Upcoming Events
Nov 23-25
Thanksgiving Break
(No School)
Friday, December 2
All School Assembly
9:00 am
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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 18, 2011
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Dear Families,
Learning is an active process. Every day, students read, write, add, and subtract. They practice, and perform. They summarize, analyze, and synthesize. Sometimes they do these things eagerly and easily, and other times it takes perseverance to push through what is difficult. Learning is an act of will. It is not something that happens to them, but something they choose to do.
As teachers and parents, we are facilitators to their learning. We offer them tools, resources, and opportunities to explore the world - to practice their skills in a real context. But how can we be sure we are giving them all that they need to be successful?
A recent study released in the American School Board Journal examines the question from the parent's perspective. According to the National School Boards Association study, the practices most likely to produce higher student achievement take place in the home. Monitoring homework, making sure children get to school, rewarding their efforts, and talking up the idea of going to college are four actions that are linked to academic performance and preparation for college.
As a school, we recognize the critical role you play in your child's learning, and we strive to facilitate you in this role by keeping dialogue open and by creating opportunities for you to participate in your child's learning. We also work to involve the community in our children's learning by bringing in experts and taking the students on fieldwork. Whether they are interviewing a professional chamber ensemble to gather knowledge for the listening project or traveling to the House of Blues to create a musical context for their study of the Great Migration, a rich learning environment gives students opportunities to learn by doing.
Warmly,
Diana Lam
Head of School
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In the House of Blues
On Tuesday, November 15th, the fourth grade class, along with seven helpful parent chaperones, attended an interactive musical performance at the House of Blues. The fieldwork was an absolute blast! The class attended this performance for two reasons. The first is that it connects with the Listening Project genre, Rhythm and Blues. The second is that the current Learning Through Music Expedition is focused on The Great Migration, and with that, they are learning about how African Americans used music and art to express themselves during a difficult time in their lives. During the performance, students were told three reasons why it is beneficial to learn about the history of the blues.
- To hear stories of people in the past.
- To learn how people used music as a way to creatively express themselves.
- To understand how the blues influenced other genres of music, such as jazz, soul, hip hop, and rap.
While there, the performers shared historical information and then played a song to support the history that was just presented. Some of the songs we heard (and sang along with of course), were "Crossroad Blues" by Robert Johnson, "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang, and "Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson.
As we move through the expedition, students will soon be writing their own blues. Through the songs in our Listening Project and the performance as a whole, the students will be able to refer back to many of the songs to guide them in their own writing. When they are ready to perform their pieces to an audience, they can refer back to what made Tuesday's show such a high-quality and enjoyable performance to watch.
At the end of the performance, the students were given the following advice: "model what musicians have done and use your voice to express your creativity and change the world for the better!"
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Somerville Concert Inspires New El Sistema Program
On Wednesday the Dudamel Orchestra traveled to Somerville High School for the joint performance they have been preparing for several weeks. Parents, friends, and educators from the Somerville Schools came to hear a preview of what student orchestras can sound like after a year of intensive training in an El Sistema program, which they hope to implement next year.
For the Dudamel orchestra, this was an exciting opportunity to mentor peers from another school and share their passion for music. For the Somerville students, this was an opportunity to rally support for their new musical initiative. The concert was followed by a question and answer session about El Sistema with David Malek, Rebecca Levi, and Somerville directors Richard Saunders, Andrew Blickenderfer and Joanne Sadler. 
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A New Snake in Second Grade
Welcome to our newest member of the Conservatory Lab Community! Jewels the snake is the offspring of Lilly, the corn snake cared for by last year's second grade class. Her name comes from the way she likes to wrap around people's arms, like jewelry. |
RedLine Quintet Brings Listening Project Alive
Last Friday, the RedLine Quintet, a horn ensemble from the New England Conservatory paid a visit to the Upper School at Conservatory Lab. They played several pieces to illustrate polyphony and dissonance to the 5th and 6th graders who are learning about classical music through their Listening Project this year.
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School Assembly Forecast
Please join us on Friday, December 2, at 9:00 a.m. for an all-school assembly in the gymnasium. Featured performances will include "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" (a K1 dramatization of the beloved Eric Carl book), "This Land Is Your Land" (sung by first grade students), a participatory music and movement presentation, and a performance from the El Sistema faculty string quartet. As always, there will be plenty of singing together and sharing of joy!
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