upcoming events

7 p.m. Transition Meeting Kindergarten to 1st Grade

8 p.m. Transition Meeting Grade 2 to Grade 3

Eighth Graders Return from Trip to Washington, D.C.

NO SCHOOL N/K ONLY—N/K Parent/Teacher Conferences

7 p.m. Parents' Association Meeting

Seventh Grade Trip to Pretty Lake

7:30 p.m. Sixth Grade Band/Choir/Orchestra Concert, Mandel Hall

7:30 p.m. Fifth Grade Strings and General Music Concert

5 p.m. Rites of May, Blaine Courtyard

7 p.m. Fifth Grade Band Concert

8 p.m. HS Spring Play, Alice in Wonderland

NO SCHOOL N/K ONLY—N/K Parent/Teacher Conferences

5 p.m. Rites of May, Blaine Courtyard

7 p.m. 5th to 6th Grade Transition Meeting

11 a.m. Rites of May, Kenwood Mall

8 p.m. HS Spring Play, Alice in Wonderland

7:30 p.m. High School Band and Orchestra Concert, Mandel Hall

7:30 p.m. Choral Music Festival, Mandel Hall

NO SCHOOL—Memorial Day

e-news info

>Next Lab E-News: Thursday, May 21, 2009

>Story Deadline: Tuesday, May 19, at noon

>Submit E-News stories here

contact info

>All Schools contact information here

in the halls

		From Director David Magill It is with both appreciation and awe that I recognize all those who made this year’s Connections such a success. Despite these unprecedented economic times, our community came together, nearly 800 strong, to enjoy one another and raise more than $500,000—an amount on par with our strongest year ever. Our families, alumni, and friends have made clear—at Connections but in many other ways as well—how important a Lab education is. And in a year where building community has been such a priority, the experience of moving through the crowd at Navy Pier was especially meaningful. So to all who support us all year long and to the 800 guests, 100 parent volunteers, 50 student volunteers, faculty and staff who gave their time and, finally, co-chairs Debbie Green, Peggy Lim, and Carol Rubin, again I give my thanks. View a slide show of this year’s Connections
		Lab prepares for Rites of May One of Lab's oldest traditions, Rites of May, takes place May 14-16. A full schedule of events from a children’s carnival and a book fair to the Saturday International Festival is available here. Over the years, Rites of May has taken many forms but has always included a High School theatre production staged in the courtyard. This year’s performance is Alice in Wonderland each evening at 8 p.m. T-shirts are on sale before and after school in Blaine Lobby. Volunteers are still needed for two-hour shifts Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Contact Peri Altan for more information. Parking spaces will be reserved on 59th Street and Kimbark—look for the Rites of May signs. Continue >>
		U-High Jazz Band plays at Texas festival The U-High Jazz Band performed at the invitation-only University of North Texas (UNT) Jazz Festival in April, under the direction of teacher Dom Piane. The band received a citation for outstanding musicianship and tenor sax player Andrew Zheng was cited as an outstanding soloist. Says Mr. Piane, “I was so proud of these kids. They played challenging music, and played it very well. Lab's jazz band sounded as good or better than many of the college groups at the festival.” UNT's jazz studies program is regarded as one of the most respected in the nation, and while at the festival Lab students heard top jazz musicians and ensembles and attended workshops on topics like arranging and improvising.
		May projects begin on Monday This week, many seniors will attend their final high school classes at Lab before beginning a four-week-long May Project. Originally designed to provide seniors a way of rounding out their educational experience, May Project has been part of the Lab educational process since 1969. As a "capstone" experience, May Project allows students to pursue a learning experience of their own choosing and, in doing so, apply the skills and maturity that they have built while at Lab. Continue >>

community

As part of U-High junior Rebecca Lucas’ service project, the Laboratory Schools will be participating in the USO’s Operation: Phone Home, a program that raises money to supply phone cards to soldiers overseas. Collection jars are in Blaine Lobby for the month of May.

