Students give thanks for blessings

SANDPOINT — From the simple — family, friends and pets — to the profound — life and kindness — the list of things for which Sandpoint Waldorf students are thankful is a long and varied one.

In a time when so much attention is paid to Black Friday ads, shopping and bargains, Thanksgiving can be glossed over in the rush to Christmas.

Not so for students at Sandpoint Waldorf. For them, it’s about pets, family, and school. Or maybe it’s friends, the chance to learn, and having enough to eat and a place to call home. Or perhaps the ability to go skiing and play soccer or get into a snowball fight with friends on a crisp winter day.

Memories, especially those connected to a holiday dedicated to giving thanks, centered around those simple, basic things when it came time for students at Sandpoint Waldorf School to select their favorite Thanksgiving memories and things for which they are the most thankful.

For first-grander Neva, it’s her pet cats, “Chester” and “Blue” as well as her teacher, Ms. Shaffer, and school for helping her learn for which she is most thankful. For third-grader Della, she is thankful for her parents, who love her, and her brother, with whom she gets to play.

Family, friends and spending time with both topped the lists of many students — sometimes alone and sometimes in combination with favorite sports and activities, such as the list composed by third-grader Oliver, who cited his new skis and skiing at Schweitzer Mountain as well as his friends and family.

Others thanks were more profound and heart-felt, such as those by sisters Leah and Sara — both simply said they were thankful that Sara is a cancer survivor.

“I am thankful that my sister didn’t die of a kind of cancer,” said Leah, a fifth-grader.

“I’m thankful for the roof above me, my parents who love me and that my mom and I didn’t die from cancer,” said Sara, who is in the eighth grade.

As students at Sandpoint Waldorf School prepared for Thanksgiving, they took time to reflect on the many things in their lives for which they are thankful. We are happy to share them once again with you.

Grade 1

Anna Lucia — “I am thankful for a house to live in and clothes to wear and food to eat.”

Berkeley — “I am thankful for the whole school (SWS).”

Ethan — “I am thankful for balloons.”

Gavin — “My parents and my dog.”

Jadon — “I am thankful for candy.”

Katelyn — “My dog and my mom and my dad and my brother.”

Katya — “I am thankful for Christmas and Halloween.”

Mya — “I am thankful for this wonderful world.”

Neva — “Chester, which is my cat and Blue, which is also my cat and my dog that I used to have. And I have one more thing to add: this school (SWS), which helps me learn things and Ms. Shaffer.”

Nevhye — “I am thankful for people when they are born.”

Sadie — “The world and for food and there is one more thing … Ms. Shaffer.”

Terra — “Sun, water.”

Grade 2

Silas — “I am thankful for dogs. I am thankful for friends and trees and fish.”

Violett — “I am thankful to the Earth that gives everything life.”

Owen — “I am thankful that I get to be on this Earth. I am thankful for food because some people in other countries don’t even have any food.”

Priya — “I am thankful for the Earth and the animals.”

Ben — “I am thankful for the homes that keep us warm and the food and water that keep us alive.”

Josie — “I am thankful for my family.”

Meghan — “I am thankful for my family, my house, water and food.”

Maile — “I am thankful for my family.”

Sam — “I am thankful for the animals.”

Lark — “I am thankful that my cat got better after she was very sick and that my dog got better after he was really hurt.”

Will — “I am thankful for the teachers that help me find my special gift.”

Payton — “I am thankful for the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars, the animals, plants and trees and God.”

Kailee — “I am thankful for the world, the trees, my family and friends, the sun and moon and stars.”

A.J. — “I am thankful for the trees, the animals, my family and the straight line and the curved line and everything!”

Emory — “I am thankful for my brother and the rest of my family.”

Arie — “I am thankful for the beasts of the forest and the lakes that give us water.”

Kysa — “I am thankful for the trees, the earth, the sun, moon and stars.”

Eli — “I am thankful for the animals that give us food and for my family.”

Grade 3

Brooks — “I am thankful for my friends and family. I am also thankful for a roof over my head, food and water on the table and trees and oxygen. I am thankful for my school, time and math. But the thing that I am most thankful for is my life.”

Nina — “I am thankful for my parents, family and friends, animals, air, food and shelter, life, the Earth, peace and love, the sun and moon, and the rain and wind.”

Mirabella — “I am thankful for my mother, my father, my family, love and friendship. I’m also thankful for the clean air we can breathe, the clean water we can drink, and for shelter I can sleep under. But most of all I am thankful for my life.”

