There’s Honey in the Rock
Guest blog from Dawn, LS Assistant Principal–
There’s Honey in the Rock
There’s honey in the rock for everybody’s children
Honey in the rock, honey in the rock
There’s honey in the rock for everybody’s children
Feed every child on earth
In the past few weeks as I have walked past the lower school music room I have heard several classes singing this Sweet Honey in the Rock song in preparation for our Thanksgiving Assembly. Continuing down the hallway I am beginning to smell the delicious breads that each class will bake for an LREI tradition-one loaf to be given away to the St. John’s Food Pantry and one loaf to be shared with each other (each class eats a sampling of breads we have all made).
Developing children who choose to be involved in service to their community is an important element of the mission of LREI. In lower school it is important for children to have hands- on experiences in which they see the fruits of their labors and have an opportunity to experience first hand the programs and projects they are supporting. With that in mind, both second grade classes recently took field trips to the St. John’s Food Pantry.
- Click here to view the slideshow of Colleen’s Field Trip.
LREI has had a longstanding relationship with the pantry. In fact, as the second graders arrived, a seventh grade class from LREI was just leaving, having finished their assigned job at the pantry. The pantry, serving residents from 14th Street to 59th Street, distributes bags of groceries to approximately 700 people each Wednesday. In the last few years Lower School children have participated in food drives, yet most had never visited the pantry so they did not have a clear sense of where the food was going. So this month, each second grade class had the opportunity to hear about the work of the pantry, to pack some bags of food that would be distributed the next day, and to ask questions about the program. By far the most popular part of the visit was the work they did. One class bagged oranges (100 bags in all) and the other bagged cereal. The energy and excitement around this work was abundant, proving the intrinsic need of seven and eight – year olds to feel productive and helpful.
- Click here to view the slideshow of Tasha’s Field Trip
When asked what surprised them most about the food pantry, children responded with various comments:
“You have to live in a certain area to use the pantry, and you can’t be homeless.”
“They are only open on Wednesdays, and the food only lasts two days. What do they do on the other days?”
“It was in a church; I have only been to a synagogue.”
“Different families get different amounts of food, according to how many people there are. They get different colored tickets to show how much food they can get.”
The visit to the pantry is the kick off event for Second Grade as they lead the Thanksgiving food drive at LREI. All Lower School students are invited to bring a canned or boxed food to the assembly on Wednesday, November 25th, and all the food will be taken to the pantry the following week. Please see the attached list of requested items here. Just a friendly reminder that we cannot accept any nuts or seeds, glass jars, or food that is beyond its expiration date.
Wishing you a peaceful and relaxing Thanksgiving Break with the people you love. My house will be filled with three young adults returning home for the first time after starting new adventures. Finally, a family to cook for again!
Best Wishes,
Dawn