally, she created a model with the information she gathered, concluding that adolescents showed less risk aversion owing to the decreased activation of brain regions associated with executive “stop” processes. None of this is performed in a vacuum, of course, as the lab is filled with graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and lab technicians working in tandem. Very few scientific publications are authored by a single individual.
Few fields are as fertile for active investigation in the classroom as neuroscience. After all, many of the discoveries and phenomena we learn about happened only a scant few decades (or sometimes years) in the past. As our LREI students carry out their own inquiries, they are following in the footsteps of modern scientific pioneers like Dr. Catherine Hartley.
They were able to physically examine human brains and make comparisons to the brains of different animals, as well as brain tissue suffering from a disease state.
By Nick Wight, High School Music Teacher
The fall instrumental music electives at the High School focus primarily on the music of the African diaspora: jazz, blues, gospel, soul, R&B, funk, samba, calypso, and hip hop, to name a few styles that apply to this broad category. The tenth grade Introduction to Jazz & Blues class digs into learning about the fundamentals of blues-based music, from the Mississippi Delta to its evolutions with jazz and early R&B music. The eleventh and twelfth grade From Jazz to Hip Hop class builds on this foundation, exploring the reciprocal influence that jazz (and its substyles) have made on hip hop and rap, and vice versa.
After learning about the history and context of this music, the majority of coursework deals with the creative process through honing craft, discipline, and development of musical skills through the performance of repertoire relative to the previously mentioned framework.The showcase of students' hard work is a culminating music assembly where they perform songs for their peers across all grades. The missing piece of this puzzle experience is seeing diverse live music performed by seasoned professionals. While I often admire our students’ rich and eclectic taste in music, the goal for fieldwork this trimester was to expose students to music they might not seek out on their own.
In the fall, eleventh and twelfth graders attended an outdoor concert of Grammy Award-nominated Afro-Cuban singer Daymé Arocena. This event in Madison Square Park was part of Carnegie Hall Citywide, in collaboration with Madison Square Park Conservancy and Harlem Art Park. At this concert, students experienced a poet’s spoken word segment as the opening act, followed by Daymé’s band’s infusion of traditional Cuban instruments, rhythm structures, and folkloric melodies combined with neo-soul, jazz, and pop sensibilities.
In the weeks following this concert, students were visited by guest teaching artist Amy Knoles, an electronic music composer, percussionist, and percussion faculty at the CalArts Herb Alpert School of Music. Amy spent the morning providing an interactive workshop, focused on live electronic drumming. She worked with students while bringing together various drum machines, sound samples, and sequencers in order to manually compose and loop an electronic song in real-time. One can hear some examples of this via LREI's Instagram.
While I often admire our students’ rich and eclectic taste in music, the goal for fieldwork this trimester was to expose students to music they might not seek out on their own.
A combined group of music students from the tenth through twelfth grade instrumental class and Susan Glass's vocal music theater elective attended a series of concerts produced by Jazz House Kids. This series, called “Jazz at One,” is part of Trinity Church’s famed “Music at One” series. This iteration’s theme, “Long Walk to Freedom,” was inspired by Nelson Mandela and the 30th anniversary of South African democracy. Not only did students experience world-class music live, for free, during their school day, but they were also able to meet the artists, ask questions, and bring back new inspiration to their own instrumental/vocal studies.
The bands that performed at “Jazz at One” were diverse in size, instrumentation, and style, yet all connected to the central theme of the concert series. Lance Bryant & Shout! is a 17-piece big band that mainly played Lance’s original songs, drenched in the blues, jazz, and gospel styles. Lance often collaborates with venerated South African pianist, Abdullah Ibrahim, and was previously the director of the Count Basie Orchestra. On the late famed trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie’s 117th birthday, the seven-piece Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience performed a variety of music showcasing Dizzy’s love of the African, South American, and Caribbean music cultures. The band was led by bassist John Lee and drummer Tommy Campbell (both former members of Dizzy Gillespie’s band).
Not only did students experience world-class music live, for free, during their school day, but they were also able to meet the artists.
The series closed with the incredible, energetic, 12-piece Ndlovu Youth Choir from South Africa, fresh off a concert the previous night at Carnegie Hall! The choir hails from the Moutse Valley in rural Limpopo and was the first to make it to America’s Got Talent finals. They performed a medley of songs by South African trumpeter and activist Hugh Masekela — including renditions of pop songs like “Higher Love,” “Africa,” and many more.
