Berner Beacon

by Eleni Diakoumakis and Vincent Apap

We have interviewed several of Berner’s new and seasoned teachers! Can you guess the lie? Answers are at the bottom of the article!

by Justin McComb

Can you guess the tiny teachers below? Answers are at the end of the issue!

by Brenna Donohue, Ryder Ong, and Paige Nolie

If you don't know me, Ryder, and Paige, we are three 6th graders. Now I know what you might be thinking...why are 6th graders who just joined Berner giving us advice? Well, we are giving you this advice from our experience as a fellow 6th grader. We hope you enjoy our genuine perspective and advice about middle school and how to survive it!

First off, get a BIG backpack. It is a necessity. It makes carrying your books, binders, or anything in between so much easier! And you might have extra room for a lunchbox and/or your pencil case. You also want to get your schedule memorized, once we did it all became so much easier. Once you memorize your classes, you can move on to your locker…. Which I was very scared of at first. You can decide how often you visit your locker. Some students use it once before homeroom, others go twice and visit it before lunch and other people use it less often.

Brenna takes Spanish, here are her tips to help you with your language class! First, please pay attention and study. Now I know no one likes to study but in some cases it's best to do so. Please don't play games while you're doing an assignment. I've done it my fair share of times and it hasn't helped me. Another thing to note is if you do need a folder for your language, organize it.

Everyone has core classes. With core classes Ryder learned to pay attention and take notes. Personally, Ryder thinks ELA is the easiest. In ELA you write and read. For supplies you need highlighters, pencils, and notebooks. Ryder likes using mechanical pencils. It's easier for him and it's also a lot neater. With math, all you need to do is pay attention and apply yourself. It's as simple as that. Social studies and science are very simple to get a routine in. Just organize, pay attention, and try your best.

Well, that's all we have for you this winter. But stay tuned because you never know what we will have next! Hope you enjoyed this article. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and last but not least have a great school year!

by Jaymee Carter, Coleeyn Carter, and Julia Thoresz

We will be telling you about how to study in a fun way, but effective way so that you will be ready for your test or quiz. It could be so annoying and hard to have to read your notes over and over again to try to memorize things for your test. If you want a fun, and effective way to study, keep reading. The method I will be talking about for studying is to go to your siblings, parents, friends, or anyone you know and ask them to help you study. All you have to do is get your study guides and give it to them. Tell them to ask you questions based on your study guide. You just have to answer the questions based on what you learned in school. If you get a question wrong, no need to get mad. All you do is tell whoever you're doing it with to tell you when you are wrong. Then when you are done with the questions, you go over them once again with the person of your choice. Then, they ask you the same questions and most likely you will improve a lot because you went over it. Lastly, if you get all of your questions right, and you feel comfortable with everything you have to learn, you will be ready for your test!

This is how you should do studying techniques. You should study by making flashcards. However, this might not work with all tests. If you have a reading comprehension, this won't work, but it will work with other tests/quizzes. This will help you memorize better, and it will be fun! All you have to do is get a little paper, and a pen/pencil! On one side you have to write the definition/meaning of the word. On the other side all you have to do is write the word! It is super easy and should help you memorize words!

This is another studying technique that you can get work done and have fun at the same time. One studying technique is to play review games. To do this you can go on any review game app, specifically Quizziz, Blooket, Gimkit, or Quizlet. You can look up the topic that you want to study, or one of your teachers can assign you one. It is a very fun way to learn and it also helps you to remember. This studying technique can help you a lot on your tests and quizzes.

by Jasmine Chabra

Adjusting to 6th grade is difficult at first. It’s hard to find your classrooms, find new friends, and also fit in. These tips might help you know what to expect in this school year. So these are some tips for 6th graders from interviewed 7th and 8th graders.

1. Make sure to study because one assignment can really affect your whole grade, especially in the beginning of the quarter.

2. Try to find a good time to go to your locker so you aren’t late to class.

3. Try to keep some money in your backpack incase there is a sale and you want to buy something

4. Make sure you go to lessons because they are worth lots of your grade in chorus, orchestra, and band.

5. If you have any questions you can email your teacher for help.

6. Make some friends so that next year you could have one in each class.

7. Try to keep your ID clean because it is white and can get messy easily.

8. Pay attention in class instead of talking because their might be some important information that you may miss.

9. Get a Jansport or a large backpack because you need more storage in middle school.

10. Don’t chew gum in class because it will get you in trouble.

11. Don’t go on your phone because there are lots of consequences and if you need to make a phone call you can visit the General Office.

12. When you get home, you may want to relax, but you should try to get your homework done immediately.

13. Make a schedule with clubs, homework and other things so you can stay organized and get things done.

14. Behave appropriately so you don’t get detention.

15. Be careful in the hallways because there are lots of people there.

If you follow all these tips, You’ll do great throughout your years of middle school.

by Eleni Diakoumakis, Lilyana Thanasas, Sofia Chaiken and Vincent Apap

Eleni Diakoumakis interviewed Natilie Esponda

What does she think of Berner?: Natilie says that BMS is pretty chill, but it’s like a maze. She looks at the room numbers but sometimes has trouble finding the gym of the cafeteria, she says she is getting used to it though. She also says her friend helps her out sometimes.

Favorite class: Natilie’s favorite class is art. She has Mr. Coppola. She likes art because she is pretty good at drawing.

Favorite teacher: Natilie’s favorite teacher is Mrs. Kenny. She says she likes FACS class so far!

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Eleni Diakoumakis interviewed Micaela (Mica) Lopez

What does she think of Berner?: “I’ve been getting around great so far but I am still learning because I'm only in 6th grade.”

Favorite class: FACS

Favorite teacher: She likes Mr. Eaton!

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Eleni Diakoumakis interviewed Svjetlana Smith

What does she think of Berner?: She says it's pretty hard to get around when you're in a certain type of area. She follows people that she's knows in her classes.

Favorite class: Svjetlana likes math. She thinks it's pretty easy right now and she likes her seat.

Favorite teacher: Her favorite teacher is Mr. Lambert. He is a really nice, good teacher.

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Eleni Diakoumakis interviewed Isla Kelly

What does she think of Berner?: She likes it better than elementary school.

Favorite class: FACS- She likes cooking.

Favorite teacher: Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Kenny. “She's nice,” said Isla.

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Lilyana Thanasas interviewed Laurel Fauci

What does she think of Berner?: She has been getting around BMS very well and thinks that the school is easy to get around.

Favorite class: Physical Education because they play fun games all the time.

Favorite teacher: Mrs. Meehan (health teacher) because she is super funny, kind and fun.

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Lilyana Thanasas interviewed Juliet Young

What does she think of Berner?: She said that the first day of school was kind of hard to find all of the classes because they were just starting in a new school and she got used to her schedule pretty soon. A tip she would like to give is to stay organized.

Favorite class: is FACS because they do a bunch of different and fun stuff by yourself and in groups.

Favorite teacher: Mr. Pollock because he is really funny and does a lot of fun stuff.

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Lilyana Thanasas interviewed Kaitlyn Stanton

What does she think of Berner?: She thinks Berner is pretty good so far. She has her schedule in her ID and has day one on one side and day 2 on the other.

Favorite class: FACS. She thinks it’s really fun and does a lot of fun stuff in the class

Favorite teacher: Mr. Lambert because he is really nice and makes funny jokes about things. He has very fun ideas for home and other things. He also gives extra credit!!

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Lilyana Thanasas interviewed Ava Guyer

How is she getting around Berner?: She likes to change classes a lot and does not have any tips or tricks.

Favorite class: FACS because you get to cook a lot.

Favorite teacher: Mrs. Kiley is her favorite teacher because she is nice and fun.

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Vincent Apap interviewed Ryder Ong

What does he think of Berner?: I think it's good.I like lunch. I like changing classes better than staying in one room. It's better than elementary

Favorite class: Social Studies because of my teacher (Mrs. Martelli)

Favorite teacher: Mrs. Martelli

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Vincent Apap interviewed Brenna Donohue

Favorite class: Spanish

Favorite teacher: Mrs. Vasquez and Mrs. Jones

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Sofia Chaikin interviewed Michael Ocuto

How is he getting around Berner? Does he have any tips?: Michael thinks that it is easy to get around to Berner and if anyone has trouble, a teacher or older student will always help out!

Favorite Class: Michael likes FACS because he gets to cook and have fun.

Favorite Teacher: Michael's favorite teacher is Mrs. Shehada because she is really kind!

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Sofia Chaikin interviewed Kara Fox

How is she getting around Berner? Do they have any tips? Kara thinks that getting around school is easy as long as you get in the hall before everyone. Kara also thinks it is important to be nice to teachers and study.

Favorite Class: Kara likes Physical Education.

Favorite teacher: Kara´s favorite teacher is Mrs. Montinnelli

by Brenna Donohue

Hello, my name is Brenna. I was in the school play this year. If you didn't see the play, it was Camp Rock 2. Obviously I'm a little biased because I was in the play, but I would say it was amazing. Now before I bore your heads off, let me explain who was in the play, what it was about, etc. But if you plan on watching the movie i’d do it before you read because there are major spoilers in here!

The play/movie is about 2 rival summer camps, Camp Star and Camp Rock. Camp Rock is run by Brown Cesario, and Camp Star is run by Axel Turner. They are enemies due to past situations. Mitchie, the main character and love interest of Shane Gray (popstar), just wants to have a great summer, with no drama. But when camp star invites camp rock to a “campfire,” things go downhill.

They soon show that they are jerks, and only want to upstage/ruin camp rock. So when Camp Rock arrives at the campfire at camp star, Axel takes every opportunity to get back at brown. In the process taking most of Camp Rock's counselors. Already short staffed, before the camp star incident, Brown decides he has to shut down camp rock due to lack of help. But Mitchie won't give up, so she comes up with a plan. They needed to take down a camp star, but they needed a camp for that. And the summer just started. So Mitchie, Shane, and their group of friends become counselors. Without being short staffed they could stay open! But they had another problem to take care of.

They challenge Camp Star to a final jam, and they both agree, but with a twist. It would be a television competition, so the pressure rises. So, they spend day and night preparing, and Mitchie is very focused on winning and proving their superiority. During which causes a wedge in Shane and Mitchie’s relationship, due to Mitchie’s long hours of work preparing for the final jam. When the day comes, Camp Star ends up winning, due to Axel bribing people to vote for his camp. Yet, Camp Rock's performance on TV attracts lots of attention due to the family-like relationship, support, and love.

