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Be thankful for blessings at Christmastime By Jack Silva We recently celebrated Thanksgiving and I started thinking about what it means to be thankful. I think Thanksgiving is about being thankful for all the blessings that we have. I think people may not think about what a “thanks-giving” is, and they end up taking it for granted. To help with that, as we celebrate Christmas, people could sit around the dinner table and say a prayer about what each is thankful for and then talk about it. One of the things the fifth graders are thankful for is that they get to go visit Holy Comforter Day Care Center in Little Havana to help the children and their families. Here are some quotes from our journalism class about being thankful. “Being thankful is a gift that everyone should be given.” - Laura Furniss-Roe “Be thankful because one day all the goodness will catch up to you.” Laura Orban “Most people are only thankful on Thanksgiving but I consider thankfulness a trait.”- Ava Riley Miles “Every day is a blessing.”- Ms. Mayo And then this one: “Be thankful for what you have before it is gone.”
Fifth grade students visit Holy Comforter By Rafa Urbina Once again, the fifth grade students had the opportunity to visit Holy Comforter Day Care Center in Little Havana. “Holy Comforter was a rewarding experience for all. We were able to give food to people who are less fortunate. It really made everyone feel good inside,” said Mrs. Rosen. The students also were able to read, play music and play a game with the kids. The students brought bags of books and a lot of food. The food was given to the parents and the fifth graders ate at the end of the day with the kids. Most of the children spoke only Spanish. Everyone learned a lot and it was a good visit.
Volume 27 Issue 2 D e c e mb e r 2 0 1 4
Inside this issue:
Mystery Teachers, 2 Creatures and Sports Players Yetis and Rhinos
3
Ask Kiki
4
Top 10 Movies
5
All About J.K. Rowling
7
Top TV Show Poll 8 Riddles, Puzzles and Mazes
9
Celebrating Hanukkah
10
Student Fiction
11
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This mystery teacher likes seahorses and sea stars By Yara Haddad This issue the mystery teacher is someone who has many facts to share. Try to guess who this is. Her favorite color is blue. She is from the Big Apple (New York City). She says her favorite sport is Napping. Her favorite team is Ferrari. Her favorite food is refined carbs and her favorite restaurant is Subway. Her favorite place to shop is Whole Foods. She has been working at St. Thomas for longer than 20 years. Her favorite animal is a cat. Her favorite car is the Porsche 911 from 1968. Her favorite sea animals are jellyfish, seahorses, and sea stars. She likes old movies and her favorite song is “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift. The answer is on the back page. Good luck!
The mystery sports player is 7 feet 1 inch tall Here’s a hint: The mystery sports player used to play center for the Miami Heat.
By Jack Silva Guess the mystery sports player? Hint: He’s an NBA player. We’ve given you a few choices but there are many more. Here are some more clues. He has been in a movie. He is retired. He is 7 feet 1 inch tall. He has played on the Miami Heat team. He was a center. He is now a sportscaster. And…he is obviously famous. Is it Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan or Shaq?
This mystery creature has strong teeth By Laura Furniss-Roe This mystery creature lives in the environmental science room. He is very playful. He likes to communicate with humans, but he has strong teeth. At age five he could get cancer because his species is prone to get it. He is incredibly cuddly and long and flexible. He’s sneaky, He loves to eat. He loves to move around. Can you guess what this is?
Crickets are a favorite food of this mystery creature By Rafael Urbina This mystery creature lives in the environmental science room. He is a reptile and he is fairly large. He eats crickets. He is very fast but he is lazy. He also eats kale. He has a tail. He loves to hide in rocks and he likes water. Can you guess what this is? Good luck!
Volume 27 Issue 2
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The Russian Yeti: Do you believe? By Nina Chehab Have you ever heard of Bigfoot, Sasquatch, or the Abominable Snowman? Well, that’s all the same as the Russian Yeti. The Yeti is extremely powerful. It is believed that one of these monstrous creatures killed nine teenage explorers in 1959; that case still remains a mystery. The Yetis’ beds are usually found in caves or dark places. At night, they are said to howl like wolves. They are supposed to look like gigantic gorillas. None of us will ever see one though. It may not be a surprise but the Russian Yeti lives in Russia. I guess the only question left to ask is: Do you believe in the Russian Yeti?
