BHMSD students share their Thanksgiving thoughts
By HOLLY GASKILL
Thanksgiving traditions vary far and wide, but it’s nearly unanimously a time to be with family, enjoy food and reflect on life’s blessings.
And with each new season of life, there are new reasons to appreciate and celebrate those essential aspects of Thanksgiving.
In light of this, The News-Banner surveyed an elementary, middle and high school classroom from Bluffton-Harrison schools regarding the following three questions:
1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving food or tradition?
2. What are you thankful for this
year? Why?
3. How do you serve those around you?
Below are some of the students’ responses, filled with fond memories, special recipes, family jokes — and an occasional
misspelling.
–––
Mr. Harter: 4th Grade
Oliver Andrews: “I am thankful for sunshine and rain thank you for joy thank you for pain it is truely butiful day here in wells county community and the citizens are beautiful.”
Eileen Christlieb: “My mom’s crispy mac and cheese. Her mac and chesse is cripsy.”
Naomi Dailey: “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is playing 1, 2 switch with my family on my nuntendo this is important to me because it always a way for us to bond also I think it’s very funny when my uncle buddy plays the runway game because he sticks out his hips when he does it.”
Rylee Donovan: “My favorite Thaksgiving food is my grama’s pumpkin pie. Because I only get it once a year. My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is we play B-I-N-G-O every year.”
Abby Garrett: “I make a difference in others lives by being patient with people because I never know what their going through.”
Bryson Gray: “My favorite Thanksgiving food is gramas mackin chess. Becus she macks it so creme and dulisis.”
Noah Hall: “By giveing them what they want. Or give them a drink.”
Ava Hargrove: “You can say thank you hello. You can open a door for someone. You can be polite. And be fair and you can be loyal.”
Ariana Herrada: “My favorite Thanksgiving food is deviled eggs. Because my mimi made them that is why.”
Emma Lesh: “My favorite Thanksgiving food is turkey. It’s my favorite food because me and my family break the wish bone every year. Me and my family help make the turkey. I am thankful for family and friends because if we didn’t have friends or family then who would you celebrate with.”
Hudson Smith: “I am thankfull for being able to have a family to play with. And a big feast. Because it’s nice to have that.”
Jackson White: “I’m thankful for many thing Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my birthday are a few things I’m thankful for. I am thankful because I have a lot of things to celbrate and look forward to.”
–––
Mrs. Tijerina: 6th Grade English, 3rd Period
Jordan Barkley: “I serve others around me by helping my mom at church in the special needs ministry. I love helping other people in need.”
Christian Clubs: “I try to be kind and honest so that I can try and make the world better.”
Rowan Drayer: “Something that I’m thankful for this year is people, like my mom and dad, neighbors, firends, cousins, etc. I’m thankful for them because they are fun to be around and can help me through hard times and they believe in me.”
Mackenzie Dudley: “I am thankful for my teachers, parents, and FOOD! My teachers teach and help me with things, and I love all mhy teachers. My parents give me a roof and food to survive. I love my parents. Also I love food, and everyone in my family makes the best food!”
Molly Frauhiger: “I am thankful for many things but something big is my church. I chose my church because it is a place where anyone is welcome to come and worship GOD. And were you learn many great things. I serve those around me by helping when someone needs a hand and doing the right thing even when no one is whaching. I always try to be kind and show my light in school so others can know Jesus.”
Tennley Goodwin: “What I’m thankful for is my family, especially my mom. Because without her I wouldn’t be here and I wouldn’t get to experience the amazing adventures or journey’s in this world.”
Brody Hohe: “My favorite Thanksgiving food is Turky becaus my grandma puts lots of love and care in to it. I’m thankful for getting a chance to be in the paper because I think it’s really cool.”
Renley Hurst: “I am thankful that we moved into our new house, and my baby cousin was born. I’m so glad to have a new family member.”
Kole Kiefer: “I am thankful for my family and everyone that can be there and I am thankful for the people who serve who can’t be with their familys for Thanksgiving and also the food. And thanksgiving football.”
Parker Klopfenstein: “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is when my whole family comes this is important to me because we have family that live far away.”
Wesley Kunkel: “My favorite tradition on thanksgiving is getting up early to fry our turkeys because we have done it every year and it feels normal.”
Olivia Morgan: “I serve those around me by being there for them when their upset and being kind.”
Chance Moser: “My favorite food is my great grandma Sue Moser’s debil eggs! There the best! I’m thankful for my Dad and Grandpa Doug for teaching me, and letting me get 3 groundhogs this year!”
Phoebe Mygrant: “My favorite Thanksgiving food and tradition is eat the meat that my Grandpa makes every thanksgiving and tradition is going to Grandpa and Grandma’s house with mostly everyone in our family. It is important to me becaue my Grandpa cooks really good meat and I am glad that mostly everyone can come to celebrate Thanksgiving with family.”
