the excalibur · 2013. 12. 13. · the excalibur times page 3 december 13th excalibur ice skating...

Volume III, issue 1

MERRY

CHRISTMAS!

Inside this issue:

Christmas and pets

Excalibur Ice

Skating party

3

Squires soccer 8

Staying active in

the winter months

10

Science Olympiad 11

Editorial: Home

school Myth

Busting

13

CS Lewis

12

Editorial: Home

school Myth

Busting

13

The Excalibur Times

Christmas Classic Returns to Fantasy Playhouse

By Julia Zeigler

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 inde-

pendent 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

6th 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!

http://www.letthemagicbegin.org

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 Sol-

diers. 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 fam-

ily 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 256-429-

8039.

The Excalibur Times

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 per-

son or mail the money to 807 Candon Circle, Huntsville, AL 35802

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 or-

phans 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, self-

determination, 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.

http://www.recce'srainbow.org/angeltree2013

The Excalibur Times

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 Contin-

ues, (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

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 look-

ing 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

“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 Muf-

fin 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 diamond-studded gold collar charms. And only a very few most estimable pets will re-

ceive 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 hol-

idays.

“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 in-

cluded in Christmas activities as well. Many dog owners take their canines to the Huntsville Botanical Gar-

dens 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. San-

ta travels all over Alabama for just such photo shoots, and will be at both the University Drive and Jones Val-

ley 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 repre-

sentatives 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

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 sea-

son 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

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 play-

ers 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, con-

sidering sportsmanship and strength of character, the Squires had one of the most winning seasons of all.

Photo by John Wilkes

Made from recycled holiday

cards and construction paper,

and filled with treats, a cone-

shaped 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 in-

side the line. Roll the paper

into a cone and staple; rein-

force with tape along the inside seam. To decorate a plain

paper cone, draw an oval (we used a stencil from an art-

supply store) around a chosen image from a greeting card,

and cut just inside the line with pinking shears. Glue the cut-

out to the front of the cone. Punch a hole on both sides of the

cone, thread a ribbon through, and knot the ends.

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.

Ph

Making a Santa hat cupcake is

very easy. After you frost your cup-

cake 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.

Santa Hat Cupcake

http://sointovintage.blogspot.com/2012/10/practice-makes-not-quite-perfect-and.html?m=1

http://www.houzz.com/window-screen

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 side-walk 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 non-members 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

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]

mailto:[email protected]



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, philoso-

phers, and teachers worldwide, for his contributions to scholarship and culture. Lewis’ influence has extend-

ed 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 doc-

trines 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 ei-

ther 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 rep-

resentation of Christ. Fr. Blackwell re-

membered a sermon illustration he made

a few weeks before:

Story continues on page

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 home-

schooled 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 situa-

tions, 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 home-

schoolers 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

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 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 aston-

ishing 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 hol-

idays.

“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 in-

cluded in Christmas activities as well. Many dog owners take their canines to the Huntsville Botanical Gar-

dens Galaxy of Lights, Walk Your Dog Nights, hosted on November 18 and 25 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. both


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.




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.


Ace, to the Christmas parades. As representatives of the Sheriff’s Posse, Berzett a

The Excalibur Times


Other pet-lovers take their animals to see Santa Claus and get their pet’s picture taken with Saint Nick. San-

ta travels all over Alabama for just such photo shoots, and will be at both the University Drive and Jones Val-

ley 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.




Berzett is a member of the Morgan County Sheriff’s Posse. Along with another dozen or so mounted repre-

sentatives 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.


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

The Excalibur Times

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 learn-

ing 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

The Excalibur Times

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 organiza-

tions 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.

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 pic-

ture 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 sur-

prised me when his dad brought that to me in the hospital.”

Grace Episcopal held a remembrance service for Lew-

is on Nov. 20. Each Wednesday, the Episcopal Church’s Ar-

nold House Chapel holds a noon service in memory of a par-

ticular 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, thought-

provoking ways.”

The Excalibur Times

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 sur-

prising 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 be-

tween 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 Jin-

gle all the Way.

http://Imdb.com

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