2017 2018 Yearbook

Tall Towers

Crown jewels are found in the Tower of London. It is a prison, a fortress, and home for
the rich. A wall and a moat surround the tower. Guards, originally called Beefeaters, guard the
jewels. Lady Jane Grey and King Edward were confined in this terrible tower. Many people
died in the Tower of London. The Tower of London was used for many things, but now it is
used for storing crown jewels.

When the beams and bolts started rise, many people emphatically did not like the Eiffel
Tower. Alexandrea Eiffel built the skyscraper. It has TV antennas on it, and it sends out
programs. You can go over 100 stories high and buy a hot dog from the highest hot dog stand
in the world. At night when the tower lights up, it looks like delicate lace. The Eiffel Tower was
built in France at a fair.

The leaning Tower of Pisa leans on nothing. Little by little one side of the tower sinks
into the ground. Nothing has been done to stop the tower from constantly falling. It was built
over 700 years ago. Some people consider the Leaning Tower of Pisa one of the sever Wonders
of the Modern World. You can climb to the top and see the old bells, which are still there, call
people to a nearby church. The Leaning Tower of Pisa will keep leaning until somebody either
stops it or it falls.

Christopher B.

My name is Christopher; I'm 13 years old and in 8th grade, and I live in
Charlestown, Rhode Island. I have three siblings – two sisters one brother. I am the youngest.
Some of my favorited things to do is sailing a JY15 and biking. My favorited foods are pasta and
pizza. I mostly enjoyed the paragraph about sharks because I learned a few things I didn’t know.

Sharks

Sharks vary in sizes and live in all five oceans. The longest shark is sixty-five feet long
which is the whale shark. The Pygmy shark is the shortest because it is the only eight inches
long. Great white sharks and tiger sharks live in warm water because they live happily in
warmer water. Basking sharks prefer living in colder water. Sharks are amazing ocean creatures.

Some sharks hibernate. Basking sharks hibernate because there is little food in the
winter. Basking sharks retreat to the ocean floor, which is where they go in a coma-like state.
While they are hibernating, they drop there gill rakes and grow new ones slowly before spring.
Basking sharks resemble bears because they hibernate.

Sharks are not like fish because the pup grows inside the mother. There are six million
tiny eggs inside the mother basking shark which will only produce one to two offspring. There is
more known about the lemon shark because they can be raised in captivity easily. A female
lemon shark can birth up to ten pups. Mother sharks work hard for their pups.

There are over sixty known species of aggressive sharks which during feeding frenzies
they sometimes attack each other and kill other sharks ferociously. After a feeding frenzy they
can go days without eating. You should treat all shark species with caution and respect because
you don't want to get bit.

Portia B.

My name is Portia. I'm 13 and in 8th grade. I live in Rhode Island and have three siblings
– two brothers and a sister. Some things I like to do are painting/drawing and aerial silks. I'm
also going on many vacations this year with my family to visit Colorado, Alabama, and Maine. I
enjoyed writing the report on "The Emperor's New Suit" because it’s a fun, well-known story.

A Story of a King

Interestingly, "The Emperor's New Suit" is a Danish folktale which was written by Hans
Christian Andersen. Although it was notably published by C.A. Reitel in April 1827, people still
enjoy reading this today. In the past this story was a short part of a book called Fairy Tales for
Children. The picturesque illustrations don’t show many details because it's in black and white
which means it's maybe in pen or graphite. It was also produced as a musical film.

Throughout the story, the time period is shown through the illustrations and details, as
many people go up to the city because they admire the emperor’s fancy clothes. The emperor,
which is the protagonist, is graciously dressed. Excitedly, scheming swindlers are presented,
clever at convincing selfish, gullible people that they are upstanding citizens, while in reality
they're going to scam them.

Evidently, the conflict is the two swindlers versus the kingdom. While this is happening
there is a second conflict which is the king versus the kingdom. Instead of being sympathetic
toward his people, he is selfish because he only cares about his looks. Everyone is willing to lie
because they're fearful of what others think. The king wonders if he is fit for his job when he
hopelessly cannot see the clothes either.

