Christmas Isn t Cancelled:

Advisor: Mrs. Dunham

Principal: Mrs. Chamberlain

Bulldog Bark

The

December 2020/January 2021

Your Middle School News Unleashed!

By Landon Rosado

Team 7 Barker

We know one

thing: Christmas will be

like no other year this

year due to the Covid-

19 pandemic. Some

precautions and re-

strictions have been en-

acted within our gov-

ernment in order to

abate the spread of the

virus. However, it is

disheartening as it

seems that the integral

parts of holidays, like

gathering with friends

and family, is almost

impossible to replicate

with the current condi-

tions. However, with a

little ingenuity and crea-

tivity, we can still make

the holidays memora-

ble. Note: This article

is not intended as

medical advice.

Please review the lat-

est Covid-19 guidance

from the CDC, the

Department of

Health, and our state

guidelines for the lat-

est and most up-to-

date health infor-

mation.

Even though there

are restrictions and

changes this year, there

are still ways to enjoy

this special time of year.

For example, you could

host Christmas out-

doors. Here are some

ideas for an outdoor

Christmas party:

1. Check state guide-

lines to see how

many guests are per-

mitted to gather at

an outdoor gather-

ing. Click here for

more information.

2. Share your plans

ahead of time with

your guests to keep

them informed of

your plans. You can

send party invita-

tions to let guests

know what steps

you are taking, and

the guidelines you

will follow.

3. Consider having

guests wear face

masks even if out-

side.

4. Think about winter-

izing your backyard

to hold your party.

You may need to

invest in the right

equipment to keep

guests warm. Con-

sider buying out-

door tents, blankets,

fire pits, and out-

door heaters.

5. Have guests bring

their own cups,

plates, and napkins.

You can provide hot

chocolate, warm

soup, and baked

goods.

Christmas Isnt Cancelled:

See Page 7, Cancelled

We have THREE Buzzfeed quizzes this edition!

Which Christmas Carol or Song Best Represents You?

Which Among Us Skin Is Your Favorite?

Are You More Like Christmas Or Thanksgiving?

Tips for Safely Enjoying the Holidays

Page 2

The Bulldog Bark

By Emily Mack

Team 7 Barker

Our local area always has

fun and amazing holiday events.

This year not so many festivities

will be taking place as COVID-

19 has given this year many re-

strictions. Howev-

er, some events

will continue to

take place with

safety precautions.

Check out these

local events if you

havent already to

keep in the spirit!

The

Lehigh Valley

Zoo: Winter

Light Spectacular will be held

with COVID restrictions. Masks

must be worn all through the

zoo. Social distancing is highly

encouraged. They will be having

a limited capacity. The lights will

be held in the evenings of No-

vember 13th through January

2nd. They charge $15 per adult

and $10 per child. The entire zoo

will be covered in over 1 million

lights! The lights are breathtaking

and in an array of colors! You

can take pictures with Elsa or the

Grinch. You can also see rein-

deer! They also have a food

stand. I highly recommend going

to the Winter Light Spectacular.

You will not regret going!

Allenon Ligh in

the Parkway is still happening in

2020! You and your family can

drive through the Lehigh Park-

way to see their lights display!

The lights will happen on No-

vember 27th to December 27th.

They will be open 5:30 p.m. to 10

p.m. The display will be closed

Christmas day. This display is

contact free from other visitors.

Instead of charging per person

they charge $15 per car. The

lights cover more than a mile of

the park! The parkway features

hundreds of thousands of beauti-

ful lights. Some of the lights are

set to some of your favorite

Christmas tunes! Lights in the

Parkway is affordable fun for the

whole family.

Philadelphia Chi-

mas Village is happening but

socially distanced. The event

will be taking place at Love Park

and City Hall. It will be open

from November 26th through

December 24th. There is free ad-

mission but some things require

payment. The Christmas Village

is modeled after a German style

outdoor market. There are many

things to do at the village. They

have a variety of international

vendors. You can get food and

drinks, buy decorations, and

watch artisans create fine works

of art. Yes the Christmas Village

may be far, it is totally worth go-

ing!

Christkindlmarkt is still on in

Bethlehem. It is already almost

over! The season begins on Oc-

tober 8th until December 6th.

Go quick to get your Christmas

essentials! Many artisans and ven-

dors will be in attendance. Partic-

ipating vendors will constantly be

changing so you never see the

same thing twice. Masks

and social distancing is

requested upon entry.

