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First Quarter or Second Quarter: Which do you prefer?                        By Xiomaira Rosario   

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First Quarter or Second Quarter: Which do you prefer?                        By Xiomaira Rosario   

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My personal perspective of the first quarter and second quarter of the school year is as follows: I enjoy the first quarter because, in my opinion, we get an easy start due to us relearning last year's material. Sometimes, this means not as much difficult work. Even if you had a rough start in previous years, you are welcomed to a fresh start.  A new school year means new classes, new friends, new staff and a new atmosphere. I disliked the first quarter because it symbolizes the end of summer.

Having a new atmosphere means getting used to everything being new. Second quarter can be enjoyed, in my opinion, by building stronger friendships with your peers. By this time, you have already gotten used to your schedule. The second quarter also has many extended holiday breaks which can be enjoyed by students. In my opinion, the 2nd quarter can be very stressful because you have to maintain good grades which can be difficult with minimal time due to many breaks.

Therefore, my conclusion between first quarter and second quarter is they are both equally tough and have equal amounts of pros and cons.

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Stair climber of the Month Owen Hartleb Interview By Alyx Dalton 

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Stair climber of the Month Owen Hartleb Interview By Alyx Dalton 

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Owen feels proud, yet nervous, to be getting this special award. He said he has had the help of family, friends, and teachers to help him be successful in school but also acknowledges that he works very hard, too.

He feels very honored to be chosen for this award. His mother says he is a very smart and hard working kid. Owen believes his overall personality is one of many reasons his teachers chose him for this award.

Owen is not only a hard worker, but he is also a kind person who offers to help other students.  Owen Hartleb, you very much deserve this award . . .  so congratulations and keep being an awesome Colonel!

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Green Illustrated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Instagram Post

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Boys’ Basketball is in full swing!  Our 8th grade team is coached by our very own Mr. Montie and they are off to a winning start. Our 7th grade team is coached by Mr. Crosby, who is an Erie’s Public Schools graduate and we are excited to welcome him to SV.  The 6th grade team is coached by Erie High’s very own Mr. Andre Henderson.  We wish all of our teams good luck on a winning season and we thank our coaches for giving their time and expertise to our student athletes.

Besides the excitement of watching the boys play some amazing ball, you can also join in with our cheerleaders who lead a super student cheer section, especially at home games.  Thanks to Miss Gina, the cheerleaders are sounding better and better at every game.

Other winter sports appearing on the SV weekly calendar are wrestling and swimming.  Good luck to those student athletes as well.  Stay strong, stay healthy, and keep your grades up!

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What’s Happening in the Clubs? By Hudson Evans

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What’s Happening in the Clubs? By Hudson Evans

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Winter Clubs are just ending but let’s catch up with what they’ve been up to. The clubs that were active for the last few weeks were Garden Club, Dance Club, D&D, The Body Project, Loom Knitting, Movie Club, Club Chill, Positive Vibes Only, Holiday Cookies, Team SV, CRAFT, and Serve Humbly. As you can see Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday afternoons have been busy here at SV.  Spring Clubs will be starting in February. As always, you can reach out to Miss Kaitlyn at kfalk@eriesd.org if you have suggestions or ideas for Spring Clubs.

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As Student Council President, I was invited to lead the Pledge of Allegiance on December 14th at the Erie School District Board meeting.  I was very honored to represent Strong Vincent.

The first Student Council meeting was held this month. There are a lot of  new possibilities and things coming to our school. It was great to bring our suggestions and ideas to the meeting. Get ready, Strong Vincent, because there is much to look forward to after winter break! Email me with any of your suggestions and I'll be happy to listen!

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KFC™️ For dinner?  Holiday Traditions Around the World !                                        By Jesus Palomino

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KFC™️ For dinner?  Holiday Traditions Around the World !                                        By Jesus Palomino

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1. Three Kings Day, Mexico. Día de Los Reyes is celebrated on January 6 to honor the Three Wise Men. This holiday represents the day the Three Wise Men—Los Tres Reyes Magos, gave gifts to Jesus Christ, and the day closes the Christmas festivities. It's also the day the people of Mexico exchange gifts!

1. KFCTM for dinner. According to KFCTM Japan, it all dates back to 1974 after a KFCTM Japan sales team member overheard a foreign customer complain about not being able to get turkey and making do with fried chicken for Christmas.

1. Burning of the devil. Every December 7 at 6:00 p.m. sharp, Guatemalans “burn the devil,” building bonfires outside their homes to mark the occasion. The tradition has special significance in Guatemala City because of its association with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception which honors the city's patron saint.

1. The Gift-Giving Witch. The witch has been in the Italian tradition at least since the eighth century, as part of the Epiphany. In Italy, the Epiphany marks the official end of the Christmas season, commemorating the day when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts.

1.  Krampus. Krampus was thought to have been part of Pagan rituals for the Winter Solstice. According to legend, he is the son of Hel, the Norse god of the Underworld. With the spread of Christianity, Krampus became associated with Christmas—despite efforts by the Catholic church to ban him.

1. Night of the Radishes. The event has its origins in the Colonial period when radishes were introduced by the Spanish. Oaxaca has a long wood carving tradition and farmers began carving radishes into figures as a way to attract customers' attention at the Christmas market, which was held in the main square on December 23.