Excitedly, the authors make it so the two swindlers and the kingdom don’t satisfactorily
resolve the problem. Because of the king, the brilliant swindlers get away with many good
riches which means the king learns a long-lasting lesson. The King versus the kingdom ends well
since good can come out of bad. While the main lesson is to not be so full of pride, you should
focus on honesty because that leads to doing right.

Within the story it has a good moral, but it needs more details because it ends too
abruptly. It mostly appeals to young children who find the plot interesting. Although it needed
more details, the outfit was fun and entertaining.

Valerie B.

My name is Valerie B., and I'm 15 years old. I am one of six family members. I enjoy
playing my violin by myself, but also in an orchestra. Another passion of mine is drawing in
colored pencil and water color. I love museums, any kind of history, art, or since I love them all.
I also love my animals, all two dogs, three cats, and hermit crab. The thing that I liked writing
the most was "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," because it is a classic story that everyone has heard
before.

The Three Billy Goats

The title of this brilliant poem is the “Three Billy Goats Gruff.” If I had to put this into a
category, it would be a fictional, Norwegian folk tale. There are two authors of this poem, P.C
Asjornsen and J. Moe. Unfortunately, the date of publish and the publisher is unknown,
because the poem is so old. The first few paragraphs lightly brief you on what is happening in
the story, which is helpful. The art is sketch in dark blacks and white.

The author created a very simple, but beautiful story with no time period. There are
clues saying that it could possibly be spring, because it explains that there is a lot of juicy, green
grass. There are not a lot of details in the setting. Where there aren't a lot of details, there is
enough to create a decent picture. The protagonists are three hungry Billy goats that try to
cross a stone bridge. Brilliantly, the author introduces a huge, ugly troll, who is outrageously
evil.

The author creates simple conflict. Fearlessly the characters, who are the three Billy
goats, trick the ugly troll, who wants to devour them. Although it is a short story, it includes
some suspense, because it is amazingly well written. The Billy goats are cunning and say to wait
for the next one, which is bigger. Basically, the troll is greedy and listens to them and waits.
This story takes you on an adventure till the climax.

The climax begins when the third goat comes into the poem because the troll and the
goat fight. It is less violent for children. While this story adds interest and silliness in its details,
it is still serious. Effectively, the author introduces the horribly ugly troll. The three goats
achieve their simple goal of crossing the stone bridge to get to the grassy meadow. The possible
theme of the poem is to bring a big person, who will beat the person in your way, with you at
all times.

(3) Fortunately, the antagonist gets what he deserves whereas, the three Billy goats
cleverly outsmart the deadly malicious troll. The story shows that people should have good
morals and not to be greedy, which is a great lesson. There is little detail, but there is much

suspense. The author captures the attention of children because there are talking animals,
fighting, and a huge ugly troll. The story resolves well with a victory for the goats.

Jake F.

The Second Sibling
My name is Jake F., and I am thirteen years old. I happily dwell in Oklahoma.
Onto the subject of siblings, I gratefully have four siblings – two boys and two girls. Also, I am
the second oldest. Loving to play sports, I like to climb and freely play soccer. Deliciously, my
favorite foods are orange chicken, scrumptious lemon cake that my wonderful mom creates,
and amazing avocado egg rolls. Picking a major, I don’t really know yet, but maybe engineering
or science, since I absolutely love to build. Every year my family and I patiently drive to Creede,
Colorado to meet up and camp with our cousins and other family members. My favorite essay I
wrote this year was about sharks, and this one is my favorite because it is so interesting and
fascinating how God has all-powerfully constructed these incredible creatures.

Aquatic Predators

There are many aquatic predators, which can tear you to shreds, in the ocean, and one
of them is the shark. Sharks are very interesting creatures, including the facts about their size
and location. Sharks are surprisingly located in all five oceans. Tiger sharks are known to hunt
and dwell near coral reefs in the wintertime. These ocean-dwelling creatures come in many
distinct sizes because of the many variety of sharks that roam this planet. The whale shark, for
example, is the longest and heaviest shark known to man with the length of 65 feet and the
weight of about 70 tons. The pygmy shark is the smallest, being eight inches in length. The
great white shark and the tiger shark both weigh around one ton. Sharks can truly come in a
variety of sizes and be found in many different locations.

