April 10, 2024
Kingsmen Shakespeare Company’s Educational Tour
Submitted by Ann Oppenheim
Banyan Elementary School just had a wonderful day with the Shakespeare Educational Tour at our school! My 2nd graders were so delighted, enthralled and engaged! (This set the tone for later in the day.) My students, immediately upon departure from the workshop, asked “What time is the play going to be performed?” and could not wait until 1:45 pm! The students had been well prepared in class and knew facts about Shakespeare and parts of Midsummer. The 2nd graders could not take their eyes off the actors during the play! The ELD kids were totally consumed with the play’s action and story line the entire time. I have an albino girl in my class who is partially blind, her eyes were as bid a saucers so she could take in all she could during the play. She could not hold her excitement and big bellow laughs in! I was so happy to see ALL OF MY 2ND GRADERS were 100% engaged and understood all that was presented. My 2nd grader students skipped out of the performance saying, “That was the funniest things I have ever seen!” “I want to see more Shakespeare!” “When can we read more about Shakespeare’s plays?” You know, nothing warms a heart of a teacher to hear these kinds of words spoken by the little ones embarking on an academic career in the early stages of their lives! A big Huzzah! You have captured the hearts and love of Shakespeare at Banyan Elementary School!