Capstone Projects Capture the Power of Exploration
The final weeks of the school year have offered a showcase of creativity and collaboration among students in grades 5 through 8.
The celebration began on May 18 with the Eighth Grade Arts Expo, the culmination of the eighth grade’s yearlong exploration and study of American rock and pop music.
Eight student bands performed original songs, many with “a reggae vibe,” according to John-Alec Raubeson, middle school music teacher. Students displayed their original band logos and album covers that they had worked on in art classes and shared original poetry and speeches.
Eight student bands performed original songs, many with “a reggae vibe,” according to John-Alec Raubeson, middle school music teacher. Students displayed their original band logos and album covers that they had worked on in art classes and shared original poetry and speeches.
“We saw students taking some chances, being vulnerable, supporting each other and exploring their creative voices,” Raubeson said.
From mountains and caves to a racetrack and a universe within a book, the seventh graders capped off their interdisciplinary studies with much creative expression during their Journey Night project presentations on May 19.
Seventh Grade Dean Paul Friedman explained their yearlong curriculum: “The students are asked to create a representation of their journey through the seventh grade. In history, we have studied how various individuals went to many places in the world, especially as a result of exploration, trade or conquest, but also in the sense of a spiritual journey as faith spread and developed in a variety of ways and forms across the world.”
Students were tasked with identifying at least five meaningful moments from their academic or co-curricular experiences at Masters and bringing those memories to life through artistic expression. They also honed their writing and public speaking skills by crafting and presenting artist statements that reflected on their work and growth.
Throughout the year, sixth grade students have studied and explored the iconic Hudson River, including through seining lessons and a visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art; this Friday, they’ll head up the river to West Point.
On May 21, those experiences culminated in a presentation of original songs, poetry and art inspired by their yearlong study of the river.
The presentations drew from English, humanities, visual arts and music classes. Students wrote about paintings they had created in art class, designed scale models and artist statements for imagined outdoor sculptures, researched and created presentations on Hudson Valley history, and composed original songs that took on the voice of the fictional characters they had developed.
“I am always blown away by how much our students invest in this final interdisciplinary project,” said Katie Meadows, sixth grade dean and middle school performing arts coordinator. “Our hope is that they connect the dots in their learning across disciplines and create and share some original art together along the way, and that is exactly what they did. We are so proud of them.”
And drum roll, please. The fifth grade class is preparing to debut their puppet opera, “The Undergames,” which premieres tomorrow, Thursday, May 28, at 2:30 p.m.
It caps off the fifth grade’s yearlong interdisciplinary study of ancient Egypt and opera. Under the guidance of Katie Meadows, Michaela Boller and Bruce Robbins, the students have written and will perform an original opera exploring the lives of Egyptian gods and goddesses, using handmade puppets of the deities they studied.
Robbins said, “From trips to the Metropolitan Opera to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, what a wonderful year it's been going through all the different aspects to bring this production together. These students are ready to bring it, and we cannot wait till the audience sees this opera.”
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