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.

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.

[Read more…] about Which Road Will I Take?

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.

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

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