Some sharks actually hibernate in wintertime, like the basking shark. This is mostly
because in wintertime there is no food it can feed on. The extraordinary basking shark, which
stores up enough fat to get through the winter, retreats to the floor of the sea. There it lies
down and won't eat until spring, and its use of oxygen decreases. The basking shark drops its
gill rakers, and it can't thirstily devour any food because it has to sprout new ones before it can
eat. The basking shark is in a coma for five months before this amazing creature awakens and
then is free to live life again. Hibernation is really an incredible feature of the basking shark.

Surprisingly, sharks and their breeding behaviors are different from other fish. Sharks
breed internally, and their gestation lasts three years. Of all the ferocious sharks in the ocean,
great white sharks ultimately are the most mysterious of all sharks with their breeding habits,
since these sharks are not withheld in captivity. Scientists, who still don’t know much about the
breeding habits of great white sharks, often hypothesize on the breeding habits of great white
sharks. There is more information about lemon sharks’ breeding behaviors because they are
little and easily kept in captivity. Birthing female lemon sharks have about ten pups, which hunt
on instinct. There is still a vast amount of information to learn about the breeding behaviors of
sharks.

Believably, sharks of all species are predators. Coral reef sharks have been known to
become tame and be able to safely snatch fish from divers without viciously chomping their
hands off. Always treat sharks with caution and respect, because all reef sharks are clearly
dangerous predators. Gray reef sharks, who are well-known to actually fend off tiger sharks, are
other treacherous predators. They have been recognized to join forces and mesh into groups at
feeding frenzies, since they all want fish. Sharks everywhere are predators of the ocean.

Caden G.

My name is Caden. I have three brothers who are 16, 17, and 28. My favorite sports are
soccer baseball and kickball when I am playing with my friends. Oreos, Sun Chips, and ice cream
are my favorite foods. I want to be a pro goalie and an accountant if the goalie thing doesn’t
work out. I would love to go to Galapagos Islands where a lot of interesting creatures live and
Paris. I especially enjoyed writing about cell phones, mostly because I know a lot about them.

The Power of Electronics

There are many uses for cell phones especially when you are bored. Cell phones provide
a lot entertainment like movies, games, and even social apps like Instagram. You can do all of
this when you have wi fi service or a cellular connection. Itherwise it is limited to certain offline
apps and gadgets. It just doesn’t provide entertainment but also provides email, text, and
Facetime which makes it easy to communicate to others. These phones are very easy and
convenient to use for everyday tasks. Your phone is always available for you to use unless you
need to charge it.

Cell phones are used to communicate all the time because they are easy and
convenient. You can easily call and text someone in your own town, or you can with someone
who lives miles and miles away. With phone calls you can hear the person you called, but you
cannot see them. That is why FaceTiming was invented so both people on the FaceTime call can
hear each other. Now with texting you just read a message from someone else, or you can text
them a message. Messages are words that you send which gives the person info on something.
Social media is where you can send pictures or videos to a group. Because of the power and
convenience of the slim phone, people all over the world use it.

Cell phones are also used for entertainment. You can watch movies and TV shows easily
while you’re sitting in the car or in the airplane. This site is recognized as YouTube which is
where you can watch short videos about all sorts of stuff. You can play games when you are
bored because then you will not be so bored. It’s not just games; you can listen to popular
songs on this app called iTunes. A device that is similar to the phone is called a
Kindle. You can read books on Ebook. I think the best thing about this gadget is that you can
draw and color in an app on a wide phone. The phone is overall great in a bunch of ways but is
really nice when you are in a car or an airplane.

You use your cell phone in everyday life a lot. One of the apps on your phone is an
alarm clock, because then you can get up on time for whatever is happening that day. While
you are getting ready for the day, you can check the weather to make sure what to wear when
you go outside. Also, in the clock app, you can set a timer for whenever you need to grab the
food out of the oven when you are cooking. Almost every phone has a camera that you can
take pictures with conveniently any time. Phones have a calculator app that you can use for
when you are doing your math or shopping. Above all the neat features of the slim cell phone,
the one I like best is the flashlight which is very helpful in the dark. The cell phone is a very
useful thing that is used daily as you’ve probably realized.

