First Grade Play

As I'm sure some of you have heard from talking with me, things have been extra busy here in First Grade lately. This week marks that time of year where we have to begin doing individual assessments on every student in our class for reading and math. Each assessment takes about 20 minutes for math and anywhere from 20-30 minutes for reading. The goal is to have them all done by the end of next week. Although it's tedious and definitely time consuming it is great to see the progress that they've made throughout the year. For the last few weeks we have also been learning, practicing, and rehearsing on stage our First Grade plays. Thankfully we hire this wonderful company that comes and teaches the kids drama games and eventually how to create still pictures from the book to music that they have chosen for us. It was great to see some of the kids really get into the characters and open up on stage. Today was the day of our final performance for the parents and the kids did awesome. I was so proud of all of them and they had tons of fun! Our play was based on English author Julia Donaldson's book The Princess and the Wizard. Here is the synopsis from the back cover and some pictures of the kids in their costumes:

A fairy story about colours

"By changing her colour and changing her shape
The princess may try seven times to escape." -Wizard

But each time Princess Eliza changes – into a blue fish, a yellow chick, a green grasshopper, a red fox, a purple butterfly or a black cat – the wicked wizard finds her and sets her another horrible task. Will this princess be able to outwit him and escape back to the palace in time to cut her birthday cake?

soldiers and a queen for the beginning of the play, chickens later.

soldiers, a king and foxes later.

soldiers and then butterflies.

soldiers to grasshoppers.

party guests and soldiers to fish.

the wicked wizard, fairy godmother, and princess.

King and Queen at the party.

soldier and black cat.

beginning of the play, at the castle as soldiers, party guests, etc.

beginning to eat at the party.

the princess pretending to be a cat and hiding under a bridge by some rocks.

the princess having to sweep the chimneys as one of her tasks.