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Coulwood Middle School Provides a Holiday Senior Citizens Breakfast  

Over ten years ago the PTA and staff at Coulwood Middle School decided to provide a breakfast during the holidays for the senior citizens in the community. It was a way of saying thank you to what they have meant to this community. When it first began, some very familiar folks around Coulwood did the cooking in the school cafeteria. Some of those folks were Marilyn Killian, Wayne Laughter, teachers, coaches, and other staff. The principal at that time was Judy Phillips. A couple of years later Sherry Sigmon became principal. She loved what this event meant to the school and community and it grew bigger and bigger. Many others have been a vital part over the years like Reggie & Kathy King, Tommy & Linda Russell, Marty & Pam Crosby, Vicki Skipper, Cindy Windell, and so many others. It was well accepted by the community, students, and the staff of Coulwood Middle. It has become a regular event the first Saturday in December.
 

Each year invitations are sent out to the surrounding churches in the community. As the community has grown the church lists have grown too. We usually have over 200 guests.

For the first year we had a huge home-cooked breakfast including homemade pancakes and all the trimmings. Over the years the CMS rules changed about the use of the cafeteria so we hired the cafeteria staff to cook the meal for us.

After a year or so we began getting the students involved by holding a penny drive. The money they raised along with support from the PTA paid for this event. Later we started having "Hat Day" for students and "Jean Day" for teachers to raise money. Our fund-raisers have evolved as the years have gone by since as the breakfast grew bigger the cost grew as well.

Some great traditions have become common place at this event. The students make cards, placemats, and decorations. They decorate goodie bags for each senior adult to take home. Many students come out early on the cold, first Saturday each year. Many of the groups perform during the breakfast, the best holiday show around. They sing, dance, cheer, step, play instruments, etc. The football team, AVID, student council, and other groups serve as ambassadors and waiters.

Some of the traditions have remained constant since the beginning. There are always gifts, door prizes, and great things to take home for the holidays. For the past eleven years some of the P.E. students and their teachers, Hattie McBryde and Suzanne Black, dance to Mariah Carrey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You". Hattie McBryde and Suzanne Black have also served as the coordinators for the breakfast the past 9 years.

A couple of years ago Santa and Rudolph (Drama teacher, Ryan Collins and Spanish teacher, Tiffany Overcash) came on the scene. The senior citizens really enjoy their interaction with the audience.  There are no words to describe the time, dedication, and love put in to this by the students and staff. It has been said to be the highlight of many of the senior citizens' Christmas season.

This year the new principal, Bob Folk, decided that since it was a community event why not involve the businesses in our school community. Bi-Lo, Bojangles, Chick-Fil-A, McDonalds and Walmart donated breakfast items. The management from Bi-Lo came to prepared and served the continental style breakfast.

Mr. Folk wanted the students to be involved in the spirit of giving so he built a lesson around the book by Shel Silverstein, "The Giving Tree". The character trait taught was "Sharing is Caring". The students made origami ornaments out of holiday wrapping paper for each guest to take home to put on their tree.

As time goes on there will be more traditions started but one of the best parts is how rewarding it is to see how much the students mean to the senior citizens. But even more rewarding is what the charitable event means to these children.                                         Suzanne Black