SCHOOLS
Dames Ferry Elementary School kindergarten and first grade students celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast as they learned about the meaning of Thanksgiving and talked about what they are thankful for.
Alyson Bryant, kindergarten teacher, said her favorite thing about Thanksgiving is counting her blessings and thinking about what she is thankful for. She said it’s a great time to spend with family, and she hopes her students enjoy their Thanksgiving break.
“We have been talking about the first Thanksgiving, and past, present and future. We felt like the feast was a great way to understand what we had been learning, plus we do this annually,” she said. “Every year the kindergarten teachers make the costumes, and the students get to celebrate Thanksgiving with their class.”
She said her students in kindergarten learn about these things, including all of the holidays. She said it’s an important standard for them to learn, but she also wants her students to learn what it means to be thankful. She said her students were very excited to have their Thanksgiving feast at Dames Ferry Elementary School.
“We talked about what foods we might see in the cafeteria, and what they might like to eat for a Thanksgiving meal. They learned about the traditional Thanksgiving foods, so they knew what to expect a bit. It was just a great day for the students to celebrate Thanksgiving,” Bryant said.
Averi Hammond, a kindergarten student in Bryant’s class, said she learned about the first Thanksgiving and how the pilgrims came to the U.S. from England on the Mayflower. She said they were scared when they sailed over. She said they had to learn to hunt and grow squash and pumpkins from the Native Americans.
“I had chicken, short cake, green beans, and yams. I liked learning about Thanksgiving, and we learned facts about Thanksgiving,” she said. “My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is the green bean casserole, because it has onions in it.”
Lynsey Mosley, first grade teacher, said she really wants her students to understand the meaning of Thanksgiving, and to be thankful for what they have. She said her students talked about turkeys and the meaning of Thanksgiving all week.
“In first grade, we get the kids together and talk about why we celebrate Thanksgiving. We make it a point to slow down and explain the things we have in life are a gift. While the food is delicious, we want them to understand it’s not just a time where we eat,” the teacher said.
Bradlie Scott, a first-grade student in Mosley’s class, said her favorite thing about Thanksgiving is getting to eat turkey. She said she’s thankful for her family, because she loves them all very much. She said her family gets to eat a lot of tasty food on Thanksgiving.
“Thanksgiving is fun, and I liked the feast. I like Thanksgiving, because I get to spend time with my friends and family,” the student said. “We got to read stories about turkeys at school. We read about how to catch a turkey and how to hide a turkey.”
The teacher said her favorite thing about Thanksgiving is hearing what her students think about the things they have learned about Thanksgiving. She said it’s neat to hear they are thankful for things like their parents and their homes. She said it’s heartwarming, and she’s happy they enjoyed the feast.
“We have studied Lewis and Clark in first grade. We wanted them to understand what they did. They studied Sacagawea as well. They learned about the plants and animals from that time period,” Mosley said. “It’s been great for them to tie those things together, and hopefully gain an appreciation for this Thanksgiving feast.”
