I have lots of privileges because...

I have lots of privileges because I live in the United States.

Freedom of speech in the U.S.A. is great! I have the power to tell

our president I don’t like something. I have freedom to be whom I

want to be when I grow up. I can work hard to earn money for my

savings. My friends and I can vote when we are 18. In the U.S.A., we

have the right for a good education. In the Community Learning

Center, I get to study United States, go to class with third- and

fourth-graders and go on lots of field trips.

God has blessed me with many opportunities. God has given me a

brother and sister to make my life happier. He has given me a lots of

friends like Ryan and Emma. They are my best friends. I am thankful

that God is with me.

TRAVIS KELLEY

Third grade

Many of the things that I’m thankful come from my heart and my

brain. I am thankful for so many things, I couldn’t list them in a

hundred years.

The thing I think is the coolest thing about being thankful is

that you can’t stop being thankful for anything or anyone. The most

important thing to me is my family. I love my mom, dad, myself and my

sister. If we would all appreciate more of the things that should be

appreciated, think what the world would be like.

The things that I treasure aren’t even close to how much I love my

family.

I will ask you one favor -- if you would be so kind to other

people and ask them to do the same and on and on, you will be

appreciated not just by me but many others and you will get PEACE ON

EARTH. I want you to think about what I said and you will see large

results very quick.

JASON ZIDE

Fourth grade

I am thankful for all the people that care for me. My mom makes me

wonderful meals, pasta and other yummy stuff. My dad plays Clue with

me and other games. My sister cares for me by comforting me when I am

sad. Adam is a great friend by running on the soccer field with me.

I am thankful for all the food and drinks that keep me alive. I

eat fruit, vegetables, grains and protein. Sometimes I have treats,

too. Anyway, protein helps your body grow strong and healthy. Protein

helps your body a lot and you could die without it. I am glad to have

protein in this world. Milk has protein in it. In fact, a lot of

things have protein in them. I am glad to have all these things to be

thankful for.

RYAN CAVANAUGH

Third grade

I am thankful for my mom and dad. I am also thankful for God and

hospitals and the loving care they give us.

But how would we get a good education without school? I’m also

thankful for trees which give us clean air. But we forgot something

important: Earth. Without Earth we wouldn’t be here. The environment!

How could we forget the environment? Without the environment, the

world would be very polluted. But what about the ocean? Without the

ocean, there would be no salt and not a lot of water on the planet.

Oh, I forgot! I can’t believe that I forgot food and life. I mean,

without life, we wouldn’t even be here, and without food, we would be

dead at the age of 12 months or even younger!

I am also thankful for clothes, because how would you like to walk

around naked? And without those wonderful trips that I take with my

family, how would I know the bigger world away from Laguna Beach?

And toys. Without toys, how would you play with anything? One more

thing -- our houses. Without houses, we would have to live in the

street. I am thankful for many things. Are you?

ADAM REDDING-KAUFMAN

Third grade

Things I appreciate are my community, education, food and family.

I’m thankful for my community because, without it, I wouldn’t be able

to enjoy different people that care about me.

One of the other things I am thankful for is education.

I’m thankful for education because without education I would

probably be stupid. Also, because of the teachers that make my life

special. One thing I can’t forget is food. I’m thankful for food

because we won’t starve. I can enjoy a different variety and some

foods are healthy. Last, but not least, my family. I am thankful for

my family because they’re the people that care about me the most. My

parents and grandparents are the ones that love me extremely, but my

younger brothers are more like playmates.

LAURA KAWASHIRI

Third grade

The world, its beauty, the people among it and their giving to the

earth are all so wonderful, though some do not know all that they are

thankful for. Thinking of this, I realize all things I am thankful

for.

Some of the most important things to me are my family. My mother,

I am thankful for her because, as you and I know, mothers do mostly

everything for others, and my mother is a person like that. My dad,

he is so fun and loving. My sister, Mara, is fun and playful, even

though she can be a brat. Zachary, my brother, I am so thankful for

him because he his my twin.

Often I stop and remember how grateful I am to have friends and

family. I am truly grateful for the food I have to keep me alive.

Every day I stop and see how thankful I am to have shelter.

The world, its beauty, the people among it and their giving to the

earth makes me thankful every day.

SAVANNAH GRAF

Third grade

There are so many things in this world to be thankful for. I would

like to write about a few of the most important things.

I am thankful for my mom. She always listens to me and teaches me

lots of things. I am thankful for my dad. He coaches my soccer team

and he is a cool dad. I am thankful for my sister. She is my best

friend. We spend a lot of time playing together. One of our favorite

games is playing checkers.

I am thankful for having a warm, safe place to live with my

family. Our house has a great yard to play in. I am thankful for

having enough food to eat and clean water to drink. I know that some

people in the world do not have enough food and clean water.

I am thankful for having clean clothes. I am thankful for going to

a fun school where I learn math, reading, writing and spelling. These

are just a few of the things I am thankful for. It is important for

me to remember this, so I don’t take these things for granted.

MARISA MERCHANT

Third grade

There once was a boy walking down the street, and he thought that

he had nothing to be thankful for.