It is easier to communicate to other people than ever before. Electronics are important
because we can contact people across the globe. Also, you can stay better connected where 20
years ago it was slow and harder to connect. All of this makes life easier including how slim the
phone is. There are many types of entertainments, which is nice to have especially when you
are bored.

Sam H.

My name is Sam; I am 15 and in 9th grade, and I live in northern Nevada. Some of my
hobbies include: swimming, building, reading, fitness, and games. Some of my favorite foods
are sushi, pizza, ice cream, and beef jerky. I enjoy hanging out with my friends and going
camping. This summer I am going to a fun summer camp, and I am taking guitar lessons as well.
I have three sisters and three dogs. When I am older and done with school, I want to join the
United States Marine Corps and be a mechanic. My favorite composition that I wrote this year
was about flamingoes because of a lot of the interesting facts that I had learned about them.

Everything to Know about the Flamingo

The flamingo is a beautiful, pink bird. The color of their feathers originates from their
food. Their tail feathers are made up of 12 to 16 feathers. The flamingo’s legs are extremely
spindly and appear to almost bend backward. Their webbed feet allow them to swim and stir
up the food at the bottom of the lake or pond. The adult flamingo has a long, curved neck. The
flamingoe’s wing span, which is almost the same as its height, measures to 55 inches! The
flamingo is truly a magnificent bird!

The habitat of the flamingo is best suited to what the flamingo requires. The flamingo,
who likes salty lakes and lagoons, resides in tropical and subtropical areas. What they enjoy the
most is muddy, shallow water. Vegetation is scarce in the waters they inhabit. The flamingo’s
nest, which is commonly made out of mud, takes a long time to create. The nest is formed into
the perfect shape, which, when finished, looks like a volcano. The habitat of the flamingo is
extremely fascinating!

The social habits of the flamingo are an incredibly fascinating sight. Because flamingos
live in groups called colonies, they fly, eat, and nest together. In rhythm, these magnificent
birds stretch their long necks and flap their wings, which resembles a graceful dance. When
they stretch their wings, the flamingos appear to be saluting towards some invisible leader. On
the ground or in the air, these amazingly graceful birds are wondrous to behold!

Caleb J.

My name is Caleb J. I'm in eighth grade, and I'm thirteen years old. Sadly, I don't have
any sisters, but I do have one brother, who can occasionally be annoying. I enjoy bird watching
as well as playing the trumpet in a jazz band. During the fall, I do cross country while in the
spring I do track. I especially enjoyed writing the essay about George Washington because he is
one of my favorite people from the American Revolution.

Our Servant Leader

During the fight for independence and for many years after, George Washington played a
major role in helping to form the early United States. Although Washington lived in Virginia,
which was also where he was born, he thought all the colonies should treat each other as equals.
Some people considered Washington to be the main reason for the army's success in part because
he served the army so selflessly. Additionally, George Washington prudently led the
Constitutional Convention. To the joy of most Americans, Washington served as the first
president of the United States of America.

In countless ways, George Washington showed his selflessness as commander of the
Continental Army. His never-failing character united the colonies. Additionally, Washington
refused to accept his five-hundred-dollar monthly pay. In one quote, he said, "I beg it may be
remembered by every gentleman in the room that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity, I
do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with." His army, which went through
many trials, kept bravely fighting even when things seemed hopeless because Washington shared
in his soldier's misery. George Washington's selflessness was reflected in the entire Continental
Army.

Doing his duty, George Washington served the Constitutional Convention by being
prudent and keeping peace. Wisely, Washington did not join in the debates, but instead focused
on helping the delegates, who could often be stubborn, work together to solve problems. George
Washington kept the delegates working all summer, which was a difficult task, because their
meeting room could get extremely hot. By September, the delegates had finally reached an
agreement. They would have a national government, which would be made up of many
delegates. Many Americans supported the idea when they heard that George Washington
approved of it. As you can see, George Washington played a major role in helping the
Constitutional Convention form our nation's government.

