John Chistolini, our new Chief Operations Officer, is a man, full of persistence, who relishes challenges, loves to help people, particularly children and defines himself as an analytical problem solver that finds a way to get things done. A quick study, he loves to work with a team and finds that each difficulty presents a new opportunity for learning.

John's training and experience as an attorney, specializing in educational law, child care & protection, along with his years in the classroom as a middle school science teacher and over 15 years in different managerial positions in security and operations at the Boston Public Schools give him an impressive depth and breadth of experience as he comes to Conservatory Lab Charter School. In his new role as head of operations, one of his many tasks will be to plan and oversee the upper school's move into the new temporary site for next year.

An example of John's ability and commitment to getting things done that help children is the way in which he quickly set up a 501(c) (3) Non-Profit Charitable Trust to help poor and orphaned children of Zambia, Africa after his daughter, Alex, 22 years old, told him of the need to have a financial conduit established there to receive contributions from the U.S.A. 

John says that the vision, talent, passion, and commitment to exemplary education that he saw evidence of in all of the Conservatory Lab's faculty and staff motivated him to be part of this team.

Welcome John!

• Family Notes comes out every Friday and is emailed to every single family in the school.  This e-newsletter carries a weekly letter from our Head of School and gives information about special things that have happened that week academically and musically.  Also cited are upcoming events and important information that pertains to the entire school.
• The Showcase is the monthly e-newsletter that goes to our entire database which includes families, donors, foundations, educators, legislators and other friends of Conservatory Lab. The Showcase presents the highlights of what took place the previous month. 
• Shutterfly is used by the School's Marketing & Communications department to share photographs of different expeditions and events with the entire school.  
• News of utmost urgency is printed and put into students' backpacks to be sent home.
• Specific news from administration that pertains to specific classrooms or very time sensitive information (like snow emergencies) are sent via email from Toni Jackson.
• The Parent Advisory Council has a website and also sends out an e-newsletter as needed regarding PAC items and events.

On Tuesday, January 29th, Ms. Randolph's K2 class performed their version of Are You My Instrument?, a play by Levi Comstock based on the children's book Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman.  They were scheduled to perform at the Children's Museum the week before but the performance had to be rescheduled due to snow.  The students, including 1st grader Addy Johnson in a cameo role, did a wonderful job!

Ever want to hear Mr. Anantawan perform?  Thanks to the New Philharmonia Orchestra, Conservatory Lab students and their families can attend their February 9th 3 PM concert, Tragedy & Triumph, featuring three works by Tchaikovsky for free!  Mr. Anantawan will be the featured soloist at this concert held at the First Baptist Church in Newton, 848 Beacon St. Newton Centre (the same church where our students sang with Pete Seeger).

If you would like to attend the concert please send an email to Toni Jackson, tjackson@conservatorylab.org, letting us know how many tickets you would like by Thursday, Feb. 6th.