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By KIMERLY DAVIS [email protected]
Thursday, November 27, 2003     Page: 9A

   
This is the story of a real first Thanksgiving celebration.
    Ten years ago, Rosemary Marchese, learning support teacher at Kistler
Elementary School, and her aunt headed south for a holiday shopping
pilgrimage. The sales were fantastic, and for every $100 they spent, they
earned a free frozen turkey.
   
The weather turned rough that evening as the shoppers started for home –
with six frozen turkeys in the trunk. They were forced to stop and spend the
night in a motel, and they were glad that the frosty temperatures would keep
their turkeys solid.
   
When Marchese returned home the next day, she realized that she had bitten
off more turkey than she could chew. She called Maureen Williams, learning
support teacher at Dodson Elementary School, and proposed a Thanksgiving
feast.
   
The learning-support classes from the two school gathered before
Thanksgiving in the home economics room at Kistler to enjoy a turkey dinner
with all the trimmings, and a tradition was born.
   
For nine years the event was held at Kistler. This year, the annual
Thanksgiving dinner for the Wilkes-Barre Area schools had a change of venue.
The meal was prepared and served in the consumer science department at Meyers
High School, and some of the consumer science students helped with the
preparation.
   
Thirty-eight children in kindergarten through fourth grade enjoyed a feast
of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, corn, cranberry
sauce, apple sauce, rolls and butter, juice, pudding and fresh pineapple
treats.
   
“Some of these students have never had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner,”
Marchese said.
   
With the help of the consumer science students, the learning support
classes made pilgrim hats and collars or American Indian headbands to wear at
the dinner. Consumer science teacher Marie Hogan helped with the preparations.
   
Marchese and Williams held a Care to Share fund-raiser in support of the
project at the Bon-Ton, Wilkes-Barre Township, and many of the children
brought in food to donate to the meal.
   
“We really have a cooperative situation going on here,” Marchese said.
   
Wilkes-Barre Area School District staff members attending the dinner as
invited guests included: Robert Okrashinski, principal at Meyers; Ellen Smith,
school director; Debbie Smith-Mileski, school psychologist; William Sauers,
acting director of pupil personnel services; Bernard Prevuznak, deputy
superintendent; Maureen Riley, special education supervisor; John Brislin,
principal at Dodson; and Tony Schwab, assistant principal at Kistler.
   
Para-educators Susan Parada and Brenda Meli helped fill plates for the
hungry little pilgrims and American Indians.
   
TIMES LEADER STAFF PHOTOS/MADALYN RUGGIERO
   
1)
   
Travis Horst, 7, grins in anticipation of the well-filled plates being
passed to each young student.
   
2)
   
Kendra Chapman, 10, wearing a hand-crafted American Indian headdress,
enjoys turkey and all the trimmings at the Thanksgiving dinner prepared for
students in the learning support classes of Kistler and Dodson elementary
schools last Friday at Meyers High School.
   
3)
   
Eight-year-old Rebecca Streuer takes on the look of a pilgrim girl for the
annual Thanksgiving dinner with her classmates.