Carpinteria Family School prepared for Thanksgiving Break with its annual Harvest Festival on Nov. 20. Students all contributed a vegetable for a community pot of stone soup, and heard a telling of the folk story “Stone Soup,” which teaches the values of sharing and togetherness. Students also churned their own butter, played ukulele and heard the school’s resident scare crow, Rick Sharp, strum his banjo, all before dining on the fruits of their labor, stone soup.

“We all look forward to this fall tradition every school year,” said Jan Silk, second and third grade teacher. “Students love the hands-on activities and that their one vegetable becomes an ingredient in soup for everyone.”