Throughout his entire presidency, George Washington served his country with sincerity.
Washington realized that he would be an example to all future presidents through his conduct.
Wisely, he observed that he could run the country well on his own, so Washington appointed
trusted people to help him. Overall, George Washington chose three hundred and fifty skilled
advisers, who were the called the cabinet. Washington vetoed some bills because they would
give certain states more representatives than others. With much reluctance, Washington
uneagerly agreed to serve a second term if he won in re-election. Washington didn't favor either
candidate when his successor was being elected. With acts like these, George Washington set the
standard for our nation's government.

Under uncertain circumstances, George Washington formed the basis for the United
States' success. Unselfishly, George thought of his army first although he was their commander.
His calm, steady level-headedness helped the Constitutional convention, which could often be
stubborn, to form many solutions they otherwise would not have found. Washington's
humbleness as president set the standard for future presidents because he was the first. Most
importantly, Washington shared in his army's sufferings. We should all try to be more like our
servant leader, George Washington.

Bibliography

Blassingame, Wyatt. The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents. Revised ed., Random House, 1993.

Philander, Chase D. World Book Multimedia. 2013 ed., Software MacKiev, 2013.



Madalene L.

My name is Madalene. I am 15 and in 9th grade going into 10th. I was born and live in the
bayou of south Louisiana, so I am very Cajun and love all things spicy. I have a very large
family that consist of my three brothers, two sisters, Mom, Dad and me. Some of my favorite
foods are seasoned and boiled crayfish, which is pronounced (craw-fish), butter-soaked shrimp,
and smooth ice cream. In my spare time I like to swim, ride horses, play with pets, and hang
out with my friends, especially my BFF Gracie. When my family goes on vacation, we like to go
to Walt Disney World and the beach, but this year for Christmas we are going to Iceland. One
year I would like to go to Paris, France and/or Hawaii. Once I'm old enough I would like to
become a veterinarian or a dental assistant, but I'm not sure yet. I enjoyed critiquing "The
Emperor's New Suit" because it teaches good life lessons to younger children.

The Emperor's Mistake

"The Emperor's New Suit" is a Danish folktale written for children. Creating an excellent
story, the author, whose name is Hans Christian Andersen, devised an exquisite plot.
Correctly, the story is known to have been published by C. A. Reitzel on April 7th of 1839.
While this story is brilliantly brief, it came from a large book, which is called Fairy Tales Told for
Children, containing several stories. All the illustrations that lack detail are black and white and
were created with pen and ink. After it was written, it was also made into a musical play and a
film.

The time period suggested in the story "The Emperor's New Suit" is most likely in the
Medieval Ages. While the author states that the city has many people, it must be large as well.
He could have added more detail to the city and the type of people that graciously dwell there.
Even though the emperor and the protagonists, who are the emperor's staff, have been
developed appropriately, flaws are visible. Appearing clever, the swindlers are cunningly
convincing. The people of the city are portrayed as gullible as well as proud.

While it is evident that the conflict is partly the fact that the swindlers, who are the
antagonists, versus the kingdom but also, the emperor versus the kingdom because he is selfish
and doesn't care about the fate of his people. Willingly, everyone the emperor sends to check
on his new suit lies about what they see. They are cautiously concerned about what other
people might think of them instead of being honest. Fearing he isn’t fit for his job, the emperor
keeps avoiding the suit that does not exist.

The conflict of the swindlers versus the kingdom is not resolved satisfactorily. Getting
away with all the riches, the swindlers walk away with no known consequences for their wrong
doings. Justly, the emperor, who earns a lifelong impression for being so vain, learns to not be
so prideful, and his people learn that nothing good comes from lying. Since the emperor and
his people learned a lesson because something bad happens, they know that good things can
come from seriously sticky situations. Regarding the theme, honesty and becoming too proud
may end up hurting your pride, is most likely the concept being taught.

"The Emperor's New Suit" is a good story that displays an excellent moral.
Unfortunately, it ends too abruptly and needs more detail about how the emperor changes.
Even though there isn't much detail in it, the plot is interesting. Getting away, the swindlers get
the easy way out in this story. This story mostly appeals to younger children.