Thanks for reading Colonels are… B3R!

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Green Illustrated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Instagram Post (1)

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 Same Gym, New Teachers                          By Julianna Miller

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 Same Gym, New Teachers                          By Julianna Miller

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I interviewed Strong Vincents’ new and awesome gym teachers, Mr. Vath and Mrs. Schultz.

Here is what I asked them:

How long have you been a teacher at SV?

Ms. Schultz:   I was at SV, then at Harding and now back at SV.

Mr. Vath: This is my first year at SV.

Were you always a gym teacher?

Mrs. Schultz:   I was really always a gym teacher but last year I taught 1st grade.  Which is really surprising!

Mr. Vath: I did tree service for a living, and I wanted to be a gym teacher since I was 7-8.

Would teach a different subject or stay a gym teacher?

They both agreed that they would stay a gym teacher.

Finally, if both teachers could say something to the entire world, it would be encouragement, never give up and give thanks to Jesus Christ. So in conclusion, both gym teachers enjoy their jobs here at SV and would love to stay here for many years!

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Things To Do Over Winter Break                                                      by: Juniel Rodriguez

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Things To Do Over Winter Break                                                      by: Juniel Rodriguez

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Soon it will be Winter break!  There are two types of kids on Winter break. There are kids who already have plans for our break and kids who don’t.

So for the people who don’t have plans for this Winter break here are some ideas:

1.  You could watch a couple Christmas movies with your family at the theater or at home.

2. You could go outside and build a snowman do a snow angel, or a snowball fight with friends(if snowing out.)

3.  You could spend time with your family or spend the night at your friend’s house.

4.  You can even go to the YMCA or Splash Lagoon at anytime you and your family would like to go!

5.  You could go on a walk or hike.

6.  You could even be lucky enough to go on a vacation with your family to places like Florida, Tennessee, Texas, New York, or even New Jersey!

The point is, the opportunity to spend Winter break relaxing, doing something fun, traveling, spending time with family and friends, and resting up for the second half of the school year is entirely up to you and your adults.  Enjoy your time off! PS - Mrs. G. said you could also log in some i-Ready minutes!

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Counselor’s Corner By Mrs. Munson Mental Health During the Holidays

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Counselor’s Corner By Mrs. Munson Mental Health During the Holidays

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The holidays are a time of joy and celebration for some, but for others, they can be a time of heartache and struggle. Whether it is due to loss, life stress, or an existing mental illness, some people have a hard time during the holidays. That can be especially true for kids.

As we get ready for the holiday season, we wanted to put together some tips to help any young people who might be struggling this time of year. Whether the holidays trigger traumatic memories or the stress of the season is too much, we hope these tips can help make the season a little easier.

Take time for self-care: The holidays can be all about celebrating with other people. That can be fun, but don’t forget to set aside time to do things you enjoy. No matter what that looks like, you’re important, and you have to take care of yourself. Go for a walk, watch your favorite TV show, or enjoy another activity that brings you enjoyment.

Talk to someone: Whether it’s a friend, trusted adult, or therapist, it’s important to have someone with whom you can share your feelings and experiences.

Don’t put pressure on yourself to act or feel a certain way: TV and movies can portray the holidays as a time when people and families enjoy perfect relationships, but reality is never this simple. Don’t let yourself think you, your family, or what happens this time of year has to be perfect.

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SWPBIS:   MTSS is Empowerment PAPBS Implementers Forum 2022      by:Nia DuMoulin 

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SWPBIS:   MTSS is Empowerment PAPBS Implementers Forum 2022      by:Nia DuMoulin 

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Mrs. Godzwa recently attended the conference titled “MTSS is Empowerment”. This conference was about making sure students are included in aspects of PBS (Positive Behavior Support) and how it will work in our schools around the district. They picked one staff member from each school in the district to go. Lucky for us they picked Mrs.Godzwa. At the meeting there were teachers,Community School Directors,administrators,

and district directors. At the meeting they spent three days listening and learning from keynote speakers and presenters. They went to several breakout sessions. There were a variety of presenters from school districts all over the state of Pennsylvania. In this meeting there were over 1,000 Pennsylvania participants and learners from school districts all over. This gave the participants an opportunity to talk with each other about PBS in the different school districts.They also talked about what works and what they need to do to continue to work on to make it better for us to learn and teach others. Mrs. Godzwa said she learned a lot within those three days and is really looking forward to meeting with Mrs.Gloystein, Mr.Fuhrman, and the rest of the SWPBIS team at Strong Vincent to discuss some ideas that could help better our school. She said her important takeaway is that, “Administrators,teachers,students,parents and community members are all stakeholders in the success of our school. Positive behavior leads to an increase of success in learning both academically and personally. B3R isn't just a SWPBIS saying it's a life skill.”

The students at SV are doing pretty well with B3R for this school year. If you didn’t know B3R stands for Be ready, Be responsible, and Be respectful. B3R has helped out this school year a lot more than last year especially with the 8th graders. They are doing a better job this year with being less chaotic, staying in their assigned areas, and being respectful to the adults in the building. The 8th grade goal in being B3R should be to teach the 7th and 6th graders about it so they can follow it as well. It’s also