Well, that's all I'll tell you, I did leave out lots of details. So for the full experience watch the movie. Now like I said this is the second movie, so obviously I recommend watching the first movie, (Camp Rock), first. Hope you enjoyed reading, have a great day!

by Gwendolyn Gibbons

This interview is for students who want to join the school play next year or are interested in it. I will be interviewing a student in the play about things you might want/need to know before you join the school play.

Interviewer: What do you think about the school play?

Person 1: It's a lot of work, you have to practice a lot. But in the end it was so much fun practicing the dance, we were all having fun on stage. The costumes were so pretty and unique. The people in the cast are so funny and kind.

Interviewer: What day do you think people should buy tickets for?

Person 1: I think Saturday.

Interviewer: Why do you think that?

Person 1: I think that Saturday is better because it's the second run through the play so we know our choreography better.

Interviewer: How does the play affect your schedule?

Person 1: I am there every day till 5:30 every day except for Fridays and tech week. I miss a lot of dance practice. It's hard to get homework done since I am always staying late.

Interviewer: How do you get over stage fright?

Person 1: Once I get on stage it feels better because we all are having fun together.

Interviewer: What's the toughest part about being in a play?

Person 1: Remembering all the dances is the hardest part of the play for me. I think this because we do a lot of dances, it's hard to remember it all. The good part is they put up a video of the dances so you can practice them.

Interviewer: If anyone wants to do a play what's your advice to them?

Person 1: It's really fun, you should try it out if you really want to. You need to schedule your time before though, because you will stay for a long time after school for practice rehearsals.

by Vincent Apap

After a long wait it’s finally winter. It's Christmas season. You already hear Mariah Carey on the radio. And you wake up to school and receive the best news from your window. It is snowing out! You rush down the stairs and see if there's a 2 hour delay.All your prayers have been answered. It's a snow day! Maybe putting a spoon under your pillow or wearing your pajamas backwards actually worked this year.

But no matter what you're going to have an amazing snow day. First thing you might have to do might be shoveling the driveway and sidewalk.While this can be annoying as soon as you're done with it you're already used to the cold weather. Now the day is finally free you have time to do whatever you want. You need to brainstorm what to do. Well I've got the answer for you.

Shovel Driveways and Sidewalks

Did you know that it is every homeowner's responsibility to shovel their sidewalk and the fine for not doing this is from $150 to $300?! This means that you and your friends can get shovels and knock on peoples doors and offer to do it. You and your group should establish a minimum price that you charge (something that can be split even with your group). Let's say you have 4 people charge $20, each person will then get $5. And we all know sometimes people pay a lot more since sometimes they may be incapable of doing this themselves. This is a great way to make some money. It is also not that hard. Each place should take about a hour. The smaller the group the more money. Also you should ask your client if they have a specific place they want the snow to go. Remember to be kind to your client because this can make them pay more.

Is it too cold?

There is one downside to shoveling for money... the temperature. Sometimes it might be a little bit too cold to go out for hours. Another great and more relaxed option is making hot chocolate and watching your favorite Christmas movie. One of my favorites is Elf. Elf is a great movie for when you want to watch something that will make you laugh. You can re-watch Elf 20 times and it will still be an amazing movie. To go along with your hot chocolate and the end of this article their will be a link to some Christmas cookie recipes!

Got lots of snow?

Depending on where you live their might be different amounts of snow, but if in NY there is a heavy snow day I know the perfect activities...you only need 2 things: a shovel and a boogie board.

Step 1: Shovel a large amount of snow onto 1 big mountain

Step 2: Make sure this pile is on the little grass patches next to your houses

Step 3: Make the pile have a slope that leads into the road (only do this when there is no cars)

Step 4: Put the boogie board on the top of the slope and lay flat on it. Your back should be facing up, then slide down your homemade sledding slope.

Here is the link I promised you: Taste of Home

by Eleni Diakoumakis

Hello! Welcome or welcome back to “Outfit Ideas”, the series where I give you the BEST advice on how to style your clothes! As you can all see by the FREEZING weather outside, it’s winter, and with winter comes great outfit ideas! I will be providing you with outfits, stores and accessories to make your look perfect. Are you ready? Let's go!

DINNER

Going out to dinner is one of the most important times to make sure you look your best. You never know who you could see! That's why I'm here to help you! Alright, here we go! During the winter time, I love wearing knitwear. I have used SHEIN in the past to get my knitwear, and they have some pretty good stuff! For me, if I was going out to a nice restaurant, I normally wear a white or khaki knitted shirt, and with a black leather skirt or some other type of skirt. If you want to wear a dress, I recommend shopping from Zara, Bloomingdale's and more! Pretty much every clothing store has winter dresses. Let me see you rock your winter outfit look at the dinner table!

CASUAL

Casual wear is everything. It’s what you wear everyday. For winter, I basically wear leggings and sweatpants. That's it. Haha! Leggings are everything for me, and for most other girls here at Berner. First of all, black leggings go with everything, which is perfect. Second, they are super comfy! They are also very easy to move in. I get leggings from All In Motion (which can be found at your local Target or Kohls), Aerie offline, Lululemon and Athleta girl. These are only a few of the places you can get leggings from. Sweatpants are clothes that you can find anywhere. I get them from Denny’s, Target, SHEIN, Aviator Nation and Blu Poppy Boutique! With sweatpants, you need to be a little bit more careful about how you match. I like to wear a tight top with sweatpants, but baggy shirts look just as good. I can’t wait for you to relax and chill with this outfit inspiration!

CLOSURE

I wish all of you readers a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate! My wishes to you all that as you celebrate you look sharp and fine in your outfits!

by Hailey Vasilakis

Do you get bored during winter? No beach or pools? Want to have fun? Try these fun activities to help you enjoy your winter:

1. Make a fort

2. Make cookies

3. Go sledding

4. Make a snowman

5. Go to NYC

6. Decorate your house and room

7. Make hot cocoa

8. Christmas movie binge

9. Ice skating

10. Skiing

11. Hockey

12. Snow tubing

13. Scavenger hunt

14. Ice fishing

15. Cook with seasonal ingredients

16. Bake bread

17. See a movie

18. Go bowling

19. Get your nails done

20. Visit an escape room

21. Play video games

22. Board games

23. Color in a coloring book

24. Have a snowball fight

25. Read a good book

26. Go on a hike

27. Put together a puzzle

28. Watch a sports game

29. Visit a museum

30. Go snowmobiling

31. Have a winter picnic

32. Make bird feeders

33. Make stick crowns

34. Go in a hot tub

35. Go star gazing

36. Make bracelets

37. Start a youtube channel

38. Roller skating

39. Make snow angels

40. Make a snow globe

41. Have a scavenger hunt

42. Hide and seek

43. Make play dough

44. Make slime

45. Paint on the snow

46. Do a color by number

47. Make a gingerbread house

48. Make winter decorations

49. Go see Christmas lights

50. Create an origami

Hope these ideas helped you have fun during this exciting time. Happy holidays!

by Sophia Hannon

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa. In this article, I will be talking about wish lists/gift ideas. If you don’t know what you want for Christmas/Hanukkah this article is for you.

SKINCARE

Skincare is all the rage at the moment. You can get all the trendy skincare from ULTA, Sephora, sometimes Amazon, and The Body Shop. Some great skincare brands to look out for are Drunk Elephant,Glow Recipe, CeraVe, Bubble, (their moisturizer is amazing), Hero, Cetaphil, Glossier, Sun Bum (for sunscreen), and last but not least, Neutrogena! These brands are all so amazing for your skin I would totally recommend for you to put them on your list.

MAKEUP

Even better than skincare...makeup! You can get makeup from your local drugstore, Sephora, ULTA, and MAC. Some great makeup brands are Rare Beauty, Dior (Dior is really expensive by the way), Charlotte Tilbury, Florence by Mills, E.L.F and Maybelline. These are all wonderful brands that you should definitely try.

SHOES

There are so many different shoe brands. But, what to choose? Well, I recommend Converse, Nike, UGG, Vans, and lastly, Crocs! All of these shoes are so comfy and perfect for school. (Don’t wear Crocs to physical education though.) You can get shoes from any of these brands stores and Journeys.

WATER BOTTLES

I know you are probably thinking “Water bottles? How weird!” Well, they are very popular at the moment. You can get water bottles from basically anywhere. But, some brands are AirUp, Cirkul, Stanley Cup, and Lululemon. All of these water bottles will keep you hydrated and ready for the day. Even better, AirUp and Cirkul can make your water flavored.

TECH

By tech I mean Phones, iPads, Airpods, laptops,etc. Obviously, you would get these at Apple or Samsung if you don't like apple/want a cheaper alternative. Something that is all the rage at the moment is Apple watches! These are great because it counts your steps, lets you be more athletic, and you can watch the time (obviously!) and lastly, you can text anyone you want if you don't have your phone on you. You could also customize your watch with cute watch bands!

CLOTHES

Who doesn't love clothes? You can get clothes basically anywhere.Some brands I recommend are, Brandy Melville (I LOVE this brand!), Lululemon, Shein, Target, Amazon, Nordstrom, and lastly, ZARA. These brands have great clothes in a lot of sizes! (Coming from someone who can NEVER find her size.)

This has been a list of things you can ask for Christmas/Hanukkah! I hope this helped. Bye!

by Courtney Meurer

With the holidays around the corner, you might need to do some more holiday shopping. If you need to go shopping for a teen girl, this article is for you!

Ulta/ Sephora

Teenagers usually Love using makeup, skincare, and some might like certain hair products they like/want. I recommend going to Ulta first because it’s a little cheaper, but if there's something they really want from Sephora, then, obviously, go there! If you don’t know what she would want then get her a gift card.

Target

Of course, target needs to be on this list! Target has clothes, makeup, skincare, and a ton of other things that teen girls love! Even a gift card can go a very long way!

Amazon

Amazon is notorious for its fast delivery, and good products! Amazon has everything; skincare, makeup, hair products, clothes, and so much more! Amazon also has very good quality items, too!

Kendra Scott

Something I know is that girls love their jewelry. This store might not be the cheapest, but Kendra Scott necklaces are so pretty and popular! If I was the person you were gifting I would love one of their necklaces or bracelets.

Blue Poppy

Blue Poppy is a very good store with clothes, jewelry, and some other accessories! Blue Poppy can be found in the shopping center that Crumbl Cookie, Staples, and Michaels is in.

To wrap things up, teen girls can be a little difficult to shop for, this is just what most teen girls tend to gravitate towards. Of course, before buying anything, ask the girl you’re buying for what she wants! She might want clothes, a new phone, and some other things. Of course, not everything she wants will be on this list. Thanks for reading and happy holidays!

by Joseph Rut-Wheeler

Here are some homemade poems, I hope you like them.

