Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School

Last Friday, Golding Middle School celebrated one of its most meaningful annual traditions: the Thanksgiving Feast, a student-led event made possible through the collaboration of the Academy Program and Speech and Language Program. What began more than 25 years ago as a small gathering within the Functional Skills Classroom—with support from Speech Therapist Wanda Ruenes—has evolved into a full-scale celebration that brings together staff from across the building.

This year’s feast was organized by Whitney Greene’s Academy Program, with the help of Ruth Casmus’s 6th Grade Academy students, and in close partnership with Wanda Ruenes, who has helped steward the event’s growth over the decades. According to Greene and Ruenes, students play a role in every step of the process. “Besides handling the email and invitation etiquette, the students are involved in every aspect of the event planning,” Greene explained. “They create the menu, generate shopping lists, inventory our supplies, use technology for shopping and preparation, and even design some of the decorations.”

A week before the event, students take a field trip to Walmart, where they shop independently for the ingredients needed for the meal. From there, they prepare the dishes, cook the food, set up the decorations, serve the staff, and handle clean-up afterward. “For many of them, this is their first experience cooking a big meal,” said Ruenes. “It’s always rewarding to see how they grow through the process.”

This year held extra significance as students harvested produce from their own garden—a project they began in the spring of the 2024–25 school year. They continued to tend the garden throughout the summer as part of the Extended School Year Program, ultimately using some of their crops in Friday’s meal. Beyond cooking and planning, the feast teaches students invaluable skills in communication, teamwork, organization, and community service. “What makes this experience so powerful is how it showcases the students’ academic growth, life skills, teamwork, and kindness,” Greene shared. “Through this project, they learned not only practical skills like cooking, budgeting, following recipes, and planning, but also valuable life lessons in collaboration and communication.”

For both Greene and Ruenes, the best part of the tradition is watching the students beam with pride as they welcome their teachers and staff to the feast. “What we enjoy most about the project is seeing how proud the kids are of all their hard work when they finally get to host their teachers and staff,” they shared. “It’s a reminder of the importance of hard work, community, and the joy of giving back.”

The Thanksgiving Feast continues to be a heartwarming reminder of what makes Golding Middle School special—students and educators working together to create something meaningful, memorable, and full of gratitude.

Check out all pictures from this year's feast on our Facebook page!