Tag Archives: Shakespeare’s birthday

Best Ever Birthday Bash: Bill turns 450

Posted on by
8

Hey Kids!

Didn’t we have a great time at Bill’s Birthday Bash?  Here are some links highlighting the day in Stratford-upon-Avon:

Our own festivities began with a parade led by our own bugle and band corps followed by the passing of the quill from the Bard himself to our Head Student.  We then unfurled the flags, presented flowers at the grave, read birthday poems, ate cake and ice cream, Skyped across the pond with Anjna and Lisa from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon, and competed in a Shakespeare Academic Bowl with the parents and Fr. Joseph.   Without actually flying into Heathrow, we think we did a spot on job of celebrating like the Brits.  Some of our students even prepared homemade Elizabethan dishes!  You can see our festivities here:

Bill’s Birthday Bash on PhotoPeach


What was your favorite part of the birthday party?

What do you think you’ll remember about Shakespeare in years to come?

 

A Shakespeare Challenge

Posted on by
53

Have you ever heard of Shakespeare Week?

What?  You haven’t?  Really?

Well, don’t worry; until this year, we hadn’t either.  Nobody had.  That’s because it’s a new celebration begun just this year by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.  It was celebrated for the first time ever this past week, March 17-21, 2014, by 3,000 schools all over the U.K., and one school that we know of in the United States.   We are the one school!  We joined the festivities related to the Bard this past week, and we’re not done yet.  We’re going to keep going until we celebrate his 450th birthday, which is on April 23rd.

 

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon, England

 Photo Credit: floato via Compfight

In order to commemorate the life of the man who most influenced English literature, we have read Hamlet, watched video clips of the “To be or not to be” soliloquy (including a farce on Gilligan), created new words, hurled Shakespearean insults, studied the Bard’s biography, completed word games, memorized lines, and virtually visited Stratford-on-Avon.   On our last day of school before our Easter break, we plan to party hardy with the Bard, making his 450th birthday his best ever.

 …there was a star danced, and under that was I born. (Much Ado About Nothing, II,i, 335)

In honor of this event, we’d like to Skype another class for our first annual Shakespeare Challenge game.  We’ll ask your class questions, and you ask us.  The winner gets a prize.

Do you dare to accept our challenge?

Mercutio: A challenge, on my life.

Benvolio: Romeo will answer it.

Mercutio: Any man that can write may answer a letter.

Benvolio: Nay, he will answer the letter’s master, how he dares, being dared.

                                                                                                  Romeo and Juliet   II, iv, 8-12

Answer our post with a comment letting us know if you are up to a challenge on April 16th, sometime between 9 and 11 am, Eastern Standard Time.

Until then, visit some of our Shakespeare posts from April 2013 or try some of the sites above.

What did you learn about our friend Will Shakespeare?

 

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee

Posted on by
2

Our birthday celebration for the Bard was a huge success! (The only mishap: I dropped my camera, and it broke.) Thank you to our wonderful speakers: journalist Kim Hackett and editor Camille Cline. Thank you to our honored guests: Mrs. Chonody, Mrs. Lynch, Mrs. Mercurio, Mrs. Piteo, and Fr. John. Thank you to our parent caterers! We are already planning for the 450th birthday next year.

Imagine the entire world celebrating your birthday in the year 2463. What would people do at your birthday party?

Happy 449th Birthday! on PhotoPeach

Shakespeare’s Birthday Party!

Posted on by
9

Shakespeare birthplace
Photo Credit: Phil Romans via Compfight cc

Join us as we celebrate the Birthday of the Bard in Startford-on-Avon style. Each year the Birthplace Museum organizes a parade through town to honor the master storyteller and poet.   Black and gold balloons are released, flags of many nations are unfurled, flowers are placed on his grave.   We will recreate these events and many others on Tuesday, April 23rd, as homage to William Shakespeare.

Schedule of Events:

Unfurling of the flags

Quill Pageant

The placement of the flowers

Hanging wishes on the Mulberry Tree

Recitations of soliloquys, sonnets and poems

Guest lectures from the writing community

Tea and cake

Birthday party games

Grave of William Shakespeare
Photo Credit: Hillarie via Compfight cc