There is a $10 admis-

sion fee.

Many organizations

are holding virtual

events. The Transiberi-

an Orchestra is holding

a virtual concert. Peeps

will be holding PEEP

FEST on the 31st of

December. It will be

held in person and virtually. You

can also see A Christmas Carol

online at the Civic Theatre in Al-

lentown!

Most importantly remember that

you do not have to celebrate at

these places to celebrate. Even

having a fun night indoors with

your family can liven the Christ-

mas spirit. It is important that we

appreciate our family and friends

during these hard times. Happy

Holidays!

Local Holiday Events!

Page 3

The Bulldog Bark

Walking In A Winter Wonderland

Koiars Christmas Village has

been spreading Christmas cheer

since the year 1948. William M.

Kozair was the creator of

Koziar's. Koziar

had started to

decorate his

house and prop-

erty for the rea-

son that his wife,

Grace, and his 4

children loved

the unusual dis-

play. People be-

gan to admire

and applaud the

Christmas

House. Koair

would add unique

and unusual

things each year. He had started

decorating his lake, then the

walkways, then the trees, fences,

and buildings. In addition to all

of these decorations he had start-

ed to decorate the barn and the

house as well. By popular de-

mand visitors were then permit-

ted to have a closer look at the

display. The house then became

known as Koiar's Christmas

Village. People came from near

and far to look at the breathtak-

ing light display. Today Kaiars

has grown even larger with third

and fourth generations of family

members making

the magical light

display. Koiars

Christmas Vil-

lage is celebrat-

ing its 73rd anni-

versary in 2020.

They have re-

ceived many

awards including

The Best Out-

door Christmas

Display in the

World. In con-

clusion, walking

through Koiars

is just like Walking in a Winter

Wonderland.

By Samantha Mack

Team 7 Barker

How Different Religions Celebrate the Holidays

There are a bunch of dif-

ferent religions across the world

that celebrate the holi-

day seasons in similar

and different ways to

many of us. Different

religions can come with

different customs and

traditions and others.

Lets learn about some

of them!

Those who are Jewish

celebrate the holiday

called Hanukkah. Hanukkah lasts

8 days, beginning on the 25th of

the Hebrew month Kislev, which

is November and December. It

celebrates the victory of Judah

the Maccabee over the Syrian ty-

rant Antiochus over 2,100 years

ago. Each night of the festival,

the families gather around the

menorah, which is a special can-

delabrum that holds

eight candles. One

the first night, the

head of the family

uses a helper can-

dle, called a

shamos, to light

one candle. One

the second night, 2

candles are lit, and

By Bella Haydt

Team 7 Barker

See Page 4, Religions

Page 4

The Bulldog Bark

Religions, Continued

so on! Each night, gifts are given

to everyone. In some families,

children play games with a small

four-sided wooden top called a

dreidel.

Those who follow the Muslim

faith celebrate Ramadan. It

marks the month the prophet

Mohammed is believed to have

had their holy

book, the Ko-

ran, revealed to

them by God.

Ramadan is the

9th month of

the Islamic lu-

nar calendar. It

is 11 to 12 days

shorter than

the Gregorian

calendar. The

celebration

starts at the

first sighting of

the moonlight

in Ramadan.

This year, it

happens to fall over the normal

Christmas time period like us.

They can surprisingly not eat or

drink anything during the day-

time during this period. The fast

ends with the celebration of Edi

al-Fitr, the festival of the break-

ing of the fast. Some Muslim

governments grant amnesties to

political and other prisoners on

this day,

Kwanzaa is a cultural festival in

which African Americans cele-

brate and reflect upon their her-

itage as the products of 2 worlds.

It begins on the 26th of Decem-

ber and lasts for a whole week! It

was founded by Dr. Maulana

Ron Karenga, a college profes-

sor and African American leader.

He would study the festivals of

many African American groups

of people and then he decided

that the new holiday should be a

harvest or first fruits.

Kwanzaa is a Kiswahili word

meaning the first fruits of the

harvest.

Hindus celebrate their holiday on

the 25th of December just like

many people who celebrate

Christmas. It is also considered

the birthday of the Hindu God,

Krishna, as well as Mithra, the

Greek God of Light.

Wiccans hold an annual tree fes-

tival, which had long been cele-

brated in Northern Europe be-

fore the Christian era, is still cele-

brated among nature-based

faiths such as Wicca.

