Teachers, students and parents at J. Mason Tomlin Elementary School hosted their holiday dinner for Mantua seniors on Dec. 13.
Volunteers helped feed the guests at the event, coordinated and sponsored by Tatem’s student council. Its members also worked with the township to help promote the dinner.
“We’ve been doing it for over 20 years now,” said Special Education Teacher Lisa Schmidt. “We connected with the township and invited all the seniors to come. The student council … coordinated it, while the township got word out to the seniors by promoting it in the (township) newsletter. Our teachers also helped promote it through word of mouth.”
The township also helped provide bus transportation for seniors who needed it. Teacher and parent volunteers provided baked ziti, salads, rolls and desserts to the seniors, who numbered about 90.
“Many of our school’s teachers came to volunteer,” Schmidt noted. “They volunteered while teachers of other schools, Centre City and Sewell provided desserts,” she added, referring to the township’s two other elementary schools.
The festivities began at 4:30 p.m. with tables set up in the cafeteria and decorated with red and green tablecloths, the two colors most associated with Christmas. There were also holiday cards and ornaments.
For entertainment, the Tomlin elementary student choir and band performed Christmas music, while the student council interacted with the seniors.
“The student council spoke with the seniors, and they really enjoyed talking to them,” Schmidt reported. “Students also made cards for the seniors to read, and ornaments were made as well.
“I think it went very well,” she added. “A lot of people came to the event, and it looked like everyone was having a good time.”
“It was a delightful night filled with food, friends, and laughter, and we are beyond grateful this holiday season for the considerable turnout of the event,” read a Mantua Facebook post.
