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Sixth Graders Rule the School
Posted: May 15, 2009Hear ye! Hear ye! While the fourth and fifth graders traveled to Mackinac Island for their Michigan trip, and the seventh graders headed to Storer Camps for some class bonding and the eighth grade to Cleveland for their end-of-the-year hurrah, let us hereby declare the sixth graders rulers of the school for their study of the Middle Ages! This social studies unit officially culminated, by order of the king, with the annual sixth grade medieval feast on Friday morning.
The event began with the grand entrance of the king, accompanied by squires and a priest. Queried the king: “Priest Omar! Have these squires spent the night in chapel praying for their souls?”
The priest responded: “Yes, Your Majesty.” The king then turned to the squires. “Have you, Squires, prayed to God asking for protection of your soul and to follow the Code of Chivalry
”Yes we have,” responded the squires.
"Do you promise to be brave in battle, honorable to your Lord and Liege, redress any wrong, protect women and children, help those in trouble, show mercy to the weak and defenseless, so help you God?”
“Yes we do!” trumpeted the squires.
During the feast, students were divided into manor groups with a lord or lady as the head of the manor. They competed for farthings, and the manor with the most farthings was granted the head table. Those who sat below the salt were seated according to their rank.
King William (Middle School principal Scott Tily) greeted the guests as they entered the “manor on the lake” – the Academy’s Lakeshore building – then conducted a knighting ceremony. The students played the roles of knights, monks, priests, lords and ladies of the land, and pages. They also provided entertainment as jugglers, jesters, dancers, magicians and musicians. There was even a duel! Several “serving wenches” (i.e., mothers of the sixth graders dressed in costume) prepared and served the food. The meal was presented in three courses: “first serve” was a bread bowl of soup; “second serve” consisted of chicken legs, saffron rice, carrots, and mead (apple cider); and “third serve” (dessert) was ginger cookies and pears. After each course was announced, two food tasters sampled the food to make sure it wasn’t poisoned. Judgments were announced for evil deeds, with the priest begging for mercy for the evildoer. The folks in the gallery decided whether that person should be freed or sent to the dungeon.
Contributing to the ambiance of the banquet were family crests and banners that the students created. Throughout the afternoon, students from other grade levels stopped in to observe the festivities.
Thursday of Medieval Week was "Monk Day." The students experienced the monastic life of the middle ages as they meditated in the Chapel, ate only bread and water, and slept in cells with only a single sheet of newspaper for a blanket. Any monks who broke the code of silence had to wear a hair shirt in penance.
The students were given a respite from their study of the Middle Ages on Thursday afternoon when they enjoyed a Poetry Cafe. While each student read from his or her poetry journal (a selection of free verse, limericks, haiku, acrostics and many others), classmates lounged on pillows and ate snacks while snapping their fingers to demonstrate their approval of their peers' work.
Special thanks go to Harriett Whitaker and Mary Jo Johnson for all their work in coordinating these events and to all the parent volunteers, in particular Mary Alice Mecke, who helped with costume fittings and who provided snacks and drinks for the Poetry Cafe and prepared and served food for the banquet.