Trivium Third Graders Enjoy Teatime with Tumnus
Archway Trivium December 20, 2023 -
Each year the third-grade hall at Archway Trivium magically transforms into the land of Narnia. This “coincidentally” happens just as the classes conclude their curricular reading of “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. The classic is the first of seven in “The Chronicles of Narnia” series. The books are set in the fictional land of Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures that is visited by English children through a magic wardrobe they find in a spare room.
“We love transforming each of our third-grade classrooms into Narnia,” said Assistant Headmaster Samantha Uphoff, who was a third-grade teacher at Archway Trivium when the tradition began a decade ago.
“We have our students walk through hanging coats to symbolize the wardrobe and then we have them see the lamp post right inside the door,” explained Uphoff. The lamppost is another iconic symbol from the book that is recognizable to the students, appearing in other Narnia books. It is the first image that Lucy, the first child to enter Narnia, sees upon her entry into the snowy woods. “It will not go out of my mind that if we pass this post and lantern, either we shall find strange adventures or else some great changes of our fortunes.” ―Lucy Pevensie from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”
“The desks form long tables that get covered with white tablecloths,” continued Uphoff. “There’s a chimney and armchair for Mr. Tumnus to sit at and visit with our students, and they get to feel like they’re transported into the land of Narnia.” Tumnus is a favorite character for many of the students. He is a faun in the book, which is a half human, half-goat creature that appears in Greek and Roman mythology. C.S. Lewis once wrote that the image of a faun carrying an umbrella and parcels through the snowy wood became the initial inspiration for the entire Narnia series.
Mr. Tumnus visits each classroom with furry pants to mimic the lower half of a goat, goat horns and floppy ears on his head, and his signature red scarf. “He enters each classroom and pretends like they are in his home and are visiting,” said Uphoff. “He starts hosting them and asking them different questions and answering their questions. What I love about this age is they become fully immersed in all things Narnia and they ask questions and speak with him as if he actually were Mr. Tumnus.”
The interaction comes complete with a tea party. However, English tea doesn’t always hit their taste buds the way they imagined. Uphoff explained that they are asked to try a sip and are rewarded with a hot chocolate that sets better with their appetites. The Turkish delights that are also referenced in the books are also an acquired taste for third graders. While it sounds great in theory, most said the gel-like sweets tasted like soap. A taste they will most likely relive every time they read about them.
Uphoff said the event has grown and become more elaborate over the years from its humble beginnings, but it remains a true staple in the culture of the school and something older students have looked back on with fond memories. The first third graders to experience the tradition are now high school seniors and performed “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” this year for their curricular drama performance as a tribute to the time the story came to life, and they too had tea with Tumnus.
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