Upcoming Events
January 16
MLK Jr. Day
(No School)
January 18
PAC Meeting
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Conservatory Lab
25 Arlington Street
Brighton, MA 02315
617.254.8904
www.conservatorylab.org
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| Family Notes
January 6, 2012
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Dear Families,
2012 has wafted in on a balmy spring breeze, full of excitement and possibility. Students and teachers have returned rested and restored from the holidays, and in every classroom new adventures are afoot.
The upper school will launch a brand new science expedition, exploring the Harbor Islands, and K2 will begin their study of nutrition with the expedition, "What's on your plate?" An artist from Roxbury will visit fourth grade as they continue to explore the Great Migration and the origins of the blues, and K1 will travel to the MFA for field work to support their "Portrait of an Artist" expedition.
We will see new presentations and products. This month, the first grade class will host a celebration of American symbols, presenting their completed bookmarks. The second grade class will send copies of their new pamphlet on corn snake care to local pet stores, for general distribution.
In El Sistema, we look forward to new performance opportunities in the coming year. The Bernstein Orchestra will combine winds and strings for the first time this month. Dudamel Orchestra will perform in a concert with the Pro Arte Chamber ensemble, and the parent-organized fundraising concert will feature several of our ensembles.
Happy new year! I look forward to sharing it with you.
Warmly,
Diana Lam
Head of School
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Save the Date
The Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) has vigorously launched their planning for the 2nd Annual Parent Fundraiser to take place at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester on Sunday, March 25th! Co-chairs for the event, Beth Greene and Felice Rutstein-Lee, joined by committee members, Michelle Gurel, Karen Lombard, Jenna Wertheimer and Myriah Johnson are busily at work planning the concert program and pre-concert activities that will make the event memorable for all members of the family.
Last year this event took place at the Hyde Park 7th Day Adventist Church and drew a crowd of 750. This year at the Strand, which is larger and has been recently refurbished, the goal is to have close to 1,000 people in attendance. This is the Conservatory Lab Charter School event that has the largest community outreach. It is the time to invite all your family, friends and neighbors. It will showcase what wonderful musicians and performers our students have become. Save the Date, come and bring at least 10 audience members!
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Winter Concert II
The Bernstein and Dudamel choirs and orchestras astounded the audience at the December 16th Winter Concert with their sensitive musicianship and professional decorum. Under the direction of Mr. Schroeder, the Wind Ensemble wowed us all with Bach's Chorale #2. The Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Mr. Moore, impressed everyone with their performance of The Rhythm Rebel. Ms. Bollacker led an outstanding performance by the Bernstein Choir of the Israeli folk song Zum Gali Gali, accompanied by Anna Mikaelian Meschian on piano, Mr. Moore on the drum and 4th grader Maya James on flute. Both orchestras performed beautifully.  The students demonstrated correct orchestra posture, focused on their conductor and sang and played their very best. Highlights included The Apollo Suite by M. Isaac performed by Mr. Garver and the Bernstein String Orchestra and Silent Night performed by Mr. Malek and the Dudamel Orchestra. What a wonderful winter celebration!
Concert videos can be viewed on Vimeo. The password is "elsistema"
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The Snow Queen
 Hans Christian Andersen's fable, The Snow Queen, came alive on December 20th for all students from K1 through 5th grade to provide a marvelous, seasonal, cultural adventure! Conservatory Lab students and chaperones filled the seats of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) for this performance. The fun started well before the performance, however, as A.R.T. education staff and actors (in full costume!) guided the students through crafts and movement activities before the play. By the time the play began, everyone had made a snowflake and a rose. The narrators told us to be prepared to wave these items later in the play when requested. The students were entranced by the story, the sets and the performances. The staff at the A.R.T. was hugely impressed by the students' engagement and delighted in their enjoyment of the performance. We are sure to be asked back! Thank you to all families who contributed to the success of this event - chaperones and scholarship ticket money were in abundance and made this whole school field trip a success!
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The Math Corner (Part One)
Parents often ask, "how can I help my child improve math skills?" Every parent wants their child to succeed to their full potential, but sometimes it is difficult to know how to be helpful, especially if math was not our own strongest subject. The Math Corner will present a series of articles from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, written to give families some new ideas for practicing math at home and fostering a love of numbers. We hope you find it helpful!
Part I:
A Family's Guide: Fostering your child's success in school mathematics
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2012 Admissions Applications Now Accepted
Families (or friends of families) interested in enrolling a new child at Conservatory Lab for the coming school year can either access the application on the website, or come pick one up at the school. The lottery will be held in March!
Current students are guaranteed a place and do not need to submit an application.
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Reminder: Dress for the weather
Unless it is raining, all students will go outside for recess. Hats, gloves, scarves, proper shoes, socks, etc. are mandatory. Please do not let your children leave home without them.
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Dudamel on WGBH
Tonight at 9PM WGBH will televise a performance of Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic. Tune in to see the dynamic El Sistema Alumnus who is taking the classical world by storm.
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