Opening Assembly Formally Kicks Off New School Year

The Opening Assembly for the 2017-18 school year added some new student-driven details to the traditional kick-off event, including new lyrics for a favorite old song.

Several days after the start of each new school year, the Burke's community gathers in the Gymnasium to welcome our new students and staff, to wish our eighth graders well as they embark on their final year at Burke's, and to formally ring in the new school year at the Opening Assembly. The assembly includes several unique practices:
  • The oldest eighth grader and the youngest first grader meet in the center to bang gongs three times in succession, then once in unison, just as many cultures throughout the world celebrate a new year with a noisy celebration.

  • The new kindergarteners are led into the Gym by their teachers after everyone else has been seated, and the gathered community welcomes them with song.
  • The eighth graders depart the assembly first by walking under an archway formed by their teachers and other Burke's staff, who are known as the "wisdom keepers." 
 
Another one of our annual traditions is to sing the well-known song "La Bamba" to amplify its message of celebration as well as friendship and cooperation. The lyric "Yo no soy marinero, soy captain" translates to "I'm not a sailor, I'm a captain," which is echoed in the eighth grade's new position as student leaders for the entire school. This year, we added a new element to the song: extra verses written by eighth-grade Spanish students. 
 
Over the summer, Upper School Spanish teacher Anthony Sabedra collaborated with Lower School music specialist Lisa Mandelstein on a summer grant covering "The Richness of Mexican Music and Dance." Out of that collaboration came a number of new ideas, including one to involve eighth graders in the music that plays at assemblies. Students crafted two new verses, focusing on themes of trust and companionship.

They were:

Para ser una amiga
Para ser una amiga se necesita
ser fiel y muy lista
Fiel y muy lista pa'mi, pa'ti
Y'arriba y'arriba
Y'arriba, y'arriba por ti seré
Por ti seré, por ti seré
(To be a friend, trustworth, and intelligent/sensitive)

Para ser compañera
Para ser compañera se necesita
ser buena y dulce
Ser muy buena y dulce pa'mi, pa'ti
Y'arriba y'arriba
Y'arriba, y'arriba por ti seré
Por ti seré, por ti seré
(To be a companion [buddy], nice and sweet/considerate)

Click here to see the assembly sing the latter verse.
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