Upcoming Events
Coffee Hour & Assembly
May 3rd - 8:30 AM & 9 AM
|
Conservatory Lab
25 Arlington Street
Brighton, MA 02315
617.254.8904
www.conservatorylab.org
|
|
|
| Family Notes
April 26, 2013
|
Dear Families,
I have seldom been so grateful to come back from spring break. It was a great relief to see your children come through the door, safe, well, and ready to learn. The events of last week left us shaken and full of questions, many of which have no satisfying answers. We strive for meaning, knowing each of us must ultimately make our own meaning.
At the same time, tragedy brings us closer together. We hug our loved ones tighter, we reach out to strangers, and we check in on old friends. Most of all, we resolve to do something that makes the world a more peaceful place.
As a community, we strive to support and care for one another. We nurture our children in body, mind, and spirit, sharing with them the tools of peacemakers. We cultivate understanding of differences and appreciation of diversity. Events like this remind us who we are and what is important to us. Together, we are strong.
Warmly, 
Diana Lam
|
 |
Paper Orchestra Concert Rocks the Boston Children's Museum  On Friday, April 12th the K2 Paper Orchestra performed for a standing room only crowd at the Boston Children's Museum. The concert was the joyful culmination of the students' paper orchestra experience and was a powerful demonstration of the kinds of performance skills our youngest students have mastered. As the audience of friends, family and museum visitors slowly gathered in The Common, an open performance space in the center of the museum, our students quietly prepared for their performance. At 3:15 sharp, Ms. Levi introduced the group and then led the students in songs and chants designed to introduce young musicians to their instruments and their roles in an orchestra. The students demonstrated proper positioning and bow holds as they sang an original song "We Are a Paper Orchestra" and old favorites including "The Grand Old Duke of York" and "The Wheels on the Bus". We appreciate the partnership with the Boston Children's Museum. They have hosted three K2 events this year and have provided a diverse audience for these unusual performances. Our students have been motivated to perform at their highest level as they feel the city-wide spotlight that comes with such a prestigious venue. This group of musicians has now begun rehearsals on their real instruments and is looking forward to performing alongside their peers on stage at Longy in the first Spring Concert on June 5th. Mark your calendars for this debut!
|
|
|
Through the Wrong End of The Telescope: Fifth Graders Write Fantasy
Fantasy literature can be whimsical, diversionary, and profound, sometimes all at once. The 5th grade class explored every angle of the genre in their recent writing unit, which culminated in a reading and book signing celebration on Friday, April 12.
Fifth graders became fantasy writers by studying the elements of mentor texts like The Giver. They established criteria of quality fantasy literature, then learned to create believable characters, follow a comprehensive plot, and use figurative language to make their writing more engaging.
Parents and teachers attended the celebration. Authors took turns reading from their latest works and signing copies for peers and guests. Students were excited for the opportunity to take home their own published stories as well as works by their friends and colleagues. They toasted their achievements as writers and the fact that every student hit every target on their project management board.
All year, 5th graders have been writing for a variety of reasons. Over the year, students have written memoirs, literary and personal essays, constructed responses, poetry, raps, and now fantasy. For many, fantasy was the highlight of their writing so far this year!
Students were particularly inspired by a quote of Dr. Seuss: "I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities."
|
|
|
K1 Portrait Celebration
 The K-1 Exhibition Celebration, which was a result of our 14-week study of color and portraiture, was a stunning success and we had a terrific turnout of moms, dads, grandparents, Conservatory Lab staff, friends, and supporters.
The children shared the song "My Favorite Color is..." and "Roy G. Biv" with the crowed who beamed with pleasure. A special thanks to Mr. Cordes for sharing this lovely tune with the students and getting them ready to sing about what they know about color. Ms. Mason compiled a short film of the two-month process, which documented the myriad of experiences the children engaged in to build their final product, acrylic self portraits. By the night of the celebration the child accomplished many learning targets, including: I can use art tools carefully, I can describe details I see in artwork, I can explain how to mix all of the colors of the rainbow, I can give feedback to improve the work of others.
 Guests of our special event were asked to give feedback to the children about their portrait work. Here are just a few highlighted "stars" from our list:
"I loved the color choices you made for your backgrounds!"
"Great job everybody!"
"Nice work K-1!"
"We loved the details you put in your portrait!"
"I can't believe that 4 and 5 year-olds did this work... it is remarkable!"
Next week the children will reflect on their paintings (the color choices they made, the details they included) and we will begin to display their work in our school lobby gallery space for all visitors and Conservatory Lab students to view.
|
|
|
Models of Excellence
 "What would it look like if students were to meet Common Core Standards with depth, integrity and imagination?" This was the question posed to students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education by Prof. Steve Seidel of Project Zero and Prof. Ron Berger from Expeditionary Learning. Fortuitously, two of our Expeditionary Learning student products, "What Snake Am I?" and "Get Your Blues On", were chosen to be featured. Each student in the class was asked to investigate how each product was made and then make a five-minute film that illustrated the work of the teachers and students who created that product.
HGSE student Sarah Zuckerman collected video and interviews from Jenna Gampel and her students in order to not only understand but also explain how the powerful experiences of research and revision combined to create writing and art that the students and the community are proud to share. Her film showed students involved in research, both in the classroom and at the Harvard Museum of Natural History and also used stop-motion animation to show the process of revision in the student artwork.
 Our 4th grade classroom was the site of HGSE Laura Kanter's research. She interviewed teacher Rachel Cates, Resident Artist Chris Schroeder and student Arianna Rodriguez about the process of reading and writing poetry to both understand other perspectives and demonstrate empathy through artistic expression. She used video of the student performance at the House of Blues as well as a montage of their poems and collages to illustrate how the Expedition encouraged the students to imagine themselves in the history and then reflect on their personal response.
We are thrilled that the work of these graduate students will help disseminate our best work around the country.
|
|
Chamber Ensemble Performs at the Somerset ClubSeven students from the Dudamel orchestra spent an enchanting Thursday evening as guest performers at the Somerset Club, at the invitation of board member Clay Rives. Amid elegant decor, delectable hors'douvres, and light hearted festivity, the children performed chamber works by Handel and Weller to the delight and amazement of their hosts.  Following a presentation by Head of School Diana Lam and a performance by resident artists Josh Garver, Adam Eccleston, and Levi Comstock, students and faculty mingled with guests, enjoying refreshments and conversation.
"It was like something out of Downton Abbey," described Stella Dzialas, "we are so grateful to Mr. Rives for hosting an event to support our school."
|
|
