The Vista Issue 3 2019-20

The Vista

NOTRE DAME ACADEMY*3535 W. SYLVANIA AVE.*TOLEDO, OH 43623*VOL 69 ISSUE 3 *Dec.13, 2019

In This Issue: Winter Service Opportunities (p.2) NDA Students as Exchange Students (p.3) Crosstalk: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (p.4) Girls Need a 2-Hour Delay After Open House (p.5)) Interview With Bishop Thomas (p.6) Gift Guide (p.7) Roving Reporters (p.8) The Rant (p. 8) Juniors Nevaeh Krontz, Summer Reef. Miracle Burt and Abigail Valentine prepare to package gifts for the school’s annual Appalachia Service Trip.

Cover Photo By: Noelle Albright and Lauren Dionyssiou

The Vista

Page 2 News

Girls Serve Others During Advent Eagles Take Christmas to Appalachia Noelle Albright Every year, a group of students from NDA makes the journey to the Appalachian Mountains, specifically to Harlan, Kentucky. They bring gifts and good cheer to its citizens, especially the children.

“The girls do a lot of playing with the kids, such as face painting, coloring and colored hairspray styling. They also watch the children as their parents shop and hold a talent show for the children to sing Christmas songs,” Campus Minister–Coordinator of Prayer and Worship Mrs. Lauren Jakubisin said.

The service trip is also a great opportunity for girls to earn service hours while having fun with both friends and kids. Another part of their role is to set up and unpack the toy store, which is provided by donations from girls at NDA before the students leave. Different gift tags are given for many ages, genders and sizes, ensuring that there will be something for everyone. “[Last year] I had a lot of fun, and it was humbling to see how the people in Harlan live. I felt really good after helping everyone there,” senior Erynn Carpenter said.

There’s No Place Like Home for Holidays Lauren Dionyssiou Appalachia at Home is a special event each year for families that come to Queen of Apostles as they are able to experience a Christmas celebration with the help of the Notre Dame Academy community.

“Appalachia at Home is a Christmas party for children and their families, where they are served lunch, Santa comes to interact with the children, and the families are sent home with gifts,” Campus Minister-Coordinator of Prayer and Worship Mrs. Lauren Jakubisin said.

Appalachia at Home is similar to the trip that girls from Notre Dame take every year to Harlan, Kentucky to help

Students donate gifts to serve others during Christmas. Photo By: Lauren Dionyssiou

spread the goodness and joy of Christmas farther from home.

“There was a big interest in the service trip to Harlan, but we couldn’t take as many girls, so we figured that there was no reason why we couldn’t do the same thing locally,” Mrs. Jakubisin said. That is the reason Appalachia at Home was started.

The Appalachia at Home event has a big turnout for families every year, as well as a lot of girls who are interested in helping. Around 30-40 families RSVP, and Notre Dame takes around 20-25 girls to participate each year.

“I loved being able to interact with the kids and help them have a great time. I loved seeing the kids’ faces after they did something; I felt great after because it showed me how other people in the community are living,”

Opportunities to Serve Others Grows in Area Chloe Kozal The Toledo community needs Christmas cheer and volunteering, whether it’s helping at local Christmas celebrations, working at food banks or helping

in other ways.

The Polish American Community of Toledo (PACT) will need helpers for their traditional Wigilia Christmas Dinner on Dec. 15. Wigilia is typically celebrated on Christmas Eve with the sharing of oplatek and other traditional meatless Polish foods. The PACT needs help with decorating for the event, setting up tables and chairs and distributing hay on the tables.

The Toledo Food Bank needs volunteers to help with a variety of different tasks, such as stocking, labeling, packaging and sorting food. Additionally, the food bank needs help with Harvest Market Days, which helps in local food deserts, which are areas where residents have a lack to healthy and affordable groceries nearby them. The Harvest Market brings food to these deserts through a “grocery store on wheels.”