Winter

Winter, it is snowy, but fun.

I tune out the bad and take in the good.

Winter, there is frost bite, and hot cocoa.

I tune out the bad and take in the good.

To like winter, just tune out the bad and take in the good.

What to do?

What to do?

It is snowing and the cable is out.

The internet is down and I am bored.

What to do?

I know what to do, I will play outside.

Snowball

Snowball, a fun thing.

To use for fighting or for eating.

For fun or for yum.

I know!

I will use it for both.

Igloo

Igloo, it takes time to make.

It is hard to shape.

And the icing on the cake,

A flag on top of the igloo.

Now it is done.

Time to have fun.

World Peace

I want world peace.

If it was real, I’d be glad.

Because all the deaths that

happen in wars makes me sad.

Why do people start wars?

Maybe they are mad.

But all the deaths that

happen in wars makes me sad.

I wished for world peace

every time I have had.

Because all the deaths that

happen in wars makes me sad.

If world peace was real,

you know I'd be glad.

Because all the deaths that

happen in wars makes me sad.

World peace is all I want.

If it was real, I'd be glad.

Because all the deaths that

happen in wars makes me sad.

That is all for now, goodbye Berner Middle school!!

Many of the would you rather? are from Krafty Labs.

by Chloe Symington

So, we all know the saying about how “April showers bring May flowers”, but it’s not all about the spring. As a matter of fact, no one really pays any attention to winter when it comes to flowers. The first plant that probably comes to mind for winter is probably an evergreen tree. Don’t get me wrong, I love evergreen trees, but that’s only one plant, and it’s not even a flower! So, that’s why I’m here… to open your eyes to the world of cool flowers! Here are five flowers that survive and thrive in the cold.

5. Violas

Violas are beautiful flowers. They are a part of the violet family, and are pretty much only found in the Northern Hemisphere, with the exception of some more divergent areas, like Hawaii. Although violas are amazing winter flowers, they thrive best in the sun. So, always make sure that if you get a viola, make sure to either keep them outside, or by a window to insure that they won’t die out on you.

4. Snowdrops

Snowdrops are white, droopy-like flowers. If you plan to plant these flowers outside, snowdrops are only four to six inches tall, so maybe plant a lot of them together. In the wild, snowdrops are found in the Middle East and Europe, but have naturalized widely.. Snowdrops, just like violas, prefer sunny areas, or areas with light shade. Just like snow, the bulbs in snowdrops will be dormant for the summer. They bloom from February to March.

3. Hellebores

These beautiful flowers mainly stand out due to having five beautiful petals and these five petals creating a bowl shape. Hellebores come in a variety of colors, apricot, yellow, green, metallic blue, slate, dusty pink, maroon, and white. Hellebores can be pretty expensive due to it taking them two or more years to bloom. These flowers prefer full or partial shade during the summer. However, the winter is a different story, as they need full sunlight during the winter. Hellebores, despite being beautiful, are very toxic. So, when weeding around them, long sleeves and gloves might be the best option.

2. Lily of Valley Shrub

The lily of valley shrub is a flower well known for its bell-like flowers. The colors are white, pink, and sometimes blue. But, despite being beautifully unique, touching the lily of valley flower puts you at risk for skin irritation. So, just like hellebores, remember to wear gloves. Lily of valley flowers need partial sunlight, as they are arguably fragile. During harsh summer conditions, it might be best to keep them in full shade. These flowers, like most flowers on this list, bloom early to the mid-spring.

1. Glory of the Snow

These flowers, unlike most of the flowers on this list, actually bloom early enough that sometimes, you can see it poking through the snow, while most of the flowers on this list actually bloom early spring. The glory of the snow flower prefers moist, well-draining soil, and full or partial sunlight. This flower grows from three to five inches. The glory of the snow flowers can be pink, blue, white, or lilac purple. I just wouldn’t recommend eating this plant or touching it without gloves, since it is toxic, like all the plants on this list. But, when gardening, you still should always wear gloves. The glory of the snow flowers are star shaped, and have five petals.

Overall, gardening is a very peaceful activity that I highly recommend. It is good for relieving stress and, with these flowers, you’ll be able to show off to your friends and family how early your flowers are blooming! Of course though, gardening should be done with the right equipment like gloves, a shovel, and a hat, in the summer. Also, the flowers on this list aren’t all the flowers that bloom in the winter. There is an entire world of flowers out there that bloom in the winter! But, these flowers just happen to be some of the more popular ones. Gardening is a great way to stay connected with nature, too. So remember, stay safe, wear gloves, and thanks for reading!

by Vincent Apap

Mandarin Is a great language. It may seem hard to understand or drawing the characters. But trust me Mandarin is one of my favorite periods of the day, this is because you have so much fun with all the activities you do. It a unique language that you can even impress people with.The only downside is you might not be able to get help when their is homework (which is not often). Now one person might not convince you so I interviewed a couple different Mandarin students to help convince you or a friend that's coming to Berner next year!

Let's start by asking each one what their favorite part about Mandarin is:

Kayla Vessalico: ”It's very different from all the other languages and It's also a very fun language to learn. We do a lot of fun stuff in class.

Chloe Symington: ”The games we play”

Our next question is:rate how hard the work is out of 10:

Kayla Vessalico: 5/10, If you pay attention it really is not that hard, the main challenge is remembering things.

Chloe Symington: 4.5/10, Some words you pick up quickly, but some are completely different from English.

Our last and final question is: why did you take Mandarin and do you recommend it to others?

Kayla Vessalico: “I take Mandarin because it is the most spoken language in the world and if I continue to take it through high school It looks good on college applications. It is a really fun and interesting language to take and I would definitely recommend it.”

Chole Symington: I took Mandarin because I was interested in the culture. Also, I love challenges and Mandarin seemed like a good challenge. But, the difficulty is different for everyone. I recommend it to everyone because it’s just a lot of fun. All of the teachers are super nice and we all get to play different games. I have Mrs. Montana, and every Friday we get to play GimKit.

by Eleni Diakoumakis

Movies are everywhere! As soon as you turn on your TV, movie suggestions pop up. Let’s put your movie knowledge to the test!! What movies are the quotes below from? The answers are below!

Warm Up Question:

1. “Get in loser we’re going shopping”

Did you get it? Great! Now time for the REAL questions! They’ll be broken into categories! Ready? Let's go!

Halloween:

1. “We all go a little mad sometimes.”

2. “What's this? What's this? There’s color everywhere!”

3. “I'm the messenger of God. You're doomed if you stay here! This place is cursed.”

4. “I know the secret now. This is just a dream. You're not alive. This whole thing is just a dream.”

5. “You’ll float too!!”

Christmas

1. “When a bell rings, an angel gets its wings."

2. “Now get off my property ya filthy animal!

Classics

1. “There’s no place like home.”

2. “I'm gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.”

3. “She doesn’t even go here!”

Hopefully you were able to guess them!

by Lilyana Thanasas and Eleni Diakoumakis

Have you ever wondered if you could pull off looking like your idol? You're in the right place! We are here to help you accomplish that goal. The first thing you will be needing is your mom or dad to take your local Ulta Beauty or Sephora. These are all the things you will need to get:

• Primer (Elf Power grip or Poreless Putty primer)

• Base (Elf halo glow liquid filter)

• Concealer (Florence by Mills see you never concealer or Elf Camo concealer With white cap not black)

• Blush (Essence Blush- I would go for the shade believing, beloved or befitting)

• Mascara (Tarte SEA surfer mascara or the Sephora collection mascara)

• Brow Gel (Sephora collection clear long-lasting brow gel)

• Lips (Tree Hut Lip Butter or just plain old Aquaphor)

• Setting spray (Sephora Collection setting spray)

These are all the things you will need to be able to look like your idol, but there is one problem. You need to find out what shade of blush or mascara and brow gel you are. Don't worry, the employees at Ulta Beauty and Sephora are there to help you with whatever you may need. Even if you think it may be impossible. With the help of them it will be possible. That is how you become your idol look alike on a budget. Hope you enjoyed this portion of the article and keep reading to find out more. If you need help finding what the product look like in store or online here are some pictures you can use to help you out with that:

Hi, our names are Lilyana and Eleni, and we are going to share with you some of our favorite makeup brands and are going to look like the person who started them. Eleni will be Millie Bobby Brown doing and Lilyana will be doing Selena Gomez. If you don't know who these people are, they have started up some makeup brands. Millie Bobby Brown owns the makeup brand Florence by Mills and Selena owns the makeup brand Rare Beauty. If you don't know any of these brands stay tuned to see the before and after pictures of what they look like. We are also using some of the same products that we have listed on the list before this. Here are the before and after shots:

by Sofia Chaikin

Have you ever wanted to do something fun, but not active? Something that was good for your brain, but not boring. Something that takes skill and is a hobby. Something relaxing, but doesn't make you fall asleep. Finding the right hobby can be a long quest, but it is actually closer than you think. Any guesses? Sudokus? Painting? Reading? Well, I am just going to end your ¨long quest” here. The violin!

The Story Behind The Violin

When thinking of the violin, you may think of Berner’s very own room 128, a clean, modern, new room with trendy music being played. While this is now the case, let’s take it back to the first every violin. The year is now 1555, in Italy. We are sitting in a room with Andrea Amati, when he created a piece of wood, and while people didn’t know it at the time, he had just created the most beautiful sounding piece of wood the world has ever heard; it was called the violin. The instrument started spreading rapidly across Europe upon the invention. The King of France even asked Amitia to make him 24 violins! After 100 years with the violin, the instrument was popular in many European countries! Amitia started a school, and he taught how to make the violin. Two of the most famous violin makers learned their talents from Amitia. Violin makers went on to make millions, proving how much the violin was spreading all across the globe. However, there were some slight changes in the modern violin and the original violin. The original violin was much shorter and had a thicker neck(where you hold the violin). The modern violin is designed to have a higher sound and a louder sound to make an orchestra sound more complete. The violin is nothing without a bow, it's like milk and cookies; but it wasn’t until centuries after the invention, that bows were created. Musicians would pluck their strings. The first ever bow was created in China and gradually was spread to the rest of the world. See! I told you, the modern violin has stemmed from a very different original violin.

If you thought the history of the violin was interesting, just wait to hear the science behind it!