Jazz House Kids is a community arts organization founded in Montclair, New Jersey, and is regarded as one of the nation’s top pre-collegiate music training programs. Coincidentally, they recently opened a New York City campus in partnership with Trinity Youth After School, which offers a jazz education program several days per week of small group lessons and ensembles ranging from jazz combos to big band. With an open, auditionbased enrollment, it caught the interest of several LREI students who registered, auditioned, and were accepted into the program!
By Assistant Director Allison Isbell P‘22, ‘25, ‘28
Ten years ago, I had the privilege of working on a team of teachers to design what has become the junior class trip experience. It was an honor to work with this team and imagine the possibilities for student travel.
As we built the framework, we realized that we weren’t designing trips for juniors; we were creating a process through which juniors would identify their own topics and find their way to places where they would study. We asked so many questions at that time, not the least of which was:
What happens if our students want to study really hard topics, where there are no easy answers, and where the narratives are systemic, deep, and increasingly complex?
During the past 10 years of junior research trips, we have learned over and over again that our juniors will push both their teachers and themselves beyond comfortable boundaries, and continuously exceed our (very high) expectations. Each year, eleventh grade students reach for new topics, deepen their interrogations, and show up with curiosity and bravery. Each class follows the legacy of the juniors before them and helps to raise the bar for the class to follow.
But there is also a fundamental difference in the work of juniors today. When we began this project, it felt like a privilege (whether it should have or not). It unfolded as an exercise in pre-service, understanding civic engagement, and listening to and learning from others. All this is in anticipation of the communities our students will eventually join after graduation.
Today, in the 2024-25 school year, this trip project is not a privilege, it is an imperative. Our juniors are not engaging to learn skills for their futures; they are engaging in this work for the present. This work is critical now.
This year, our juniors (the Class of 2026) have chosen to study the following issues: educational inequality; abortion bans and reproductive rights; climate disasters and sustainable futures; mass incarceration; homelessness; Indigenous rights; gun violence and community intervention.
Our juniors are facing down domestic crises on multiple fronts, and they are doing so fearlessly. From the systemic to the personal, they are simultaneously grappling with these issues, and believing that they can change them.
Our juniors are not engaging to learn skills for their futures; they are engaging in this work for the present. This work is critical now.
By Allison Isbell P‘22, ‘25, ‘28
Every year, eleventh grade students research, propose, plan, and participate in social justice trips. These trips take them all across the country to study various social justice topics in the field. Annie H. and Billie A., Class of 2025, share their experience traveling to Nashville, Tennessee, last year to study gun reform.
Billie: Our trip to Nashville, Tennessee, was guided by the essential questions, "Why do school shootings continue to happen?" and "What are the politically viable ways of reducing the occurrence of such shootings? We chose Nashville because Tennessee is a state that, in 2021, passed a law known as "permitless carry," where citizens are allowed to carry a loaded weapon, concealed or open, without having to secure a permit. Also, Tennessee is a state that has experienced both mass shooting events as well as death by firearm at increasing rates. Finally, Nashville was a critical location for our research study because its state legislature was in session, and several bills were debated while we were there, including some regarding gun ownership and safety and a bill to arm teachers.
Annie: Through our time in Nashville, we came to more deeply understand the challenges that common sense gun reform advocates face in this Republican supermajority state and the ways in which legislators and citizens are working to make incremental changes. During our week in Nashville, we had
full access to the Capitol building while their state legislature was in session as guests of the advocacy group Voices for a Safer Tennessee. Throughout our time, we learned the personal stories of three people who died because of unrestricted gun access.
Billie: After speaking with all of the advocates, despite all the loss and hardship, we were left with a feeling of hope — hope that, even in a supermajority state, there will be change soon. We saw hope in Shaundelle Brooks's work with Voices for a Safer Tennessee and in the recently passed Jillian's Law. And we saw hope in the high school protesters who regularly went to the Capitol and in the Tennessee Representatives who kept resisting, even though Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton tried to silence them.
