Upcoming Events
Sept 19
PAC Meeting
5:30 pm
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Conservatory Lab
25 Arlington Street
Brighton, MA 02315
617.254.8904
www.conservatorylab.org
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| Family Notes
September 14, 2012
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Dear Families,
When a child eats a balanced, healthful diet, she will feel better and do better all day long. The things we eat affect our mood, concentration, and energy level. Together we work to give our children the nutrition they need to build healthy bodies and minds. We also teach them how to make healthful choices and create lifelong habits.
Because of our shared commitment to nutrition, our scholars no longer bring junk food to school for their lunches and snacks; instead they are bringing fruits, vegetables, and other healthful treats. In K2 and in 5th Grade, they study nutrition to learn the impact of different foods on the body. We have seen first-hand how the right fuel in their bodies gives them the energy they need for a long school day.
This year we are introducing a new custom in order to honor our children's birthdays in a way that also affirms our commitment to healthy eating. We have purchased a Birthday Candelabra, which will visit each child on their special day. It will take the place of the traditional birthday cake or cupcakes in classroom celebrations.
Included in this issue are options for healthy birthday treats which could also accompany the Candelabra if you wish to bring them. We want to celebrate each child on their birthday, but please do not bring sugary cakes or cupcakes this year. If you have healthy, festive birthday recipes you would like to share, please send them to Toni Jackson.
Thank you for joining with us to keep all of our students healthy and strong.
Warmly,
Diana Lam
Head of School
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Sixth Grade Ecologists Save Planet
How is the Earth responding to global warming? To find out, the 6th graders become citizen scientists as they kick off their field research of trees in the park next to school!  They and students at 45 other schools in New England are participating in the "Buds, Leaves, and Global Warming" Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology Project. They will join the ranks of researchers all over the world who work to understand the Earth's response to global warming. They will be studying phenology -the study of the timing of natural events.
At their research site, 6th grade tree buddies will learn how to identify their trees and will record data on when the leaves lose their green and drop this fall. Come spring, they will study when their leaves bud and burst forth as new leaves.
After publishing their data on the Harvard Forest website, they will become data analysts. The big questions for analysis are: how long is the growing season in our neighborhood? How might global warming affect the length of the growing season for trees? Its time to grab data sheets and clip boards and learn what the trees have to tell us!
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K2 Takes a Walk
 On Thursday, K2 students, along with their teachers and chaperones, went for a community walk as part of their Helping Hands Expedition. Before the walk, students predicted what they might see. During the walk, they took notes about what buildings, vehicles and people they found. They asked questions when they met community members such as the foreman of the construction site near the school and the owner of the fruit and vegetable store in Brighton Center. They noted how many banks are in our neighborhood and marveled at the beautiful and huge tree in a yard on the way back to school.
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Happy Birthday, Conservatory Lab-Style
Since we are celebrating a birthday almost every day in school, we are establishing some new birthday traditions to mark everyone's special day. One such tradition is the birthday candelabra. Whenever there is a birthday boy or girl in the class, the teacher will pick a time to light the candles, the class will sing happy birthday and they will make a wish all together.
 Many families like to celebrate their child's birthday by bringing in a special treat to share. In our effort to create a healthy eating environment for all, we are asking families who choose to bring in snacks to bring healthy treats to celebrate in your child's classroom. Who doesn't love a delicious fruit and yogurt parfait? Fruit kabobs can be filled with your child's favorites, looks festive and tastes delicious. We are always looking for fun, healthy recipes to share so if you've got an idea, email it to tjackson@conservatorylab.org.
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Welcome Graduates
 We are pleased to welcome back several graduates who will be participating in the Dudamel Orchestra as 7th grade mentors. Ezekiel Santiago, Nehemiah Yisrael, and Adam Wertheimer will be coming in two or three days a week to perform with and assist in the Dudamel Orchestra.
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First PAC Meeting Next Wednesday
All are invited!
Parent Advisory Council is an active and dynamic organization of Conservatory Lab families volunteering in many ways to support the work of the school. All are warmly invited to attend PAC meetings, the first of which is on September 19, at 5:30 in the 4th Grade Room.
Monthly meetings are posted on the Google Calendar, and are scheduled as follows:
September 19 October 17
November 14 December 19
January 16
February 27
March 20
April 24
May 15
June 12
For more information contact Michelle Gurel.
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