The Excalibur Times - Excalibur Christian School

The Excalibur
Times
Christmas Classic Returns to Fantasy Playhouse
By Julia Zeigler
Volume III, issue 1
MERRY
CHRISTMAS!
Inside this issue:
Christmas and pets
3
Excalibur Ice
Skating party
Squires soccer
8
Staying active in 10
the winter months
A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens, has returned to the
Von Braun Center Fantasy Playhouse for the Christmas season.
“The script, adapted by Deborah Fleischman and Vivienne Atkins,
really captures the sprit of the story that Charles Dickens would be
proud of,” said Sarah Mitchell who is portraying Belle, the very independent minded young woman who is to marry young Ebenezer
Scrooge.
This production has become a tradition for many of the Fantasy
Family. Each year, even though the story line remains the same, the
directors add their own touches, creating a classic production that can
be enjoyed year after year.
Stephen Kirby ,who is portraying the lead urchin Bobby, said “This
show brings out the Christmas sprit in everyone!”
This show will be at the Fantasy Playhouse form Friday, December
th
6 through Sunday, December 15th. Tickets are on sale on the Fantasy
Playhouse website, www.letthemagicbegin.org or can be purchased an
hour before any show at the Playhouse. Mitchell finished with this
statement. “Seeing this show with your friends and family is a great
way to get in the swing of the Christmas season!
Science Olympiad 11
Editorial: Home
school Myth
Busting
13
CS Lewis
12
Editorial: Home
school Myth
Busting
13
Page 2
The Excalibur Times
Lighting of the Soldier Tree
By Abby Lankford
Rosie's International Services are in need of Christmas Ornaments and Cards in honoring our Military Soldiers. Two Christmas trees will be decorated this year.
Ornaments and arts will be collected up till November 20th. The Christmas trees will be displayed at the
Huntsville Public Library, December 6th to January 5th..
The goal is to collect 300 ornaments. Last year over 200 ornaments were collected. The tree will be light
by military soldiers at the Huntsville Public Library in the Auditorium at 3:30-4:30.
Students can display arts, crafts, Christmas ornaments, digital photos, sculptures, ceramics, and other family friendly arts. Arts can be set up from 2:00-3:00.If students would like to display artwork , please let Rosie
Douglas know. It will be displayed at the Library viewed by the community.
Rosie's International Services will not be responsible for damaged or stolen artwork. They will do our best
to make sure your artwork is secured.
There will be free food and refreshments. If you have a dish you would like to bring, please let Mrs.
Douglas know.
Thanks to all the schools that participated last year. Military families and the Public Invited. Thank you so
much for your support and hope to see you there.
Contact Rosie if you would like to bring artwork, ornaments, and dishes. You may contact her at 256-4298039.
The Excalibur Times
Page 3
Excalibur Ice
Skating Party
December 13th
12-2:30 pm
Excalibur's Christmas ice skating party is back. It will be December 13th at 12-3:20p.m. It will be held
again at the Ice Complex on Leeman Ferry Rd.
It cost seven dollars per skater whether you bring your own skates or not. The room cost per family is
five dollars and should be sent by December 11th.
Please bring food to share! Hot chocolate and paper products will be provided.
Finger foods and desserts, food were no utensils are needs and are crumb-less. No chips of any kinds
please.
Finger sandwiches, veggie trays, pizza, cookies, and candy are some foods preferred. The mess must be
kept to a minimum in order to preserve a good reputation with the skating rink.
Please RSVP by December 11th.You can give your money in advance to Mrs. Jan Bailey, either in person or mail the money to 807 Candon Circle, Huntsville, AL 35802
Page 4
The Excalibur Times
Reece’s
Rainbow:
Christmas
Warrior
By Phoebe
Goerling
Reece’s
Rainbow is an advocate organization for international orphans with special needs. It all started back in 2004,
when the director/founder, Andrea Roberts, had a son with Down syndrome. At first, she and her husband
were devastated. But after going through some programs, they realized that God has given their son, Reece, to
them and them to him. Their organization first started when she went back to the hospital to help other women
who had given birth to babies with Down syndrome. In 2006 they decided to advocate for international orphans with special needs.
The Angel Tree program started with the idea of just hanging up ornaments with kid’s pictures on them.
But it grew to where people tried to raise money for a kid within a few months. In 2012, people raised over
$300,000 dollars in November and December. Director/founder Andrea Roberts says, “I love it. All of our
donors and advocates look forward to it every year.”
For more information about Reece’s Rainbow, or if you would like to become a Christmas Warrior, go to
www.recce’srainbow.org/angeltree2013.
