The following letters are from third grade students in Ms. Colleen Flores’ class at Alexander Valley School. Their assignment was to write about what they are thankful for and tell why.
Thankful for flowers
EDITOR: I am thankful for plants because they give us air. We need air to breathe or we can’t live, like in outer space. Plants can be a home to insects and other animals like little lady bugs or birds. Another good thing about plants is that they can make places prettier. Flowers can be in a vase on the table in your kitchen to brighten things up. Plants outside decorate the yard. You can also eat plants. The best plant to eat is kale because it’s really sweet. Plants are fantastic!
Elsa Chavez
I like my brother
EDITOR: I am thankful for my brother because he is fun to play with and makes me laugh. I am thankful when I get to play with my brother because I am usually at school and don’t see him much. Our favorite game to play is wrestling. He also brings me joy when I had a bad day at school. When I get home, he gives me a great big hug, which helps me feel better. Every time I’m sad, he notices me and walks into the wall on purpose to make me laugh. At night, he likes me to read him his favorite book, “Those Darn Squirrels.” After we are finished, I tuck him in. Saturdays, we have lots of fun! We play games, go to the park, and play with his cars. I am very thankful for my brother!
Charlie Cropper
Snakes are wonderful
EDITOR: Snakes are amazing and I am thankful for them. I am thankful for snakes because they keep me entertained and I love the way they look and move. When I am bored, I like to go into my backyard and flip rocks to find a snake. When I find one, I feel like the king of the world. If there were no snakes I wouldn’t be able to spend my time catching them and that is my favorite thing to do.
Another reason I like snakes is because they are cool to look at. I think some snakes have really cool looking designs like different color stripes or marks on the side of their body. I can put a snake on the ground and watch it slither. When the designs on the back of the snake’s body move, it is always different. Snakes are wonderful animals and make great pets too!
Davis Mauritson
My house
EDITOR: I am thankful for my house because I love to work on it, and, it holds special things like my clothes, bed, toys, and family. When my house needs to get fixed, my dad and I fix it together and he teaches me how to use tools. One time when the shower broke and it did not drain, it was fun fixing it with my dad. My house is fun to paint because I get to climb up the ladder and get to the spots I cannot reach. When my house looks good, I feel good because I helped! I love the big backyard because I can drive my toy monster truck in it. My house has a couch and I love it because it’s soft. When I sit in it to watch a show, it swallows me and I want to stay there all day. That is why I am thankful for my house.
Dylan Berry
My house is fun
EDITOR: I’m thankful for my house because it provides a lot of protection and needs for my family and I . I am also thankful for my house because it holds all my valuable and special pictures and drawings from the past. Some of these are from my relatives and some from my friends that are very special to me. I am also thankful for my house because of where it is located. Often I go outside and catch snakes under rocks, hiding in the ivy and soil, near trees, and a creek on my property. I also like playing sports outside in my field such as soccer, baseball, basketball, and football. Another special part is the private road that leads to my garden teacher, Mrs. Anne Laurie’s, house. I like to ride my bike on that street so I can visit her. My house has a lot of things to do. It can be really fun sometimes inside and outside near my house!
Ross Nipper
A great sister
EDITOR: I am thankful for my sister in many ways. My sister is Beatrice. One of the best things she does is when I’m standing in line for class and she gives me a big hug and kiss to start my day. I’m also thankful for my sister because of her smile. Whenever I feel glum her smile cheers me up. I think my sister is a wonderful person. Beatrice is empathetic and nice. One of the good deeds she does is to read me a book at night. It calms me down and makes me feel safe. Even when I’m mad at her she’s nice to me. Another thing I love that we do together is ride bikes around our neighborhood. Beatrice is a great sister, I love her and she loves me.
Frances Hawkes
I have the funniest family
EDITOR: I’m thankful for my whole family for many reasons. One reason that I’m thankful for my family is that they’re kind to me and other people. When they’re kind to me it makes me happy. Also, when they’re kind to other people I feel like I have the best family ever. Another reason is that they’re always helping me. When they help me I feel like I’m not lonely. Furthermore, they have my back. One time a kid was being mean to me just because of my name, but one of my cousins said that it is not funny, and the kid stopped teasing me. My family also helps me learn. When they help me learn it feels like I know everything. Also, my family makes me laugh. When they make me laugh it feels like I have the funniest family in the world. That’s why I’m thankful for my family.
Gabriel Gonzalez
Jeremiah helps me
EDITOR:Jeremiah, my brother, is someone I am thankful for. I love that Jeremiah and I play whenever we have free time. On weekends we play many games and build with legos. Sometimes we battle with our legos, and sometimes we play a friendly game. When we don’t play legos we go on our trampoline, or play tag and hide and go seek. I especially love it when I see Jeremiah and he keeps running from me. It’s fun to chase him around. Even though Jeremiah and I argue sometimes, I know he’s always there to help me and will always love me.
