Mackintosh-Littleton students traveled from Illyria to Whoville as they hit both ends of the literary spectrum in the past week. Middle school students performed the Shakespeare play The Twelfth Night on February 25th, and five days later on March 2nd the whole campus celebrated the National Education Association’s combined event of Dr. Seuss’s birthday and Read Across America Day by having older “reading buddies” read aloud Dr. Seuss books to their younger counterparts.
Studying Shakespeare has become a tradition at Mackintosh Academy. In an in-depth study, students are able to understand not only just the plot, but the intricacies of the subplot. Their performances demonstrate their understanding of the psychological struggles, emotion, humor, and backstory of their characters in each student’s portrayal. It is always so rewarding for students and staff to see students struggle with the text to a point of clarity and laughter.
Charlie, one of the middle school students, said: “It was like learning a different language, and so much fun. Stressful, but ultimately fun.”
As a part of this study, the middle schoolers also shared with their pre-kindergarten buddies Dr. Seuss’s use of the same rhyming patterns found in Shakespeare’s work.
