NEWS
Language Concepts Students Combine Reading with Theatre
Students in MED’s Language Concepts summer program put on a play titled “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” Based on the classic book by Eric Carle, the play told the story of a young caterpillar who eats perhaps a little too much on his way to becoming a beautiful butterfly.
Over the summer, the class read many stories by Eric Carle and other children’s authors. “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” was one of the students’ favorites, so class teacher Kristine MacKowski and teaching assistants Lisa Wenk and Lucy Pracher helped the students prepare a performance based on the story that highlighted what the students had been learning. The class developed their roles by studiying storyboards and viewing a similar student play on video.
On August 9th, the students were excited to show off their hard work to the group of parents, family members and school staff who gathered in the MED library to watch them perform. The cast included Sam Bartlett, Brendan DeLyser, Ayden Ketzer, Johnny Maiello, and Emily Rose, with narration provided by Mrs. MacKowski.
To wrap up the program, the following day the class took a field trip to the Mac Hayden Theatre where the students enjoyed a professional performance of “Puss ‘n Boots.” The special trip to the theatre was made possible by a grant from the Chatham Education Foundation.