Student Showcase
Classes at The Pearl focus on learning and development through student-chosen, interdisciplinary projects. We are proud of the incredible work our students have created. Below are a few examples of our student projects.
A Zine About Hope
In winter 2025, students at The Pearl had the opportunity to take our unique class” Sound & Ink: Music, Identity, and the Art of Zine Making”. In this class, students could receive an English Language Arts High School credit in a topical and creative way.
We are happy to showcase our incredibly talented student, Charlie, who created a marvelously creative zine in the shape of an origami swan.
This zine features a poem by Tumblr user @mumblesplash
The Migration of Wildlife
In Geographic Adventures: The Soundtrack of Place, students were encouraged to look at migration in the continent of Asia through various lenses.
Leonard chose to look at migration through the lens of wildlife. This is a game that he created about the Pallas’s Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus), a species of fish-eagle. The Pallas’s Fish Eagle dwells in wetlands, a rapidly vanishing habitat that has the ability to store massive amounts of CO₂, often more than a mature forest due to the dense, carbon-rich peat that is frequently found in wetlands. In order to travel between Siberia, where they overwinter, and their breeding grounds in Bangladesh and northern India, they must migrate across great distances that have been vastly changed by humans in recent decades. Their ancestral flyways are now threatened by habitat degradation and loss, invasive species such as Water Hyacinth making catching food difficult, poaching and persecution, the use of pesticides and rodenticides, as well as the climate crisis. The Pallas’s Fish Eagle is now listed as Endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Leonard’s game allows players to embark on the same journey that the Pallas’s Fish Eagles traverse each year and learn about the threats that they face due to human activities.
Junen’s Drawing Process
We love to celebrate the creativity and passion of our students. Junen recently shared an inspiring video project that brings to life the process behind one of his drawings. His video illustrates that the process of creating art is just as important as the final piece.
The History of Manga
A Creative Term Project
This in-depth interdisciplinary project celebrates the work of one of our senior Pearl students, Juan Lucas. In this presentation, he explores his passion for manga through his studies in Japanese, history, and art, all classes which he took at The Pearl.
This presentation was created for The Pearl’s “Creative Term Project”. Each term, students create an overarching project based on their interests, passions, and question from their classes. A mentor teacher collaborates with the student, providing support and helping to monitor the project timeline. This provides students with an opportunity to research their passions and apply the knowledge they gain during the term.
To learn more about this project and The Pearl’s structure visit our Learning Plans page.
Sebastian's Jazz Mix
The Pearl is home to students who are passionate about music, and we have offered many fantastic music classes over the past few years. We know that art and music are just as important to our development as language and math, and our curricula reflect that! We also encourage students to incorporate their chosen artistic mediums into their academic projects whenever possible. This interdisciplinary approach often leads to higher student engagement among creative students. This could look like a student diving into the historical music of a culture in one of our history classes, or studying sound frequencies in science class!
One shining example of this creativity is our student, Sebastian, who has shared one of his piano performances with us! We are proud to share his work with The Pearl’s community.
A Collaborative Short Film
We were thrilled to welcome Joseph, a current Pearl student, alongside a special guest—Keoni, a former Pearl student and talented filmmaker. The two co-directed a reflective and thought-provoking short film that speaks to the importance of staying focused and avoiding distractions in our daily lives.
Their collaboration produced a captivating film with a crucial message: in a world filled with endless noise, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. The film urges viewers to pause and reflect on how they are living and where their attention is being drawn. Keoni and Joseph’s work doesn’t just shine because of its strong, relatable message. The film was elevated by a carefully crafted production, including the involvement of a professional actor who took on the lead role. This added a layer of professionalism that engaged the audience even more deeply.
Keoni’s return to The Pearl was a powerful reminder of how our community encourages creativity, meaningful work, and lasting connections. The film sparked important discussions among students and staff about mindfulness, balance, and making intentional choices in our fast-paced world. We’re incredibly proud of both Joseph and Keoni for their artistic achievement and the impact it is already making.
We look forward to seeing where this dynamic duo’s talents will take them next!
Exploring Natural Dyes
Our class, “Be The Change” focuses on environmental science and the environmental issues we face in the world today. After discussing one of the most significant polluters, the fast fashion industry, students were introduced to the concept of slow fashion. They discussed the advantages and disadvantages of fast fashion and slow fashion. In the slow fashion unit, students explored the natural dyeing process and the plants and minerals used to dye fabrics. They learned about the effects of pH balance on dye permanence and colorfastness, and learned about the underlying chemical reactions. To apply their knowledge in practice, the students undertook a project in which they selected a plant, dyed fabric, and analyzed the outcome. You can enjoy one of these projects in the slideshow to the right.
