2020 has been a very different year. We have experienced things that no one deserves to go through. We were trapped inside for months, and came outside to witness protests and riots. We spent WAY too much time with our families. We found out what true boredom was as we desperately tried to entertain ourselves.

Even now, the sanity of the world hangs by a single thread. We hold our breaths in anticipation of the next life-changing catastrophe. We can go back to school, but still can’t see the faces of our friends. In spite of all of the turmoil around us, we can still find gratitude. Students wrote short essays, communicating how they felt about a very different Thanksgiving, and told us about what they were grateful for. Even though our world has changed, gratitude still connects us all.

Madison Cortes

Hi. my name is Madison Cortes, and I am an 8th grader at Dobie Jr. High. This Thanksgiving, I’d like to say that I’m grateful for my best friend. Even though she and I have been through our ups and downs with our friendship, she’s gone out of her way to be there for me no matter what. It’s rare for people to do that for me so I appreciate everything that she’s done for me. When I first met my best friend, she and I never really bonded, but then a few months passed and we started getting used to each other. Next thing you know, we just began to hang out constantly!

I’ve made so many memories with her and I want to continue to make more memories with her. She has made an extremely huge impact in my life! There is not another person I can name that has actually shown their love towards me. Considering all the times she and I have been mean to each other, I still care for her no matter what.

Her and I have drifted apart a few times, mostly because I live two hours away from her. It’s very hard for me to go see her especially with all this coronavirus stuff. I want her to know that I would do anything and everything I can  for us to stay friends because she’s been there for me longer than anyone else. Throughout our friendship, I’ve thought of her as a sister because I can be my true self around her. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great Thanksgiving break!

Emily Peterson

Hello. My name is Emily Peterson and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy because I am so excited for the break! I hope to have a good time during the break and I hope everyone else will too.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my mom.The reasons why I am grateful for her include: she always helps me with my school work, she is always there for me, and finally she does all the house work and tries to be the best mom in the world. During online learning she was rushing to each room because all of my siblings needed her at once. She did get stressed out but she still helped us and pushed though every day.

I am also thankful for school because lots of people can’t go to school. Also, I know how hard online school is, and how you get stressed out. I think an education is important because it helps you get a good job. A good job means money, and you need money to get water, a house, and more. I am really glad that I can be in a classroom and have books and new supplies. COVID did change schools, and, for a while, the privilege of going to school was taken away. I am really happy that we can be back in school!

Thank you, Mom. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Emily Peterson , 7th grade

Sophie Hooper

Hello. My name is Sophie Hooper and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling excited because I am really happy for a break, and for  time with family!. 

The person whom I am most grateful for is my mom. The main reason why I am grateful for my mom is that she takes care of me and my sister all by herself. She’s very independent and she works really hard to make sure everyone’s happy. My mom is the type of person to throw herself in front of a moving car to save someone else’s life. She puts her feelings last and others first. 

I really appreciate the fact that my mom lets me form my own opinions on different things. She lets me express myself through my clothes and what I think looks good. She always tries to see the good side of things and she’s a really positive and pure person. I aspire to be as sweet and giving as her one day.

Thank you, Mom! Happy Thanksgiving!♡

— Sophie Hooper, 7th grade

Jayla Wallis

Hello. My name is Jayla Wallis and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy because I get to see my favorite cousin Kobe!

The people who I am the most grateful for are my best friends. One of the reasons that I am grateful for them is hanging out with them every Friday. We go to Starbucks and get drinks, and we stay there all evening. We also like to take walks and blast music. My besties are what keep me going in my life. I love them so much.

Thank you, da boys. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Jayla Wallis 7th grade 

Daniel Hinojos

Hello. My name is Daniel Hinojos and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy because I get to see my whole family, and I get to play with my puppy and dog. 

The person whom I am most grateful for is not  a human, but rather my pug. I am grateful for her because she acts silly and it’s really funny. I’m also grateful for my mom, my dad, my sister, and my big old puppy.

I’m grateful for my parents because they always cook and it’s really good. My sister is probably my favorite person in the world because she’s really funny (surprisingly) and she helps me with lots of things. My two dogs are the best on the list because they always play together and I just watch. It’s kinda weird because I don’t know why a Giant dog is playing with a 2 month pug but it’s really cute.

Thank you, Family.Happy Thanksgiving!

–Daniel Hinojos, 8th grade

Leah Bryant

Hello. My name is Leah Bryant, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy because I get to spend lots of time with my family and friends during the week off from school.         

The people who I am most grateful for are my family. I am grateful for my family because they give me support, love, and a unique, beautiful life. I’m also grateful to have a roof over my head, shoes on my feet, a bed to rest, a loving family to feast with, and a blessing to peace and love on our planet Earth.

Thank you, my loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Leah Bryant, 8th grade

Jacob Holguin

Hello. My name is Jacob Holguin, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy because I can spend Thanksgiving relaxing with my family. 

