121522_SW_Stories of the Season _DIGITAL EDITION

31ST ANNUAL STORIES OF THE SEASON ... PAGE 9 

O 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

HOWTO ...........................................................................................6 

Protect Your Pets During Fireworks 

BUSINESS PROFILE..............................................................................7 

Be Part of the Royal Landscape Family 

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE.....................................................................8 

Huntington Learning Center 

31ST ANNUAL STORIES OF THE SEASON .......................................... 9 

NEWS &BUSINESS BRIEFS................................................................21 

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A solitary, high-pitched sizzle resounds 

through the night followed by 

an ear-piercing bang and pop. This 

is soon followed by a cacophony of 

bangs, sizzles and pops as the night 

sky is set alight with a spectacle of color 

and sound. To many people, fireworks 

denote a celebration. To most pets, the 

unexpected loud noises and lights are 

a nightmare come to life. When faced 

with such an overwhelming display, the 

fight or flight instinct in animals can turn 

to panicked flight. If allowed, pets can 

flee in terror, not recognizing where is 

safe. This leads to an abundance of lost 

— and possibly injured — pets leading 

into the new year. Follow these tips 

to ensure your pet spends a safe New 

Year’s Eve at home: 

Restrict pets to the house throughout 

the day and night of expected 

firework displays. Even if you have a 

fenced yard, a panicked animal may 

still escape and become lost or potentially 

injured. Take your pet out on a 

leash for potty breaks before and after 

prime time for fireworks, but avoid 

walking them during times likely to be 

heavy with the loud noises. 

HOW TO ... 

Protect Your Pets During Fireworks 

Keep Holidays From Turning Into a Nightmare 

by Lauren Salinero 

Keep pets calm by following your 

normal routine. Have a safe place for 

them to rest during festivities with their 

favorite toy, bed and ambient noise — 

from a TV or radio — to help drown 

out the sudden pops and bangs outside. 

If possible, stay home to comfort 

your pets through the ordeal. If you 

do plan to leave the house, make sure 

your pets are secured in your home 

and cannot get out on their own. 

Some pets weather the storm of fireworks 

better than others. If yours has 

high anxiety or panics easily at loud 

noises, consider medication to help 

it get through the night. Contact your 

vet for a sedative or other anxiety prescription. 

Be sure to make an appointment 

for medication a couple of weeks 

before the new year, allowing plenty 

of time to fill the prescription. If you 

An 

animal’s 

fight or 

flight 

instinct 

causes 

many pets 

to hide 

or flee 

in panic 

during 

fireworks. 

want something more natural, there 

are many calming products available 

to help ease pets through a stressful 

situation. Just remember to consult 

your veterinarian before administering 

any new foods or supplements. 

Microchips and tags are vital in the 

event that your pet does escape your 

property. If your pet is lost, having 

your information clearly visible on its 

tag allows those who find it to contact 

you right away. Microchipping is also 

essential for a vet to scan the animal 

and get your information. If your pet 

gets lost and does not have any of this 

identification, be sure to check your 

local humane society and animal control. 

You can also browse “Found Pet” 

postings on social media sites. But, the 

best way to ensure your pet finds its 

way back home is to microchip it and 

have a tag with your information on 

its collar. 

However you plan to celebrate 

this year, make sure your pets are 

safe and comfortable at home and 

that you have a plan in case they 

do break out of the house. Whether 

that means using medication to ease 

their anxiety or staying home to 

give comfort during the worst of the 

fireworks, providing your pets with 

a safe space throughout the noisy 

night ensures their safety well into 

the new year. ª

“Give the gift that keeps on 

growing.” That’s one motto Royal 

Landscape Nursery in Gotha 

uses to encourage people to consider 

as they choose Christmas gifts 

this year and even into the new year. 

Royal Landscape Nursery carries 

almost everything for anyone’s residential 

and/or commercial plant and 

hardscape needs. 

Family-owned and -operated for 

more than 20 years, Royal offers 

everything from plants and trees of 

all shapes and sizes to new products 

and landscaping materials like sod, 

mulch, rock and more with the best 

quality and prices around. Shopping 

local is something people like to do, 

and the Royal family loves to meet 

new neighbors and show their appreciation 

to the community by providing 

a quality product at a reasonable 

price. 

The company is currently in the process 

of making some new improvements 

to its main location in Gotha. 

They are under construction, building 

new offices to offer more products 

and more ways for people to enjoy 

the location and find what they need. 

“We are trying to make our location 

more presentable and more 

user-friendly. We are always trying 

to [enhance] the location and improve 

the customer experience so it 

is better for everyone,” said Connie 

Emmerson, co-owner of Royal 

Landscape with her husband, Steve. 

Providing All Your Plant Needs 

As you visit Royal Landscape’s 

6 acres of nursery, you will notice 

some new changes to the location, 

such as new offices and increased 

product lines with the introduction 

of Vietnamese hand-glazed pottery 

and Adirondack chairs that resemble 

authentic wood but are more durable 

and low-maintenance. The new 

supplies are the perfect additions for 

residential patios and even commercial 

locations. 

“We are constantly striving to expand 

the customer experience to offer 

a one-stop shopping experience 

for your residential landscape and 

commercial design needs,” Connie 

said. “From the ground up, we have 

the mulch, sod, pottery and then 

BUSINESS 

everything you can put in the pots 

and everything you can put into the 

ground.” 

Royal also has a commercial division 

that supplies and installs landscaping 

materials for commercial 

projects. 

“We do commercial projects from 

the ground up for large projects,” 

Connie said. “We deal with a lot 

of high-end construction companies, 

where we supply and install 

landscape materials and do irrigation 

installation from retail plazas to 

apartment communities. 

“At Royal Landscape Nursery, you 

can buy in bulk or one item at a time. 

We cater to retail and wholesale customers 

alike. If you want to load up 

your car, we have staff that can assist 

you. Or, if you need delivery, we 

also offer that service, as well.” 

Being Part of the Family 

The new changes to Royal 

Landscape Nursery are part of the 

company’s continued efforts to remain 

an integral part of the Central 

Florida community for nursery and 

landscaping needs. Customers have 

come to know Connie and Steve 

well throughout the years and have 

enjoyed seeing their daughters, Mia 

and Sophie, helping with operations 

as well. 

The “family” also includes staff 

members like Emily, who has been 


PROFILE 

Be Part 

of the Royal Landscape Family 

Where Personal Service Comes First 

Royal 

Landscape 

offers 6 

acres of 

nursery, 

including 

new 

offices and 

increased 

product 

lines. 

the first smiling face you see at Royal 

Landscape for the past three years. 

Royal also has several outside staff 

members who are ready to answer 

customer questions and help with 

landscaping needs. Royal is proud 

to say they do not have a large 

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turnover in staff, and they appreciate 

the employees they have. 

“We strive to have a great reputation 

around town, and people seem 

to like us,” Connie said. “We like to 

assure people that we offer you the 

best quality [and] best price. It’s not 

always the lowest price, but we have 

the best quality and grow a lot of the 

plant materials ourselves, therefore 

are able to offer a very competitive 

price. 

“When you buy products from 

Royal Landscape Nursery, we always 

ask your name. This is so that 

our staff can greet you by name the 

next time you come by. Hopefully, it’s 

another way to make you feel a part 

of our Royal family.” 

Stop in today to check out Royal’s 

new changes, and bring your 

Christmas list. Remind your friends 

and family that gift certificates are 

always available and make a great 

gift for your holiday shopping. 

Royal Landscape Nursery is open Mondays-Fridays 

from 7 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon. 

For more information, including holiday hours, visit 

www.royallandscapenursery.info. ª

www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com x August 4 — 17, 2022 x 1 


Getting Students Back on Track for Success 


has established itself as a trusted 

learning environment for students 

in the Dr. Phillips, Windermere 

and now Winter Garden areas. 

This past spring, the center opened 

a second location in Winter Garden 

to better serve families in that area. 

In today’s academic environment, 

students are facing more challenges 

than ever before, but Huntington 

Learning Center is prepared and 

equipped to help. 

Executive Director Aziz Kabani 

explained the problem facing students 

is they have been trying to play 

catch up each year since COVID-19. 

“We’re still dealing with the effects 

of COVID-19, and we’re seeing issues 

arise because of that learning loss,” 

Kabani said. 

Students are already at a disadvantage 

going into a new school year. 

There is a known learning regression 

that happens every summer. When 

parents take into consideration the 

challenges that schools have faced 

during the past couple of years, children 

aren’t retaining the information 

they’re learning as well and are struggling 

as a result. 

Staying One Step Ahead 

Huntington Learning Center is committed 

to helping students, not just 

get back on track, but continue to 

progress. 

“Our goal is to always have students 

working one grade level 

ahead,” Kabani said. “We identify 

where their skill level is and build all 

the way up.” 

Huntington Learning Center does 

this through thorough evaluation of 

what each student needs and oneon-one 

instruction customized to each 

child. It also offers a virtual option for 

those who aren’t comfortable coming 

to the center in person. Virtual 

students get the exact same learning 

experience online, as well as access 

to the same 3,000 pieces of curriculum 

that is available in the center. 

Whether it’s reading, writing or math, 

the teachers are able to continue oneon-one 

instruction online at no extra 

charge. 

“The first thing we do is give the 

student an assessment to see exactly 

where they fall with their skill level,” 

Kabani said. “Our goal is to be able 

to identify any setback or any gaps 

in their foundational skills. From there, 

we develop a program for each individual 

child. There are no two students 

in our program that are working 

on the same curriculum. It’s all based 

on specific needs.” 

The dedication to each child’s success 

and willingness to go above and 

beyond are what truly set Huntington 

Learning Center apart. The teachers 

work in partnership with parents and 

schools. They have progress meetings 

with the child’s parents every few 

weeks, so they are informed of what 

skills their child is working on and how 

he or she is progressing. They may 

reach out to the student’s teachers at 

school to collaborate on the best way 

to help the student progress, and they 

are happy to attend IEP or 504 meetings 

to advocate for the student. 

All teachers at Huntington 

Learning Center are required to hold 

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE 

a minimum four-year degree and 

must be trained specifically in the 

subject matter they are teaching. The 

center has been helping students for 

more than 20 years and is accredited 

by the Middle States Association. 

It is also accredited as a private 

school by the Florida Department of 

Education. 

With the largest SAT program in 

the state, their average test score increases 

are impressive. A Huntington 

student’s SAT test score will on average 

increase by 250 points or more, 

and their ACT test score will on average 

increase by 6 points. 

“For some people, it’s the difference 

between even going to college 

and not going to college,” Kabani 

said. 

Huntington Day School 

In an effort to enhance learning 

even further, Huntington Learning 

Center opened the Huntington 

Day School in 2020. The small, 

private school accepts K-4 students. 

It is accredited by the Florida 

Department of Education, and it mirrors 

Orange County Public Schools’ 

calendar and hours for parents’ convenience. 

Many parents will also be 

happy to learn that Huntington Day 

School is exempt from requiring third 

and fourth graders to take the FSA. 

Building Confidence 

in Academics 

Confidence-building is a key element 

in helping students excel. All 

the teachers at Huntington Learning 

Center aim to encourage the students 

and boost their confidence. 

Parents who come to Huntington 

Learning Center are often in a contentious 

relationship with their kids. 

They feel frustrated and discouraged 

at having to fight over homework every 

night and not being able to help. 

And, the kids are doing what Kabani 

calls delayed avoidance. They want 

to do everything else except their 

homework, because it’s hard. They 

want to save the hardest thing for 

last, and then it doesn’t get done. 

“We want to let students know that 

they can do the work,” Kabani said. 

“The biggest complaint we get from 

the parents is, ‘I cannot sit with my 

child and do homework. My daughter 

and I get into a fight every single 

night about doing this, because it’s 

too hard for her, and she doesn’t 

want to listen to me.’ When we’re 

able to build these skills, the student 

is able to work independently, and 

it changes the whole relationship 

between the parent and the child, 

because they’re able to get back 

to being Mom and Dad and the 

child instead of the teacher and the 

student.” 