The Many Holidays
By Joel Kennedy
“Jesus is the reason for the season” is a popular term around the holiday season due to the overwhelmingly
large amount of people who celebrate Christmas. However Christ’s birthday isn’t the only event observed in
the month of December. Many other holidays take place in this season such as Hanukkah; the Jewish day
celebrates a military victory and the rededication of the holy temple in Jerusalem during the 2nd century
BCE. During this eight-day festival of lights, a special candelabrum, called a hanukiah, is used and a new
candle is lit on the evening of each of those days.
Another notable holiday is Kwanzaa, which is an African American celebration of family, community, and
culture. Its focus is primarily on unity, purpose, faith, creativity, collective work and responsibility, selfdetermination, and cooperative economics.
And finally the Winter Solstice; This holiday marks the shortest day of the year in terms of daylight hours
which occurs on December 22nd. This particular celebration was taken from pagan rituals as well as all the
fun things about Christmas”—gifts, lights, feasts, etc.—were taken from pagan origins.
These are just a few of the celebrations taking place this holiday season, but no matter which one you
choose to observe, they all have a common purpose: to bring us all together.
The Excalibur Times
Page 5
At the Movies with Sampley Barinaga
2013 has been a huge year for movies and the incredible films will continue throughout December.
The movies that I will share with you will be highlights of December and possibly of the year, from narrative
driven dramas to comedies that will explode your laughing box.
Russell Baze (Christian Bale) has a rough life: he works a dead-end blue collar job at the local steel
mill by day, and cares for his terminally ill father by night.
When Russell's brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) returns home from serving time in Iraq, he gets lured
into one of the most ruthless crime rings in the Northeast and mysteriously disappears.
The police fail to crack the case, so - with nothing left to lose - Russell takes matters into his own
hands, putting his life on the line to seek justice for his brother. Out of the Furnace is a rated R thriller that
will be released on December 6th.
The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins
(Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellan) and thirteen Dwarves, led by
Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.
This is part two of the hobbit trilogy and is a prequel to the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy. This movie
will be rated pg-13and will enter theaters on December 13th, and will also feature IMAX and 3D screenings.
The fantasy movie will most certainly entertain you, just like the predecessors.
On December 20th a sequel to one of the best comedy movie of all, Anchorman 2: the Legend Continues, (PG-13), will bring people crawling in theaters across the world to watch Ron Burgundy and the rest of
the gang brings on another adventure.
With the ’70s behind him, San Diego’s top rated newsman, Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell), returns to the
news desk in Anchorman 2: the Legend Continues. Also back for more are Ron’s co-anchor and wife,
Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate), weather man Brick Tamland (Steve Carell), man on the street
Brian Fantana (Paul Rudd) and sports guy Champ Kind (David Koechner) — all of whom won’t make it easy
to stay classy … while taking New York’s first 24-hour news channel by storm.
Story continues on page 19
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The Excalibur Times
Santa Paws is Coming to
Town
By Olivia Wilkes
Furry feet tread about joyfully in the snow, leaving little
paw prints. Curious, wet noses wrinkle at the enticing
smell of roasting turkey and baking gingerbread. Ears
prick at the sound of jingle bells and yuletide carols. Yelps
and purrs of excitement over the approaching holidays are
heard. Tails wag in anticipation of Christmas morning and
the surprises it brings.
The Christmas season is here, and humans aren’t the only
ones excited about the holidays; pet-owning families
everywhere are not about to forget to include their animals
in the yuletide festivities.
Now more than ever before in our nation, pets are looking forward to Christmas morning just as much as any
human. Their owners extend the holiday celebrations to
their furry friends in every way, from wintry activities to
festive apparel, even gift giving on Christmas morning.
Cats, dogs, and many other animals partake in the Christmas spirit as much as any other member of the
family.
One such pet is Sadie, Excalibur third grader Emory Waye’s Toy Poodle puppy. This will be Sadie’s first
Christmas, and it promises to be a special one. When the Wayes travel to Tennessee to see family for the
holidays, Sadie will go along too.
“I am very excited to have a dog this Christmas!” says Waye, “Now that she is a part of my family every
day is so much more fun and I think Christmas will be too.”
In addition to getting to tag along on the family trip, Sadie will also find both toys and treats in her stocking
Christmas morning.
Bette Katz, owner of pet grooming shop JESSICA’S in Madison, has already purchased gifts for her six
dogs. Plus, the groomer has something else special planned for her pets Christmas morning.
“They get new toys, they get a bag of different treats for them to eat for the day, and then they get a special
breakfast and a special dinner,” Katz says.
These privileged pups aren’t the only animals that will receive presents this year. Many families’ pets will
find gifts waiting for them under the tree or in a stocking hanging by the fire. In fact, Americans spend
approximately 5 billion dollars each year on Christmas presents for their pets, out of the 50 billion spent
annually on pets by U.S. citizens. Pet businesses are now seeing increased holiday sales trends no less than
those companies that retail products and goods for people.
JESSICA’S is no different. Katz gets more business at her small shop as Christmas nears, and she starts
carrying more holiday-related items.