 The person whom I am most grateful for is my mom. I am grateful for my mom because she is the one who actually cared for me and took care of me as a kid. She is also the nicest person I have ever met, so I am very grateful to spend all of this year and the next with her.

Thank you, Ma. Happy Thanksgiving, and to many more!

–Jacob Holguin, 8th grade

Samantha Swift

Hello. My name is Samantha Swift, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy and nervous. 

The people whom I am most grateful for are my family (grandparents, siblings, and parents).

I am grateful for my parents because they are always by my side, they work extremely hard, they care for me and my sibling, they never fail to make me laugh and smile, they go out of their way for everyone, they always make me feel loved, and so much more.

The people I can count on the very most in the world are my parents, and this Thanksgiving, the ones before and the ones after, I will continue to remember how extremely lucky I am to have them.

Thank you, family. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Samantha Swift, 7th grade

Alexandria Paulson

Hello. My name is Alexandria Paulson, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy and a little sad, because not everyone in my family can make it due to the pandemic. 

The person whom I am most grateful for is my mom. I am grateful for my mom because she works really hard, and cares a lot for my brother and I..

She tries her best to listen to us, and helps us whenever we need her .She’s hard working,resilient, and very kind. I know I am very lucky to have her as my mother.

Thank you, Mom. Happy Thanksgiving!

–Alex Paulson, 8th grade  

Kendra Hinze

Hello. My name is Kendra Hinze, and I am a 7th grader at J.Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling thankful because of all the love I get from my family.The person whom I am most grateful for is my sister. I am grateful for my sister because she is always there for me when I’m unhappy. I don’t know why, but she always has this positive vibe going. She makes me feel special.

Andrew Whittenberg

Hello. My name is Andrew Whittenberg, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling excited. 

The people who I am most grateful for are my family. who support me in what I do in the past,  present and future. I am grateful for my family because many of them have served in the military, they make the best food, and they care about each other.

We gather together for family events in El Paso. We make Hispanic food (my personal favorite), and we talk to each other when things are going on in our lives. When my family comes to my cousin and I’s  football games, they cheer us on and make shirts for the games. That’s how much my family loves each other.  

Thank you to my family. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Andrew Whittenberg, 7th grade

Joaquin Martinez

Hi my name is Joaquin Martinez, and I’m an 8th grader at Dobie Junior High. The person that I’m most thankful to is my Grandmother because she makes the best Thanksgiving turkey and is extremely nice and caring in every way. 

I would also like to thank my mom for helping me get past my weaknesses and road blocks, as she has helped me carry on my passion for basketball and make me the person that I am today. She also takes good care of me and makes sure that I’m safe of any harm that gets in my way.

I am grateful for both of them because they have made my life easier in spite of the sadness that I’ve been through. My aunt passed away 3 years ago, my close friend was killed in a car crash a year after my aunt passed. It is just hard living in a world like this, but as long as I have those 2 by my side, I can focus on the things that I love to do best and toss away that sadness inside my brain

Thank you, Mom and Grandma and Happy Thanksgiving!!

–Joaquin Martinez, 8th grade

Louis Hainaj

Hello. My name is Louis Hainaj and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy and grateful. 

The people whom I am most grateful for are my family. The reasons why I am grateful for my family include: they have been with me since the beginning , they have cared for me since the beginning and they have fought for me since the beginning 

The reason I am grateful for these things is it’s one of the only things that I can be grateful for. My family are the only people I can count on for focusing on the whole picture. So thank you for being my family.

Thank you, Everyone. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Louis Hainaj, 8th Grade

Miriam Argenal

Hello. My name is Miriam Argenal and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling excited.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my grandma. She has always been a huge part of my life and always will be. She’s always been a very calm and caring person and I am very grateful that I have her in my life.

She also makes really good food. 

Thank you to my grandma. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Miriam Argenal, 8th grade

Aaron McDaniel

Hello. My name is Aaron McDaniel and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling very excited and grateful. 

The person whom I am most grateful for is my Grandpa. The reasons why I am grateful for him include: He has always been very nice to me, he tells me all kinds of cool stories and we hang out a lot when my family goes to visit him.

When my family visits my grandparents, on Saturdays, my grandpa and I go to eat breakfast together at a place called Rancho Grande. I’d help him out sometimes when he’s working on his old Mustang, or his old Dodge Ram. Before his dog died, me and my grandpa would go on walks with her.

— Aaron McDaniel, 8th grade

Brenna Bentley

Hello! My name is Brenna Bentley and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy about a lot of things. I get to go to Tennessee with my grandparents and “house family” to see my aunt, uncle, and cousin. I know there is going to be a lot of food, laughter, fun, and games. 

The people whom I am most grateful for are my family and friends. I don’t want to name anyone in specific because I am grateful for all of the people who have helped me become a better person. I have a lot of great memories, especially around this time of year when everyone likes to get fat from a lot of food. 

Thank you to all of my family and friends! Happy Thanksgiving!

–Brenna Bentley, 8th grade

Marisol Guerrero

Hello. My name is Marisol Guerrero and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling grateful that I get to spend Thanksgiving with my family. I’m not going anywhere but I am hoping that my friend can come over and watch the movie version of the book we’re reading. 

