While some students in the Cambridge Public Schools and across the state of Massachusetts, participate in a Turkey Trot run for charity in November, the Morse School has a tradition of its own. Morse School Children read books and purchase a Tom Turkey tail feather for charity! This tradition began as an idea for a story about a turkey that lost his tail feathers and then asked the children to help him get them back by reading books. This story was actually written and illustrated by Mrs. Van Stry, one of our Kindergarten paraprofessionals. In 1996, the first whole school charity drive to read books and purchase tail feathers during the month of November began resulting in the first Tom Turkey getting 316 tail feathers.
Since then, having “Tom Turkey” in the front lobby for the month of November has become an annual tradition! It is quite impossible to miss the huge paper and felt turkey with his colorful tail feathers. Each of these feathers has the name of a student and the title of a book that they read written on it. It is a commitment on the part of the child to read the book and then purchase the feather for one quarter. It is very exciting to watch the tail feathers grow and grow becoming an exciting display of the generosity of the Morse School students and families.
2017 marks the 21st year that students at the Morse School have been reading for charity. This year Tom Turkey has 1,528 tail feathers and the donation amounted to $390.00. The charity that was chosen by the school this year was the American Red Cross Hurricane relief fund, specifically relief from the devastation of hurricanes Irma & Maria in Puerto Rico. Morse School students care! Tom Turkey will return next November, until then...Keep turning those book pages!