Science behind the violin

The violin works in mysterious ways. Or does it? Well, while the violin works in wonderful ways; it’s not so mysterious. The answer to how noise is produced in a violin seems like an easy answer, but it might be more complex than you think. A violin produces sound via the strings. While this is technically correct, there is so much more behind it. When you pluck, bow, or even hit a string on the violin, the string vibrates. This creates a circular movement in the strings. This motion creates a fundamental tone. What is a fundamental tone, though? This is a great question! A fundamental tone is the lowest frequency, or sound you can get. However, this makes no sense! How do you get a full sounding orchestra with the lowest pitch you can have? This leads to another great point! The body of the violin is hollow, so the sound travels through the strings, through the body, via bridge, and comes out with a full, echoing sound. Imagine having multiple violins, with multiple violas, cellos, and basses, all responding to 1 conductor. Now that is how an orchestra makes music!

While knowing how the violin was invented and how it works, the most important part is knowing a little bit about how to play it.

How to play the violin

Before you can learn how to play the violin, knowing each part and function of the violin is very important; starting at the top of the violin with the scroll. The scroll's first purpose was to showcase the ability of the maker; over time, the scroll became helpful for beginners to learn how to hold the violin. Next, there are tuning knobs. This allows musicians to tune their instrument to the correct pitch. Followed by that, you will see the neck of the violin. The neck is where your left hand will hold the violin at all times. Attached to the neck, there is the fingerboard. The fingerboard holds strings E,A,D, and G (in that order if going from right to left). Also, when playing music, your fingers on your left hand will also play notes there. Then, you will see the upper bout (or top of the violin’s body). The upper bout connects the neck to the body of the violin. Next, there is a waist, which allows you to move your bow freely even on the first and last string (E and G string). Then, you have the F-holes. This allows your instrument to release the vibrations that are within the body of the violin. Then, you will see the bridge. The bridge transfers the sound into the rest of the air. Then, there is a tailpiece and fine tuners. The fine tuners allow the musician to make minor adjustments to the pitch and the tailpiece allows the instrument to vibrate freely which ultimately allows you to play to your utmost ability. Next, there is a tail gut. The tail gut is used to attach the tailpiece on the instrument. Then, you will see the end pin, which is mainly used for stability on a cello or bass, but they are also used on the violin. Finally, holding the tailpiece, fine tuners, chin rest, tail gut, and end pin is the lower bout. The lower bout forms the bottom half of the violin. That’s not all! On a bow, there is a frog, where you hold the bow, the stick, and the hair. Now that you know all the parts of the violin, how do you get started? When first learning how to use the violin, one of the most important things to do is learn your playing and resting position. This may not sound all that important, but when you sit up straight and tall, you will be able to play easier and sound so much clearer. So, to have a proper playing position, you have to sit up on the edge of your chair, feet flat on the floor(front foot facing forward, and opposite foot facing to the right of you), hold your violin on your left shoulder, and chin of your chin rest so that your nose is in line with the scroll. Next, take your right hand and put your thumb on the side of the bridge. This gives you extra support when plucking the strings. Perfect, now you are in the playing position! Great job! But now, it is time to learn to rest position! This one is much easier than playing position. Here’s what you are going to do, take your right hand off of the string, keep your poster the same, and then remove the violin from your shoulder and place it on your left knee/thigh with your hand on the left side of the upper bout. Now you know the parts of the violin and bow, playing position, and rest position. Now let's finally learn how to play! Begin by going back into playing position; take your index finger and place it on the 3 string away from you(not the last string, but the second to last string). This is your D string. After placing your index finger on the side of the D string, you are going to pull the string towards you. You just played an open finger D! Now, you are going to repeat the steps but add on your index finger from your left hand onto the fingerboard. Now you played a first finger E. If you take a whole step down from you index finger and place your middle finger down there and you pluck the D string, you will have a F#. Then take your ring finger, place it a half step down from your middle finger, and pluck the D string, now you have a G! If you play those notes in the sequence of: F#-E-D-F#-E-D D-D-D-D E-E-E-E-F#-E-D, you will have played the song Hot Cross Buns! Great Job! After some time of practicing plucking, you can start learning how to play with your bow! Although learning how to play the violin is going to take a lot of practice, it is going to be so much fun! That is only the beginning of learning the violin! There are so many more fun facts and tricks to help you always improve!

Are you convinced to play the violin yet? Well, just in case, here are so many more reasons you should play the violin! Here are just a few!

Endless Benefits of the Violin

The violin is a beloved instrument to many! Did you know that Albert Einstein played the violin? Did you know the 10th president, John Tyler, played the violin? Did you know the 28th president, Woodrow Willson, played the violin? Abraham Lincoln also played the violin! That is just to name a few! The violin can expand your memory and mind to ways you didn’t know were imaginable. The violin helps your reading and attention span. The violin helps stimulate your brain which will keep your mind moving and help it stay active for longer. You may argue that word puzzles and games with the same concept can also help stimulate your brain, and you would not be incorrect. Word puzzles are also a really good stimulator for your brain, however the violin is also an amazing stress reliever. Some people get lost in a good movie or book, but you can also get lost in a new song! You learn new music, it keeps you entertained, it stimulates your brain, and you get a beautiful sounding song out of it! The violin has so many benefits!

The violin is an amazing instrument full of grace! The violin is so much fun and the benefits of playing are endless! There are so many more fun facts about the violin and even more tricks on how to play even better! If you are looking for a new hobby, the violin is a relaxing, fun, and beneficial option. When it comes to the violin, the history, science, way of playing the violin, and why to play the violin, is all so interesting, however, you can never really understand this without trying it first!

Bibliography

https://www.ducksters.com/musicforkids/violin_history.php

https://www.violinist.com/blog/CityFolk66/20145/15850/

by Melissa Jave

Such an Easy Instrument!

Playing the piano is very simple in the beginning, you start off learning what people call eC form. No, it is not some science formula, it’s a nickname for easy, and C Form, a real thing. C Form is your left hand 5 fingers on the middle C key , and your right hand 5 fingers in middle C Form. This is called the Middle C Position, from middle C to the following G, for your right hand the main control melody and loudest sound base. You will learn that there are only 7 notes on the piano: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Your right hand will start on Middle C, the key right on the middle of the piano ( Hence ‘Middle C’ ) . There are only 7 notes, but there are 7 different octaves. (Octaves are the same notes but either lower or higher, a note that will sound the same but either higher or lower exactly 7 keys away from that key is that note in a higher and/or lower octave.) Your left hand will fall on Under Hand C Form, exactly the same as Middle C Position, but an octave lower. That will be your entire form until you get more advanced, and advancing is just adding two extra parts, flats and sharps. Dynamics are simple, you just need speed, staccato, and - well - that’s it!

More Advanced Now!

Now that you have begun, you are ready for scales, flats, and sharps. Let me explain scales first. If you are a singer, or play any other instrument, scales are nothing out of the ordinary for you. Probably part of your weekly or daily practice. Scales are when a note goes higher, and higher, and even higher until the note you started with reaches its matching octave note. That’s an upward scale, a downward scale, is when the note gets lower, and lower, and even lower until the note you started with, reaches its matching octave note. That is what a scale is, how to play a scale is determined by what note you start with, that determines what scale you are playing. Scales aren’t correct unless the notes are correctly descending or going up its scale, and all of them (except C Scale) have either flats and/or sharps. Now your songs will include some of those excess notes, to add suspense and a greater power to the music.

by Eleni Diakoumakis

Has anyone ever asked you, “What’s your zodiac?” or “What’s your sign?” Did you not know what yours is? According to Wikipedia, “In Western astrology, astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors that make up Earth's 360-degree orbit around the Sun. The signs enumerate from the first day of spring, known as the First Point of Aries, which is the vernal equinox.” There are 12 zodiacs, each extremely different. Look down to see which zodiac you are! Also, see if the character traits match your personality!

Aries (March 21 to April 19): bold, energetic, full of vitality, charismatic, fun, lively, passionate, and driven by their hearts and desires.

Taurus (April 20 to May 20): stubborn and intelligent, dependable, hardworking, dedicated.

Gemini (May 21 to June 21): playful ,intellectually curious and 2-faced.

Cancer (June 22 to July 22): nurturing, sensitive, compassionate, self-protective, and offering, loving, and goofy.

Leo (July 23 to August 22): compassion and big-heartedness, consciousness, and natural leadership.

Virgo (August 23 to September 22): loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical.

Libra (September 23 to October 22): extroverted, cozy, and friendly people.

Scorpio (October 23 to November 21): loyalty, devotion, and also their passion.

Sagittarius (November 22 to December 21): outgoing, cheerful, and they show admiration towards all.

Capricorn (December 22 to January 19): overachievers, persistent, practical, and sensitive

Aquarius (January 20 to February 18): big thinkers, but don’t forget their immediate surroundings

Pisces (February 19 to March 20): compassionate, romantic, artistic, intensely empathetic, and sensitive.

Did you find your astrological sign there? Do the traits match your personality? There are also other things people wonder about that have to do with the zodiacs, such as most likable. Keep reading to find out more cool facts about the zodiacs!

MOST LOVED ZODIAC SIGNS (ACCORDING TO ideapod.com):

12. Capricorn: “Ambitious and practical, their discipline and perseverance often lead them to great success. Cancers are not afraid of hard work and are very dedicated to their goals.” They might come off as quiet, focused and reserved, but on the inside, their soul is steadfast, and loyal that wants respect and admiration.

11. Cancer: “Ruled by the Moon, Cancers are nurturing souls.”

They’re the protectors of the zodiac. They are always ready to lend a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on! Cancers will always have your back! They also make the atmosphere feel cozy, and comforting, “making everyone around them feel safe and loved.”

10. Taurus: Taureans love beautiful things! They adore luxury and comfort in life. “They are reliable, practical, and have a strong appreciation for the finer things in life.” Taureans are also stubborn, but they are also extremely dedicated and their perseverance is so strong! They will never be the person to give up.

9. Scorpio: Scorpios are misunderstood because of their intense nature. But, if you look deeper, “Scorpios are actually very loyal and passionate individuals.” Believe it or not, Scorpios are quite emotional, but they keep it inside under their calm and collected exterior. They are also “drawn to life's mysteries” and even the paranormal! People are quite attracted to Scorpios because of their calm, but emotional personality. Scorpios will always stay calm under pressure!

8.Virgo: Virgos are just like Maddie Ziegler; perfectionists. “They’re practical, detail-oriented, and hardworking. Their dedication to work, reliability, and modest nature are a few of Virgo’s admirable qualities.” Virgos can be a little bit harsh while trying to give some “constructive criticism”, but it's only because they care about you!