Annie: We knew we would learn a lot from our trip to Nashville. But the experience of being in the Capitol for a week, alongside citizens who were fighting for change, was so powerful. It showed us that the concept of "We the people" is real and possible if we show up, use our voices, and be willing to take risks and be brave.
During our week in Nashville, we had full access to the Capitol building while their state legislature was in session.
Annie H.
Stephen Earl ’51
writes, “We went to the mines in Pennsylvania. We also went to a miner’s home on that trip; that was in the 1940s.”
Judy (Adelson) Locker ’57
writes, “When I was in the 9s at Little Red, we studied Mexico in social studies. We read books about Mexico, had guests from Mexico come to speak to our classes, and learned about Mexico's history. And, of course, we learned about Mexican food. From the start of our studies, we were promised a Mexican meal. I couldn't wait. I could taste the tortillas, the spicy sauces, the tacos. Finally, near the end of the unit, we went to a Mexican restaurant in the Village, down a few steps, dimly lit, tucked away from pedestrian traffic. I had insisted that the menu include tortillas. Never having had Mexican food before, I bit eagerly into my first tortilla. It tasted like bread, a bit drier, and I had never liked bread. I enjoyed the rest of the meal, but ashamed of my insistence on the tortilla as one of our foods, I carried what I hadn't finished around with me, hidden in my fist, for the rest of the day. I still remember how I loved that field trip, that we got to live the food and the atmosphere of what we had been learning and reading for months. I also remember how long I had to carry that tortilla and keep my hand clenched — until school was over and I could find a place to throw it where no one would know.”
Susan Toder ’55
writes, “My favorite memory from a class trip was eleventh grade when we went down in a coal mine in Pennsylvania. The miners were reluctant to take the class down because it was coed, and they said women didn’t belong in a mine. When we got down, we sang “Dark as a Dungeon.”
Steve Salzman ’60
writes, “Senior trip to New England in the fall of 1959. Two memories to share: 1. Sitting on the bus with Dr. Randolph Smith, the head of EI at the time. We just talked, but I have no memory of the topic. 2. On a chilly New England fall morning, starting to drink coffee to get warm — an addiction that has persisted my entire life. It was a most enlightening and enjoyable trip many years ago.”
Adria Fisher Price ’56
writes, “In tenth grade, our class studied the hardships of mine workers and learned of their hazardous working conditions. Our class went on a field trip to the Pennsylvania mine region, led by our tenth grade social studies teacher, Mr. Harold Kirschner. We were also accompanied by our beloved chorus teacher, Bob DeCormier. I have a clear memory of descending in a shaft elevator into the mine, wearing a miner’s helmet, as Bob led us singing the folk song, “Dark As A Dungeon.” In a recent conversation with classmate Judy Tarlau Claps, she recalled that the young residents of the mining town abandoned the town to avoid becoming miners.”
Michael Mahony ’67, Faculty 1973-75
writes, “All the EI class trips were memorable. They gave us shared experiences, often introducing us to people and cultures not found in Greenwich Village. Our ninth grade trip to Amish Country in 1964 included a stop at a farm market. While waiting for others to complete their purchases, several of us observed cows in an adjacent field forming what appeared to be a protective cordon. Indeed that was what it was. From behind the fence, between the legs of the picket line, we got to see a calf born. On that same trip, we visited a Pennsylvania coal town and went down into a coal mine on low rail cars. Nearby, we learned of an underground fire in an abandoned mine. Then, 35 years later, on a road trip with my 11-year-old son, we visited that same mine tour. The underground fire was still burning and had caused most of the town on the surface above the
mine to be abandoned by its residents. Then (I think it was the twelfth grade trip), we stopped overnight in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Several of us woke early to hike out from our motel onto the town beach to watch the sunrise.”
Bill Kellner ’69
writes, “My favorite field trip was a multi-day winter visit to Stokes State Forest in northwest New Jersey. I think it was ninth grade, so the winter of 1965-66. This was a science-oriented trip with an emphasis on winter biology. We experienced deep snow and walked across frozen lakes as we visited sites in what was, back then, quite a remote spot. Teachers I recall were Walter Bogan (science) and Lenore Drumheller. It was great to get out of the city andexperience a real winter, deep in the forest.”
