Giving Thanks at the Gratitude Games

Even though Thanksgiving is now behind us, there is always a time and place to express thankfulness to one’s peers and mentors. Samo’s teacher leaders took this idea and expanded upon it—creating the first ever Samo Gratitude Games.On Nov. 29 during lunch, there were four separate activities students could participate in: trading pennies for desserts, crafting notes of gratitude in exchange for pizza and watching holiday movies and themed games in nearby classrooms. Planted all over campus, this lunch period became an entire hour dedicated to thankfulness (and free food). Amy Chapman, an English teacher at Samo, mentioned why the whole event was created.“The teacher leaders, in an effort to boost student morale and bring some holiday cheer to a stressful time of year, decided to host this event,” Chapman said. “We thought, since November is all about giving thanks, that it was appropriate to have various opportunities for the students to give back, such as filling out gratitude grams and/or donating spare change to Pennies for Peace.” These teacher leaders, along with house office staff and parent volunteers were all looking to create an environment of positivity and appreciation around the school. Robin Nunn, a parent volunteer, expressed what she believed was the best feature of the event.“[Students] having to stop and think, and write what they are thankful for before they get a slice of pizza is probably the best aspect of the Gratitude Games,”  Nunn said.Students seemed to have a very positive view of the event as well. Whether their joy came from giving thanks or from the free food is unclear, but that’s not why the Gratitude Games were important. These students had to think about who and what they are thankful for—something they don’t do everyday. Elliot Biagiotti (’21) expressed why he enjoyed the gratitude games and the surrounding events.“I’m enjoying [the games] a lot! I love expressing some school spirit and showing gratitude to my teachers. It’s also very entertaining,” Biagiotti said.A short note of gratitude or a small gift can make the most profound, positive difference for those around you. Kyle Koehler, an English teacher at Samo and one of the volunteer teachers, mentioned the impact of those little thank-you notes that students wrote in exchange for pizza and desserts.“I think this is, if nothing else, a really great lesson on how little you have to do in order to totally change someone’s day,” Koehler said. Like students all across campus, Koehler believes the Gratitude Games represented the spirit of the holiday season—the ease and joy in giving.