Elara Caring Hospice needs volunteers to help make homemade lap tie blankets for hospice patients. These tie blankets are extremely simple yet can be a caring gesture to the patients. The only requirements for the blankets is that they must be double sided and one and a half yards. The blankets can be made at home and donated at the local Elara Toledo office.

The Vista

Page 3 News

Eagles Have Opportunities to Spread Wings Kaitlin Shiple Notre Dame Academy students now have the opportunity to become exchange students in Spain, Germany, Italy, Guatemala and France.

Girls can travel from one to four weeks for around $2,000.

International Student Director Ms. Angie Joseph recommends spending at least two weeks in the chosen country.

“You’re traveling such a long distance, you at least want to stay for two weeks. I think to truly experience any culture or country, two weeks is good. Anything more than that starts to feel like more than a vacation,” Ms. Joseph said.

Trips are scheduled when NDA students are on summer or Thanksgiving break. Most of the trips take place in June and do not affect schooling

here. Some of the countries are centered around schooling and service. The school in Guatemala is a private Catholic school, and the Spanish school is a Jesuit institution.

Being fluent in the language for any of the countries is not required. Germany and Guatemala offer language courses for students to take while in the country. There are also no school requirements in order to be an exchange student, but certain qualities are desired.

“You have to be open minded, flexible and adaptable,” Ms. Joseph said.

The first step in the process is talking with Ms. Joseph about the experience to see if the trip is an actual interest.

She will then email all of the information about the exchange trip, such as cost, activities, time spent away and

Vista Reporter and junior Noelle Albright traveled on the French exchange student program this year. recommendations to the student’s parents.

“The type of life with a host family and different culture culminates into the experience of a lifetime, and anyone who has gone on one of these trips, they will talk about it forever,” Ms. Joseph said.

The most popular trip is

the National Security Language Initiative for Youth. This trip lasts for up to six weeks and is through the government.

“You get to learn the language and culture in the area and go on trips in the country itself,” Ms. Joseph said.

Other countries for the NSLI For Youth trip are available, such as China and India.

New Drivers Need to Prepare for Winter Roads Chloe Kozal It’s wintertime, and lots of teenage drivers are out on the road for the first time with a very temperamental Ohio winter since the beginning of November.

Organizations such as American Automobile Association, All Star Diving and National Safety Council have compiled useful tips to help new and experienced drivers during the winter season, from what to put in your car to what to check in your car before going out on the road.

Before even starting your car, you should pack a winter safety bag.

AAA suggests drivers should pack a winter safety bag filled with items such as warm comfy clothes, a blanket, flashlight, shovel, jumper cables, snow scraper and a phone charger. All Star Driving also recommends keeping

Senior Hannah Cook checks her tire pressure in her car before going out on the road. Photo by: Chloe Kozal a rescue kit with first aid kit, flares, duct tape, paper towels, windex, flashlight, phone charger, USB air compressor, and kitty litter to help unstick tires from snow.

In case something happens to your car due to the weather, these items will help you be safe and warm until help arrives.

A few snacks which don’t require cooking, such as granola bars, and bottled water are helpful in case you are stuck for some time.

Before driving out on the roads, make sure to test the car batteries, change wipers to winter wipers and check tire pressure.

When checking tire pressure, wait several hours after driving to get the most accurate test. The average recommended tire pressure is between 30-35 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) . To check your tire pressure, use an accurate tire pressure gauge and, if needed, inflate your tire to the recommended PSI. For every 10 degrees increase or decrease in temperature, tires will drop or increase 1-2 pounds of pressure, according to Goodyear Tires.

“I try to check my tire pressure every other week,” senior Hannah Cook said.

Cars can differentiate in what a driver needs to do while driving in winter conditions, and All Star Driving recommends testing out your car in an empty car lot.

“Accelerate normally and brake normally, and you will see how your car reacts under winter conditions,” driving instructor from All Star Drivers Education Ms. Darla Pawlaczyk said.

