Head O’ Meadow School Song Unveiled

By Eliza Hallabeck

After working with third and fourth grade students at Head O’ Meadow Elementary School to craft a school song, singer/songwriter Brian Chevalier performed it for the first time before the whole school on Wednesday, October 3.

Mr Chevalier, according to PTA program co-chair Cricket Carpenter, travels from school to school holding writing and musical workshops to create school songs based on their character values. At Head O’ Meadow, Mr Chevalier was supplied with Newtown’s Core Character Attributes Tree and the district’s CARES — Cooperative, Assertive, Responsible, Empathetic, and Self-Control — model to help him and the third and fourth grade students brainstorm lyrics for the school’s then soon-to-be song on Tuesday, October 2.

While visiting classrooms on Tuesday, Mr Chevalier explained to the students what his process is for writing lyrics and music. Mr Chevalier also asked the students to help supply their own words to describe Head O’ Meadow while keeping both CARES and Newtown’s Core Character Attributes in mind.

Head O’ Meadow Principal Barbara Gasparine said the idea to combine character attributes with a school song started last year.

“It was the perfect blend of what we wanted to do,” said Ms Gasparine last week, “focusing on character and having a school song as an outcome.”

As Head O’ Meadow lead teacher Jennifer Meyers, who is also the school’s safe school climate specialist, said Wednesday was also scheduled as a day to focus on character attributes in the school’s individual classrooms, following the whole-school assembly.

Before performing the Head O’ Meadow school song for the first time, Mr Chevalier also performed some of his other songs. The songs all focused on character attributes, like respect and empathy. Mr Chevalier also has samples of some of his songs available on his website, www.songspun.com.

When Ms Gasparine introduced Mr Chevalier she also prepared the assembled students before her for what they were about to hear. Mr Chevalier said, “It is time to unveil your new school song.”

“This song focuses on all the character attributes that we have been talking about,” said Ms Gasparine.

The song is available online at www.newtownbee.com with this story as performed by Mr Chevalier on October 3. Mr Chevalier also said during the program that he will prepare a recording of the song for the school, which will be available to the school in a few weeks.

Head O’ Meadow’s School Song

We work together, we cooperate.

We’re taking turns and sharing.

We’re standing up for one another,

And showing that we’re caring.

At Head O’ Meadow,

We’re sharing what we know,

Cause Head O’ Meadow,

Is our home to learn and grow.

It’s our home to learn and grow.

I’m responsible, I’m reliable.

You can count on me.

We believe in self-control.

We believe in empathy.

At Head O’ Meadow,

We’re sharing what we know,

Cause Head O’ Meadow,

Is our home to learn and grow.

It’s our home to learn and grow.