Goodbye to the Santiagos

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This week we said good bye to the Santiago family as they prepare to move to Georgia. Fifth grader Ezavier and 4th grade twins Elijah and Manny all attended Conservatory Lab since K1 but the family has been a part of our school much longer, since their older brother Ezekiel, recently a 10th grader at John D. O’Bryant, started kindergarten in 2004. They have all been part of many “firsts” for our school: Ezekiel was in the first 6th grade class and was the first Concertmaster of the Dudamel Orchestra. Ezavier was part of the first K1 class and was a leader as a junior coach as well as a great musician and student.
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Elijah and Manny were in the first K2 class to build their own instruments of papièr-maché and have each been a section leader in the Bernstein Orchestra. Each boy has represented our school as an ambassador for different events and they were frequently called on to tell visitors about the mission and vision of the school. Their parents, Elvis and Beidanet, have also been cherished members of our community – speaking up on our behalf and joyfully attending every performance.  We wish them all success in their new schools and new jobs. We can’t wait to hear how they share the Conservatory Lab joy down South.
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For a trip down memory lane and a glimpse into how the Santiagos have supported and represented our school, check out this video from our effort to expand the school to include a 6th grade, five years ago.

https://youtu.be/fjaMGxz1MS0