Christian people celebrate

Christmas in different ways. The

families and Churches from all

over would set up a Nativity Seal

or a mini replica of the birth-

place of Jesus Christ. The scene

would be composed of baby Je-

sus, the virgin mother Mary, the

father Joseph, three wise men,

and sometimes some animals

that would be in the stable.

Churches that would usually

practice Christianity would per-

form Christmas

plays that describe

the night that baby

Jesus was born in a

manger. Catholic

Churches would

have a midnight

mass on the night

of Christmas Day

to celebrate baby

Jesus birth. In the

month of Decem-

ber, besides the

church festivities,

people would sing

traditional Christ-

mas Carols, buy

Christmas trees, and

place wrapped presents under

the tree. They also might ex-

change the presents at a Christ-

mas party or Christmas morn-

ing.

Buddhists celebrate Christmas

very much like the Christians do.

They decorate trees, give and

trade presents, sing Christmas

Carols and songs, send cards to

loved ones, and hold late night

vigils!

Christmas, as well as all the holi-

days celebrated around this time,

are very special! A lot of cultures

celebrate differently, but that is

just what makes them unique.

Page 5

The Bulldog Bark

Live Streaming: Student and Teacher Opinions

Students in the year 2020 have been

through many learning challenges.

Students sometimes have to work

independently and self-taught. We

have also learned to do

work mostly online. Teach-

ers, parents, and students

all have been working to-

gether to help improve our

learning. Now, we all need

to learn how to host and

attend livestreamed classes.

This means that students

must show up to online

meetings during their class

times. I wondered What

do my peers think about

our live streaming situa-

tion? What are my teach-

ers' opinions on this?

1. What are some pros and cons

of live streaming?

One pro of live streaming is that,

even when you are virtual, you still

get a similar experience to actually

being in the classroom. For exam-

ple, when you have a question, you

dont have to wait for the teacher to

respond to your email, you can just

ask your question on the livestream

and have it answered right away.

One con of live streaming is that,

since you are basically on live

streams until the end of the school

day, you dont have much time to

get your schoolwork or any assign-

ments you didnt finish in class

done. I always find myself having a

ton of work to still do after the

school day is done. -Andi Szwast

A pro of live streaming is that if a

student is having trouble with

something they can go over it on

the live stream. A con of live

streaming is that some people

might get done later than they usu-

ally do. -Landon Rosado

 I feel that live streaming has spe-

cific benefits. During live streaming

instruction, I have the opportunity

to directly interact with students

who are off the school campus.

Those students are receiving the

same instruction as students sitting

in class. Live streaming benefits stu-

dents because they have the oppor-

tunity to interact with peers and ask

questions during class time. The

negative aspect of live streaming is

that students are not physically pre-

sent in the classroom. The physical

distance can compromise the edu-

cational experience when students

have concerns or technology is-

sues. -Ms. Hannon

2. Would you rather have stu-

dents learn on their own or with

the livestream?

I would rather do the work on my

own because I would get done ear-

lier to do other things. -Landon

Rosado

While the livestreams do have cer-

tain benefits, I think I prefer learn-

ing on my own. I know

this may not be true

for other students, but

I have a pretty easy

time understanding

what I need to do

without the livestream,

and Im perfectly fine

waiting for my ques-

tions to be answered

through emails. -Andi

Szwast

I believe that students

can greatly benefit

from live streaming.

For instance, in my middle school

classes, I give students time to com-

plete independent work while on

the Google Meet. This way I am

still available virtually to offer assis-

tance. If students are to complete

work independently, it eliminates

the opportunity to interact. -Ms.

Hannon

3. What time do you feel

livestreaming should start?

I think livestreaming should start

around 9 or 9:30. That gives stu-

dents enough time to get ready for

the day. - Landon Rosado

I feel like livestreaming should

start between 9:00 and 10:00 am. I

know the live streams are supposed

to follow the schedule of the school

day, but for hybrid students on

their virtual days, its nice to get a

By Emily Mack

Team 7 Barker

See Page 6, Live Streams

Page 6

The Bulldog Bark

Live Streams, Continued

break from waking up at 6:00. -

Andi Szwast

I feel that live streaming should

follow the school schedule. It is

beneficial to maintain

consistency. I'm sure

everyone's hope is to

soon return to a nor-

mal school year. Live

streaming during the

traditional schedule

allows students to at-

tend all their classes

during the day. -Ms.

Hannon

4. Are there any major compli-

cations you have noticed with

live streaming?

