Dear Parents,
Last week we took Charlottesville by storm. Our room was transformed into an artists' studio as we covered seven giant canvases with acrylic paint. The paintings were a culmination of collaborative efforts of three communities; Charlottesville Day School, The Curry School and the city of Charlottesville. The purpose was to weave a path through these communities and for middle schoolers to understand and appreciate how the communities are interdependent and intertwined. We wanted the students to feel how collaborative efforts broaden perspective and schema, and yield a tremendous feeling of pride and accomplishment.
Our class certainly felt the thrill of combining their efforts as we put the final touches on our paintings. The overarching theme was "Downtown is Our Playground." Each painting was a reflection of a downtown experience we had as a class. Anywhere from two to four student artists generated an idea and followed through with a plan that closely mimicked our writing process. From brainstorming to sloppy copy, editing to publishing, our final paintings included the following titles: "The Art Scene," "The Sounds of C-Ville," "Nature's Beauty," "Local Cuisine," "UVA, Our Backyard," "Faces Around Town," and "Let Me Entertain You."
Our middle-schoolers made their artists' debut to a crowd of appreciative educators, parents, administrators and grandparents. Several guests commented on the poise and maturity they demonstrated while introducing their work. The paintings will remain on display at the Curry School. If you haven't already, drop by and see them. I have to say, they are pretty extraordinary.
In addition to our gallery opening, the Spirit Bears ventured over to Old Cabell Hall to hear the Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra. Afterwards, we ate lunch at Marco and Luca's on the Corner. Before heading back to school we had an intense game of soccer on the Grounds. We laughed together at my poor coordination and sang songs on the benches beneath the Magnolia trees.
Friday was a joyful Grandparent's/Special Friend's celebration. Your budding authors presented their writing in our first annual "Publishing Party." They shared a work of their choosing that had traveled through the entire writing process. Much like the art opening, the children felt the thrill of presenting work that was meaningful to them. Their sense of accomplishment was palpable.
Afterwards we walked over to the Jefferson to share our musical accomplishments. I
thought a highlight of the whole school performance was the middle-schoolers. I loved how sweetly they sang, their legs dangling from the edge of the stage. Their song truly honored who they are as a group; passionate and wide-eyed, open minded and full of wonder. Unique and lovely are two more words that come to mind.
Of course, in between all of these magnificent events, we continued to learn about classification with Ms. Lockwood. We also had several math classes with Ms. Annelise. Our Chinese enrichment program on Wednesdays has us wondering about past and present life in the Eastern hemisphere and our downtown adventures continue to serve as a springboard for discussion.
I am so happy that it is only October! We have many more middle-school days to come; many more debates to engage in, places to go and people to meet. We will continue to collaborate and channel our learning into authentic and meaningful projects. We were thrilled to present our paintings, writing and songs, share our process and collaborate with our distinct, yet connected, communities.
Warmly,
Karin
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