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Episode 13: Second Grade Secrets to Making the Perfect Turkey

It is time for Thanksgiving, good food and giving thanks. On this episode of the Supercast, elementary school students share their thoughts on the holiday and tell us how to cook the perfect turkey with all the trimmings.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Supercast!


Audio Transcription

Superintendent:
Welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. Today we are talking turkey and giving. Thanks on this Thanksgiving Day episode. Fourth and fifth grade students at Hayden Peak Elementary school talk about what they're thankful for, from family and friends to teachers and talk. But first we head out to Fox Hollow Elementary where second grade students share their thoughts on preparing the perfect Thanksgiving meal, including cooking what could be the biggest turkey of all time. Tell me your name. What's your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Student:
Turkey.

Superintendent:
Turkey. How long does it take to cook a turkey? What do you think?

Student:
Maybe 10 minutes, 30 seconds.

Superintendent:
What if you only cook at 10 minutes and not the 30 seconds? What do you think with him?

Student:
It would maybe be raw.

Superintendent:
Yeah. I'm not a chef. I don't cook things. I eat a lot more than I cook, so I'm not really sure how to cook all this stuff. What other foods does your family have at Thanksgiving?

Student:
Mashed Potatoes.

Superintendent:
Mashed potatoes. I hope they have gravy. Sorry. Put the pressure on. Your whole class is watching to see what type of gravy you like.

Teacher:
I like the Brown. You like the white?

Superintendent:
Okay. All right. Let's talk gravy folks. That's a very comfortable topic for me. You like the Brown? Tell me your name and what's your favorite food of Thanksgiving?  Is it the turkey?

Student:
I like the turkey.

Superintendent:
Do you like the white meat or the dark meat?

Student:
Dark, dark meat. Brown gravy. What else do you like?

Student:
The mashed potatoes and the pumpkin.

Superintendent:
Potatoes. You feel like you eat more on Thanksgiving day than on other days? I do too. How long do you think it takes to cook a turkey?

Student:
30 seconds.

Superintendent:
30 seconds. Do you cook it in the microwave or the oven?

Student:
The oven.

Superintendent:
So 30 seconds in the oven. How hot do you think the oven needs to be?

Student:
Super hot.

Superintendent:
Super hot. Is that a setting on the oven or do you think you just turn it up pretty high?

Student:
Just think you turn it up super high. If it's glowing red inside and it's hard to get close to it, then it's hot enough.

Superintendent:
Yeah. Okay. Thanks. We're getting a lot of good advice here. I think listeners, you ought to try this advice because until you've tried it, how do you know? How do you know whether it works or not? Alright, let's talk with you over here at this table. Do you like Thanksgiving?

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
What do you like about Thanksgiving?

Student:
Probably spending time with my family.

Superintendent:
Do you watch sports at all?

Student:
Mm, my brother tell me that I have to.

Superintendent:
Oh, they tell you that you have to watch sports.

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
You don't necessarily want to. You don't like to watch sports either.

Student:
Nope. Not on Thanksgiving? Nope.

Superintendent:
Did they watch Thanksgiving sports at your house?

Student:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
What sport did they want?

Student:
Um, I forgot, but they do watch sports.

Superintendent:
And you don't like to, so what do you do instead?

Student:
Go downstairs and play.

Superintendent:
How many pounds do you think that turkey is?

Student:
2 million

Superintendent:
2 million pounds. Does that include stuffing or is that without the stuffing?

Student:
Without the stuffing?

Superintendent:
Whoa, that's just another reason not to cook this stuffing in the turkey. Over 2 million pounds may be too much for the oven. Um, how long do you cook a turkey?

Student:
Three hours.

Superintendent:
Three hours for 2 million pounds. Okay. And what temperature?

Student:
900 degrees.

Superintendent:
900 degrees. 2 million pounds. Three hours. Okay. Are listening at home? I'm hope you're taking notes because Chalice knows what's up. How many people would that feed, the whole earth? The generosity that Chalise showing right now, she wants to feed the whole earth with a 2 million pound turkey. It's truly inspiring. It's inspiring. What does Thanksgiving look like for you?

Student:
Um, it's really fun.

Superintendent:
What makes it fun? Besides 2 million pounds of turkey meat.

Student:
Watching Aggies football.

Superintendent:
Watching Aggies football on Thanksgiving. Do you  cheer for the Aggies all the time?

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
Are you required to, or do you just come by this naturally?

Student:
They were a favorite team.

Superintendent:
Okay. I respect that. Braden. What do you like about Thanksgiving? Turkey?

Student:
Turkey. What else?

Superintendent:
Turkey. So you like Turkey and Turkey. And what else?  It's a good thing because the challenge is over. There is 2 million pounds of turkey meat he is trying to get rid of. Wow. Anybody like cranberries? Okay. You do not like cranberries. What do you dislike about cranberries? What did they do to you?

Student:
I hate them now.

Superintendent:
See, not liking cranberries is different from hating them. Did you have a bad experience in your childhood? You just have decided you hate them?

Student:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
Have you ever tried them?

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
You did try them. And what do they taste like?

Student:
Uh, I don't know. Really too much.

Superintendent:
They just taste like unhappiness. Where do cranberries come from?