This havent really been major

complications. I feel that the

teachers are trying their best to

teach students when they are at

home. -Landon Rosado

Other than the fact that you

sometimes cant hear what the in-

person students are saying, I

havent noticed any major compli-

cations. -Andi Szwast

I would say that the complica-

tions that come with live stream-

ing classes revolves around the

infancy of technology replacing

in-person teaching. Live stream-

ing classes in a hybrid model of

education requires teachers to be

multifaceted in their approach. I

know that the use of cameras, ex-

tra monitors, and digital assign-

ments requires additional time

and planning. -Ms. Hannon

5. Do you overall enjoy doing

the live streams?

I dont really enjoy the live

streams, but I guess we just have

to deal with it until the pandemic

is over. -Landon Rosado

Overall, I think that live streams

are tolerable. There are certain

issues with them, but, for the

most part, they are okay. -Andi

Szwast

 When it comes to live stream-

ing, I would say that I enjoy being

able to say I've learned to ap-

proach education in a different

forum. This is a learning experi-

ence for everyone involved. As an

educator, I realize that I can grow

from this experience. -Ms. Han-

non

Overall, the goal of live streaming

is to try to help students who are

working virtually be more en-

gaged in their education from a

distance. While there are technical

and logistical challenges to try to

maintain this type of setting, it is

beneficial for some students in

terms of staying on track. An

asynchronous approach, when

students complete assignments on

their own time, works for inde-

pendent learners, but not all

learners. We are hoping to return

to normal education soon, but

until then, we are doing our very

best to succeed.

No More Snow Das: An Opinion on Fleible Instructional Das

You might remember waking up

for school after it snowed and

looking at the T.V, excitingly

awaiting to see if school had been

closed or not. Well, what if I told

you that you can't do that any-

more? This year, there is a new

program where, if you have a

snow day, you still have to do

schoolwork, just online. Any day

when this happens is called a flex-

ible instruction day. We experi-

enced this for the first time last

week when we were off for two

days! Our teachers posted assign-

ments for us to complete on our

own schedule. We didnt have to

attend Live Streams lie we nor-

mally do when we are virtual, but

we still have to do schoolwork.

You might not like that, but let

me tell you something: If we have

a snow day and we dont go to

school, then we get an extra day

added to the end of the school

year. With flexible instructional

days, we won't. There are two

good things about this: (1) you

can continue to learn more and

(2) we don't get extra days added

By Gabby Lonberger

Team 8 Barker

See Page 12, Snow Days

Page 7

The Bulldog Bark

Indoor gatherings

have changed many

times during the pan-

demic. It must be not-

ed that there is risk

involved with hosting

a holiday gathering

that includes mem-

bers from multiple

households; however,

if you are to host a

small indoor gather-

ing, here are some

ideas. Here are some

ideas for a Covid Christ-

mas for a small indoor

gathering:

1. Keep the guest list as

small as possible and

make it feel special.

There is nothing

wrong with keeping

your celebration to

those in your house-

hold! Its important

to check state guide-

lines to see how

many guests can

gather indoors. Click

here for more infor-

mation.

2. Set the table with

disposable plates,

cups, napkins, and

utensils.

3. Make the Christmas

dinner like a fancy

meal. Add decora-

tions on the table.

Dont forget to

space the seating at

the table(s).

4. Consider having

guests from different

households sit at dif-

ferent tables that are

spaced out at least 6

feet.

5. Make sure there is

hand sanitizer in all

locations like the

kitchen and bath-

rooms. Put away reg-

ular hand towels and

use paper towels.

6. Kindly request that

your guests wear

face masks, but have

extra on hand if any-

one forgets. You

could provide a

Christmas mask to

your guests as a

practical party favor.

7. Fight the urge to hug

friends and family.

Go for elbow bumps

instead!

8. Limit how many sur-

faces guests have to

touch. Wipe down

tables and chairs to

keep germs from

spreading.

9. Air flow is im-

portant! Consider

cracking a few win-

dows or purchasing

portable air cleaners

with HEPA filters.

10. Encourage everyone

to wash their hands

before and after they

eat. Instead of family

style, have one per-

son to

handle

and

serve

food for

the

meal.

Still an-

other

way to

celebrate the Christmas

season with family and

friends is by celebrat-

ing virtually. Here are a

few ideas to keep your

family traditions going:

1. To host a virtual

gathering, you will

need to plan ahead.

