All are invited to experience Something Wonderful, a completely original, musical extravaganza, which will be showcased at The Studio School’s intimate and cozy Doris Cole Abrahams Theatre. Studio’s middle and elementary school students aka The Studio Players have been collaborating all spring to put together this spectacular production, which involves: time travel, Virginia O’Hanlon and an array of amusing incidents, and an unexpected turn of events that reminds us all of our roles in history’s unfolding. Be sure to bring the whole family, and friends as well. There will be “something wonderful” for everyone!
Events bring the school
community together and reflect our approach
to the learning process and to curriculum. Students
of all ages work together to prepare and participate
in each event. Guided by the teachers, this
collaboration strengthens their awareness and
appreciation of themselves and one another,
and is highly motivating. In keeping
with Studio’s approach to learning, our
students benefit from their sense of ownership
and responsibility in the creative process
from beginning to completion. Time after
time, our students astonish and delight everyone
with the scope, quality and detail of their
thinking and accomplishments for school events.
Thanksgiving
Feast
All
families are invited to the annual Thanksgiving
Feast. The observance of Thanksgiving
provides a rich theme for students, which incorporates
multiple curriculum areas and skills in a personally
meaningful experience. Studying the origins
of Thanksgiving gives students a perspective
in which to evaluate what is most important
to them. One of the priorities that have
emerged continually over the years is the value
of community, and caring for one another. At
Thanksgiving 2006, for instance, the students
set up a “Help Box’” where
everyone at the feast, including children and
adults, was invited to put in a note saying
what they would like help with. Each
student then picked a note from the box, contacted
the person requesting help, and after completing
the task, wrote about their experience of the
project. As part of our Mural Making
curriculum, all elementary and Middle School
students participate in creating murals for
Thanksgiving. Students work in small,
mixed age groups planned by the teachers, beginning
with research and discussion of their subjects,
then measurement and sketches for composition
and design, background washes and the finished
paintings that grace the dining area. Children in the Early Childhood, Elementary, and the Middle School programs prepare
their contribution to the traditional Thanksgiving
Feast, with turkey, dressing, cranberries and
pumpkin pie. The children work excitedly on
adding drawings to the tablecloths, making
place cards, and rehearsing for their first
choral presentation of the year. At this
event, the students present a program based
on a thanksgiving theme, the chorus sings,
and finally the children serve the feast before
sitting down with their parents to enjoy the
wonderful meal they have prepared. The children in the Toddler program have a special celebration of their own.
Some highlights from this year's Thanksgiving Feast:
"The highlight of the Studio Annual Thanksgiving Feast for me was being surprised during the program by the announcement that the Garden Song would be sung by the Threes and Fours and the Fours and Fives classes. That meant they were calling my little Mira to go up and sing with the group. Watching her confidently go up on stage and know and sing the words of the song was so special. When did she grow big enough to sing on stage?! I had no idea and no one had prepared me for this. I had heard so many times that many tears are shed at Studio events… I finally knew what others had meant." - Ila Gupta, mother of Mira Roditi.
"In just the two years that my daughter, Christina, has been attending Studio School, I have made great friends that I sincerely enjoy being with. I consider those friends to be the ‘Studio Community’; the parents, the teachers, the administration, and, of course, the students. In a relatively short period of time, this community feels like a family to me. One that looks out for you, guides you, and cares deeply for your children.
Every time I attend a school function, I am awestruck by a new facet of the students. On this occasion, that facet was ‘respect.’ We all know that one of the fundamental philosophies of the school is to not only treat the students with respect, but to work with them with respect. Josh Welber put it very well when he said that his teachers (even 40 years ago!) spoke with him, not at him. It’s a wonderful environment for a child to be growing up in. However, when you see the older students treating each other, and their younger counterparts, with that same respect, it is overwhelming and inspiring. As many of you may have seen, Christina wanted to get up on the stage and sing with the group at the end but didn’t want to do it without me by her side. In a quiet private moment, one of the older students leaned over to Christina and spoke a few very encouraging and supportive words to her. I was not surprised by the moment, but rather it struck me how often I see that happen in the community. I was incredibly grateful to the student and grateful that my daughter is surrounded by people who teach respect, learn respect, and practice respect. It is very clear that the children of The Studio School grow up to be confident, responsible, attentive, and respectful young individuals. The time spent with the community at the Feast reminded me of how thankful I am that my daughter has the opportunity to potentially be one of those individuals."
