Upcoming Events
January 27
Report Cards Due
February 15
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 27, 2012
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Dear Families,
Art transforms the mundane into the profound. It turns an image into an idea, a sound into a feeling, and a pile of cardboard and newspaper into a symphony orchestra. An artist makes an important moment out of an otherwise ordinary experience.
The journey of the K1 expedition, "Portrait of an Artist," is about discovering art. As they examine the choices each artist makes in presenting his or her subject, students look beyond the question of what a painting is depicting, in order to ask why and how. These questions that bring meaning to a painting are the same questions that bring meaning to a novel, a data set, or a life experience.
Art is an essential component of education because each of us is called on to be an artist in our personal and professional lives. Our best work is fueled by our capacity to find and create meaning in what we do. The art we make in our lives inspires us and those around us.
As a school community, we have no shortage of artists. Our students are eager to create in every medium they can. Our teachers create important moments through their lessons each day. On Sunday, 21 families from the K2 class spent the afternoon gluing, building, and creating the instruments of our paper orchestra, turning an ordinary craft project into a symbol of community. Together, we make art.
Warmly,
Diana Lam
Head of School
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Students, Families Construct Orchestra of Paper
On Sunday, families, students, and teachers of the K2 class met at Conservatory Lab for an afternoon of papier-mâché and community building. Laughter and conversation gurgled throughout the room as families slathered gooey strips of newspaper onto cardboard shells of violins, violas, and cellos, each family working together to create a piece of the children's "paper orchestra."
Of the 24 families in the K2 class, 21 attended the building party on Sunday, and the remaining parents will be coming into school to help their children build their instruments. Eight staff members volunteered to help direct the process, mixing up the papier-mâché and guiding the families through each step. When the instruments have dried, the students will paint them, and then they will begin rehearsals that will prepare them mentally and physically for the responsibility and joy of being in a real orchestra.
The tradition of paper orchestra began in an El Sistema nucleo in Venezuela, when the program ran out of resources to supply its youngest beginner orchestra. Not wishing to cancel the class, the instructors created the instruments out of whatever materials they had, such as cardboard and paper. They discovered that an experience in paper orchestra prepared students for the challenges of instrument  posture, rehearsal etiquette, and instrument care, allowing them to more quickly adapt to the real instruments. Conservatory Lab is among the first nucleos to bring the tradition to the United States.
"This is really fun!" one mother exclaimed, holding her son's viola in place as he pasted a second layer of newspaper over the instrument's fingerboard, "what a great way to help [the children] feel pride in their instruments. I'm glad to be involved."
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K1 Launches 'Portrait of an Artist' Expedition With Visit to MFA
 When the K1 artists visited the Museum of Fine Art on Tuesday, it was more than a stroll through the gallery; they were on a mission. The young artists, who have just launched their Portrait of an Artist Expedition, were studying the medium of the painted portrait, exploring the ways an artist chooses what they want their audience to see. Students examined several portraits from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Picturing America Curriculum, including a self portrait by Ellen Hale and Chuck Close's "Paul IV". They compared facial expressions, background, color, and brush strokes in portraits from many styles and eras, exploring the way these factors work together to create mood. Among their favorite paintings was "The Bone Player" by William Sydney Mount, whose depiction of music made an instant connection with many of the children. Following the tour, the young artists used the resources in the museum  studio to experiment with perspective in creating self portraits. Students used mirrors to measure the relationships among their own facial features, then made sketches. Eventually, the students will create their own self portraits in the medium of acrylic paint on canvas. |
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The Math Corner (Part Four)
Families often ask about using calculators: "In my child's classroom, calculators are always available. Shouldn't students have to know how to do calculations by hand first?"
Part IV:
"Calculators" |
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Where's My Schoolbus?
The Boston Public Schools are testing an online tool that will let parents or caregivers track the location of their child's school bus in real time on a computer or smart phone. This tool will let you walk outside right on time, every day.
BPS hopes this service will provide parents the information they need to be at the bus stop, particularly when snow causes a delay in student drop-off times.
This is a pilot program with a limited number of testers. They will roll out the full program later this year.
If you are interested in signing up or finding out more, visit their website or e-mail BPS Transportation at schoolbus@bostonpublicschools.org
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Summer Program: Save the Dates
The 2012 summer program will be held from July 16-August 3, from 9am-3pm Monday-Friday. More details to come! |
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School-wide Photo Shoot: Wednesday, Feb. 1st
All students in grades 1 through 6 should wear their school T-shirt on Wednesday, February 1st. In addition, Dudamel Orchestra students should also bring their white dress shirt with the Conservatory Lab logo and be prepared to change into it before orchestra. If any families want to purchase a new shirt, send in $5 and write an email to Toni Jackson, tjackson@conservatorylab.org and she will deliver it to your child's classroom.
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