“Sometimes you have to drive slower than the posted speed to be safe. Try not to jerk the steering wheel. When sliding on snow or ice, take your foot off the accelerator, (do not brake) grip the steering wheel firmly, look in the direction you want to go and your hands will follow,” Ms. Pawlaczyk said.

The Vista

Page 4 OP-ED

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ Christmas Classic Warms the Heart

Crosstalk

Christmas Classic Gets Chilly Reception Kaitlin Shiple

Noelle Albright The original lyrics to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” should not be changed.

The original 1949 Frank Loesser version is simply a classic. The sultry voices and the catchy jazz beat all make a beautiful and beloved holiday tune. No amount of covers or makeovers, even by Kelly Clarkson and John Legend, will be able to get the song just right again. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for its feature in the movie Neptune’s Daughter.

Changing the lyrics of the song will cause it to lose its charm. After learning of the aforementioned remake by John Legend and Kelly Clarkson, Deana Martin, daughter of Dean Martin who popularized the song, said Legend should write his own song if he doesn’t like this one, but he shouldn’t change the lyrics, according to Good Morning Britain.

A point of discussion is the meaning of the song’s lyrics. In the past years, there have been complaints of the lyrics being inappropriate and contributing to rape culture. This has caused some radio stations to pull the song.

The lyrics have never been anything inappropriate, perhaps making suggestive hints. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” even used to be regarded as a pro-woman anthem because of its allowance to have a woman alone with a man, something that was frowned upon in the 1940s.

The original score did not even dictate genders for the two vocal roles, and some interpretations of the song even have the genders of the two parts switched. It is right to enjoy the song as is or turn the station if you don’t.

The original version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” is extremely inappropriate in the modern day “Me Too” era, but changing the lyrics makes a good alternative choice to banning the song from radios.

The song itself was written in the 1940s and was not intended to sound as though a man is pressuring a woman into staying at his house. The original use of it was humor, and while the song might have been seen as appropriate then, the meaning has changed in society today.

In the new John Legend and Kelly Clarkson version, consent and respect are shown between both parties participating. In the song’s original form, sexual pressure is obviously present, yet by changing a few simple lines, the meaning of the lyrics changes completely, and the man is being respectful towards his date.

While gender roles were not assigned to the roles in the duet, switching gender roles with the old lyrics still do not change the song’s meaning. Men can be sexually harassed and pressured in the same way a woman would be. In that case, the song’s message would still be wrong.

The song’s original version has won many awards and has been remade multiple times, but that just means the majority of people are ignoring the vulgarity of the song. Awarding a song that has been reviewed multiple times for having a sexually aggressive tone is wrong and unacceptable. Even with a classic Christmas song, change is still needed to fit what is now seen as right, and it is right to update the song with new, respectful lyrics.

The Vista Staff Volume 69 Issue 3 The Vista is a publication of Notre Dame Academy by the students of Journalism II and III. The office is located in room 113 of the school.

Unsigned editorials represent a majority vote of the newspaper staff.

Editor in Chief: Chloe Kozal Adviser: Mrs. Julie Sells First Year Reporters: Noelle Albright Lauren Dionyssiou Kaitlin Shiple

Editor’s Corner Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, NDA! On behalf of The Vista staff, we want you to have a truly magical break and celebration, no matter what or when you celebrate this winter, whether its Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Christmas! This is a special time of year, so make sure to savor it and make some memories with a good cup of cocoa, family and friends during this season. We hope you enjoy this Christmas issue and recommend it to your friends *wink* *wink* :).

Merry Christmas, Chloe Kozal

Opinion and editorial

Girls Deserve 2-Hour Delay Notre Dame’s Open House is no doubt a very successful event, bringing in many girls and their families to experience the Notre Dame life and culture for a few hours out of their Sunday.

For many future Eagles, Open House can be one of the deciding factors as to what high school the girl is deciding to go to.

