Spirit of the Renaissance Comes Alive
The centuries old Renaissance period sprang to life for freshmen at Huntington High School as teachers organized a faire, building upon a foundation laid weeks earlier during a residency program that saw professional actors working with students to understand Shakespeare’s works and his times.
"The spirit of the Renaissance was palpable here in the library and English wing of Huntington High School,” said Joseph Leavy, director of humanities for the district. “Students experienced hands-on interdisciplinary instruction with the enthusiastic cooperation of members of the art, music, math, science and humanities departments.”
Teachers from seven different departments participated in the festive day, resulting in the type of interdisciplinary activity that is ordinarily hard to pull off on the high school level and difficult to match anywhere. For example, math teacher Monica Racz made a presentation on Leonardo Da Vinci's use of the Fibonacci number as a means for graphic perfection in the dimensions of the Mona Lisa.
Mr. Leavy said that as a result of English teacher Bonnie Guarino’s “vision of an all-encompassing experience for students, the halls came alive with teachers and students in Renaissance garb, traveling musicians, artists and actors playing roles, Renaissance dance and perspective drawing; all of these experiences for students were tied to the history and literature of the 16th century."
The faire was held during a special assembly period for freshmen. The teenagers circulated through a series of learning stations in different classes and disciplines while faculty and staff members, and even some students, donned authentic looking garb from Renaissance times.
Southdown School nurse Linda Scheiss helped out by hand sewing all the clothing. The garb allowed those wearing it to enter “the zeitgeist, or 'spirit of the times,'” Mr. Leavy said. There were even Renaissance art and dance workshops presented by art teacher Amy Worth and Director of Fine and Performing Arts Joan Fretz.
Music teacher Lisa Leonardi organized a string quartet, which performed Renaissance period music in the halls while ninth grade English, social studies, science and math teachers presented at a variety of stations, exposing students to the breadth of knowledge that exploded on the scene during the 14th and 15th centuries.
Ms. Scheiss held a workshop on the making of lucet, a type of cording or braiding. The high school library was even transformed into the scene of a scavenger hunt, with students trying to locate and understand items of related to Renaissance art, literature and history. Teachers Kelly Krycinski and Camille Tedeschi performed a reading for students, adapting a humorous version of Romeo and Juliet and organizing various skits of the work.
Teachers Jennifer Schnitzer and Roy Dumar had students design coats of arms and engage in a variety of Shakespearean language experiences, as well as pursuing a web-quest through the use of a portable laptop cart brought into the room just for the day. Music teacher Steven Finch directed the chorus in a performance of Renaissance period songs in the library.
Teachers Michael Schwendemann and Erik Bruckbauer collaborated with Ms. Worth and art teacher Kristen Singer on an art drawing exercise that saw students imitate the new science used at the time to help draw with perspective.
Teachers Gina Colica and William Byrne had their students design coats of arms and participate in Ms. Fretz’s Renaissance dance lesson. Teachers Terrance Judson and Tom Minogue worked with students on a webquest.
Mr. Leavy said the faire was the “brainchild” of Ms. Guarino, who is pursuing certification as an administrator. “She has developed into such a master organizer of large scale events, that this day of learning is now in its third year at Huntington High School,” added Mr. Leavy. This marked the first year that all freshmen participated in the faire during a full assembly period.
The faire let students reach a deeper level of understanding about the Renaissance and have fun, too.
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