After studying at Huntington 

Learning Center, the same children 

who struggled to read when they 

started at the center are now reading 

two or three grade levels ahead. 

And, they like it, because they’ve 

become good at it. Huntington 

Learning Center builds those skills, 

and the confidence to tackle learning 

challenges and excel at them. 

For more information, call 407-290-1111 or 

visit huntingtonhelps.com/center/dr-phillips or 

huntingtonhelps.com/center/winter-garden-fl. ª

31 st 

annual 

of the 

Stories of the 

Season 


Stories of the Season 

The entries submitted for Southwest Orlando Bulletin’s 31st annual Stories of the 

Season contest told tales of special visits from Santa, mystical holiday creatures 

and the joy of spending time with family and friends. Whether they recreate 

holiday memories or take readers to imaginary places filled with elves, reindeer 

and their ilk, they are sure to add holiday spirit to all. 

Congratulations to first-place winner Ruth Simms of Dr. Phillips, runner-up Ben 

Costa of 

Westfield Lakes, and child winner Madelynn Valley of The Willows at 

Lake Rhea, all of whom received cash prizes. Also included are submissions 

selected as honorable mentions. 

The staff of the Southwest Orlando Bulletin extends thank-yous to everyone who 

entered the contest and wishes a happy holiday season to all. 

Winner 

The Dad Before Christmas 

by Ruth Simms 

Dr. Phillips 

Mom grabbed a towel 

and put out the fires. 

Dad merely asked her 

to hand him the pliers. 

Frustrated and perplexed 

on how to finish this task, 

Dad put his tools down 

and picked up his flask. 

“I’ll leave you alone, 

I’m going to bed. 

Merry Christmas, my husband,” 

she said, then she fled. 

‘Twas the night before Christmas 

and all through his home, 

Dad’s children were sleeping, 

and he was free to roam. 

He put a screw in the hole, 

but the part wouldn’t fit. 

Deciding force was needed, 

he grabbed his drill bit. 

“I can’t watch anymore!” 

Mom said in disgust. 

“You fix that toy now, 

you do what you must! 

Dad looked at the toys. 

Dad looked at the mess. 

Dad looked at the parts, 

and he had to confess. 

He unpacked the toys, 

the instructions he read, 

and he started the job 

that all dads dread. 

“That drill’s too loud!” 

Mom whispered to Dad. 

“You’ll wake the children, 

and that would be bad!” 

“On Christmas morning 

when your children arise, 

there better be toys 

and no bad surprise. 

“I can’t to do it!” he said. 

Feeling so sad and blue. 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 

His head he did scratch 

as he looked at the mess, 

and decided it was simpler 

if he just tried to guess. 

Dad put the drill aside, 

but he wasn’t too happy. 

Without electric tools 

this job would be crappy. 

His wife stood ready 

to hand him the tools, 

silently wishing he’d 

just follow the rules. 

He went back to the part 

that still wouldn’t fit, 

And he grabbed a hammer 

to force the screw bit. 

The toy was a wagon, 

not so hard to build. 

To attach a wheel and a handle 

would make him look skilled. 

With a mighty effort 

he swung into the job, 

but slamming his finger 

he stifled a sob. 

He spread out the parts 

as he prepared for his task, 

And to give himself courage, 

he took a swig from his flask. 

Seeing Mom’s face, 

he knew it was risky. 

But to soothe his hurt finger, 

he just drank more whiskey. 

Mom scowled at the whiskey. 

Dad pretended not see. 

He sorted the screws 

because neatness is key. 

Now, Mom was not happy, 

her eyes started bulging. 

But she held her tongue 

and didn’t scold his indulging. 

Once order was established, 

he grabbed the wagon handle, 

because he was clumsy, 

he knocked over a candle. 

Dad flailed at that screw 

until it curved and it bent. 

But it didn’t go in, 

just left a big dent.


CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9 

“But for kids to have Christmas, 

I must follow through.” 

Perplexed and dismayed 

but unwilling to quit, 

He looked at the parts 

and studied the kit. 

Then a brilliant idea came, 

flashing like thunder! 

“I know what to do!” 

he said filling with wonder. 

The next day was Christmas. 

And Mom feared for the worst. 

She feared disappointment, 

but her fears were reversed! 

The children were screaming 

with excited Christmas noise. 

Over the bikes and the wagons 

and all the great toys. 

And in the corner, she saw Dad, 

sleepy and tired but serene. 

Gone was the flask, 

replaced with caffeine. 

“You’ve been up all night!” 

She said, giving him a hug. 

“How did you do it, my husband?” 

In answer, he just gave a shrug. 

“All the toys are assembled. 

Each one looks shiny and new. 

You did good,” she said, then 

whispered, 

“So what did you do?” 

“A little of this and a little of that,” 

he used modest inflections. 

“But to be truthful, my dear, 

I just followed the instructions.” 

Runner-Up 

The Last Toy 

by Ben Costa 

Westfield Lakes 

I sit at the back of a cold, metal 

shelf. It feels like an eternity has 

passed since I’ve heard anybody 

walk by. The store closes soon, and 

I begin to lose hope. I get comfortable 

and come to peace with having 

to wait for next Christmas, again. 

How do the employees forget about 

me? I’m surrounded by new toys. 

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They have flashing lights and bright 

colors. I’m easily broken, while they 

have tough plastic shells. I hear a set 

of footsteps coming down my aisle, 

but they quickly pass. There’s no way 

anybody will find me back here. Oh 

well, another Christmas without a 

home. I close my eyes. Tomorrow is 

Christmas Eve, and I doubt people 

will be looking for toys then. I fall 

asleep in the darkness that always 

surrounds me. 

I wake up to an incredible amount 

of noise and people talking. This 

has to be the busiest Christmas Eve I 

have ever seen. I start to have hope 

for becoming a child’s best friend, 

but quickly extinguish the feeling as 

I do not want to disappoint myself. 

The crowd is coming down my aisle, 

shuffling as fast as they can to the 

shelf. Toys are being grabbed right 

in front of me. Suddenly, the toy sitting 

in front of me disappears. The 

store lights are blinding, and I am 

completely dazed. I feel a hand grab 

me, only to let go the moment after. 

I am knocked to my side, and I lay 

there blind and dizzy. There is so 

much noise and panic everywhere. 

The crowd begins to sound disappointed, 

and their voices move further 

away from me. I begin to adjust 

to the bright, white store lights and 

see that I am the only toy on the shelf. 

Everything around me is empty, and I 

am the last toy that remains. At least 

I can see light now. The store lights 

shut off with a loud thud but quickly 

turn back on. 

“Please, sir! Just one toy for my 

child. Just one ...,” a man says. 

The begging man is quickly cut off 

by an employee of the store. 

“Alright, alright,” the employee says 

calmly. “Merry Christmas, sir. Just be 

quick.” 

“Thank you! Thank you so 

much!” says the shopper. “M-Merry 

Christmas!” 

I sit on my shelf knowing that he 

won’t find the toy he is looking for. All 

of the toys in the store are sold out. 

I’ll just wait for the store lights to turn 

back off. I hear his footsteps getting 

closer. This poor man doesn’t know 

that all the aisles are empty. His footsteps 

slow once he reaches my home. 

Suddenly, I feel a hand grab me. 

“This is perfect! Excuse me, sir. I 

would like this toy!” 

The man bolts to the checkout and 

places me on the conveyor. 

The employee picks me up and inspects 

me. 

“Hey, this one doesn’t have a price 

tag, and I’m really tired and have to 

get home. So, I’ll just let you have it 

for free. Does that sound good?” the 

employee says, struggling to keep his 

eyes open. 

The man looks stunned, and he 

gently grabs me. 

“Thank you, sir. Merry Christmas,” 

says the man. 

He carries me out of the store and 

walks us home. His house is warm 

and cozy. I’ve never felt anything but 

the cold metal of the shelves. The man 

sets me underneath his Christmas tree 

next to one other present. I wait for 

the morning, anticipating the joy on 

the child’s face when I meet my new 

best friend. 

Child Winner 

Pay It Forward! 

by Madelynn Valley 

The Willows at Lake Rhea 

I approach the coffee shop on 

Christmas Eve, relieved to escape the 

harsh winds and snow falling outside. 

A man with a grizzled white beard, 

wearing a long parka over his work 

suit, opens the door for me. 

“Have a great Christmas tomorrow,” 

he greets me with a smile as he 

walks out. 

I just roll my eyes at him and stomp 

toward the counter, satisfied by the 

amount of snow falling off my boots. 

“Not everyone can feel so happy 

after a long day,” I mutter under my 

breath. 

“I’ll have a peppermint latte with no 

whipped cream,” I tell the cashier. 

“Coming right up,” she replies. 

I roll on the heels of my feet as I 

replay the workday’s events in my 

mind. With Christmas the next day, 

the salon where I work was full of 

picky customers who wanted their 

hair to look nice for the holidays. 

The cashier hands me my coffee. I 

pause, waiting for her to tell me my 

total cost. She doesn’t say anything. 

Confused, I ask, “Don’t I have to 

pay for the coffee?”

Her face breaks out in a grin. 

“A man in a big red parka already 

paid for your order,” she explains. 

Shocked, I stare at her. “Really?” 

Her eyes meet mine. “Yes, really.” 

I pull out a crumpled $20 bill from 

my wallet. 

“Here, for the next person in line.” I 

hand the cashier the money. 

“Merry Christmas!” she calls as I 

walk to the door sipping my warm, 

minty beverage. 

I open the door, the soft bell on it 

tinkling like a bell on Santa’s sleigh. 

I linger in the doorway just long 

enough to see an elderly woman 

break out in a grin from ear to ear, 

her snack already paid for. I see her 

hand the cashier money, and I realize 

she paid for the person behind her. 

Smiling, I step out onto the sidewalk. 

Strangely, I feel warm inside, 

and I know it’s not just from the coffee 

I savor. I wonder how long the “pay it 

forward” chain will continue for. I pull 

my jacket a little tighter and continue 

on my way to the apartment complex 

I live in with a little spring in my step. 

“So this is what holiday cheer is,” I 

say out loud to myself quietly. 

I pass the busy department store 

decked out in colorful holiday decorations. 

Out of the corner of my eye, 

I spot the man who had bought my 

coffee standing in front of one of 

the store’s many window displays. 

I want to thank him for his generosity 

and for bringing Christmas spirit 

into my heart. I run over to the place 

I was sure I had seen him, but he is 

gone, replaced by a swirling cloud 

of snow. Confused, I turn away from 

the brightly lit window. Then a smile 

creeps onto my face, and the answer 

to where the man went dawns on 

me. Surely, he must be Santa Claus 

himself. 

Honorable Mention 

A Second 

Chance at Christmas 

by Allison Belemjian 

Wesmere 

My name is Alex Robbins. I’m 13 

years old, and Christmas is my favorite 

holiday. My family delights in 

decorating, baking and celebrating 

Christmas. But last year, something 

happened. My grandparents came 

down to Florida to visit us from New 

York, which was exciting because we 

only get to see them once a year during 

Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we 

are always allowed to open one present, 

and my grandfather told me to 

choose the carefully wrapped present 

he gifted me. It was a small red box 

with a green ribbon. My 3-year-old 

sister, Abby, chose the biggest present 

she could get her hands on. We 

opened our presents at the same time, 

and I was shocked. 

Abby received a pink bike with tassels 

and a bell. Meanwhile, all I got 

was an old watch. A watch? I didn’t 

mean to be ungrateful, but I wanted 

something bigger or better than a 

used watch. My grandfather pulled 

me aside after seeing the disappointment 

on my face and explained that 

the watch wasn’t a normal watch. If 

you moved the dial, you could go 

back in time up to 24 hours. I didn’t 

believe him. I began to think Grandpa 

was going senile, and I excused myself 

to help set the table for Christmas 

dinner. 

