May 2012
8 posts
Standing Ovation for First Graders in Musical...
By Jonah Comstock
Intern, Psychology Today
When the Conservatory Lab 1st graders took the stage, it was clearly the culmination of months of work - not only on the part of the students, but also of a creative team that included teachers, parents, and Brendan Shea, a special guest writer from the American Repertory Theater.
The finished production, directed by...
Second Graders Shake, Rattle, and Slither
This week, 2nd graders put the finishing touches on their music video which will premier on YouTube later this month.
Filming the choreography was the last step in an extremely detailed process of writing and creating an original song and music video. After writing the song, six students went to the music studio to record the track of the song with their instruments. Once the track was...
Curtain Going Up!
Mark your calendars with an asterisk and plan to arrive early for a good seat for the performance of “The Three Little Pigs Inc.” the lively musical performed by the 1st grade thespians at the Veronica B. Smith Senior Center on Thursday, May 24th at 12:30p.m.
At the rehearsal held this last week, it became clearly evident that these young performers have internalized their roles,...
K1 Visits the Circus
Last Friday, the K1 class ran off to the circus in search of inspiration. For weeks they have been studying the animals, acts, and culture of “The Big Top,” investigating the ways that circus performers use what we at Conservatory Lab consider the “Keys to Harmony:” cooperation, courage, perseverance, responsibility, quality, and joy. They took notes on the many surprising...
Second Graders in The Recording Studio
Last week the bass player and percussionists from the 2nd grade class traveled to Notable Productions, a professional recording studio, to lay down tracks for their upcoming single, “Snakes Are Born This Way,” set for release later this month on the Conservatory Lab You Tube Channel. Daniel Cantor, the recording artist who collaborated with the young musicians, is known for his...
Fifth Grade Wraps up Donation Drive for Families...
The 5th grade class showed compassion and service through their donation drive for Cradles to Crayons last month. They created eye-catching posters to advertise the drive and wrote press releases that have appeared recently in Family Notes. Four large bins full of supplies were collected and taken to Cradles to Crayons, where they will be distributed to children in need, supplemented by an...
Third Grade Goes On-Site For Paul Revere Ballad...
On Thursday, April 26th the third grade class returned to the spots where their Expedition on Paul Revere originally began - the Old North Church and Paul Revere’s House. This time, however, they returned as performers and educators in their own right. Accompanied by their teachers and led by Ms. Levi, the students performed their skit about the Longfellow poem, The Midnight Ride of Paul...
April Showcase →
April 2012
3 posts
K2 Nutritionists Visit Local Grocery Store
The K2 class took a trip to Whole Foods on Thursday to study food. The students were given a guided tour of the store, focusing on the different food groups and the comparative nutritional value of various items. Through a series of guided demonstrations, they smelled, tasted, and touched various vegetables, fruit, dairy, and fish.
As the students compared the odors of cheeses, sampled raw...
Conservatory Lab's "Picturing America Conference"...
Friday, March 30th at Wheelock College was the setting for the “Picturing America” Conference funded by the NEH which Conservatory Lab, along with the MFA, prepared for the 6o New England educators who participated. This was a forum to share the expertise that faculty and resident artists have developed in infusing music and the visual arts into the core curriculum with other...
The House that Art Built
On Tuesday, March 27th, the first grade class brought their investigation of building materials to the Artists For Humanity building in the South End. Students, teachers and parent chaperones took a tour through all the building spaces where everyday materials are used in new and interesting ways. Operations Director Andrew Motto led the students through the gallery where the staircases are lined...
March 2012
10 posts
Visual Artists Bloom in K1
The K1 Classroom was filled with joy on Thursday night for the Exhibition Celebration for the Portrait of An Artist Study. 98% of the families were in attendance and many of the young artists brought along extended family and friends to view the quality work that the children completed over the last 13 weeks!
Over the course of the study, the children built a wide range of skills that will...
Second graders go on Snake Sighting Expedition
The first time that the 2nd graders went to Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary in October,to study snake habitats, it was cold and rainy, so there was not a snake to be seen anywhere. Snakes come out when it gets warm in April. The warm weather came early this year, so another trip to do the field work was quickly organized. The biggest learning target was to carefully observe snake habitats and...
Annual Lottery for New Class Held on March 14
Shouts of joy and jubilation were heard from parents on the other end of the phone as the news was given that there was a seat designated for their child at Conservatory Lab Charter School for next year!
There were 233 applicants for the 11 seats available in K-1 for totally new incoming families. Raffael Degruttola, educator, poet and longtime advocate for the arts in education, drew the...
Fifth Graders Launch Service Project
by Rayne, Dorothy, Jarel, and Nechemiah
Fifth Grade is embarking on a new service project! We will be working with Cradles to Crayons in Brighton to collect items such as gently used clothes, books, toys, shoes, and other things for children, ages newborn to twelve years old.
On April 2nd the fifth grade will begin a drive here at The Conservatory Lab. We will put a bin in each classroom so...
4th Grade Makes House of Blues Debut (Watch the...
