Conservatory Lab
Charter School

In This Issue

Ms. Mostello

Good Winter Health

A Capella Concert

School Calendar

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, Jan. 15

SpEd PAC meeting 4:30 - 5:30

PAC meeting

5:30 - 7

25 Arlington St

Friday, Jan 31

Whole School Assembly

9:30 - 10:30

25 Arlington St

Conservatory Lab

Grades 3 - 7

25 Arlington Street
Brighton, MA 02315
617.254.8904

Grades K1 - 2

320 Washington Street

Brighton, MA 02315
617.208.6200

www.conservatorylab.org

Family Notes

January 10, 2014

Dear Families,

At the top of every New Year I always feel re-energized to create the road map for the next twelve months that will lead in the best direction to accomplish what needs to be achieved. What are the stepping stones in the path that reflects the values, the passions, the relationships that are paramount for me and for this school? What big realizations or learning experiences were faced last year and how will those impact what is done this year? What are the intentions and goals for this new, next phase of life for all of us who share it here at Conservatory Lab?

The desire is to face each day, with all that it brings, with the conviction of knowing that the path chosen is built on fundamentals of courage, determination, compassion, cooperation, honesty, trust and responsibility. Are these not the bedrock of a harmonious community, of a thriving society? These are the principles that are being instilled in our students daily as they strive to perfect their work, both academically and musically, and that are fashioning their character and drive as they strive alongside their companions.

Let us forge ahead then into this new era knowing that the force of the convictions that set our path is what will continue to propel us forward and help us to surmount any and all obstacles in our path. 2014 will be another year of huge change and growth for our school and together we are equal to the task!

Have a good week end.

Warmly,

Ms. Lam

Diana Lam

Open Source Radio Program Debut Features El Sistema at Conservatory Lab

Christopher Lydon, long a beloved presence on Boston's airwaves, returned to WBUR last week-end with a new show Open Source to air on Thursdays from 9:00 to 10:00p.m. He chose to feature El Sistema at Conservatory Lab for his debut show on January 2, 2014.

Our own Kat Jara shared the microphone with Larry Scipp, one of the founders of the school, long an education specialist at the New England Conservatory of Music; and the prolific Harvard Ed School Professor Howard Gardner, best known for his work on "multiple intelligences."

This hour long program gives a comprehensive exposition of the features and benefits of the program at Conservatory Lab, describes its uniqueness and places it very positively within the framework of the larger arts-in- education landscape.

Click here for the full audio broadcast and more about the radio program. Here is a wonderful video produced by the Open Source team:

Conservatory Lab Charter School

Fearless in the Face of Challenges

Elise Mostello originally came to Conservatory Lab to be the Science Curriculum Designer and Mathematics Coach for the upper school and she has now added being the Support for Instructional Program Planning and Implementation as well.

This very challenging set of duties is something that she is not only very capable of, because she actually seeks challenging assignments, but also thrives doing. Her drive is to fix things and to get them to work, even if she has to learn how to do it herself. She is very organized by nature and counts on that as one of her survival skills. Her nature is not to sit down at a meeting and discuss a problem for half an hour but to come with ideas on how to solve the problem. A pet peeve of hers is all the red tape that is often involved in bringing in any innovation to education. She always sees so many roads that can be taken to solve a problem, but finds that often people have a fear of change.

Elise's original attraction to study math was to be able to understand the what and the why of numbers in order to successfully work the mechanics of numbers processing. After graduate school, where she received a masters in curriculum and instruction focusing on math & technology from Boston College, she then worked at the Brook Charter School to both develop and implement curriculum. She finds great reward here at Conservatory Lab seeing the dedication and commitment to students that all the teachers have and delights in seeing the benefits of a discovery and reality based approach to all subjects used by the students. She also finds the Conservatory Lab students captivating, joyous and with huge hearts.

An avid traveler, worldwide, she seeks high energy adventure in her leisure time as well. Elisa is also a dedicated scuba diver; her most favorite vacation has been white shark diving in South Africa!!!

Maintaining Good Winter Health

Many people begin the New Year with resolutions: to be more active, to be kinder, to lose weight, to achieve an educational or professional goal. We begin 2014 with a resolution to improve the overall health of our school. This resolution involves many of the same reminders and strategies of the more traditional ones: we must take care of our bodies in order to allow our minds to work at peak capacity. If we are sick or tired we cannot teach or learn at our best.

As we saw this week, (particularly in K1), sometimes a virus is extremely contagious and can move quickly from person to person so here are some reminders to help us all reach our goal of good health:

Wash your hands. Sounds simple but sometimes we forget. The best way to keep a virus from spreading is by limiting contact with germs.
Dress warmly for the weather. We take the students out for recess every day. They need the fresh air and the opportunity stretch their bodies. Students must have hats, gloves and boots every day.
Eat a healthy lunch. Students must feed their bodies in order to feed their minds. Please send your child to school with a healthy lunch and snacks and encourage them to eat the school lunch if that is their choice. Too many students are throwing away good food. Ask your child what they ate for lunch and talk about the importance of fruits and vegetables. Model good eating habits for them.
If your child does get sick, please keep her home. Inevitably, kids will get sick but we can try to minimize how much exposure students have to illness if they stay home to recuperate.

Be well!

Free A Cappella Concert

Our own K2 associate teacher, Tessie Snow, will be performing Sunday at 3 PM at the Center for the Arts at the Armory 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA with her a cappella singing group, Mass Appeal. This event is free and open to the public. Mass Appeal was formed in September 2011 by a group of Boston-area women who love to sing. Their a cappella repertoire pulls from hits throughout the ages - current favorites include popular songs by Etta James, The Ronettes, The Temptations, Fleetwood Mac, Maroon 5, Sara Bareilles, and more. Mass Appeal's mission is to sing music that appeals to a wide audience, hence their name. They have performed at nursing homes and Stepping Stones Foundation, which is an organization that prepares underserved children for educational opportunities that will equip them for college.

Learn more at their website www.massappealboston.com.

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.