On the Ides of March, the BPY eighth-graders marked the conclusion of their Shakespeare unit with a celebration. When asked to reflect on this play, Adiel Ramirez explained: “I wasn’t interested in reading ‘Julius Caesar’ because I thought it would be a boring classic. I was surprised at how exciting and interesting it was to read. I especially liked the depth of the characters and how Shakespeare conveyed his messages through a story about ancient Romans.” Clad in Roman garb, the students sat down to an elegant feast. The auditorium was transformed into a banquet hall, where tables were draped in black cloth and decorated with Shakespearean photos and quotes. “The sparkling apple cider and cheese and crackers were very creative and it was a lot fun” remarked Shiri Heicklen.

The evening commenced with a viewing of “Gnomeo and Juliet.” “Lia and I got way too invested in the movie,” commented Eliana Cohen. Well versed in Shakespearean language, the students acted out highlights from “Julius Caesar” on the auditorium stage. Ami Nemetski mentioned that “It was cool that we got to perform scenes from ‘Julius Caesar.’” Summarizing the evening, Max Elkouss said: “The Shakespeare festival was an amazing experience. It was so fun acting out ‘Julius Caesar’ scenes and Watching ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Everyone had a great time and it was a great way to end the Shakespeare unit.” After weeks spent researching Ancient Rome and Elizabethan England, learning the Bard’s lingo, and analyzing literary devices and puns, the students truly earned their celebration!