You need to see

which of your family

and friends are able

to participate in a

virtual party. You

can send out an invi-

tation online to

speed things along!

2. During a virtual par-

ty, share your screen

and play some

games, like a Kahoot

for trivia! You can

even have a watch

party and enjoy a

movie together.

3. Ask your guests to

prepare slideshows

before the party and

then give them a

chance to share. This

way family and

friends can keep eve-

ryone up to date on

newborns and how

wedding planning is

going and other fam-

ily events. Everyone

can share their sto-

ries and see them-

selves.

4. Part of many Christ-

mas traditions in-

clude sharing favor-

ite family treats.

Have several family

members make and

distribute favorite

cookies or treats to

family and friends.

Pick a date to enjoy

treats together over

video chat with your

family.

5. Text your family

members with pho-

tos of Christmas

gatherings from past

years. Encourage

everyone to respond

with their own. Its a

great way to remem-

ber those who may

have passed away to

show younger chil-

dren and new family

members some of

the family history.

No matter which

way you choose to cele-

brate Christmas, you can

make the best of what is

going on with the

changes in our lives due

to the Covid-19 pan-

demic. Merry Christmas!

Cancelled, from Page 1

Page 8

The Bulldog Bark

Santa Claws is Coming to Town:

Cats

and dogs are often known for

being cute and lovable compan-

ions, but its not just those quali-

ties that make them desirable. In

fact, there are many benefits to

owning one. For example, they

can improve your mental health.

Studies have shown that cat and

dog owners have lower chances

of suffering from depression and

anxiety. Cats and dogs can also

improve your physical health.

Research has revealed that pet

owners are more likely to have

lower blood pressure during

stressful circumstances, lower

levels of triglyceride and choles-

terol, higher levels of serotonin

and dopamine, and higher levels

of exercise. In addition, children

and teenagers can learn im-

portant life lessons from pets.

For instance, responsibility, em-

pathy, and kindness can all be

taught by an

animal. And,

while this

might not be a

benefit to you,

by adopting a

pet, you are

saving two

lives: the life

of the animal

you are adopting and the life of

the animal that you just made

room for in the shelter. Lastly,

there are many different breeds

of cats and dogs, each with dif-

ferent characteristics, making it

easy to find one that accommo-

dates how much time, money,

and space you have. Adopting a

cat or dog comes with great re-

sponsibility, but it can also im-

prove your mental and physical

health, save the lives of two ani-

mals, help you learn important

lessons, and

bring you joy

while corre-

sponding with

your needs.

This holiday

season, adopt a

pet! You can

form a wonder-

ful bond and help get through

the tough times that lie ahead

with the current pandemic.

By Andi Szwast

Honorary Team 7 Barker

5 Reasons Why You Should Adopt a Cat or Dog This Winter

Xbox Series X Vs PS5: Which System Is Best?

The new X-Box Series X and

Playstation 5 will both go down

in the books as one of the best

consoles in history. However, of

the two, which is best? In my

personal opinion, I think the PS5

is better because they added ray

tracing to some of their games.

Ray tracing, for those who do not

know, allows for dramatically

more lifelike shadows and reflec-

tions in the graphics, making the

games come to life visually. To

determine which system you

should look to get, you need to

think about which games you like

to play, for the PS5 has many dif-

ferent games that X-Box players

cannot get, such as Marvels Spi-

der-Man: Miles Morales. X-Box

players will not be able to play

this because it is a PS5 exclusive.

In general, both have very fast

loading time for their games. Alt-

hough the PS5 is more expensive,

trust me it is worth it. The PS5

has a higher GPU than an X-Box

and 4K, which means the PS5

has a better graphics card. Over-

all, the PS5 is better with graphics

and availability of specific games.

Click here for more information

to compare the two. Which do

you think is better?

By Stephen Berry

Team 8 Barker

Page 9

The Bulldog Bark

What to Get Your Friends and Family This Season

Having trouble coming up with

gifts for the people on your list?

Here are some gift ideas orga-

nized by interests and hobbies to

help you out!

Gift Ideas For Musicians:

1. Music Songwriting Journal

2. Instrument Accessories

(Pertains to the Instrument)

3. Instrument-Themed T-shirts,

Pillows, Signs, Jewelry, Mugs,

Socks, etc.

