swaG magazine's CHRIST-mas issue Vol. 1 Issue 4. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord Glory to shone around them, and they were God in the terrified. But the angel said to them, highest, and "Do not be afraid. I on earth bring you good news of great joy that will be peace, good for all the people. Today in the town of will toward David a Savior has been born to you; he is men. Christ the Lord." December Birthdays @ RBCS Each and every student and staff member at Red Bird Christian School is important and we want to wish a happy birthday to all of the December babies! Braxton Asher, Charles Collett, Jessica Caldwell, Austin Napier, Mathania Vuningoma, Cheyenne Tincher, Chad Brock, Tex Sizemore, Deana Helton, Addison Causey, Isaiah Roark, Emily Roark, Nicholas Wagers, Cayden Lawson, Kollyn Roark, Ella Caldwell, Kimber Sizemore, and Kiana Tolbert. 2017's hoest gits for Teens this holiday Apple iTunes cards approx. 15$-25$ season by Gael Ibarra Superstar Adidas Shoes approx. 90$ Ten on the list is: Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones approx. 349$ The Apple iWatch is number 4 on swaG's top 10 git list for teens. approx. 200$ Coming in at number 9 on our git list is the Air Jordan 12 Retros's approx. 190$ Supreme sweater approx. 100$ #8 on swaG magazine's gits for teens top 10 list Nike Basketball approx. 59$ is the 21.5 inch iMac approx. 1,300$ The iPhone X is the hottest phone on the market right now and comes in at #1 on Nike Sportswear comes in at #7 on the git list the most wanted list for approx. 130$ teens. approx. 999$ 2017's hoest gits for Teens this holiday Apple iTunes cards approx. 15$-25$ season by Gael Ibarra Superstar Adidas Shoes approx. 90$ Ten on the list is: Beats Studio 3 Wireless headphones approx. 349$ The Apple iWatch is number 4 on swaG's top 10 git list for teens. approx. 200$ Coming in at number 9 on our git list is the Air Jordan 12 Retros's approx. 190$ Supreme sweater approx. 100$ #8 on swaG magazine's gits for teens top 10 list Nike Basketball approx. 59$ is the 21.5 inch iMac approx. 1,300$ The iPhone X is the hottest phone on the market right now and comes in at #1 on Nike Sportswear comes in at #7 on the git list the most wanted list for approx. 130$ teens. approx. 999$ the true by Ally Asher and Christian Collettmeaning of Christmas With our Top 10 List, it is pretty obvious that most of the biggest gits of the year are also expensive. We wanted to refocus, and talk to some of the people here at Red Bird Christian to talk about the true meaning of Christmas. Miss Jenny Caldwell says that the true meaning of Christmas is "where our Lord sent his son to be born and give his life for us." Mr. Jeremy Baker stated that Christmas is "a very special time of year, it truly means the birth of Jesus Christ and it's important to spend time with family." Mr. Sizemore has been in full Christmas spirit since before Thanksgiving Break, and he says that "my favorite part of Christmas is spending time with family." The fact of the matter is: Christmas gits are great. We all love shiny new things. However we must also understand the importance of those close to us, and remember that the real meaning of Christmas is the birth of Christ. The birth of Jesus made the entire world a "shiny new thing." Elementary by: Meklit Mekonen, Catherin Choi & Amanda Uwimana Third place goes to Annie Sizemore in the 4th Grade Second place goes to Callie Roark in 4th grade Art Contest First place goes to Jade Crat in the 6th grade. "And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” ROHO-ho-ho ! One of the best kept secrets out of Middlesboro, KY is Merry Christmas the Junior Chamber of Commerce (also known as the Jaycees). This organization has been an amazingly giving and community-oriented force throughout our nation since its founding. However, membership ages changed in 1987 to ages 21-35. At this time, some members who were about to be at the end of their membership founded their own ofshoot called "ROHO." This organization is responsible for giving back to the community in a number of ways: through sponsored fishing tournaments, donations and at Christmas time ROHO makes it possible for select students to go on a holiday shopping spree. *** Red Bird Christian was able to be part of this amazing program this holiday season. High School seniors were assigned elementary age students who qualified for the ROHO trip and they assisted each ROHO student in choosing clothes, toys and necessary items. This was an amazing opportunity for Red Bird students to realize the importance of giving back to their community once they are older, and it helped foster a sense of compassion and care in our older students. Who is the ELF on the Shelf? by Jasmine Hall and Paris Napier ELF on the shelf began as a book written in 2005 by Coe Steinwart. Throughout this book Santa reportedly sends each family an "elf" who watches to see if the children are naughty or nice. This elf can oten be mischievous and silly, but is used as a way to teach a lesson or inspire Christmas cheer. Many people have met "ELF on a shelf" with opposition saying that it is a way of scaring kids into behaving, or that the book/elf combo is too expensive (ranging anywhere from 25-40$). However, this silly little tradition is one that kids are very entertained by and parents enjoy taking part in. Red Bird's high school English teacher Ms. Morgan adopted their elf last year for her sons, who named him "Rudolf Shootof." We talked with Ms. Morgan about her thoughts on their family elf and the impact it has had on her boys. "Part of me thinks that Jasper knows his elf doesn't really move on his own at night, and I'm almost sure he has caught me setting the elf up for him and his brother. BUT part of being a little kid is getting to use your imagination. I think it's important to take part in a little bit of magic around the holidays. " We gathered a bunch of photos from Ms. Morgan of shenanigans that their family elf has been involved in. If you are thinking of adopting your own elf you can see some great ideas to the right. REMEMBER: You don't have to purchase an expensive elf or book combo to create the magic of elf on a shelf. You could even make your own. It's something fun to do with your family. + December 2017 Events December 2nd- Varsity Boys @ Williamsburg December 4th- Varsity Double Header @ Lynn Camp December 5th- ROHO December 7th- Varsity Boys vs. Pineville December 10th- FINALS/ STAR Testing December 11th- Varsity Girls Jackson December 12th- Staf Christmas Party December 13th- Chapel Christmas Play December 14th- Christmas Play @ 7PM December 18th- LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS compiled by : Maci Asher and Faith Wilson CHRIST-mas by Paige Brock Christmas is a time of joy, laughter, and presents for many people. But what is Christmas time about at Red Bird Christian School? Christmas to Red Bird is ESPECIALLY important as Christ is the foundation for our beliefs and education as a school community. We must not forget the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of the child born on that day years ago in Bethlehem. Christmas is about this more than any number of gifts under the tree. I had the chance to speak with Mr. Sizemore about what Christmas meant to him: "It's a day in which Christ came to the Earth to give us a second chance...and that goes for everyone around the world, not JUST Red Bird." One of the things that a lot have people mentioned is that we should have a nativity scene out front during the holiday season. Here at Red Bird we all know what Christmas is about but we need to let the rest of the world know this as well. Merry CHRIST-mas! Alex the Elf hits the Elementary Wing.... Alex Jackson, one of two middle school students who are part of the Red Bird Christian Journalism team, dressed as an elf and talked with the Elementary school students about any messages they wanted him to pass on to Santa. Pictured Let: Alex with senior Owen Hoskins before making his way down the hall to visit the kids. Mr. Smallwood, head of Red Bird Christian's music department, out did himself at this year's Christmas production. A Candy-Coated Christmas Carol was originally written by Sharon & Don Turney and is an interesting KidsWorks company play that is reminiscent of Willy Wonka, Dicken's A Christmas Carol and at the very heart of the play is the TRUE meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus. Students of all ages and grades participated in the production and Mr. Smallwood and his kids worked for months to perfect the show. Students did an amazing job under the guidance of Mr.