One day, I met the boy Downtown and I told them that he had so

many things to be thankful for. Then he just ran off, and I ran after

him. We sat down on a bench, and I told him a story. Two minutes

later he said, “I have so many things to be thankful for.”

The boy ran off again, but this time I did not run after him. The

boy told his friends the story. It was told again and again.

The story I told that boy was about the things I am thankful for.

I told him about my family and people who love me. Everyday I am

happy to be surrounded by them. I also told him that we like to eat

together and tell stories at the table.

I talked about having a warm and cozy house filled with laughter.

I said I was thankful to have my things to play with when I need

them. I am thankful because I have my health, which keeps me alive.

I am thankful that I told that boy the story, because it helped

him remember what he can be thankful for, and it helped me remember,

too.

ZACK GRAF

Third grade

The Happy Lucky ME!

I am thankful for

Having a family that loves me,

For living in a safe place, for having good food and water,

For being healthy,

For knowing how to read, spell, and speak different languages

I am thankful for

Having for many talents,

For not being intimidated by what other people think,

For having for many people think fondly of me,

For being able to travel and go to exotic places.

I am thankful for

Having advantages that other people do not have,

For having the greatest teacher in the world,

For having the chance to be able to play on the basketball team

but being able to decline and not doing it.

ETIANNE MANETTA

Fourth grade

I am thankful for everything I have around me.

I’m thankful for my family because they care for me and I feel

safe from that. My friends make me laugh a lot and they’re kind to

me, so I’m thankful for them, too.

The house I live in gives me shelter and warmth, so I’m glad I

have that. School helps me learn important things, as in history and

math, which means I’m thankful for that, also.

The world around me is wonderful, such as the animals that go with

it, so I’m thankful for that, too. And without clothes, I’d be cold

in the winter.

I bet I couldn’t live a day without food because I eat too much,

so I’m thankful for that.

Can life get any better than that? Without any of them, I might be

dead! Some kids don’t realize how much they have and just care about

toys, instead of all those things they should.

In conclusion, I’m thankful for many things such as friends,

family, food, shelter and a brain. Some people don’t have any of

those.

PAUL DUNNE-DOMBRINK

Fourth grade

I’m thankful for my family because they are the people who

comforted and created me. I’m also thankful for technology because if

people didn’t invent electricity, houses, cars, TVs, telephones and

radios, our world would be different.

I don’t want to be cold, hungry and wondering if I’m safe. I

appreciate animals and plants because they help us survive, even

though I feel bad.

I’m grateful for health because that is what keeps everything

alive, even though it can have side effects.

I’m happy that I can do things other people can’t do because if

everyone could only do the same things nothing would be unique.

I’m thankful for clothes because things would be a LOT different,

but also they keep us warm.

Last of all, I’m thankful for life because that’s what made all of

this possible.

MORGAN MYERS

Fourth grade

There are so many wonderful and incredible things that I am

thankful for.

To begin with, I am very thankful for my mom, Sylvia. She cares

and plays with me, and that’s a great person I am thankful for. My

dad is very loving and caring. He is very nice and generous. My other

family members are also very special. My cousins, uncles and aunts

are very loving to me. Other family members that I am very grateful

for are my pets. I have two cats, Oliver and Miss Whiney, my hamster,

Little Bill, and my beta fish, Ocean.

Each day I love to be with my friends. They are exciting and

playful.

I love the Earth and all living things. I am grateful for

medicine, doctors and hospitals, good water supply and food for our

good health and needs. I’m very impressed that there are good

organizations to help poor people and children all over the world.

I’m grateful to have freedom in our country.

Finally, I’m thankful God gave me a wonderful life to enjoy and be

happy with.

CHRISTINA WAIMRIN

Fourth grade

I am thankful to be living in the U.S.A. because we are free. I am

sorry that other countries are not free. Freedom means a lot of

different things to me.

I am thankful that I am not a slave. Slavery means that some

people control other people’s lives and thoughts and how they act. I

am lucky that I live in a country that is free and that I am allowed

to think and act how I want.

I am thankful for my mom, dad and sister. My family is very

important to me because they care for me and love me. My parents

teach me to do my personal best, including eating right and doing my

homework correctly. We support each other in everything we do. If I

didn’t have my family, I don’t know what I would do.

I am thankful that I can choose my own religion. In other

countries people who practice their own religion can be killed.

And all of these things make my life the best!

ALLISON MANFRINI

Fourth grade

I am thankful for a house to live in. I also am thankful for a

loving, caring mother, a cool, loving dad, an energetic, funny

brother, my fun and loving step-dad, and I am blessed with three

crazy step-sisters and a cool step-mom.

I am really thankful to have two wonderful grandparents on four

sides of my parents and step-parents. I’m thankful for a God to make

beautiful glittery shiny stars at night for me to see and a bright

sun to wake me up in the morning. I’m thankful for three meals a day

that some people don’t get to have. I’m so blessed to have a closet

loaded with clothes and shoes. I am appreciative that I have all the

extras, too, like my television and nail polish, curlers, make-up,

dolls, toys and everything a room to sleep in and blankets to keep me

warm.

I’m thankful for friends and the best teacher in the world to play

and teach me. I thankful for being alive on this beautiful fun planet

called Earth.

ALEXA GILBERT

Fourth grade