Category Archives: Special Performances

Apr 29 2013

Spotlight on Spanish, the garden and poetry

Helping at the food bank
Packing food bank bags
The Juniors perform a Spanish play
Toni & Primary Two report on the garden
Art in the Big Room
The garden chart
Juniors’ animal reports
The Juniors recently learned about large and small animals in Spanish classes. During assembly, the Junior Ones and Oscar sang El Cucarrón Marrón (The Brown Beetle). Junior Twos performed a short play called El Camaleón Aburrido (The Bored Chameleon), inspired by The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle. Here is a snippet of the play:

Last, Seniors sang Y el Pasto Verde Crecía Alrededor, a song about a tree in a city. More videos of the Spanish performances, as well as some great poetry from Primary Two, to come later this week.

Mar 4 2013

World Beat Workshop visits North Branch

On Friday, we had the privilege of a visit from Robert Jospé and Kevin Davis of World Beat Workshop. This special assembly was amazing to listen to and great fun for everyone who attended. We even got to form a conga line in the Big Room! Thank you so much to them for visiting us, and to the Virginia Commission For The Arts for helping fund this project. From the World Beat Workshop website:

The World Beat Workshop with drummer Robert Jospé and percussionist Kevin Davis engages audiences of all ages in exploring the diaspora of West African rhythms in the Americas and their influence in current music styles.  Using a map, percussion instruments and music charts, this interactive program includes clapping, dancing and singing to salsa, calypso, merengue, samba and hip-hop. Musical, historical, cultural and geographical information is brought to life with the journey of clave.

Here is some of what we heard at Friday’s performance:

Dec 6 2012

More from Thanksgiving

Some of the seniors play a familiar tune with Charlotte:

Nov 12 2012

Three-legged teachers

On Friday, to celebrate the book fair, students and teachers dressed as their favorite book character. We had quite the range of costumes, from Anne of Green Gables to Star Wars to the Hunger Games. At 11:30, ten teachers lined up, drew their partners out of a hat, and ran a three-legged race. Jessie and Genevieve won – this makes two rubber chickens for Jessie. She may be unstoppable. Thank you to all of the teachers, for participating! Thanks to Primary Two and Natasha for the lovely finish line banner.  The video is after the pictures.

Oscar was dressed to impress

Winners of the tiny rubber chickens!

Oct 21 2012

Every grandparent is honored at North Branch School

Friday, October 19th was our fourth annual Grandparent’s Day. It was a smashing success with over 60 families attending. Grandparents spent part of the day observing classes, being read to by grandchildren, taking tours of the school and grounds, and hearing presentations. We ended with a special Grandparent’s assembly. The Juniors sing the song that opens the video. (I’m sorry not to include the video of them, but I was perched in a loft, which made for very shaky filming). Thanks to Bonnie, Stuart and Lyna for their great photos of the day.

Oct 3 2012

Who REALLY discovered America?

On Tuesday, the Middle Schoolers debated Who Really Discovered America?” The students presented twelve different people or groups, all demanding credit for the discovery.  Which one will convince you?  You might be surprised.  Watch the video below and then decide what you think. The audience included family members and the Senior class, who took notes and voted on the group they found most believable. Update, 10/12/12: the Solutreans won the vote!

Jun 4 2012

The North Branch School Graduating Class of 2012

What could I possibly say that would do justice to the ceremony on Friday night? This year’s graduation was the 27th year of graduating 8th graders and the start of North Branch’s 30th year. We said goodbye to five graduates and to Michael, our beloved senior and art teacher. There were happy and sad tears and also a lot of laughter. I ended up with so much video from the evening I split it into two parts. Here’s the first one!

Special thanks to Jennifer Stuart for working with the 7th and 8th graders to compose the graduation song used in the video.

Apr 10 2012

Two special songs for Jess

Jess Tucker, our Juniors teacher, is moving to West Virginia. We wish him happy travels, and the best of luck in his new job. The Senior class, along with Jennifer, wrote this beautiful song in honor of Jess.

Everyone sings goodbye:

 

Apr 6 2012

Is he dead? The middle school play

The middle school performed their spring play today in two performances. This year’s play was Is he dead? by Mark Twain. The play was recently discovered by a scholar in 2003. The students did a wonderful job – the play was very funny and had a beautiful set and costumes. There were great lines, such as: “Oh. and have my horses polished. They’re looking a little dingy”and (Chicago referring to Millet’s feminine clothes) “You’re going to need more practice in those duds. You’re walking like a busted mare.” Millet was a real artist; the students created several versions of his paintings for use in the play. Congratulations to everyone involved!

Here is Ben Brantley’s plot summary from The New York Times review:

“Set in and near Paris in 1846, “Is He Dead?” presents a lineup of cultural and farcical stereotypes, seen with the wide-eyed-with-a-wink gaze that Twain brought to “The Innocents Abroad,” the travel memoir that made him solvent. At the show’s center is Jean-François Millet (no, the name is not a coincidence), a brilliant but unrecognized painter…Since Jean-François can’t sell a landscape to save his life (literally), his inner circle of bohemian friends — an ethnic stew made up of an American…a German…and an Irishman…convince him that faking his death is just the ticket for raising his stock. So Jean-François disappears from life and re-emerges as his imaginary twin sister, a widow both mad and madcap. The expected complications ensue.”

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