The person whom I am most grateful for is my best friend, Kaitlyn. The reasons why I am grateful for Kaitlyn are that we never argue about anything, she has trusted me with many of her secrets and I’m extremely grateful that she trusts me so much with her secrets. One last thing that I’m grateful for is that she never stopped talking to me.

A few years ago when we both still lived in South Carolina, she never argued with me about who I choose to be friends with, I would never tell her secrets to anyone because she trusts me and I would never want to break her trust. When I moved to Texas I lost many friends, only a few remained my friend and Kaitlyn was one of them. Even though she lives in Washington she is still the greatest person I’ll ever meet, nobody can replace her or our midnight FaceTime calls.

Thank you, Kaitlyn. Happy Thanksgiving!

–Marisol Guerrero, 7th grade

Francesca Medici

Hello. My name is Francesca Medici, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy and extremely grateful for all the blessings I have.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my dad. The reasons why I am grateful for my dad is that he is very strong. He has been through a lot including family issues and mental health issues but is and has conquered them and is working towards being a better father and a better human in general. He was deployed in Afghanistan in 2014 for about 9 months. He was a captain in the Army and also served in the Marine Corp. I love him so much and to this day helps me through every day. Having done many things with lots of knowledge and experience, I know I can always trust him. Knowing that there are lots of people all over the world that don’t have great parents or parents at all, makes me feel very fortunate for the blessings I do have.

Thank you, Dad. Happy Thanksgiving!

Gabriel Salanguit

Hello my name is Gabriel Salanguit, I am in seventh grade, and I am thankful for Grandfather, he is the person who taught me how to not be indoors all day doing nothing. He encourages me to  go outside and explore. My grandfather taught me how to fish, how to build things, and much more. I also really love going to his cabin in Wisconsin, because it is a secluded arm house in the back of the woods, and it’s really fun to get away from normal life for a while. 

Thanks Grandpa Johnson, Happy thanksgiving 

–Gabriel Salanguit 7th grade 

Emily Montes

Hello! My name is Emily Montes, I am in eighth grade and I am thankful for a lot of things. Mostly I am grateful for my friends, they always make me happier and get me through school and quarantine. They help me enjoy life and without them I would be a hot mess. Without playing games, watching shows, and simply talking to them I would not be able to get through the school week, so thank you to them.

Thank you to my friends, Happy Thanksgiving

–Emily Montes

 Kaelyn Baughman

Hello. My name is Kaelyn Baughman and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling homesick.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my best friend, Kylie. I am grateful for her because she was there for me, and she understood me when nobody else did. She makes me feel unconditionally loved. Thank you, Kylie, for being my motivation.

I will never forget the nights that we stayed up way too late, laughing until  our stomachs hurt, and telling each other everything. I miss peppering with you in the cold, San Jacinto gym. Those floors we fell on way too many times because it was so slippery. I miss you more everyday.

Thank you, Kylie. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Kaelyn Baughman,8th grade

Savannah Peña 

Hello. My name is Savannah Peña and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling sad.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my mom. The reasons why I am grateful for my mom include, she helps me with everything and anything. She’s there to talk and listen, also she is amazing and smart and she’s so beautiful.

When I need to talk she’s there for me. She and I talk almost every night about our days and stories. We get in arguments sometimes but we forgive each other. Without her in my world my sisters and I wouldn’t be the same. She has taught us so many things and she teaches us about life. She’s amazing!

Thank you,Mom. Happy Thanksgiving!

From Savannah Peña, 7th grade,

Sydnee Davis

Hello my name is Sydnee Davis. I am an eighth grader, and I am thankful for my mom. She is wonderful in every way possible. My mom is my number one supporter. I have never met anyone so loving and caring before in my life. This woman is every

thing I want to be when I grow up. When I grow up I want my mom’s kindness, I want her happiness, her thoughtfulness, her ability to care about people’s feelings, I want her inability to care about what people think about her, and her amazing and hilarious personality. Even though we may not always see eye to eye she is my rock and I wouldn’t give that up for the world. She’s the one human being that can put up with me for more than 24 hours. That’s why I’m incredibly grateful for my mom. The only thing I want to be when I grow up is an amazing mother like her. Happy Thanksgiving.

–Sydnee Davis 8 grade 

Mya Rose

Hello. My name is Mya Rose, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling grateful for all the wonderful people in my life. I’m thankful for being alive, having the ability to touch, and being able to feel joy and pleasure. Like Maya Angelou said, “ I can walk like I got oil wells pumping in my living room. I can laugh like I got gold mines digging in my own backyard.” The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou, by Maya Angelou, Random House, 1994, pp. 2–2. All this is possible because of one person .  

