SWS students grateful for life's many blessings

Flying on an airplane.

Waking up to a special holiday breakfast.

Family and friends. Jumping rope. A snuggly puppy, playful kittens and Christmas.

In a time when as much attention is paid to bargains, Black Friday sales creep earlier and earlier onto Thanksgiving Day as the rush to Christmas charges forward. Not so for students at Sandpoint Waldorf School.

Family, pets and friends are among the top items for which the students said they are grateful. Others said school, where they get to learn, and still others said they are grateful for having enough to eat and a place to call home. 

For Jackson, it is his dog and the school's lantern walk and handwriting pages as well as his family.

Others, like fourth grader Harper, said they are grateful to live in a place like Sandpoint. “This is what a good community looks like,” the youth said. “Harmony, if there was a person on the sidewalk that needed help, somebody would help them. Homeless people would have shelters and pets from the animal shelter get adopted."

Pets were again a top item which the students said they are thankful for, whether they are good like Fluffy or annoying like Odis, said fourth-grader Annabelle. Still, she said, she loves them.

“I’m thankful for cats. Why? Because they are so cool, frantic, adventurous, awesome, authentic, fluffy and so cute,” agreed classmate Adie.

Others, like Douglas, came down on the side of dogs in listing what they are thankful for.

“My dog’s name is Sadie … She is fun to play with and she is really good at playing fetch,” Douglas said.

The list of what they are grateful for is as varied as the students themselves. Some said it is the spirit of the holiday in their families and friends, others said it was the ability to enjoy a favorite food. For some, the list reflects their love of a particular sport or team, some a favorite memory, and for others, it is their friends and classmates that top the list.

Others aren’t as specific in their Thanksgiving hopes, offering an all-encompassing wish such for kindness and all the good the world has to offer.

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.

The simple counting of blessings is a reminder of all that is right with the world.

So, below, the students of Sandpoint Waldorf School share the many things for which they are thankful. We are happy to share them, once again, with you.

Grade 1

Koa — "I am grateful I get to go on an airplane to be at my uncle’s wedding."

Ezra — "I am grateful for my mom."

Ida — "I am grateful that my grandma is coming to visit."

Henry — "I am grateful for the turkey and pumpkin pie."

Jackson — "I am grateful for my dog, for the lantern walk, and the handwriting practices pages I get to do. I’m thankful for my mom, my dad, my big sister and my little sister."

Tristan — "I am thankful for my family."
Finn — "I am grateful for my family and that Christmas is coming."

Sawyer — "I am grateful for my family, my friends, my big brother. I am grateful I’m alive. I’m grateful for my teacher and that I’m here. I’m grateful for jumping rope"

Otto — "I’m grateful for my school and my teacher. I’m grateful for jumping rope and for life. I’m grateful for my family and friends. I’m grateful for pencils so I can write."

Remy — "I’m grateful for my big house and my family and friends. I’m thankful for food and water."

Makayla — "I’m thankful for my sister and my house and my kittens."

Tibor — "I am thankful I get to see my friends. I’m thankful for my parents and the delicious food they make me. I’m thankful that I have a great family and a cute little dog."

Zander — "I’m thankful for my family and friends."

Lennox — "I’m thankful for the bees and trees and grass."

Grade 3

Mark — "I’m grateful for my pets and friends."

Katmai — "I’m grateful for going to the Waldorf school that I go to."

Aspen — "I’m thankful for my dog and my house and for Sylvie and my mom and dad."

Fox — "I’m thankful for my dog Huckleberry."

Avery — "I am thankful for the plants, animals, my family, my pets and much more."

Sylvie — "I am grateful for my mom and dad and my pets and my house and my school and my teacher and my friends and my toys." 

Indie — "I am grateful for water, plants, my kittens, my cat, the sun and the rain."

Abella — "I am thankful for my family and friends."

Kinsley — "I am thankful for somewhere to live, food and water, family, friends my teacher and I’m thankful for Idaho."

Ever — "I am thankful for the trees, my daily, my hamsters and the Earth."

Eliza — "I am thankful for family, food, water, our teacher and the world."

Ally — "I am thankful for house, food, family, friends and school."

Whitney — "I am thankful for my cat named Cinder."

Bennet — "I am thankful for the world."

Dominic — "I am grateful for my dogs and friends."

Sufi — "I am grateful for cats."

Viola — "I am thankful for life and I am also thankful for the world."

Xander — "I am thankful for my family."

Saylor — "I am thankful for my school and my teacher and my cat."

Grade 4 

Daphne — "My name is Daphne and I am thankful for a lot of things, like my family, and my cats. I am thankful for my house. Good food is a good thing to be thankful for. I love my teacher."

Harper — "One thing I am grateful for is the good community we have here in Sandpoint. This is what a good community looks like. Harmony, if there was a person on the sidewalk that needed help, somebody would help them. Homeless people would have shelters and pets from the animal shelter get adopted."

James — "I’m thankful for Maverick (little brother); he is annoying and fun at the same time."

Scout — "I am so thankful for my family and my kittens, dog and chickens. I am sooo thankful for my animals."

Griffin — "I’m thankful that forThanksgiving we get to have a break from school. And I get to spend time with my family. And I’m thankful for Thanksgiving."

