Malvern students reflect on Thanksgiving holiday
Students in Claudine James’ classroom recently wrote essays reflecting on Thanksgiving.
“I assigned an essay prompt as a way to address the uncertainty and fears students are facing during this unprecedented Thanksgiving holiday and allow them the opportunity to positively reject. I received some amazing reflections, but these submissions stood out to me in that they reflect what most students are earnestly thinking. All of the students offer viewpoints which are not only insightful and inspiring, but also highlight the importance of being thankful this holiday season. Enjoy,” James said.
This year for Thanksgiving, I will participate in our family’s annual pheasant hunt. Every year, the Parsley men go pheasant hunting on Thanksgiving day. They go to Waffle House for breakfast, then head to the woods.
This year, I finally get to be a part of that. Poppa (my dad’s dad), Dad, and I will be going together. I am so excited and have been looking forward to this ever since they invited me along. I only hope I don’t miss too many shots.
Thanksgiving is a holiday every November where families eat feast, and be thankful for what they have. In 1661, Pilgrims held a 3 day celebration for harvesting. Later on Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving for the last Thursday of the month. Then later on Franklin Roosevelt made it the 4th Thursday of the month for more encouraged holiday shopping. It is so wonderful the roots of Thanksgiving and how it started.
Some things I do for Thanksgiving is have a party with family. Other parts of our family usually come over but we can't really do anything with covid. My parents cook ham, turkey, dressing, pies, and other delicious foods.
I play with other children my age. I love Thanksgiving. It is so amazing how something so small can turn into something so big. Which makes a lesson even though you are small right now you can get bigger( famous) by trying your hardest.
~ Dontavious Gray
Thanksgiving is the time of year family gathers and gives thanks to stuff they are thankful for. Thanksgiving is also a time when families make a big turkey with stuffing. On Thanksgiving, families make a big feast with lots of food including turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, corn, dinner rolls, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
This Thanksgiving is going to be different this year because of COVID. I’m really worried that there are going to be many cases of COVID in Arkansas. I’m worried because later today I went to an eye appointment and saw a lot of cars from Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Missouri, and Mississippi. People should not be going out during this pandemic. Other than that Thanksgiving is a lovely holiday. Interesting fact about Arkansas is it was forecasted to raise about 31.1 million turkeys this year.
~ Giselle Flores
Thanksgiving is a day for giving thanks. There are a few things that I am most thankful for. I’m very thankful for my family and friends, which is something that everyone says, but I feel that they have made a huge impact on my life. On Thanksgiving you should give thanks to the things that you don’t normally think about. This holiday helps you realize all of the things in life that you are truly thankful for.
This holiday is celebrated widely across the United States. Every year, millions of people visit their families and friends, having dinner and visiting. The traditional Thanksgiving dinner normally consists of turkey and dressing which are the mainly known foods. Thanksgiving is the celebration of thanks which every person should enjoy.
~ Kayleigh Draper
Thanksgiving is a national holiday in the United States, celebrating the Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together. The day is about being thankful, sharing, and being compassionate to one another. On Thanksgiving Day, many different foods are prepared. There is turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, casseroles, and a wide variety of vegetables. The many foods represent foods from both Native cultures and Pilgrim cultures. Turkey is a staple dish cooked on Thanksgiving. In the year 2020, 152.3 million turkeys were raised in six states across the U. S. On Thanksgiving Day, I think it is important to show, and talk about the things you are grateful for in life. I think we should learn to show our appreciation for things while we have them, because they will be gone one day.
In conclusion, I think that thanksgiving has a lot of meaning to it, and a lot you can teach people about the special holiday. It is important to enjoy the things you have in life, while you still have them, and make the most out of it.
~ Kholbi Austin
Every Thanksgiving my family and I get together, cook food, and play games. Usually we get a couple days out of school, too. This year will be different. We don’t want to risk anyone getting CoronaVirus, but it will still be good.
My family and I have a tradition where we go to the deer camp and have Thanksgiving dinner there. I don’t really have a big family, but I still enjoy it. Last year, one of my friends spent Thanksgiving with us because her parents went out of town. I’m going to miss seeing all my family this year, but it’s okay. I want everyone to be safe.
~ Alyson Dyer
Thanksgiving is a very Out of all the Thanksgiving holidays I’ve had throughout my 13 years of life, this year’s Thanksgiving has to be the worst. Usually every Thanksgiving day we all gather up and go to my grandmother’s house and have it there. But this year is very different from all those other years. This year we’re having Thanksgiving at our house, except that it’s just gonna be whoever lives in said house. No grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Just my family and I; it’s all because of Covid- 19.
My grandma is not cooking this year either. My grandma is one of the best cooks I know and I’m always excited for her food this time of year. But since the virus is still going around and getting worse, we have to cook everything ourselves and we can’t have anyone over. It’s going to be very difficult on Thanksgiving to not be able to see any of my family members but we have to go through time all around the country. This very special holiday is held on the fourth Thursday of every November each year. I personally very much so enjoy Thanksgiving and the amazing food that comes with it. Thanksgiving is the celebration of when the Pilgrims came to the “New World” and the Native Americans helped them settle and survive. Without their help, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be anything at all.
Friends and family gather ‘ round during the time of Thanksgiving. It gives us all a chance to step back and get a grasp on all the blessings we have. My birthday is the day after Thanksgiving, so it really is special this year. I get a chance to be with family two days in a row! Food is a very important part to any Thanksgiving celebration. Turkey is the most famous food of the Thanksgiving feast. I look forward to indulging myself in all the Thanksgiving cuisine that is to come. I hope that you have an amazing Thanksgiving and that you and your family are safe through this holiday.
