Teacher Donna DiPasquale said Shakespeare is honorably known as "The Bard" because of his lasting contributions to literature.

"About six years ago, I started to include some of Shakespeare's plot lines of his plays as part of my storytelling in my elementary and middle school language arts classes," DiPasquale said. "It was the response of my students that made some simple storytelling turn into the full- scale related arts project that I do now. My tech savvy 21st century students couldn't get enough of the Bard's great works. The eighth grade fell in love with Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar and his legendary ghost was another favorite."

After the first year, DiPasquale began introducing parts to the plot lines in original Shakespearean language. Students loved them, memorized them and recited them to anyone who would listen.

"The idea of celebrating Shakespeare's birthday (April 23) came as a natural tribute to a man that my students have come to really enjoy," DiPasquale said. "As part of this birthday celebration, some students bake his favorite desserts (anything apple), some teach lessons in sword fighting. The decorators make the classroom festive in the Elizabethan style, which we call our Bard Rock Cafe. We have competitions in dramatic readings and there are sometimes sporting events like the recreation of the great Circus Maximus (chariot racing) as a nod to Julius Caesar."