Alexandra Klemer ’15
writes, “Our eighth grade trip to Washington, D.C., was one of the most memorable because it was only the second time I had been to Washington, but it was the first time I felt truly immersed in its rich history. In addition to sightseeing, including U.S. monuments, museums, institutions, and government buildings, we stopped in Gettysburg to retrace the history and famous speech of the American Civil War and go to Old Town Alexandria's historic district. This was one of my more memorable field trips because it came before a milestone such as graduating from middle school and moving up to high school. It was also when I realized that one day, I would like to move to Washington and potentially work in government due to my strong interest in history and policy.”
Students exploring mines as part of the junior class trip. This fieldwork experience is shared across generations of students, and is deeply rooted in LREI's history.
On Wednesday, December 18, alumni from all class years returned to the LREI. In the afternoon, young alumni in college visited the High School to see former teachers, reconnect with old friends, and play games in the High School library. From 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., the Alumni Office hosted the Larry Kaplan Alumni Basketball Game at the Thompson Street Gym. Alumni played against the High School varsity teams and LREI faculty and staff. Over 100 alumni came to play in the game or cheer on the players! Current and alumni families were also in attendance. After the game, alumni 21+ met up at a local bar for a happy hour. We look forward to seeing everyone at next year's game!
Reunion 2024 took place on Friday, May 31-Sunday, June 2, at 40 Charlton Street. Jazz drummer Denardo Coleman ’74 was honored as the Distinguished Alumnus. Dylan Zajac ’21 received the Michael Patrick Achievement Award for his work founding and running Computers 4 People, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting equity and access to technology. Antonio Valle, a longtime former Spanish teacher at the High School, was named the Honorary Alumnus.
We started the weekend with a lunch for alumni and current high school students in the courtyard. Alumni shared memories from their time at LREI and learned about student life today. On Friday evening we welcomed back young alumni for a rooftop party hosted by the Class of 2014. They reconnected with former classmates and teachers while enjoying a live DJ, photo booth, drinks, and food. We had an excellent turnout and look forward to our next young alumni celebration!
We had programming throughout the day on Saturday, including a lunch for anniversary classes and an open archive session. High school humanities teacher Ann Carroll presented “Elisabeth Irwin: A Life in the Village,” a workshop compiling her research on the life of our school’s founder. Violeta Picayo ’09 interviewed Dylan Zajac ’21 about starting his own nonprofit, and Denardo Coleman ’74 led a session on jazz music and Harmolodics — a musical philosophy and method of musical composition and improvisation created by his father, Ornette Coleman. The day concluded with a cocktail reception and brief award ceremony in the courtyard for all class years.
The annual street fair took place outside on Charlton Street, a wonderful community block party organized by LREI parents.
The event is open to the entire LREI community, as well as friends and neighbors. Parent and student volunteers ran booths with carnival games and arts and crafts.
The day included musical performances by students from all grade levels, street food from Cater to You, and rides!
Thank you to the amazing Street Fair co-chairs, Maren Berthelsen P’22, ’24, Sophia Lo P’29, Kelsey Nair P’31, ’35, Natalie Sanz ’00, P’31, P’33, for leading this event again.
Nancy Holden ’45
writes, “I started at Little Red in 1932. At 96, I’m still working and teaching and putting the principles of progressive education out where they can brace against the wind.”
Jane Roland Martin ’47
writes, “My new book, Preserving Planet Earth, was recently published by Routledge. It includes cover endorsements from Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature, and Paula Ehrlich, President of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. The book calls on young and old to avert a tragedy of Aristotelian proportions — the demise of the 'Mother Nature’ that has enabled our species to flourish — and explores the power of ordinary people to bring about large-scale cultural change.”
Stephen Earl ’51 is celebrating his 91st birthday!
Victor Reis ’53
writes, “For all those who saw the movie Oppenheimer, one of my (many) jobs was the same as General Groves (though now it's civilian Groves), who oversaw the first atomic bomb, while I oversaw the halting of U.S tests. But I do not look much like Matt Damon.”
Astrid Beigel ’54
writes, “After 70 years, I still have great memories of EI. After graduating, I received a Ph.D in psychology in 1969. I have worked as a psychologist in research, clinical work, management, and consultation all those years. I worked for the County of Los Angeles, Department of Mental Health for 43 years. Since my retirement six years ago, I have continued to serve on mental health-related committees nationally and contribute to changes in the field. I continue to have a good life in the great city of Los Angeles, where I have the opportunity to enjoy wonderful culture, outdoors, and people.”