Colin Nunley: “My favorite thanks giving food is the ham my parents make, its not important but I just really like it.”
Averie Pearson: “My favorite tradition for Thanksgiving is going to meat with my hole family and we all have so much fun, also we have so much food. Another tradition my family has is going black friday shopping super early in the morning, but just for the girls.”
Erin Ramseyer: “I make a difference in the lives of others by helping cook the food on Thanksgiving which means my mother and aunts don’t always have to do all the cooking.
Charlotte Rhoderick: “My favorite Thanksgiving food is pumpkin roll because when my gramother makes it I feel thankful that she’s here.”
Cheyenne Sonnigsen: “My favorite Thanksgiving food is corn cassroll. My family and I grow corn then fresse it then make things with it. Corn casroll is my favorite Thanksgiving food. Every year my whole family goes over to my Grandmaws and Grandpaws house to eat food and have fun. I love hearing everybody laugh. It is so fun!!!”
Delilah Traynor: “I’m thankful for covid to stop being suth a tarifying thing. I’m also thankul for my mom and dad because they are always there when I need it. I think I help people see the glass half full or trying to help someone with a question in math. I might help brighten their day.”
Dominic Wilson: “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is having eveyone meet at someplace, this used to be at my house, but we moved, so I think now we meet at my grandmothers house. It is important to me because now I don’t get to see my family often since they live in Texas.”
Lincoln Xayyachack: “My favorite food is; stuffing. My favorite tradition; getting together with friends/family.”
–––
Mrs. Chaney: 12th
Grade English
Keturah Bradford: “I am thankful for the amount of support I have received this year from my family, friends, teachers, and even strangers because they have given me the strength to continue to work hard and stay strong. I serve those around me with my art. I draw for others often as a way to let them know they are appreciated and important to me.”
Rehgyn Brooks: “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is playing pool or ping pong after we eat.”
Chris Castaneda: “I am thankful for my family and coaches. My family was always there at my football games, and my coaches were always inspiring.”
Jacob Chenard: “My favorite tradition is either setting up the turkey cooker and checking it every hour, or holding hands around the table and praying together. I am thankful for my friends and the laughs and jokes we’ve made. Without my friends, school would be even more exhausting than it already is, and work would be a pain to deal with as well.”
Claire Craighead: “This year I am thankful for a wonderful family. I am thankful for this because the older we are getting the closer we have become, and I am excited to get to know my family differently.”
Caleb Dailey: “My favorite Thanksgiving food is a noodle dish that my uncle makes each year called Knepfles (Kuh-nep-fleas).”
Kylie Frauhiger: “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition going around the room and sharing something we were thankful for the past year. I am thankful for my job, I am thankful for the relationships I have found, and the ministry it has proved to be.”
Caleb Gerber: “I serve the people around me through acts of service and ensuring that they feel appreciated.”
Haley Gibson: “I am thankful for my family because they never fail to encourage me to do my best in everything. I am also thankful for my wonderful grandparents, and how blessed I am that they come to support me at all of my sporting events!”
Sareyna Jackson: “I try to serve those around me by being compassionate. With the people close to me, I offer an ear even if I am not sure if I can help. In general, I try to be patient with others; we all mess up sometimes.”
Kayla Kiefer: “I am thankful for new friendships, which have encouraged me to enjoy this last year of school and life so much more.”
Gissel Martinez: “My favorite Thanksgiving tradition involves food. My sister, mother, and I all make a raspberry pie together. We learned how from someone we hold dear, and so to honor her we make the pie she taught us to make so well.”
Madison Murray: “My favorite Thanksgiving food is my grandma’s baked mac n’ cheese.”
Ben Ramseyer: “I am thankful for my amazing family and my coaches this year. I am thankful for them because they have pushed me to become a better person and to become the best version of myself.”
Elsie Schaden: “I am thankful for my family, friends, and all those people who are important to me and help me through life. I am also thankful for all the little things that are too many to count and many times go unnoticed and for granted.”
Zoey Schmidt: “I am thankful for the people I am closest because they help me become a better person every day.”
Frank Sewell, Jr.: “How I try to serve the people around me is by being supportive, understanding, doing task for them when ever I can, and love the pulchritudinous souls around me.”
Tyrah Shaw: “This year, I am thankful for my friends and family. Sometimes, I feel like I take them for granted because they are always there for me. I often like to reflect on all the things and loving people I have in my life that some people don’t get to experience. It is often hard to remember how to be grateful for common things in life, but it is good to dig deep within yourself and realize just how good life truly is.”
Madison Smith: “I’m thankful for my friends, family, and pets because they take care of me and show me that there can be beautiful things in this world where we least expect it.”
–––
Many thanks to those at Bluffton-Harrison schools who assisted in putting this together, namely Thad Harter, Clarissia Tijerina, Jackie Chaney and Jessica Bricker.
holly@news-banner.com
