Thankfulness is the Quickest Way to Joy

Thanksgiving is a special time of year when families and friends come together to celebrate and express gratitude for the blessings in their lives. It is a wonderful time to teach young children the importance of gratitude and appreciation. AT CGS our teachers play a significant role in instilling these values in students’ hearts. Through engaging and age-appropriate activities, children can learn the true meaning of Thanksgiving, gratitude, and togetherness beyond turkey and pumpkin pie.

Leading up to the holiday, our students were engaged in creative projects centred around thankfulness and gratitude. Ideas included making gratitude booklets, cards to give to family members, finger/toe Thankful Turkeys as gifts.

To capture the essence of this holiday, we reached out to some of our students to hear their thoughts, stories, and ideas about thankfulness. Their words are a testament to the simple joy that this holiday brings to people of all ages for what they are thankful for.

Abby from Early start says she is “…thankful for her Mommy and Daddy. Andrew in our SK class says he is “…thankful for his mom and dad making him yummy food”. Conor in grade 1 says, “I am thankful for all the stuff the world gives us.” Noah in grade 1 says, “I’m thankful for my vegetables I grew.” Some of our grade 2s and 3s also had some great things they were thankful for. Colin says he is “…thankful for this school”, Frank says he is “…thankful for his family”. Jonathan says he is “…thankful for his parents”, Maya is “…thankful for her home”, and last but not least, Claire says she is “…thankful for her education.”

Thanksgiving provides an ideal opportunity to nurture gratitude for everyone. By incorporating these engaging activities into the curriculum, our teachers are aiding children to develop an appreciation for the many blessings in their lives and understand the importance of giving thanks. These lessons of gratitude can serve as a foundation for empathy, kindness, and a positive outlook that will benefit them throughout their lives through an abundance of joy.

Let’s explore some exciting Thanksgiving and gratitude activities our CGS student created last week!