Katz says that not only she herself, but also all of her customers are generous with their pets at Christmas.
The Excalibur Times
Page 7
“I don’t really have any customers that don’t do something special for
their dogs and cats on Christmas,” Katz says.
One such customer of Katz’s, Beverly Baker, who is also an Excalibur
mom, loves pampering her pets just so. Her two dogs, Sadie and Muffin Man, are treated to both gifts and a special Christmas breakfast.
“Their stocking this year has blue and white toys in it like a stuffed
snowman, stuffed penguin, two squeaky bones, two balls, and a tug-ofwar rope,” Baker says.
Customers buy everything from $2 cat toys, to $30 treat gift packs, to
$100 memory foam pet beds. Some owners may take it a bit over the top with $400 faux fur designer dog
coats or even $1,900 diamond-studded gold collar charms. And only a very few most estimable pets will receive such a gift as the diamond-bearing Amour, Amour dog collar dubbed the most expensive dog collar in
the world, retailing for an astonishing 3.2 million dollars.
Since the average family pet will never wear such an expensive collar, it’s a good thing that pets probably
aren’t going to notice whether or not their feed dish is engraved in gold. Still, many do seem to enjoy the holidays.
“My dogs are very excited every Christmas morning!” Baker says. “Their most favorite part is getting their
stuffed animals out of the stocking and ripping all the stuffing out.”
Excalibur sixth grader Riley Watson’s Great Pyrenees and English Setter mix, Lady, has a merry Christmas,
too. She receives treats, bones, and sometimes toys as gifts, but her family also adds a unique touch to her
presents.
“We wrap her treats so she can unwrap them herself,” Watson says.
Pet-owners don’t limit their holiday pet pampering to gift giving. The furry members of the family are included in Christmas activities as well. Many dog owners take their canines to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens Galaxy of Lights, Walk Your Dog Nights, hosted on November 18 and 25 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. both
nights. Watson is one such dog owner who hopes to take Lady to this event.
Other pet-lovers take their animals to see Santa Claus and get their pet’s picture taken with Saint Nick. Santa travels all over Alabama for just such photo shoots, and will be at both the University Drive and Jones Valley Petsmart stores this year. This Santa Claws Photo Event will take place December 7 and 14 from 11 a.m.
– 4 p.m. at both Huntsville stores.
Pam Berzett’s pets are a little too big to go for a walk in the park or sit in Santa’s lap. She and her husband
own ten horses and a miniature mule. Instead of the Galaxy of Lights or pictures with Santa, then, she rides
her horses in several Christmas parades every year.
Berzett is a member of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Posse. Along with another dozen or so mounted representatives of the Posse, Berzett is planning on riding in five city parades this year. These five are the Decatur
Christmas parade on December 2, the Eva, Priceville, and Somerville parades, all on December 7, and the
Hartselle parade on December 12.
Berzett will trailer either her palomino Tennessee Walking Horse, Rocket, or her American Quarter Horse,
Ace, to the Christmas parades. As representatives of the Sheriff’s Posse, Berzett and the other riders don’t
want to dress up their horses too much, but they can get by with a little glitter on their mounts’ manes, rumps,
and hooves.
Other animal owners enjoy donning their pets with festive apparel for the holidays as well.
Story continues on page 17
Page 8
The Excalibur Times
Character on the Field:
2013 Squires 1 Soccer Team Brings
Sportsmanship to the Game
By Olivia Wilkes
While the 2013 Excalibur Squires 1 soccer
team may not have had their absolute best season this year, they brought something to the
game better even than gold or silver or bronze.
They brought sportsmanship, gameness, and
character.
Harold Quinn, coach of the 2013 Squires 1
says that this year’s team had the best
Photo by John Wilkes
sportsmanship of any of the teams he has coached within the last few years.
“At each game, and without my direction, they would shake opposing teams’ hands and shake the hand of
our referees,” says Quinn. “They accepted the calls made by referees.”
With four wins and four losses during the regular season, the Squires 12-player team had their share of both
successes and disappointments. They won one tournament game and ended the season with the fourth place.
One team member of the Squires 1, Andrew Wilkes, says, “I thank God for the games we won. It took a lot
of teamwork to win and our coach did a tremendous job at coaching us.”
“While I was disappointed with our losses, I just tried to think about how I could improve,” he says.
The Squires certainly had some tough games to test their sportsmanship this year. The October 3 game
between the Excalibur Squires 1 and the Holy Family team of the same division was especially trying with
the scoreboard reading 11-0, Holy Family on top at the end of the night. Even during such a discouraging
event as this, the Squires team members gave it their all. They never gave up the fight, even down to the last
minute of the game. It’s takes courage to stand up to another team whom you know to have more skill than
yourself, especially when they know it too. Holy Family may have come away with the win, but the Squires
received the true honor that night.
