This week as I heard of the death of Nelson Mandela, Nobel Peace prize winner and an international emblem of dignity and forbearance, my mind and heart went immediately to the day in 1990 when I took my son Sasha, then 12 years old, to the Kennedy Library to hear this great man speak.

Why was it so important for me to have my son witness such a man? Was it because he had been a valiant warrior against apartheid, the former official policy of racial segregation in South Africa. Was it because he cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons could live together in harmony and with equal opportunities to such a degree that he gave twenty seven years of his life to that belief? Was it because he later emerged, against all odds, but fulfilling his dream, triumphant as South Africa's first Black President? Yes to all the above, and even more because of what he believed and stated as follows: "Hating clouds the mind. It gets in the way of strategy. Leaders cannot afford to hate."

Nelson Mandela was a man with a good head and a good heart and that was a formidable combination that changed his world and served as a good example to others.

My mind and my heart are uplifted every time I think of him.

Best wishes for a good week-end.

Warmly,

Ms. Lam

Diana Lam

Governor Dukakis Comes to Visit

The Lower School had two very special visitors this morning. Former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis and his wife Kitty have long been friends of our school and have seen our students perform several times but today they got to see our students in class - where it all begins.

The Governor and his wife live nearby in Brookline and have been supporters of the arts for many years. Kitty's father, the late Harry Ellis Dickson, was a first violinist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for five decades and a conductor of the Boston Pops for nearly as long. He was the founder of the Boston Symphony Orchestra's youth concert series in 1959 and retired from the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 1987. Governor Dukakis played the trumpet himself and told the students that he has now handed down his trumpet to his nine-year-old grandson. Both the Governor and Kitty were delighted to see and hear our K1 and K2 students rehearse for their upcoming concert.

Governor Dukakis, who served in the 1970s and 1980s, also toured the 1st and 2nd grade classrooms and spoke with students and teachers about their experience. He has twelve grandchildren, many of whom are still in elementary school so he appreciates the richness and diversity of both Expeditionary Learning and El Sistema.

Our students certainly appreciated the opportunity to perform for such distinguished guests.

Colonial Trades: Making Communities Work

On Monday, December 2nd, 4th graders traveled back to colonial Dorchester in the years leading up to the American Revolution and learned about Samuel Pierce, a prominent farmer whose home and account book help historians create a picture of how the colonists lived long ago. Historic New England's Ivy Wagner (who taught at Conservatory Lab 20 years ago!) conducted the workshop, bringing with her a treasure trove of tools and other artifacts from the period.

A role-play activity and bartering game allowed students to step into the shoes of real Dorchester residents, including farmers, wheelwrights, weavers, and blacksmiths and emphasized the interdependence of colonial craftspeople, who traded with one another to obtain the food, services, and goods they needed to survive. Ms. Wagner will return next month to teach 4th graders how to weave with handheld looms.

Admissions: Spread the Word

"Music is practically the only way to a dignified social destiny. Poverty means loneliness, sadness, anonymity. An orchestra means joy, motivation, teamwork, the aspiration to success." - Jose Abreu, Founder of El Sistema

Since our admissions cycle launched on October 1, we have received a healthy number of applications, particularly in the early grades. To continue expanding our middle school, we would like to ask for your help in spreading the word about Conservatory Lab to your family, friends, and local communities.

Our goal is to enrich the lives of all children from all backgrounds by empowering them as scholars, artists, and leaders through a unique and rigorous academic and music education: project-based Expeditionary Learning and the El Sistema orchestral program with roots in Venezuelan barrios. We believe that music is the language of learning and the key to breaking through barriers in the pursuit of excellence.

Applications can be downloaded here and submitted with two proofs of address and a copy of the student's birth certificate by March 1, 2014. A lottery will occur in early March. Feel free to request a copy in Portuguese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, and/or Spanish.

Thank you for your continued investment in the lives and dreams of children. With your help, we look forward to welcoming a cohort of students, whose diversity strengthens our unity.

