It’s Webster’s Corners’ secret ingredient for creating a tight-knit school community.
On October 29, the Maple Ridge elementary school served up its Stone Soup meal, an annual tradition that brings together the entire Webster’s community. 
Each classroom from Kindergarten to Grade 7 was responsible for bringing different ingredients and preparing a portion of the meal and then adding them to a communal pot.
Teachers and educational assistants led the students in the meal preparation, and the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) pitched in by helping to cook and serve lunch.
The entire school community gathered inside the gymnasium and sat down to share the meal together.
“The Stone Soup meal brings our school community together, and is a concrete way for our students to see how everyone, working together side-by-side, can create something meaningful,” says principal Ramin Mehrassa, who read the book Stone Soup during the gathering.
Four years ago, Mehrassa and teachers at Webster’s introduced a school-wide program called PEAK that emphasizes kindness, a caring community, leadership and service to others.
“As part of our PEAK program, we established an annual tradition of sharing a communal Stone Soup meal,” he says. “It’s a wonderful way for us to celebrate our school community, and it helps us to then branch out into other community service-oriented activities.”
Webster’s students are involved in several activities focused on giving back to the community, including creating care packages for the homeless, collecting supplies for the SPCA, intermediate students volunteering at the Salvation Army kitchen, school-wide shoreline cleanup, adopting endangered species, and building a school garden – to name a few.
