September 17th, 2026

On 2 September, the English Workshop (Primaria, Educación Básica Integrada) open class brought together families to share artistic expression, literature, and collaborative learning. Coordinated by Profa. Nadia Piquillen Leal, the session took Ruth Hobart’s book Festivals! as its starting point, transforming classroom learning into a lively experience of drama, creative play, and community building. 

In the weeks leading up to the event, the group explored various cultural traditions from the English-speaking world and selected three significant celebrations to bring to the stage: Easter, birthdays, and Guy Fawkes Night. With enthusiasm and dedication, the children prepared short plays in which their use of English was brought to life through dialogue, characterisation, and stage performance. 

The show began with The Egg Hunt, a story in which the characters set off on the traditional Easter hunt, guided by clues and riddles in the garden until they find the long-awaited golden egg, in a plot that highlights friendship, cooperation, and the spirit of sharing. Next, the cast presented The Surprise, a piece centred on the preparations for Emma’s tenth birthday party, where she discovers the warmth and affection of her friends amidst decorations, presents, songs, and poems. The theatre programme concluded with A Bonfire, a historical re-creation of the British 5 November celebrations, which brought the characters together around the bonfire and ended with a choreographed dance to the rhythm of the traditional poem “Remember, remember, the 5th of November” (*). 

Play-based challenges and art-making with families

Following the applause at the end of the performances, adults and children played a specially designed board game featuring challenges, questions, and prompts linked to the customs and vocabulary covered in the book.

To round off the event, the family teams worked on creating a collective mural. Using photographs and stickers previously made by the children during their workshop sessions, families filled the space with colour and visual memories, capturing the project’s reflections and shared learning in a tangible form. 

This open class demonstrates Crandon’s approach to foreign language teaching: an active process in which the language is experienced through play, art, and affection. By opening the classroom doors and encouraging family participation, Crandon reaffirms the importance of building bridges between home and school, while fostering trust, teamwork, and a love of learning.

(*) Refers to Guy Fawkes Night (or Bonfire Night), one of the UK’s most popular traditions, celebrated every 5 November to commemorate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605.