Della — “I am thankful that my mom and dad love me and that I have a brother to play with. I also am thankful that I have a great school to go to and a good amount of food and water to stay alive.”

Lukas — “I am thankful for all the money my family has. I am also thankful for my mom and dad and the landscape. I think people should pay attention to their surroundings. They should know that the world is a magical place. We need the world. It is our home. I am also thankful for snow skiing. It is one of my favorite sports. I love skiing because I feel so free. Feeling free is my dream. I feel when I’m outdoors I can do whatever I want. My life is most important to me, and for that I am thankful.”

Owen — “I am thankful for food, water and my family. I am thankful for plants, trees and oxygen and for shelter from the cold. I am thankful for the cast I got when I broke my arm and I am thankful for the ski mountain.”

Sophie — “I am thankful for my wonderful school and for my education because we learn how to grow food, spin wool, and knit. My teacher is teaching us how to survive by showing us how to make bread. I am more than thankful for my family and friends. I love Earth so much it cannot be explained. I wish people can see Earth how I see it. I don’t see it as a planet that people can do whatever they want. I see it as a being that has to live with clear water, trees, plants and love. I am really sad since all the motorized inventions were made because they pollute, and it’s hard to live. I love the Earth so much there’s nothing I am more thankful for. I love rainbows, too, because rainbows tell me I am loved and always will be.”

Liadan — “I am thankful for my friends and family. I am also thankful for my pets. They mean so much to me. Water, food, oxygen and shelter are also things that are important to me and lots of other people on the Earth.”

Oliver — “I am thankful for the ski swap and for my new skis. I am thankful for our great ski mountain. I am also thankful for friends and family and a roof over my head. I am thankful for my great school. I love math.”

Sabrina — “I am thankful for food to eat and clean water to drink, my teacher to teach me, my family to guide me, tree and plants to help me breathe and a house to live in.”

Jordan — “I am thankful for food, water, shelter, clothes, oxygen, my parents, trees, and most of all Earth. Earth is a beautiful thing. Moon and sun are pretty too. Lots of stuff is pretty, and that’s what I’m thankful for.”

Leila — “I am thankful for animals that are our friends and for the trees that give us air and for the Earth to give us life. I am so thankful for life. Since I am so blessed, my family can help others who aren’t as blessed. So my life is full of love and amazing things.”

West — “I am thankful for water, food and shelter and my family. I wish people would stop polluting the air, water and land.”

Grade 4

Charlie — “I am thankful for my siblings.”

Baden — “I am thankful for my bed and a roof over my head, family, school, sister, and friends.”

Nadine — “I am thankful for animals, school and family.”

Hattie — “I am thankful for my mom and dad and brothers and shelter.”

Nikolai — “I am thankful for my house and pets and my whole life.”

Coltan — “I am thankful for the grass to play soccer and my teacher.”

Tyler — “I am thankful for a new baby brother and education.”

Blake — “I am thankful for my farm.”

Nicolas — “I am thankful for my eyes and ears and food.”

Tom — “I am thankful for my brothers.”

Grade 5

Addison — “I am thankful for my friends and family and of course, snow!”

Fiona — “I am grateful for my cat, Mellow.”

Mattye — “I am thankful for the Earth.”

Stella — “I am thankful for a house.”

Leah — “I am thankful that my sister didn’t die of a kind of cancer.”

Lucia — “I am thankful for my friends and family.”

Wilson — “I am thankful for the trees that give us oxygen so we can breathe.”

Mathewe — “I am thankful for my chance to see all of my family at Thanksgiving.”

Grade 6

Abbi — “I’m thankful for my parents putting me in Waldorf for a good education. I’m also thankful to live in a house and get three meals a day. I’m thankful to sleep in a bed and have more than a week of clothes. I’m thankful that my parents buy me new snowboarding gear and a season pass every year for me and my family. I’m thankful that I have a teacher that takes her time out of her day to teach us.”

Chloe — “I am thankful for a lot of things. I am thankful for my family, my friends, my cats, food, carrots, peanut butter, dark chocolate chip cookies, snow, the world, the stars, wolves, tigers, cats, dogs, cars, Schweitzer, the sky, Sandpoint Waldorf School, skiing, ice, shoes, hats, pens, markers, my class, my brother, my bed, my house, my yard, flowers, palm trees, Costa Rica, London, New York, Washington, starfish, puppies, peace, songs, movies, snowflakes, tomatoes, ice cream, chocolate sundaes, banana splits, huckleberry pie, blueberry pie, my dad for making lots of pies, my mom for being the best mom in the world, and … me!”