Wilkes says that the most important qualities for a soccer player to have are, “Good sportsmanship and the
ability to work as a team.”
Character of this kind does not go unnoticed.
Quinn received many compliments from people, even those representing opposing teams, throughout the
season on the Squires’ exceptional sportsmanship.
“I heard complements from referees, at least one coach, and reports from parents that had talked to parents
on other teams regarding good sportsmanship,” says Quinn. “They expressed their appreciation that our players let the referees call the game without argument and I heard compliments on how courteous our players
were.”
So even though according to the scoreboard the Squires 1 may have had only an average game season, considering sportsmanship and strength of character, the Squires had one of the most winning seasons of all.
Page 9
Santa Hat Cupcake
Instead of placing ornaments on a tree, why not make a tree
out of ornaments? This clever, adorable craft, courtesy of
Amy from Into Vintage, makes great use of clearance-sale
ornaments and an old window screen.
Made from recycled holiday
cards and construction paper,
and filled with treats, a coneshaped package will impress
loved ones.
To create, draw an arc onto a
corner of construction paper or
card using a compass opened
up as wide as it can go. Using a
pair of pinking shears, cut inside the line. Roll the paper
into a cone and staple; reinforce with tape along the inside seam. To decorate a plain
paper cone, draw an oval (we used a stencil from an artsupply store) around a chosen image from a greeting card,
and cut just inside the line with pinking shears. Glue the cutout to the front of the cone. Punch a hole on both sides of the
cone, thread a ribbon through, and knot the ends.
Making a Santa hat cupcake is
very easy. After you frost your cupcake with white frosting, take some
red frosting and cover a sugar cone
to make it look red and place the
sugar cone upside down and add a
mini marshmallow on top. Next,
place the frosting sugar cone on top
of the cupcake and you will have a
Santa hat cupcake.
Ph
Page 10
The Excalibur Times
Staying active in the winter months
By Raven Hill
How many times have you walked outside during the winter, been hit by the bitterly cold air, and
decided you wanted to just stay inside and wrap yourself in a burrito of blankets? I'm willing to bet that
the last thing you wanted to do was go out and run or walk, or do any kind of physical activity. All of us
have been there, but there's lots of tricks to stay warm and keep yourself motivated.
Sixteen local runners have shared their personal ways to get going in the chilly air. “Friends help,”
Kathy Youngren advises, “also setting a goal for the spring, so it can motivate you to keep training through
the winter.”
“Find a running partner with common interests and goals.” one runner suggested.
Running with a partner not only makes the activity more fun, it's also safer, especially if you're running at
night. And if you're running at night- make sure to wear reflective clothing and a blinking light. A headlamp
is also a smart investment. A headlamp can mean the difference between NOT seeing a crack in the sidewalk and tripping and seeing the crack and avoiding it and an injury. These items can be purchased at any
sporting goods store.
“With running, the key is to dress strategically,” Lisa Hall informs. “And get through the first cold
mile. Dressing in layers with dry-wicking fabric is important. Ears and hands should be covered, too!”
Moisture wicking fabric is essential to runners. It keeps moisture off of you, preventing uncomfortable
chaffing. This type of clothing can also be purchased at any sporting goods stores.
One runner said, “GLOVES! For some reason having frozen hands can really make or break a run for
me.”
There are some runners and people out there who absolutely despise the cold. If you're one of
those people, there's lots of options for you!
“Swimming is a year round sport. Indoor spin classes are very good also for carrying cycling fitness
through the coldest months. Running is okay till temperatures drop to the mid 20s which typically doesn't
happen that much.” Eric Broyles offers.
If your family has a gym membership, going to the gym is a great way to stay active. You're inside
and you stay warm! There's lots of options, just as Broyles said. The indoor swimming pool is a good way
to work out your whole body. If you want to keep up with running or walking, the treadmill will become
your best friend. Spin classes, rowing machines, weights. Everything in a gym can be useful in staying
active. If you're family does not have a gym membership, that's okay! Some local gyms will let nonmembers have full access to the gym for a whole day for a small fee.
If you really need some motivation and something fun to do, there's several holiday themed races
happening just about every week. Information about these races can be found at fleetfeethuntsville.com.
So there you have it! There's so many options for everyone. I know the idea of being active and
running and exercising during the winter sounds completely dreadful, but I promise, the satisfaction is
worth it!
The Excalibur Times
Page 11
UA-Huntsville to host Science Olympiad in February
By Noah Haynes
As the year begins to come to a close, and the time for school to be put on pause, a different type of
studying begins. The studying for the Science Olympiad held at UA-Huntsville. Students from 3rd to 12th
grade can create a team and compete at this event. The teams will be required to work together to answer
questions on anything from insects to storms or build anything from helicopters to robots.
