Bringing Ebenezer Scrooge to Life at Veritas Prep

The Parent Service Organization (PSO) at Veritas Prep organized a special literary event for the 7^th grade scholars to commemorate the end of their curricular reading of the classic, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

In past years, the event was observed as a luncheon for the students, but this year, they were treated to experiencing the masterpiece in cinematic form. While A Christmas Carol has had more versions and iterations than can be counted since it was written in 1843, the 1984 film starring George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge was chosen. Many critics and reviewers consider it one of the best adaptions of the novel.

“It’s fun for them to be able to now see it acted out and to consider maybe some of those nuances that they didn’t pick up as much in the book,” explained Shannon Winebrenner, a lit comp teacher at the academy. “They also get to consider the value of human life. And is it really based on performance or ability to engage or is it really based on just the beauty of being human?”

Treats were handed out in the festively decorated lobby by PSO volunteers, some dressed in costumes themed to the story, and the Lund Center for Performing Arts at the Veritas campus was transformed into a proper cinema, furnished with period-appropriate props, including a life size animatronic of Mr. Scrooge, himself, for the big screen showing.

This was a large-scale undertaking that took a team of volunteers to set up, according to Heather Kinsey, the 7^th grade PSO representative. “I actually mocked all of this up in a whiteboarding tool, so we knew exactly what we were going to be doing when it came to execute on Sunday and get set up. It was getting volunteers to donate decor, food, water bottles, etc., and we were able to cover the entire event based upon donations and supplies we had on hand.”

“A Christmas Carol is just this beautiful story of a man who has allowed greed to become an idol and take over his life and prevented him from loving those around him,” added Winebrenner. “And so, the book gives this beautiful opportunity for the children to consider how can we be redeemed from that, or reclaimed, as the spirits would say.”

Thanks to the generosity and careful planning of the PSO and parent volunteers, the event was a memorable celebration of great literature that brought Dickens’ timeless story to life at Veritas Prep. Learn how other academies have celebrated A Christmas Carol in the past at https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/celebrating-the-classic-that-changed-christmas/

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