It leaves many girls feeling excited and intrigued by Notre Dame, thanks to the help of the many students, faculty and staff that take time to be at school to contribute to the experiences of the girls that come to visit. The students deserve a reward after all this work.

Open House comes not long after two very full days of eighth grade visitations, which requires an immense amount of preparation and time commitment for the entire school to ensure the success and satisfaction of the event.

Not only do many girls miss a lot of class to tour girls, but it is also a tiring two days for the school with many pep rallies, arts performances, the Student Council skit and other events that all of the students, faculty, and staff contribute to greatly.

Notre Dame should have a two-hour delay the day after Open House to

give everyone a rest from the commitment and time that they have put in to the success of these NDA events. The immense preparation for Notre Dame’s Open House leaves everyone exhausted from the day’s obligations.

Sunday is typically used as a day for rest and catch up on homework, housework, errands and much more, so to be able to give back some free time for the student body to be able to sleep in and feel refreshed would be a nice tradition for Notre Dame to start.

Everyone would benefit from this immensely, as there aren’t too many times this day and age with everyone’s busy schedules that allow for a little break and time to be able to sleep in.

This tradition will help that next week to get off to a better start, as everyone will not start off the week feeling as tired, but instead more refreshed.

This two-hour delay will give everyone a boost of energy to be able to get through that following Monday; teachers and staff will be able to get through their lesson plans and school work, and students will feel more rested and ready to go at 10:15 a.m.

Pink Tax Ends in Ohio  Governor Mike DeWine signed a proposal which will rid the state sales tax on feminine hygiene products.

 Currently, Ohio women are estimated to pay $4 million in taxes for hygiene products according to Consumer Reports.

 The proposal, now know as the Pink Tax, will go effect on April 1, 2020.  There are still 33 states in the country who still tax period products.  Columbus City Councilwoman Elizabeth Brown is pushing for free products in recreation centers, schools and city buildings. Councilwoman Brown wants to eventually push for free products in every public restroom.

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The Vista’s Favorite Things during an NDA Christmas Chloe Kozal Every day at Notre Dame Academy is a unique day, but Christmas at NDA is a truly magical time! From the moment that you step in the main office doors, the Christmas spirit is truly at NDA. We all love the main office Christmas tree with its plaid tree skirt, plaid angel and Eagle ornaments hung with gold and blue.

When girls are stressed about exams while walking the halls, the tree is a reminder that our blessed Christmas break is soon approaching!

Another great Christmastime decoration is the Christmas Wreath Competition, which encourages all girls to use their class spirit and creativity to compete for Pep Points! I’m always impressed with the creativity that our Notre Dame girls have to offer! The winners this year's wreath decorating contest were amazing!

After a too short 5-day Thanksgiving break and a full week back at school, we all look forward to 3:05 on Friday, however Santa and his helpers always have a special treat rolled up their red and white sleeves. Friday on Saint Nicholas Day is even better as Santa visits our school and gives us all a schoolwide treat of delicious candy canes! Make sure not to put your naughty left Sperry out in the hall or one of Santa’s helpers will chuck it down the hall! Right Sperries only, ladies!

At NDA lunch tables and friend groups, girls frequently make time in their busy schedules to have a Secret Santa or a White Elephant gift exchange! While gift giving isn’t the reason for the Christmas season, it’s always fun to give to others, especially if you find the perfect gift for your friend!

Campus Ministry this year has also had hot chocolate provided during Student Flex Time, as well as opportunities to make friendship bracelets and homemade smiley face stress balls!

We truly appreciate the Christmas Cheer that NDA provides for students during our busy December month, from décor to Campus Ministry hot chocolate!

Merry Christmas to All

The Vista

Page 6 News

Bishop Daniel Thomas Talks With The Vista Chloe Kozal On Nov. 22, Bishop Daniel Thomas visited Notre Dame Academy and not only celebrated Mass, but also shared some personal moments and discourse during a question and answer session with juniors and seniors about working with the church, his favorite saints, dogs and winning a dance competition.