~ Case Roseberry
Do you like celebrating Thanksgiving with your family? In most cases, Thanksgiving is a time where you celebrate a time of giving and enjoying your family’s company. Did you know the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 over a three- day harvest festival?
In my opinion, Thanksgiving is a time to be positive and grateful. I think that Thanksgiving is very special when everybody comes together to cook, laugh, and enjoy the food. There is a lot of history on Thanksgiving because in 1863 after a campaign for a national Thanksgiving day, in the United States during the 19th century, an American writer with the name of Sarah Josepha Hale finally won the support of President Abraham Lincoln, and he proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving.
Therefore, Thanksgiving is the busiest holiday of the year! I love to celebrate Thanksgiving with the ones I love and being able to enjoy the company that they bring. This year might be a little bit different than most since we do have to social distance and wear a mask. Have a safe Thanksgiving.
~ Rian Hughes
Thanksgiving is a day where you give thanks to the people you care about the most.
Thanksgiving is a holiday where people have a very big feast and sometimes some people watch football. I think this holiday is one of my favorite holidays because I get to eat the amount of cake I want and I get to watch Thursday night football games. Sometimes Thanksgiving can be bad because you can get very bad aches. I think Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays.
~ Jonavon Woodson
Out of all the Thanksgivings I’ve had throughout my 13 years of life, this year’s Thanksgiving has to be the worst. Usually every Thanksgiving day we all gather up and go to my grandmother’s house and have it there. However, this year is very different from all those other years. This year we’re having Thanksgiving at our house, except that it’s just gonna be whoever lives in said house. No grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles- just me and my family; it’s all because of Covid- 19.
My grandma is not cooking this year either. My grandma is one of the best cooks I know, and I’m always excited for her food this time of year. But since the virus is still going around and getting worse, we have to cook everything ourselves and we can’t have anyone over. It’s going to be very difficult on Thanksgiving to not be able to see any of my family members, but we have to go through with it.
~ Chay’lee O’Brian
Thanksgiving is coming up soon and this year the holidays will be very different for everyone. With all that is going on in the world right now many people are not going to have their normal Thanksgiving celebration. Although, I think Thanksgiving is a very important holiday for everyone. Thanksgiving is about giving thanks, being grateful and being with your family. I think everyone should be with their families during this time of year.
The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 by the pilgrims. They were celebrating and good harvest they had that fall. Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving the last thursday in November. When President Franklin Roosevelt became president he changed Thanksgiving to the 4th Thursday in November. Arkansas is also the second state to have forecasted to raise the most turkeys in 2020. I think Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays of the year to celebrate with your family.
~ Reese Dedman
Thanksgiving is usually a special holiday for my family, but this year will be different. Usually, my family and I go to my mom’s dad’s house first and then we go to her mom’s house, but thanks to Covid, we don’t get to do that this year. My aunt just got over Covid so we don’t get to go to my papa’s house this year. My great grandma just turned 90 and I don’t get to see her that much anymore since I am around so many people at school.
This year we don’t get to go to my gram’s house so that we can keep my great grandma safe. I understand that we have to keep our families safe, but it is very sad that we won’t get to spend Thanksgiving together. I hope by Christmas things are better and we can spend that together. This year has been very different, but we can start new traditions and have just as much fun as any year.
Even though we can’t go to my grandparent’s houses this year, I can still spend time with my immediate family. My mom is going to cook and we are going to spend Thanksgiving at our house. The bright side of this is that we don’t have to do so much running around!
It can be very stressful when we are having to figure out when we have to leave, so we can make it to the other grandparent’s house on time and having to leave in the middle of having a good time. Even when the world is going down, there is always an upside to it and that is something we have to remember during times like these.
Thanksgiving is about giving thanks and appreciating what you have. I am thankful for my family. Even though I can’t see them all this year, I know they are supporting me and wanting me to do my very best in school, sports, and life - like any other time. Which reminds me, I am thankful for my athletic ability because it keeps me busy.
I am thankful for my great grandma, she has learned a lot in her 90 years, and I am thankful she is still around to teach me those things. She is very wise and a great woman to look up to.
I am also thankful for Ms. James because unlike some teachers, she not only makes class fun, but she also teaches me a lot. We need more teachers like Ms. James because she actually cares about what she does, and she wants everyone of her students to succeed.
I have a lot to be thankful for this year even when it seems like there’s not a lot of good in the world, and I think more people need to realize that. Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you stay safe and have a wonderful break!
~ Bailee Bozeman
One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving; it brings families and friends together. The holiday was first celebrated in 1621, with the pilgrims and the early settlers. They had a 3- day feast that celebrated a harvest, this brought the pilgrims and the early settlers together. The holiday first became a holiday on October 3, 1863, by Abraham Lincoln. Later on, Franklin Rosevelt made Thanksgiving be on the fourth Thursday of the month. This holiday became a huge success, and it led to town names by the main dish at Thanksgiving.
The food that we mostly have in turkey, but people don’t know if they had that at the first thanksgiving. Things that have changed over the years are the food that is served, we now have a parade, and many more things. This holiday has been around for a very long time but a lot of things have changed. We still celebrate the same way with family and friends, but we might do some things a little differently. Also, the first Thanksgiving was a 3- day feast, but today it is usually celebrated only on one day.
~ Lainee Burnett