John — "I am thankful for dirt bikes, school, water, Earth, animals, my dog, my house, video games, ATVs and air."

Brock — "I am thankful for my family. My family is the bets. I love my dogs, my brothers, my mom and my step dad, my dad, my step mom and much more. I love my family."

Annabelle — "I’m thankful for cats. I love them. I especially love my cat Fluffy and Odis. Fluffy always wants good and Odis just likes to be annoying or scratch our couch. I love them."

Charlotte — "I love my teacher. My teacher is the best. She is the smartest. I love her clothes. I love her so much. She is the best teacher ever. I love Ms. St. Pierre."

Liam — "I am thankful for my mom. My mom is nice, strong and I love her. When I wake up every day, I can smell her making breakfast. I love her so much."

North — "I am thankful for my family. They love me and they feed me and shelter me. I’m thankful for my family."

Douglas — "I am thankful for my dog. My dog’s name is Sadie. She is a labrador mix dutch shepherd. She is fun to play with and she is really good at playing fetch."

Emerson — "I am thankful for basketball, Earth, air, animals, water, friends, football, family, school, food, root beer, drinks, my pool, my house, my hot tub, my basketball barn, basketball shooting machine."

Adie — "I’m thankful for cats. Why? Because they are so cool, frantic, adventurous, awesome, authentic, fluffy and so cute. That is why I love cats."

Grade 5

Liam — "I am grateful for love."

Avery — "I am grateful for my class and my teacher."

Eva — "I am grateful for the people that I know and that love me."

Jazzy — "I am grateful for my understanding and fun friends."

Kachemak — "I am grateful for my family."

Zoie — "I am grateful for my house."

Antonio — "I am grateful for my family."

Autumn — "I am grateful for my family."

Mrs. Knighton — "I am grateful for our amazingly inclusive school community at Sandpoint Waldorf School."

Faye — "I am grateful for my home and my family."

Jasper — "I am grateful that I moved here."

Georgia — "I am grateful for the love of my family."

Kyra — "I am grateful for my family."

Ariya — "I am grateful for my class and teacher."

Miley — "I am grateful for Mom, Dad and my sisters and my brother.

Grade 7

Meadow — "I am thankful for skiing and snowboarding. I am thankful for my puppies."

Madelina — "I am thankful that my friend was able to get better and come back to school."

Fate — "I am thankful for my house, my family, my animals, my amazing ability to draw and my amazing view from the lake."

Cora — "I am thankful for my family and Halle, my dog and the warm house I live in and the yummy food and so much more."

Athena — "I am thankful that I get to do a lot of fun activities. I am thankful for food and water."

Lauren — "I am thankful for the ability to obtain food and water so easily. I am thankful for the things I get to do, such as go to school and ride horses. I am thankful to live in such a beautiful place."

Cael — "I am thankful for food, shelter and hammers. Thank you mom and dad for supplying these things."

Cadyn — "I am thankful for snowboarding and music. I am thankful for the mountains and animals."

Emery — "I am thankful for my dogs and cat, my family, food and water, my houses and hot tub and my friends."

Aria — "I am thankful for water. After reading A Long Walk to Water, I realize how lucky I am to have running water in my house."

Zuma — "I am thankful for my family, friends, sports and church."

Ellie — "I am thankful for my grandparents traveling all the way from Virginia to come and see me and my family. I am thankful for the snow on Schweitzer and that soon we can ski and snowboard."

Marlon — "I am thankful for my older brother to finally come and visit our family. I am thankful for food, water and family. And everyone."

Madilyn — "I am thankful for my family, ski season, Schweitzer, my Schweitzer ski pass, my dog and my friends."

8th grade

Sophia — "I’m grateful for my families support and just all they have sacrifice for me to be able to continue with rhythmic gymnastics. I’m grateful for Ms. McGowan and I’m grateful for tea."

Theron — "I’m grateful for my family, friends, fortune, school, my mentor and my art skills."

Hannah — "I’m grateful for my friends that stand by my side, my family that is always there for me and this beautiful Earth that I live on."

Maryah — "Right now, at this time I am grateful for friendship. I feel like it’s a word you hear all the time and is tossed around but right now it is so powerful for teenagers to appreciate."

Rowan — "I’m grateful for friends, family and celebration."

Cairn — "I’m thankful for friends I can trust."

Cody — "I’m grateful for the art of film."

Opal — "I’m grateful for my friends."

Brookelyn — "I am grateful for all of the sports and teams that I get to be on and them supporting me in what I like."

Zoe — "I am grateful for this life which we have, an opportunity to make a difference."

Forrest — "I am very grateful for friends and sports."

Evie — "I am grateful for energy and motivation that I work hard for that gets me through the day."

Sage — "I am grateful for my bed, my books, food and water, my friends, my parents and music."

Maverick — "I am grateful for my family and friends and food."

    Ms. Knighton's fifth-grade Sandpoint Waldorf School class are pictured during a field trip to 'Ross Creek Cedars' in Montana. It was a chilly day, spent climbing, exploring, laughing, and learning, SWS staff said in a Facebook post, noting the class has just wrapped up their botany unit.
 

   Sandpoint Waldorf School second graders are pictured acting out a scene from Aesop’s Fable "The Fox and Grapes."