NEDERLAND — Nederland Middle-Senior High School brought its faculty and students together for its annual Harvest Feast event on Friday, November 21.

Students from 6th through 12th grade, plus teachers, administrators, and community volunteers, gathered in the cafeteria during a rolling lunch hour to enjoy a Thanksgiving lunch made by the students and staff.

The school has hosted the Harvest Feast event for over a decade, inviting community members—including senior citizens and members of the fire and police departments—to celebrate before the students’ Thanksgiving break.

For the school, the feast serves as one of the most connective events of the year. Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Sean DePaula recognizes that unique connection.

“What’s really different is when you sit in the cafeteria at lunchtime, you get to see all the kids enjoying and talking to each other," DePaula said. "It brings a certain level of elegance to what’s going on.”

The event also emphasizes community not just in the school, but in the town of Nederland as a whole. With the small community, events like the Harvest Feast allow residents to come together and celebrate as a town.

In particular, students look forward to the event every year, with the culmination of the feast itself serving as a way to build excitement before the week-long Thanksgiving break for students and staff.

For the school, it’s become a widely loved tradition, one that builds community in the school like no other.