Rhinos: Extinct and endangered By Maddie Wagshul Have you ever looked up rhinos? In my opinion, they are one of the most adorable things on earth! Unfortunately, they are endangered. You might think that rhinos are not prehistoric, but they actually have been on earth since prehistoric times. Meet the wooly rhino. Think of a wooly mammoth. It looked like an elephant with a lot of fur, right? Well, the wooly rhino looked like a rhino with a lot of fur. There are some sanctuaries to protect rhinos because not many rhinos will survive outside of those sanctuaries. To find out more about rhinos and how you can help them, go to www.worldwildlife.org.
The wooly rhino had a lot of fur.
Tom and Tia find wonderful food in Austria By Yara Haddad and Maddie Wagshul This month for Christmas Tom and Tia are visiting Austria. Austria is a very interesting place. It was founded in 1804. Austria’s population is 8.47 million and the capital is Vienna. The official language is German. The president of Austria is Heinz Fischer. The country animal is the Black Eagle and the flower is Edelweiss. The country bird is the Barn Swallow. Austria is bordered by Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia. The climate is mostly cool but, much colder in the Alps. Independence Day is October 26th. What to Eat in Austria BREAKFAST: (Fréhstéck) rolls, coffee, sausage, even goulash. SNACKS: Open sandwiches (belegte Brote), wurstsemmel, a roll filled with a sausage, cheese and pickle, available from butchers or delicatessens. Bosna (or Bosner) are available at sausage stands (wérstelstands) POPULAR DISHES: goulash, wiener schnitzel, strudel, sachertorte, linzertorte OTHER DISHES: noodles, broiled beef (tafelspitz), dumplings (schéberln), fruit dumplings (zwetchgenknédeln) PRODUCE: freshwater fish, beef, apples, cabbage, game EXTRA FACT: The main meal is usually at lunchtime.
There’s goulash, strudel, dumplings, sausage, and so much more to eat in Austria.
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Many students ask Kiki for help and advice Hey Kiki! When I was in Kindergarten, my BFF and I were really close. Now, it’s not the same. I wish I could see her more but our schedules don’t work. What should I do? Love, The Feeling Friendless Dear Feeling Friendless, Because there’s nothing I can do about your schedule, I strongly suggest that you maybe get your parents to call each other. Maybe you can still see each other in your free time and, even if it’s only a few minutes together, treasure your time. And there’s always the weekends when you guys can get together and catch up. Best wishes!
There are Ask Kiki boxes in the office and in two of the fifth grade classrooms. Kiki is ready to help if you have a question.
Dear Kiki, I have a Social Studies retake on Thursday! How do I study? I’m so nervous! What do I do?! Please help. Love, Social Studies lover 123 Dear Social Studies lover 123, Having a bad grade isn’t the end of the world. Study by making flashcards, games, and use websites that you think will help you. And you can always go to your teachers; they want to help you. Good luck! Dear Kiki, My big sister teases me. ALWAYS. How do I tell her to stop? Love, Little Sister Blues Dear Little Sister Blues, If you try telling her to stop and she doesn’t, just walk away from the situation. You can always find a special place in your house where you can relax and cool down. If you’re arguing, don’t yell; it won’t help. Best wishes! Dear Kiki, Let me just say, you are awesome! I hope you can accept compliments, unlike me. Whenever someone compliments me, I blush like crazy and I don’t know how to say “Thank you.” Now, people think I am rude for not responding! Help?! Love, Shy and Awkward Dear Shy and Awkward, Don’t worry about it! It’s just your personality. If you’re ever in the situation try looking at their forehead, smile, and say “Thank you.” This way, people won’t think you’re rude and you are getting compliments! If you ever think you need some practice, you can always practice in the mirror or with your stuffed animals. ;) Hope this helps! (continued on page 6)
Volume 27 Issue 2
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Top 10 movies of 2014 and ones coming up By Yara Haddad This year there were a lot of great movies. We checked the end-of-the year statistics and these turned out to be the Top 10 Movies of 2014. 1. How to Train Your Dragon 2 When Hiccup and Toothless discover an ice cave where hundreds of wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider live. The two friends find themselves on a quest and at the center of a struggle for peace. 2. The Lego Movie Emmet is an ordinary LEGO construction worker who is thought to be the prophesied “Special.” He is recruited to help stop an evil tyrant from trying to conquer the world. 3. The Boxtrolls A young orphaned boy who has been raised by cave-dwelling trash collectors tries to save his friends from an evil exterminator. This movie is based on the children's novel called “Here Be Monsters” by Alan Snow. 4. Mr. Peabody & Sherman This is about a time-travelling advanced canine and his adopted son and their adventures as they try to fix a time rift that they created. 5. Big Hero 6 There is a special bond between the plus-sized inflatable robot Baymax and young tech prodigy Hiro Hamada. The two team up with a group of inventor friends to form a band of high-tech heroes. 