Students gathered in the gymnasium late this morning for a time-honored tradition at St. Mary School - the Thanksgiving Luncheon.
Hosted annually by the St. Mary School Home School Association (HSA), this year's Thanksgiving Luncheon featured homemade roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, fresh salad, dinner rolls, and a delicious cookie for dessert! All of the cooking, planning, serving, grocery shopping, decorating, and table bussing for this event is done by wonderful parent volunteers, and facilitated by the HSA.
The younger students enjoyed eating with their middle school "Mass Buddies", and appreciated the help from the upper class-men with balancing the delicious food on their plates in the buffet line! Students from grade 2 led the prayer before the meal, and our 8th graders as well as Kindergartners just couldn't pass up a photo opportunity with the inflatable turkey decoration on-stage! The coloring pages on the tables were also a big hit while the students waited for their table to be called, and many turned out beautifully!
Teachers also ate together with their students and had a chance to visit and share a laugh or story together during the meal. We are so thankful for our wonderful teachers and staff who work tirelessly on behalf of our students, so having them take a seat and enjoy being served at today's meal was just one way we like to say "thank you!" to them throughout the school year. Click here to see photos from today's lunch.
After the tables were cleared and the floor was swept, all the students came back into the gym for our first ever school-wide "Thanksgiving Parade"! Students worked on balloons and floats using their creativity and a variety of materials leading up to today. Younger grades read the book Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet, in preparation for their project which commemorates Tony Sarg, a brilliant, self-taught artist whose innovative helium balloons delighted legions of Macy's parade watchers from 1928 on. Some of the older students learned about the scientific principles that allow hot air balloons to fly, and of course brushed up on their engineering and design skills to complete their floats! Everyone enjoyed taking a look at the floats and balloons during their parade around the gym. Click here to see photos of today's parade.
Days like today, during which students of all ages, teachers, staff, and parents come together to share in tradition, food, fellowship, and fun, are part of the reason that we like to say "SMS is the place to bee".
Have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone!