Medieval Day Captivates Huntington Intermediate School
Medieval Day will go down as one of the more interesting days when the history of Huntington Intermediate School is written. The nearly 40-year old school hasn’t seen too many other days quite like it.
The event, formally chaired by parent Terri Ehrman, brought together members of the school’s 6th Grade Committee, sixth grade class parents, and additional parents who volunteered to pitch in and help. The group provided all the needed supplies and gave generous assistance throughout the day. The event was created as an alternative to traveling to Medieval Times, which has risen in cost.
Individual classes were provided with a pre-stuffed pair of pants and shirt to form a knight’s body. Students spent time in the morning creating a costume to later dress the knight. “The entire knight body was covered in foil,” explained parent Susan Minson, who serves as the Huntington Intermediate PTA historian and who extensively photographed the day. “Then costumes were made of cardboard covered in foil and decorated with drawings, markers, construction paper or anything creative the children could come up with.”
Eventually, each knight’s “gear” included a shield, breast plates, helmet, chain maille (armor), sabaton (foot armor) and gauntlets to protect the arms. Creative extras included swords, mace and daggers.
Following the knight activity, the youngsters went to work to create a class coat of arms. “A felt square was provided to each child and they drew a symbol or an animal or a color that represented physical or personality traits that the child identified with,” Ms. Minson said. The individual felt pieces were then assembled together to form a class coat of arms, which became a large banner.
“The results were amazing,” Mrs. Ehrman said about the students’ efforts. “They used their creativity and their team building skills. They really learned how to work together as a team.”
Naturally, lunch was also served medieval style, including an absence of tableware and utilized just one’s own hands. The youngsters dined in the school courtyard on turkey legs, corn on the cob and corn bread, supplied by the Park Avenue Deli in Huntington. Storyteller extraordinaire Jonathan Kurk, who came decked out in full period dress for dramatic effect, was on hand to spin medieval stories and perform skits with audience participation.
Students later played a series of “medieval” games on the school field. Parents were pleased with how the day turned out. It was “a great hands-on educational experience for everyone,” Mrs. Ehrman said.
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