Come See the Monkey King

Our 6th graders are very busy preparing for their production of the Wild and Wonderful Monkey King to be performed twice during the first week in June.  As part of their Journeys Across Continents: The Silk Road Expedition, the students are learning techniques of Peking Opera including staged kung fu and fan dances as elements of the production.  Experts have come in to teach workshops in percussion and storytelling as well.  Many parents have volunteered to help make costumes and build sets.  The students have memorized their lines and are having a great time working on the blocking and the acting.

We are looking forward to sharing these performances with everyone in our school community.  The first public performance will be on Tuesday, June 3rd, in the (Upper) school auditorium at 3 PM.  All students from grades k2 to grade 7 will attend and everyone is welcome.  The second performance will take place on Friday, June 6th at Roxbury Community College at 5:30 PM and will be followed by a potluck reception.  We encourage all families to come to either performance and to invite anyone else who may be interested.  The show is sure to be spectacular!

This week our students finished taking the MA Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) in grades 3 through 7.  All students spent Monday and Tuesday answering Math Multiple Choice and Open Response questions.  All teachers and staff pitched in to make the testing period a calm and focused time so all students could do their best.  On Wednesday and Thursday, the 5th grade had one more test to take - the Science MCAS - answering questions covering topics taught in 3rd through 5th grade: earth, life, and physical sciences.  We appreciate everyone in our school community contributing to the success of our students on this important assessment.  Preliminary results will be sent to the school this summer and individual student reports will be sent to families in the fall.