Annabelle M.

My name is Annabelle M. I am 13 years old, and I live in Pennsylvania. I have four
beautiful sisters and two cute little brothers. I love singing with my older sister in our church's
praise team. My favorite thing to do in the warm summer is to go to the beach and go
swimming in the refreshing water. When I graduate I want to go to a culinary school because I
love cooking and baking. After looking through all of my papers I wrote this year, my favorite
one is "Why do we Call it a Cell Phone."

Why Do We Call It a Cell Phone?
There are many uses for a cell phone, which you can use frequently any time of day.
Surprisingly, you can use a phone anywhere, but you have to have a Wi fi service, which you
can find in a lot of places. They can help you to be able to communicate to others swiftly. If you
are bored, your wonderful cell phone can entertain you. They are convenient, because they can
help you for everyday tasks. There are many uses for a cell phone.
Cell phones can be used for communication, which can be used over long distance or
short distance. You can communicate with people in a few different ways on a cell phone. You
can call people with a phone and talk to them. When you are FaceTiming with someone, you

can see and hear the person. By texting you can send messages and receive information. You
can also use social media as a way to communicate, and you can send beautiful pictures or
videos to other people. Phones have become exceedingly useful over the years, because it
makes it easier to contact people.

When you are extremely bored, there are a great many of things you can do on your cell
phone. One of them is playing games of, which there is a huge amount you can choose to play.
On YouTube, you can watch short videos to pass the time. ITunes is a place where you can look
up and buy and listen to music. If you like to read, you are in luck, because on your phone you
can read books on Kindle. You can rent movies, and that will entertain you for a long time. Even
though it is fun to be entertained on your phone, you need to make sure you don't spend too
much time on it because it isn't good for you. When you are bored there are a lot of things on
your phone that can entertain you.

Phones can be awfully helpful for everyday things. When you need to check the
weather, you can just check it on your phone, which can be very useful. You don't have to use a
large camera anymore, because with a cell phone you can just take pictures on there, which is
very convenient. If you ever need an alarm clock or time you can just use it on your phone.
There is also, a calculator on a phone that can be nice to have on when you are doing math or
even when you are shopping for groceries. One thing that is extremely helpful is the flashlight
that they have on a phone. This is very nice to have when it is dark. Phones can be helpful for a
lot of things.

There are many uses for a cell phone, and it is helpful for many things. Thankfully, you
can use many different ways to entertain yourself on a phone, which is helpful when you are
bored. When you are doing tasks, it can help you with such things such as knowing the weather
or even setting a blaring timer. It is remarkably useful to have a phone, because you can send
messages to loved ones that might live far away. You could even call them on the phones as
well.

Mark T.

My name is Mark, and I am age 15. I am in 9th grade, and I live in Georgia, USA. I have a
younger brother named Patrick and a cat named Callie. I love eating cheesy pizza, chocolatey
cake, and sweet ice cream. This summer I'd like to relax and travel to new places, hopefully in a
different country, so I can see more of what the world has to offer. When I grow up I'd like to
be a statistician. I've always liked math and been naturally good at it, so I think getting a job in
the field would be a good choice for me. I especially enjoyed writing the critique of "The
Emperor's New Clothes" because I have fun analyzing and discussing stories.

"The Emperor's New Suit" is an old Danish folktale written by the classic author Hans
Christian Andersen. It was originally published by C.A. Reitzel on April 7, 1837 in a short part of
Fairy Tales Told for Children. The story featured black and white illustrations which were
created with pen and graph paper. These illustrations are not incredibly detailed, however.
Because of "The Emperor's New Suit's” immense popularity, it has been adapted into a musical,

a film, and many other mediums of entertainment.


The time period of this story is not explicitly stated, but rather hinted at through
illustrations and details. Similar things can be said for the location of the story. All we really
know is that it takes place in a large city that many people swarm to. The tale could have been
greatly improved if the author had given more details as to the time and location of the story.
Our protagonist, the emperor, is actually quite well developed, and we can clearly see some of
his flaws. The antagonists, two swindlers, are presented as being very clever and convincing,















































Rebecca H.

