Week Ending March 6, 2020

What a COOL week in the ARTS!

In this edition..

Durfee Theater Group moves on to METG's
Five Elementary Schools travel to the Zeiterion to view the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra's Tracking Rhythms: Shared Rhythms in Classical Music and Animal Gait Patterns
Durfee Art students travel to the Harvard Art Museum
6-12 Arts Learning Walk- Great Stuff Happening Across the City
The Monday Release Time Day Plan

METG's:

Durfee's fearless actors and tech theater designers, led by Ms. Lara Beth Terry and Mr. Gary Bigelow will be returning this Saturday to the Mass Educational Theater Guild's Semi-Finals Competition.. they are performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream! We will inviting ELA classes at Durfee to be an active part of the preparation for this next step… The Semis are on Saturday the 14th, so we will perform for classes so we can have “one more swing at it” as we implement the feedback given to us by the adjudicators at METG’s last week.

Break a leg, DTC!

The Big Trip to the Z for Our Little Guys:

Students in 3rd grade from Watson, Tansey, Letourneau, Doran and Silvia attended an amazing interdisciplinary performance on Tuesday, led by Terry Walkowicz of the NBSO. This was the culmination of the work brought to our kids by Terry's team throughout the year. So great to see our kids at the Z viewing a real Symphony Orchestra! Hope they were inspired to try picking up an instrument!

Durfee Artists Hit Haa-vaahd Ahhht:

Durfee Arts Students traveled to the Harvard Art Museum on Thursday to view works, artifacts and gain inspiration for their work. These advanced 2D and 3D artists had an amazing time, and really took the trip to heart, drawing, writing notes, and bringing back ideas that inspire and excite!

The 6-12 Arts Learning Walk:

So great to get into your rooms to see, hear and feel what's going on! The major take away for me was the increase in depth of work for kids in grades 6-12. We have grown so much together, planning and pushing each others' ideas for tasks for our kids in music and art. There were kids drawing from observation, print making, writing, reflecting, implementing feedback, playing Rage Against the Machine.. you name it, our kids CAN DO IT. Period.

The Release Time Day:

This coming Monday is the Release Time Day- teachers should go into TeachPoint, click on the grad hat on the left, and choose the right PD session for your group. K-8 Arts will be Expo-ing, K-5 Music will be collaborating for a portion of time at Silvia (noon to 1pm), 6-8 Music will be collaborating on music tech curriculum, and itinerants will be with the Alfred Music leads. Durfee team has some Durfee time planned and department time. The department time will be spent Expo prepping, curriculum mapping and performance prepping.

PLANNING AHEAD:

End of TERM AND TRIMESTER INFO:

End of Term 3- Friday, April 3rd.
End of Trimester 2- Friday, March 13th.

Events:

March 14- METG Semis for Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild- Good luck to Durfee Theater Group!

March 24- All City Band

March 25- All City Orchestra

All Month- Teacher prep for ARTS EXPO!

Monthly Department Meeting Planning:

I did not hold a February meeting, and will not hold a March or April meeting because teachers will be using this meeting time to either work with building based teams at their meetings or be prepping for the expo/spring performances. We will resume in May.