Upcoming Events
December 21-January 2
Winter Recess
(No School)
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Conservatory Lab
25 Arlington Street
Brighton, MA 02315
617.254.8904
www.conservatorylab.org
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| Family Notes
December 16, 2011
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Dear Families,
Last Friday's concert began with a sea of K1 students singing and dancing joyfully to "Octopus's Garden" and ended with first and second graders performing an orchestra version of a theme by Mozart, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Today we heard older students perform repertoire which included Lilly Allen, Aaron Copland, and J.S. Bach. Each performance, no matter the style, was delivered with the vitality and reverence that shine in our children's faces each time they take the stage.
Concerts are a time to reflect on our accomplishments-to celebrate and be thankful for all the people who make our school great. We are thankful for our students whose curiosity and energy makes our lives richer and brings us joy. We are thankful for parents who support them with all that they need to learn, who volunteer their time and talents to make our school run smoothly.
We are also thankful for teachers who hold each child to their highest standard of achievement and artistry, and for administrators who work tirelessly to make sure those teachers are equipped and supported. At this afternoon's concert we bade farewell to Resident Artist Jaya Varma, who will be leaving us to take a position with the prestigious New World Symphony in Miami, Florida. Our thoughts go with her as she begins this exciting new position.
I am thankful for all of you. I hope that you and your family have a restful, joyful winter break.
Warmly,
Diana Lam
Head of School
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Concert
Pictures and videos are up from last week's concert! For photos, please visit the school's Shutterfly page. (The password is "music"). Selected videos are on YouTube, and the entire concert can be seen on Vimeo (the password is "elsistema").
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Learning Celebrations
As students complete writing projects and reach benchmarks in their Learning Expeditions, classrooms sometimes hold celebrations to share their work with one another and their community. Here are a few highlights from this week:
Monday- Feature Articles Publishing in Grade 4
The fourth grade class hosted a gallery walk to share their recently published feature articles on chosen research topics. Guided by teaching intern Emily Picard, the class examined the components of feature articles in the popular children's news magazine "Time for Kids." They studied the way an author approaches a topic with a purpose, whether to inform, persuade, critique, or promote. Be sure to check out their work on display upstairs! Topics range from the life of an astronaut to the survival adaptations of chameleons, from genetically altered plants to school bullying.
Thursday- Song Book Publishing and Sing-Along in K2
Students and parents gathered for a morning of food and singing to celebrate the completion of their new Song Book. The kindergarten class has released an illustrated book of 13 beloved songs that they have learned over the course of the year and shared with their community through trips to the Brighton Senior Center and the public library. 
Students worked together to "tell the story" of their songs using words and pictures. For some, the story is the one described in the song, for others the stories depicted are of times spent singing and learning the song with their teachers and classmates. The book is a representation of the role that music plays in building community and sharing joy.
Friday- Upper School presents: History Quilts, Adventure Tales, and a Kindness Campaign
In fifth and sixth grade this morning, students hosted a celebration of their achievements in many areas of learning. The morning included presentations of their "History Quilts," icons depicting  important moments and characters in the abolitionist movement. Other students chose to share their work from language arts, short adventure stories, full of excitement and danger. Finally, students presented short plays from Crew, created in conjunction with their project "Finding Kind," a campaign to encourage acts of kindness and train students to stand up to bullying. Fourth graders were invited to join the audience, as students portrayed moments from their lives in which they had the opportunity to confront bullying and spread kindness.
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Farewell and Bon Chance, Ms. Varma! 
Resident Artist Jaya Varma has accepted a position at the New World Symphony in Miami, Florida. We wish her luck in her new position. You will be missed.
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Congratulations Ms. Bollacker! 
Resident Artist Erin Bollacker was featured in the Boston Globe this week for her work as music teacher at the Beverly School for the Deaf.
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Summer School Planning Underway
This coming summer there will be a session of daily summer school for students who would benefit from additional support in reading and writing.
The classes will be held from 9:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. daily, between July 16th and August 10th.
Students selected for this summer session will receive an invitation.
More information will be coming shortly.
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If you missed the calendars at the Winter Concerts and would like to purchase one, they are still available at the main office, or by e-mailing Toni Jackson. 
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