6. Annie Annie is a young, happy foster kid who is also tough enough to find her way around the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby, Annie has had a hard-knock life with her mean foster mom Miss Hannigan. Things change for the better when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks makes a campaign move and takes her in. 7. Rio 2 It's a jungle for Blue Macaws Blu, Jewel and their three kids after they're hurtled from Rio de Janeiro to the wilds of the Amazon. When Blu tries to fit in, he meets the vengeful Nigel and his father-in-law. 8. Maleficent This is about a creepy fairy godmother who is driven to curse an infant princess only to discover that the child may be the one person who can restore peace to the land. 9. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Alexander's day begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by more embarrassments. He begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him and his family. They all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 10. Dolphin Tale 2 The team of people who saved Winter's life get back together to help her find a companion after her surrogate mother dies. The mission is to help her remain at the Clearwater Marine Hospital.
The new Annie movie will be released in theaters on Dec. 19.
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Kiki wants to help you with friend troubles (continued from page 4) Dear Kiki, I have a friend who seems to be taking friends away from me. She’s pretty sensitive and she only thinks about herself or others sometimes. She never really cares about me and thinks I’m mean to the world. Sometimes she’s a great friend and BFF but I’m still really confused. Next there’s JEALOUSY. She has great talents and when she wins an award, my body fills up with jealousy. How do I stop this? I want to talk back but I don’t want to hurt her feelings. How do I deal with my entire situation? From, FriendTrouble011
Whenever you have a problem, try talking with a parent or a teacher to get help.
Dear Friend Trouble011, Whenever you have trouble, you can talk to your parents. For all you know, they’ve went through the same thing. But if you want to solve it on your own, try talking to her in a gentle way. When she’s excluding you, try asking to join. Now for jealousy: there is no reason to be jealous. If she wins an award, be happy for her and you’ll see she’s going to be happy for you when you win something. Best of luck! Dear Kiki, One of my friends is being mean! She acts nice but then bossy. She steals my best friend and uses her as a maid sort of. It makes me feel bad. Love, Rainbow 888 Dear Rainbow 888, I think that you should walk up to your friend that you think is being taken away and ask her if she’s been seeing it. Then, both of you tell the girl being mean to you that’s been mean to you that you’ve been noticing something fishy going on and that it’s making you feel kind of hurt inside. If you think it’s still going on, tell a teacher to help you solve it. Best Wishes!
Volume 27 Issue 2
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Learn more about the famous author J.K. Rowling By Maddie Wagshul Have you ever read Harry Potter? Have you heard about it? It seems impossible that only one person made this whole plot. Our storywriter’s story starts on July 31, 1965 (which means the writer is now around 49 years old). Joanne Rowling, or Jo as she’s called by her family, started writing stories when she was 6 years old! She didn’t like fighting real battles in real life, but she LOVED fighting battles in her imagination. For college, Jo studied many languages, including French. Malfoy, one of Harry’s enemies, has a French name. Mal means bad, and foy (it is actually foi in French) means faith. Jo named many of the characters’ names after things. For example, the Weasley family is named after the weasel, which is one of her favorite animals. In the year 1992 she got married to a man named Jorge Arantes. A year later she had a baby named Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes. In 1993 she divorced Jorge and took Jessica to live in Scotland. Jo lived on public assistance, meaning that she got a check every month for food. Jo would sometimes go hungry because there sometimes was only enough food for Jessica. Seven years after she started writing the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (known as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the United States), it was ready. Guess what? Jo’s book was sold to Scholastic for about $100,000! The thing was, Scholastic thought that boys wouldn’t like the book if it was written by a girl. She had to use her initials, but Jo did not have a middle name. After her grandmother, her middle name became Kathleen. Now she would be known to the world as J.K. Rowling. In 2001, Jo married Neil Murray. They were going to have a wedding in the Galapagos but Jo was worried that the press would interrupt it. Instead, they got married in a library. In 2003 Jo had a son named David Gordon Rowling Murray. Two years later, when she was working on the sixth book, Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince, she gave birth to another girl, Mackenzie Jean Rowling Murray. Jo dedicated Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to Mackenzie, to her “Beautiful Daughter.” Jo turned from being very poor to a life as the second place highest earning female entertainer in the world just behind Oprah Winfrey. In 2007 Jo finished the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in a hotel room. She wrote “J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (652) on 11th January 2007” on a sculpture in the hotel room. You might think she doesn’t donate, but she donated to a charity that helps single mothers. If you want to read more about Jo, you should read Who Is J.K. Rowling? Even though a few Harry Potter books were mentioned, she also wrote: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.
