Noel Elementary Celebrates Thanksgiving

Parents and grandparents came to Noel Elementary School for a traditional Thanksgiving lunch with their students on Nov. 16.

"It's a tradition on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break," principal Samantha Buckridge said. The food service staff encourage students to have their families attend. She estimated between 40 and 60 families took advantage of the opportunity to have lunch with their students.

"I think it helps them feel like their parents are involved at school," Buckridge said. "One family doesn't necessarily celebrate Thanksgiving, so this would be their Thanksgiving dinner. It's a positive way for parents to be involved. And they get to see what students get to eat during the school day, and they realize it's really good food."

Debra Sikes, food service manager, was found in the back of the noisy, bustling kitchen.

"We do this every year for Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas," she said. "All the schools do this."

Asked why she enjoys her job, she said, "I love the staff and I love the students."

She said she gets plenty of feedback from the students.

"We get notes. We've got a thank you board. We get thank you notes. Kids come in and give us hugs and kisses at breakfast and lunch. We get a lot of interaction with the kids. It's fun to be around young people. You never know what they're going to say."

Students and their families dined in the cafeteria and overflowed into the gym, where a few tables were set up. At one of these tables sat Alesia Parish, grandmother to Zoe and John Parish.

"I think it's great," she said of the event. "I'm all for supporting the kids. Not only mine but anyone else that needs a grandma. Anything the kids are involved in, we're involved in."

She said she formerly worked in the cafeteria at Noel Elementary and at McDonald County High School. Her last year was 13 years ago, she said.

Her husband, Bob Parish, said of the day, "I enjoyed it very much."

Karla Olmedo, mother of Katherine Gonzalez, said of the event, "It's a good way for us to get together and support each other as families around this area. It's a good way to get to meet other parents."