Everyone is caught off guard by mixed emotions the day after the opera. Realizing that the culminating event for which we have been preparing all year has now passed is depressing and disappointing. The process of striking the set and taking everything down that we have spent months creating illicits a host of feelings that opens the flood gates. Tears flow and sadness permeates the room. What do I do now? What is my purpose? Who am I? The conversation that follows is perhaps the most poignant of all. In this new space where we find ourselves, the students acknowledge their profound accomplishments and make decisions about how to move forward. But this, only after expressing where they are in the moment.
What I’ve Learned
As we prepare these last days before our original opera production of Strike ‘n Spare, we are thinking carefully about what we want to convey to the public. What do we REALLY want our audience to know and think about after the opera? What message must we deliver and what do we want people to know about us as a company and as individuals?
Our hallway exhibition will showcase the process of the opera throughout the year so that everyone will understand our purpose and mission along the way. It shows the academic accomplishments and the life lessons acquired on the journey.
When asked what they have learned in this process, company members generated a collective list and then wrote about their own personal, powerful lessons. What each student shares and is carrying with him into life beyond third grade should make us think profoundly about what is important in educating our children.
What I’ve Learned (VIDEO)
As we prepare these last days before our original opera production of Strike ‘n Spare, we are thinking carefully about what we want to convey to the public. What do we REALLY want our audience to know and think about after the opera? What message must we deliver and what do we want people to know about us as a company and as individuals?
Our hallway exhibition will showcase the process of the opera throughout the year so that everyone will understand our purpose and mission along the way. It shows the academic accomplishments and the life lessons acquired on the journey.
When asked what they have learned in this process, company members generated a collective list and then wrote about their own personal, powerful lessons. What each student shares and is carrying with him into life beyond third grade should make us think profoundly about what is important in educating our children.
Which Road Will I Take?
When we packed our suitcases for this year long journey back in August, we knew there would be many decisions to make along the way. The trials, tribulations and triumphs we have experienced collectively and as individuals on this expedition have made us think deeply about who we are and where we are headed. Each has his own personal road to navigate. Where will my road lead? What choices will I make? What setbacks and failures must I endure? When will I yield, take a detour or encounter road closures and construction? Inspired by The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost and the children’s book, If You Plant a Seed, by Kadir Nelson, we took time to stop, visualize and describe the road we see in front of us.
Like Ripples on the Pond
When you drop a stone in the pond, concentric circles spread out and expand their reach beyond a point where the eye can see. They seem to dissipate as the water calms and the stone sinks. But where do the ripples really go?
Like the stone, we cast ourselves into a pool with every action we take and with every thought or feeling we share, never knowing the effect we may have on others. Our ripples travel to unknown destinations and often bring about unexpected returns.
Last Monday, Mr. Fernando, a building service worker in our school, shared that the students’ words he read on a bulletin board outside our classroom inspired him to do his job and to do it well.
Harness the Stars Kids Opera Company . . . your ripples are making a difference.
A Hard Day
Harness the Stars Kids Opera Company understands well that making mistakes and pushing through setbacks are part of the learning process. However, knowing this doesn’t make it easier when we are inside a situation that presents us with disappointment, doubt and hard feelings. After a particularly difficult afternoon when company members were struggling with internal conflicts and a host of negative bahaviors, we sat in our metaphorical circle to reflect, air grievances and offer solutions to move forward. We then excused ourselves to write and express our personal thoughts and feelings in an attempt to get beyond the wall in front of us. With only twenty-five working days until the opera premiere, we will allow nothing to stand in our way.
Harness the Stars Kids Opera Company News Release
Harness the Stars Kids Opera Company
News Release
March 1, 2015
Natania Bennett, Leslie Lopez, Kathryn Riley
Public Relations Officers
We are Harness the Stars Kids Opera Company from Stedwick Elementary School. We are twenty-five third graders from Ms. McGinn’s class. We have formed our own opera company, and our goal is to create and perform an original opera. The thirty-minute production will be performed on May 6 at 2:00 P.M. and on May 7 at 2:00 P.M and 7:00 P.M. in the school’s all-purpose room. [Read more…] about Harness the Stars Kids Opera Company News Release
Strike ‘n Spare
What goes into determining the perfect title for our original opera? As company members ponder a catchy title that will grab the attention of the audience, they generate ideas based on the following criteria.
The title should entice audience members, evoking questions and thoughts about what will transpire on stage. It should capture the essence of our theme and thesis or central message without divulging too much of the story. The title should connect in some way to our setting and present a powerful metaphor on which to ruminate. Via paradox, play on words, alliteration or other literary element, a profound title emerges.
With various suggestions to consider, Harness the Stars was left to study all possibilities and come to consensus. They could select one of the ideas previously stated, or construct a new idea to present to the company. Either way, a plausible defense would be necessary to prove the title worthy. All were expected to be prepared for this decision making process, upon entering the classroom the next day. [Read more…] about Strike ‘n Spare
Flea Market Fundraiser
Members of Harness the Stars Kids Opera Company spent all day Saturday selling the importance of their unique project to total strangers at the Gaithersburg Flea Market. Who are we? Why do we need funding? Why does our mission matter? I watched as my students approached all passersby, took the initiative and engaged them in conversation about the opera process and its mission. Their confidence, clarity of purpose and commitment to working together to get the job done was an inspiration for all who witnessed this collective energy in action. I stood back and watched. The kids took over. They raised $542 to replenish the company coffers. I am proud. [Read more…] about Flea Market Fundraiser
From Mediocrity to Excellence
FROM MEDIOCRITY TO EXCELLENCE
The Need for Quality Work in School
What is great quality? Why do we see so little of it around us in our world? In school, at home, at work, poor quality surrounds us. At times, the concept of excellence seems foreign. In order to produce quality work, we must first know quality work. Where are our examples in life? In this age of instant gratification, we want to “get it done” quickly and move on to the next thing. Why do something well when we can get by with “good enough”? This mentality is transferred to our kids in their work environment. School curriculum also encourages us to move hastily through a laundry list of objectives and content in a relatively short period of time. Nothing of depth that is worthwhile and meaningful is achieved with this way of thinking. Teaching with quality, learning about quality and living with quality can only come from being immersed in a culture of expectations that guide us toward excellence. The true reward comes from knowing what it feels like to work through a difficult task or assignment and present a quality product that is well received, appreciated and respected by others.
Our set designers inspired a lesson on quality work as they were discussing set elements for our opera and how best to create them. They made two cubes, one of poor quality and one of great quality. Our volunteers then asked, “Which cube would you like to represent the work we are doing?” Not one selected the scrunched up, poorly constructed, lopsided cube. They were clear about which they wanted to represent them.
Now, we transfer this understanding to our daily work in the classroom.
What IS quality work?
