Students Share Passion Projects during Celebration of Learning event
May 19th, 2022
Watch as student Hiro K. talks about creating a zine for their Independent Project.
In order to celebrate the accomplishments of students, La Pietra held its inaugural Celebration of Learning this spring. The event featured the arts through a series of activities and performances and also served to recognize the culmination of the Independent Project by juniors.
Students were abuzz with excitement as the Kona Ice food truck pulled up to campus – a special treat to start the event! After lunch and shave ice, students began a busy afternoon starting with Independent Project presentations, where members of the junior class shared their final projects, explaining what they had learned and accomplished. This year, Hiro K. created a story-based zine. Coming from a family of artists coupled with a love of comics, the inspiration came easily.
“It’s a good way of getting kids out of their comfort zones,” Hiro said. “I enjoy reading stories and looking at comics, so making something like that is like, ‘Oh wow, I’m just like the people I look up to.’ That’s a really nice feeling.”
Photos from La Pietra's inaugural Celebration of Learning event
As part of a requirement for graduation, the Independent Project offers students the opportunity to spend 40 hours on a passion project on any given subject. Other projects by this year's juniors included creating care packages for cancer patients, exploring choreography, and designing a Chrome extension.
Due to her interest in fashion design, junior Cece N. focused on upcycling thrifted clothes for her Independent Project. During her presentation, she shared that the average American throws away around 81 pounds of clothing yearly and that three out of five fast fashion items end up in a landfill. These startling realizations about fast fashion sparked her interest in upcycling. The end result was turning five thrifted garments into six new pieces.
Select Choir members perform at an in-person event for the first time in two years.
“The independent project helps the student spend time doing something that they would do anyway, but with just a little bit more structure, a little bit more encouragement, and also an opportunity to share what they love,” said Purpose Learning Coordinator Alia Pan.
Following the juniors’ presentations, students spent the rest of the afternoon watching performances by Select Choir, the After-School Strings Program, along with virtual performances by La Pietra's drama and dance classes. For students in Select Choir, it was the first time in two years that they had performed at an in-person school event, and you could feel the energy and excitement their songs brought to students, faculty and staff who gathered to listen in the Art Courtyard.
While the performances went on around campus, the Art Department hosted its own gallery walkthrough, featuring pieces by students, and even provided some space for students to partake in other creative activities like designing their own buttons.
From the arts to academics, La Pietra's inaugural Celebration of Learning event was a wonderful way to see the hard work of our students. A job well done to everyone who presented, performed, and to all those who were involved!