Yvonne Korshak ’54
writes, “Greetings. My husband, Bob Ruben, and I are fine, chugging along and writing. I would be so pleased if some of you read my historical novel, Pericles and Aspasia: A Story of Ancient Greece, published in 2022. It's a finalist for the Chaucer Award for Early Historical Fiction. I miss those who have gone and think of you all.”
Please consider joining the Elisabeth Irwin Heritage Society with a planned gift to LREI. For more information, please contact Jenny Weil, Director of Advancement, at jweil@lrei.org or at 212.477.5320
— WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!
Please send us any milestones, exciting news, or updates about your life. Send your news and photos to alumni@lrei.org
Paul Warren ’56
writes, “I feel rewarded that my memoir, University Follies: Jewish Roots in a Jesuit University, was recently published. It includes memories of my Little Red and Greenwich Village years and has received good personal and editorial reviews. I have enjoyed bookstore readings, and now that I live in Vermont, I’m looking forward to a reading at Book Passages in San Francisco, where my late wife and I lived for 15 years.”
Peter B. Smith ’57
writes, “After nearly 20 years, I retired from my last teaching position at Green Mountain College. This small liberal arts college opened in 1834 and began specializing in environmental studies in the 1990s. Retiring in 2018, I was amazed that the college closed its doors for good just a year later (though I am sure I wasn’t the cause). Retired life is slow, but it has its interesting aspects. My wife and I live just outside Belmont, Vermont, and our most recent visitor was a black bear that climbed up the stairs onto our deck. It ate the pears Stephanie had left on the table. Our usual visitors are our son and daughter’s families.”
Sandra Hoeh ’59
lives in Hanover, New Hampshire, at a wonderful CCRC. Active in politics (N.H. — need lots of help!) and other activities.
Beverly Epstein Harpold ’60
writes, “I was president of SaddleBrooke Community Outreach when it was decided to start a thrift shop called the Golden Goose, with all proceeds going to kids (new clothing, books, tutoring, enrichment programs, and college scholarships). Twenty years later, we are bringing in more than 2 million dollars a year, with more than 96% of the money collected going to children and seniors. So much of this is because of the 450 volunteers who work at the Goose!”
Betty (Golden) Ramsland ’60
writes, “I’ve traveled the world for the past nine years, with two to three trips each year. I’ve met kindness and generosity wherever I’ve gone. My all-time favorite destination is the desert of Morocco.”
Tonia Shimin ’60
writes, “Greetings friends, recently I have been in the continued process of promoting the book I published on the work of my father, The Art of Symeon Shimin. You can visit the website (symeonshimin.com) for information on the artist and book. I have also had the pleasure of re-staging a few solo dances originally made for me. A rare treat to get back into the studio.”
Dr. Laura Wood Alexander ’61
is featured in an interview for Authority online magazine titled “5 Things Parents Can Do to Help Their Children Thrive and Excel.” You can read the article on Authority Magazine’s website (medium. com/authority-magazine).
Greta Berman ’61
retired in January 2021 from nearly 45 years teaching at Juilliard (& ca. 10 years in other places before that). She’s excited about new adventures. One major project is the book she’s writing on the history of the Juilliard String Quartet.
Jill Oriane Tarlau ’61
writes, “My finest achievement is three daughters and seven grandchildren. My second finest is a successful career as a bookbinder, specializing in embroidered bookbindings. This was accomplished while living in France, although my bindings are also in several American collections and libraries.”
Stephen Bonime ’62
writes, “To celebrate my 80th birthday, I revived Music Divine (an early music [I THINK] unaccompanied singing group I started in 2005 and ran until 2011).
Our return concert of great choral music from around 1500 was this December in St. Ignatius of Antioch Church on 87th Street at West End Avenue. For more information, please write to me at steve.bonime@gmail.com, with the subject 'Music Divine.'”
Paul J. Golden ’62
writes, “My wife Ellen and I are expecting our first great-grandchild in March 2025.”
Bunny Harvey ’63
writes, “I spent six weeks last spring as a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome. I have been a fellow of the Academy for 50 years. I wonder if there are others from LREI?”
