On Friday, students and staff of Red Lodge High School joined together before their holiday break to share a prime rib meal in a family-style setting in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.
“I’m the P.E. teacher, so, I’m just filling in today," said Adam White, while serving teachers and teens alike. "Just giving back to the kids. They give us so much.”
Both groups sat together while eating, which some students said was humanizing for their educators.
“Having the Thanksgiving dinner, here, together, in that setting, y’know, not everybody gets that every year," said Dana Quenzer, the school's principal.
Prior to their meal, students made what the school calls "thankful chains," nearly 2,000 feet of paper clippings stapled together in the shape of a chain.
“To be playful is acceptable. Y’know, so much in high school, we’re thinking about our futures," said Rue Freeman, the advisor of the school's Interact Club which puts on the thankful chains event, “There’s a lot of giggling during this project. It’s all hands on deck.”
Students volunteer to distribute the chains to Red Lodge businesses at no cost, but many businesses opt to donate to the school during distribution.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity for the students to kind of get to know the community better and really connect with them," said Evelyn Ples, a Red Lodge junior.