This gathering, which holds original events such as Shock Value, where students will compete in
activities involving basic understanding of electricity, magnetism and simple electrical machines, Sounds
of Music, where students are required to build two instrument and perform two melodies, and so much
more.
The Science Olympiad, motivates children to study or learn in foreign areas or demonstrate their skill in
familiar areas. All in all, it’s a great thing to participate in.
Interested?
10-12th graders please contact Sam Ortega (homeschool dad) at [email protected]
6-9th graders please contact Sharon Hurt (homeschool mom) at [email protected]
3-5th graders please contact Ranny Maurer (homeschool mom) at [email protected]
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The Excalibur Times
A Heart like a Lion: CS Lewis
By James Haynes
On Nov. 22, 1963, Christian author and scholar C. S. Lewis died, just a few days before his 65th
birthday on Nov. 29. Fifty years later, the Irish-born Lewis’ legacy lives on in the work of writers, philosophers, and teachers worldwide, for his contributions to scholarship and culture. Lewis’ influence has extended to and made an indelible mark on pastors in Cullman County today.
Clive Staples Lewis was a versatile writer, as he penned works in the fields of literary criticism,
apologetics, and fantasy literature. His fictional works, especially the children’s book series The Chronicles
of Narnia, have captivated both children and adults alike, and his Christian apologetic works such as Mere
Christianity have impacted both Christians and skeptics.
Andrew Siegenthaler has been the pastor of Christ Covenant Presbyterian Church in Cullman for the
past 17 years. Siegenthaler said that for pastors, Lewis is a familiar resource.
“I find him very, very frequently [referenced] in either sermons that I listen to or things that I read of
people that I admire,” Siegenthaler said. “He had a gift, obviously, for stating fundamental Christian doctrines in a way that grabs people’s attention…he’s very quotable.”
Siegenthaler said that books by Lewis that have impacted his work include Mere Christianity, The
Great Divorce, and the lecture “The Weight of Glory”.
Lewis’ Mere Christianity is one apologetic work that has broad appeal. The book grew out of the
transcripts from Lewis’ popular wartime radio talks, which aired on BBC in the 1940s. In the talks and the
following book, Lewis strove to present basic Christian beliefs and answer common objections without either delving too much into finer doctrinal points or watering down core Christian tenets.
“So he makes you ponder the big questions and the big doctrines of the Christian faith, and doesn’t
pigeonhole himself into one particular denomination or tradition,” Siegenthaler said.
In addition to his non-fiction works, Lewis has been remembered for his works of fantasy, in
particular The Chronicles of Narnia series. Perhaps the best-known of the seven-book series is The Lion, the
Witch, and The Wardrobe, which has been made into a movie in recent years.
Father Bob Blackwell is a minister of thirty years, pastoring churches in Alabama and Damascus,
Syria. He is now the rector of Grace Episcopal Church in Cullman. Fr. Blackwell said he was first
introduced to Lewis’ work by the Narnia series.
“My first contact was reading his children’s books to my children when they were young, and we
would read them, starting out with The
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as
bedtime stories and we’d read a chapter
a night. They were always anxious to get
to the next chapter,” Fr. Blackwell
recalled. He and his children went on to
read the whole series, he said.
Lewis used imagery to a great effect
in his fictional works. In The Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe, many readers
see the character Aslan the lion as a representation of Christ. Fr. Blackwell remembered a sermon illustration he made
a few weeks before:
Story continues on page
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The Excalibur Times
Editorial: Debunking Homeschool Myths
By Nathaniel Sprague
It seems that there are many different assumptions that people make about homeschoolers. With most
key demographics there are a portion of people that may fit the mold of what the public eye assumes about
the group but, in most cases, it’s exactly the opposite. The public, being educated by a public school biased
system, is usually pretty quick to come to conclusions about homeschoolers. Before we can try to refute the
claims that the public makes, we must know what they are.
Here are some of the most commonly assumed things about homeschoolers: Children are generally
homeschooled for religious reasons, Homeschoolers generally have social or mental handicaps, the kids miss
out on public school experiences, they don’t socialize nearly as much as they should, and they don’t learn to
think on their own and rely on their parents solely. These assumptions, in the eyes of an employer or
college admissions counselor, can be detrimental to the student.
With these pre-conceived notions about homeschoolers, we can work on refuting these ideas. The idea
that most homeschooled children are taught at home for religious reasons can be easily inferred by the
number of schools that are Christian, but a staggering number a students are not. I, for one, am not homeschooled for this reason, and many of my homeschooled friends are homeschooled for a huge assortment of
reasons. This can be anything from a student wanting to have more time to pursue ballet, or music, or just a
more focused education with more interest classes involving their prospective work field. Ideas like these
have been institution in many public high schools for many decades.
Another assumption made is that a lot of homeschoolers have mental and social handicaps. This is a
horribly skewed idea with how many exceptionally intelligent students there are that are homeschooled.
