As we prepare to enter the holiday season, our focus in this week’s episode is on three main topics: Remembrance, Gratitude, and Advocacy. Remembrance At the beginning of the episode, we take time to remember Emmaus High School junior Edwin Cortes, who was killed in a car accident on October 31. Edwin was a student in my 9th grade science class in 2021 and I shared some thoughts about him and how quickly life can change for anyone at any age. Gratitude We welcome Ms. Rosemary Lamparella back to the podcast to lead a discussion about the differences between gratitude and thankfulness. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday and the annual Attitude of Gratitude podcast, Ms. Lamparella shares the benefits we can attain from incorporating more gratitude practices into our lives. She even speaks to students who may feel that they may have very little to appreciate in their lives and ways to reframe that mindset. Advocacy We conclude the episode in a conversation with freshman Kris Emmer, who spoke about her adjustment from cyber school in 8th grade to a traditional high school environment here at EHS. She has participated in the principal’s advisory council during the first two months of school and wanted to share her thoughts about why advocacy is important and things that can be done to improve the school community. For all previous episodes of the podcast, go to www.9thgradeexperience.com. If you visit the site, you can leave us a voicemail, an email or rate and review of the show. Musical Credit Thanks to Eli Heckman, Class of 2025, for providing the music at the beginning of today's episode! Education Podcast Network I am proud to announce that the 9th Grade Experience Podcast has joined the Education Podcast Network (EPN). The passionate hosts of the EPN family are made up of a wide variety of teachers, administrators, and educators who are dedicated to bringing you the best in education-related content. The network covers everything from current events in education, technology, and best practices to the latest editorials and more on a regular basis in high quality. To find out more information about all the great shows, visit https://www.edupodcastnetwork.com/