Maren — “I’m thankful for snow that I can have snow ball fights with, for my family who takes care of me, for music (I love to sing and play the ukulele), I’m thankful that I get to live in Sandpoint, I’m thankful for my friends who are always there for me.”

Izzi — “I am thankful for snow, clothes, family, school, food, house, friends, pets, wood to make fires, holidays, paper to draw on, and I am thankful for water.”

Ryan — “This year has been a harder year for me because my family left California to relocate in Sandpoint, leaving my grandma and aunt whom I have known for years. I feel very thankful we have everything we have to keep in touch. I am also very thankful to be able to meet all of these friendly people in Sandpoint. Overall, the move was nice because it made me realize how great it is to have a family that loves me. Best holiday wishes.”

William — “I am thankful for my house and my dog, my sister and mom and dad. I am thankful for school and the weekend. I am thankful for the electricians who created electricity.”

River — “I’m thankful for my Grandma who’s taking me to see my cousin in Oregon for Thanksgiving! I’m thankful for my mom and my dad for taking care of me. I’m thankful for all my friends that are always there for me. I’m thankful for my whole family who loves me. I’m thankful for all the yummy food that is in my house! I’m thankful for my teacher who takes the time to teach me!”

Allura — “I am thankful for all of my family being healthy and happy, my house to be warm, and a table of food to come home to. And I hope that each night one more child somewhere out there can say the same.”

Kaysia — “I’m very thankful for family and friends, also the fact that I have a house to live in and that I’m healthy; which many people don’t have any of these things. I love that I can do fun stuff and have sweets occasionally because in some other countries a half cup of rice is one person’s food for one day.”

Alana — “I am thankful for snow. I am also thankful for a warm house, a loving family (plus a dog), friends, electricity, trees, and school.”

Nina — “I’m thankful for: my mom and dad, my sister Lydia, my friends, my gymnastics coaches, my pets — all nine of them. I am also thankful that I live in a beautiful place like Sandpoint.”

Grade 7

Alyssa — “I am grateful for laughter that weaves through our days and lightens our hearts and brightens our minds.”

Emily — “I am grateful for my annoying, cute, yet mostly unwanted, hair-pulling, blood-curdling brothers who always seem to annoy me; but at the right time, seem to make me laugh!”

Tristan (Wolf) — “I praise the stars and the moon, for beauty and light, for long lost souls; the planets and the sun, for hope and day, for God and the gods, for my family and friends; I praise them all for our life would be empty without them.”

Marshall — “I am grateful for the snow that lightly falls on the frosty white ground, that skiers enjoy and plowmen hate.”

Lily — “I am grateful for the animals, tall and small, that leap and run like dandelion-fluff in the wind, like the rising and falling tide that carries our hearts; I am grateful.”

Farli — “I am grateful for the trees; whose branches hold the earth like a mother’s loving arms around her newborn child.”

Grace — “I am grateful for family and friends, who are living now on this beautiful earth, and for the ones who have passed and now watch me from the starry night sky.”

Terron — “The soft white snow falls, slowly covering the mountains. People find new ski gear and put their studded tires on, driving up to Schweitzer mountain ready for the greatest feeling of soft fluffy powder under their skis and snowboards. Mondays are frustrating and Fridays are time bombs of excitement. I am thankful for snow! And Schweitzer Mountain!

John — “I am grateful for so many things, like a luxurious yacht full of gold sailing on the sea.”

Catherine — “I am thankful for snow that turns trees into marshmallows that skiers eagerly wait for because marvelous snow is definitely something to be grateful for.”

Sierra — “Grateful I am for laughter, sadness, raging anger and happiness, crazy confusion, frustration, boredom and dreaminess, our minds, our hearts, our brains, new faces, and being able to go to new places.”

Grade 8:

Sadi — “I’m thankful for having an amazing family and loving friends. Everyone supports me so much in everything I do. I’m thankful for dance and music.”

Jens — “I’m thankful for all the family I get to see at Thanksgiving and all the delicious food I get to eat.”

Lydia — “I’m grateful for my friends who support me, my parents who love me, and my teacher who didn’t give me as much homework as he could have.”

Sara — “I’m thankful for: the roof above me; my parents who love me and that my mom and I didn’t die from cancer.”

Jacqueline — “I’m thankful for my family and my friends that are awesome and are always there for me.”