Registration is now open for the Maroons Team Sport Camps. The camps are for children entering grades 6–12 and include:

Coed Tennis 2:30–5:30 p.m., June 15–19
Coed Basketball 5:30–8:30 p.m., June 15–19
Boys Baseball 9 a.m.–noon, June 15–19
Coed Swimming 2:30–5:30 p.m., June 15–19
Coed Soccer 9 a.m.–noon, June 12, 13, 15, 16, 17

Lab After School is celebrating May and the coming of spring with an emphasis on health. Students will be making healthy snacks, taking yoga, and participating in other healthy activities throughout the month. Please join us anytime. To register for occasional use or report an absence, please contact the general office email or voicemail 773-702-9449.

Do we have your children's choices yet? Decision time is upon us—some classes and activities are selling out, while others might not "make the cut." Register online for Summer Lab 2009 as many excellent choices remain for your children, be they pre-school, high school, or anywhere in between.Summer School, Adventure Kids Day Camp,Summer Lab on Stage, and Sports Camps offer enrichment, excitement, engagement, and even credit (for some). What are your kids doing this summer? Questions? Come see us in our new offices in Judd 435 or call the Summer Lab Hotline, 773-834-7766.

If you drive your child or car pool from a distance of more than one-and-one-half miles, you may qualify for may reimbursement of the travel expenses to offset some of the cost. Eligibility and application details are online. If you are eligible to receive reimbursement, the necessary forms are available at the Blaine Lobby security desk. Further questions about the program may be directed to Lab's Business Office, 773-702-9450.

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n/k & lower schools

Parents of students who will enter first or third grades in the 2009–10 school year are invited to attend Transition Meetings for these grade levels. Teachers, counselors, and principals will provide information and answer questions about developmental changes, curriculum, and special activities that take place at each of these grade levels. All meetings will take place in Judd 126.

Kindergarten into 1st grade: Thursday, May 7, 7 p.m.
2nd into 3rd grade: Thursday, May 7, 8 p.m.

Parent/Teacher conferences for nursery and kindergarten children will be Friday, May 8 and Friday, May 15. There is no school for nursery and kindergarten students on those days.

Kindergarten children enjoyed their final sing last week on April 29. Accompanied by pianist Campbell McNeal and upright bass player Marc Piane, children and teachers welcomed spring with joyful voices! To listen to favorite songs and see movies, visit the K-1 Music website.

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middle school

Please visit the eighth grade Washington D.C. trip blog while your student is away. The site will allow us to post important information and pictures while we are in Washington and to provide any information we may need to share such as flight delays or highlights of the trip.

A reminder to all eighth grade parents that there will be a parent meeting with High School Principal Matt Horvat on Monday, May 18 in Judd 126 starting at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Horvat will be addressing curricular changes for rising ninth graders. If you have questions, please call the high school office at 773-702-9446.

The seventh grade class trip to Adventure Centre in Mattawan, MI will occur May 12–15. Students will participate in a variety of outdoor adventure education activities designed to strengthen leadership skills and develop self-awareness and confidence through teamwork. If you have any questions or concerns about the trip, please contact your student's advisor or Mr. Nekrosius. We are looking forward to an exciting four days!

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high school

Come have coffee and talk informally with the Laboratory Schools’ college counselors and other junior parents. Bring your questions for discussion. Hear about college issues and trends in college admissions. Hosted by College Counselors Patty Kovacs and Melissa Warehall on Friday, May 15 and Friday, May 29 from 8–9 a.m. in Judd 126. Please RSVP to Kimberly Banister 773-702-9445 ext 0.

Advanced Placement tests began on Monday May 4 and will end on Friday May 15. View a calendar of subject test dates. For questions about the exams, please contact testing coordinator Chris Harper.

More than 95 seniors will be engaging in a variety of Senior May Projects starting on Monday, May 11 and running until Thursday, June 4. Projects range from working on creating a computer operating system to building a guitar. All of the projects will be in display on Thursday, June 4 in Judd 126.

Congratulations to the Math Team for winning first place in their division at the state competition on Saturday. Individuals placed as follows:

Algebra I: Charlie Jiang, 2nd
Geometry: Charles Du, 1st; Joe Turner, 2nd; Michael Shapiro, 6th
Algebra II: Varsha Raghavan 5th; Brian Carlisle, 7th; Zack Reneau-Wedeen, 9th
Pre-Calculus: Emily Kuo, 4th; Aaron Buikema, 6th

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