Community Updates

List of 1 items.

• Letter from Reveta Bowers (4/2)

  Dear CEE Community,

  We hope you are enjoying the final days of Spring Break. On campus, we have spent this week preparing for the return of students and the addition of grades 3-5 to on-campus/hybrid learning. Classrooms have been equipped with additional desks and chairs, appropriately distanced and new schedules have been written to accommodate the growing numbers of students on campus each day. We have also begun registration for remote after-school activities for elementary students and on-campus after school activities for sixth grade. We hope to be able to expand on-campus after school activity offerings to include other grade levels in the coming months.
  
  CEE Faculty/Administration Transition Updates
  At the end of this school year, we will be saying goodbye to two highly respected long-term members of our faculty. Both Penny Landreth (Upper Elementary Art Specialist) and Carol Brasfield (Sixth Grade Math Teacher) have announced their decisions to retire at the end of this school year. Please be on the lookout for an invitation to join us in celebrating the Center careers of these two gifted veteran teachers in June.
   
  Our own Don Macatangay, now completing his fourth year at CEE, will be our new Sixth Grade Math teacher. We have a new hire, Ann Romero de Cordoba, who will bring her 20 years of experience as the founding teacher in Art at Avenues School in New York to The Center to the Upper Elementary Art Specialist role. 
   
  Just as Penny and Carol have made important career decisions, so too has our Director of Upper Elementary, Mitchell Alexandre. Mitchell let me know earlier this year that he and his wife will be moving on to be closer to aging parents who live both abroad and on the east coast. We wish Mitchell well as he makes his move this summer! Replacing Mitchell as our new Director of Upper Elementary will be Natacha Blanchet who has been teaching 5th grade at The Center for the past two years. Natacha, a former teacher at Bank Street College of Education in New York, also completed her graduate degree studies there. She brings extensive experience as a former lower and upper elementary teacher, Learning Specialist, Program Coordinator, and Project Coordinator at both Bank Street and Little Red School House in New York City from 1996-2019. 
   
  We also look forward to welcoming our new Director of Early Childhood Programs, Amy-Marie Rivera, in July. Amy-Marie comes to The Center most recently from her time as Assistant Head of School and Director of Teaching and Learning at the Corlears School in New York, where she also worked as a classroom teacher and reading specialist. She received her first master’s degree at Bank Street College in Early Childhood Education and looks forward to moving to Los Angeles with her husband and sons.
   
  The Community and Changing Landscape…
  As the public health landscape in Los Angeles continues to improve and the guidance and recommendations from the LA County Department of Public Health change, we are starting to be presented with more opportunities to offer students after school programs, expanded in-person learning opportunities with specialist teachers, and additional cohort interactions and we will be exploring and incorporating changes in the coming weeks. The recent visit by our County Health Department representative affirmed our campus re-opening plans, health and testing protocols, physical setup, use of outside spaces, COVID educational programs for parents and staff, and our Campus Reentry website materials. 
   
  Parents, please also remember to attend the session with Dr. Priya Soni, our Pediatric Infectious Disease consultant. Dr. Soni will present on the health landscape, recent research findings, and answer your questions in a Q and A session on Wednesday, April 7 at 7:00 pm. Zoom details will be sent via email next week. You may submit your questions in advance by emailing 2021@cee-school.org. There will also be an opportunity to pose questions in the chat. 
   
  CEE On-Campus Learning and Travel Protocol Reminders
  Please remember that if you traveled out of state or went abroad over the break, you will need to notify us and quarantine for ten days before your child can start Session 2. Also, if your 3rd-6th grader is returning to on-campus instruction, you must submit a negative COVID test by this Sunday for 3rd-6th grade students starting on April 5. If you are going to be quarantining following travel, please submit your negative Covid test results the morning of the day before you plan to have your child attend as your quarantine period comes to an end. For additional details and answers to your specific questions, please visit the Campus Reentry resource board on our website. Please remember the pledge that you agreed to. The health and wellbeing of our entire community rest with each of us doing the right thing and following the health protocols that have been so thoughtfully developed and published for your guidance. 
  
  For those of you with students in grades EC1 through C6, don't forget to order hot lunch through TotPot! Orders for next week can be placed through Saturday. 
  
  Congratulations to Ellen Gerstell and our CEE A Cappella Choir!
  We are so pleased to announce that the CEE A Cappella choir, under the direction of Ellen Gerstell, our Upper Elementary Music Specialist, was just notified by the World Strides Heritage Festival that they were awarded GOLD for their recent submission in the middle school competition. This competition was for junior high and high school orchestra, instrumental and vocal ensembles, and choirs who entered from across the United States! The festivals are held four times each year and all of the groups submitted three songs. Our choir submitted their virtual submission which each choir member recorded in their home and sent to Ellen to be compiled by Center Parent Corey Britz in their individual frames for their virtual performance. This is the same competition we have participated in for the last six years, but this year our choir was entered to be considered as a middle school choir. Their Gold medal means they scored overall between 90-100 and high enough to be once again invited to perform in Carnegie Hall! Also, this entitles our choir to have a virtual workshop with choir expert Greg Gilpin toward the end of April.
  
  Congratulations again to Ellen and all the members of The Center A Cappella Choir. Our thanks also to all of the parents who helped to record their children’s individual performances. Congratulations choir members! We are so proud of your hard work, skill, and perseverance during your remote music education!
  
  Gala Tribute Ads - Due April 9
  Purchasing an ad in our beautiful Gala Tribute book is a perfect way to express love and support for your CEE student or to show your gratitude for our incredible faculty and staff during this past year. Email GalaAd@cee-school.org! Tribute dimensions are listed here or we can design your ad for you.
   
  Enjoy your weekend. We all look forward to seeing your children at Morning Assembly and in classes on Monday.
   
  Very sincerely,
   
   
  Reveta Bowers
  Head of School