Portraits of Thankfulness

2nd graders made "Portraits of Thankfulness" during their art classes this week. They aren't the only ones with "thanks" on their minds as we approach Thanksgiving. It seems like gratitude is pouring out of every corner of The Davis Academy. Gratitude, in Hebrew hodayah, is one of the most important dispositions that we can instill in children. Here at Davis, gratitude is an authentic outcome of our menschlichkeit values.

To be grateful we must first have the chochmah (wisdom) to recognize the many sources of blessing in our lives.

Authentic gratitude emerges naturally when we show kavod (respect) to the people in our lives (teachers, parents, grandparents, classmates, friends, and others) as well as to our surroundings.

Ruach (spirit) is what transforms expressions of gratitude from mechanical niceties into heartfelt acts of love and appreciation.

Lastly, I can't help but notice that these self-portraits of Thankfulness, show a side of the diversity that exists here at Davis. The 10 portraits below each show a unique individual with his/her own list of things to be thankful for. We are all thankful, but as is the case in a diverse community like Davis, we are all thankful in our own way.