Hewitt News

Hewitt’s first grade “Cinderella-ish” performance is one of our most beloved lower school traditions. The project begins with a deep dive into various versions of the classic Cinderella story. Guided by first grade teachers Alicia Ferrill and Angelina Casabianca, students explore how Cinderella has been portrayed across stories, note what kinds of stereotypes and assumptions are made about her, and observe when she is empowered to shape her own future and when she relies on others. Students then spend weeks rehearsing for their own performance of Just Jeni, an original “Cinderella-ish” play written by Alicia Ferrill.

After learning their lines and blocking, trying on costumes, and rehearsing on the stage at Hewitt’s Theater at St. Jean, this year’s first graders were excited to bring their learning to life! Before they performed for an audience of teachers, families, and their lower school peers, students screened a fantastic stop-motion film they made with art teacher Robin Lentz all about their “Cinderella-ish” unit. For highlights from that video, as well as a few photos from their big performance, click play below!