Upcoming Events
May 15 - 18
Math MCAS
May 16
Parent Advisory Council Meeting
May 20
Wind and Brass Recital
3:00pm
@ Boston Conservatory
May 24
First Grade Presents
"Three Little Pigs, Inc."
12:30pm
@ Veronica B. Smith Senior Center
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Conservatory Lab
25 Arlington Street
Brighton, MA 02315
617.254.8904
www.conservatorylab.org
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| Family Notes
May 11, 2012
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Dear families,
As our students express their learning through art and music, they practice synthesizing information. When a 2nd grader writes a verse of a snake song, she wades through hours of research to select the information most pertinent to the theme of the song, then works within the confines of an artistic form to create a compelling and expressive lyric.Howard Gardner, a renowned educational psychologist and key note speaker for our June 1 conference, Music Moves Minds, describes "the synthesizing mind" as one of the five habits of thought that will prepare young people for the demands of an evolving future. He says that "the synthesizing mind is able to select crucial information from the copious amounts available, arraying that information in ways that make sense to self and others." Technology has put a vast canon of human knowledge at the tips of our fingers, but accessing it is only useful if we can put it into context.
The presentation of art requires empathy with the audience. In the 1st grade play, "Three Little Pigs, Inc.," the children tell a story through drama, music, and dance. As they rehearse their lines, notes, and movements, they must imagine what their presentation will look like to the audience. Are they speaking clearly? Are they conveying the emotion of the scene? Do their actions make sense given their character? Attention to all of these details makes their synthesis more effective.
Synthesis is an essential component of communication in the digital age. As our students practice creating art in many forms, they are learning to convey information in a way that is succinct and appealing. These habits of thought will serve them well in the jobs of tomorrow.  Warmly, Diana Lam Head of School
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When Pigs Sing
American Repertory Theater playwright Brendan Shea visited 1st grade to see a run-through of the play he wrote for them, and which they will premier on May 24 at 12:00pm at the Veronica B. Smith Senior Center. "Three Little Pigs, Inc." is an adaptation of the classic fairy tale with original music composed by resident artist Levi Comstock.
The play tells the tale of three young pigs who set out to build their houses out of many different materials, including wood, plastic, glass, adobe, and clay. When wolves target their homes for demolition, they must join forces to protect their Piggiplex from becoming Wolf City USA.
Shea was impressed with the way the young thespians had made his words their own and expressed great excitement for the performance. He talked to the students about the process of writing the play and his thoughts behind different characters and scenes. "It is impressive how these students have made this story come alive and given a voice to each of the characters."
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Water, Water, Everywhere!
It was rainy the day that Ms. Delaney's 3rd grade class set out on their woodland and wetland habitats expedition to Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary this week. Poetically appropriate one might say, as they went to study and compare water from the Indian Brook, which drains the large wetlands area into the Charles River, and from the river itself. They were checking for PH levels, ammonia and dissolved oxygen. In the water from the marsh they found several micro-invertebrates like snails and backswimmers. One student said that he saw a leech!
As they meandered along the trail ways, they were treated to encounters with a blue heron, a red-breasted blackbird, a turtle, and geese with their goslings. Excellent original, first-hand research was accomplished in this muddy, slippery treasure trove of nature at its rainy best.
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May Monthly Assembly
The merry month of May was kicked off with fitting airs and rhythms on Friday, May 4th. An enthusiastic group of student peers, teachers, family and friends gathered together to support and celebrate the assembly of scholars and musicians who presented.
 The notes played by the brass musicians working with Mr. Schroeder filled the air with confident, pure and melodic sound. They played short selections from Bach, Beethoven and Mussorgsky demonstrating that they could master the simple independence of line required by one composer, the changing keys of another, and the actual orchestral repertoire of the third. The Promenade movement at the beginning of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" is well-known and appreciated. How empowering for these young musicians to have begun to play this masterpiece!
The Abreu Percussion performed a multi-percussion piece entitled "Rhythm Rebel," an advanced piece usually played at the middle-school level which has a familiar "call and response" section. Abreu Percussion led by Mr. Moore has been working very hard this semester and is very excited to perform "Rhythm Rebel" at the Spring Concert!
The K2 class performed their original food song, "The K2 Food Song," in celebration of the completion of their Learning Expedition, "What's on Your Plate?" in which students explored nutrition and healthy eating. You too can view a performance of the song on YouTube today. The monthly assembly at Conservatory Lab Charter School is a fun time to show the progress the students are making.
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Community Concerts
Boston City Singers Annual Finale Concert in JP is this coming Saturday, May 12th from 11am-noon at First Church in Jamaica Plain, 6 Eliot Street. A suggested donation at the door of $10 per person and $20 per family goes directly to City Singers scholarship fund. Come support Conservatory Lab students Mini, Sofya, and Tess, as well as several alumni!
On May 20, resident artists Josh Garver and Levi Comstock will perform with the Brookline Symphony at All Saints Parish in Brookline. Visit the website for more details.
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Flutes will perform for Mother's Day
On May 13, at 2:00pm in the music room, Conservatory Lab flute players will present an afternoon of solos and small ensembles. Come support these talented young musicians!
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