A Thanksgiving Feast

As many know, I am a speech pathologist at an elementary school. As Special Education Building Manager, I am also very involved in our specialized instruction program, which has about 25 emotionally disturbed and behavior disordered students. As is tradition in our building, we all band together to make sure all of the students in the program get a Thanksgiving feast. While the staff provide the food, the students take an active part in the preparation as well. One class sent out invitations to special education staff and related staff, such as custodians and principal, while other students set the table, made festive placemats, and seated guests as they arrived. It is so much fun to see them smile and work so hard to put on such a grand event.

This is about half of the food, we had several crock pots of potatoes and containers or rolls. I saw one students eat at least 7 rolls! I was shocked!

A few coworkers, Emily and Misti, who have both become good friends.

Of course I can't show student faces due to privacy reasons, but this shot shows one students TWO platefuls of food ... that was just in his first trip through the line. :)

Look closely and you can see the colored placemats with festive pictures on them on the table.

Matt, another coworker, who brought his grandmothers homemade pecan pies. Ugh! My mouth just waters reflecting on how good they were!

Another student enjoying his feast.

Just outside in the hall, the first grade classrooms were having a feast of their own. They had made pilgrim and indian costumes for their feast.

They use bulletin board paper and roll it down the hall as a table cloth.

Oh the fun of a paper bag and construction paper!!