The publisher thought boys would not like Harry Potter if it was written by a woman so they made Jo Rowling change her name to J.K. Rowling.
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Student Poll: How favorite TV shows rank up By Jack Silva and Laura Orban We took a poll to see which TV shows are the favorites among students. Here’s what we found out.
Tom and Jerry is the most popular cartoon show.
Sports ESPN: 1 Sports Center: 1 NBA: 11 Fifa: 4 NFL: 0 MLB: 0 Reality Dancing with the Stars: 2 Shark Tank: 5 Dance Moms: 1 So You Think You Can Dance: 1 Kids Zoey 101: 1 H20: 2 Jessie: 11 Dog with a Blog: 3 Cartoon Tom and Jerry: 10 Total Drama: 1 Teen Titans Go: 4 Scooby Doo: 1
Music Voice: 16 American Idol: 0 X Factor: 1 America’s Got Talent: 1 Britain’s Got Talent: 0 Glee: 0 Fantasy Once Upon a time: 10 True Blood: 0 Lost: 3 Super Natural: 2 Talk Show Jimmy Fallon: 14 Jimmy Kimmel: 2 Sitcom Modern Family: 4 Friends: 2 Big Bang Theory: 3 America’s Funniest Family: 9 Oldies Full House: 9 Boy Meets World: 3 Wonder Years: 0 Hey Arnold: 0 Twilight Zone: 3
Volume 27 Issue 2
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Riddles, puzzles and mazes By Ava-Riley Miles Q: What's the difference between the Christmas alphabet and the ordinary alphabet? A: The Christmas alphabet has NOEL! (No L) Q: What do you call Santa when he goes down a chimney with a fire? A: Krisp Cringle!! Q: What does Santa say in the beginning of a race? A: “Ready, set, HO!” Q: What do they sing under the ocean in the winter? A: Christmas CORALS! Q: What did Mrs. Claus say to Santa when they looked up in the sky? A: Looks like rain, dear. (REINDEER!) Q: What’s Santa’s favorite candy? A: JOLLY ranchers!! Q: Why did the elf go to school? A: To learn his ELFabet!
By Yara Haddad Q. What kind of bird can write? A. A pen-guin Q.What do you get if you cross Santa with a detective ? A. Santa Clues! Q. What did Adam say on the day before Christmas? A. It’s Christmas, Eve. Q. Why does Santa Claus like to work in the garden? A. Because he like to hoe, hoe, hoe! Q. What happened when the snowwoman got angry at the snowman? A. She gave him the cold shoulder. Q. What do snowmen wear on their heads? A. Ice caps. Q. How do sheep say Merry Christmas in Mexico? A. Fleece Navidad! Q. What is a snowman’s favorite lunch? A. An Iceberger!
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Hanukkah is celebrated with menorahs and dreidels
Hanukkah is celebrated over eight days and each day a candle is lit on the menorah.