The person whom I am most grateful for is my best friend Genevieve. Genevieve has always been with me through thick and thin, ugly and uglier, has loved me at my worst and also loves me for me. She helps me through my struggles, and struggles I didn’t even know were struggles. She has helped me with projects, assignments, love life problems, friendship problems etc ….  She has listened to all my rants and random things. She has done weird things with me. She lets me be weird and I don’t have to worry if I talk too much or if I’m too weird. If she wants space she’s lying if she is using me. I like Genevieve because she is fun sized, she has a big personality, she gave me a nickname ( I usually hate nicknames but I like hers ), and she has a nickname, She has her own opinions that are similar to mine. We criticize each other, but we also complement each other 

Thank you, Genevieve. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Mya Rose, 7th grade

Taylor Duncan

Hello. My name is Taylor Duncan,  and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy and very excited about this holiday! 

The people that I am most grateful for are my parents. I am grateful for my parents because they give me an amazing home. They also give me (mostly) everything I want, and they give me an amazing family to come home to every day.

I love that my parents are so supportive and loving! I am so lucky to have such great people in my life!

Thank you, Mom and Dad. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Taylor Duncan, 7th grade.

A’Nya Williams

Hello. My name is A’Nya Williams, and I am a 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling excited because I get to see more family.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my dad. The reasons why I am grateful for my dad include: work, my needs, and my wants.

He goes to work every day to provide for me and my family. He gives us everything we need, like a roof over our heads, clothes, food, and more. He also gives us most of the stuff we want, like pets, new shoes, toys, games, everything like that.

Thank you, Dad. Happy Thanksgiving!

–A’Nya Williams, 8th grade

Isabel Mendoza

Hello. My name is Isabel Mendoza, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy and grateful to spend time with my family. 

The people who I am most grateful for are my parents. I am grateful for my parents because they have been by my side for so many years. My parents have provided me with love and happiness.

I am also grateful for my brother this Thanksgiving because he cheers me up when I am down.

I am grateful and thankful for my brother because he is supportive, loving, and caring.

Thank you, Mom, Dad, and Manuel. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Isabel Mendoza, 7th grade)

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Torrin Cottman

Hello. My name is Torrin Cottman, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling grateful because I’m going to Georgia to see my grandma.

The people I am most grateful for are my mom, my dad,  my brother Channing, and my family. I am grateful for my family because they take care of me and love me.

I fit in with my family. I feel accepted for my differences. They help and protect me from danger. They make sure I am okay. 

Thank you, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving!

Torrin Cottman, 7th grade

Jordan Neskora

Hello. My name is Jordann Neskora, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I get to go to Cancun for thanksgiving. 

The person whom I am most grateful for is Hillary (my mom) and Randy (my mom’s boyfriend) . I am grateful for my mom and her boyfriend because they spend a lot of time with my siblings and I, and they always try to make us happy. 

I have only known Randy for less than a year ,but he has always made sure we’re happy and having fun. On Monday this week, we were putting together shelves for our garage and Randy accidentally stepped on my toe. He said sorry so many times and tried making me laugh. After that, I got ice cream for helping and all was well.

Thank you, Mom and Randy. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Jordann Neskora, 7th grade

Kai Watson

Hello, my name is Kai Watson. I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School.
I am grateful this Thanksgiving because I am going to get the chance to spend time with my family.

I am thankful for my family because they all support and love me through whatever I am
struggling with or going through. I don’t even know what I would do without them.

I don’t get to see most of them too often because they live in a different city. But when I do
get the chance to visit, I’m usually very excited.

Thank you. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

— Kai Watson

Natalie Brown

Hello. My name is Natalie Brown, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling weird about Thanksgiving. I don’t know what we’re going to do for it, and that worries me a bit. We usually go to my Nana and Pappy’s house and eat and watch the bowl game and hang out, but we might not do that this year. I haven’t heard anything about Thanksgiving from my parents, but I am still excited for it.  

The person whom I am most grateful for is my sister Kara. I am grateful for her because she’s so sweet and funny and helps me get through my problems. She’s very sarcastic and I love helping her because she makes it fun.

Once when I was making chocolate cookies with her and she took out the pumpkin spice from the cabinet and dumped a bunch into the batter. “No one will notice it’s gone.” she said grinning evilly.

The cookies tasted a lot better.

Thank you, Kara. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Natalie Brown, 7th grade

Mia de la Cruz

Hello. My name is Mia de la Cruz and I’m in 8th grade at Dobie Jr High. This Thanksgiving, I’m feeling grateful that I get to spend time with my family. 

The people who I am most grateful for are my family. I am grateful for them because even through thick and thin, they’ll always be there for me. I’m lucky to even have them and be able to see both sets of my family.

I am also grateful for my family because they’ll always be with me, even if they’re really annoying at times. But, we’ll always support each other and be there when needed.

Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!

–Mia de la Cruz, 8th grade

Jordan Haynie

Hello. My name is Jordan Haynie and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling excited. 

The people whom I am most grateful for are my grandparents. The reasons why I am grateful for them include: they are still alive, my grandpa makes good food, and my grandma takes me places

My grandpa is a good cook and the only time I get to eat real food is when I go to their house. At my house we just have fast food. My grandma always takes me to the movie theater or to go get ice cream. It’s fun to go places with her.

