Students and staff at Rome Free Academy were provided with an extra bit of sweetness during the holiday season, thanks to the creativity of students Aiden Chapple, Seth Briggs, and Emma Snyder.
Chapple and Briggs, current students in Mrs. Tammy Fanning’s Education Support class, and Snyder, a former student of the class, teamed up to plan, organize, and prepare both a “Friendsgiving” celebration and a Christmas party at RFA ahead of each respective holiday break. The trio worked together to create the event invitations and menus, set up their classroom to give it a look and feel of a restaurant, and prepare and serve meals to their invited guests from classes and offices around the school.
Meals for each gathering were served in courses, with various snacks, sweets, and drinks to choose from in addition to the prepared main meal of made-to-order pancakes. Guests were also asked to complete rating cards to help provide Chapple, Briggs, and Snyder with feedback that will be used for assessment and planning of similar events in the future.
The events, which were both held during ninth period, were a hit, with numerous guests leaving five-star ratings and one comment in particular sharing that they “felt like a queen at a fancy restaurant.”
"The collaboration, creativity, and compromise that has been seen through the preparation for the Friendsgiving and Christmas Party events is amazing,” Fanning said. “Then to see not only Seth, Aiden, and Emma get excited, but the students who attended say the room looked like a restaurant and express their appreciation warms my heart.”
Chapple, Briggs, and Snyder were inspired to carry out this event planning initiative as they focus on building career and job-ready skills in class. In addition to planning and preparation, Chapple was the head chef and Briggs served as a greeter and DJ for both events, while Snyder served as a waitress for the Christmas Party—roles that each student thrived in.
"I really enjoyed being the chef because I got to cook and I really like cooking,” Chapple said, with Briggs also remarking that he “enjoyed speaking to the guests and entertaining my friends.”
In addition to the enjoyment and experience gained, all three students also noted that they learned valuable lessons along the way, especially the importance of preparing a budget.
“Planning a budget is very important so you know what you can afford and how much you need to buy, and if you have sales or coupons that can help you save money,” Snyder said.
Other students were inspired to assist as well, with Ar Rhianna Moore volunteering to help serve meals during the Friendsgiving event while also being a guest along with her Algebra Yr 1 classmates.
“I am so proud of the work that has been done by our students so far this year,” Fanning said. “I can't wait to see what they come up with next!”
(To view more photos from the events, please visit our Facebook or Instagram channels.)
