APPLETON, WI (WTAQ)- It was a lunch to remember for one Appleton Elementary student.
McKinley Elementary School Principal Andrea Vinge found a fun way for Jene Sabrowski to see her son for the first time since being deployed in April.
Sabrowski dressed up as the school mascot Jaguar, and sat down with her son Jake at the lunch table.
“I showed up when he was at recess and then put on the outfit” she said. “I let him start eating while the principal scoped out where he was sitting.”
Vinge said when the school mascot Jaguar sat down at a lunch table, Jake was not sure what to think.
“He looked like he grabbed a friends snack and was going to give it to the Jaguar, and then all the sudden she took the head off, and it was just priceless.”
As emotional as it was for Jake, it was hard for Jene to keep her composure.
“It was so overwhelming to not know how it was going to be and then having him right in front of me.”
Vinge said she was happy to see all the support from other students and staff once they realized what was going on.
“His face really says it all and it could not be more priceless because he was really clueless” Vinge said. “They don’t know when they are coming home or even if they are coming home.”
Vinge says the plans were in place for quite a while.
Sabrowski said she was taken back by how much her son has grown since April.
The plan was for her to surprise both Jake and her stepson, who is also a student at the school. Sabrowski said her stepson was home sick that day. The family arranged a special greeting for him too.


