Welcome November!

So often we link the month of November to giving thanks. The Thanksgiving holiday certainly has a lot to do with it.

But thankfulness, or gratitude, is a quality that ought not be reserved for one month a year.

Gratitude is a powerful thing.

To experience it, either as the giver or as the receiver, has a profound effect. In regular doses, it can boost a person's spirits and emotions, and lead to stronger relationships and more positive experiences.

Gratitude opens us up to more happiness. It feels good to tell someone that they are important to you, or to hear that you're important to them.

Every day in the Elyria Schools we cultivate kindness and friendship, compassion and empathy.

Gratitude is something on its own. Saying thank you isn't hard, but it may not always come easily. We tend to take the day-to-day for granted, be it our family support, the friendships we hold, or the people and mentors we look to when we need someone to guide us or carry us through challenging times.

A word of thanks or a gesture of gratitude can completely change the course of someone's day, not to mention the lift it gives the person who is doing the appreciating!

Just taking a few minutes at the start and end of each day to think about the people and things in our lives that matter to us, can set the tone for more happiness and gratitude.

In the life of Elyria City School District, it is our students and staff--and their families--that give us reason to be thankful.

So with this column, please accept a few words of gratitude.

Thank you, students, for brightening our days and making us smile.

Thank you, parents, families and caregivers, for trusting Elyria Schools and for the daily support you provide.

Thank you, teachers and staff, for the positivity and professionalism you exude each and every day.

And thank you, Elyria residents, for being Pioneer Proud and embracing Elyria Schools as an integral part of this community.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Please don't hesitate to contact the Communications Office anytime at 440-284-8203 or ask@elyriaschools.org.

Amy Higgins

Communications Director

Second Harvest Food Bank is hosting a drive-through Thanksgiving Mobile Pantry at Lorain County Community College on Saturday, Nov. 19th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Registration is REQUIRED and is already underway.

Families may register at https://secondharvestfoodbank.treepl.co/find-help/thanksgiving-2022

or by calling (440) 960-2265.