For Decades This Bridgewater School Has Come Together To Break Bread At Thanksgiving Feast

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bradley Gardens Elementary School's annual Thanksgiving Feast continues a long-running tradition that helps bring the school community together each year.

At the Bridgewater school, the event is organized by the Bradley Gardens School(BGS) PTO, which coordinates the catering and arranges dessert donations.

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"This event is a long-standing tradition at Bradley Gardens School where the entire school community gathers in the cafetorinaseum, as we have called it for years, for a full Thanksgiving dinner," Principal Barbara Binford said. "I have been here for 19 years and it was a tradition before I arrived, so while I can't speak to why or who started it, I can certainly speak to why it has lasted so long."

Students and staff gather in the school's "cafetorinaseum," where parents and volunteers serve a full Thanksgiving meal "with all the traditional Thanksgiving Day fixings, right down to the cranberry sauce!"

Before the meal begins, Binford said she asks those attending to "sit in gratitude and look around at the room, with table upon table decorated with a centerpiece handmade by our students."

She also said Bradley Gardens stands out within the district for hosting the event.

"It is absolutely true that we are the only school in the district that hosts an event like this, making us unique," Binford said.

For Binford, the tradition reflects the school's history and identity.

"There is a sense of FAMILY here that is woven into our history, and there is something special about gathering in that one space and being reminded of that," she said.

Binford said the feast gives the school a chance to reflect on shared values.

"The feast serves as a meaningful way for our school family to come together and reflect on the importance of gratitude, positivity, and kindness," she said. "If one tradition could capture the heart of who we are at Bradley Gardens, it would be our feast where we come together to celebrate, share, and break bread."

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