Cradlerock School is using the approaching Thanksgiving holiday to promote positive male role models and healthy lifestyles.
On Wednesday, the school hosted its annual Meals with Magnificent Men, a lunch that encourages interaction between fathers and their kindergarten children.
The lunch was not limited to fathers and was open to other family members. Central office personnel such as Steve Drummond, security coordinator for the county schools, also ate with the children.
"That was a way for them to connect with the kids," said Principal Jason McCoy.
In addition, 15 eighth-grade boys ate lunch with the kindergartners.
"That was a great sight to see," McCoy said about the participation of the eighth-graders.
Between the family members and the volunteers, each of the 80 kindergartners had someone with whom to eat.
The Thanksgiving meal featured turkey and "everyone was very pleased with the fixings," McCoy said. "The kids really loved it. The eighth-graders really loved it because they got to eat twice."
After the meal, the students gave their "magnificent man" a written thank-you note. Each kindergartner was given a book donated by Barnes & Noble.
The event is a collaboration between the school and the Judy Center, a program that encourages early childhood learning.
"We are trying to promote how important it is to be involved with their children and grandchildren," McCoy said. "Often we have the moms and the grandmothers volunteering. We want them [the men] to be involved in the development of their child."
In the spring, the school will host Games with Great Guys, during which male family members and mentors participate in field-day activities with kindergartners.
"We hope that after this they will continue to come in," McCoy said. "These two events are a very inviting way for them to come in and enrich the lives of the kindergartners."
Two weeks ago, the school held its third Turkey Trot, a one-mile race in which students and staff members, run, walk and limp to complete the course.
The Columbia chapter of the Continental Society purchased gift cards for the first- and second-place male and female winners at each grade level. Third-place finishers received a bag with the school's name on it. Smoothie King of Columbia also helped to sponsor the event.
In the past, the school gave the first-place winners a turkey and second-place finishers a pie. The school abandoned that practice because it became too difficult to refrigerate the food.
