Kelley the Counselor
Weekly Check In
Week 9- Gratitude
Hello Renbrook students and families!
During the distance learning experience, I’ve thought a lot about the things that I am most thankful to have right now. I am thankful to have things like a loving family, a job that I love (which includes lunch bunches full of laughter and video calls with many of you), and being able to use my body for exercise. Gratitude is one of the most important and life changing traits to possess. Those who are grateful often find that they are content with what they have and whatever life throws their way. Gratitude changes your mood and your attitude. It gives you a new perspective. It heightens your quality of life and makes you happier.
Oprah Winfrey said “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”
I like this quote because it serves as a great reminder of the fact that we sometimes take things for granted, and we must be thankful for what we do have. If we are always concerned with what we don’t have, we miss out on many of the wonderful things in front of us. Do we all wish we were on campus together right now? Of course we do! But if we dwell on that all day, we might miss out on what we see in front of us. Maybe it’s a funny joke that someone told during a Zoom chat, or maybe it’s not seeing the time and effort that your teacher put into the creation of a lesson for you that day.
Whatever it may be, we must remind ourselves that we are lucky. We attend an incredible school where we truly are a family. We greet one another each morning and have some great laughs. Sure it’s a bit different right now being off campus, but we are getting something that many students around the world don’t. We must not lose sight of that.
While we are nearing the end of our school year, we must continue to show one another ways in which we are grateful for what we have accomplished thus far. We could not do it alone and this experience should solidify what we are capable of as the Renbrook community.
While I will include a few activities and videos for you to explore on this topic, here are a few prompts that I would like you to discuss with your teacher, classmates, and family members this week:
No matter how crazy, how loud, how different, I am grateful for my family because…
I am grateful for my friends because they…
Nelson Mandela once said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” I am grateful for the education I am receiving because it allows me to…
I am grateful for my _______ because I know that life without it would be…
Something I have learned in the past month that I’m thankful for is...
Have a great week Hawks!
Try These Activities!
Watch These Videos :)
Contact Me
Email: kreiss@renbrook.org
Website: https://teams.microsoft.com/_#/conversations/?ctx=chat
Location: Renbrook School, Albany Avenue, West Hartford, CT, USA