7. Pisces: Pisces are the dreamers of the zodiacs. “Their intuitive nature and deep emotional understanding make them extremely compassionate.” They have a queer ability to know what others are feeling, like a mind reader. This makes others in the atmosphere “feel truly seen and heard”. You could definitely have a Pisces as your therapist!

6. Aquarius: “They’re the revolutionaries of the zodiac”, always one step ahead of you and ready to go. “They are often intellectual, independent, and unafraid to challenge the status quo.” They have an outlook on life where you take everything step by step, or gradually. They’d also definitely be a friend that would spit out inspiring statements when you need them!

5. Aries: These zodiacs are “trailblazers with a dynamic and daring spirit that attracts people like moths to a flame.” These people aren’t afraid of anything, and they would be the type of person who would think outside the box, while others look for the easiest way out. Aries will do anything to pursue their goals, which makes them very determined. They have a very courageous soul, along with their honesty and straightforwardness. They would be a very enthusiastic and reliable friend to trust!

4. Gemini: Geminis are extremely multi-talented. They are a curious and easygoing character. You can always trust a Gemini to fill you in on the latest scoop going around Berner! Additionally, Geminis are extremely witty and “have the ability to see multiple perspectives, hence their interactions tend to be highly stimulating.” Their playful behavior and ability to just enjoy life through the darkest times is often noticed by others. Many people are attracted to Geminis!

3. Sagittarius: Did you know that Sagittarians are the adventurers of the zodiac? Well they are! They have an “unquenchable thirst for knowledge and new experiences.” They are extremely enthusiastic and optimistic, for some people say what they have is “contagious”! Sagittarians will give you that urge to find more and learn more. They will always try to “convince you out of your comfort zone.” If a Sagittarian has 1 main goal in life, it would be to brighten up other people’s lives. This makes people feel happy and heard, and that makes a Sagittarius happy. They always will make you feel better when you are feeling under the weather. A synonym for a silver lining: Sagittarius.

2. Libra: My sign! I am a very outgoing extrovert, and I feel for others. If they’re sad, I’m sad. I am also quite stubborn and I have MAJOR mood swings all the time. They pop out of nowhere, for it is just my personality. Us Libras are the peacemakers of the zodiac, or the balance. We are very diplomatic, which means we are (according to google search engine) “careful to day or do things without offending people”, and it’s true! As I said, we are the balance. If there was a fight, Libras would be neutral. Us Libras love to make everyone feel like they are in a comfortable environment, and making people feel heard. This is highly appreciated by others, which is why many people are attracted to Libras. We are delightful and upright. Our social anxiety level is at -10000000. Libras are SUCH extroverts and love to talk! Most people would agree; Libras are quite appealing.

1. Leo: “The charismatic leader”. One of my closest friend’s sign is Leo. If I'm upset. She's there for me. Sometimes, she just says the most random funny things! She is not afraid to point to a person and say “Is that the boy you’re talking about?” She’ll talk to anyone and everyone! Never afraid to try anything new, Leos are fearless, natural born leaders. “These lions aren’t afraid to roar and take center stage, radiating confidence, and positivity.” You might be thinking, “they probably just want to be the main character” or “they have a huge ego.” You are wrong! Leos lead out of the warmth of their hearts and their thirst to “uplift those around them”. Leos genuinely care about you, and strive to make a difference. As you can see, a Leo's heart is beautiful and pure.

Do you think these ratings were accurate? I think so! Remember, no offense to you if you are at the lower end. You are still an amazing person and this is just for fun! Hopefully you’ll come back for the next edition. See you in the spring!

by Nate Stutz

Have you ever heard of Finland? If you have, you probably know that they joined the largest military organization in the world earlier this year in April. They also border Russia, which is a big rival to NATO’s strength. But the tough and brutal history between the two countries might go back farther than you think. So it is the 1920s, the Soviet Union had just won their civil war against the monarchists, and one of their former states, Finland, had broken away from Russia during the chaos. And worst of all, one of the biggest Soviet cities, Leningrad (today St. Petersburg), was only about 20 miles from the Finnish border, so in the case of a surprise attack, The Fins could easily take the city. So Iosif (Joseph) Stalin, the premier of the USSR at the time, deemed that it was disappointing the revolution had not come to Finland, and the movements near the border in Karelia had forged a justification for war. The Soviets attacked on November 30, 1939, 3 months after the outbreak of World War 2.

WAR ITSELF

Early Advances and the Mannerheim Line

The Soviets had expected total military victory within a few weeks. They had just completed the invasion of Poland and the Baltic States along with the Germans. The Soviet initial attack involved an infantry attack with 450,000 men and a bombing of the Finnish capital Helsinki. Not far from the Finnish border near Leningrad, the Soviets had met what is now called the Mannerheim Line, for the namesake of the Finnish general, Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. A main problem for Fins in the war was Soviet tanks. The Fins had very few anti-tank weapons and not much training in anti-tank tactics. The Fins had also deployed 21,000 men to delay the Soviet advance, and all Fins withdrew to the fort line by December 6, a week after the war’s start. The Soviets sent 3 different divisions to form a breakthrough, but all failed.

EARLY SOVIET ATTACKS AND THE MANNHERHEIM LINE

Weather Conditions and Guerilla Tactics

Being in Northern Europe, Russia and Finland would be expected to have low temperatures, especially in winter, but it was a different winter. The Karelian Isthmus had experienced record low temperatures, being -45*F. The Fins were severely under-equipped in the freezing conditions. Many Fins were familiar with cross-country skiing and performed what was known as skiing warfare.

From Karelia to Petsamo, the Finnish used guerilla tactics. Although the Soviets had the numerical advantage, the Fins were still able to use speed and maneuver warfare to their advantage. Like many modern wars, encirclement tactics, or surrounding the enemies, were used. The Finnish were able to use this to their advantage to dwindle on the large Soviet numbers. Like wars in the present day, forms of propaganda were used. Soviet propaganda described how Soviets taken prisoners were brutally treated and tortured to death. In the coming months, there was very little movement of the front line, as the freezing conditions worked against both sides.

White Death

Although it sounds like a disease, this man is known as the deadliest sniper in history, killing more than 500 Soviets during the course of this war. His secret was camouflage, but he did it even better than many other snipers. He would often aim without a scope, dig deep into the snow, and prevent his breath freezing by keeping snow in his mouth. But on March 6, 1940, he got severely wounded by an explosive bullet. Everyone thought he had died, so he was placed with other fallen soldiers. Rumors of his death spread through Finland and the USSR. This likely led to a morale boost for the Soviets because they didn’t have to fear him. Simo Hayha, which was his name, gained consciousness a week later, the day of the war’s end, discussed later. His face was also severely disfigured. He still wanted to serve in the Continuation War, also discussed later, but couldn’t because of the severity of his injuries.

Air War and Naval War

The Soviets comfortably enjoyed air superiority throughout the war, with their large air force consisting of 2500 planes. The Fins, on the other hand, had a very small air force of roughly 114 planes, much less than that of the Soviets. The Soviets had bombed the Finnish capital Helsinki, on the first day of the war, and a few times after. An important Finnish city in Karelia, Viipuri, had been leveled after receiving 12,000 bombs. The Fins, on the other hand, had their air force grow by nearly 50%, due to shipments of British, Swedish, and American planes.

There was very little naval warfare in the war, as the Baltic Sea had frozen by January, and only submarines could pass through the water. The Soviet Baltic fleet was also an under trained force, not meant for large-scale invasions through the sea. The Soviet naval dominance through raiding and destroying Finnish trade vessels.

An Eventual Soviet Breakthrough

The attacks in Karelia had been less active in January than December, however the Soviets had increased their bombardments, wearing down and softening the Finnish defenses. The local Finnish populace and the soldiers had grown tired of this war that the Fins were slowly losing, and after the Soviets broke through in February in Karelia, the government was eager for peace talks.

Treaty of Moscow

Because of the recent war events, and the Fins knowing they were slowly losing, Finnish diplomats went to Moscow to discuss a peace treaty. The Treaty of Moscow ended up with the Soviets annexing Karelia, Salla, and the Rybachi peninsula. The Finnish lost much of their population and economic power. Overall, the Soviets had exceeded their pre-war demands.

Continuation War

With Finland being a shadow of its former self, it was hard post-war. With the launch of Operation Barbarossa by the Germans, the Fins saw an opportunity to regain lost territories. They had regained all their pre-war borders, and were only 20 miles away from Leningrad. Later failures from Finnish-German attacks like in the Komi Peninsula, the Fins halted their advance and signed an armistice with the Soviets, restoring the 1940 borders, along with the annexation of Petsamo.

Significance Today

This war showed that the Fins, even though they lost both wars, could hold against a much larger power such as the Soviets, being one of the largest countries at that time.

by Jaymee Carter

I had a great experience with the Berner soccer team. It was so much fun to be with my friends and meet new people. I loved practicing everyday and doing fun things in practice. The first few practices, we got to know each other and see what positions we would want to be. By the time our first game happened, we already knew each other well and we had so much fun at the game. To start our season, we won our first game and everyone was so excited. We had many other practices where we learned to get better at soccer. We also had fun practices where we got to talk about our games and relax. Throughout the season, we won many games, but unfortunately, we lost two of them. Although we didn't win every game, we still kept our heads up and continued to play hard. My experience with the Berner soccer team was amazing.

by Gwendolyn Gibbons

If you like the beach and the ocean. Then you will definitely like surfing. Do you know what's so cool about surfing? Surfing is one of the oldest sports in the world. Cool right! Another cool fact about surfing is, it feels like you're walking on water! So if you're a fan of the beach and you never tried surfing. What are you waiting for!

The real question is do you know what surfing is?

Surfing is a sport that takes place on the water. You are on a thin board that is in the shape of a wide oval with a curve at the bottom and the top. The surfboard is shaped this way because it makes it easier to paddle into the waves. When the perfect wave comes you have to lay on your stomach and paddle away from the wave. While you're paddling away from the wave it will catch up to you then you start surfing. Keep on paddling then when you feel it's the right time pop up. Then you're surfing!

