Last night, we celebrated Music Around the World as a school community. As I’ve said before, Spiral Night is a favorite Harbor tradition of mine, probably because it encapsulates everything that I love about this school. We are talented, we are bright, we are creative, we are resourceful, and we are unique!

The students and teachers brought so much to this study of music, and I couldn’t have predicted or expected the directions they would take. I was impressed by the preschool classes as they shared what they learned about instruments from Japan, Bolivia, South Korea, and Austria, and I loved seeing and hearing the instruments that they made themselves. The JK class had a rousing drum circle in their room, showed us some new Latin dance moves, and created beautiful rain sticks. Kindergarten’s listening station, featuring tracks of their own, was so cool, and I was blown away by the living museum presented by first and second graders who portrayed famous musicians from Fulgencio Aquino, to Aretha Franklin, to Elvis Presley, to Lin Manuel Miranda. This school makes me so proud!

This morning, we hosted an Open House and shared our curriculum with prospective Harbor families who were also very impressed by what our children are doing at Harbor. It is clear that when they take ownership of their learning, follow their interests, and learn through a hands-on transdiciplinary approach, they are able to reach a greater depth of understanding and make meaningful connections to the content.

After all this hard work, and after some unexpected Winter weather, we are all ready for Spring Break! Please be safe and have fun, whether you are traveling or planning a “staycation.” We’ll see you in April!