By Ava-Riley Miles I am half Jewish and I celebrate a holiday called Hanukkah each year. It is right before Christmas, which many students and teachers at St. Thomas celebrate. During Hanukkah, you bring out your menorah and nine candles. The word “Hanukah” means dedication. The story behind the Jewish holiday is that a long time ago, a guy named Antiochus IV Epiphanies told all the Jews that they had to believe in the Greek Gods. After he tried to destroy all of their temples, a group of Jews had a Hanukkah miracle. They only had enough oil to last ONE day. The miracle was that the oil lasted eight days! That gave the lucky Jews in that temple enough time to find a fresh supply. Now, we light a candle on the Menorah each day, during Hanukkah, to remember that miracle. There is also a game with dreidels. Here are the directions: 1. Any number of people can take part in this great game. 2. Each player begins the game with an equal number of game pieces (about 10-15) such as pennies, nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, matchsticks, etc. 3. At the beginning of each round, every participant puts one game piece into the center "pot." In addition, every time the pot is empty or has only one game piece left, every player should put one in the pot. These directions were found on the website www.myjewishlearning.com. My personal favorite thing to put in the “pot” is M&Ms. For fuller information on how to play and get dreidels, just email me at amiles@stepsmia.org.
Christmas elves are up to the craziest things
This elf had fun making “snow angels.” In sugar!
By Ava-Riley Miles Most people at St. Thomas have elves that come to watch over them after Thanksgiving. Have you ever wondered about the craziest things elves have done? If you have, you are in for a thrill! For those of you who are not familiar with elves, there are two ways to get one. You can either by one or send a letter to Santa asking for one. Then, you leave crackers and iced water at night for the elves to eat. The crackers are to remind the elves of crunching snow and the iced water to remind them of melting snow. Each night, you sprinkle provided magic snowflakes on your elves and they will “wake up” when you fall asleep and play games. When you wake up, you have to look around your house. Sometimes, you’ll find them frozen in the middle of your game! Let us know what your elves have done.
Volume 27 Issue 2
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Student Fiction: Emily’s Christmas By Laura Furniss-Roe It was December 22nd. A girl called Emily Bird was strolling around her house and hoping for a good Christmas. Emily lived in Oxford, England. Her parents were usually very strict with her and always wanted peace because they were working on opening their own businesses and as Emily was an only child, she had no siblings to play with and her friends were all on holiday. Her parents would be working all through Christmas Eve as they planned to release their business on December 30th. Emily knew that her parents would surely spend all of Christmas day with her. Emily wasn’t sure what present she would receive this year but what she did know was that she definitely had many presents to give. Before Emily knew it, it was Christmas Eve. She was lying on her bed and thinking about reindeers, elves and Santa Claus who in England she called Father Christmas. Emily had her iPad with her and just before her bedtime, she searched up and read the story, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” She was really upset that her parents weren’t able to read this story to her as they had one more thing to do before their businesses were ready and figured that they’d get it out of the way in time for Christmas Day. Eventually, her parents came in to tell her that they would have their projects finished by tomorrow and wished Emily a Merry Christmas and a goodnight. They turned out the lights and Emily lay in silence. Emily was still awake at 11:00. She couldn’t get to sleep! Emily worried that Father Christmas would never come! Suddenly, she heard a clicking sound coming from the roof. “It can’t be,” Emily thought to herself. She got out of bed, threw on her coat, went over to her mini porch and opened the door. She ran outside into the black, cool night and stared up at the roof. Nothing was there except a little robin pecking just above her roof obviously trying to uncover a worm or something fascinating. Emily sighed. She hugged herself as winters in England could be extremely cold and went back inside. She hung her coat up and started to slowly make her way back into bed until her mother rushed into the room. “Emily Frances Bird!” She said to her in an angry voice. “What were you doing outside at this hour? We heard the beeping that warns us when the door opens and it freaked us to death! Get back into bed and go to sleep!” Emily knew that her mother meant it. She knew that she was just worried about her safety but Emily doubted a happy Christmas. Her mother then sat next to her and said in a soft voice, “Emily, are you upset because we never get to spend any time with you?” “Kind of,” said Emily and felt herself starting to cry. “I always feel alone and you always seem so strict with me. I was hoping that Christmas would make up for everything as it’s supposed to be a bright and merry season.” “Don’t worry, it will