Surfing is a fun sport and hobby for the summer time. So if you are a fan of the beach, I highly recommend you try out surfing. Sometimes you do not get the wave your first try. That's ok too. If you are just starting to surf, I recommend starting in the white water first because it's easier.

by Laurel Heilbronn

Do you like to watch college basketball? Which team is your favorite? What conference are they in? Well, there are many twists this season with team rankings and transfers. The pre-season top 10 teams are 1. Kansas, 2. Duke, 3. Purdue, 4. Michigan State, 5. Marquette, 6. UCONN, 7. Houston, 8. Creighton, 9. Tennessee and 10. Florida Atlantic. Some news and notes from each team are…

Kansas has scored Hunter Dickinson from the University of Michigan. Dickinson was ranked 4th in the conference after averaging 18.5 points and 9 rebounds per game. He also ranked third in the league with 14 double doubles, fourth in blocked shots at 1.76 per game and 5th in field goal percentage with a 56%. Four big Duke commits have signed their national letter of intent. They are making their decisions final. Purdue did lose Jaden Ivey not too long ago but they still have their starting center Zach Edey. Standing at 7’4”and 305 pounds, last year he ranked 2nd in rebounds with a 12.9 average and 6th in points with 22.3. Michigan State lost Joey Hauser last year although they still have Tyson Walker, Malik Hall, AJ Hoggard and Mady Sissoko. They also gained Coen Carr from Dutch High in Hampton Georgia, Xavier Booker a 6 '10 center from Indianapolis, Gehrig Normand, a 6 ‘5 guard who held offers from Auburn, Texas, Illinois and others who ended up finding himself at MSU. Marquette Alumni Dwayne Wade was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in August, not only is this a big deal for the Miami Heat’s all time leader in points, assist, steals and games played, but also for the Marquette Golden Eagles. Wade has become the first ever Marquette Alum in the Hall of Fame although the 13-time All-Star may not be alone for long. He expects to be joined by Jimmy Butler soon. UCONN is trying to be the first team to be named back to back champions since Florida in 2006 and 20007. Houston’s head coach, Kelvin Sampson and his son, Assistant Coach Kellen Sampson both signed new contracts with the program extending through the 2026-27 season. Creighton is expected to compete for the top spot in the Big East Conference with returning players Ryam Kalkbrenner and Baylor Scheierman. After an ACL injury at the end of last season, starting guard Zakai Zeigler from Long Island is back to playing for the Tennessee Volunteers to hopefully lead them to a successful season. In March of 2023, the Florida Atlantic Owls made the NCAA tournament for the second time in program history. Not only did they make the tournament, but they went to their first Final Four vs Houston. Hopefully, they'll be able to keep this new streak alive.

All of these teams have a lot to prove and will be very exciting to watch throughout the season. I wish your team luck and hope you have fun watching these top teams!

by Hailey Vasilakis and Laurel Heilbronn

In this year's WNBA finals, our home team the New York Liberty faced the Las Vegas Aces. Last season, the Aces won the championship against the Connecticut Sun. In the regular season, the Liberty were ranked 2nd with a record of 32-8 just trailing the Aces who had a record of 34-6. Game 1 was held in Las Vegas on October 8. The first game had a disappointing ending when the Aces beat the Liberty 99-82. In the 2nd game, the Liberty got blown out with a score of 104-76. Now, the liberty are down 2-0 in the finals. In the 3rd game, the Liberty were able to pull it off and win with a score of 87-73. Brianna Stewart had a double double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. The last game had an upsetting ending for all of the NY Liberty fans. They were down 70-69 and they had the ball with 8 seconds left. They swung it around and Courtney Vandersloot airballed a 3 that could have won it. This put an end to a great season but it will be exciting to see what next year brings.

by Lilyana Thanasas

I will be listing some skincare products that I think you should use for the winter season or all year round. This is what works for me and what I would recommend to others if they asked me what kind of products I like to use or if they are worth the money.

Face Wash

• CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser: $5.49-$15.49

• Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser: $3.19-$11.99

• Cetaphil Gentle Foaming Cleanser: $9.49

• Avocado Glow Recipe Face Wash: $28.00

• Cetaphil Extra Gentle Daily Scrub: $9.49

Toner

• CeraVe Hydrating Toner: $9.99

• Glow Recipe Toner: $29.00

• Bubble Toner Mist: $13

• Byoma Toner: $14.99

• Byoma Toner Mist: $13.99

Moisturizer

• Bubble Level Up: $16.00

• Byoma Moisturizing Rich Cream: $15.99

• Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer: $14.99

• Bubble Slam Dunk: 16.00

Serums

• Glow Recipe Dew Drops: $20.00- $49.00

• Drunk Elephant B Hydra Serum: $49.00

• Byoma Hydrating Serum: $15.00

• Ordinary Niacinamide Serum: $6.00

All of these products can be found at or on the websites of Ulta Beauty, Sephora, Target, and Bubble’s website. I also think these are very affordable for skincare products and knowing there are very expensive products out there. Hope this helps you get the products you have been looking for at a low price.

What I use and like: I personally need products that work for my skin and I think you guys should have ones that work for your skin type too. It took me a long time to figure out what type of skin I had, but then with a little research and help I was able to find products that suited me best, as well as my skin. Some of the products I use in my skincare routine are:

• Avocado glow recipe face wash

• Glow Recipe Toner

• Bubble level up moisturizer

• Ordinary niacinamide serum

• Glow Recipe Dew Drops

These products I use or recommend do not always work for other skin types. There are more products and brands I don't use, and you can always try products I don't recommend or have. Some people don't like to use new products and that's alright. These are just some products I would recommend to others if they asked me what I thought about it.

by Lilyana Thanasas

Do you like any type of music? If so, you might like this article. In this article I will rate songs and tell you why I rated them that way. Don’t forget this is my opinion, so you may have different opinions than I do.

"5 Foot 9" by Tyler Hubbard 10/10

I rate this song a ten out of ten because I feel like it describes me in a way. Well, the only thing that is off a little bit is the height because I am not that tall. I just feel like I can connect with the song wherever I am. This song makes me happy and every time I hear it I like to sing along and hopefully you will too.

"TRUSTFALL" by Pink 9/10

I rate this song a 9 out of ten only because there are more songs from her that I really love, but I think this one deserves the rating because it is such a great song. This song is also upbeat and engaging.

"Paper Rings" by Taylor Swift 9.5/10

I rate this song a 9.5 out of ten because it shows that you don't need something worth a ton of money to be in love. All you need to know is that if you really love somebody you will do anything for them.

"Thinking ‘Bout You" by Dustin Lynch/Mackenzie Porter 10/10

I rate this song a 10 out of 10 because it shows that even if you lose connection with somebody that you really cared about or liked. You will figure out a way to get in touch with them again.

"More Than My Hometown" by Morgan Wallen 9/10

I rate this song a 9 out of 10 because it shows that if you really love a place. There is always a way to stay at the place you love and also have a life with other people.

"Welcome to New York" by Taylor Swift 8/10

I rate this song a 8 out of 10 because I love Taylor Swift and her songs so much. This song stood out to me a lot because it is up beat and encouraging. This song also tells me that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

"Blank Space" by Taylor Swift 9/10

I rate this song a 9 out of 10 because even if you want to change yourself for somebody. You should never because you are perfect the way you are and if you need to change for somebody to like you. Maybe you shouldn't be friends with them.

"Used to be Young" by Miley Cyrus 7.5/10

I rate this a 7.5 out of 10 because this shows no matter how old you are or will get you will be the same loving fun person when you were younger. This song also shows me how to be true to myself because other people may say stuff just to be nice, but it may not be true.

"Style" by Taylor Swift 9/10

I rate this song a 9 out of 10 because it tells me that no matter who you like, if you really like them you will do anything for them. Even writing a song about how much you like them.

"Cups" by Anna Kendrick 8/10

I rate this song a 8 out of 10 because the artist is amazing and is in one of my all time favorite movies “Pitch Perfect,” but I also like this song because it has a nice beat to it.

by Ellie Casper

Have you ever seen Barbie, The Little Mermaid, or Five Nights at Freddy's? Well, I'm here to tell you all about them!

Let's start with the top movie during the summer Barbie. Barbie was a light bubbly movie until it took a turn and became sad but ended happy. It has gotten over 400 reviews and most of them are good. Let's take a look at what Rotten Tomatoes said too, they'll give us an honest review. “Barbie is a visually dazzling comedy whose meta humor is smartly complemented by subversive storytelling.” That is what they claimed they also gave it an 88% on the Tomatometer.

Let's now take a look at The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid was an amazing movie in my opinion that will never beat the original but it was an AMAZING movie! But let's take a look at what Rotten Tomatoes thinks! “With Halle Bailey making a major splash in the title role, Disney's live-action Little Mermaid ranks among the studio's most enjoyable reimaginings.” is what Rotten Tomatoes claimed. They also gave it a 67% on the Tomatometer which I don't understand why. There were 346 reviews.

Now let's take a look at the most known movie that only came out about a month ago! Five Nights At Freddy's was a spine-chilling movie though good! But let's see what Rotten Tomatoes thinks, “Loaded with Easter eggs, Five Nights at Freddy's may be fun to watch for fans of the game, but most viewers of any other persuasion will find this adaptation muddled and decidedly not scary.” And although this may upset some it got a %33 on the Tomatometer! I don't know how though! There were also 165 reviews.

by Kylie Muino

If you’re looking for a funny show to watch when you’re bored I 100% recommend Gilmore Girls! It's a humorous, exciting 2000’s show that is so addicting. It shows all the struggles in life and is totally relatable. In the first episode the main character, Rory, is a teen girl who gets accepted into her dream high school but her mother has a problem. It is overall a roller coaster and definitely my favorite show! This show is a great show to watch with friends, family, pets, or anybody. Throughout the show there are so many twists and turns to keep you interested. It takes place in a small town called Stars Hollow in Connecticut. It is a cozy autumn show that is a very good comfort show. It is on Netflix and there is a spin-off that takes place fifteen years after the show first aired, (it first aired in 2001 and the spin-off was released in 2016). If you don’t enjoy TV shows like this just give it a try because I never liked these types of shows but now It’s my favorite show and if you still don’t like it after the first few episodes then it might not be for you!

by Ryder Ong

Rachel Roth is a member of the Titans. I always liked Raven, in comic books and on “Teen Titans Go” but once I watched the series of “DC Titans,” I was hooked.

In the “DC Titans” series, Rachel (Raven) is a teenage girl who possesses supernatural powers of apocalyptic proportions which she inherited from her demonic father, Trigon. Rachel’s adoptive mother was murdered.

Rachel was pursued by “The Organization” which is a mysterious cult dedicated to reuniting Rachel with her father, Trigon but with the help of Dick Grayson (Nightwing), Koriand’r (Starfire), and Gar Logan (Beast Boy), she learns that her biological mother, Angela Azarath and Trigon’s intention is to come to Earth and destroy the world and many more after and that she is supposed to create the portal for his return since he was banished to his native realm. Rachel is hoping to contain the darkness within her and learn how to relate to other people using her powers.

