A Thanksgiving tradition continued at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
On Monday, November 25, the high school came together and served as the hosts to the annual ESL (English as a Second Language) Thanksgiving Lunch.
The lunch, which has grown in size and significance over the years, was held in the high school's small gymnasium during Unit Lunch.
Organized by French Teacher Maria Kostis, who organized the event, thanked " the support of Principal Dan Hemberger and Supervisor Leighann Matthews."
"This year’s event was bigger and more festive than ever," Ms. Kostis said.
According to Ms. Kostis, the lunch is designed to celebrate the Thanksgiving spirit with the school’s English learners, bringing students and staff together in a warm and welcoming environment
Ms. Kostis, who started the event a few years ago, put in a great deal of effort to ensure its success. She was joined by ESL Teachers Delfina Picchio and Jillian Bandel and Latin Teacher Lucinda Jaffe, and Italian Teacher Giuseppina Bologno, and district ESL Coach Jenna Maneri, who worked together to help organize this year’s celebration.
"A special thanks goes to Wegmans for generously donating a $150 gift card, which was used to purchase delicious pumpkin and apple pies for the event. The French, Italian, and Latin Honor Societies also contributed by donating beverages, while members of the French and Italian Honor Societies also lent their time to help during the event," Ms. Kostis said."
"Thank you to all the ESL teachers - Maria, Lucinda, Delfina, and Jill, as well as the district ESL coach, Jenna, who worked together to make this event a success for our multilingual learners," Ms. Matthews said.
The energetic Ms. Matthews, who is the Supervisor ESL and WL (World Languages)) for K-12 in the school district, continued:
"I've enjoyed seeing this event evolve over the years since I started working in Bridgewater-Raritan in 2019 - especially this year, seeing many of the students take the initiative to bring in dishes and desserts that represent their heritage and cultures," she said.
Ms. Kostis added:
"For the English learners, the event was not just about food—it was about experiencing traditional Thanksgiving foods while also learning about this important American holiday."