YOUNGSTOWN — Luis Sanchez enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, corn, green beans, mashed potatoes and a roll, but perhaps what will stay with him the longest is something that was not on the menu: a greater sense of connectivity.

“This is wonderful. When I was younger, we didn’t do this; it’s what the community needs nowadays,” said Sanchez, referring to the opportunity to spend extra time with his 5-year-old daughter, Micaela Bonilla-Sanchez, as well as other families, courtesy of the fourth annual Pre-Thanksgiving Family Feast at Harding Elementary School, 1903 Cordova Ave., on the North Side.

The underlying idea behind the two-hour series of meal gatherings in the cafeteria for students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight and their families was to make the family members feel more connected with the school, as well as to reach out to the larger community, Principal Teri Coward noted.

“Four years ago, we decided to bridge the gap with families and make them feel more welcome,” she explained. “Four years later, it keeps growing larger and larger. Kids and their families look forward to it each year.”

That assessment certainly is true for Micaela, who said she felt “safe and happy” to have her father join her for the meal.

“It’s a wonderful experience,” she added.

You could say the same for Ciara Feliciano, who was enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with two of her children, Isai Ocasio, 5, and Jesua Ocasio, 8, both of whom attend the school.

“It’s a good idea to share with the kids and spend time with the kids at school, and to share with the other parents, too,” said Feliciano, whose daughter, Daysha Feliciano, is a Harding Elementary fifth-grader.

The family intends to share Thanksgiving at the home of friends, in part because she has no immediate family in the area, Feliciano continued.

Rachel Canatsey, a kindergarten teacher, said she has incorporated in her lesson plans the importance of expressing gratitude for what one has as well as the people in one’s life. Those concepts might be abstract for her students, but she occasionally tells them to “stretch your brains” and try to consider and appreciate the things they can be thankful for.

Those can include everyday items that many people take for granted, such as beds to sleep in and clothing to wear, Canatsey explained.

Wednesday’s family-friendly feast also was another way to showcase efforts the city school district is making to further connect with parents and others, noted Justin Jennings, Youngstown City Schools’ chief executive officer.

“It’s a great opportunity to communicate and meet with our parents and have them come into our schools and see what we’re doing and to build on those relationships,” he said. “That connectivity can transition to what we want to do in the classrooms, and practices at home.”

For Luis Feliciano, the feast also conceptualized the notion of being thankful long after the last turkey has been eaten.

“To me, that’s what the season is all about. That’s how I grew up,” Sanchez said, adding that he plans to be with numerous family members for a feast Thanksgiving day.

Save-a-Lot in Youngstown, Giant Eagle in Boardman and Liberty, and Sparkle Market in Boardman donated the turkeys. Monetary contributions were from the F.D. Mason Memorial Funeral Home and the Junior Civic League.