With every demographic there will be a small minority of mentally handicapped people, and the number of
homeschooled children that are handicapped in public schools is most definitely a similar percentage to the
amount homeschooled, per mentally healthy child. It can be reasonably inferred that, in most cases, all
demographics that are represented in a public school would also be represented in homeschool groups.
With this being said, there are many misconceptions that there aren’t any black people that homeschool.
This is also false, where as many as 250,000 black students are homeschooled every year.
The next misconception is that homeschooled students miss out on many public school experiences
and they don’t nearly get as much social interaction as they should. Once again, aside from isolated situations, most homeschoolers, in fact, get a very good amount of social interaction thanks to institutions like
cover schools. Many cover schools host activities on a weekly basis. These schools also hold classes where
kids can get in a classroom setting while still getting individualized attention that they would not get in a
public school classroom. Besides that, most homeschoolers are involved in many various extra-curricular
activities. In fact, the average homeschooler is involved in many more extra-curricular than the average
public school child. This gets the kids into social situations when it matters more, and more often.
The final, and probably the most detrimental assumptions made by the average American about homeschoolers is that they never learn to think for themselves and rely almost completely on their parents for
answers to the hard questions. This is also one of the most directly wrong assumptions of all of the ones
discussed so far. Homeschoolers, in fact, have a unique opportunity as opposed to public school students to
self-educate.
The Excalibur Times
Page 14
JESSICA’S is no different. Katz gets more business at her small shop as Christmas nears, and she starts
carrying more holiday-related items.
Katz says that not only she herself, but also all of her customers are generous with their pets at Christmas.
“I don’t really have any customers that don’t do something special for their dogs and cats on Christmas,”
Katz says.
One such customer of Katz’s, Beverly Baker, who is also an Excalibur mom, loves pampering her pets just
so. Her two dogs, Sadie and Muffin Man, are treated to both gifts and a special Christmas breakfast.
“Their stocking this year has blue and white toys in it like a stuffed snowman, stuffed penguin, two squeaky
bones, two balls, and a tug-of-war rope,” Baker says.
Customers buy everything from $2 cat toys, to $30 treat gift packs, to $100 memory foam pet beds.
Some owners may take it a bit over the top with $400 faux fur designer dog coats or even $1,900 diamondstudded gold collar charms. And only a very few most estimable pets will receive such a gift as the diamondbearing Amour, Amour dog collar dubbed the most expensive dog collar in the world, retailing for an astonishing 3.2 million dollars.
Since the average family pet will never wear such an expensive collar, it’s a good thing that pets probably
aren’t going to notice whether or not their feed dish is engraved in gold. Still, many do seem to enjoy the holidays.
“My dogs are very excited every Christmas morning!” Baker says. “Their most favorite part is getting their
stuffed animals out of the stocking and ripping all the stuffing out.”
Excalibur sixth grader Riley Watson’s Great Pyrenees and English Setter mix, Lady, has a merry Christmas,
too. She receives treats, bones, and sometimes toys as gifts, but her family also adds a unique touch to her
presents.
“We wrap her treats so she can unwrap them herself,” Watson says.
Pet-owners don’t limit their holiday pet pampering to gift giving. The furry members of the family are included in Christmas activities as well. Many dog owners take their canines to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens Galaxy of Lights, Walk Your Dog Nights, hosted on November 18 and 25 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. both
nights. Watson is one such dog owner who hopes to take Lady to this event.
Other pet-lovers take their animals to see Santa Claus and get their pet’s picture taken with Saint Nick.
Santa travels all over Alabama for just such photo shoots, and will be at both the University Drive and Jones
Valley Petsmart stores this year. This Santa Claws Photo Event will take place December 7 and 14 from 11
a.m. – 4 p.m. at both Huntsville stores.
Pam Berzett’s pets are a little too big to go for a walk in the park or sit in Santa’s lap. She and her husband
own ten horses and a miniature mule. Instead of the Galaxy of Lights or pictures with Santa, then, she rides
her horses in several Christmas parades every year.
Berzett is a member of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Posse. Along with another dozen or so mounted
representatives of the Posse, Berzett is planning on riding in five city parades this year. These five are the
Decatur Christmas parade on December 2, the Eva, Priceville, and Somerville parades, all on December 7,
and the Hartselle parade on December 12.
Berzett will trailer either her palomino Tennessee Walking Horse, Rocket, or her American Quarter Horse,
Ace, to the Christmas parades. As representatives of the Sheriff’s Posse, Berzett a
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Page 15
nights. Watson is one such dog owner who hopes to take Lady to this event.
Other pet-lovers take their animals to see Santa Claus and get their pet’s picture taken with Saint Nick. Santa travels all over Alabama for just such photo shoots, and will be at both the University Drive and Jones Valley Petsmart stores this year. This Santa Claws Photo Event will take place December 7 and 14 from 11 a.m.
