April 19, 2000
Bertha Vos school students make lunch for their parents
By Justin Trapp
Herald staff writer
Many parents watch their children making messes, acting up, or just generally creating havoc at various points in their lives. These are also the same children that make parents cards in school, hug them, kiss them, and love them as they can love no one else. This year is no exception, and students at Bertha Vos Elementary School can prove it.
They made their parents lunch.
Bertha Vos sixth-grade students, working with the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa through Partners in Education, helped prepare their parents a fantastic lunch at the Trillium Restaurant last Friday.
Now in its third year, the Resort's bell, wait, culinary and stewarding staffs help introduce students to the "hospitality arena," noted Rob Philip, Human Resources Director of the Resort.
More than 30 sixth-graders were ferried from their school by the resort and arrived at 10 a.m. to help prepare their parents' meals. Students were fed a chicken entree with greens, rice, a roll, and dessert at 11 a.m., then went back to work. After setting up tables, helping prepare and plate the food, serving their parents and bussing tables, the happy crew was sent back to their school.
This isn't to say that sixth- grade students were the only ones working on the project. Kindergartners through fifth- graders all worked behind the scenes to make the event a success.
Kindergartners and first-graders created place mats and table treats; second-graders created the invitations; third-graders created the menu; and fourth and fifth-graders dealt with purchasing and cost of the food.
Vern Wolfgram and Kristin Sak, teachers at Bertha Vos, worked in conjunction with the school principal and Resort staff for over a month, laying the groundwork for the luncheon.
"Today comes to a head and they're just excited about the opportunity," said Wolfgram of the students' reactions to the luncheon.