May 2015
The Barnabas Award goes to Don Murk!
The Barnabas Servant Leadership Award is named for Barnabas, who was a servant leader selling land in Cyprus to buy food for the post-Pentecost crowned in Jerusalem. Barnabas recruited Paul for ministry, worked with Paul as a missionary, mentored John Mark, and led a multicultural pastoral team in Antioch. The name Barnabas means "son of encouragement." The award, in association with the Barney II and Moore Foundations, takes his name as it serves as an effective instrument to the entire educational community by promoting the ideals of service that substantially benefits others. Wheel-thrown basins are given out each year to each recipient of the Barnabas Award.
This year, Don Murk, Professor of Early Childhood Education and Chair of the Education Department at Messiah College, received the Barnabas Award. Don has been teaching at Messiah for 34 years. He serves as a member of the Harrisburg Schools Board Foundation and is an active member in the city of Harrisburg through his church, Harrisburg Brethren in Christ.
Don is a member of the Together for Tomorrow team at Downey School and serves in an advisory capacity to the Harrisburg School District. His research interests are in the area of school reform and school renewal. He is working on a book project with several principals from across the United States that will address school renewal and reform and will highlight the reasons for success in these diverse schools.
As a part of his award, Don received $500 and the Barnabas bowl which was created by an art student at Messiah College. In addition, he has designated Downey School as his charity of choice to receive a $500 award.
Leadership Day
Downey has developed a tradition of holding a “Leadership Day” each year toward the end of the school year to celebrate and display all of the positive things that are happening at the school. The event runs for a couple hours in the morning and is heavily student lead. This year parents, community members, Messiah College staff, former student teachers, and others participated in Leadership Day.
Attendees were welcomed into the school by student greeters and directed to a sign-in table that was staffed by students. Downey’s student leaders also provided directions to visitors, handed out information about Together for Tomorrow, and presented visitors with examples of Leadership Notebooks.
About an hour long presentation took place in the cafeteria where students celebrated their experience at Downey. Students shared poems they have written and some significant accomplishments the school has reached this year. Students also sang in a choir, providing attendees with a sneak peak of their performance which would happen the following day with the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra. Following the performance, students lead visitors on tours of the school building. Thank you to all who attended this special day and for celebrating Downey School!
Downey Performs with Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra
Throughout the 2014-2015 school year Michael Kohler along with Mark Hunsberger worked with Downey students to teach them music and prepare them for a special performance with the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Mr. Kohler shares, “At the end of the 2013-14 school year, a conversation was begun between Alice Anne Schwab, Education Director of the Harrisburg Symphony and both Travis Peck and Michael Kohler (principal and music teacher at Downey Elementary School, respectively.)
From this contact began an eventful year of working together to craft a concert entitled “The Orchestra Sings,” which was held twice at the Harrisburg Forum on May 15, 2015.
Thanks to the generosity of the Weill Institute of Carnegie Hall in New York City, an entire curriculum (classroom and concert materials) was provided both to the symphony and to Downey free of charge. The performance music was taught and rehearsed in music class, during the Chorus Club rehearsal time, and during the after-school Explore program at Downey.
What a thrill it was to see the students memorize each piece and work on each one, both technically and expressively! When all the individual elements were put together at the Forum (with the Harrisburg Youth Symphony, Downey chorus of 90 singers, three soloists, narrator, and conductor), true musical magic took place as the concert hall erupted in musical excitement, appreciation, and pleasure!
The symphony provided each Downey singer with a specialty made T-shirt to commemorate the event. They also generously gifted the Downey music program with 400 recorders for use in music class and in performance!
Needless to say, this was a mutually wonderful experience for all involved! We are hoping to do it again next year.
When the conductor of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra hugs you as you are leaving the stage (and tells you how thrilled he was that the students were so well-prepared and sang so musically), it’s truly an emotional and rewarding feeling!”
Mr. Hunsberger also shared his experience, “It was an honor working with Downey students to prepare Carnegie Hall's Link Up: The Orchestra Sings program. During the school year, the students studied Classical music, concert etiquette, performance practice, and the history of the orchestra. As a culmination of their hard work, Downey students performed TWO concerts with the Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra and members of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. That's certainly the experience of a lifetime!
During and after the performance, Downey students showed a deep pride in their school, their accomplishments, and themselves. This pride stems from the life practices which the Together for Tomorrow program has instilled in the Downey community. With the support of their classmates, teachers, and family, these students accomplished remarkable goals! The atmosphere at Downey can be described with only one word - family. I feel fortunate to be a part of such a nurturing and inspiring educational community.”
Thanks for your support!
A short video was created with students to thank Downey teachers and staff for their dedication to Downey and for all of their hard work. Feel free to watch and enjoy as well! Thank you for all of your dedication and support this year!