– 4 p.m. at both Huntsville stores.
Pam Berzett’s pets are a little too big to go for a walk in the park or sit in Santa’s lap. She and her husband
own ten horses and a miniature mule. Instead of the Galaxy of Lights or pictures with Santa, then, she rides
her horses in several Christmas parades every year.
Berzett is a member of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Posse. Along with another dozen or so mounted representatives of the Posse, Berzett is planning on riding in five city parades this year. These five are the Decatur
Christmas parade on December 2, the Eva, Priceville, and Somerville parades, all on December 7, and the
Hartselle parade on December 12.
Berzett will trailer either her palomino Tennessee Walking Horse, Rocket, or her American Quarter Horse,
Ace, to the Christmas parades. As representatives of the Sheriff’s Posse, Berzett and the other riders don’t
want to dress up their horses too much, but they can get by with a little glitter on their mounts’ manes, rumps,
and hooves.
Other animal owners enjoy donning their pets with festive apparel for the holidays as well. Baker and Waye
both have Christmassy bows for their dogs’ fur. Katz’s canines keep warm with snow coats and sometimes
wear holiday collars and charms.
Whether or not pets love sporting their red and green attire quite as much as their owners enjoy donning it
remains unsaid (by the pets, at least). As Baker says of her Sadie and Muffin, “I do dress them occasionally
for the holidays, but only for pictures. They do not like wearing clothes, but they are so cute in them!”
Other people give pets gifts of a different kind. Pet-owners give money to animal rescues and organizations
in their own pet’s name. Some foster or even adopt a homeless animal for Christmas. Sandra Camp, director
of T.L.C. Animal Organization, Inc., sees the rescue’s pet adoption rate increase over the holidays. She says
there are no words to describe how wonderful and life changing it is for these animals to be adopted and get a
second chance. When someone takes a needy pet into their homes, Camp says, “They’re giving the animal a
present of life.”
However, T.L.C. also warns people against the dangers of giving a family member, especially a child, a pet
for a Christmas gift.
“We… caution people at Christmas to be careful because so many people want to get a kitty or a puppy for
Christmas and then they don’t think about what all is involved,” says Camp. “That puppy’s going to run
around the house, it’s going to probably chew things, it’s going to knock things over, it’s going to grow up.”
If the whole family is not committed to caring for the pet, the animal will often end up back at the shelter it
came from.
So what is it about pets that their owners would go so far to make Christmas special for them? Maybe it’s
the warm memories they add to each holiday season. Baker says that her most memorable holiday experience
with her dogs was Christmas 2010, the first year in many that Alabama had a noticeable snowfall. It was
Sadie and Muffin’s first encounter with a lot of snow as well.
“It was hilarious to watch them prance around trying to figure out what in the world all the cold white stuff
was!” says Baker.
Perhaps it’s because people love their animals almost to a fault, considering their ‘perfect’ pet deserving of
pampering, and therefore splurging on them for Christmas. Some people feel that treating pets nearly equal to
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Page 16
Editorial continued from page 13
this gives students a chance to find answers for themselves to the difficult questions, and learn to handle
difficult situations by oneself. The no child left behind act has completely taken the idea of the children learning in a way that best suits them out of the equation. Self-education promotes free thinking, and the spread of
ideals throughout a community, rather than a socialized and common education that is accepted as correct in
the society. The greatest thinkers of all time did not come to startling conclusions through conformity.
With all this being said, it is easy to see that homeschoolers are anything but a specialized breed of
Christian conformist. Homeschoolers, just like any demographic, have many different approaches on life and
many different worldviews. This enriches any community and makes it stronger, and I believe that if it was
any other way, I for one, would not be homeschooling in the first place. Breaking down stereotypical ties is
always the first, and best, step to proving a groups worth to the world.
“
December Edition Editor Abby Lankford
The Excalibur Times Staff for 2013-2014:
Reporters:
Sampley Barinaga, Phoebe Goerling, Noah Haynes, Julia Zeigler
Editors:
James Haynes, content editor
Raven Hill, April issue editor
Joel Kennedy, October issue editor
Abby Lankford, December issue editor
Nathan Sprague, February issue editor
Olivia Wilkes, Senior issue editor
Journalism instructor: Mrs. Angie Hood
The angel
answered, "The
Holy Spirit will
come upon you,
and the power of
the Most High will
overshadow you.
So the holy one to
be born will be
called the Son of
God.”
Luke 1:35
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Page 17
Christmas pets continued from page 7
Baker and Waye both have Christmassy bows for their dogs’ fur. Katz’s canines keep warm with snow
coats and sometimes wear holiday collars and charms.
Whether or not pets love sporting their red and green attire quite as much as their owners enjoy donning it
remains unsaid (by the pets, at least). As Baker says of her Sadie and Muffin, “I do dress them occasionally
for the holidays, but only for pictures. They do not like wearing clothes, but they are so cute in them!”
