By Joanne Rodgers, Bruce Peninsula Press
A community effort of Bruce Peninsula District School (BPDS) staff, students and parents prepared and served a lunchtime meal for over 300 students, staff, volunteers and guests on 18 December 2024 at the school in Lion’s Head.
The menu included turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, bread rolls and cake. The meal was funded by the Lion’s Head Community Bottle Fund.
The fund started donating to the BPDS Festive Feast in 2015, since 2018 the Community Bottle Fund has been fully paying for the food. The Bottle Fund also covered the cost of the meal in Tobermory for St Edmunds Public School and Tobermory Primary Place Childcare Centre. Tim Hayes, who manages the Fund, is always happy to see the kids enjoying this annual Christmas meal.
During the many snow days, BPDS staff used the opportunity to cook 10 turkeys for the Festive Feast. Moms volunteered to help peel 120 lbs of potatoes. Their culinary efforts were rewarded by the students giving them full marks for a tasty meal.
Photo: St Edmunds Public School staff and students enjoy the annual Festive Feast.
Student volunteers assisted in decorating the cafeteria, preparing, serving and cleaning up after the meal. Teachers Ms Sweatman and Ms Cameron, along with community volunteers, were also on hand to help the student volunteers.
Ms Stanton and her volunteers plated the meal for the kindergarten and Grade 1 classes. Student volunteers served the meal to the young students in their classrooms. There were two seatings in the auditorium, 220 elementary students were served during the first seating, followed by 80 high school students, staff, community volunteers and guests for the second seating.
The moms assisted in peeling 120 lbs of potatoes and made gravy for the feast.
