Congratulations to the November Mountaineers of the Month who demonstrated the virtue of gratitude!
Julia AuBuchon
“I would like to nominate Julia AuBuchon for Mountaineer of the Month for gratitude. Julia is a beautiful example of gratefulness to her classmates. She is always joyful and never complains. She is generous and helpful to her teacher and her classmates.” -Mrs. Reichert, Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Joseph McGrath
“I would like to nominate Joey McGrath for Mountaineer of the Month for gratitude. Joey is a wonderful example to his classmates for the virtue of gratitude. He is always eager to congratulate his friends when they win or have done something great. He is also one of the first ones to say thank you and help his friends in need.” -Mrs. Reichert, Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Claire Kersey
“I would like to nominate Claire Kersey for the virtue of gratitude. Claire is grateful for all of her friends here at Everest. She comes into the classroom every day with a big smile. She always says thank you to her teachers and appreciates all that is done for her.” -Mrs. McGrath, Kindergarten Teacher
Finnian Maul
“Finn shows gratitude on a daily basis. He walks in with a smile on his face every day and is grateful to be in school. He loves to learn and is always excited to take on a new task. He appreciates even the smallest of things done for him. At the end of the day, I often hear, ‘Thank you for teaching me, Mrs. Van Pelt.’ Finn has a grateful heart.” -Mrs. Van Pelt, First-Grade Teacher
Rowan VanGorder
“I would like to nominate Rowan VanGorder for Mountaineer of the Month for gratitude. He makes sure he always says “thank you” for anything that I give him. He accepts help from other students with grace and is very appreciative of that help. Rowan has even returned the favor by offering to help others (including myself) with something we might need. It is an honor to nominate Rowan for showing gratitude this month.” -Mrs. Mick, First-Grade Teacher
Ariana Khouri
“Ariana is always the first one to say thank you to anyone who is helping her or giving her something. She will show her gratitude even before the paper or gift is given to her. At times, Ariana will come to me and say thank you. I will ask her why, and she will respond “just because”. She is grateful for her friends, and she shows this by helping them when needed, letting them go first in line, or simply by giving them a smile. Ariana is a great example of gratitude.” -Miss Wildrick, Second-Grade Teacher
Xavier Felix
“Xavier is the definition of gratitude. He is kind, considerate, and always uses his manners. No matter how big or small the gift, help, or advice is, Xavier is the first to say thank you. Xavier is always very grateful for any opportunity to help or assist his teacher or classmates.” -Miss Wildrick, Second-Grade Teacher
Marianne Schmitt
“I nominate Marianne Schmitt as our Mountaineer of the Month for the virtue of gratitude. She shows this virtue every day by coming into the classroom full of joy and love for everyone. She uses kind words and is polite to her peers and teachers as well.” -Mrs. Ohlinger, Third-Grade Teacher
Jax Tillman
“I nominate Jax Tillman as our Mountaineer of the Month for the virtue of gratitude. Every day, Jax comes to school with a positive attitude and a kind word for everyone. He uses his manners, always says please and thank you, is grateful for all that he’s been given, and is humble as well.” -Mrs. Ohlinger, Third-Grade Teacher
Bryan Bowden and Ximena Ortega Machado
“At the beginning of the month, students in the fourth grade talked about the virtue of gratitude and what it means to have gratitude. Their ideas included being thankful for what you have, making sacrifices, and using one’s manners. These things take gratitude from a feeling and make this virtue a committed action. According to Father Joe Krupp, ‘gratitude is not a feeling; it’s a commitment, a mind-set, a spiritual attitude that focuses our eyes on all that God has given us, all that he has done for us and all that he is. Gratitude is a powerful tool in our fight for holiness’ (Catholic Magazine of the Diocese of St. Cloud). Throughout the month of November, students practiced gratitude in a mission to ‘fight for holiness.’ I experience gratitude every day in the classroom. Two students in particular who emanate gratitude are Bryan Bowden and Ximena Ortega Machado. Bryan and Ximena practice gratitude each day. They recognize the good in people and recognize the beautiful things God has created for us. They use their manners by saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ They show the love of Christ through their actions. It is with honor that I nominate Bryan Bowden and Ximena Ortega Machado as this month’s Mountaineers of the Month.” -Mrs. Motyka, Fourth-Grade Teacher
Claudia Denver
“Claudia models gratitude in her outlook on life. She appreciates the good things she receives and accepts them as a gift. Claudia sees the beauty in our world and in others. She understands that her talents and gifts come from God, and Claudia is thankful for those gifts.” -Mrs. Barone, Fifth-Grade Teacher
Marco Attard
“Marco has such a positive outlook in both the classroom and on the playground. He sees the positive in others and stays upbeat and kind. Marco appreciates the gifts God has given him and is the first one to say, “thank you.” His calm, positive energy is an asset to any classroom; so, he is deserving of the virtue of gratitude.” -Mr. Sapienza, Fifth-Grade Teacher