Everything went smoothly at first, 

but then Abby literally started crying 

over her spilt milk. My mom initially 

scolded her but then helped 

her clean it up. Suddenly, everything 

went wrong. My mom and grandma 

hadn’t prepared enough food, so we 

were still a bit hungry. My mom and 

grandma drove to the only open store 

to buy more food but got stuck in the 

parking lot because the car wouldn’t 

start. When my dad left to pick them 

up, Abby was unsupervised for a few 

minutes and opened every present, 

not just her own. When my parents arrived 

home, they canceled Christmas 

morning. My favorite holiday was 

over, and it was because of other people’s 

actions. I felt devastated. I went 

to bed early. Why stay up if there’s no 

Christmas? 

Christmas morning, everyone was 

on edge. No one spoke during breakfast. 

I slumped back to my room, but 

something caught my eye — the old 

watch on my desk. I figured, what the 

heck? If it doesn’t work, then it’s not 

harming anyone to try it. It was 7:35 

a.m. on Christmas morning. I turned 

the watch dial back 24 hours to 7:35 

a.m. on Christmas Eve, which was just 


before my mom left to get last-minute 

groceries. 

Suddenly, as I was standing in my 

room, my mom called from downstairs, 

“Alex, I’m going to the store. Do 

you need anything?” 

I was stunned. Did it really work? I 

rushed down the stairs and saw all the 

presents still wrapped under the tree. I 

was in utter disbelief. I asked my mom 

if I could accompany her to the store. 

While there, I made sure we got extras 

of everything to avoid the extra trip to 

the grocery store and the car breaking 

down. Later that evening, after my 

sister and I opened our one Christmas 

Eve present, I carefully listened as 

Grandpa explained the special watch 

to me. I thanked and hugged him. Just 

before dinner, I made sure Abby had 

a sippy cup instead of a regular glass 

to avoid spilling her milk. Dinner was 

scrumptious, and we had leftovers for 

days. When we all went to bed, I was 

deeply thankful for a second chance 

at Christmas. 


A Christmas to Remember 

by Camryn Reese 

Keene’s Pointe 

Ding. Ring. This is what Luna heard 

rarely. Not many people had been 

coming to her dad’s bakery since 

he died in November. Luna was 

working hard at the store to buy a 

Christmas tree from Kelly Tree Farm, 

which was across the street from the 

bakery. Luna drooled and stared as 

tree after tree was picked up right in 

front of her. She almost had enough 

money but needed another day’s 

work. Luna headed home for a restful 

night of sleep. 

Riiiing. Luna hopped out of bed to 

say hello, only to realize it was her 

alarm and not the bakery bell. She 

quickly took a shower, ate some cereal 

and got on her bike. Luna pedaled 

as fast as a cheetah over to the shop 

She started getting some powdered 

sugar, flour, eggs and butter from the 

kitchen. In two hours, she had made 

20 croissants, five macaroons, 10 

Danish pastries and three doughnuts. 

She displayed the delicious treats, 

and in five minutes came Mr. Kiplit. 

He was her most reliable customer 

and always came at 9:30 a.m. 

sharp. She sat in the corner booth 

and always ordered two sunny-sideup 

eggs and one blueberry Danish. 

But today was different. He was 

wearing a light-up Christmas sweater 

and holding a half-full mug of hot 

chocolate. He sat down in the booth 

and waited for Luna to assist him. 

She rushed over and said, “Two 

sunny-side-ups with a blueberry 

Danish?” 

But he said, “No. Not today, Luna.” 

He simply handed her a check, 

got up and left. Luna stood there with 

her dropped jaw. Mr. Kiplit had just 

given her a $250 check! Luna would 

have enough money to buy a tree 

now. She watched him walk around 

the block, gratefulness shining in her 

eyes. 

Later that night, Luna closed the 

shop and rushed across the street to 

Kelly Tree Farm. There wasn’t a tree 

in sight. 

She started to turn back when a 

young girl said, “Wait. There is still a 

tree for you!” 

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12



Luna rushed 3 yards deep into the 

field where she found a small tree to 

the right of her. 

She brought home a macaroon 

for Santa since it was Christmas Eve 

and settled on the comfy couch for a 

Hallmark movie. Then, she headed to 

bed, excited for Christmas tomorrow. 

When Luna woke up, there was a 

small present underneath the tree. 

She crawled off her bed and saw 

that it was from Santa. She popped 

off the top of the box and boom! She 

saw swirling colors all around her. 

Suddenly, Luna fell onto the floor of 

a hospital. There she saw a young, 

beautiful woman holding a baby. 

“Ryan, would you hand me Luna’s 

blanket, please?” the lady asked. 

Luna felt a pit in her stomach. That 

was her mother! Luna sprinted out of 

the room, crying. She had just seen 

her mom. She was in the past. 

“I must be hallucinating,” Luna said 

anxiously in the elevator. 

She got off the elevator and wiped 

the tears off her face. Bing. The 

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elevator opened, and her mom came 

out. Luna slowly walked up to her 

and gave her a warm hug. 

Even though her mom couldn’t see 

her, Luna got her wish to meet her 

mother. With that, Luna was back in 

her bedroom, crying happy tears, 

for her dream had come true. She 

plopped down on her creaky bed 

and opened a book by Abdul Kalam. 

She had one more page in the book. 

As tears welled up in her eyes 

again, she said out loud, “You have 

to dream before dreams come true.” 

To this day, Luna still works at the 

diner. In fact, she owns it. She greets 

each customer with a smile as bright 

as the sun and dreams about her 

Christmas to remember. 


A Dream of Christmas 

by Jordyne Bridgeman 

Belle Meade 

It was a clear night. The snow was 

falling gently to the ground. A little 

girl named Skye Dove was lying in 

bed. She was too excited to sleep, 

for it was Christmas Eve. Skye knew 

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Santa would be on his way to her 

house soon. As she lay staring out 

the window, she wondered if children 

in Germany and France were doing 

the same thing. Were they waiting 

for Santa to arrive, as well? Thoughts 

filled her head about celebrations in 

other countries as her eyes began to 

close. 

Skye opened her eyes, and, as she 

looked around, she noticed this was 

not her bed or room. She got up and 

tiptoed to the door. She could hear 

people singing. The sounds were different 

from songs she’d heard before. 

She soon realized that she was in 

France! In France, Christmas is called 

Joyeux Noël, and the people sing 

carols known as Chants de Noël. On 

Dec. 24, when Skye would be celebrating 

Christmas Eve, the people of 

France would enjoy a meal together 

to celebrate Le Réveillon de Noël. 

Skye watched as families exchanged 

gifts. When they went to 

evening church, Pére Noël brought 

gifts to children and left them underneath 

the tree. The children also left 

shoes by the fireplace for Pére Noël 

to fill with treats. On Dec. 25, families 

celebrated by enjoying a large dinde 

with roasted turkey. Skye was getting 

tired from seeing all the festivities in 

France. She laid down and closed 

her eyes once again. 

It was Christmas morning, or so 

Skye thought when she woke up. 

She could hear noises outside the 

room. She thought it was strange, as 

she was usually the first one awake 

on Christmas morning. Again, Skye 

opened her door and realized she 

was not in her home. She was now 

in Germany! The noises she’d heard 

were a family setting up and decorating 

a Christmas tree. 

Skye wondered what day it was. 

In Germany, homes are decorated for 

the holiday season. The tree is saved 

for last and not put up or decorated 

until Dec. 24. This is when Germans 

celebrate Weihnachten, or Christmas 

Eve. In the evening, the children are 

moved to a room the tree is not in. 

The Christkind, or Christ child, brings 

presents. A bell is rung to let the children 

know the presents have been 

delivered. Families gather around the 

tree and open gifts. Families enjoy a 

meal of duck, goose, rabbit or roast 

in celebration. 

On Dec. 25, the people of Germany 

often enjoy a meal together, attend 

church services and light the final 

white candle of advent surrounded 

by a wreath on the table. 

After the advent candle was lit, Skye 

felt herself getting sleepy. She drifted 

off into a wonderful slumber. She 

woke up to the smell of coffee. Skye 

realized her mom had woken before 

her. She looked around, and she was 

in her bedroom. A huge smile came 

across her face. Skye thought about 

the wonderful dream where she had 

visited countries she wondered about. 

She thought about the traditions celebrated 

in France and Germany, how 

some were similar and some were 

very different. Then Skye became 

even more excited to go downstairs 

and enjoy her own family’s traditions. 


Mistletoe the Pig 

by Brielle Nelson 

Windermere 

It was a week until Christmas, and 

you could see lights for miles. It was 

a wonderful time of year, and everyone 

was baking Christmas treats. 

Snow was falling, music was playing 

and presents were being wrapped. 

The only thing that could make this 

Christmas perfect was having a pig 

as a pet. 

People thought Lucy was silly for 

wanting a pet pig, especially her twin 

brother, but she didn’t care. Lucy was 

one of the most cheerful people in the 

town, but she wasn’t this year. She 

had been obsessed with pigs ever 

since she was 7 years old. Her mom 

and dad said she would have to buy 

a pig with her own money, and she 

had been saving for two years. Now 

she had enough. She even had a little 

extra for pig food. 

The next day, the family went to 

church, and Lucy was so excited. 

Church was her favorite time of the 

week. When they got there, Christmas 

cookies were being handed out. She 

was especially excited when she saw 

her friends. She forgot all about being 

sad. They got home from church, 

and she saw all the decorations and 

presents. She remembered dreaming

about wanting a pig for Christmas, 

and she was sad again. 

She asked her mom and dad one 

more time, and they said, “Wait and 

see!” 

On Christmas Eve, Lucy’s parents 

took her to an animal farm where 

people were selling baby animals. 

Lucy saw baby goats, lambs, cows 

and three baby pigs. She was so excited, 

she almost squealed at the top 

of her lungs. Before she did though, 

she thought through what may happen. 

Her parents might be getting her 

a pig, or they could be asking someone 

how much work a pig is so that 

Lucy changed her mind. After a second 

of silence, Lucy did squeal, but 

very quietly so she didn’t disturb the 

pigs. 

Her parents told her that she could 

go and pet the pigs. Once she got 

in there, she started rolling, oinking 

and playing like a pig. Lucy’s family 

stayed for half an hour before Lucy 

finally asked to take one home. 

“Did you bring your money?” her 

dad asked? 

Lucy had the biggest smile ever! 

She immediately pulled out her money 

and asked how much for one? The 

person managing the pigs said that 

one pig cost $75. 

Lucy was even more excited because 

she thought she was going 

to get a big pig, and it would cost 

a lot, so she had saved $200. She 

was able to buy everything her pig 

needed. Her parents interrupted her 

before she could pay for him. They 

said that she would have to pay for 

the pig food, and they would pay for 

vet bills. Then, she picked out the pig 

that touched her heart the most. 

After they left the farm, they went 

shopping for pig food, a pig bed, a 

pig pen and toys. They finally went 

home, and Lucy started to think of 

names for her pig. Her ideas were 

Wilber, Rico, Wyatt, Mistletoe and 

Charlie. After an hour of thinking 

and playing, she decided on the 

name Mistletoe with the nickname 

Milo. Mistletoe was the perfect name 

to always remind her of the special 

Christmas they first met. When it was 

time for bed, after a long and exciting 

day, Lucy put her pig in the pig pen. 

She turned off the lights and sang a 

lullaby to Mistletoe as they fell asleep. 

It was Lucy’s best Christmas ever. 


The Newsboys’ Christmas 

by Sandra Roman 

The Willows at Lake Rhea 

Twelve-year-old Jonathan Joseph 

Butler, better known as JJ, is feeling 

the wicked December cold. His coat 

is several sizes too large, and the frigid 

wind is creeping up his sleeves. He 

wants to head home, but he still has 

25 newspapers to sell. It’s Christmas 

day in 1864, and the Washington, 

D.C., streets are dreary and desolate. 