Other people give pets gifts of a different kind. Pet-owners give money to animal rescues and organizations in their own pet’s name. Some foster or even adopt a homeless animal for Christmas. Sandra Camp,
director of T.L.C. Animal Organization, Inc., sees the rescue’s pet adoption rate increase over the holidays.
She says there are no words to describe how wonderful and life changing it is for these animals to be adopted
and get a second chance. When someone takes a needy pet into their homes, Camp says, “They’re giving the
animal a present of life.”
However, T.L.C. also warns people against the dangers of giving a family member, especially a child, a pet
for a Christmas gift.
“We caution people at Christmas to be careful because so many people want to get a kitty or a puppy for
Christmas and then they don’t think about what all is involved,” says Camp. “That puppy’s going to run
around the house, it’s going to probably chew things, it’s going to knock things over, it’s going to grow up.”
If the whole family is not committed to caring for the pet, the animal will often end up back at the shelter it
came from.
So what is it about pets that their owners would go so far to make Christmas special for them? Maybe it’s
the warm memories they add to each holiday season. Baker says that her most memorable holiday experience
with her dogs was Christmas 2010, the first year in many that Alabama had a noticeable snowfall. It was
Sadie and Muffin’s first encounter with a lot of snow as well.
“It was hilarious to watch them prance around trying to figure out what in the world all the cold white stuff
was!” says Baker.
Perhaps it’s because people love their animals almost to a fault, considering their ‘perfect’ pet deserving of
pampering, and therefore splurging on them for Christmas. Some people feel that treating pets nearly equal to
human beings is somewhat irrational. However, most animal-lovers consider their pets no less than members
of the family. Perhaps Baker says it best.
“I think that pets that get gifts on Christmas are definitely spoiled, but it is so much fun!” she says.
Maybe it’s just the simple joy that one receives from an animal.
“I don’t think I would ever want to spend Christmas or any holiday or actually any day without a pet,” says
Katz. “They’re very encouraging, they love you unconditionally, they are happy to see you, and even when
you’re down, they know you’re down, and they try to bring you back up.”
Whatever the case, one thing is for sure; this holiday season, pets and their humans will be spending one
purrfectly, dog-gone merry Christmas together.
Page 18
The Excalibur Times
CS Lewis story continued from page 12
“One of the animals was telling the children about
Aslan [before they met] him for the first time, and they said,
‘Is he dangerous?’ and he said, ‘Yes, he’s very dangerous. But
he’s good.’ And they were a little scared, but also awed by it.”
Fr. Blackwell said he had been in the hospital last
month, and one of the children from church had drawn a picture of Aslan for a get-well card. “I guess he’s about six years
old,” Fr. Blackwell said. “And he knew about Aslan, and that
story, so he drew the picture.”
“You don’t know what kids remember, but that surprised me when his dad brought that to me in the hospital.”
Grace Episcopal held a remembrance service for Lewis on Nov. 20. Each Wednesday, the Episcopal Church’s Arnold House Chapel holds a noon service in memory of a particular saint. Lewis’ day was Nov. 22.
For pastors, C. S. Lewis clearly still impacts their work today, through a variety of books. “I think that
Lewis is valuable, and Christians ought to read him,” Siegenthaler said.
“Because…his writings illustrate the concept of ‘mere Christianity,’ and that’s not just the title of one
book…he had a genius for expressing historic orthodox universal Christianity in memorable, thoughtprovoking ways.”
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Page 19
Christmas movies continued from page 5
The first Anchorman is one of the most quotable films ever. Will number two be even better? Or
will it, (like most sequels), ruin the franchise all together? This movie is kind of a big deal!
And on Christmas day many films are coming out but none are really Christmas themed which is surprising but you can always watch ABC Family for the cheesy Christmas movies or also the Hallmark channel
if you enjoy annoying Christmas movies. One of the movies coming out on the beloved holiday is American
Hustle.
A fictional film set in the alluring world of one of the most stunning scandals to rock our nation,
American Hustle tells the story of brilliant con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) who, along with his
equally cunning and seductive British partner Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), is forced to work for a wild FBI
agent, Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). DiMaso pushes them into a world of Jersey powerbrokers and mafia
that’s as dangerous as it is enchanting.
Jeremy Renner is Carmine Polito, the passionate, volatile, New Jersey political operator caught between the con artists and Feds. Irving’s unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to
pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down. Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) could be the one to
pull the thread that brings the entire world crashing down.
These are the most favored movies of December that will entertain people throughout the delightful, cheery
month. For more insight on these films check out the trailers on YouTube or Imdb.com. Hopefully you will
see either of these movies and enjoy them, if not watch the Hallmark channel for back to back reruns of Jingle all the Way.