Celebrating Thanksgiving ... and service

More than 100 English as a Second Language students, parents, teachers and school administrators gathered last Wednesday for a Thanksgiving feast of turkey with all the trimmings, and side dishes from around the globe prepared by the young people.

Katerina Brinton, an ESL teacher at the middle school for more than 14 years, has organized the annual celebration since she began teaching in the Lawrence District. For many of the ESL students, the majority of whom are recent immigrants, it is their first introduction to that most American of holidays, Thanksgiving. Students from Brinton's, Heather Goorland's and Jennifer Talenti's ESL classes took part in this year's feast.

Also this year, as a culminating activity for a recent unit on "Character and Culture," Brinton invited in Cedarhurst Village Mayor Andrew Parise, a decorated World War II veteran, to speak with the students about the importance of service to community and country. At the same time, the middle school wound down its community-supported "Adopt a Soldier" program to collect and send supplies to U.S. troops serving overseas.

"The mayor joined the effort to support our troops. All of the ESL students did a fantastic job. It was just a wonderful way to start the holidays," Brinton said.