Another thing I’m grateful for is my dog. He’s fluffy, cuddly, and very cute. He follows me around and likes to jump on people’s laps and lick them. Even though getting licked all over by a dog isn’t my favorite thing, I let him do it 

anyway.

Thank you, grandparents and my doggie. Happy Thanksgiving! 

— Jordan Haynie, 8th grade

Emma Salinas

Hello. My name is Emma Salinas and I am a 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling grateful.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my sister. The reasons why I am grateful for my sister include: her company, her laugh, and her everything.

I am grateful for her company because every time I’m bored, I just go upstairs and time just flies. Her laugh makes me laugh and there are times where we just look at each other and without saying anything we just laugh. I just love everything about her. She is one of the reasons that I like to wake up and start a new day.

Thank you, Bella . Happy Thanksgiving!

— Emma Salinas, 8th grade

Arie Miller

 Hi my name is Arie Miller and I am in 8th grade at Dobie. This Thanksgiving I’m feeling sad and grateful.

I am thankful for my best friend Bella, my family, and God.

I am thankful for my best friend because she’s always there when I need her, supporting me, and she helps me get stronger in my walk with God. She’s like a big sister to me and I love her so much! I am so grateful for God for giving me life, providing for me, loving me unconditionally, and placing amazing people and things in my life. And lastly, I’m thankful for my family for always being there for me and supporting me.

Love you guys! Happy Thanksgiving!

–Arie Miller, 8th grade

Jescilla Godines

Hello. My name is Jescilla Godines and I am an 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling very blessed to have everything that I Have 

The people whom I am most grateful for are my parents and siblings.

The reasons why I am grateful for my family include: They push me to do my best and achieve my goals, they check up on me a lot, they make sure I’m doing my best, feeling good, and being loving . Obviously my siblings love me in a different way than my parents do but they get it across and I love them.

Thank you, Family. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Jescilla Godines 7th grade

Michaile Todd

Hello. My name is Michaile Todd and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling thankful for my family.

The people whom I am most grateful for are my dad and stepmom. The reasons why I am grateful for my dad include: He is very supportive of my sisters and I. My dad works really hard to provide and make sure my sisters and I have a great childhood. My dad is always helping my sisters and I to be the best we can be. I am grateful for my stepmom because she is always there for my sisters and I. She always gives good advice. She can be hard on my sisters and I but we know it’s because she wants the best for us. My stepmom is very loving and she is one of the best people in my life. 

Thank you, family. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Michaile Todd, 8th grade

Aaliyah Limon

Hello. My name is Aaliyah Limon and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling thankful for my family.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my brother. The reasons I am grateful for my brother include: he’s always there for me. Sometimes he could be a little annoying but I’d rather have him there for me than nobody. He always makes sure that him and I get some time to play each day.  He is 4 years old. I’m super excited to share this Thanksgiving with him and the rest of my family and friends. 

My brother can bug me sometimes, but he always looks out for me. He helps me remember my own childhood. 

Thank you, Evan and have a wonderful thanksgiving!

–Aaliyah Limon, 8th grade

Alison Boening

Hello. My name is Alison Boening and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling very pleased. No one in my family has gotten sick, and we will be celebrating in a semi-normal way.

I am honestly grateful for everyone in my life right now, but I would like to highlight a group of people that have been especially important to me this year. I became close with these four girls at church this year, and I could never imagine my life without them. Only one of them goes to Dobie, because the other three live in Schertz, in San Antonio, and Arkansas. 

I love all of them for different reasons. One of them is good to talk to, one of them enjoys Star Wars like I do, one of them brings lots of joy and chaos to my life, and one of them is one of the most loyal people you could ever meet.

All in all, I would like to say thank you to Jordan, Masyn, Aubrey, and Mallory. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Alison Boening, 8th grade                                                             

Darby Perdue

Hello. My name is Darby Perdue and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling very blessed and thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. I am also feeling happy that I will be getting a little break from school!

The people whom I am most grateful for are all of my family and friends. The reasons why I am grateful for all of my family and friends are because they are, and have always been there for me when I needed them the most in my life. They are all amazing people, and I care about all of them a whole lot.

If I have ever been let down or didn’t feel good about something, my best friends were always there to make me feel better. My family has always been there for me and I love them very much.

Thank you to all of my family and friends! Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

— Darby Perdue, 8th grade

Isabella Grudle

Hello. My name is Isabella Grudle, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy about the break that we’re going to have.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my best friend, Zeriah. I am grateful for he because she makes me laugh all the time by being stupid, and she puts up with my annoyingness. She cares for me,makes sure I’m okay, and does anything for me even when I’m being super unreasonable. She’s been there for me for about 2 years and I just wanted to thank her for dealing with me and making me laugh all the time. Even when we’re fighting, she’s  always been there with me.

