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The First Feast
First graders are full of fun and eager to use their imaginations. Perhaps that is why the idea for a Thanksgiving feast, complete with Pilgrims and Native Americans, is now a tradition at Holy Spirit School. Mrs. Delphine Przekop and Mrs. Debbie Brzezinski originated the feast for first graders fourteen years ago.
Our first grade teachers start preparing the students early in the school year. Debbie Brzezinski’s class focuses on the pilgrims’ way of life. They discuss the pilgrims’ desire for religious freedom. They learn about the hardships that were faced on the journey and the difficulties of building a new community in an undeveloped land. The students take particular interest in hearing how children were expected to help with chores, could not speak until spoken to, and how school was different then. The Native American culture is taught in Mrs. Burns’ class. The students gain a deeper understanding of how the Native Americans helped the “newcomers” by teaching them survival skills in the new land.
While the students learn, the parents work! There are costumes to be made, groceries to be purchased, and a meal to be prepared. Each seat at the table is set with a woven placemat made by a student. Costumes are worn to represent the cultures discussed by each class, and a prayer that the students have memorized is shared.
This special celebration is made possible by the involvement of many parent volunteers. Year after year, the hard work put into the Thanksgiving Feast results in an educational experience worthy of their efforts.