Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
KRISTEN SMITH, 17, a member of the National Honor Society hands elementary student Austin Babich a home-cooked turkey lunch on Tuesday, just ahead of the holiday break. The NHS students helped to set up, serve, and clean up after the meal. Smith said they just love to see and talk to the little kids. NHS students working along side Smith are, from left, Leilani Casiano, 17, Amber Kaurala, 16, and Natalie Stone, 16.
By CHARITY SMITH
Bessemer - National Honor Society Students served a Thanksgiving lunch to students at Washington Elementary School on Tuesday.
"We like the kids. That's why we wanted to come down here and we didn't want to be at the high school. We just love the kids," said NHS member Kristen Smith, 17. The other NHS students echoed her sentiments. "We all just love kids," said NHS member Leilani Casiano, 17.
Along with serving the elementary students, the NHS members also bused tables, swept the floors, and washed dishes.
The event marks the return of an old tradition, according to principal Mark Switzer. He said the district used to have the meal annually, but hasn't offered it in "quite a while." He credited new food service director Denise Tauer for bringing back the event.
"I think that family values have been lost along the line someplace and I think celebrating the holidays and food and friends all go together," said Tauer, who started working for the district less than a month ago. "They might not get a Thanksgiving dinner at home. Parents work. It takes two incomes to make a household float now. If I can give them turkey and dinner and good food, that's what I want to do."
Tauer said she didn't think offering a Thanksgiving meal was a big deal and recalled having it when she was in school. She said it was just a cool thing to do. Superintendent Dan Niemi said that the district may be the only one serving a Thanksgiving meal this holiday, and that for some students it may be their only Thanksgiving dinner.
The meal consisted of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and Pumpkin fluff, with a white/or chocolate milk. Tauer said she likes to make as much of the meal home-cooked as possible. Niemi said Tauer does a great job with the home-cooked meals.
"It's a lot of home-cooking, instead of all this boxed stuff," she said. "I do as much homemade as I can. Nothing is ever just standardized.. It's a touch of this and a touch of that. You got to give it a little flare. You got to get the kids to try it at least. They may not eat it all the time, but at least they can try it."
The kids seemed to enjoy their meal. Many of them came back for seconds, especially on mashed potatoes. Some wanted seconds on the pumpkin fluff, a whipped desert with marshmallows and pumpkin, but there was only enough to go around on the desert.
The same meal was also given to the older students at A.D. Johnston Junior/Senior High School on Tuesday. It's a whole district type of deal," said Niemi.
"It's just a nice ending to the beginning of the Thanksgiving break for the kids," Niemi said. "They get a good meal and their tummies will be full and they'll be able to go home and enjoy their break."
Tauer said she is planning to do a Christmas meal as well.