Thank you, Riah. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Isabella Grudle , 8th grade

Samantha Longbine

Hello. My name is Samantha Longbine, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy about the long break that we are going to have and all the extra sleep and food I’m going to have.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my best friend, Brooklyn Davis . I am grateful for her because she always makes my day better and she always makes me laugh when I’m feeling down. 

Brooklyn is the best friend anyone could ever ask for.She’s so caring and would do anything for you. Brooklyn can act stupid sometimes but its only for you to make you laugh. Brooklyn is the type of person that you can count on to tell you the truth and the whole truth no matter if it hurts your feelings. Brooklyn has always been there for me. and that’s why she’s my best friend 

Thank you, Brooklyn. Happy Thanksgiving!

–Samantha Longbine, 8th grade

Joshua Corn

Hello. My name is Joshua Corn,  and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because when the weather starts getting cooler, we can build campfires in the backyard, and hang out with friends and family without sweating to death. 

The person whom I am most grateful is impossible to decide because there are many people. 

But, if I had to choose, it would be my father, because he takes his experiences and his knowledge and gives it to me to make me better throughout my future.  

Thank you, Dad. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Joshua Corn, 8th grade

Lindalba Navarro Moraga

Hello. My name is Lindalba Navarro Moraga, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. For this coming Thanksgiving day , I am feeling like it’ll be no different from any other Thanksgiving day : nothing… It’ll just be the usual day, but with a hyped up dinner. We’ll cook food, set the table, give thanks, and eat the food. All that, but with fancy clothes… 

Oh, and, it can’t be a Thanksgiving dinner without having your dad telling you to pose for pictures and pretend you’re all a happy family so they can later post it to Facebook to claim that “we reek of perfect happiness” .

Then, you might laugh at something. Like when your brother mistakes hot sauce for ketchup or something, because you then realize how dumb he must be to even get ketchup when he can’t even tolerate it . Your mom might say something funny, or instead insult you in front of whom you call your family. Maybe she meant to tease you, so out of embarrassment or for the sake of peace you laugh it off, “It was nothing.”

The time of awkward silence arises from a family of four who all fail to perform their jobs as a piece of now lost puzzle, their pride over takes their silence breaking out of character and starting what you would call a verbal quarrel. It’s the little things though, that build this up. Sort of like leaving  a trail of breadcrumbs, when out on an expedition. You put ‘em there so you can find your way back but when you look, they’re gone. That’s when it occurs to you that maybe bread crumbs weren’t the right choice of markers, that they weren’t permanent.  Oh, the irony. You find yourself lost with no way of getting back to where you started. You made rash decisions, didn’t think it through and now you are where you are. ‘If only I’d thought it through,’ you wonder, but then you come to realize that you brought along your annoying brother with your mother and your father who never wasted a chance not to record the trip. You now know he caught it all on tape, so there’s still a way to find your way back. Thus, hope is not yet lost. A mistake was surely made, breadcrumb-wise, but without an extra pair of people, maybe you’d still be lost.

The verbal quarrel ends, as we all realize we’ve spoken rashly without thinking it through. Apologies are not yet given as our sense of pride is too big to give up, but like everything we’ll get there. It’s just a step-by-step process. 

The people who I am most grateful for are my family. I am grateful for my family because they keep me company. When I am with them, I know I am not alone. Things might get lonely when there are disagreements and feelings get hurt, but time heals everything. So, I understand that the things that I, at the time, disagreed with were for my own good. Family is the only type of people who you can dislike, but also love and die for. Not the same goes for everyone of course. I know there are people who do not possess love with their family. I know there are people who don’t even get that chance, which is why I know that I am fortunate to have a family who cares for me. Like life often shows us, there are ups and downs, but, like in the end of most movies, good always overpowers evil. I might get mad, we all might, but in the end, our love to hate ratio concludes more of love, even though in our eyes it might not seem at times. 

Conclusion: This Thanksgiving day will only be as good as the moods brought into it, and as good as the moods leaving it. As it all lies in who we decide to be and how we decide to act alongside each other. Meaning, this Thanksgiving day will be: something…

Thank you, my dearest family members for not wanting me dead. Happy Thanksgiving!

–Lindalba NM, 8th grade

Bryanna Avila

Hello. My name is Bryanna Avila, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling kinda nervous because I don’t usually talk much about what I’m thankful for. However, there are many things that I appreciate in my life, and I’m very glad to have such nice people in my life. Life can be the most cruel thing in the world, but you aren’t the only one who feels and deals with the pain. You are never alone, and there is always someone who cares about you. 

The person whom I am most grateful for is my older sister Alicia. Alicia is the best person I can talk to and hang out with. Even though she can sometimes be a pain in the butt, she’s still my sister. She’s really awesome, cool, funny, beautiful and just a good person. Alicia can be very scary when she’s angry, but it’s funny for some reason. 

Alicia is very fun to hang out with, and I’m glad she’s my sister. Alicia has helped me a lot with many things in my life, and I really appreciate her for that. I also appreciate when she takes me out for food, and she’s the most relatable person I know. I can always count on her, and I can always trust her (almost), but I still love her. 