Bishop Thomas shared he first thought of becoming a priest when he was in the second grade. Also, his first Holy Communion was the most important day of his life (followed by becoming a priest and then a bishop) . In his talk, he discussed the process of choosing a new bishop and how he learned he would be the bishop of Toledo when he was on a beach vacation with friends, as well as how he told his family the news.

Bishop Thomas also revealed that his two favorite saints are Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta and Saint Pope John Paul II because he worked with both of them while working at the Vatican.

Bishop Thomas does have a favorite memory from working with Saint John Paul II. “My favorite personal experience was concelebrating a morning Mass in his private chapel with my godfather and his wife present. The Pope used my chalice and patens, and I could hear him praying during the Mass,” he said.

The Diocese of Toledo is large, spanning over 8,000 miles/ 21,000 kilometers. It also has almost 320,000 Catholic members.

Bishop Thomas said his favorite thing to do as bishop, besides Mass, is to go to church fish fries and festivals unannounced to visit and meet the members of the diocese. Serving as Bishop of Toledo since 2015, Bishop Thomas has experienced many different things throughout the diocese, from missionary work about the environment, celebrating Christmas and Easter Masses and dedicating a new Catholic Church, Saint John XXIII. “People who see the dedication of a church often say ‘I’ve never seen anything like this’ because it isn’t common for a church like Saint John XXIII to be built and dedicated today. It’s beautiful on a number of counts. First, the size of the church and its crucifix is enormous, and it captured my eye immediately.

Bishop Daniel Thomas visits Notre Dame Academy for a biannual mass and Q&A Session with Juniors and Seniors. Photo by: Chloe Kozal

The rite of the celebration of the church is truly special because the church’s altar is anointed as a symbol of Christ.

That is such a powerful moment where I anointed not only the altar top but also the Church walls, which dedicated the entire church to Christ,” he said.

As for the environment, Bishop Thomas encourages action.

“The Toledo Diocese has a task force that helps care for our common home, which works among the Diocese to encourage action and advocacy about the environment.”

The Diocese is also concerned with helping immigrants.

“We have a task force for that, too!

We work with various organizations to help care for seasonal migrant workers to help care for their pastoral care through catechesis and mass in Spanish,” he said.

At this time of year, he also enjoys the good tidings of the season.

“My favorite Christmas secular song is ‘White Christmas’ by Bing Crosby,

which I remember being played at my house when I was a little child. My favorite sacred Christmas song is Bach’s Christmas Oratorio (‘Angels We Have Heard On High’),” he said.

Bishop Thomas will celebrate Christmas Mass at Our Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral.

“The midnight Mass is one of my favorites, especially when it snowed last year,” he said.

Facts About Bishop Thomas He was an official of the Congregation for Bishops in the Roman Curia from 1990 to 2005.

He studied dogmatic theology at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

He is the eighth Bishop of Toledo.

The Vista

Page 7 Feature

The Vista’s Holiday Gift Guide for NDA Girls Noelle Albright Christmas is the most festive time of the year, especially throughout Notre Dame.

One of the most fun things about the holidays is shopping for gifts for friends, but coming up with fun, original and affordable gift ideas can be a real struggle. And with so many different types of girls at NDA, gift shopping can get a bit difficult.

The Vista would like to provide students with holiday gift ideas under $20 for every type of friend in your life. Although there are only six ideas given, allow these ideas to lead you to even more options!

For the VSCO (an editing app and photography app) obsessed friend, the TONYMOLY Skincare Set is a must. For only $14 from Amazon, you get 2 face masks, 1 deep moisture rescue mask, and 1 hand cream. The girls night possibilities are endless!

“School is really stressing me out, which is causing my face to breakout. I need the TONYMOLY skincare set,” freshman Abigail Kaufman said.

