Capital Region BOCES staff members at Farnsworth Middle School in Guilderland are making their way into the hearts of their deaf and hard of hearing students with a wholesome Thanksgiving meal.

Staff at the school made all the food.

Students, teachers, teaching assistants, social workers, speech pathologists, and interpreters joined up for a special Thanksgiving feast to spark joy and foster community and connectedness.

“It started at the elementary school maybe 20 years ago, and when I moved here, I thought it was a great idea to bring it here,” said Cara Wolff, one of their teachers. “We thought Thanksgiving is celebrated by most people, whereas other winter holidays are celebrated only by some, and a lot of our students may not have the opportunity to eat some traditional Thanksgiving food.”

There was a design, the turkey contest to showcase the students’ artwork. Kids got to vote on them and the winner got a coupon for free Stewart’s Ice Cream.