Showcase NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
Table of Contents 1 K2 REFLECTS ON CREW QUALITIES IN SONGS AND ART
2 LINDA NATHAN SELECTED AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
3 A WINTER CONCERT SERIES TO REMEMBER
4 STUDENTS GIVE PUBLIC SPEAKING A GO WITH POISE AND CONFIDENCE
• Your donation today helps to bring remarkable educational opportunities to our inner city students! • Questions? Comments? Email us at csoriano@conversatorylab.org • Don’t forget to follow us on facebook, twitter, and instagram! Facebook Twitter Instagram
A LETTER FROM JOHN DEAR FRIENDS OF CONSERVATORY LAB, The last few weeks have been very important weeks in the life of our school as we have begun to go through the process of BRA approval of our plans for the new school in Barlett Place in Roxbury. The process is a rigorous one, where many plans, documents and architectural drawings have to be submitted. In addition, there are three public meetings held wherein members of the community hear about the project in detail and have an opportunity to express their views on the proposed project. We have had a huge turnout of parents, friends and staff at the first two meetings held in December and we expect even more at the yet-tobe scheduled meeting in January. These meetings have been an opportunity for many people in the community to hear about the school’s remarkable, innovative and successful programs as well as the positive economic impact which we can have on the Dudley Square area. It was heartening to see the many interested parties and to hear the strong support for our school. As this calendar year comes to a close, we are grateful for all the interest, enthusiasm and
commitment that surrounds our school and the work that is done here. We urge you to continue your generous support of the rigorous and innovative approach we bring to education. Help us fulfill the dreams of success that our students hold! Best Wishes for a happy holidays! Kind regards, JOHN CHISTOLINI Interim Head of School
K2 REFLECTS ON CREW QUALITIES IN SONGS AND ART THIS SEMESTER, K2 HAS BEEN EXPLORING OUR school’s Crew Qualities and what it means to exhibit perseverance, responsibility, empathy, reflection, and cooperation in day-to-day life. Music has been integrated throughout the K2 class’s lessons and discussions about the Crew Qualities. As the finale to this unit, Ms. Hennessy wrote original songs for each of the Crew Qualities, which K2 performed at Friday Finale on December 4! The class persevered to memorize the lyrics and dance moves for every single one of Ms. Hennessy’s five fabulous songs. It was a Friday Finale where music and academic learning were guided by each other and brought together in true harmony! The class also cooperated with their teachers to create a small student product for the unit! The K2 students interviewed every teacher and staff member at the Lower School to determine which Crew Qualities each adult exhibited the most. They then drew pictures and wrote about all the teachers and staff’s work and how they demonstrate the Crew Qualities every day. The students’ work can be seen in the booklet titled “We Are Crew!,” which you can find at the Lower School front desk!
Watch a video of K2 performing “Perseverance,” and all the other Crew Quality songs by clicking here!
BRING MEANINGFUL MOMENTS TO OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. 1
Click here to donate!
