DISHING UP HISTORICAL LESSONS; SIMI SCHOOL HOLDS FEAST DAY TO LEARN ABOUT THANKSGIVING.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

Gathered around cafeteria tables before their bountiful plates, the young Pilgrims and American Indians at Knolls Elementary School celebrated an early Thanksgiving feast Tuesday.

Dressed in buckled top hats, Pilgrim bonnets and feathered headbands crafted from construction paper, more than 500 students lunched on turkey and cranberries, mashed potatoes slathered in gravy and buttery golden corn on the school's 10th annual Feast Day.

At one table, 7-year-old Chris Solcon negotiated a heap of Jell-O onto his spoon as he contemplated the meaning of Thanksgiving.

``It's about people sharing and being nice to each other,'' the second-grader said.

``And it's about Jell-O and corn and turkey,'' he said.

The school's annual Feast Day festivities actually started more than 25 years ago when second-grade teacher Alidon Robbins served a Thanksgiving lunch for her pupils. About 10 years ago, Robbins enlisted the help of colleagues and parents in making it a schoolwide event.

``It's grown so much over the years. I enjoy it - seeing the parents every year and seeing the kids celebrate Thanksgiving at school with their friends,'' said Robbins, monitoring the cafeteria ovens as she kept plates of mashed potatoes warm through the morning.

For most kids, the event follows several weeks of history lessons looking at the nation's Founding Fathers, American Indian culture and, of course, the significance of Thanksgiving Day.

``Did you know that a lot of people didn't know about corn. The American Indians were the first to discover corn,'' said 8-year-old Alex Mendoza, a third-grade student who ate the late-morning lunch with friends Tuesday.

Simi Valley's new superintendent of schools, Dan Flynn, took the occasion of Feast Day to visit Knolls Elementary for the first time.

``This seemed like the perfect opportunity,'' he said, sitting at a table at the center of the cafeteria. ``These kinds of programs are models. They establish a tradition and culture in the school that brings richness and fullness to the campus and the community.''

With about $500 in donations from parents and area companies, the more than 50 parent-volunteers dedicated to the annual feast manage to cook up enough not only to feed the school children but also to help St. Peter Claver Church serve dinner for area residents in need days before Thanksgiving.

For the past 10 years, Suzi and John Whitlock have reserved the Tuesday before Thanksgiving for the feast at Knolls Elementary and the Tuesday night dinner at the church.

``I take the day off from work every year. My boss knows,'' said Suzi Whitlock, who has continued to participate even after her two sons graduated from the elementary school.

``I love helping out,'' said Whitlock, who served golden kernels of corn in heaping spoonfuls to wide-eyed pupils Tuesday. ``This is a time of friendship and love and sharing.''

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--color) Parent-volunteers Judy Allen and Bobby Hall pass out whipped cream and pumpkin pie at Knolls Elementary School's Feast Day.

(2--color) First- and second-graders dressed as Pilgrims and American Indians sing during festivities in Simi Valley on Tuesday.

Phil McCarten/Daily News