The Cataline Elementary School gymnasium was packed with parents and relatives and all types and shapes of pies this month as the school celebrated a Thanksgiving activity called Poems and Pies.
In a year of transition, this event helped to build relationships in the school community while fostering a sense of belonging, says Karla Meger the primary teacher who organized the event.
Meger, like many other students and teachers, is making the transition to a new school from Kwaleen Elementary School which closed this year, along with Glendale Elementary School.
“So many pies were donated that students were able to continue the Thanksgiving celebrations the next day,” Meger says.
Apple, blueberry, strawberry, coconut, plus lemon meringue squares, cupcakes, cookies and every kind of neat thing people could pride themselves on were laid out on seven tables for the students, staff and visitors to enjoy, Meger says. “One lady made a sweet potato pie and it was so-ooo good,” Meger says.
In addition to enjoying the treats, each participating class presented a poem or song.
“Every poem can be made into a song,” Meger says. “You just have to find the right tune.”
The poems were all around the fall or Thanksgiving theme, Meger says.
“One class did their presentation around the environment.”
Meger says the Poems and Pies event was a tradition started two years ago at the former Kwaleen Elementary School, which she is hoping will become a new tradition at Cataline Elementary School where she is now teaching primary students. “It created a beautiful sense of community and brought everyone together,” Meger says.
Not all classes were able to participate as they had other field trips and things on the go with the short notice given for the event, Meger says.
But given the timing she is very pleased with this first event, Thursday, Oct. 10 which drew 10 participating primary and intermediate classes.
She says the Poems and Pies event was so well received at Cataline elementary that it will definitely happen again. Meger teaches the kindergarten/grades 1/2 split class in Cataline’s balanced calendar program.