… the teachers at Old Rochester Regional Junior High School in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts!
Like most of New England, the small town of Mattapoisett, is rich in early American history. It was first settled in 1750 in a area previously occupied by the Wampanoag Indians (“Mattapoisett” is a Wampanoag word meaning a place of resting). Later, its location on Buzzard’s Bay led to the creation of thriving shipbuilding and whaling industries.
Situated in what was originally Plymouth Colony, you might expect to find in Mattapoisett some remnant of the original Pilgrim legacy. And you would. At least in Old Rochester Regional Junior High School.
Last week, in the spirit of the original settlers, the town became the setting for an object lesson in doing the right thing – with a twist; it was the students schooling the teachers.
For 23 years Old Rochester Regional Junior High School has been hosting a community Thanksgiving dinner in the school cafeteria for local senior citizens. This fall however, the event was in danger of being cancelled due to a bunch of petulant educators, and their union entitlement mentality.
The following story about the November 18th dinner is from Wicked Local via Townhall.com ~
… this year the teachers thought it would be an opportune time to bring their complaints about a lack of a collective bargaining agreement to the community. How? By refusing to participate in the traditional Thanksgiving event.
That’s right, as a way to protest their lack of a contract, the teachers bailed on the students and senior citizens. But the students and a group of volunteers kept the tradition alive on their own.
Cafeteria cook Maria Alves and staff roasted eight 15-pound turkey breasts and six turkey loaves to feed the 176 senior citizens who showed up for the meal Sunday, and another 36 meals delivered to shut-ins. The meal also included stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce desert pies and coffee.
“We had more than 75 kids help, including some from the high school, and we had quite a few volunteers from the community step in so everything worked out great. The kids were fantastic and quite a few of their parents helped, as well.” – ORR Principal Kevin Brogioli
Lesson learned: While the educators’ self interest outweighed their commitment to the community (Hey – thought it was supposed to be all about the children?), these kids certainly taught their teachers a few things about gratitude, selflessness, and the real spirit of Thanksgiving.
And that’s something to be truly thankful for. I think the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony would have approved.
