PILGRIMS AND INDIANS TURN UP IN SCOTT CITY

SCOTT CITY -- Although this tribe of Indians didn't greet the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock and most of these Pilgrims didn't face the challenges of building a colony in New England, they all have plenty of things to be thankful for this year -- their families and food ranked high in the list.

Before enjoying a Thanksgiving feast Wednesday, the kindergarten classes at Scott City Elementary School recited a poem as their holiday prayer.

"Thank you for the world so sweet. Thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds that sing. Thank you God for everything," the students in Becky Petitt's class said in unison.

In all, 76 kindergarten students feasted on vegetable soup and cornbread during the annual Thanksgiving party Wednesday. The feast has been a tradition at the school for 28 years.

"It has changed tremendously," said teacher Sally Eaker. "The first year we had apples, popcorn and bananas."

In other years, each student brought a fruit or vegetable to the party. But Eaker wanted to find food that took less preparation. So now the students eat vegetable soup and cornbread.

"There are only a few that won't at least taste it," she said, adding that the soup is made from her own recipe.

The classes also planted corn and made butter with the help of a student aide prior to the feast.

To make the atmosphere more festive, each student was asked to dress like a Pilgrim or Indian. Some wore vests or headbands made from brown paper sacks.

"We always have more Indians than Pilgrims," said Eaker, who was dressed in Pilgrim's clothing.

But some parents are very creative with the costumes. Some costumes get passed down to younger brothers and sisters, Petitt added.

Brandy Evans, 6, wore an Indian headdress she made at school with her costume, but William Salzman's mother had to make another construction-paper headband after his original one was destroyed by siblings.

To help prepare the students for the feast, Eaker and Petitt have been teaching about the Pilgrims and their voyage to America.

Much of the information is simplified because it's too difficult for them to understand, Petitt said.

"I tell them to compare how long they've been in school to how long they were on a boat," she said.