JJ misses his parents. His mother 

died of scarlet fever back in South 

Carolina, after which his grief-stricken 

father escaped to D.C. with him and 

his sister. His father joined the Union 

Army. JJ wishes the war had never 

started. It has already claimed the 

lives of 40,000 Black soldiers, including 

his father. JJ and his sister, Mary, 

live in a makeshift wooden shack on 

U Street. Mary works at Freedman 

Hospital cleaning rooms. The war 

has been so brutal that the hospital 

workers often work around the clock. 

JJ has not seen his sister in days. 

JJ desperately wants to sell his remaining 

papers. Like all newsboys, 

he tries to encourage customers by 

shouting headlines to passersby. 

Today’s good news — Read All 

About It — General Sherman has 

seized Savannah, Georgia; expect 

the Confederate Army to surrender 

soon! 

It’s getting dark. JJ is tired and hasn’t 

eaten all day. He thinks he should give 

up and start the long walk home. Just 

as he turns onto Pennsylvania Avenue, 

he hears Mickey Bones call out his 

name. Mickey is the best newsie. 

He knows how to navigate the city 

streets and knows who all the bigwigs 

are. He is nice to JJ and stands up to 

anyone who bullies him. Mickey is 

also always thinking about food. He 

steals fruit from the street vendors and 

hides it in his newspaper knapsack. 

Sometimes he shares his spoils with JJ. 

Mickey excitedly shouts at JJ, 

“Follow me! We are going to the 

White House for dinner!” 

JJ laughs. He knows Mickey is a bit 

of a jokester. 


“So what, Mick, are we raiding the 

garbage bins?” JJ asks. 

Mickey insists and drags JJ by 

his ill-fitting overcoat to the side entrance 

of the White House, where, 

to JJ’s amazement, he sees 10 other 

newsies. 

When the cook hears the knocking 

and chatter of the boys, he opens the 

door. He is about to scurry them away 

when Mickey yells, “We have been 

invited by Tad Lincoln, the president’s 

son!” 

Of course, the cook doesn’t believe 

him, so he tells them to wait there by 

the door. Ten minutes later, a very tall 

man with a beard, dressed in a bow 

tie, top hat and tailcoat comes to the 

door. He laughs when he sees them 

in their raggedy coats and caps. He 

says that his son had not mentioned 

his new invites but that they are all 

welcome to share dinner with him, his 

friends and family members. 

The White House staff quickly sets 

a table for the newsboys. JJ can’t believe 

what is happening. He knew the 

president was a great man, but he 

didn’t know that he would be so kind 

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and humble as to let a poor Black 

newsboy into his home. All the boys 

eat to their hearts’ content. It is one 

of the most magical evenings of their 

lives. JJ decides that day to strive to be 

kind and welcoming to others, just like 

the president was to all of them. 

Sadly, while JJ lived to see many 

Christmases for years to come, that 

1864 Christmas would be the last one 

for President Lincoln. He was assassinated 

the following year. 


My Family 

Christmas Traditions 

by Mackenzie Hill 

Winter Garden 

Christmastime in my family is the 

best time of the year and something 

that we look forward to. My family 

comes from America and Cuba. A 

very known tradition is Nochebuena. 

This tradition has been celebrated in 

my family for as many years as I can 

remember. Nochebuena is celebrated 

Christmas Eve and is a huge feast of 




food that is made to share with your 

family. We make mojo pork, tostones, 

yucca, rice and black beans. 

The day of Nochebuena, we begin 

preparing food at noon. My dad gets 

the pork ready to go into the oven. 

It marinates in seasonings and mojo 

sauces for about three days. The pork 

is huge, and it cooks until about 7 

p.m. The key to making the pork moist 

is cooking it at a low temperature for 

a long period of time. My extended 

family comes over at 3 p.m., and we 

snack on a cheese spread and chips 

while dinner is being made. We spend 

this time together catching up on life, 

playing games and helping everyone 

make food in the kitchen. 

About an hour before the pork is 

done, we fry the plantains and yucca, 

my favorite part of the night. Yucca 

is my favorite food, and because we 

only eat it once a year, it makes this 

day more special. Plátanos are plantains 

that are cut into small chunks, 

smashed and fried. Yucca is almost 

like American fries except traditional 

yucca is only boiled. In my family’s 

Nochebuena, we boil and fry it to 

make it crispy. 

For the past few years, my dad has 

made a garlic dip that we use for the 

plátanos fritos (fried plantains) and 

yucca. I truly enjoy Christmas, especially 

when I get to spend it with the 

people I love the most. On Christmas 

Eve night, since I was super little, my 

sister and I have had a slumber party 

in my room. We watch a Christmas 

movie, fall asleep and, next thing you 

know, it is Christmas day. 

On Christmas morning, we call 

our parents and wish them a Merry 

Christmas, get ready a little bit, and 

then wait on the stairs for our parents 

to give us permission to come down to 

see the presents we got. We open our 

bigger presents first, and then it is time 

to make breakfast. Another one of our 

traditions is making cinnamon rolls on 

Christmas morning. 

Everyone says that Christmas isn’t all 

about presents, but I love presents. I 

especially love when I get to see my 

family open the presents that I picked 

out for them. We open all our gifts, 

leaving the ones for our grandparents. 

The last thing we open just as a family 

is our stockings. Even my dog has 

a stocking full of treats and toys. My 

abuelita comes over, and we open the 

presents that we give her and the presents 

she gives us. The rest of my family 

comes over later in the day. We open 

presents as a family and celebrate this 

amazing holiday together. We make 

ham, mashed potatoes and corn casserole 

for dinner. These are my family’s 

Christmas traditions, and I can’t 

wait to do them over and over again. 


The Christmas Baby 

by Chloe Gutierrez 

Southwest Orlando 

Once upon a time — about 15 

minutes ago — it was midnight in 

the North Pole. A jolly-looking man 

dressed in all red-and-white furs 

was sitting by the fireplace inspecting 

some beautifully carved wooden 

figures, which he was painting with 

a riot of rich, beautiful Christmas 

colors. Yes, it was Santa Clause, S. 

Kringle, St. Nicholas, whatever you 

call him, making Christmas presents 

for Mrs. Clause. His thoughts were 

wandering when all the sudden there 

was a loud crack! 

For a second, he thought he must be 

mad! In front of him was a big, black 

hole. It was sucking him in! Now, 

Santa weighed about 600 pounds, 

but the tug was so strong, he could 

not resist it. He decided not to fight 

and instead jumped into it. 

He whirled through a tunnel at the 

speed of light, then suddenly, he was 

still. He cautiously opened one eye, 

then the other, then gasped. Before 

him, he saw wreckage and smoking 

ruins of what would have once 

been lovely buildings. Then, he heard 

a soft sound behind him. In a flash, 

he turned around and saw nobody. 

He heard it again but closer to the 

ground. He looked down and saw a 

tiny baby. 

It was wrapped in a light blue cloth, 

and it was awake but wasn’t crying. 

Poor little thing, Santa thought. It was 

so cute. He bent down and picked it 

up. 

“Where’s your mommy?” he asked. 

That is when he noticed it, on the 

light blue cloth where the label was, 

it said Kyiv, Ukraine. Santa looked 

around again. 

Of course! It all made sense now. 

He was in Ukraine. Suddenly, planes 

started shooting across the sky, and, 

to his horror, he saw the Russian symbol 

on all of them. His first thought 

was to take shelter immediately, but it 

was too late. The first bomb had fallen. 

With a shock that shook the earth, 

the bomb hit the ground. Crash! 

Debris went flying everywhere. 

Then, Santa’s feet started to run, fast! 

He shot over the ground as fast as his 

flying reindeer, until finally he reached 

an old, weather-beaten stable. For 

some reason, he felt like it was a safe 

place. So, he slowed down and entered. 

He placed the baby in the manger 

and sat down to catch his breath. 

He thought the baby was hungry. I 

do not have any milk, but I can give 

him some eggnog. He pulled out a 

large container and small cup. As he 

fed the baby, he realized his stomach 

was rumbling, so he pulled out some 

gingerbread. Ohh! He was so tired. 

Just one little nap. 

As he slept, Santa dreamed he was 

in the stable with the baby, but there 

were two other people, as well. He 

saw Mary on the right and Joseph on 

the left. But, what he noticed most of 

all was the baby in the manger. It was 

Jesus! But also, it was the baby he had 

taken care of since he got here. Had 

he really been taking care of Jesus 

the whole time? Just then, the baby 

turned and smiled at him. Suddenly, 

he woke up. He opened his eyes and 

saw that he was back home with a 

scrap of light blue cloth in his hand. 

It did not say Kyiv, Ukraine. Instead, it 

said Jesus Christ. 


The More You 

Give, the More You Get 

by Stella Barber 

Winter Garden 

I was sitting at home, bored. It was 

only a few days until Christmas, and 

we hadn’t even put up our Christmas 

tree yet. I bet our elf was really mad 

because every time I tried to find 

him, he was next to the spot where 

our Christmas tree was supposed to 

be. I walked outside at night with my 

friend, Addison. 

“Look at all these people,” she said. 

“I feel really bad, they don’t have 

Christmas trees. How will Santa deliver 

their presents with no Christmas 

tree?” 

“I think I need to put up my Christmas 

tree, too,’’ I said. 

“But they probably don’t have a 

Christmas tree in their attic that they 

can assemble at any time,” Addison 

said. “They look so miserable. I wish I 

could give them something.” 

I went back inside when we were 

done with the walk. I was thinking 

about those people during dinner and 

at night. 

“What can I do for these people? 

Could I give them some of my presents 

instead?” 

When I woke up and got ready 

for the day I saw I had 243 missed 

calls from Addison. I called her back. 

It seems Addison had protested and 

made a fundraiser for these people. 

“We need to help these people. 

Everyone needs a good Christmas!” 

I asked Addison if I could help. 

Of course she said, “Yes.” 

After making papers and giving 

them away to all our friends and texting 

all of our families to help with our 

fundraiser, we still didn’t have enough 

money. All we had was $50. When 

I was just about to give up, Addison 

screamed. She had hit the refresh button, 

and we had made $222,229! 

As we spread the word so much, 

we made it all over the news. On 

Christmas Eve, we were spread everywhere 

from influencers paying us and 

putting it on their channels. 

We raised a whopping $1,450, 

000. We gave everyone we saw 

$10,000 and a place to stay. Addison 

and I felt so great after saving more 

than 100 people on Christmas Eve. 

Even after Christmas, we still were 

all over the internet. We had invites 

to meet famous people all over the 

world, and we even had our own 

nickname, Santa’s Givers. I guess, the 

more you give, the more you get. 


A Christmas Story: Cherished 

by Anthony George 

Reserve at Belmere 

I crawled over to the largest box of 

them all. It was red and green with

shiny bits sprinkled everywhere. But, 

the most important thing was that it 

had my name on it. I tore open the 

box with as much strength as my 

stubby hands could muster. My parents 

helped me take off the rest of 

the gift wrapping so I could see what 

was inside. 

“Thank you, Mommy! Thank you, 

Daddy!” I shouted with a giggle. 

The first thing I took out of the box 

was as big as my head. It was a 

glass dome that had a huge tree in 

the middle with balls and lights, just 

like the one next to me. 

My daddy sat down beside me 

with a camera, took the strange 

dome from me, and began to shake 

it. It was then that a miracle occurred 

before my eyes. The white 

clumps on the bottom of the globe 

spread out all over the dome. I wanted 

to know what that soft white rain 

felt like on my hands. It was then, at 

4 years old, that my love for snow 

globes began. 

Since that moment, I have gotten 

snow globes for every joyful memory 

with my family, so I can always 

remember them. There was a big 

word my parents taught me that describes 

them — souvenirs. 

