A Thanksgiving tradition continues to grow at Windsor Elementary School.
Last Thursday, nearly 80 Grade 5,6 and 7 students sat cross-legged in the hallway of the school annex and partook of a Thanksgiving feast, complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad and, of course, pumpkin pie.
“It started small, with just pumpkin pie, and then it just kind of took off,” said Grade 7 teacher Shyamala James, who organized the first meal seven years ago.
She has been putting it on every year since with help from her brother, Will Kandasamy, who works at the Grandview Highway Real Canadian Superstore
This year his store donated two turkeys, 50 pounds of potatoes, 15 boxes of stuffing, four bags of salad, seven pies, whipping cream, cranberry sauce, butter and cream.
“We get the kids to do a lot of the prep with us,” James said.
Teachers, retired teachers, moms of staff members, the school’s community coordinator and its recently retired hot lunch coordinator also pitched in to help.
“It’s just about building community,” James said.
It’s also a way to introduce some of Windsor’s students to a Canadian tradition.
“A lot of our kids are from different parts of the world,” James said. “Not a lot of our kids are used to having Thanksgiving or know what that means or what that looks like. …They love it. It’s kind of a tradition now.”
