Under the guidance of their Language Arts teacher, Kelly Tanzi, our 5th & 6th Grade students spent the month of April preparing for a grand celebration of the English poet and playwright William Shakespeare. They learned about various forms of poetry including the Elizabethan Sonnet. The students then wrote their own Sonnet in honor of Shakespeare while celebrating elements of the Earth in each poem. Every poem they wrote was with the appreciation of Earth, for Earth Month.

The poems were shared during a lively Shakespearean Festival via Zoom on April 23, the day widely recognized as Shakespeare's birth and death date. To help set the scene and be in the spirit of the Elizabethan times, the students (with some help from their parents) donned stunning, rich costumes, jewels, and safe weaponry. They borrowed genuine crystal goblets with which to toast Shakespeare and enjoyed an abundance of fruits and cheeses provided by their families. There was even a special guest appearance of an actual bust of William Shakespeare during the Festival.

Please enjoy these sights and sounds from the 5th & 6th Grade Shakespearean Festival.