LINDA NATHAN SELECTED AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR The Board of Trustees of the Conservatory Lab Charter School (CLCS) and its affiliate, the Center for Artistry and Scholarship in Education (CASE) are pleased to announce that Linda F. Nathan has agreed to join our organization as Executive Director, effective July 1, 2016. The agreement was reached following an extensive review process by our constituent parent, administrative, teaching and resident artist stakeholders. Dr. Nathan will be the senior executive responsible for executing our mission of empowering a diverse range of children as scholars, artists, and leaders through a unique and rigorous academic and music education, enriching the larger community through performance, service, and collaboration. As a laboratory school, she will help develop and disseminate innovative educational practices that will positively impact youth and leaders in other schools and programs. Dr. Nathan will further develop programming to prepare emerging leaders and teachers who want to explore the connections among community-based organizations, schools and artistry. Dr. Nathan has had extensive professional experience in education. Most recently she served as Faculty Director of the Creative Educational Leadership Institute and Senior Lecturer of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the Boston University School of Education. Other positions include Special Advisor to Superintendent of Boston Public Schools, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Arts in Education and Founding Headmaster of the Boston Arts Academy, Boston’s first public high school for the visual and performing arts. Dr. Nathan has also taught a course in school design at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for over a decade. Linda holds a Doctor of Education degree from Harvard University, Masters’ degrees from Emerson College and Antioch University and a BA from the University of California. Linda also has done graduate course work in bilingual education. “I am truly excited to join an organization where I get to rub elbows every day with young students and teachers. Most of my professional career has been focused on how arts and education can come together and symbiotically produce better education and life outcomes for all. Conservatory Lab has demonstrated the potential of change through its adaptation of the El Sistema youth orchestral program and its creative contributions of music-infused Expeditionary Learning project based curricula. I look forward to building on the Lab school’s strengths while taking part in conversations about educational change throughout the world.” Conservatory Lab’s current chief executive and Head of School, Diana Lam, will complete eight years of pioneering leadership at the school when she retires in June. Diana’s insight, judgment, perseverance and kindness have created the school we have today. The Board is eager to engage with Diana on projects in the future and to continue to benefit from her enormous contributions. A celebration of Diana will be held later in the school year.
2
A WINTER CONCERT SERIES TO REMEMBER On December 8, 10, and 14, Conservatory Lab held its three concerts in our Winter Concert series at Roxbury Community College. These concerts featured every student at our school, whose poise and professionalism was as striking as their refined playing. On December 8, the K2 Singers celebrated our school culture with the audience through their songs about each of the five Crew Qualities (Perseverance, Cooperation, Responsibility, Empathy, and Reflection). The Mingus Orchestra impressed everyone with the rich, buttery tones they coaxed from their instruments as they played with their instruments for the first time onstage.
3
On December 10, the 3rd graders in the Abreu Orchestra demonstrated their orchestral prowess by showing off some of the starkest dynamic contrasts we have seen from students at the school, expertly changing between quiet and thunderous volume levels in the music.
On December 14, the brass, winds, and percussion from Dudamel and Abbado teamed up to give a rousing, marching band-style performance between the aisles of the theater that had everyone clapping and singing along! Congratulations to all our students and teachers! We are so proud that our school perseveres to deliver not one but three beautiful and entertaining concerts!
4
STUDENTS PRACTICE PUBLIC SPEAKING WITH POISE AND CON OVER THE SEMESTER, SEVERAL GRADES AT our school have been cultivating their public speaking skills. In the last few weeks of classes, we’ve gotten to see the fruits of their labor. In 4th grade, there was a heated and rousing class debate in Ms. Fleck’s class! As part of their expedition on the American Revolution, students had a formal debate to answer the question, “are taxes fair?”
However, the information the students used to make their arguments was not based on the standards of modern-day taxes; rather, the students referenced the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Intolerable Act, and the French and Indian War, among other noteworthy Revolutionera events that affected taxes at that time.
5
Students worked in groups of six to back up their claims, and each student in each group had a chance to speak. The debate was organized in formal debate order: opening statements, arguments, rebuttals, and closing statements. Students took pride in their work and received compliments from everyone who came to watch! Ms. Fleck is incredibly proud of the dedication, work, passion, and joy that her students put into this project.
MEANWHILE, IN 6TH GRADE HUMANITIES, students learned all about Ancient Greece and its government. Their study of how the Greeks created democracy led Ms. Jahl’s class to examine different forms of government. Students were assigned to research and create a Powerpoint presentation about democracy, monarchy, oligarchy, or dictatorship. Even though they’d made Powerpoints before, this was the very first time the students presented them to a group of people! The 6th graders were poised under pressure, and presented their information confidently and professionally.
YOUR SUPPORT BRINGS ENRICHING OPPORTUNITIES TO OUR STUDENTS.
Click here to donate! 6