Swords flying, shields raised to the sky. What sounds like a fight for the ages is actually microschool Flex Learning Academy students enjoying a day at the Florida Renaissance Festival.
8th grader Jake Teri shares: “They basically told us it was ‘Monty Python rules’ : if two of your limbs get cut off you’re dead, if you get stabbed in the chest or the back you’re dead. Head does not count. I battled Ethan, Zac, and Alejandro all at once in a free for all.”
Middle school 7th grader Ethan Crespo chimes in: “It’s called the Weapon Wall. The higher price you pay, the better weapons you get… and you get to fight your friends. It was pretty cool.”
Students had a great time walking the grounds of the event, posing for photos and searching for the best snacks.
High schooler Jacob Gokhale was all about the canolis. But at Florida Renaissance Festival, it isn’t just the food you can eat. Jacob says: “I thought it was pretty funny that they had the guy you could throw tomatoes at.”
For some of the group, it was their first time attending the festival. Flex Learning Academy 10th grader Emily Karlinsky had never even heard of the Renaissance Festival: “It was a very new thing for me.”
Emily goes on to talk about her favorite experiences of the day: “I think the Pirate thing: me and my friends went to the pirate encampment and they initiated us with swords. Oh, and I go to meet a mermaid and a faerie. That was really fun.”
She was also reminded of a different kind of event: “I think you have to be open minded before you go in because strange things are in there, like people on stilts and stuff. It was like a circus kind of.”
Many Flex students came dressed in tunics, chain mail, and other period correct pieces to really look the part while they explored vendor booths and took in live performances.
Dragons, Jesters, Glassblowers, and so much more! Just another day in the living classroom. Join the Flex-perience!