May's tip comes from a catechist in Columbus, OHI teach second-graders. My students and I use part of the last class of the year to write thank you notes to all the people who helped us during the year. We thank parents and siblings and other family members who helped us with projects and made sure we got to class; friends who listened to our stories about what we were learning in class; our pastor, who came to talk to us about First Communion; our parish secretary, who helped us keep track of all the things we might need to do; the people who plow snow and mow grass; the crew who keeps our buildings in good repair; the people who published our textbook and other stuff we used during the year; the parish community who prayed for us; the firefighters and police officers who were always ready to keep us safe; the trash collectors who keep our parish and city clean; etc. This is a good way to help young people think outside the box.