Peter Orris ’63
writes, “Summarizing what you have been up to since graduating in one to three sentences is well beyond my abilities to condense, but I would take this opportunity to greet all in the Class of ’63. I remain in Chicago, where I continue to teach and see some patients (now entirely those with illnesses produced by environmental conditions). I continue to live with my daughter, her husband, and my granddaughter, with a son just north of Evanston. I always like to see folks from our class, if any are coming through town. All the best.”
Peter Knobler ’64
is writing his own stories in his voice for a memoir about growing up at a pivotal time after writing other people’s stories in other people’s voices for 40 years (the autobiographies of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Carville and Mary Matalin, Ann Richards, and Bill Bratton). EI and Little Red make significant appearances.
Tom Hurwitz ’65
writes, “My documentary film, Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-man in the Waters, just won the Peabody Award in the Arts category at a ceremony in Los Angeles on June 9. We were proud because the Peabodys recognize excellence in story-telling. My next project, on Israel/Palestine, is in the beginning stages. I look back with joy at the arts and humanities curriculum at EI.”
Rowan Snyder, Jill Rubin, and Beth Weinstock from the Class of 1965
write, “The EI Class of 1965 continues to hold class reunions. Jill Rubin and Beth Weinstock organize them and are well attended, with over 20 participants (the majority of surviving members of the class). The sessions are on Zoom and run for two hours or more.”
Terry Fox ’66
is an arts professor in New York University’s Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing at the Tisch School of the Arts.
Paul Solman ’66
writes, “I am still reporting for the PBS NewsHour (40th year), but am also very engaged as board chair of the anti-polarization American Exchange Project, which embeds high school seniors from all over the country right after graduation in communities radically different from their own. 500 this summer. Transformative? Please check out the website. Haven't yet been able to get EI involved, but hoping to!”
Nora Guthrie ’67
just finished 30 years at Woody Guthrie Publications. She lives in Chappaqua and is enjoying some time off before the next phase. “Two teen granddaughters keeping me on top of things!”
Linda Spector ’68
writes, “I'm a Grammy! My daughter had a daughter in mid-October, 2023. Unfortunately, she moved back to California where she was born, so we're traveling back and forth from D.C.! I have so much respect for how my parents managed when we moved to California!”
Elizabeth Lindenfeld ’69
still lives in San Diego and sings at Pacific Coast Chorale. She welcomed granddaughter Calliope in January 2022 and grandson Ari in June 2023.
Diane Rothauser ’69
writes, “Our Class of 1969 had a wonderful 55th reunion this year, and we had a lovely dinner at the home of Sam Edelman. I have two adorable granddaughters (4 ½ and 2 ½) who live in Atlanta, and another one on the way in Los Angeles. I am a retired early childhood educator involved in my local community theater group as the publicist and makeup designer. I am a fundraiser for our town charity, raising funds to help our neighbors in financial crisis.”
Bo Tep ’70
is retired, practicing tai chi, gardening, and guiding meditation meetings at a local public library.
Bobby Plapinger ’71
is alive and well, bookselling and living in the great Pacific Northwest — anyone wanna buy some jazz books?
Madeleine Eve Robins ’71
writes, “I retired from my job as operations manager at the American Bookbinders Museum in San Francisco in December of last year. Since then, I've been working on research for a new book and organizing my earlier mystery series for reissue in a ‘uniform edition.’ When I'm not writing or reading, I've been spending a lot of time in Los Angeles with my beloved 98-year-old aunt (the fact that my younger daughter, Rebecca, lives nearby is a bonus). In my spare time, I'm learning Italian, doing beadwork, and baking far too much. My husband, Danny Caccavo, is still working at Skywalker Sound — I'm not sure they'll ever let him leave. Our older daughter, Jules, lives in Davis with her husband, so she's within an easy-ish drive. The family is blessedly well. Now, if the world would just calm down… And I'm enjoying being in touch with my LREI classmates.”
Oliver Fultz ’73
writes, “Although I'm still living in Chicago, I have a new remote position working for Medisys, a hospital network in Queens, New York, that includes Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center.”
Scott Atticus Fierman ’81
writes, “I am an artist, teacher, and writer based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Greenwich Village, and Woodstock, New York.”
Jesse Karp ’87
is going into his 24th year as a librarian at LREI and has sent two daughters, both LREI alumni, off to college — a junior at Haverford and a freshman at Kenyon.
