On Monday, May 19th, our Marion Center 7th and 8th grade students participated in a Shakespeare festival where they performed various plays such as Julius Ceasar, Hamlet, As You Like It, and Macbeth for the rest of the school to watch. Hosted by Jr. High English teachers Mrs. Newell and Mrs. Hafera, our younger students were not only given the opportunity to expand their knowledge on Shakespearian literature, but they were also able to spread their new knowledge with their fellow Marion Center students.
Learning Shakespeare in junior high may seem like a challenge. The language is old, the plots can be complex, and the settings are far from modern. But these very challenges are what make it such a valuable learning experience. At a time when students are beginning to develop critical thinking skills, exploring Shakespeare’s plays pushes them to read more deeply, ask better questions, and look for meaning beneath the surface. Shakespeare’s works are filled with universal themes like love, jealousy, ambition, and identity. These are the same emotions and experiences junior high students are beginning to face in their own lives. Engaging with these characters helps students see how people across history have struggled with the same feelings, making literature feel less like a school subject and more like a conversation that spans centuries.
It is also an amazing opportunity for these students to be able to perform these stories and see them in the theatrical way they were always meant to be told. Not only does the performance element make the plays feel more personal and engaging, but it also gives students outside of the Marion Center Theatre Department the opportunity to perform for an audience and build the crucial confidence and teamwork skills that student performers know well but is often overlooked in students outside of these programs. Senior Nicole Scott, who attended many of the performances throughout the day told newspaper staff, “I wish this assignment was required when I was in 7th or 8th grade.” She elaborated to say, “I feel as though I would have formed a much better relationship with not only Shakespeare but plays in general.”
When you see Mrs. Newell, Mrs. Hafera, or any of the Jr. High performers in the halls, congratulate them on a fantastic and widely enjoyable event!