For the artsy friend, you can’t go wrong with the Create-Your-Own Flipbook kit.

Sold by Uncommon Goods for $12, your friend is sure to love creating an older-kid

Ms. Sarah Hunter uses her functional hand bag from Etsy. Photo

by Noelle Albright

version of a classic flipbook.

“I think flipbooks are really cool because it’s like a picture but you get to see it move, and you can keep it as a fun memory!” sophomore Elise Brown said.

For the friend who loves to read or write, a great gift would be a tote bag with a literary passage on the front!

With so many options under $13 on Etsy, you are sure to find the perfect tote to suit your friend’s needs.

“I think that a tote bag is really cute and practical, and I would love to receive it as a gift!” junior Jessica Chernock said.

For the music lover friend, the perfect gift would be a ticket stub organizer.

For just $6.69 on Amazon, your concert-going friend will have the perfect place to store their favorite memories.

“I like going to concerts, and my favorites were when I went to Lollapalooza this past summer. A ticket stub organizer would be really great to keep my memories all in one place,” junior Sydney Vargas said.

The sporty friend is sure to be pleased by a new duffle bag. A Puma brand duffel bag for all of your friend’s gym needs is only $17 from Amazon.

“Since basketball season is coming up, I need to get myself one of those Puma bags,” freshman Tai Garrison said.

For the environmentally conscious friend, the perfect option would be reusable straws. A two-pack of collapsible BPA-free silicone straws can be found for only $6.98 from Amazon.

“These straws are so cute, save the turtles!” sophomore Cheyenne Rushing said.

Creative Study Tips Make Stress-Free Exams Lauren Dionyssiou With first semester exams coming up, it is important for girls to know effective ways to study for their tests, and tips so that they can achieve the best results.

It can be very difficult to figure out the best plan to study for these exams, which make up a big part of the students’ first semester grades. This can be stressful and frustrating for students, especially those who have many exams to take.

Learningcenter.unc.co has outlined study tips geared for the success of students when it comes to helpful and effective tips about the process of studying, The first tip is that spacing out studying is key. The most effective practice is to study each subject for a short amount of time. You will retain more of the information this way.

Another tip is to switch up the environment in which you study in, as studying in the same place can sometimes lead you to be too comfortable in that spot, which is why you should have others that you can go to when needed.

Next, be the teacher. Saying the infor-

Link Leader Ciara Geronimo helps sophomore Demari Montalvo study for exams.

mation out loud and explaining the information in your own words is much more effective than simply going through it in your head. It will help you to see what information you are missing and what you still need to study or look over.

Do not simply read your notes; you

need to actively engage your mind to be able to study properly. Instead, think of examples that relate to your own experiences, come up with symbols that represent different aspects of the topic, or create diagrams.

One last tip is to be aware of your downtime. If you know that you have a less stressful or less busy week coming up, take advantage of that time to be able to get ahead on studying for exams or working on projects during a time when you don’t have as much going on.

“Make an exam calendar, and color code to know what chapters of what subjects you are going to study, as well as figure out what hours you are going to study what subject,” senior Aylia Naqvi said.

Being organized and having an exam study plan ahead of time is an important aspect to testing well.

“Go to bed early and eat your breakfast.

A lot of students want to cram the night before and are too tired to think the next day,” physics teacher Mrs. Jacquelyn Sperling said.

The Vista

Page 8 Backtalk

The Rant: I Hope ...

I hope you know you are capable, brave, and significant.

I hope you know you are loved, needed, and wanted.

I hope you realize what is important and focus more energy on those things rather than what’s not important because realizing what time has been wasted afterwards, hurts.

I hope you know life is full of opportunities for you to grow and prosper.

I hope you realize how much a simple action can impact millions, just as one has impacted you.

I hope you can accept bad people do bad things, but God loves everyone, no matter the atrocities committed.

I hope you know you deserve to achieve great things in every aspect of your life.