Winter Concert Logistics

We have now sent home the information about Winter Concert I at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, December 10th and on Monday will send home more info about Winter Concert II at 3:30 PM on Thursday, Dec. 19th. Both concerts will be held at the Ben Franklin Institute located at 41 Berkeley St, Boston 02116.

Parking is available near the Ben Franklin Institute but can be expensive. There are some, but not many, metered spaces nearby. The venue is not a far walk from the Back Bay Station on the Orange Line and is in between Arlington and Copley Stations on the Green Line. Please allow time for parking and travel. The concerts will start promptly.

This is a new venue for us but the logistics of concert day will be pretty similar to how they have been in the past. For each concert there will be one dress rehearsal day. The performing children will all be brought back and forth to the Ben Franklin Institute by school bus for the rehearsal. On Concert Day, they will all take the school bus to the venue but we expect that many of you will want to take your child home with you after the concert. If you cannot attend the concert or, if for some other reason you would like your child to return to school and take the school bus home, we will put your child (with a chaperone) on a bus returning to the Upper School immediately after the concert. From there, he or she will then board the correct bus to go home.

For Concert I, non-performing students (all students in grades 3 - 7) will not attend the concert with their teachers but will, instead, have class as usual. We understand that families may want to bring the siblings of their performing student to the concert so we ask that you pick up your older children from 25 Arlington Street (Upper School) at 2:30.

For Concert II, 1st and 2nd grade students will be brought to the Ben Franklin Institute to attend the concert and then will be immediately brought back to school in time for dismissal. If you are a parent of a 1st or 2nd grader and would like your student to attend the concert with you, we ask that you pick her or him up by 2:30 so they are not in the group we will dismiss to the bus. K1 and K2 will have class as usual but if you would like to pick up your student to bring him or her to the concert.

You must return the Concert slips to let us know your plans. We will make up lists of students and their dismissal plan for every teacher so we know where every child is going. The time is short - the concert ends at 4:20 and the students need to be at 25 Arlington Street on time to board buses - so we must confirm with all parents. Please write your child's name in addition to your name at the bottom of the slip and return it as soon as possible.

We are looking forward to a great concert and know you are all going to be wowed by the music!

Elves!

EVERY day the K1 crew cleans our kitchen! Ms. Sevelius thought it was elves, but this week she caught them in the act!

Parent Conversations

The parent committee of the School Advisory Circle (SAC) is hosting a series of Open Conversations with families about their children's experiences with the school. The SAC serves as a liaison between families and the school, and meets throughout the year with teachers and administrators to build a community of support for the success of the children and the school. Our hope is that these Open Conversations will lead SAC to better represent the needs of all students at CLCS.

We welcome new and experienced parents and families to join us at any of the dates and times below. The format will be open and conversational. If you need a translator, either bring your own or let us know, and we will try to find a volunteer. If you are able to volunteer as a translator in any language, please let us know. Child care will not be provided, but as these are public library settings you are welcome to bring your children. Please note this is a Public Meeting at the Library so any parents/families are welcome to join.

If you have questions, or to RSVP, please contact parents Ramika Smith, (lower school parent and the PAC liaison), <ramikasmith@gmail.com>, Doug Bellow <doug@ggbbuilds.com> (lower school parent), Melina OGrady melogrady@gmail.com (upper school parent), or Hansella Robson, <hrobson01@gmail.com> (middle school parent).

OPEN CONVERSATIONS WITH CONSERVATORY LAB FAMILIES

Saturday, December 14th, 2013 10:00am-12:00noon

Jamaica Plain Library

12 Sedgwick Street, *Enter also next to 20 South Street

Accessible by Bus 39

Saturday, January 11th, 2014 10:00am-12:00noon

Mattapan Library

1350 Blue Hill Ave

Accessible by Bus 28, 29 and 31

Saturday, January 25th, 2014 10:00am-12:00noon

Grove Hall Library

41 Geneva Ave

Accessible by bus 19, *walk from Columbia Rd bus 16, from Washington St bus 23, and from Blue Hill Ave buses 28 and 45

We hope to see you there!

Thank you, SAC Parents

School Calendars For Sale

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.