Clearview Elementary has been preparing for Thanksgiving in a number of ways, including art students creating turkeys and fifth graders writing essays on what they’re thankful for.

Kindergarteners in Anna Barton’s art class worked on a collaborative project to help celebrate Thanksgiving. After talking about thankfulness, each student traced and cut out a feather and wrote one thing they were thankful for on it. All the feathers were then added to a big turkey on the wall outside the art room.

Popular things the kindergarteners were thankful for included parents, teachers and pets, although some chose Clearview and one decided on veterans.

Barton’s first graders also had their artwork displayed in the hallway this week. They each painted a fun turkey using only secondary colors.

Fifth graders in Kari McRaith’s Spanish Immersion classroom used both their creative and writing skills for their projects. First, they each chose a region of the United States and then researched a Native American tribe from that region. They then wrote a short essay in Spanish on the tribe and created a diorama showcasing what they learned.

On Tuesday each of the students presented their research and diorama to the class in Spanish.

McRaith’s fifth graders also wrote an expository essay in English on three things they were thankful for, including an introduction, conclusion and supporting paragraphs.

Many students, like Reese Lietha and Hazel Schoenrock, wrote that they were thankful for their family, friends and food; Hazel also included animals on her list.

Madison Hutt was thankful for her family, hockey and dog, Murphy, and Ryant Zaldana was thankful for family, friends and his dog, Oreo.

“I’m thankful for my family, friends and trees, because they help you breathe,” said Dominik Lighthall.

Harper Peterson had a lot of things she was thankful for, and after debating on her top choices she decided on family, music, Spanish, seasons (fall and spring are her favorite), freedom and paper (including trees and books).

“I’m thankful for my family, friends, nature and Native Americans,” said Cerys John. “Because they’re the cause of Thanksgiving.”