marlboroschool.net

November 13, 2009

Dear Families,

It has been a chopped up week for me this week! I was in a meeting all afternoon Wednesday and all day Thursday. I have also received the news that an old relative of mine passed away yesterday and will be out for the funeral in New York on Friday. I feel grateful that the children are held in good hands by the greater school community!

Highlights from this week:

Poetry Reading:
We had a wonderful poetry reading on Tuesday afternoon. It was great to see so many of you here for your child’s reading! It means a great deal to each individual – as you well know. They were each very proud to share their poems with all of you! I was impressed by the class’s ability to sit and listen to each other’s poems. It was a great celebration of their poetry work. Thank you to Ann for her artistry in helping every child find their voice.

Image-making:
The class is well underway with their story creations out of the paintings you all saw in conferences. Each child is going through the process outlined below and will start to make their collages next week! We are talking about the elements of a story and what elements of a story make a good story. The conversation also includes the illustrations. What makes a compelling picture? How can you create collage pictures that tell the story? Here are the steps so far:
1)    Label paintings – Finding the setting for your story and identifying characters involved.
a.    Sky – time of day? Weather?
b.    Characters – what characters do you see? Label each page where you see a character
c.    Vegetation
2)    Put paintings in order. What is the story? Keeping in mind the parts of a story. What makes a good story? Arrange them on the floor – which sky paper is the background for the vegetation? Where do the characters fit in?
3)    Tell your story with the pictures to another student. Share your stories with each other.
4)    Outline your story in writing.

Calendar of Events:
•    Sunday, November 15, 4pm – Abenaki Stories and Songs told by Roger Longtoe Sheehan. If you mention Marlboro Elementary School when you make your reservation, and 10 people go, we can get a slight discount – $7 tickets. (See more details on the back of this letter.)
•    Wednesday, November 25 – Third and Fourth grade Thanksgiving Garden Harvest Feast (eaten out of bowls that the children made in art!)

Have a great weekend!
Perhaps we will see some of you on Sunday!
Erica and Emma

Sandglass Theater’s new storytellers series, Passages
continues with…

Roger Longtoe Sheehan
Abenaki Stories and Songs

Sunday, November 15
4 pm
$8

Roger Longtoe Sheehan is chief of the ELNU Abenaki Tribe. He’s an accomplished Wabanaki singer, storyteller, native historian, speaker of Wabanaki culture and maker of many types of fine native arts and skills.

Settle in with your family and friends in the cozy atmosphere of Sandglass’ 60-seat barn theater as Sheehan evokes the lore and traditions of his local native culture through Wabanki songs and stories. “Roger has a wonderful, innate talent for storytelling,” Said Ines Zeller Bass, co-artistic director of Sandglass Theater, “These stories, interwoven with nature, explore existential questions and contain beautiful lessons about life.”

With this series, we are interested in the aspects of stories that bring communities together and that develop cultural identity.  Traditionally, communities come together around their stories.  When we hear stories from other cultures, we come together around the great community of mankind. These storytellers are entertaining for all ages, but they are also informative and provocative in the cultural experiences they evoke

Sandglass Theater has limited seating, so reservations are strongly recommended.

For more information or reservations contact
Sandglass Theater
802-387-4051
www.sandglasstheater.org