Video of Chester 5th graders getting fine dining lesson goes viral

CHESTER, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A classroom of 5th graders in Chester got schooled in etiquette and a lesson in fine dining this week.

But it's the bigger message that is going viral and has hearts melting.

"A lot of my scholars have never been to a five-star restaurant before and it's very important that we show them now, and that they're worthy of being at a five-star restaurant," said Patrice Lamar-Bey, a 5th-grade teacher at Chester Community Charter School.

The video is approaching half a million views on TikTok.

From the ambiance to the music to the waiter and catered food, students at the school got a hands-on tutorial on how to make a reservation and dine at a restaurant, including which fork to use, etiquette when ordering, and noise level at the table.

Caesar salad, baked or fried chicken, string beans and mac and cheese were all on the menu. There was an assortment of sweets for dessert.

For many students, this was their first fine dining experience.

"You can bring real-life experiences to the classroom, make your children feel worthy of things they may not see at home or in their neighborhood," said Lamar-Bey.