It is now Christmas again, and I 

am joined by my younger brother, 

who is going to turn 2 years old 

soon. Zeke is chubbier than I was 

when I was his age, but my parents 

won’t let me call him fat. They say 

it is not a nice thing to call people. 

This Christmas, I am supposed to get 

a whole set of snow globes. I believe 

that Santa looks into the dreams of 

people to see what they want. I am 

going to dream a lot so Santa can 

get the gifts before tomorrow. I say 

goodnight to my parents and go 

sleep next to my brother’s crib. 

Today is the day! I leap down the 

stairs toward where my parents sleep 

to ask for gingerbread cookies. After 

leaving the table with milk around 

my mouth and crumbs in my hair, I 

slide over to the Christmas tree and 

begin looking for my prize. Before I 

can look thoroughly, Mommy picks 

me up and carries me away. 

“No peeking until everybody is 

around the tree,” she sings. 


Daddy goes to get the camera 

and wake up my brother. The whole 

family is around the tree. I hear the 

familiar beep of the camera, and I 

gently get Zeke off of my lap so I can 

retrieve the present. He rolls over to 

suck his thumb. I drag the package 

back to my “stage” and get ready to 

say thank you before noticing another 

name on the label. 

To: Elijah & Zeke 

From: Mommy & Daddy 

Ignoring it, I open the gift to retrieve 

the snow globe. This one has a family 

skating in an ice rink, just like when 

everybody went a few months ago. 

I roll Zeke back over and shake the 

snow globe in front of him. His eyes 

go wide, and his mouth begins to 

drool in awe. I smile as I put the snow 

globe on the ground for him to see. 

He pushes the globe while trying to 

shake it, and the snow globe shatters. 

Before I have time to cry out despairingly, 

my mother is next to us. 

As the comforter, she explains to 

me, “These souvenirs represent our 

memories, but we really cherish our 

experiences in our hearts forever.” 


Mack and 

the Mysterious Doggieday 

by Chibuikem Onyeji 

Winter Garden 

Hi, I’m Mack. I’m the dog of the 

Boohickey family. My home is in New 

York City. I love to play fetch with my 

owner, Silvia. We go everywhere 

and do everything together, and it’s 

always a lot of fun. 

I’ve noticed strange things that happen 

at different times of the year. They 

call these strange times doggiedays. 

I really enjoy these times, except for 

one doggieday called Halobean. I 

do not like it because Silvia makes me 

wear strange clothes that make me 

look like food. I have dressed up like 

a banana, hotdog and even a pumpkin! 

The costumes feel uncomfortable, 

and I end up running around with 

strange-looking monsters. To top it all, 

I can’t even scratch my itchy spots. It 

is a disaster. 

I thought I had experienced all doggiedays, 

but I guess not. I was in for 


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a surprise. My owner woke up one 

day and bought a tree for the house. 

She also brought home another dog, 

named Marco, who had to stay with 

us until Dogmas was over. 

“Dogmas?” I barked. 

He said it’s a scary doggieday 

where somebody called Sandy 

Claws sneaks into your house at 

night and puts colored boxes underneath 

the tree. He travels around with 

raindogs wearing bells that wake 

up all the dogs at night. And, some 

dogs even go missing. I did not want 

Sandy Claws to get into our home. 

So, I had to think of ways to stop him 

from coming in. 

I asked Marco how Sandy Claws 

gets in. He said he gets in from the 

chimney because all the doors are 

locked. I thought of a plan to light up 

the wood under the chimney. Silvia 

usually presses a button, which turns 

on the fire. She then keeps the living 

room closed to prevent us from playing 

with it. 

It was time to put my plan into 

action. 

A day before Dogmas, we decided 

to hide so Silvia would not find us. 

We hid behind the big tree in the living 

room. 

When she noticed we were not 

around, she called out, “Mack! 

Marco!” 

But, we did not respond. 

She got worried and checked 

around the house, but she did not find 

us. She decided to put on some fuzzy 

clothes to go outside to look for us. I 

rushed to the window to look outside. 

Cotton balls were falling from the sky. 

It was beautiful and looked like lots of 

fun to play in. But, I rushed back behind 

the tree to wait for Sandy Claws. 

Before long, Silvia returned home 

and headed to bed. I turned on the 

fire. Then, I heard noises in Silvia’s 

bedroom and went inside to see if 

Sandy Claws was there. Instead, I 

saw Silvia crying on the bed. I think 

she missed me. I went to cuddle with 

her, and she stopped crying. She 

gave me a big hug, and, before long, 

she fell asleep. So did I. 

I woke up hearing jingling bells 

somewhere in the house. Silvia was 

still sleeping. I hopped out of bed 

and rushed to the sound. I saw Marco 

snoring underneath the tree. Right beside 

him, I saw Sandy Claws leaving 

boxes. 

“How did you get through the fire?” 

I barked. 

Sandy Claws stopped what he was 

doing and turned around slowly. I 

was frozen in terror, expecting to be 

dognapped! Instead, he walked toward 

me and gave me the biggest 

dog biscuit I had ever seen. I was 

surprised by him and even more surprised 

by his gift. I realized then that 

Dogmas was not so bad after all. 


Home for Christmas 

by Mia Gordon 

Stoneybrook West 

On Dec. 24, 2022, a wonderful 

winter day, 5-year-old Emily Smith was 

building a snowman with her 11-yearold 

brother, Josh. They had been playing 

for hours, until their mom yelled 

from the door, “Hot cocoa time!” 

Emily and Josh dashed inside for 

their mom’s delicious hot cocoa. Lily 

had a seat at the bar, and took her 

hot cocoa and added extra whipped 

cream, caramel, chocolate syrup and 

gummy bears. 

“Gross!” Josh exclaimed. “Why 

would you put so many toppings on 

your hot cocoa?” 

“Because it’s unique and delicious, 

just like me.” Emily said proudly. 

Josh simply nodded his head and 

gestured to go back outside while muttering 

something under his breath. 

Time passed, and before you knew 

it, Josh was 18 and moving out, with 

12-year-old Emily desperately begging 

him to not leave. 

“Please!” Emily begged. “Pretty, 

pretty please!” 

“I’m only gonna be two hours away, 

Emily.” Josh said. “And, I’ll be back by 

the time it’s Christmas, I promise.” 

This meant a lot to Emily. When Josh 

made a promise, he always kept it. 

“OK, but you must come back,” she 

said. “I will drive two hours to find you 

and drag you home for Christmas.” 

She gave him a huge bear hug and 

watched as he finished loading everything 

into the car. Once he stepped on 

the gas, she started crying. 

“Wait! Josh, come back!” Emily 

said while gasping for air. 

She ran down the street after him. 

“I’ll be home by Christmas!” Josh 

yelled, and he turned off the street 

and drove away. 

Emily counted down the days until 

Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Emily 

heard the doorbell, hopped out of her 

bed, and ran downstairs, expecting to 

see her brother standing before her. 

Instead, she saw a letter addressed to 

Emily Smith. She grabbed the envelope 

and rushed inside from the cold. 

“Mom! I got a letter!” Emily yelled. 

“Why don’t you open it?” her mom 

said. 

Emily sighed as she began to read 

her letter. 

“To Emily: I’m sure you are wondering 

why I sent a letter instead of being 

there beside you, playing in the 

snow. I was invited by the girl of my 

dreams to spend Christmas with her, 

and I promised her that I wouldn’t miss 

it. I am sorry that I’m not there in person, 

but I hope this gift makes up for 

it. Don’t open it until Christmas. Sorry, 

Josh.“ 

Emily felt tears welling up in her 

eyes. She crumpled the piece of paper 

and ran to her room, slamming 

the door behind her. 

Emily kept repeating the letter in her 

mind. No, this can’t be the end. Josh 

will come. Or he won’t. I don’t know 

anymore. Am I right or wrong? I don’t 

know. 

Emily glanced at the window, remembering 

all the traditions her and 

her brother used to do — making a 

snowman in the yard, putting too 

many toppings on her hot cocoa. 

Cocoa. Cocoa! Emily rushed outside 

onto the driveway just as a black 

Chevrolet pulled in. 

“Josh!” Emily squealed. 

“How did you know I was coming?” 

Josh asked as he hugged her. 

“Once I read your letter, I threw 

it out because I was so mad,” Emily 

said. “But, it got me thinking of what 

you said nine years ago. ‘You’re the 

girl of my dreams.’” 

Josh smiled hard and yanked her to 

the ground. 

“Do you wanna build a snowman?” 

he asked laughing. 

Emily just smiled. 


The Secret Santa Drop-Off 

by Ella Schuemann 

Isle of Osprey 

Riiing! 

I heard the late school bell as I was 

picking up my books off the floor 

because Jeremy Will had pushed 

me over. He was the meanest kid at 

school and so were his siblings — 

Lucy, Edward and Camilla. They were 

the scariest kids in the whole school, 

and it felt like they always targeted 

my family. I wondered about their 

parents, because I never saw them 

around school. They got dropped off 

at school by their parents. All of the 

teachers favored the Wills kids, which 

my friends and I thought was strange. 

When I got home from school, my 

mom had warm, freshly baked homemade 

cookies. They were red and 

green cookies filled with Christmas 

spirit and joy. My mom sat us all 

down at the table, and I knew something 

was fishy, but I didn’t know what 

it was. 

“So, do you guys know the Wills 

family?” she asked. “They are struggling 

right now with their dad dying 

a year ago and their mom working 

shifts just to provide food for the family. 

They need some Christmas cheer 

in their lives. I was thinking we could 

be their Secret Santa.” 

“But they are so mean to us!” my sister, 

Angel, blurted out. 

“I know, but we need to think of others 

before ourselves sometimes,” Mom 

said. “It’s the right thing to do, and, 

after all, Christmas is the time to give.” 

“Fine,” my sisters and I said in sulky 

voices. “We’ll do it.” 

A couple of days passed until it was 

the day we were going to do the Secret 

Santa. We got them fuzzy Christmas 

socks, a sled, four gingerbread houses 

and some hot cocoa packs. I didn’t 

think that those little presents would 

make such a difference. 

We drove to their home, which was 

a little brick house with the littlest Merry 

Christmas sign anyone had ever seen. 

We went up to the front door, dropped 

the presents off, rang the doorbell and 

hid behind a tree. At first, they didn’t 

answer the doorbell, but soon, Jeremy 

came and opened the door. His smile 

lit up the whole neighborhood.

“Lucy, Edward, Camilla, come 

quick!” he shouted. “Look what Santa’s 

reindeer brought us.” 

They all had the biggest smiles on 

their faces, which made me smile, 

too. I had never seen any of them with 

a smile that big and bright. Their attitudes 

changed, and it felt like they 

were different people. 

At school the next day, everything 

was different. There was no fighting, 

no pushing and no people being 

pushed into lockers, which was weird. 

When I saw Jeremy coming toward 

me, he said, “Oh hey, Luca.” 

It didn’t even matter that he said 

my name wrong, since my name 

was Luke. When I went to say “hey” 

back, no words would come out of 

my mouth since I was so astonished. 

I hadn’t thought those gifts could 

change someone so much. 

One good deed can make a huge 

difference in someone’s life. God put 

me in Jeremy’s life so that my family 

could change his heart. 

We should give with our whole 

hearts, especially during the Christmas 

season. 


Orlando Christmas Magic 

by Max Perrupato 

Westover Club 

It was 10 o’clock on Christmas Eve 

2022. There was a loud noise outside 

my window. I saw a glimmer of white 

light fly right past my house. I gathered 

my bearings and got up. I soon 

realized that it was Santa’s sleigh! 

I ran to my parent’s room and told 

them, “Mom and Dad, I just saw 

Santa’s sleigh!” 

My parents told me to go back to 

bed, but I knew this was my chance 

to finally catch a glimpse of the jolly 

man himself. I ran outside to find that 

the white light was gone. 