On Tuesday morning, the fourth grade class made their debut at the House of Blues, performing original blues songs in which each student took a turn singing a self-composed solo. The students were invited to perform after House of Blues Education Director Jenny Nardone heard the students’ songs at their learning celebration in February.
The four groups of 4th graders comprised the...
The Art of Science
Students in grade 5 are taking a closer look into the world of biology, studying the invasive species of Boston’s Harbor Islands through the eyes of artists. Under the guidance of Shane DePina, a local artist trained at the New England Institute of Art, students are learning to draw one of a list of creatures whose recent introduction to the Harbor Islands’ eco system has upset the...
Exploring History Through Song
On Tuesday, third graders welcomed Diana Taraz, director of the Lexington Historical Society Colonial Singers, as a guest lecturer in their Expedition on the life and times of Paul Revere. Taking students on a musical tour of the eighteenth century, Taraz presented a sampling of “broadside ballads,” story-songs that were set to pre-existing tunes and sung as entertainment throughout...
4th Grade Blues Celebration Presents Tapestry of...
On Wednesday morning the 4th grade class shared their knowledge about The Great Migration through stories, poems, collage, and music. In front of an audience which included a Massachusetts State Senator Jack Hart, House of Blues program manager Jenny Nardone, and a host of proud family members, the students took turns presenting each aspect of their Learning Expedition. They presented the...
6th Grade Slam Poets Throw Down The Gauntlet
The students of the 6th grade class took the stage this morning to compete against one another in a contest of rhyme and rhythm at the first-ever Conservatory Lab Poetry Slam. Before an audience of peers and a series of randomly-selected judging panels, the poets bared their souls through impassioned performance poetry. Sharing their feelings about family, school, war, and the big questions of...
2nd Grade Herpetologists Visit Harvard
On Thursday, the second grade class entered the world of professional scientists. They took the 86 bus to the Herpetology Department of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. There, they worked with Herpetologists Jose Rosado and Joe Martinez to examine the specific types of snakes each student is studying: the Mojave rattlesnake, the Anaconda, the Reticulated Python, and the...
February 2012
3 posts
Monthly Assembly Highlights Talent
Today’s assembly featured outstanding performances by individuals and small groups as well as whole school singing. Three of our first graders set the bar high - Emma Sophia Guevara and Sarah Exilus on vocals and dance and Chansly Beauvoir on drums - in a piece they choreographed and rehearsed together. They rocked the house!
Next, five of our Resident Artists, led by brass...
On the Trail of Paul Revere
On Thursday, 22 third graders and their teachers dove into Paul Revere’s Boston. They met their guide, Ben Edwards at Faneuil Hall in front of the Sam Adams statue. From there, they walked to the site of the Boston Massacre and learned some of the real history behind that event.
After a quick snack at Quincy Market and a mini lesson on the bells of Paul Revere, they set off for his house...
K1 Launches 'Portrait of an Artist' Expedition...
When the K1 artists visited the Museum of Fine Art on Tuesday, it was more than a stroll through the gallery; they were on a mission. The young artists, who have just launched their Portrait of an Artist Expedition, were studying the medium of the painted portrait, exploring the ways an artist chooses what they want their audience to see.
Students examined several portraits from the National...
January 2012
3 posts
4th Graders Get The Blues
The 4th grade class welcomed three experts this week to guide them into the final phase of their expedition on The Great Migration. Under the guidance of collagist Ekua Holmes and resident artist musicians Levi Comstock and Christopher Schroeder, students explored the visual and musical art forms through which African Americans shared their stories in the early 20th century.
A Tapestry of...
This Land is Our Land: First Graders Explore...
The first grade class wowed friends, family and staff with their poise at the celebration of their This Land is Your Land Expedition on Wednesday afternoon. The students began the event by describing the process of the Expedition. They directed the audience to their research posters, the word wall and the pictures of the American symbols they studied.
The Expedition culminated in...
Conservatory Lab Goes to the A.R.T.
Hans Christian Andersen’s fable, The Snow Queen, came alive on December 20th for all students from K1 through 5th grade to provide a marvelous, seasonal, cultural adventure! Conservatory Lab students and chaperones filled the seats of the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) for this performance. The fun started well before the performance, however, as A.R.T. education staff and actors...
December 2011
2 posts
Conservatory Lab to Host Two Conferences in Arts...
Conservatory Lab Charter School is on the cutting edge of arts integration and a current leader in professional development for elementary school teachers in the northeast. We are currently preparing for two conferences designed to share our unique curricula with elementary school teachers on the regional and national levels.
The first, entitled Art and Music as Tools for Learning,...
K1 Thespians Take on Carle's 'Caterpillar'
The K1 class has made their dramatic debut last week with an original adaptation of Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” Having studied the text as a class, the students began by creating illustrations to represent the number patterns that drive the story. They studied the way the book’s illustrations use color and texture to bring the story to life. They then...
November 2011
5 posts
RedLine Quintet Brings Listening Project to Life
Last Friday, the RedLine Quintet, a horn ensemble from the New England Conservatory paid a visit to the Upper School at Conservatory Lab. They played several pieces to illustrate polyphony and dissonance to the 5th and 6th graders who are learning about classical music through their Listening Project this year.
