Last Friday the Parent Advisory Council held a Potluck/Math Night event at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan, reviving an old tradition in the school of combining a social event with a learning activity.  It was a great evening, full of introductions and conversations, good food and fun for all ages.

Thanks to parent Karen Lombard, an arrangement was made to use the hall and the classrooms at the Boston Nature Center in Mattapan.  Families each brought a dish that was placed on a sideboard and then helped themselves buffet style to what was on offer.  There was a wide variety of dishes from vegetable lasagne to rosemary chicken to fruit salad.  There was plenty of food for all but, interestingly, lightest on dessert. What a healthy crowd!  Karen and Michelle Gurel also organized the set up and clean up of the space.

After everyone finished dinner, parent Jenna Wertheimer introduced an ice breaker bingo game designed to get everyone up and talking to one another.  Children and parents alike took their papers and pencils around the room, looking for someone to sign in each block of their 5 by 5 grid of descriptors.  We all now know someone who "doesn't like chocolate" (Indiamara's grandmother, Beatriz), someone who was "born in another country" and someone who "lives in Hyde Park."  What a great way to make new friend!

After the ice breaker, families were encouraged to go into the classrooms in different age groups to play a variety of math games.  These were also set up by Jenna with a little help from curriculum specialist Elise Mostello.  Families could stay as long as they liked and many stayed for an hour playing cards or other math games.  

The evening was very well attended and for that we would like to thank parents Christine Cox and Adaleta Maslo-Krkovic for writing and sending emails to all families and PAC chair Myriah Johnson for organizing the whole event.  We hope this becomes a new/old school tradition. 

Last week, five area teenaged musicians led a chamber music residency with a group of student musicians from our school.  The high schoolers are part of From the Top's Center for the Development of Arts Leaders (CDAL Boston) which "offers a range of opportunities for young musicians in Greater Boston to use the transformative power of music to engage new audiences, give back to their communities, and explore their leadership pathways as 21st century musicians." They came every day after school to work one on one and in a small group with our students culminating in a performance on Friday afternoon for family and friends and the rest of the Dudamel Orchestra.

Cellist Ju Hyun Lee, from BU Academy participated in this program last year and was eager to come back.  She worked with 5th grader Junior Fuentes, helping him learn the special set of skills required to work as a chamber musician.  Lilia Chang, a Weston High School violinist, worked with 5th grader Olivia Cox as well as the whole group showing the students how to cue one another for entrances.  Nicholas Gallitano, a violist from Brookline High School, spent time on technique with his charge, 4th grader Mayara Ryland.  

Fourth grader Tess Lepeska-True and 6th grader Jelitza Romero worked with Leland Ko, a cellist from Weston HS, and Calvin Kim, a clarinetist from the Walnut Hill School for the Arts on observation skills and following one another's lead.  When you play in a chamber ensemble there is no conductor so everyone must lead and everyone must follow.  These are tricky lessons to learn but, as this clip shows, our students made great strides over the course of the week.

The CDAL students clearly enjoyed their time with us and are looking forward to March when they will return to work with another group of our student musicians. 

Every year the school creates a calendar which serves as a reminder of the achievements and performances of the past year and as our Annual Report full of information about the school.  This year's calendar is a beautiful testament to the power of education and music and is filled with the faces of our children.  

The calendars will be for sale at $10 each at every school event: PAC meetings and concerts but you can also send your student in with money and a note any time (the orders can be brought to the front desk at each building) and we will send them home the next day with the number of calendars you would like.