The Weekly Bulldog
March 19, 2020
From Tim: We all have a voice
I don’t know how the home sequestering is playing out for your family, though for mine I can tell you that one tiny silver lining is that we’re taking on small projects that have needed attention for a while. So far, we’ve sorted through two closets and a pantry. Lots of things to discard or donate, and I always find the shedding and organizing process restorative. I’ve been spending some time doing the same thing with my computer, culling through old files.
In doing so, I came across a long-lost, one-minute video. I don’t know who took it, but I’m glad someone had the presence of mind to capture the moment and send it to me. It’s of my daughter, now an 8th grader, when she was in kindergarten. She’s in the pub room, playing piano for the Stanley Arts Festival. Perhaps unremarkable in many ways, except for this – I’m pretty sure she had never touched a piano before that moment. Clearly she saw some older kids playing, witnessed the positive response they got from an appreciative audience, and figured she wanted in on that. In the video, which goes on perhaps just a little too long, she starts by looking at the keys with studied focus. There’s of course no music to look at. As the “piece” goes on, her attention wanders to those in the room watching her, and she offers a wan smile. A virtuoso, clearly. A teacher commented later, “Was that some kind of avant-garde song she was playing?”
On a long list of Stanley events I know I’ll miss dearly, the Arts Festival has to be near the top. A tradition going back many years, the show is a pure example of student-initiated and -led work. It’s not unusual for students to plan their performances months or a year in advance. It’s also not unusual for students to plan their acts minutes before they’re due on stage.
I think back over the years I’ve hosted performances in my office, and it occurs to me I’ve just about seen it all. We’ve had Beethoven sonatas, comedy routines, puppet shows, puppets doing comedy, poetry recitals, you name it. As Ken Robinson describes, “The arts are fundamental to education. We think about the world in all the ways we experience it. We think visually, through sound, kinesthetically, abstractly, and through movement.” We know an education that doesn’t feature and value creative endeavor limits the capacity of all students, and particularly those with strengths in the arts – strengths that children need to develop and the world will need.
In addition to a morning of creativity and joy, the Arts Festival has been to me a unique symbol of our community’s spirit. We’ve come together to celebrate artistic talent and achievement and also to honor the value in simply taking part. How many moments and opportunities have we missed in our own lives to share something out of fear of not being good enough? The Arts Festival reminds us that we all have a voice that yearns to be heard, even through the discord of random piano keys.
All the best,
Tim
Top Five Things
1. Extended suspension of in-person learning through April 17
Last night, Colorado Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order that suspends in-person learning in all public and private schools across the state from March 23 to April 17. ; in accordance, Stanley students and teachers will resume home learning after spring break (April 7-17). Watch for more details to come via school email tomorrow morning. Stanley's COVID-19 page is up to date with these resources and all our communications stemming from the pandemic. If you have any questions, or you're just not sure whom to ask, please email covid19@stanleybps.org, and we'll make sure your questions gets to the right staff member to help you.
2. Care for Stanley community and the greater community
3. Get emergency assistance right away
If your family, or someone close to you, would like help in accessing resources (food, household supplies, school supplies), there are many community resources that have mobilized to provide needed supplies for families:
4. Lend a hand if you can
Beyond our school program, we want to do all we can to support our immediate and greater community during this challenging time. If you are able to offer donations of time or money to help others, here is a short list of highly regarded non-profits that can use your support:
5. Bright idea in home learning
On the Stanley Calendar
March 30-April 6
March 7-17
Home learning resumes
April 10
Ordering closes for April lunch, Extended Day & enrichments
Stanley British Primary School
Email: admin@stanleybps.org
Website: www.stanleybps.org
Location: 350 Quebec St., Denver
Phone: (303) 360-0803
Facebook: facebook.com/stanley.british/
Twitter: @stanleybps