In The House of Blues
On Tuesday, November 15th, the fourth grade class, along with seven helpful parent chaperones, attended an interactive musical performance at the House of Blues. The fieldwork was an absolute blast! The class attended this performance for two reasons. The first is that it connects with the Listening Project genre, Rhythm and Blues. The second is that the current Learning Through Music...
Wampanoag Dancer and A.R.T. Playwright Visit 3rd...
Have you ever heard of the giant Moshup? According to Wampanoag legend, he was a friendly giant who lived among the Wampanoag people on Martha’s Vineyard before the first European settlers arrived.
As part of their Learning Through Music expedition, Way Back When, 3rd graders are writing and producing a play about the good giant Moshup. This week, they welcomed two special experts to...
3rd Graders Visit Plimoth Plantation
On Thursday, November 4, third graders traveled back in time to 1627 on a visit to Plimoth Plantation. As part of their “Way Back When” Learning Through Music expedition on the Wampanoag and the Pilgrims, students conducted fieldwork at this living history museum where they explored recreations of a 17th-century Wampanoag homesite and a Pilgrim farming and maritime village. With...
K2 Brings Joy to the Library
On Wednesday, November 2, the K2 class continued their mission to bring joy to the Brighton community. On a beautiful fall morning, children walked one mile to Brighton’s Faneuil Library, where they performed a medley of songs for toddlers and their families. The smiles on everyone’s faces told children that their mission was accomplished.
Next month, the K2 class will be...
October 2011
4 posts
Anatomy of a Pumpkin
The savory aroma of toasted pumpkin seeds wafted through the corridors of Conservatory Lab last week, heralding the coming of autumn and the conclusion of a successful math lesson. Fourth graders spent time estimating, counting, and graphing the number of seeds in each pumpkin, not to mention scooping out pumpkin goo, separating the seeds, and roasting them with sugar and...
Young Readers Flock to Bookfair
The fall Bookfair has drawn crowds of students this week, from the smallest picture book connoisseurs to the young adult fiction enthusiasts. For weeks they have been tightening their belts and saving their allowance money in order to bring home a new volume of stories, characters, and ideas.
Felice Rutstein-Lee has been organizing bookfairs at Conservatory Lab for several years....
Studying Snakes in Second Grade
The second grade class spent Thursday morning at the Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary doing the work of herpatologists, scientists who study snakes. Guided by rangers from the reserve, students studied and looked for snakes in marsh and field habitats, and had the opportunity to hold and touch several different kinds of snakes. Favorite snakes included the milk snake and the hognose snake,...
K2 to the Rescue! Bringing Joy to Brighton Seniors...
On Thursday, October 6th, the K2 class walked to the Veronica P. Smith Senior Center and took center stage in the activity center by performing a medley of songs for the assembled seniors. This jubilant performance was in response to an urgent missive brought to their classroom by messenger. The letter, specifically written to these K-2 students, called for assistance in meeting an obvious need in...
September 2011
5 posts
Students Sail the Ocean Blue Aboard the Roseway
On Monday, September 26, 2011, the entire 5th & 6th grades (28 students and 4 teachers) journeyed aboard the Roseway to participate in a full day curriculum with the World Ocean School. The Roseway, an original Grand Banks schooner, is a registered US National Historic Landmark.
The first task was to raise the enormous tanbark sails. The group sure worked hard to lift all of the...
Student Achievement Soars Across the Board
The recently released 2011 MCAS results confirm a continuing increase in student achievement, in the same year that our El Sistema music program added three hours of music to the students school day. Thanks to the hard work of students, teachers, and parents, the percentage of students proficient or advanced in math jumped by 23 points, putting us now 8 points above the state average. Science...
Head of School Signs Compact Uniting Boston...
Head of School Diana Lam sat down with Mayor Menino and Boston Public Schools Superintendant Carol Johnson on Tuesday to sign a compact that will lead to greater cooperation between charter and public schools in the Boston area. The compact, spurred forward through a campaign by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, marks a new era of cooperation, in which charter and public schools will share...
Families PAC the House at First Meeting
Approximately 75 people filled the 4th grade room on Wednesday night for the first meeting of the Parent Advisory Council. The meeting included time for getting to know one another, an introduction to the PAC for new families, a discussion of upcoming events, and a question and answer session from child psychologist Ken Barringer on children and the grieving process.
The PAC meets one Wednesday...
August 2011
1 post
Classroom Teachers Welcome New Students
Conservatory Lab teachers are eagerly preparing for a new year of learning, growing, and music-making. In their letters of welcome to students and families, classroom teachers share their excitement about the coming year:
Becca Iskric and Theresa Holland to the K1 families
K1 Getting-to-know-you Survey
Jean Corbo-Hudak and Mary Randolph to the K2 families
Jovanne...
January 2011
11 posts
Students Celebrate Approval of 15 Seats, Creation...
On Tuesday, March 22, 2011, the Board of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education unanimously voted to grant an additional 15 seats to Conservatory Lab Charter School. Not only does this allow present 5th graders to continue their musical studies next year, these fifteen seats give the school a tremendous opportunity for growth and development. This is a special...
