Over 300 families attend Bellflower school's 'Turkey Night'

Thomas Jefferson Elementary students and siblings helped serve during the school’s inaugural TJ Turkey Night. More than 100 parents and students completed crafts and 327 community members dined on a full Thanksgiving meal during the Nov. 16 event.

BELLFLOWER – Bellflower Unified’s Thomas Jefferson Elementary School drew 327 family and community members to its first-ever TJ Turkey Night on Nov. 16, part of a program of monthly engagement events designed to strengthen family connections with school programs.

The event featured a full turkey dinner served at cost ($5 a plate), crafts and student performances. More than 100 students and parents completed crafts and four turkeys and six pies were given out as part of opportunity drawings.

“Our Turkey Night was a major success,” Principal Tiffany Dominguez said. “Everyone had a wonderful time, we had a chance to engage with our families and there was plenty of delicious food for all.”

Dominguez said Thomas Jefferson launched the monthly family programs in 2015-16 to create a stronger sense of community with parents. Other events include Bingo for Books, in which families play bingo to win books; Star-Gazing Night, hosted by astronomers; and Family Clay Night, in which students and parents decorate clay holiday ornaments fired in Jefferson’s kiln.

The student Turkey Night performances were recorded and projected onto a large screen for families to watch as they ate. Families were also encouraged to bring canned goods with them to donate to a local charity, Dominguez said.