- BJ Holt, Father of Christina and Payson Holt.
“O Great Spirit” - Studio’s Original, New Musical,
Written by the Middle School
The paths of gods, goddesses, animals, mortal children, and the Great Spirit all intersect as the Lenape Indian matriarch Gitchie Manitou strives to continue her mission to conserve the land of Manahatta, as she has since she agreed to share it with the Dutch 300 years ago. Her period of grace, granted by the Great Spirit, is almost over, and if she dies, the land of Central Park will sink into Turtle Pond and be gone forever, buried under the weight of steel and concrete that has covered the rest of Manahatta. How will Gitchie Manitou survive to save this precious land when gods and goddesses conspire to take it for their own selfish purposes?
Each
spring the Middle School students collaborate
on writing and producing a musical, for
the Studio community, and invite the Elementary
School students to participate in the productions. If a
child really wants to act and there are not
enough parts available, the students write
in a new part. From actors to director
to set designers, they perform all tasks themselves,
with the help of their teachers. This is an exhilarating and exciting community event not to be missed by family, friends, neighbors, and theatre enthusiasts.
Multicultural Festival
Love and Understanding: Our Parents Were Kids Too
A video created for the Multicultural Festival, January 2011, by students in the 10s & 11s class about differences between their parents' childhoods and their own.
The
Multicultural Festival is a celebration that
involves the entire community. We invite
everyone to learn about and enjoy the many
different cultures that make up our worldl. In
the weeks leading up to the festival, the students’ curriculum
focuses on studying the importance of different
world cultures, and addresses the differences
and similarities among them. Through their
One World class, our students learn about different
languages and cultures, how they developed
geographically and historically, and how cultural
ideas and traditions are passed down from one
generation to the next. Parents contribute
special dishes representing their cultural
heritage and sometimes bring a recipe to make
with children during their class time that
week. The festival is a colorful and educational
event, with performances, displays, and interactive
activities for everyone.
Graduation
Graduation
is perhaps the most impressive and momentous
event at The Studio School. The entire
school community is invited, and alumni often
come to celebrate our graduates. This
evening represents the culmination of each
student’s educational journey, and is
an opportunity for staff, parents, students,
teachers, and the entire school community to
show their support for the graduates participating
in this ceremony. The younger children,
who year after year witness this moving event,
begin to think about their own graduations,
knowing that they will be honored for their
accomplishments as well, and look forward to
that moment in their lives. These experiences
help them to think about their future, maximize
their opportunities and become aware that they
can shape their own destinies.
The
evening begins with speeches by our Head of
School, Janet C. Rotter, the President of the
Board of Trustees, the Head of the Middle School,
and guest speakers, often an alumnus. The highlight
of the evening follows with speeches by the
graduates. These speeches are in turn reflective,
moving, often funny, and always poignant. The
unique personality, talents and interests of
each graduate come through, as well as their
sense of camaraderie as a group. There
is a formal presentation of diplomas, and a
recital by the school’s Chorus. The
celebration often continues as everyone joins
in for a party with dancing and refreshments. Though
goodbyes may be hard, Graduation never fails
to be exhilarating, inspiring, and filled with
the anticipation of what lies ahead.
The paths of gods, goddesses, animals, mortal children, and the Great Spirit all intersect as the Lenape Indian matriarch Gitchie Manitou strives to continue her mission to conserve the land of Manahatta, as she has since she agreed to share it with the Dutch 300 years ago. Her period of grace, granted by the Great Spirit, is almost over, and if she dies, the land of Central Park will sink into Turtle Pond and be gone forever, buried under the weight of steel and concrete that has covered the rest of Manahatta. How will Gitchie Manitou survive to save this precious land when gods and goddesses conspire to take it for their own selfish purposes? 