The annual Grade 6 Egypt Day transformed the Middle School's Umpleby Hall recently, into the marketplaces, royal palaces, and tombs of ancient Egypt.  Egypt Day is the culmination of the 6th grade students' academic unit on Egyptian Culture.  A combination of a research and performance project, Egypt Day is nearly 100% student-driven, from the creation of props, costumes and masks, to the design of decorative wall hangings and the development and performance of informative scripts.

Middle School History faculty member Ben Fleisher explains: "Each class brainstorms themes for their room and then goes to the library to research their subject more in depth.  The themes this year were Mummification, The Throne Room, Gods and Goddesses, and The Nile and Marketplace.  Upon returning from the library, each student or group of students writes a script based on their research.  We then create a class-wide script which we share, critique, and develop.  When we are satisfied with the script, we begin extensive rehearsals since we will be performing for the 5th grade students and the 6th grade parents."

He continues:  "For the kids, it is not only a lot of fun to take on a new character, but they also bring this project completely to life.  [W]hat starts out as just a brainstorm of a theme ends a performable product; one on which every student has left his or her mark."