Josiah Hart-Tinsley
The best mom ever
EDITOR: I am thankful for my mom and because she gives me praise, encourages me, and keeps me on task. I love when my mom lets me help her at Red’s Riding School feed the horses. After working hard to feed the horses my mom makes me feel good by telling me I did a good job. I love when she encourages me to do things that I think I can’t do. When I was learning how to water my goats, she told me not to give up and it worked! She keeps me on task. Sometimes in the morning when I get distracted by my little sister, Monica, it is my mom who nicely keeps me in line. My mom is the best mom ever!
Katie Zidek
Thankful for the rain and no smoke
EDITOR: I am thankful for rain. When it rains it makes the flowers grow.I love to eat some of the flowers and I appreciate the rain because if we didn’t have rain flowers would not grow. When it rains, it is fun to play outside because I love jumping in the puddles. I am also thankful for rain because it fills up the lakes, creeks, and rivers. I am thankful for rain because it is peaceful and I can do mindfulness and reading. If it rains a lot we would have less fires. I would really be grateful for that. All the animals need to drink water out of the creek so they are thankful for rain too. I hope the rain comes next week so there is no smoke. Rain is important to our environment.
Manny Jimenez
Jake is special
EDITOR: I’m thankful for my brother Jake for many reasons. I like that he plays with me inside our house and out. Football is our favorite sport and when we play he always wins. Jake makes me laugh when we do our homework because he sings funny made up songs. I love at night when we whisper to each other and tell funny details about what happened to us that day. Sometimes we talk about what will happen to us the next day.
Another way Jake is so special is because he does nice things for me like, cleaning my gecko’s cage, and making my bed. I love when we ride our bikes around town by ourselves. This is special because we see a lot of pretty things like trees, grapevines, and big houses and talk to each other. Those are the reasons I am thankful for my brother Jake.
Pierce McWilliams
My dog, Maddie
EDITOR: I’m really thankful for my pets, but mostly my dog, Maddie. She protects me and my family, entertains me, and gives me something to take care of. When someone is at the door, Maddie barks loudly like a fire truck siren to protect us. She gives me something to do when I am bored. I love when she brings me something to throw, like a stick or a ball. I like walking with Maddie and the way she follows me on my bike down to the creek. One of my favorite times is when I wake up in the middle of the night and she’s on my bed. Maddie is a good cuddler! Maddie loves everyone, especially me. She is the best dog ever!
Vincent Verhil
My parents make me safe
EDITOR: I am thankful for my family because they make me laugh and feel good. When I get hurt they make me laugh because of their sillines, and when I have a fever they are really gentle with me. I am mostly thankful for my parents because when I am starving they feed me. I love when my parents make me rice and give me orange juice or water. When I do something wrong my parents make me feel good about myself, even when I have made a mistake. I love how safe my parents make me feel. When something is wrong they tell me everything’s going to be alright. They also protect me from bad stuff like tripping over somebody, breaking your arm, breaking your leg, and getting bit by a deadly animal. These things hurt us and could send us to the hospital. That’s why I’m so thankful for my family, especially my parents.
Paulina Gutierrez
Grateful for my parents
EDITOR: I am grateful for my parents. I am grateful for the food and the water,and shelter that they provide for me, but mostly the time we spend together. I love when my mom and I cook weekend dinners together. One of my favorites is when we make special dressings and salads. We mostly make weekend dinners because that’s when we have time to be in the kitchen and not out on the soccer field. My dad is special because he takes time to teach me about his work. I get to drive tractors and learn about how they work. Another way my dad helps me is with my homework. He makes it fun and easy to understand, like the time he drew monkeys for a math problem. I’m so thankful for all the time they spend with me.
Olivia Saini
My comfortable house
EDITOR: I am thankful for my house because it gives me shelter and room to store special things and stay organized. When it’s raining, or thunder and lightening, my house gives me a place to be safe. I have a big window near my bed and can hear the rain hitting the ground super hard. I am grateful when that happens that I am dry. I love to be clean and organized, and my house has lots of shelves to make sure I do. In the garage there is a little space to put my tools, and I know they are safe there. My house is great for many reasons, but the main reason is that when I am in it, I feel comfortable.
Parker Biasotti
Another best mom ever
EDITOR: I am grateful for my mom because she takes me places and gives me lots of love. My mom takes my sisters and I special places like Disneyland. We just went there last week. One of the things I was grateful for on our trip was that she bought us caramel apples. This time I choose the one covered with chopped nuts. It was delicious! Another way I am grateful for my mom is the way she kisses me good night and tucks me into bed. Every night she does that for me her love makes me feel good inside. I love my mom very much.
Liam Burke
My dad makes me happy
EDITOR: I am thankful for my dad because he is always there for me. My dad is kind to me and always makes me happy. He is also helpful because he tells me in soccer games how to make a goal and win. After we win or lose, my dad keeps me happy by taking me out to eat. Sometimes my dad will take me to the store and buy me a toy, like a nerf gun. What’s really special is when it is just my dad and I in the car, and he lets me sit in the front seat and pick a song on the radio. Usually it’s my sisters who get to do that. At the end of the day when I go to sleep I feel lucky to have such a great dad.
Yahir Gonzalez