Gabriel J. Shuldiner ’90
is still based in Chelsea, New York City, and recently updated his website (www.gabrieljshuldiner.com) with new work. He continues to paint and is working towards an upcoming solo show. Details will be soon!
Naomi Raquel Enright ’96 is thrilled to share her most recently published essay, "There is Only Us," examining identity, parenting, and antiracism. You can read the article online at www.AntiRacismNewsletter.com.
Akim St.Omer ’02
is excited to join New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development as a candidate for the Master of Arts in Higher Education and Student Affairs program in January 2025. #NYUSteinhardtbound.
Ella Saunders-Crivello ’08
is the executive director of the nonprofit Community Mindfulness Project.
Amyrah Arroyo ’13
writes, “This year, my dog Sadie was elected mayor of our town, and she has already proven to be an outstanding leader.”
Alexandra Klemer ’15
recently graduated with a master’s degree in international affairs in U.S. foreign policy and national security. Since graduating from LREI, she has taught English in Spain, was a Fellow for the NYC Office of the Mayor, and studied in Rome and Geneva. She has interned with the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Department of State, The White House, and the United Nations. Shoutout to LREI History teacher Tom Murphy, for inspiring my pursuit of a career in international affairs.
Diandra Adu-Kyei ’15
writes, “Hey everyone, I hope you’ve been well! I’m down in Nashville right now and halfway through my third year of medical school, still working towards a career in neurosurgery. It’s all definitely a change of pace from New York City.”
Gwen Raffo ’21
writes, “I had the opportunity to be an artist in residence at Port Bickerton Lighthouse in Nova Scotia and dedicated two weeks to furthering my skills in historic broom making.”
Violet Wexler ’24
writes, “I worked at West Village Nursery School over the summer and then have been at Middlebury College this year! I miss LREI, obviously — but I am really loving my college experience so far.”
Alumni
Ephraim Resnick ’30
Joe Colt ’47
William Glass ’50
Jack Collins ’56
Michael Boudin ’57
Don Coburn ’57
Robert Cohen ’57
Harris Rosen ’57
Susan Stein Skolnick ’60
Robert Manoff ’62
Alumni Family
Lance Cain
Lewis Gersh
Ken Jordan
Norman Eig
Harold Meltzer
John Reid
Ezra Tawil
Former Faculty
Dennis Must (Former Faculty)
Jonathan Slater (Former Head of School)
ALUMNI COUNCIL 2024–2025
Pinky Fung ’02, P’32, ’35 (President)
Akim St.Omer ’02 (Vice President)
Susan Meyer ’58
Vittorio Maestro ’64
Michael Patrick ’71
Adria Price ’56
Lindsay Wilkinson ’03
JC Rojas ’02
Deborah Raji ’02
Deborah White ’73
Jerelyn Rodriguez ’07
Courtney Allen ’04
Anne McWilliams ’49
Ama Birch ’95
Robert Rosenthal ’80
Lauren Taft ’74
Want to get involved? You can join the Alumni Council at any time, email alumni@lrei.org or follow us on Instagram @lreialums for more information.
For the current calendar of Alumni Council meetings and alumni events, please visit our website: lrei.org/alumni
Young Alumni Happy Hour at 40 Charlton
LREI Street Fair on Charlton Street
Reunion 2025 at 40 Charlton
Larry Kaplan Alumni Basketball Game & Happy Hour
Thursday, May 15, 2025, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. Open to alumni 21+
Sunday, June 1, 2025, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Open to everyone in the LREI community and our neighbors.
Friday, October 17 - Saturday, October 18, 2025 Open to alumni from all class years. Celebrating classes ending in 5/6s and 0/1s.
December 2025 TBD Open to alumni from all class years and current/past families.
We want to hear about your favorite LREI field trips! Email alumni@lrei.org to share photos or memories, and add your stories to our archive.
Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School
272 Sixth Avenue
New York, NY 10014
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Justin Denis Interim Director of Digital Content
Ryann Imperioli P’33 Director of Annual Giving
Elisabeth Ingwersen Mendez Director of Alumni Affairs and Advancement Events
Jorge Marrón Former Director of Digital Content
Peck Associate Director of Advancement Services
of Advancement