I hope you can become the person you are proud of.

I hope you can find peace in even the most difficult times.

I hope you discover how to love life for all it could be, not that it is.

I hope you are a dreamer, inspirer, and creator.

I hope you are able to challenge yourself to be more creative and innovative in your way of thinking and working.

I hope you can bring forth love into your life for those who need it.

I hope you can forgive everyone who has hurt you and forget about the pain so the weight on your shoulders is lessened.

I hope you are able to seek guidance when you need it most.

I hope you are able to move on from bad situations, because goodness is all you need.

I hope you are able to take time for those you love and learn to cherish every moment with them.

I hope you give everything you have into this life because you only get one shot to make life wonderful.

I hope you have only good things in life because happiness is deserved for all people.

I hope you can realize that opinions do not matter and love takes you on wild adventures that hate could never dream of.

Above all, I hope you know just how loved you are. I pray you know God loves you unconditionally, for all of your glory and flaws. God loves you.

Roving Reporter Roving Reporter Teacher Edition: What Is Your Favorite What Is Your Favorite Christmas Song?

Noelle Albright “Last Christmas” ~ Mr. Casey Feldstein “Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas” ~ Mr. Chip Smith “Susie Snowflake” ~ Sr. Gail Wrasman ‘61 “Carol of The Bells” ~ Mrs. Tracy Fahim “The Little Drummer Boy” ~ Senora Lauren Moor “Bruce Springsteen’s Santa Claus Is Coming To Town ” ~ Mrs. Jean (Christ) Walker ‘82 “The Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Carol of the Bells” ~ Mrs. Kathy Wilkins “Silver Bells” ~ Mrs. Laura Gallaher “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas” ~ Mrs. Chris Chapman “What A Glorious Night” ~ Mrs. Margaret Korfhage “Melkieke Maka” ~ Mrs. Angie Joseph “The Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Carol Of The Bells” ~ Mr. Matthew Gruenwald “O Holy Night” ~ Ms. Sarah Hunter “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” ~ Ms. Cindy Roller “White Christmas” ~ Mrs. Michelle Kusina “Silent Night” ~ Mrs. Lauren Jakubisin “Bruce Springsteen’s Santa Claus is Coming to Town” ~ Nurse Sara Mazur “O Holy Night” ~ Mr. Jim Sulier “Carol of the Bells” ~ Mrs. Anastasia Desmond “Donny Hathaway’s This Christmas” ~ Mrs. Kelly Wood

Christmas Tradition?

Kaitlin Shiple

“Putting up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving” ~ freshman Elle Malczewski “The Filipino tradition is nine days of Christmas, then we have a giant party, and it's always really fun.” ~ junior Christine Salcedo “It has to be when my family gets together to make tamales and Christmas cookies every year. My grandparents started that tradition when my mom was little, and we’ve been carrying it on every since” ~ senior Ciara Geronimo “Every year when we go to the tree farm, my older sister is always really adamant on cutting down the tree herself, so we stay in the cold for an extra hour drinking hot chocolate, laughing at my sister as she struggles” ~ sophomore Isabel Smith “Putting up a Christmas tree” ~ freshman Jannell Swarez “ I love going to my grandma’s house with my dad’s side of the family on Christmas Eve, then going to my grandparent's house from my mom’s side on Christmas day. I don't see either side very often” ~ junior Ainsley Pike “Where we all have to wait for everyone to wake up before opening presents” ~ sophomore Vanessa Huntley “My favorite Christmas tradition is my dad video recording my family, and I open up all of our presents so we can look back at the recordings in the years to come.” ~ junior Journee Hall “Every year my family puts up a white dove in honor of all our family members that have passed away.” ~ senior Nyla Brown “Decorating the tree with my family” ~ sophomore Ava Bowers “My family and I watch A Christmas Carol while decorating cookies” ~ senior Aadya Davis “My mom burning our rolls”~ freshman Maddie Cieslica