My name is Rebecca H. I am 14 years old and will be going into 10th grade in the fall. I
live in beautiful Upstate New York. I have one older brother, which makes me the youngest. I
love to dance and play piano. I have danced and played piano since the very young age of five.
My favorite type of dance is dancing en Pointe. In the summertime, I love biking and swimming
in our pool. Some of my favorite foods include: Rueben sandwiches, pizza, salad, and ice cream.
When I go to college, I would like to go for nursing because I like watching my dad, who is a
doctor, help others. He has inspired me. This summer I am looking forward to taking another
family vacation, watching my brother’s high school graduation, being a counselor in training at
a local Christian summer camp, and just hanging out with my friends. The compositions that I
most enjoyed writing this year were “Christmas Impression” and “From Bean to Bar.”

A Christmas Impression

My favorite Christmas memory of the year is having had the privilege to perform at our
town’s annual festive Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Although it was still November, our
performance helped to kick off our downtown’s Christmas season. Conveniently, the
performance, which was held next to our city’s courthouse, was located in the center of small
downtown Oswego. Aside from the weather not cooperating, the performance still continued.
The backstage preparations were hectic, but because of the many dance mothers, who were
there to willing help us, we quickly settled down and quietly waited for our cue. Finally, our
Crew was ready to dance the true meaning of Christmas to the busy downtown crowd. We
were thankful and excited to be part of our small town’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting
Ceremony.

After a short warm up at our studio, my mom and I quickly drove downtown to the busy
outdoor stage where we were to perform. Unfortunately, while we were driving, wind and rain
threatened to ruin our small-town festivities. Worriedly, I, who would be performing soon,
fretted over this unfortunate situation thinking that this storm would not pass in time. It was
3:30 in the afternoon when we arrived at the quaint stage in the center of our hometown.
Thankfully, as we reached the outdoor stage, the rain had ceased but still left behind some
unwelcoming dark clouds. Once we set my belongings back stage, we realized that the stage,
which we were to perform on, had surprisingly become half soaked in the rain storm. Even
though the stage and the weather were not in our favor, we knew that we could still perform
the true meaning of Christmas.

Upon reaching the performance area, the hectic backstage preparation began. Luckily,
our changing area, which was located at the back of the outdoor stage, was a very spacious
tent. Due to the weather conditions, even though we had practiced and warmed up at our
studio, backstage all of the dancers, including me, were extremely nervous and cold. We, who
were dancing, began to grow excited as we started to hear crowds of pedestrians gather
around the front of the stage. During our wait backstage, the waft of last minute hairspray,
coffee, and Christmas treats overpowered the air. The drizzling rain finally ceased just in time
for me to step onto the stage and start the show. With the help of our amazing parents and
dance instructors, our busy backstage preparation was behind us.

As 4:00 p.m. rolled around, our whole Crew, who was still very nervous, was finally
ready to kick off our show. Tentatively, I stepped onto the quaint stage alone because I was the
first one to start the performance. As the show progressed, many dances were performed

though I was only in two. We beautifully danced the true meaning of Christmas to the on-
looking crowd hoping that it would leave an amazing impression on each one of their hearts.
As the show came to an end, we all rejoiced that our hard work had paid off, and it had gone
without any glitches. After the performance, I hurriedly changed so I could visit with my family
and friends. During our visit, which took place at this unique downtown setting, we gleefully
viewed a myriad of beautiful fireworks over our small town. Even though our crew was nervous
about performing, we prayed that we were a blessing to our community through our dancing of
the true meaning of Christmas.

Happily, we celebrated that the performance was a success. Our whole crew was
thankful that the menacing rain, which had threatened our show, had ceased. We were also
very grateful for the many dance mothers, who had willingly volunteered, for keeping our
backstage under control. Upon finishing, we prayed that the community was blessed by our
performance of the true meaning of Christmas. We jubilantly poured our hearts into our
dances, because we knew there were many people there that needed to know why “We”
celebrate Christmas. As we all are springing into this crazy Christmas season, I hope that the
people we danced for were truly touched and were left with a beautiful impression of the true
meaning of Christmas on their hearts.