be soon,” said her mother, trying to comfort her. “Come tomorrow morning it will be bright and merry as ever! Your father and I just finished our projects. The business will start soon! I’m really sorry Emily, for everything.” “It’s okay,” said Emily. “I love you always.” “I love you too but you better get to sleep now or else Father Christmas will never arrive to fill up your stocking!” her Mom said, tickling Emily. “Okay, I’ll get to sleep,” Emily said. “Night, Mother, love you.” “Love you too.” The rest of the night was the most magical set of events in Emily’s life but she didn’t know that she was about to meet a character who she would never forget. Before falling asleep, Emily gazed out the corner of her window where she had left the curtains open a tiny bit in order to see. At around 11:45, Emily saw the most wonderful thing ever but thought that she was dreaming. She saw a reindeer. His black, shiny nose flashed under Emily’s porch light which she had turned on to get a better look at the reindeer. His round, dark brown eyes stared at Emily’s and his warm breath fogged up the window. The reindeer’s antlers stood proud and tall on the very top of his head. He clicked his hoof and jingled the bells attached to a rope and reins around his neck. He was one of Father Christmas’ reindeer. Emily was amazed. Before she knew it, she was standing outside right next to the reindeer with her coat and boots on, stroking his shaggy, fuzzy fur. Then the reindeer turned to reveal a small basket attached to one rope that was around his body. It concealed a note. So, nervously, Emily took out the note and read it. It said: Dear Emily, I hope that Dasher has delivered this message in time. He is Dasher after all! I know that you have been a little upset about your parents’ work but don’t worry- they are finished now. In the meantime, for the rest of the (continued on the next page)
The Spire Crier
St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School 5692 North Kendall Drive Coral Gables, FL 33156 305-665-4851
The Spire Crier is published by the fifth grade journalism class for the students of St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School. Reporters: Nina Chehab, Laura Furniss-Roe, Yara Haddad, Ava-Riley Miles, Laura Orban, Jack Silva, Rafael Urbina, Madeleine Wagshul Journalism Advisor: Ms. Christina Mayo Journalism Class Assistant: Emily Wong
W E’ RE ON THE WEB AT S TEPSMIA. ORG GO
TO S CHOOL L IFE AND CLICK ON P UBLICATIONS
Mystery Teachers: Mrs. Kniseley Mystery Sports Player: Shaq Mystery Creatures: Gizmo the Ferret and Epoch the Bearded Dragon
(continued from page 11) holidays I thought you might want some company. Take this elf. Her name is Kasey. Every night, you must sprinkle these special snowflakes on her for her to come alive but be warned, she may get up to a little mischief. As an exception because I am giving her to you late, she will stay with you until January 30th in which she will travel back to me. I expect her to have all her things with her, packed up and ready to go, the night that she leaves. Wherever you place her, even in the tightest corner in your closet, she will still be able to escape. Elves have the talent of working their magic. For the upcoming year and from here on, she will arrive at your house in late November and come back to me the night of Christmas Eve. Kasey will surely keep you company. Have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Sincerely, Father Christmas Emily carefully took out the tiny box of snowflakes and Kasey the elf and just stared. She looked up at the reindeer. “Dasher,” she thought to herself. That was the reindeer’s name. By this time, it was midnight and Emily was very sleepy. She decided to say goodbye to Dasher, take Kasey inside and go back to sleep. She stroked Dasher for the final time and he gave her a slight shove back towards her door. Emily waved goodbye and Dasher cocked his head. She went back inside and just as she turned around, there was a click of hooves and Dasher was gone. Emily yawned and got back into bed. She sprinkled snowflakes on Kasey and placed her carefully on her bedside table. She decided to tell her parents that Kasey had appeared on her bed and not tell them anything about the reindeer. It would be Kasey’s, Father Christmas’, Dasher’s, and her little secret. Emily woke up at 10:00 o’clock. It was Christmas Day. She looked around her room to find that Kasey had hung up a big banner in her room that said “Merry Christmas!” and she was sitting on top of it. Emily laughed at her. She scooped Kasey up and ran to her living room and right up to the big, ivy green Christmas tree to see bundles of presents and her stocking completely full! The mince pie and whisky that she had left out for Father Christmas and carrots for the reindeer were gone. “Merry Christmas!” her Father said. “Start opening your presents!” Emily dived in. She loved the presents that her parents had given her and her parents loved the presents Emily had bought them. Emily and her parents also celebrated the finishing of her parents business. After a wonderful Christmas lunch, Emily emptied her stocking. Somewhere in her cluster of stocking gifts she found a little card from Father Christmas, Kasey, and Dasher with Dasher’s hoof imprinted into it. Emily smiled. It really had been the best and most magical Merry Christmas ever!