She also appeared in DC comics, her first appearance was in a special insert in DC comics presents #26 in 1980. Raven abilities vary, she is a powerful empathetic with sensitivity and healing abilities, a practitioner of magic (time travel, teleportation, flight, chaos magic, projection of soul-self etc) and a skilled hand to hand combatant.

I wouldn’t mess with her, would you?

by Bridget Feola

Violet was enjoying a nice time at home, drinking hot chocolate, watching movies, and she was having a great time! She had had a fight with her parents about how long she could stay out. She yelled at them and told them she had her own house, and her own money. And she wasn't going to still listen to her parents. So she went out with her friends, and bought groceries, and she went home , had some takeout for dinner, made hot chocolate, and went to watch a movie. It's not like anything was going to happen right? Wrong. Suddenly Violet wakes up to a crash outside, and then screams, and more horrible noises. She looked at the window where it came from but there was nothing outside. She closed the curtains and screaming again….then opened and it stopped, scream, stop…. . It kept on going and stopping so she just left the curtain open. Then she heard it again. So she got up, put on some winter clothes and went outside. The screaming had stopped but she was determined to find the source of it. She looked around where the window was and heard and saw nothing. Suddenly , she had a feeling she wanted to go back inside. She went back inside and decided to go make some tea instead of hot chocolate. She forgot to change her clothes but she went into the kitchen and yelled “AH!” There was a guy standing there! Was she in the wrong house? Was she being robbed? He looked up at her. She noticed he was transparent and kind of blue. “WHO ARE YOU?!” she yelled. “You uh..don't need to yell…im right here…” he said, laughing nervously. “Ugh fine. Who are you and why are you making spaghetti in my kitchen.There isn't even any sauce! We only have ketchup.” Violet says. “You eat spaghetti with ketchup?” he asks, looking shocked. “Ugh anyways, Why are You BLUE?!” Violet yells at him again. “You..can see that I'm blue? Is my disguise not on correctly? One second.” he kind of ripples like water when you skip a rock across it. “Any change?” he asks. “Nope, still blue.” Violet says. “Ugh not this again…” he sighs. “You still haven't told me who you are! Or why you’re blue.” Violet says, getting annoyed. He sighs again. “I'm Ethan the Ice spirit. Also Call your mom or text her. I don't know how to explain.”Ethan says. Violet Grabs her phone and texts her mom “Hey mom? Hypothetically speaking, What would happen if I accidentally stayed outside too long?”. Her mom responded. “I know that isn't a hypothetical question Violet. I'm still going to answer. There is currently an ice spirit in your house, is there not?” “Violet responds with, “Yeah…?” . “Well, There is something else I need to tell you. I am a Silver Spirit. A higher rank than ice spirit. Ice spirits are mainly tricky and love to play pranks on people. Whereas silver spirits care more about ranking. We have metal powers and can burn things. Yet you never showed any signs of having powers. Probably because of that father of yours….Anyways…Just call me. I can't show emotion over text.”. “That's confusing” Violet said to Ethan who had been looking over her shoulder the whole time. Suddenly her mom was calling her. She picks up. “You do NOT Understand how angry I am at you! YOU HAVE DISRESPECTED THE WISHES OF THE QUEEN! YOU-” Violet muted the call. “Wrong number?” she whispers to Ethan. He points to the call screen. It still says ‘Mom’. she unmutes the call. “UGH! YOU ARE NO DAUGHTER OF MINE! Go on that quest. If you succeed, I might forgive you. If You fail… Have fun with Sapphire, Violet!” Her mom hung up. “Oh man…Well I guess-AH-WAIT-” Ethan yells. Violet turns around very fast. But Ethan looks perfectly fine. Ethan's laughs. But not like the kind of nervous laugh he usually does. More of a loud one. “You ok?” Violet says getting confused. “Your mother did say we were tricky. BUT! It's now my turn to give a quest! You must go through the Cavern of Darkness with only Your ‘powers’ and mine! Also, you can collect teammates! I recommend Sapphire, Orion, and of course Ethan!” He looks slightly annoyed as he says ‘Ethan’ but Violet thinks nothing of it. '' What are you a video game npc or something?? '' ,Suddenly a swirl of light blue twirls around them as they are transported to ‘the cavern of darkness’. Suddenly a person appears in a little alcove. “Uh….who are you?” Violet asks them. “Queen Sapphire.” she says to Violet, handing her a card. “75000 HEALTH???? 45000 DEFENSE???? YOU CAN BATTLE FOR 8000 HOURS!? YOU’RE COMING WITH US. THIS IS LITERALLY JUST LIKE A VIDEO GAME!” Violet yells quietly. “Hah. Yeah.” Sapphire says. She glares at Ethan and Violet doesn't notice. Suddenly a giant ice monster appears. “I got this.” Sapphire says, then she jumps up and a sword appears at her side as she lunges at the giant. She Slices through it and lands perfectly in front of them. Afterwards they just kept on going, battling, going, battling, then they found Orion, blah blah blah. Suddenly Violet stops. She had been thinking about why Ethan changed so fast. “Everyone. Turn off any light you may be emitting. Except Ethan.” Violet Says. Orion didn't listen. “ORION!” She said louder. “Oh Huh? What?” He asks. “Turn off your glow!” Violet said to him. He finally Listens. Then she Gasps. Then Narrows her eyes at ‘Ethan’ . “You’re not Ethan.” Violet says. She draws her sword which she received from Sapphire. “What makes you think that?” ‘Ethan’ Says. “Ethan glows more of a golden ice blue color. Not dark blue.” Violet says, pointing to the floor where you can see the edge of the glow. It was a kind of midnight blue. He drew his sword too. “So we’re just going to do this? Now? The exits right there, Violet. Don't you want to see your mother again? Don't you want to live normally again?” ‘Ethan’ says. Suddenly he starts to swing his sword and Violet sees A giant golden-blue light barreling towards her. Suddenly she is knocked on the ground with someone VERY bright on top of her. “Can you get up? I can't see or breathe….” Suddenly they get off and she gets up. “Sorry about that, just saving your life.” “Ethan?!” Violet yells. “Yeah. Also one second.” Ethan suddenly holds his hand out as if he was going to high five fake Ethan. Then ice shot out of his hand and froze the fake Ethan. “Woah. That was cool.” Violet said. Suddenly there was a loud BANG noise. “Oh no ...You didn't get to the end in time…..”Ethan says, looking a little upset and guilty. “No, it's fine. It's not your fault. If you hadn't come I still wouldn't have made it.” Violet says, Reassuring him. “Hey, was I supposed to be watching that frozen guy?” Orion says suddenly. Violet turns around. “YES!” Then she sees it. “YOU LET HIM ESCAPE?” Violet yells. “Uhh…” Ethan suddenly speaks up. “Though…now what? Your mother basically said ‘we are never speaking to each other ever again bye’ so….where are you going to go?” Ethan asked. “Well…i guess somewhere? Maybe my friend Katherine’s house…” Violet said. Sapphire jerked up at the name ‘Katherine’. “Katherine? I know a Katherine…..” she said. “Then lets get out of here! You too Orion.” Ethan said, teleporting them back to Violet’s house. “Lets go to her house then?” Violet says walking out the door. She was suddenly blasted with cold air. “O-ok-ma-maybe we should-get-war-warmer-cloth-clothes?” Violet says shivering. Sapphire pokes her head out the door. “Colder than usual…I think there is some kind of magic going on. Dark magic. Dark ICE magic. That was forbidden from being used years ago. I wonder…OH WAIT. THE ONE PERSON WHO WOULD DEFY MY WISHES HAS NOW ESCAPED FROM US! HMM I WONDER WHO DID THIS?” Sapphire yells at Orion. “My gosh…i'm sorry….” Orion says. Suddenly he was eating a banana. “Where did you get a banana??? I don't even eat bananas.” Violet says. “Guys, lets ignore Orion's strange habits for now and focus on : 1. FINDING OUT WHAT EVEN IS GOING ON , 2 : Find Katherine, And 3 FIND THE FAKE GUY!!!” Ethan says loudly. “Ok ok Calm yourself!” Violet says. She wore what looked like a translucent silver raincoat. “My mom gave it to me.” Violet says, noticing everyone staring at her. ''Weird slash is a bad color choice. '' Sapphire says. Suddenly Sapphire turns it to a more of a warm purple yet still translucent. “Wow. Nice, Thanks.” Violet says looking at it. “Well. Lets go now. If we are trying to find someone, maybe we shouldn't wait around somewhere they are not likely to go.”Ethan says, about to walk out the door. Suddenly the door opens at hits Ethan in the face and knocks him on the ground. “OH COME ON.” the yells picking himself back up as Orion tries to help him up. “Katherine!” Violet says. “Violet? Who- OH Hi Sapphire!” Katherine waves to both Sapphire and Violet. “Hi!!!!!” Sapphire says. “Who is that?” Orion says walking towards the kitchen. “NOPE NO EATING MY FOOD!” Violet says, pulling him by his cape back towards the entrance. “But I haven't eaten anything since we got back…and there was no food in the Cavern….” He says, trying to persuade her. “Oh c'mon Violet. Just let him have something.” Katherine Says. “No! He ate a banana when we got here and he knows it. Hey wait- What happened to that plain spaghetti you made when you first got here?” Violet says, then asks Ethan. “Cold. i turned the stove off before we left.” “Thanks for not burning my house down. And NO thanks for making cold spaghetti.” Violet says. “Now what? We should try to find the source of whats making everything so FREEZING COLD!” Sapphire says. “Good point. Great, amazing point….” Ethan says. “Lets start by relaxing. I'm still kind of traumatized from that one monster that nearly took my head off.” Violet says. But then Ethan Says “Fine. But don't Take too Long to relax. If He is out there….They are too.”

To Be Continued….

by Brenna Donohue

A peppermint treat, with pecans and marshmallows to enjoy the Christmas spirit!!!

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups mini marshmallows (optional, recommended)

• ¾ cup chopped pecans (optional, but recommended)

• ¼ cup crushed peppermint candies, plus more for topping (optional, but recommended )

• ¼ cup holiday sprinkles, plus extra for topping

• 12 ounces white chocolate, chopped

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 1 ½ teaspoons peppermint extract

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Line an 8x8 inch pan with enough parchment paper to have overhang on all sides.