I started walking in the direction it 

went. I walked all the way to downtown 

Orlando, and I noticed this kid 

from school. His name was Will. 

“Hey, did you see that light?” I 

asked him. 

“Yes, I did, and I’m going to look 

for Santa myself. I really hope we can 

meet him,” Will said. 

Will and I continued our search together. 

Right as we passed Amway 

Center, we noticed something very 

peculiar. 

“Is that a reindeer?” I asked not believing 

my eyes. 

“Wow, that’s so cool” Will exclaimed. 

“Let’s check the name tag.” 

In big, gold, glitter letters, the tag 

read “Donnor.” 

“Wow, it’s one of Santa’s reindeer,” 

Will said. 

Then we noticed Santa’s sleigh with 

all its jingle bells and reindeer. 

“Wow, we really did it!” Will said. 

“We found Santa’s whole sleigh. But, 

where is Santa?” 

“I don’t know,” I said. 

Will noticed a giant screen. In big 

letters it read, “Orlando Magic vs. the 

Lakers.” 

We decided to go inside and check it 

out. Once we got to the game, the ticket 

people said, “Do you have a ticket?” 

“No, we do not, sir,” I said. 

“I’m sorry then,” the man said. “We 

can’t let you in.” 

At that moment, a phone rang, and 

he picked it up. I don’t know what they 

were talking about on the phone, but 

we were allowed in. He told us to go to 

Club Box No. 36. Puzzled by this, we 

walked up the stairs and through the 

elevator to the floor. 

When we finally reached the room, 

the door seemed to be unlocked. 

We knocked, and someone in a very 

jolly voice said, “Come on in.” 

We entered the room to find a man 

wearing a red suit and a red hat with 

a sleigh bell on top of it. We soon realized 

that it was Santa himself! 

Right after we walked up to him, he 

yelled, “Go, Magic!” 

We asked why he was there and 

why he wasn’t out delivering presents. 

“Sometimes I need to watch someone 

else’s magic,” he said. 

We told Santa that we would come 

and help him so he would not be 

alone. For the rest of the night, we used 

our Orlando magic and went around 

the world delivering presents to all the 

children. Santa thanked us and wished 

us a merry Christmas. The next day, 

when I woke up, there were presents 

everywhere. 

“Santa must have known that you 

were very good this year,” my mom 

said. 

“He sure did,” I said with a grin. 



The Free Deer 

by Gracyn Eitel 

Estates at Windermere 

Lonely. That’s exactly how I felt 

when I first arrived in America, my 

new home. I wished that I could 

be celebrating Christmas back in 

Ukraine, where I was born and where 

I lived, but I knew that was impossible 

now that my home was destroyed. 

Mother said that we would start 

fresh in the U.S., but sometimes good 

things are out of reach. When I arrived 

at my new home, I was taken 

aback as I realized that we were living 

in a homeless shelter. 

“What? We have to spend 

Christmas in a shelter?” I asked, shaking 

with disappointment. 

“I’m sorry, dear, but we’re going to 

have to,” Mom said. “We don’t have 

enough American dollars to buy a 

home, and the Americans are providing 

for us here.” 

So, there I was, about to have 

Christmas at a homeless shelter. A 

homeless shelter. My body seemed to 

crumble in sadness. I lost my home, 

and now it felt like Christmas was ruined. 

I glanced over at a thicket of 

weeds resting plumply beside the 

building to see a young buck tussle as 

his antlers were wrapped around the 

weeds. He was stuck. In a way, I felt 

like that deer, bound by awful circumstances 

and not wanting to be where 

I was put. I inched my way into the 

shelter and settled in with my family. 

A couple of days passed before 

I really settled into my new home. It 

was cramped and full of little kids. But 

what really changed me was when I 

met Lola. 

Lola was a small girl. She had big, 

blue eyes and long, curly, auburn hair 

that rested at the bottom of her chest. 

I had seen her around the shelter before, 

but it was just a few days before 

Christmas when she touched me. 

“Naios?” Lola asked, saying my 

name softly. “Do you know what I 

want for Christmas?” 

“No, I don’t.” I replied. 

“I want the best Christmas cheer 

right here in this shelter,” she said. “I 




really want everyone to have the best 

Christmas ever!” 

The words “Christmas cheer” hit 

me. I had it back at my old home. I 

never tried to bring it to where I was 

living now, because I was too wound 

up in my sadness and disappointment 

to do so. 

So, I decided that the shelter would 

see the best Christmas cheer there 

ever was! I got to work immediately. 

I asked our caretakers if they could 

bring in ornaments to decorate the 

dopey Christmas tree, and they did. 

The tree became a sparkling wonder, 

but I didn’t stop there. I grabbed a 

bunch of paper from a spare room 

and put the other kids to work cutting 

out paper angels and banners for the 

tree. They had so much fun. I rounded 

up everyone to sing Christmas 

carols every night before they were 

supposed to go to bed, and, on 

Christmas Eve, the caretakers provided 

us with a bunch of food to make a 

grand dinner. 

When it was time to eat, it made 

my heart beat with pride to see the 

grins on everyone’s faces. As I was 

stuffing myself with turkey, I glanced 

out the window to see the same buck 

I had seen a while ago, silhouetted 

against the sun. He was free, and, 

somehow, I felt the same. 


My Christmas Adventure 

by Caitlin Callan 

Phillips Landing 

My family has always wanted a 

white Christmas, but there’s one problem 

— we live in Florida. It never 

snows here, so we checked out plane 

tickets, but they were too expensive. 

We decided to just stay home. 

Another Christmas with no snow. I 

needed to find a way to have a white 

Christmas. 

The day of Christmas Eve, we were 

eating a special dinner, and I could 

tell my family was feeling down. This 

was my last chance to find a way to 

have a white Christmas. After dinner, 

we watched Home Alone, then I had 

to go to bed. 

As I was lying in bed, I kept thinking 

of a white Christmas. There had 

to be a way! My eyes were feeling 

heavy when I looked out the window 

and saw a shooting star. I made a 

wish for snow and hoped I’d get super 

lucky. 

The next morning, I woke up to the 

smell of hot chocolate and the hum 

of Christmas carols. There was something 

different about today. Yes, it was 

Christmas, but it was something else. 

When I walked downstairs, I saw my 

little sister shaking all the presents. I 

rolled my eyes and walked into the 

kitchen where my parents were eating 

waffles and drinking coffee. 

When I walked in, their smiles were 

so joyful. As I grabbed a waffle, they 

asked if I had seen it yet. I had no 

idea what they were talking about. 

“Seen what?” I asked. 

Mom answered immediately, “The 

snow!” 

As I looked out the window, my 

chin dropped — snow! Later, after 

presents and having cookies and hot 

cocoa, it began to get dark. We sat 

at the table, then heard a loud noise 

coming from the woods. 

“What was that?” my sister asked. 

“I don’t know,” Dad said. “Let’s 

check it out.” 

As we started walking toward the 

woods, I saw a big star. It was so 

bright you needed sunglasses to look 

directly at it. As we walked farther 

into the woods, snow fell harder and 

harder. It was like a winter wonderland 

with snow and a few “Ho, Ho, 

Hos.” 

When we finally made it to the other 

side of the woods, we heard crying 

and talking. We walked closer and 

saw a manger. 

“Could it be,” I murmured, “the Holy 

Family?” 

I could not believe my eyes. It was 

Mary, Joseph, Jesus and all the visitors 

and animals. When I looked closer, 

there was no baby in the manger. 

Jesus must have crawled away while 

his parents weren’t looking. I had to 

find the baby and return him to his 

family, and quickly! 

I told my family, and we started 

looking. It took a while of searching, 

but we finally found Jesus. I made a 

beeline to where his family was sitting 

and started walking closer. When I 

finally got there, I said hello to Mary 

and explained what had happened. 

When I finished, she was very grateful. 

I said thank you for understanding 

and for everything, and we started 

walking back. 

Once we got back to the house, we 

sat speechless for at least a half hour. 

“That was amazing,” my sister said. 

“Yup,” I said. 

When I thought I had gone to bed, 

I was actually waking up. Had I really 

been dreaming? I guess so. 

I walked downstairs to find my family 

staring out the window. Snow! 


Ms. Linda’s Candy Shoppe 

by Jacy Chen 

Belmere 

Inspired by The Art Room run by Linda Ziglar: 

Ms. Linda’s Candy Shoppe was the 

pride and joy of the town. The children 

would go there every single day after 

school with their pennies, and sometimes 

their parents would come, as 

well, for the coffee taffy. There were 

flavors that you would see at an ice 

cream parlor. Some might seem gross 

and odd. The flavors had one thing 

in common, Ms. Linda made them all 

by hand. 

Soon, it would be Christmas, 

and during that special month of 

December, Ms. Linda would bring 

out her specials, which included her 

peppermint collection. It contained 

so many treats like edible peppermint 

ornaments, peppermint beans, peppermint 

gumdrops, peppermint snowman 

ice cream, and peppermint bark 

candy bars. She would even bring 

out her bestseller — mustard candy 

canes. They tasted funny, but the more 

you ate them, the more you craved. 

The townsfolk loved to eat them, especially 

the youngsters. 

Everyone loved that shop. It reminded 

the old of their childhoods and reminded 

the young to treasure theirs. 


A Christmas Snowstorm 

by Zakir Saferali 

Windermere 

On a dark night of winter, a boy 

named Jack went to visit his grandma 

with his mom. He was kind of nervous 

because it was the first time he had 

met his grandma, so he didn’t know 

what she would be like. Would she 

be kind, angry, grumpy or even sad? 

His mom told him that there was 

nothing to worry about, but he still 

worried. 

His grandma lived on a rural farm, 

though on the way, he did see other 

people. Jack lived in Atlanta and 

had never seen such a lifestyle with 

so many people chopping their own 

wood. He didn’t quite understand 

why, and he was a bit curious, so he 

paid close attention. 

By the time Jack arrived at his 

grandma’s home, it was all nicely 

decorated for Christmas. After a 

long car ride, he went to bed. In the 

morning, when Jack woke up, it was 

chilly. He wanted to ask his grandma 

for hot chocolate, but he couldn’t find 

her. Luckily, he checked outside and 

found her. She had just finished chopping 

wood and was starting to milk 

cows. 

Jack tried to act like she was just 

another person and asked his grandma 

why she and everyone else in the 

neighborhood had been working so 

hard. 

“There’s bad news I’ve been meaning 

to tell you,” she said. “There’s going 

to be a snowstorm on Christmas. 

It will be one of the strongest storms 

that has ever hit this part of Asheville. 

That’s why everyone is preparing so 

much.” 

Jack could not believe that he 

would have to spend Christmas inside 

during a snowstorm. Before, Jack was 

worried about meeting his grandma. 

Now, he was worried about a very 

aggressive snowstorm heading his 

way. 

For the next couple of days until 

Christmas, Jack, his grandma and 

his mom prepared for the storm. It 

was the he day of the storm, and 

Christmas had finally come. The power 

went out, and it was too cold and 

dangerous to go outside. 

Jack was a bit scared and sad. He 

had never been in a snowstorm. His 

grandma tried to cheer him up by 

teaching him card games such as Go 

Fish; War; Rummy; Slap, Slap, Jack 

and more. She even made more hot 

chocolate. Jack loved it all! He started 

to get his spirits up, especially on 

the most magical day of the year.

The storm suddenly passed, and the 

lights came back on. His mom proudly 

said, “It was a bit of Christmas 

magic.” 

Jack was enjoying the day so much, 

he wished another storm would come. 

Luckily, the fun wasn’t over yet. 

Jack helped to check on livestock 

and shovel the driveway. When he 

and his grandma finished, they went 

to sing Christmas carols at other people’s 

houses and help them recover 

from any damage caused by the 

storm. After all that work, they played 

cards and ate Christmas cookies. 

Jack felt good about this Christmas. 