Student:
I don't know.

Superintendent:
You just wish they'd go back.

Student:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
Alright. Fair enough. Who eats the most in your family at Thanksgiving?

Student:
My grandpa.

Superintendent:
Your grandpa does. Okay. Do you think your grandpa realizes he's the one who eats the most?

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
Is he proud of it? Does he kind of tell everyone he's going to eat more than everyone else?

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
Okay. Here's the big question. After he eats more than everyone else, does he then fall asleep on the couch?

Student:
Yes.

Superintendent:
Okay. Do you know what? He sounds like a lot of grandpas out there. When you're not playing and having fun, how do you help at Thanksgiving?

Student:
I clean up.

Superintendent:
You clean up? Wow. That's impressive. What do you do to help?

Student:
Clean up.

Superintendent:
Okay.

Student:
I take out the trash.

Superintendent:
Is that only at Thanksgiving or do you do that all the time?

Student:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
I see, all the time. Wow. That's really cool. Uh, that is going to be necessary after we serve 2 million pounds of turkey. There's going to be a lot of cleanup and garbage. So you guys make a good team. Some of you know how to cook. Some of you are ready to clean up. And that's awesome. What do you think is in stuffing?

Student::
Um, I don't know.

Superintendent:
I don't know either.

Student:
These little things that feel like mashed potatoes.

Superintendent:
What else? Who else has an idea? Brayden? What do you think is in stuffing? Well, some of the stuffing I've had has not been very tasty. And where do you think is in stuffing?

Student:
Bread?

Superintendent:
Yes, it is. There is bread in stuffing. There's a lot of other stuff I don't know about, but well done. Oh and celery. Wow. And what else?

Student:
Bread and celery and carrots and carrots and love.

Superintendent:
Donny what's in stuffing, a million hearts, 2 million pounds of turkey. It's a beautiful thing.

Student:
Um, like, so bread, celery, carrots, broccoli.

Superintendent:
Wow. It sounds very good for you. Maybe we should all eat some more stuffing. Okay. Thank you very much for letting me come in and talk with you guys. We'll take a quick break and we'll be back to speak with students from Hayden Peak Elementary about Thanksgiving.

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Superintendent:
Welcome back. We're here with students at Hayden Peak Elementary talking about what they're thankful for. What's your name?

Student:
My name's Shannon.

Superintendent:
And what are you thankful for around Thanksgiving time?

Student:
I'm really thankful for my family and my friends and a lot of people.

Superintendent:
A lot of people. That's a good thing to be thankful for. Who else are you thankful for?

Student:
I'm also thankful for my teachers and policemen and firefighters and people who serve our country.

Student:
My name is Cody and I am thankful for the U S military and how they served us and some have given their lives. And I'm thankful for my family and what they've provided for me, my family and the things they do for me.

Student:
I'm Kona. And I'm thankful for school.

Superintendent:
What do you like about school?

Student::
Um, I can learn. I'm thankful for the food that I have, the activities I get to do.

Superintendent:
What are some of your favorite activity?

Student:
Um, piano. Ventriloquism. Soccer?

Superintendent:
Yeah. No ventriloquism and soccer. That's a lot of things to do all at once.

Student:
Not all at once. All.

Superintendent:
Okay. Not all at once. You're learning ventriloquism, huh?

Student:
Yeah.

Superintendent:
And do you have a ventriloquism dummy?

Student:
Not dummy.

Superintendent:
What are they called? I'm sorry. Is that not the proper terms?

Student:
Call it the puppet.

Superintendent:
I'm sorry. Miles, what are you thankful for?

Student:
My family, my friends and the policemen, firefighters and the army.

Superintendent:
All right. Tell me your name.

Student:
My name's Louie.

Superintendent:
Louie. What are you thankful for?

Student:
For my parents and how I can be here and do this podcast.

Superintendent:
I'm grateful that you're here doing the podcast as well. Uh, tell me a little bit about your parents. What do they do for you?

Student:
Um, they let me go to school and learn and play sports. I like to do the sports. I like to play football and basketball.

Superintendent:
What position do you like to play in football?

Student:
Safety.

Superintendent:
Safety. And what is the safety?

Student:
Good. He's the last defender. And he asked them to take all the tackles and watch all the packs.

Superintendent:
I'm gonna call you the last defender. I kind of liked that phrase, the last defendant. Okay. Well, good luck. I'm glad your parents are so supportive of that. That's awesome. Ellie, what are some things you're thankful for Thanksgiving?

Student:
I'm thankful for my family and for my clothes.

Superintendent:
Okay, awesome. What are you grateful for?

Student:
My family and everybody that I can trust, my family, my friends, um, my teachers, Mrs. Fisher. The food that my parents provide and the home, the house over my head. And I'm thankful for my food.

Superintendent:
Good work. We had a lot of fun with students at Fox Hollow and Hayden Peak Elementary Schools who shared their thoughts on Thanksgiving and secrets to a successful turkey dinner. Don't try this at home in Jordan School District. We're thankful every day for the opportunity to educate students and help them find success in life. From all of us at the Supercast, Happy Thanksgiving. And remember, education is the most important thing you will do today. Happy Thanksgiving.