Directions

• Line an 8x8 inch pan with enough parchment paper to have overhang on all sides. Mix together mini marshmallows, pecans, crushed peppermint candies, and sprinkles in a large bowl. Add white chocolate, butter, corn syrup, and salt to a microwave-safe bowl. Place into the microwave and cook at 50% power for 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted.

• Working quickly, mix peppermint and vanilla extracts into the melted white chocolate, then immediately pour over the marshmallow mixture, stirring to coat. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle reserved crushed peppermint candies and holiday sprinkles over the top and gently press to adhere. Place the pan into the fridge to allow chocolate to harden, about 1 hour.

• Remove the pan from the fridge. Use edges of parchment to lift rocky road out of the pan. Cut into 25 pieces. Keep extras stored in an airtight container.

Cook's Notes:

Make sure to work quickly after melting the chocolate, as it will begin to set almost immediately. I recommend using real white chocolate versus white chocolate baking chips. The chips have a tendency to seize up, and do not always melt smoothly.

To help with cutting the rocky road, run a knife under hot water for several seconds, then wipe dry before cutting.

This yummy treat is easy and accessible. It also helps that the finished product is delicious. All you need is the ingredients listed, and 20 minutes so prep and bake! You can do whatever during the hour of cooling time, binge your favorite series, watch Christmas movies to get in the spirit, read, anything really! Merry Christmas!

Recipe from allrecipes.com

by Sofia Chaikin

On Christmas morning, you wake up to see presents under the tree, snow falling from the sky, and you just know that only one thing can make this day better: cookies!!! As you scramble through all your recipes, all you can seem to find is a recipe for sugar cookies. Although these cookies taste great, why wouldn’t you want something festive? I mean, it is Christmas after all! You remembered that you heard someone talking about these cookies, they are called Snowball cookies! The recipe is super easy and a cool, new treat for you and your family to try and enjoy!

These cookies are an easy, nut free recipe of fun, festive cookies! This recipe makes 25, delicious snowball cookies. These cookies are regular sugar cookies, coated in powdered sugar. You can find the original recipe on http://favorpalooza.com. Are you ready to make snowball cookies?

To start, here are the ingredients you need: 2 sticks of unsalted, softened butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar(½ for coating the cookies and the other half for the cookies), 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 ¼ of all purpose flour, and a pinch of salt.

First, start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, add your softened butter into a stand mixer (or a bowl with a hand beater) and mix until the butter is fluffy and smooth.

Then, add ½ cup of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the mixed, softened butter and mix until well-combined.

To add to your mixture of sugar, vanilla extract, and butter, add 2 ¼ cups of flour and a pinch of salt into your bowl.

After this is well mixed, it should form a dough.

Now, take an ungreased baking sheet and add parchment paper if you wish.

Next, take a tablespoon and you should put about a spoonful of dough onto it. This will get perfect sized cookies.

Then, take the dough off of the spoon and roll the dough into a ball. Repeat this step for the rest of the dough. Make sure you place the cookies about an inch apart on the baking sheet.

Now, once your oven is preheated completely, put your cookies in the oven to bake from around 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure you keep checking them, especially after they have been in for 10 minutes.

Once your cookies are baked to your liking, take out the cookies and place them down to cool for 5 minutes.

Here’s the fun part, take your other half of powdered sugar and pour it into a ball. Roll the cookies in the powdered sugar.

Then, let the cookies cool again and reroll them in the powdered sugar.

Finally, place the cookies on a festive, Christmas plate and share with your friends and family to enjoy!

Just like that, you have an easy yet delicious cookie that is fun and festive! These snowball cookies are the best way for you and your family to have the best Christmas ever! Happy Holidays!!

by Eleni Diakoumakis

INGREDIENTS LIST

• Ice Cream Cones - Use your favorite brand but make sure they are the cake cones (not the sugar cones or waffle cones).

• Cake Mix - We used a white cake mix for this recipe, but you could use any kind of boxed cake mix you like such as yellow, white, red velvet or pumpkin. Red velvet cupcakes would be super cute!

• Frosting - We used store bought red frosting (Funfetti brand) which works nicely in this recipe and is also quick and easy. We also used ready made black frosting for the eyebrows. For the green frosting, we made homemade vanilla buttercream frosting and colored it green.

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix up the cake batter with an electric mixer according to package instructions. Stir in ⅓ cup holiday sprinkles.

2. Use a muffin scoop to scoop cupcake batter into greased muffin tins or cupcake pans. (You don't even need cupcake liners.) Make sure you don't over-fill them. You only need to fill the muffin cup ⅔ full.

3. Add an upside down ice cream cone on top of the batter in each muffin cup.

4. Bake cupcakes at 350°F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack.

5. Make homemade vanilla buttercream using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Reserve 1 cup white buttercream. Color the rest green. (I used 3 drops of Electric Green, 1 drop Leaf Green - Americolor brand.) Frost cupcakes with green icing using an offset spatula.

6. Place candy eyes on the green frosting

by Justin McComb and Lilyana Thanasas

These super soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies are buttery and amazing! Making these will guarantee the absolute chewiest chocolate chip cookie texture. The cookie dough is slick and requires chilling before shaping the cookies. I hope you have fun making these delicious cookies!

Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled 5 minutes

• 3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 and 1/4 cups chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Recipe:

• Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

• In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract. The mixture will be thin. Pour into dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, thick, and appear greasy.

• Fold in the chocolate chips. Cover the dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2–3 hours or up to 3 days.

• Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

• Using a cookie scoop or Tablespoon measuring spoon, measure 3 scant Tablespoons (about 2 ounces, or 60g) of dough for XL cookies or 2 heaping Tablespoons (about 1.75 ounces, or 50g) of dough for medium/large cookies. Roll into a ball, making sure the shape is taller rather than wide—almost like a cylinder. Repeat with remaining dough.

• Place 8–9 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet.

• Bake the cookies for 12–13 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. (XL cookies can take closer to 14 minutes.) The centers will look very soft, but the cookies will continue to set as they cool. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. This is optional and only for looks. After 10 minutes of cooling on the baking sheets, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: www.sallysbakingaddiction.com

by Paige Nolie

Imagine it's a cold winter night and you want a brownie but you are too lazy to make a whole brownie pan, so you make a brownie in a mug. Weird right. But it is so easy to make and it takes less than 10 minutes. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

cocoa powder

4 tablespoon all purpose flour,

6 Tablespoon light brown sugar,

⅛ tsp salt,

5 tablespoons of milk,

5 tablespoons melted butter,

¼ tsp vanilla extract,

If you want you could add chocolate chips.

Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top. Place the mug in the microwave and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Then continue cooking in 10-second intervals if the batter still looks raw. Let the brownie cool for a few minutes before serving with ice cream.

I hope you make a delicious brownie mug on a cold snowy day.

by Caitlin and Alexis Cepregi

This is our family’s favorite holiday treat! Although they are a bit messy to make, they are absolutely delicious, and can be adapted for almost any holiday. We make Pilgrim Hats with yellow icing “buckles” for Thanksgiving and Frosty Hats for the winter holidays, but you can easily add green sprinkles for St. Patrick’s Day or red sprinkles for Valentine’s Day, and everything in between. We like these best with Oreo cookies because they are allergy-friendly and delicious, but you can also try other cookies. It’s always a good idea to ask a parent to make these with you – partly because it’s easy to burn yourself if you use the stovetop instead of the microwave, and partly because it’s more fun to do it together. Here’s the recipe – we hope you have fun making them and enjoy eating them!

Ingredient List:

• Two packages of melting chocolate chips

• One package of Oreo cookies (you can use any kind you like, except the thin ones)

• One package of large marshmallows

• One tube of yellow (pilgrim hats) or red icing (for Frosty hats)

• Optional Embellishments: Powdered sugar (to dust the Frosty hats with “snow”), red and green icing (to add “holly berries” to Frosty hats), and funky sprinkles (to make any other holiday hat a bit fancier)

• Bowl and pot for melting the chocolate (if using the stovetop)

• Parchment or wax paper and a metal baking sheet or large plate

• Forks, spoon or other “tool” to dip the cookies and marshmallows into the melted chocolate

Steps:

1. Set up your baking sheet: Put the wax or parchment paper on the baking sheet. This is so your cookies can cool before transferring to a pretty plate.

2. Melt chocolate: Fill a pot halfway with water, set a glass bowl on top, fill with 1 bag of melting chocolate, and set the water to boil. Stir until it is completely melted and smooth. You can try microwaving but that sometimes doesn’t work out too well. Add more chocolate as needed until all your cookies and Oreos are dipped.

3. Dip the Oreo cookie bases: Drop one Oreo into the melted chocolate and use a fork or spoon to flip it over so it’s coated with chocolate. Then fish it out using the fork or spoon and place it on your cookie sheet. Repeat this step for as many cookies as you want to make.

4. Dip your Marshmallow tops: Drop one marshmallow into the melted chocolate and use a fork or spoon to flip it over so it’s coated with chocolate. Then fish it out using the fork or spoon and place it on the center of a chocolate-covered Oreo cookie on your sheet. Repeat this step for as many cookies as you want to make.

5. Let cool: We usually do this the night before the holiday so we let them cool overnight. If you decorate too soon, the icing and sprinkles may droop or not come out as pretty.

6. Decorate: Once cooled, decorate your cookies for your holiday. Use yellow icing to draw a “buckle” on your pilgrim hat, red icing to draw a red band around the Frosty hat, red and green icing to add holly berries or other design details, and powdered sugar to “dust” winter hats with snow.

EAT :) These go really well when paired with hot chocolate or a glass of cold milk.

Mrs. Kearny’s Lie: I ran in the New York City Marathon.

Mrs. Szabo’s Lie: When I retire I plan on working at a zoo.

Mr. Hanson’s Lie: I played minor league baseball.

Mr. Cunha’s Lie: I am 45 years old.

Mr. Ditzel’s Lie: I've never broken a bone.

Ms. Mosier’s Lie: I am a vegetarian.

Mrs. Forman’s Lie: I was a college athlete.

Tiny Teacher #1: Mrs. Purcelli (FACS teacher)

Tiny Teacher #2: Mrs. Frisch (science teacher)

Tiny Teacher #3: Mr. Joyce (English teacher)

Warm up question: Mean Girls

Halloween

1. Scream (1997)

2. The Nightmare Before Christmas

3. Friday the 13th

4. A Nightmare on Elm Street

5. IT (2017)

Christmas

1. It's a Wonderful Life

2. Home Alone

Classics

1. The Wizard of Oz

2. The Godfather (1972)

3. Mean Girls