Everybody had a chance to participate, but student taste reviews varied. Some sour, some sweet. On Thursday, students from Mark Swartzfager's fifth-grade class took turns pushing apples through an antique apple press making a traditional seasonal beverage.
Two students fed the apples into the grinder box of the press while another turned the grinder wheel and handle, moving the apples through to the round wooden canister in pieces, where they waited to be pressed. Once the canister was filled, Mr. S attached the wooden plunger disk and a large lever. Students took turns pushing the lever around, sending the wooden plunger into the canister, releasing the cider into stainless steel bowls. 
The more they pushed, the harder it got. 
Anthony was one of the students who took his turn after the apples had been quite pressed – but not completely. It was getting a bit tough to continue, when all his classmates started chanting his name. He took a few more turns before handing it off to another student.
Anthony said he liked the cider his class made from fresh apples. Some of his fellow students strongly disagreed. "No, it was not worth it!" one exclaimed. 
"It's good when you first sip, but the after taste is …," Santana said. "The aftertaste is the best part!" another student said, giving the cider four stars.Another classmate liked it, but wished they had washed the apples first. Emma said it was too sweet, "way too sweet." 
Each year, fifth-grade students get a chance to work an old cider press, which was assembled in the '80s by Dennis Eberly. Mr. Eberly taught fourth- and fifth-graders at Henry Hill Elementary School from 1966 to 1998. Every fall since, fifth-graders in Central School District have had the honor of cranking the press and tasting fresh cider.
Mr. S said he taught his class about the machine, including the dangers of it, namely the part that chops the apples up before they end up in the press. He also included lessons on the difference between cider and juice.
Cider is natural, with no sugar added and no preservatives. "Cider has a more robust, earthier taste with a more opaque hue," he said. Juice has been filtered, and has added sugar and preservatives. It is also usually pasteurized so it will stay fresh on the grocery shelves longer.
Mr. S said there are about 7,500 varieties of apples which can be grown almost anywhere in the world, except Antarctica. 
Mr. S said he is honored to continue the tradition of students making cider."I have been a teacher for 17 years," he said. "I have used this press every single fall, even in that COVID year."