KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — The signs of gratitude are everywhere at Meadowlawn Elementary in Kentwood, including the turkey artwork displayed on the walls, the place settings at the tables in the gym and the faces of the kids who enjoyed their first Thanksgiving meal at the school.

A second grader named Iljana, whose family moved to Kentwood from Bosnia, said she is thankful for her family and friends, while Christopher, who moved to Kentwood from Mexico, said he’s thankful for everything. They took part in what has become the teachers’ favorite tradition.

Kelly Sanchez, the multilingual learner (ML) teacher for Meadowlawn, said they’ve been serving the traditional Thanksgiving meal to students who are new to the ML program for about six years. There are 160 children in the program, but only the new students attend the meal.

“Some of them are brand new to the country. We have some that have only been here a few months,” Sanchez said. “This year, we wanted to just talk about being thankful. So, we talked to the kids about Sarah Josepha Hale and how she wanted this holiday where everybody is thankful and everybody comes together with family and friends and enjoys a meal.”

The school hosted the meal on Monday, with the fifth graders in the ML program serving the food to the new students.

“They really step up,” Sanchez said. “They wait for it when they’re younger and they’re excited.”

While teachers encourage the students to try each dish offered, the students all have different reactions to the food. Many said they prefer the turkey, mashed potatoes or corn, but they all ended the meal with a smile.

“They’re fascinated by it, and they love to share what they do in their country, different holidays for their culture,” Sanchez added.

The gratitude doesn’t need to be spoken during this annual event, since it is shared, served and celebrated one plate at a time.