He helped other people, even though 

he didn’t know them. What he thought 

was the best part of Christmas was 

that he got to go to his grandma’s 

house. Even if he was scared in the 

beginning, for the first time, he got to 

meet his grandma and bond with her. 

Ever since that year, Jack and his 

mom went to his grandma’s house 

to spend Christmas every year. That 

year, he learned that the true meaning 

of Christmas was spending time 

with your family. 


Little Star of Bethlehem 

by Ireland McAndrew 

Keene’s Pointe 

It was 1968 in the month of 

December. Snow was falling, and 

the brisk air was harshly brushing 

my face. As I walked by a wooden 

door decorated with a wreath and 

plenty of tinsel, I noticed that the 

people inside were grinning with 

pleasure. Laughter filled the room 

like a warm cup of cocoa fills your 

soul. The sight didn’t make sense to 

me. Why would people be happy? 

It was just some mindless holiday. 

The sight gave me revolting emotions, 

so I knew it was time to go to 

my own family. 

I’m Mary, a 7-year-old girl 

who lives in an apartment east of 

Bethlehem near a stable. Some 

say this was where the Messiah 

once laid his head, on the ragged 

manger that my animals eat out 

of. Supposedly, I was named after 

Jesus’ mother, Mary. My full name is 

Mariah Bethel. Bethel means house 

of God. 


Though I had never witnessed 

any miracles, I memorized the Bible 

because it was a tradition to recite 

five scriptures on Christmas day. My 

family had strong feelings about the 

astonishing love the Lord provided us 

when He sent His son to save us from 

our sins in the hope that one day, we 

would live eternal life in heaven. 

To me, that sounded like a fairy 

tale filled to the rim with candy 

canes and gumdrops. I just didn’t get 

what was so important about rejoicing 

for a bratty baby to have been 

born. I was adopted two years before, 

when I was 5, because my parents 

made disappointing decisions 

in their lives. As I was growing up, I 

never learned anything about God. 

My parents would become brutally 

harsh if they caught me doing anything 

religious. 

One day, I took my sheep to graze 

in a new pasture. Sitting there bored 

and waiting until the sheep were 

ready to come back, a light suddenly 

appeared as bright as the rising sun. 

I saw a large, winged angel calling 

my name. 

“Yes, what do you want?” I asked, 

frightened. “I do not understand who 

this is.” 

“Hi, I am Gabriel,” the angel said. 

“I was sent from the Lord to tell you 

the wonderful story of Christmas. 

Christmas is not about buttons, bows, 

tinsel and trees. It is about love and 

finding joy in little circumstances. After 

I delivered the news that Mary would 

have a baby named Jesus, she made 

a long journey to Bethlehem. Before 

they reached this place, they used 

the star of Bethlehem to guide them. 

There, she had her baby boy, not in a 

luxury house or an exemplary apartment 

but in a putrid stable containing 

a sheep, donkey, cow and horse. You 

see, Mariah, Mary and Joseph didn’t 

need an intricate plan. They just needed 

love and guidance from the Lord.” 

Later that evening, I thought about 

what the angel had said but couldn’t 

quite put into place the way he’d told 

the story. 

I put my head on my pillow, trying 

to ignore my thoughts. What if 


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Gabriel is right, and God is righteous 

and pure? Could it be possible 

that there is more meaning to this 

holiday? 

That night, I was perplexed, thinking 

about possibilities and the story 

of Christmas. Finally, I woke up 

Christmas morning with exhilaration, 

anticipation and a smile that spread 

from ear to ear. I got it! Jesus died on 

the cross for all of us and took human 

form. He made sure that we were not 

sacrificed for our sins. He was born 

on that day, so we should praise his 

name and appreciate him. Merry 

Christmas, Baby Jesus! 


A Very Special Christmas 

by Zachary Winfield 

Silver Woods 

This story begins in the small town 

of Windermere. This was many 

years ago, when the scent of orange 

groves were everywhere. A 

boy named Tom lived in a big house 

there. He had three sisters and one 

brother. 

Tom loved exploring, and he was 

a Boy Scout. Tom loved his big brother, 

and when his brother joined the 

Army, Tom was sad to see him go. 

He missed time with his brother and 

their fun adventures. 

On Christmas Eve, Tom told his mom 

he was going exploring. He stepped 

into the orange grove and vanished 

into the thick brush. It was getting 

dark and cold. He found a clearing 

with what looked to be a giant abandoned 

home. He walked inside the 

house and turned on the lights. He 

continued into the living room when 

something smooth fell on him. 

A drop of frosting landed on Tom’s 

nose. He reached up and put the 

sweet frosting to his lips. 

“Yum, this is good!” he exclaimed. 

Then, he saw a licorice red carpet 

and glass elevator. He walked 

inside and pressed a button, and the 

elevator moved. The doors opened, 

and he saw a hockey rink and football 

field. Beyond the field, he saw 

a movie theater and theme park. In 

the park was a gingerbread mummy 

roller coaster. Tom stopped for a 

ride, and then he went to the gingerbread 

rocket ride. 

As he walked around, he found a 

bedroom with a phone. He called 

his parents and told them where he 

was. He returned to explore and 

discovered an arcade game room. 

He turned and caught a glimpse of 

something that made him sad. He 

returned to the bedroom and fell 

asleep. 

After some rest, he woke up and 

felt like exploring. He walked down 

the stairs and found a kitchen. He 

made some hot chocolate with candy 

canes. He even piled a bag of 

marshmallows in the mug. 

Tom walked downstairs and found 

a room filled with 30 puppies. He 

played with all of them for about 

an hour, then he decided to return 

upstairs. He followed a trail of gumdrops 

to the elevator. There was a 

piece of paper on one button that 

read “push me.” 

The door opened to a music studio 

and another trail of gumdrops. He 

found himself inside a military room. 

When he noticed the Army cookies, 

Nurse Practitioners: 

Esther Pelissier, ARPN-BC 

Irene Gan, PMHNP 

Raykha Crag-Chaderton, PMHNP-BC 

Rachael Pittala, ARPN-BC 

Therapists: 

Michael Kellogg, LMHC, ATR-BC 

Randie Morillo, LCSW, ACSW 

Amy Singleton, LMHC 

Brooke Parker, LMHC 

Cristal Daniel, LMHC 

Rachael Pittala 

Esther Pelissier 

he choked back a tear, thinking of 

time spent with his brother. He noticed 

something was different in this 

room. There was a large cylinder in 

the middle of the room with holes on 

top and a note. 

He moved closer to read it: Hi, 

Tom. I had a feeling you would follow 

the gumdrops because you love 

adventures just like me. I built this 

place for you to enjoy. I am sorry 

I have missed time with you, but I 

want you to open this last gift. It’s 

your Christmas present. — James. 

Tom walked up to the large cylinder 

and opened the door. There in 

front of him, he could hardly believe, 

stood his brother. James was standing 

in full salute. His big brother 

gave him a smile and walked out. 

He hugged Tom so tightly Tom could 

barely breathe. He felt so happy! 

“Now, let’s go home and enjoy 

our Christmas together,” his brother 

said. 

They walked out of the gingerbread 

house and down the path 

leading home. 


Home for the Holidays 

by Lily Carnell 

Oakland Park 

Christmas has been my favorite 

holiday for as long as I can remember. 

I love the idea of putting 

up Christmas trees, baking holiday 

treats, enjoying warm fires, sipping 

hot cocoa and, above all, spending 

time with my family. It all seems so 

picture-perfect, right? Well, it was 

until I went away to college. 

It was my first year at UC Berkeley, 

and I absolutely loved it there — except 

for the fact that my family was 

all the way back in Florida, and it 

was way too expensive to fly back 

home for Christmas. I had been 

so slammed with schoolwork and 

end-of-semester exams I had hardly 

been back to my apartment let 

alone decorated it. I had just been 

crashing in my friend’s dorm, counting 

down the days until Dec. 16, 

2022, when break began. 

Finally, after eight all-nighters, 

barely one meal a day, and six 

A’s on my exams, they were over! 

I stopped by a Starbucks and 

celebrated with a few friends before 

returning to my apartment. 

Thankfully, the drive wasn’t too 

long, but in my old, worn car, it 

would probably take a little longer 

than expected. It was so freeing 

blasting Christmas music with all the 

windows down. 

I pulled into the parking lot just 

to see another car in my spot. This 

happened so often, and it drove me 

crazy, but I wasn’t going to let that 

ruin my mood. The car, an all black 

BMW x5, had been my dream car 

for as long as I could remember. I 

was struggling to find my keys in 

my bag when, all of the sudden, I 

heard a noise in my apartment. It 

couldn’t be my dog because he was 

at the pound. 

The lock clicked, and the door 

slowly started to open. Standing in 

the doorway was my mom, dad, sister 

and my dog. 

“Surprise!” They all screamed. 

“Oh, my god!” I said. “What are 

you guys doing here?” 

“We wanted to surprise you and 

spend Christmas together,” Mom 

said. 

They gave me the biggest hugs 

and showed me my beautifully 

decorated apartment. The fireplace 

was going, there were freshly 

baked treats, and the smell of the 

pine Christmas tree was spread 

throughout the apartment. 

“We have one more surprise for 

you,” my dad said. 

They led me down the stairs to 

right in front of the brand-new BMW 

that was parked in my spot. 

“It’s all yours,” Dad said. “We are 

so proud of how far you’ve come.” 

I immediately started crying and 

threw my arms around my parents. 

“Thank you so much, for everything!” 

I said. 

This went from being my worst 

Christmas to my best Christmas 

ever! 

The staff of the Southwest Orlando Bulletin extends 

special thanks to everyone who participated in the 

31st annual holiday short-story contest. 

Editor’s note: Entries may have been edited for 

grammar, punctuation, length and content. To honor 

as many holiday short stories as possible, School 

News, In Your Neighborhood and Southwest 

Sports do not appear in this issue. ª

Q Four new homeowners 

move into Criswell Court 

West Orange Habitat for 

Humanity held home dedication 

ceremonies for four new homeowners 

at Criswell Court in Winter 

Garden. Congratulations to 

Christina, Danykqua, Shannon 

and Tiffany. 

West Orange Habitat, working 

in close cooperation with the city of 

Winter Garden, is addressing the 

need for affordable housing in the 

community located in east Winter 

Garden. This partnership provides 

the opportunity for low-income families 

to purchase their first homes. 

WOHFH oversees the construction 

of the single-family residences, using 

sustainable materials and environmentally 

friendly building and 

landscaping practices. In addition 

to its existing stalwart partners and 

volunteers, WOHFH seeks strategic 

relationships with other interested 

corporations, churches and community 

organizations to help expand 

its volunteer and material resources, 

and hence its reach and impact for 

good. 

For more information, call 407- 

809-4411 or visit www.westorange 

habitat.org. 

Q DeVos Family Foundation 

recognizes seven local 

nonprofits 

As part of its 30 Grants for 30 

Years Initiative, the DeVos family announced 

seven additional nonprofit 

honorees in the Central Florida community. 

Each organization will receive 

funding from the DeVos Family 

Foundation and were recognized 

at a Orlando Magic game. Future 

recipients will be announced early 

next year and recognized throughout 

the remainder of the 2022-23 

season. 

Nonprofit honorees include 

New Hope for Kids ($30,000), 

Junior Achievement of Central 

Florida ($30,000), Every 

Kid Outreach ($30,000), One- 

Pulse Foundation annual Legacy 

Scholarships ($100,000), Big 

Brothers Big Sisters of Central 

Florida ($30,000), A Gift for 

Teaching ($30,000), and Orlan 

do After-School All-Stars 

($30,000). 

For more information, visit www. 

nba.com/magic/community/ 

devos-family-foundation. 

Q Orlando kicks off holiday 

season with Jack Kazanzas 

Star 

Orlando officials upheld a holiday 

tradition last month with the raising 

of the Jack Kazanzas Star 50 feet 

above the intersection of Orange 

Avenue and Central Boulevard. 