She’s still an idiot though :)))

Thank you, Alicia. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Bryanna Avila, 8th grade

Aja Garner

Hello. My name is Aja Garner, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling happy because I will get some time off and I will be able to spend time with my family and friends.

The people who I am most grateful for are my parents. I am grateful for my parents because of what they do for our family. They provide for us, spend time with us, and help us everyday. My parents have always been there for me, even in my darkest times, and I really appreciate that. Even though we may fight sometimes, I really do care about them. 

I am also grateful for my sister, who makes my day a lot more bearable. She makes me laugh and smile almost every second I’m with her. I have never met someone as funny and smart as my sister, and I look to her for many of my problems. I know my life would be a lot more boring without her. 

Lastly, I am grateful for my pets, who are surprisingly good friends. Although there is an obvious big difference between me and them, I love them a lot. My pets have always been a big part of my childhood, and slowly growing up with them made an almost unbreakable bond between us. I wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.

Thank you, family. Happy Thanksgiving!

–Aja Garner, 7th grade

Kyden Wiley

Hello my name is Kyden Wiley. I am in the 8th grade, and I go to Dobie Jr. High. This Thanksgiving, I am very excited to be with all of my family and their friends. We have big plans this year to have the most fun possible.

One person who I am very thankful for is my mother. I am most thankful for her because she has helped me get used to this school and the upcoming years. We have been through ups and downs but we still love each other at the end of the day. We always have been there for each other and I thank her for that. 

I am also thankful for my step dad and my brother, because they have helped me throughout life when I have needed them. I love both of them very much, and even though they have work, we still always will have time to spend together. They have really helped me develop into who I am today.

The last people I am thankful for are my pets. I am thankful to have them in my life. Not only are they companions, but they are my best friends. We always go outside and play, and it’s the greatest thing ever. It also helps out with cardio. Thank you guys for being in my life and I love you all

Thank you all, Happy Thanksgiving! 

–Kyden Wiley

Braelyn Thornton

Hello. My name is Braelyn Thornton, and I am a 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling excited for the Thanksgiving break. I finally get to sleep in and not worry about if my work is turned in.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my mom. She does so much for my brother and I. She cares so much and always puts on a smile in hard times. She always makes the times when my family is together fun and memorable by playing games with us, taking us to the forum, and watching movies with us. We can’t always be together, but she tries to create the most of the time we have. I love you mom. 

Thank you, Mom. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Braelyn Thornton, 8th grade

Masyn Caramello

Hello. My name is Masyn Caramello, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling very blessed.

The person whom I am most grateful for is my mom.

My mom is always there for me. She is so selfless, and is always putting me and my brothers’ needs before her own. Every morning, she gets up early to make sure we have breakfast and get out the door on time so we aren’t late for school. She also drives my brothers and I everywhere we need to go. On top of all of that, she balances her position in our church’s women’s ministry and runs her own business. I love my mom so much, and I’m so grateful for all that she does for me.

Thank you, Mom. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Masyn Caramello, 8th grade

Caylin Dukes

Hello. My name is Cailyn Dukes, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling calm.

The people who I am most grateful for are my grandma and grandpa. The reasons why I am grateful for my grandma and grandpa include:they took me in, made me responsible and gave me clothes, shelter and food.

I lived with my parents until I was 8. My mother wasn’t stable and I won’t get into details. I was in a really bad place, and my siblings and I needed our grandparents badly.  If it weren’t for them, I don’t know where we would be.  We probably wouldn’t even be in school.

Thank you, Nana and Papa. Happy Thanksgiving!

–Sincerely, your one and only Cailyn Dukes, 7th grade

Bryleigh Snellgrove

Hi. My name is Bryleigh Snellgrove. I am a 7th grader at Dobie Jr. High School, and I am grateful for my mom and dad. They always look at the bright side of every problem, always show love, and are always there for my brother and sister and I.  My parents work really hard for us, and I am so thankful for them. My dad works really hard  to provide for us even though he’s had a back surgery. My mom is always having to deal with my siblings and I wearing her down. My parents show that they care for me. They have helped me throughout each and every of my problems, and I have no words for how much they do/care for me.

Thank you, Mom and Dad. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Bryleigh, 7th grade

Daisy Hillyer

Hi, my name is Daisy Hillyer. I’m in 7th grade at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High. This Thanksgiving, I’m excited for the break.  I’m thankful for my grandparents. I’m thankful for them because they help me through hard times, even in school. They help me with homework and projects if I struggle to understand what they’re about, or if I struggle to understand a certain part. They have always been there for me when I need help, so I want to say, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

Thank you, Grandma and Grandpa. Happy Thanksgiving

–Daisy Hillyer, 7th Grade

Ailany Rivera

Hello. My name is Ailany Rivera, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling excited because we have such a big family and we make really good food.

The people who I am most grateful for are my parents. I am grateful for them because they are always there for me when I need them, and are extremely supportive. They also push me to do my best in life. I honestly have no idea what I’d do without them.

