PIE Students LOVE to perform!

The PIE K-1 and 2-3 classes all put on school plays this year. The PIE teachers created plays that embraced the new common core english language arts standards and turned them into dramatic art! Students who are in kindergarten and first grade learn about Kings and Queens, Fairy Tales and Fables in their reading program. Children in second and third grade continue on with the Fairy Tale theme and then read Tall Tales, Fables/Folktales and Myths. The teachers decided that this year they would create plays that focused on Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. Nursery rhymes are perfect for young readers because they build fluency, enhance vocabulary, practice rhythm, build memorization and prepare children to read.

The PIE K-1 teachers decided to hold a food drive on the day of their school play. Each family had to bring in a box of food or some canned goods to the show as their admission ticket. All of the collected food was gathered into a giant basket on stage and then delivered to the local food pantry. The children, their teachers and parents had so much fun performing for everyone. The teachers invited me into their classrooms to interview students about their performances. Read on to see what the kids had to say about performing on stage!

From the K-1 students
Ava K: "I played a kitten." Ava wanted me to know that her face was painted like a kitten and she looked like a cat, but she was still a regular human inside she was just acting like a cat. (So cute!) "I practiced a lot at school and at home with my mom and dad."

Ava M.: "I was Miss. Muffet. I wore clothes under my costume and they used pins to make my dress fit better, but they didn't go through me." (So funny) "My favorite part was wearing my costume because it went down to my feet."

Taylor: "I liked wearing a dress and having long hair. I got to say a poem. I practiced with my mom a lot." Taylor would like you to know that she would love to perform again and that her class also sang a song!

Isabella: "I was Mother Goose. I wore a red dress and my mom sewed feathers on a shawl and I wore a bonnet. I said A LOT of things. I helped people put things in the basket. I really liked to be on stage!"

Kooki: "I played a little kitten named Puff. I wore a furry collar with a sparkly bow and a white cat head. I had to remember my lines. We practiced at school and at home. I was very excited. My favorite part was putting the 3 pairs of mittens in the Old Woman's basket. You know... the Old Woman who lived in the shoe."

Harrison: "I was Tommy Tucker. I had to speak and I was a little scared. We had a party after the play and I giggled and ate cookies."


Alexa: "I played Jill. I wore a dress it was red and grey, or maybe brown, I forget. I got to be onstage with Jack. My favorite character was the Mother Cat. I rocked in a chair and said lots of words." She wanted me to know that it was her first play and that she made an ornament in class about it so that she could always remember it!

Finley: "I was Jill and my brother was Jack. My costume was my favorite it was a plaid dress with a red bow. My favorite was carrying the bucket of popcorn!"

Alana: "I was Miss. Muffet. I sang a song and said some lines. We practiced really hard at school. My favorite part was when I gave the bowls to the Mother Cat. The audience clapped really loud for us and then we did a dance!"

From the 2-3 students
Lewis: "I was Michael Finnegan. I had to look like a leprechaun. I had to practice for 2 days to remember my lines! I liked being on stage sometimes, but sometimes I got nervous." He wanted me to know that maybe he will be a director when he grows up!

Ally: "I was a Narrator. I was dressed up as one of the 3 Blind Mice. I liked to read all the lines for the show. Mrs. Powderly taught us the history behind nursery rhymes and it was neat."

Emerson: "I played a Rockin' Robin. I had to sing a song. My favorite part was watching the moms do their dance! They wore wigs. I like to do plays.

Mason: "I played The Cat in the Hat and had to memorize a lot of lines, like thirty! I liked to perform and did not have stage-fright. We read all about Mother Goose Rhymes in class and learned the history about Jack and Jill. Jack was a King and Jill was a Queen and vinegar and brown paper fixed them when they were hurt 'way back then'. We had to make sure we still did our schoolwork and homework to be in the play."

Riley: "I played The Farmer's Wife and a Narrator. I had to memorize songs. We looked up rhymes in our classroom and had to find out about why they were written. My favorite part was singing and dancing and staying on stage the whole time."

Kyle: "I played a Rhyme Robber who steals the rhymes and sell them in boxes to get rich! I practiced a lot. I had to practice dancing and saying lines. My favorite scene was Rockin' Robin because of the funny dances. I had to do an audition for my part. I had to read and sing. I like to be in plays because it's fun to do with your friends."

Nathan: "I played a Blackbird. My favorite part was the Rockin' Robin song because the blackbirds got to dance with the Dads!"