City staff transported the symbol 

on a trailer to the location, where it 

was assembled at the intersection. 

The star was raised and secured in 

place with the assistance of Orlando 

Utilities Commission using lifting 

equipment, bucket trucks and cranes. 

The more than 50-year tradition 

of raising the 600-pound golden 

star began in the 1950s when two 

competing department stores — 

Ivey’s on the east and Dickson & 

Ives on the west of Orange Avenue 

— joined together in 1955 to hang 

the Christmas star between the two. 


NEWS & BUSINESS BRIEFS 

compiled by Lauren Salinero 

In 1984, after the department stores 

closed, Jack Kazanzas, a lifelong 

resident of Orlando, led a campaign 

to raise funds to replace the original 

Christmas star that had fallen into 

disrepair. In 2010, the city rewired 

the star, which is now made up of 

more than 4,000 LED lights. Today, 

the decoration symbolizes the start 

of the holiday season in downtown 

Orlando. 

BUSINESS BRIEFS 

West Orange Chamber of 

Commerce representatives held 

a ribbon-cutting ceremony for 

Lendersone Powered by Family First 

Funding. WOCC builds partnerships, 

strong businesses and commitment 

to the community by serving 

as the leading business advocate in 

Central Florida, facilitating opportunity 

to nearly 1,000 member businesses. 

For more information about 

WOCC, call 407-656-1304 or visit 

wochamber.com. 

Orlando Health received approval 

from Florida’s Agency for 

Health Care Administration to provide 

acute hospital-level care in adult 

patients’ homes. Orlando Health 

Hospital Care at Home launches in 

February 2023. The program will be 

available to Orlando Health patients 

who meet specific clinical criteria determined 

by emergency department 

and hospital staff. Medical conditions 

that can be cared for safely in 

a home-based program include cellulitis, 

chronic obstructive pulmonary 

disease (COPD), asthma, urinary 

tract infection (UTI), heart failure, 

COVID-19, pneumonia and gastroenteritis. 

For more information, visit 

www.orlandohealth.com. ª 

photo courtesy of WOCC 

West Orange Chamber of Commerce ambassadors celebrate the opening of 

Lendersone Powered by Family First Funding.


n Holiday Happenings 

Through Dec. 23 — The Office Party 

Musical Extravaganza Show Performances 

Renaissance Theatre Company presents performances of 

The Office Party Musical Extravaganza Show at The Ren, 

415 E. Princeton St., Orlando, on select nights. Cost: 

$30. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit 

www.rentheatre.com. 

Through Jan. 1 — Night Of A Million 

Lights 

Island H2O Water Park, 3230 Inspiration Drive, 

Kissimmee, hosts Night of a Million Lights, including family 

activities, live entertainment, festive food and beverages 

available for purchase, DJ Jack Frost’s Ice Block Party, a 

life-sized snow globe, winter wonderland with millions of 

lights, and more. Time: 6-10 p.m. or 6-11 p.m. nightly. 

Ticket prices start at $30 for adults and $15 for kids 3-17, 

with proceeds benefiting Give Kids The World Village. 

Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or 

guardian. For more information, visit www.gktw.org/lights. 

Through Jan. 1 — Dazzling Lights 

Harry P. Leu Gardens, 1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando, 

presents the third annual Dazzling Lights, a family-friendly 

event that gives guests the opportunity to embark on a 

three-quarter-mile, interactive holiday experience. Activities 

include a million lights, meet-and-greet characters in the Ice 

Castle, a yeti play area for children, 40-foot-diameter snow 

dome with swirling snow, and more. This year, guests choose 

their own adventure. Timed entry takes place from 5:30-9 

p.m. Cost: $55 for premium tickets that include access to 

an outdoor lounge, $25 for adults, $22 for children 3-13. 

On-site parking is available for a small fee. For more information 

or to purchase tickets, visit www.dazzlingorlando.com. 

Dec. 18 — Blue Christmas Worship 

Service 

The Sanctuary at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 4851 

S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando, hosts the Blue Christmas 

Worship Service, a time of reflection, hope and healing for 

anyone who has experienced a loss, whether a loved one, 

job, divorce, etc. Time: 4:30 p.m. For more information, 

visit www.st.lukes.org/bluechristmas or www.st.lukes.org. 

Dec. 18 — Chanukah Grand Community 

Festival 

Chabad of South Orlando, 7347 W. Sand Lake Road, 

Orlando, hosts the Chanukah Grand Community Festival, 

including activities, music and fun for adults and children; a 

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD 

compiled by Lisa Sagers 

stunt show by the BMX Trickstars; a live a cappella musical performance 

by Six13; the lighting of the grand menorah; raffles 

and more. Time: 4 p.m. Admission is free; however, food and 

trinkets are sold. For more information, call 407-354-3660. 

Dec. 23 & 24 — Christmas Worship 

Services 

St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, 4851 S. Apopka- 

Vineland Road, Orlando, offers a variety of Christmas 

worship services at select times. For more information, 

visit www.st.lukes.org/christmaseve. 

Dec. 25 — Chanukah Grand Car Menorah 

Parade 

On the eighth night of Hanukkah, Chabad of South 

Orlando hosts the Chanukah Grand Car Menorah Parade, 

beginning at the Chabad Center of Jewish life, 7347 

W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando, and ending at Icon Park, 

8375 International Drive, Orlando. The parade has a 

police escort, music, lights and more, and the first 100 

to register for the event ride The Wheel for free. Time: 

5:45 p.m. sharp. For more information or to register, 

visit www.jewishorlando.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/ 

aid/2057310/jewish/menorah-parade.htm. 

n Miscellaneous 

Jan. 3 — Submission Deadline 

In celebration of Black History Month, the city of Orlando 

seeks local visual artists to display their artwork in the 

Terrace Gallery at Orlando City Hall from Feb. 3-April 30. 

Artwork must be submitted to the Office of Multicultural 

Affairs at luis.martinez@orlando.gov by Jan. 3, 2023. Info 

should include artist biography or résumé; descriptions 

of each piece of artwork; and each submission must be 

labeled with name of artist, art title, year created, measurements 

and medium. Selected artists are notified via email. 

All selected 2-D art must be wall-ready with D rings or wire. 

For more information, email luis.martinez@orlando.gov. 

n Networking/Clubs 

Ongoing — Members Wanted 

The West Orange Women seeks women of all ages to 

join its group for fun, friendship and philanthropy. Annual 

dues are $20. For more information, call Mary Borgan, 

407-929-3030; or visit www.westorangewomen.com. 

Dec. 20, 27, Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 — 

Virtual Toastmasters Meetings 

Windermere Toastmasters Club No. 4662754 

holds Zoom meetings. Attendees learn to develop 

their oral communication and leadership skills in 

a supportive and positive learning environment. 

Time: Tuesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. For more information 

or to request online Zoom meeting details, visit 

www.4662754.toastmastersclubs.org and click 

“Contact Us.” 

Dec. 21, 28, Jan. 4, 11, 18 & 25 — 


The Turnpike Toastmasters Club holds Zoom meetings. 

Time: Wednesdays from noon-1 p.m. For more 

information or to register for a virtual meeting, visit 

2362.toastmastersclubs.org and click “Contact Us” at 

least one day before the event. 

Dec. 22, 29, Jan. 5, 12, 19 & 26 — 


The Vista Toastmasters Club holds Zoom meetings. 

Time: Thursdays from 7-8:30 p.m. For more information, 

email vistatoastmasters.zoom@gmail.com or visit 

www.vistatoastmasters.org. 

Dec. 22, Jan. 12 & 26 — Thursday 

Networking Group Meetings 

West Orange Chamber of Commerce’s Thursday 

Networking Group meets at the Dr. P. Phillips YMCA 

Family Center, 7000 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando. Time: 

second and fourth Thursday of each month from 8:30- 

9:30 a.m. For more information, email Jim Zeitschel, 

jim.zeitschel@primelending.com. 

n Support Group 

Jan. 15 — GriefShare: Loss Of A 

Spouse/Partner 

The Barnes Learning Center, Room 210 (second floor 

of Founder’s Hall, adjacent to Building C), at St. Luke’s 

United Methodist Church, 4851 S. Apopka-Vineland 

Road, Orlando, hosts GriefShare: Loss of a Spouse/ 

Partner, a one-time free program that’s open to anyone 

who is grieving the loss of a spouse/partner no matter 

how long ago the loss occurred. Time: 2-4 p.m. To 

register, visit st.lukes.org/griefsharespouse. For more 

information, call 407-876-4991, ext. 262; or email 

care@st.lukes.org. 

n Volunteer 

Opportunities 

Ongoing — Virtual Volunteers Needed 

RSVP seeks volunteers to help make masks for Cornerstone 

Hospice & Palliative Care. For more information or if 

interested, call Tyler VanBuren, 630-335-3084; or email 

tvanburen@vcifl.org. 

Ongoing — Volunteers Needed 

The Foster Grandparent Program seeks limited-income 

volunteers 55-older to join in helping children in schools 

all around Central Florida. For more information, call 

407-298-4180 or visit volunteersforcommunityimpact.org/ 

wp-content/uploads/2020/01/FGP-Info-Flyer-1- 

13-20.pdf. 

Ongoing — Pet Foster Homes Needed 

As part of its Pet Peace of Mind program, Cornerstone 

Hospice seeks foster homes for pets left behind after their 

owners pass away. For more information or to receive 

an application to foster, email ppom@cshospice.org. 

For more information about hospice volunteer opportunities, 

call Sharon Smith, 404-290-1583; or email 

ssmith@vcifl.org. 

Ongoing — Volunteers/Docents Needed 

Oakland Nature Preserve, 747 Machete Trail, Oakland, 

seeks adults interested in learning about the history, 

wildlife, plants and restoration efforts at ONP to volunteer 

at the preserve to greet visitors, help answer 

questions and lead a tour from time to time. Workdays 

are Mondays and/or Saturdays. For more information, 

email outreach@oaklandnaturepreserve.org or visit 

www.oaklandnaturepreserve.org/guide. To register 

online, visit oaklandnaturepreserve.org. 

Ongoing — Volunteer Veterans Needed 

Cornerstone Hospice seeks volunteers who are veterans 

of America’s armed forces to honor patients who 

are veterans by visiting them in their homes, a facility 

or a hospital. Cornerstone Hospice is a four-star 

level member of the We Honor Veterans program, a 

national initiative to provide veterans in hospice care 

with specialized services. All volunteers must participate 

in mandatory training that includes an overview 

of what is hospice care and how volunteers play an 

important role in caring for patients. For more information, 

call Olivia Davidson, 407-206-5060; or email 

odavidso@cshospice.org. 


The Mustard Seed of Central Florida, 12 Mustard Seed 

Lane, Orlando, seeks volunteers who can help with donation 

sorting, mattress recycling, warehouse maintenance, 

administrative work, special events or general maintenance. 

For more information, call 407-875-2040, ext. 

110; or email jessi@mustardseedfla.org. 


The town of Oakland seeks volunteers to assist in 

various fun and fulfilling roles at The Healthy West 

Orange Arts and Heritage Center. Applicants must 

consent to a criminal background check. For more 

information, call Pamela Stewart, 407-656-1117, 

ext. 2112; email arts&heritage@oaklandfl.gov; or 

visit bit.ly/artsandheritagecenter. 


My Brother’s Keeper seeks volunteers — especially adult 

men (18-older) of color — who can serve as positive role 

models and mentor boys and young men of color. For 

more information, email Grace, gdearden@vcifl.org, at 

Volunteers for Community Impact. 

Contributions to Community Bulletin Board are 

welcome. Please send information six weeks 

before the event to P.O. Box 851, Windermere, 

FL 34787; call 407-351-1573, option 5; or email 

Lisa@kearneypublishing.com. ª

SUNSETWALK.COM 

DECEMBER 31 

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121522_SW_Stories of the Season _DIGITAL EDITION

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