At SHS, the weeks leading up to family and consumer science teacher Jennifer Wade-Baker’s annual Thanksgiving feast are delectably torturous. The delicious smell of fresh turkey, buttery stuffing, pumpkin pie, and other goodies lingers throughout the hallways, making everyone jealous of students taking the popular honors class, American Regional Cuisine.    

This year, Wade-Baker’s students came together to plan a special Thanksgiving extravaganza. The process required several early mornings and seven regular class periods. As a student in the American Regional Cuisine class, I can attest that feeding 20 people is a big responsibility, and what you put into the project is truly what you get out of it. Even the leftovers showed how much work students dedicated to this year’s meal. So, on that note, I would like to share the process of our planning, preparation, delivery, and, sadly, our cleanup for this exciting day. 

Our planning started on Monday, November 6th, two days before we began prep work on November 8th. (We wanted to get a head start for maximum efficiency.) The planning process in Wade-Baker’s class is very democratic: Students vote on which foods should be included, and all ideas are welcomed. Everyone is encouraged to contribute recipes from home that could be incorporated into the menu. Class members also looked for recipes that provided a modern take on traditional foods. Native traditional dishes were included to create a diverse and uniquely crafted menu representing different Thanksgiving eras and trends. 

The menu for the 2023 American Regional Cuisine Thanksgiving Feast included the following dishes: herb-roasted turkey, tofurky (for the vegetarians in the class), Cape Cod stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, gravy, WB’s famous cornbread, maple butter, sweet potato casserole, Brussels sprouts, succotash, pearled onions, apple walnut blue cheese vinaigrette salad, turnips and carrots, Hawaiian rolls, pecan bars, apple galette, pumpkin pie, cookie cake, silly brownies, and apple cider.

The preparation was somewhat hectic this year, as our class encountered some issues involving absences, family emergencies, and shortened weeks, so the schedule became very tight. Since this is typically an issue, Wade-Baker had some ideas ready: student leaders helped run the class and dedicated time before and after school to the project. Each group in the class was responsible for multiple jobs: some groups were responsible for dessert, others for entrees, etc., but everyone contributed to odd jobs that needed to be done around the classroom. Not a second went to waste! 

After almost two weeks of hard work, the feast was held on Friday, November 17th. Excused from regular classes for this in-school field trip experience, participating students stayed in the kitchen from 8:15 a.m. until the dismissal bell rang at 2:46 p.m. to ensure they had enough time to cook, eat, and make the room as clean as possible. 

From 8:15 to 11:30 a.m., the room was bustling. Everyone was racing around the classroom, completing the final touches for the meal: tables were set, flowers were arranged, and the drink station was set up. Once the food was done cooking, students thoughtfully arranged it on the serving table for an appealing presentation. When the clock hit 11:30 a.m., the guests arrived. This year, the class welcomed Superintendent William Burkhead, Principal Marc Loranger, Assistant Principal William Luette, and SHS math teachers Phill Blake and Jamie Forde to enjoy the meal and thank them for contributing to the SHS community. 

Everyone was urged to try something new, even if it seemed unusual for them. A clear favorite was the Brussels sprouts and garlic mashed potatoes, and the cookie cake was a huge hit for the desserts. Some guests are already requesting to be on the invite list for next year. 

After everyone enjoyed the meal, the classroom desperately needed cleaning. The class was very grateful when Forde stayed for an extra half hour to help with the dishes and clean up. For the remainder of the day, students spent time wrapping leftovers, washing dishes, rearranging the classroom, and thoroughly cleaning. 

When asked why this project is valuable, Wade-Baker said, “This activity is such a fun and engaging activity for everyone, as it shows the importance of cooperation skills, communication skills, celebration skills, common courtesy skills, working collaboratively, and planning and executing as a team.” 

Emphasizing student growth, Wade-Baker commented, “I would say our biggest strength is the creativity of students wanting to explore and try different things. All students in this class have been with me previously, so I always have great confidence in them.”