You may notice a gap in our menu for the month of November! Families who have been with us for a number of years will already know it is our tradition to have the children nominate and vote on what they want to have for lunch the day before Thanksgiving break. This process provides our students several different learning opportunities and has become a favored tradition.
1. Instead of serving traditional Thanksgiving foods on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we allow the students to nominate and vote on what they want to eat. Since many families will have turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberries, etc., as leftovers for days following Thanksgiving, this provides children with other options before the “big turkey day” at home (followed by leftover turkey sandwiches, turkey enchiladas, turkey stew, or however your family uses up any remaining turkey).
2. Giving students a voice in their meal helps them to take pride and responsibility in what they are served. We receive nominations for macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, and some kids even come to the table with broccoli, stir-fry, and many others! Voting as a class on their meal provides the opportunity for an introduction to the voting process. Then, students also help tabulate the votes for a hands-on mathematical learning experience. We look forward to what our students select this year and will be sure to post photos on Facebook! For older students, this may also be a good touch point for conversation at home. What did your student nominate? Was it selected? Is it something that you can make for them at home? Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! With wonderful students, families, and staff, we have a lot to be thankful for!