On Thursday, April 9, Clinton Prairie High School students participated in the 21st annual CPHS Festival. First established in 2005, the festival has traditionally been a celebration of various genres and greats of literature, but this year, it took a more cross-curricular turn. The theme this year was America 250, allowing all departments to join in the fun!
Participation in festival events added up to a small grade in English courses. Students could earn points by dressing up, participating in a Revolution-themed escape game, reciting influential American writings, creating illustrated versions of portions of founding documents, and participating in booths during the festival itself. Throughout the day, we saw students dressed as historic figures like George Washington, Betsy Ross, and Abraham Lincoln; Americans who made an impact on our nation like Amelia Earhart, Elvis Presley, and Alice Paul; and American ideals represented by the Statue of Liberty, the moon, and lanterns. During the festival itself, students participated in games and activities that embody American events or ideals. These games and activities were planned and executed by students and teachers. For instance, construction students built a ring toss game, art students painted corn hole boards, the science department put together a game in which students guessed whether they would have survived an injury or disease during the Revolution, and the social studies department hosted a dodgeball game that simulated the way a Revolutionary War battle would have been fought.
CPHS faculty and staff are so proud of our students for their creativity, their behavior during the festival, and their willingness to help run booths and clean up at the end of the day!