Upcoming Events
November 17*
-Parent Advisory Committee Meeting November 24-26Thanksgiving Holiday
(No School)
*Note change
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Conservatory Lab
25 Arlington Street
Brighton, MA 02315
617.254.8904
www.conservatorylab.org
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| Family Notes
November 12, 2010
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Dear Families, At Conservatory Lab we value children's mental, emotional and physical development. We strive to instill in our students life long habits which promote health and well being. We are excited to be able to teach yoga to our students as part of a comprehensive health and wellness program. We thank Nicole Maniez, one of our parents, for introducing us to yoga! (see story below) What is yoga? And, why are we teaching it? Yoga is a physical and mental practice comprising a series of physical poses combined with calm and concentration. There are records back to 3000 BC of people doing yoga poses. Yoga is founded on the principles of truthfulness, honesty, compassion and non-violence. At Conservatory Lab we are teaching this practice, which has ancient roots, to foster self-discipline, self-awareness, focus, patience and serenity. Yoga is great for stretching and strengthening muscles. Yoga fosters good posture and a positive outlook. Our students are musicians, and as musicians, they are required to hold their hands and necks in particular ways in order to play and support their instruments. This can result in stiffness which yoga can relieve. Yoga provides a refreshing and invigorating break. A central idea of yoga is the importance of breath and learning to be mindful of one's own breathing. Breathing is also very important in music, whether singing or playing a wind instrument. We think yoga and music are particularly compatible and will enrich our students' daily learning.
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Sincerely, Diana Lam Head of School
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Focus Group Opportunity
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will be conducting a site visit at Conservatory Lab on December 14, 2010. The team will be at the school all day and they are interested in conducting a focus group with parents. If you are interested in participating in the parent focus group, please call Toni Jackson at extension 207.
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Breathing Deeply: Yoga comes to Conservatory Lab
An intense hush settles over the K1 classroom as twenty-three young children huddle toward the center of the circle, backs arched, arms folded, and chins reaching gently toward the cealing. They are participating in a yoga lesson with parent Nicole Maniez, who received a grant this fall to work once a week with each grade at Conservatory Lab, leading stretching and breathing exercises.
Nicole is an acupuncturist and deals daily  with pain caused by professional injuries. She began studying violin along with her daughter, a 3rd grader at Conservatory Lab, and noticed that after just a few minutes of holding the violin, she could feel the strain in her arms. "When I heard that students would be playing three hours a day, I thought, 'these kids need to be stretching.'" She attended a YogaKids training session over the summer, and applied for and received a grant from the Boston College Community Fund to bring Yoga into the classrooms.
 | Weighted Hand Stretch
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The health benefits of yoga are well-documented, and they are already evident in the classroom. Third grade teacher Ivy Delaney attended the same training session and has been using some of the activities to bring focus and calm into the classroom throughout the day. Students are noticeably more relaxed and awake after performing these stretching routines, which increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain.
Nicole led a professional development workshop with the El Sistema music teachers, in which they, too, learned exercises they could incorporate into music class routines.
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Concerts in the Community
The Brookline Symphony Orchestra, featuring several of the Resident Artists, will perform on Sunday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. at All Saints Parish in Brookline. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors, $10 for adults.
The Boston Children's Chorus will perform on Saturday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m. at Old South Church. Tickets are $10 individually or $20 for a family.
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Announcements from El Sistema
- As students begin to take their instruments home, please note the following guidelines for keeping an instrument safe:
- The instrument should always be in the case or in the child's hands. An instrument is in danger when it is placed on a couch, table, or the floor, even for a moment.
- When not in use, keep the instrument at a comfortable temperature. Left outside in the cold or in a hot car, the instrument will crack.
- Store the instrument with the child's backpack so that it will be remembered in the morning.
- Keep the instrument away from food and drink.
- No one other than the student and his/her guardian should touch the instrument.
Families with instruments at home are reminded that they will be responsible for the cost of any major repairs or replacement. Additionally, if a student leaves his/her instrument at home, he or she will not be allowed to play at school that day and will miss out on valuable learning.
- Early Pick-Ups: If you are coming early to pick your child up for a doctor appointment or for another reason, please plan to meet your child before or after a class, as opposed to in the middle, so as not to disrupt the learning for other students. Possible early pick-up times are: 2:25, 3:15, 4:05.
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- We have begun to introduce Yoga stretching in music classes. Stretching helps musicians prevent muscle and joint pain that can come from many hours of playing. Please encourage your children to stretch at home before and after practicing.
Questions? Write to rlevi@conservatorylab.org.
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In the News
Conservatory Lab has been featured in the Dorchester Reporter!
Follow the link and scroll down to page 7.
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