WHAM kids really displayed an attitude of gratitude during the week of Veterans Day. After learning about Veterans Day using some digital resources the kids used Google Forms to ask a Veteran interview questions. We were so lucky to get Lieutenant Colonel Scott Clare and members of his staff to join us for a live video interview! The 5th graders from Mrs. Jarreau’s class asked the interview questions and created gratitude postcards. Some of our favorite questions were about the military dog who joined the interview. Did you know that a military dog is always one rank above their handler to ensure the dog is taken care of properly? **Full Disclosure-Lieutenant Colonel Clare is my brother-in-law and we are very proud of him! An attitude of gratitude will take you far! According to The Harvard Medical School, “gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” This seems to be a list of the most important hopes parents have for their children.
So when Mrs. Lakvold and I were deciding on lessons for November we saw a lot of opportunities on the calendar such as the fundraiser for Penny Wars, Thanksgiving, and Veterans Day. We decided there could not be a better time to discuss the Habitude of Gratitude. The kids were so excited to start Penny Wars which is a fundraiser to raise money for The Baton Rouge Area Food Bank. We discussed how after the hurricane season and Covid that many members of our Baton Rouge community just don’t have enough food right now for whatever reason. We talked about being grateful for the little things we may take for granted each day but are so important like food, running water, and education. When I find something to be grateful for I also try to make a little mental note wishing for all people to have that. For example, hurricanes have taught me to be grateful for electric lights. I also remember that there are many places in our world where people don’t have electric lights and I wish for all people to have access to this. Another great example is running water. The kids were shocked to think about how easily we can get freshwater compared to families in other parts of the world. So not only can we be grateful for our running water but we can also wish for all people to have running water. Stay tuned for updates about how Penny Wars are going and who wins the pizza party. |
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