CORNWALL, Ontario – About 200 excited students filled their plates with a buffet of food during the first ever Christmas Luncheon held at St. Peter Catholic School on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
Prior to this year, Christmas festivities were typically held at Immaculate Conception Catholic School, which has since merged into St. Peter.
“It is going very well and it is all due to the parent council,” said Ken MacDonald, Principal of St. Peter. “The parent council are the ones who organized the entire thing with the help of the Knights of Columbus, who did a lot of the cooking. It has been going fantastic. We do have a head table of guests who could come to visit. Santa did come to visit too.”
MacDonald said that approximately 200 students and 50 staff would be in attendance for the feast.
“Council thought it would be really nice, with the schools merging, to have a community turkey luncheon because it was a tradition that we used to do there (at Immaculate Conception),” said Janice Flood, a member of parent council and an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) at the school. “So we brought them together and we thought it’s a good way too to get our local parish and other community members involved.”
Many students were evidently excited about the holidays, wearing Christmas colours and costumes. One student even sported a bedazzled hairdo, emulating that of Cindy Lou Who from The Grinch. Lining the hallway to the gymnasium where the holiday feast was underway were festive decorations, including a life-size version of The Grinch with the question: ‘how will you help The Grinch grow his heart three sizes?’
“My favourite part of the holidays is definitely spending time with my family,” said Katie Gardiner, a grade 3 student. Her brother Reid who is in grad 6 agreed, adding that it is also nice to spend time with friends.
“I enjoy going to get the food!” said Teann Wickramarachchi, a grade 3 student, as she did a brief happy dance. Sahara Fuller, a grade 2 student, also enjoyed the food — especially the bread.
“It just shows that even though with the school closures, with the obstacles, we have come together as a full community…working together for the sake of the children,” said Flood.