Thank you, Mom and Dad. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Ailany Rivera, 8th grade

Isabel Cuadrado-Jeffries

Hello, my name is Isabel Cuadrado-Jeffries, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling OK.

The person whom I am thankful for is my oldest friend Ximena Padilla. I am grateful for her because she makes me feel happy when I’m sad, she cheers me up, and she makes me feel like I can be myself around her. She has helped me through many hard times, even if she doesn’t know it.

Thank you, Ximena. Happy Thanksgiving!

Austin Hermanowciz

Hello. My name is Austin Hermanowciz, and I am a 7th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling pretty good.

I am grateful for my mother. I’m grateful for her because she works from home, so she can stay home with my brother and I and still be productive. She’s also very nice to my brother and I, and sometimes teaches us how to cook certain foods and meals.

Thank you, Mom. Happy Thanksgiving!

 — Austin Hermanowicz, 7th grade

Ariel Marquez

Hello. My name is Ariel Marquez, and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. The people who I am most grateful for are my parents. I am grateful for my parents because they cook for me, care for me, and buy me things out of nowhere, which makes me feel all giddy inside. It makes me know that they think about me and love me. 

The second thing I’m grateful for is my dog Millie! She’s so precious, adorable, and crazy. Mille is MY little monster so if you hurt her, you’re dead… to me. I would put just “you’re dead,” BUT this is kid friendly so you’re off the hook for now. Millie can be annoying sometimes, but I’m grateful to have her. I know she’s not grateful of me taking care of her because she’s a little brat.

Anyway… The third thing I am grateful for would be my siblings, Mark Jr., Keira, and Alexis. I have two older sisters and one younger half brother. They’re not the BEST siblings, but I still love them. I’ve heard stories from my friends about their siblings,  and they aren’t good, but I could never break my sister’s nose. Why would you do that?!

The fourth thing I’m grateful for is Togashi, because he made my favorite anime. I can go on and on about it, but then I would fill this whole thing up and I don’t have the time for that. Anyway, my favorite character is Killua Zoldyck, and I just freaking love him. I don’t really know why, it’s just that he’s so original. 

The fifth is my friends. I feel bad for putting them in fifth now. I’m just writing as I go, I guess. I have more than one best friend so I don’t want to list them here. I just wanna say how grateful I am to have them by my side during tough times and good ones too. I love having fun with them, and I wanna say “Thank you for dealing with me”. I’m surprised they dealt with me for so long. I couldn’t even deal with myself sometimes.

Last but not least I’m grateful for my teachers, I bet a lot of people did this. Either way, I’m serious. My teachers deal with me during class and sometimes after class because I have dumb questions about things I should already know. This is why I’m failing- ahem…

Anyways, these teachers are doing their jobs even when we have this whole sickness going around. They are the definition of brave and so is everyone else.

Gracias, mi familia y amigos! Happy Thanksgiving!

— Ariel Marquez, 8th grade

 Angelina Howell

Hello. My name is Angelina Howell and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling hopeful. I have hope that this year will get better and that we will overcome and learn from this pandemic. This year definitely hasn’t been the greatest, not just for me, but for everyone. It’s been hard to keep positive when this year has just been throwing bad things at us left and right.  Thanks to my friends and family, I’ve been able to keep my head up and my spirits high.

The people whom I am most grateful for are my parents and friends. The reasons why I am grateful for my parents include: they are always there for me, I love to spend time with them, and they help provide me with the great life I have. I am also very grateful for my friends for always putting a smile on my face and by helping me become the person I am today.

My parents and friends are there for me in so many ways, whether it’s if they’re cracking a dumb joke or helping me overcome my problems. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done. Thank you all for everything.

Thank you, Friends and family. Happy Thanksgiving!

— Angelina Howell, 8th grade

 Madison Shoemaker 

Hello. My name is Madison Shoemaker and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. high school. This Thanksgiving, I am feeling confused because my mom said that we were going to go to my aunt’s house, but I don’t know if we are or not. 

The person whom I am most grateful for is my mom. The reason why I am grateful for my mom is because she’s funny, she helps me with my school work when I need her to, she’s always been there for me, and she always tries to make sure my brother and I have good lives . She works all the time to make sure that we have everything we want .

She’s funny when you’re upset. She’ll try to make you feel better. Since I’m in online school it’s pretty hard turning in work sometimes. She’ll sit down and help me. She works long shifts to make sure my brother and I have the things we want . 

Thank you, Mom. Happy Thanksgiving!

Adin Meredith 

Hello. My name is Adin Meredith and I am an 8th grader at J. Frank Dobie Jr. High School. This Thanksgiving, I am so excited because my entire family is coming and there will be amazing food.

The person who I am thankful for is my mom. The reason why I am grateful for her is because she has always been there for me when I needed her and she is extremely supportive. She has been there for me for all fourteen years of my life and she always pushes me to do my best in life. I would not be where I am today without her

Thank you, mom. Happy Thanksgiving!

–Adin Meredith