Gift Ideas For Cooks and/or

Bakers:

1. Cookie Cutters

2. Cake Decorating Kit

3. Oven Mitts and/or Apron

Gift Ideas For Avid Readers:

1. Bookmarks

2. Books (Some Books For All

Ages Include the Harry Potter

Series, the Charlie Bucket Series,

the

Time

Quintet,

and the

Chroni-

cles of

Narnia)

3. Read-

ing-Themed T-shirts, Pillows,

Signs, Jewelry, Mugs, Socks, etc.

Gift Ideas For Artists:

1. Painting Tools (Such as Paints

or Paint Palettes)

2. Drawing and/or Coloring

Tools (Such as Pencils, Markers,

and Colored

Pencils)

3. Coloring Book

Gift Ideas For Animal Lovers:

1. Animal-Themed T-shirts, Pil-

lows, Signs, Jewelry, Mugs,

Socks, etc. (Could be Custom-

ized if the Person Has a Pet)

2. Animals-Themed Pens, Pen-

cils, Erasers, etc.

3. Pet Toys, Paw Print Impres-

sion Kit, etc. (If the Person Has

a Pet)

Gift Ideas For Device Owners:

1. Earbuds or Headphones

2. Device Case and/or Screen

Protector

3. Tech Gloves

Gift Ideas For Athletes:

1. Training Equipment (Such as

Weights, Agility Ladders, and

Cones)

2. Water Bottle

3. Sports Equipment and Clothes

(Pertains to the Sport)

Gift Ideas For Gardeners:

1. Gardening Gloves

2. Kneeling Pad

3. Seed Balls and/or Seed Paper

By Andi Szwast

Honorary Team 7 Barker

A Holiday Gift Guide

Page 10

The Bulldog Bark

Gift Ideas For Dancers:

1. Dance-Themed T-shirts,

Pillows Signs, Jewelry, Mugs, Socks, etc.

2. Stretching Strap

3. Bun Maker

Gift Ideas For Photographers:

1. Lens Cleaning Kit

2. Selfie Stick and/or Tripod

3. Picture Frames

Gift Ideas For Writers:

1. Thesaurus

2. Journal and/or Notebook

3. Magnetic Poetry

Gift Ideas For Gamers:

1. Mouse Pad

2. Blue Light Blocking Glasses

3. Headphone Stand

If none of the suggestions on this list appeal to you, then you can always give gift cards, checks, or

money. While it may not seem very thoughtful, some people enjoy picking out their own gifts or

saving money to buy something expensive. Happy holidays and good luck finding gifts!

Gifts, Continued

Page 11

The Bulldog Bark

We have THREE Buzzfeed quizzes this edition! Click

on he links belo if o haen done so alread. Hae

fun!

Which Christmas Carol or Song Best

Represents You?

Which Among Us Skin Is

Your Favorite?

Are You More Like

Christmas Or

Thanksgiving?

Written By Andi Szwast, Bella Haydt, and Lauren

Nichols; Quizzes Developed by Melody Lindenmoyer

Team 7 and 8 Barkers

Page 12

The Bulldog Bark

to the end of

the school year. For example, lets say if we were

to total all the snow

days this year, and we

used up five more

than we would be

given. If we didnt

have flexible instruc-

tional days, we would

get an extra week

added to the end of

the school year, or at

the very least, some

of our breaks

throughout the year taken away (like spring

break and so on). But if we use this new pro-

gram, we dont. I rather be able to get out of

school in June on time than be out almost in Ju-

ly!

However, some of us probably miss having snow

days as they were, a day to truly relax and have

fun and not have to worry about school. In the

short term, that is great, and snow days are a

welcome break for all of us. On traditional snow

days, we have more time to ourselves and, if we

want to,

we can sleep ALL DAY! Now that's my type of

day! You get to bundle up

in your warmest, softest

clothes, watch Netflix and

YouTube, and play video

games all day. If you want

to, you can go outside and

play in the snow. You can

also go sledding down a hill,

drink hot chocolate, build

snowmen, and throw snow-

balls at people. The truth is,

though, while it may seem

strange to have to do work now, we can make up

our own schedule. Not only do we not have to

add any school days at the end of the year, but

we can also still enjoy the snow days! If we get

our school work done first thing in the morning,

we have all day to enjoy being outside or playing

games inside. We could also decide to play first

and work later, but as long as we can balance our

time, we can make this new flexible instructional

day work. We can still enjoy the snow if we man-

age our time right. Let it snow!

Top 10 Christmas Songs of 2020

By Aubrey Reinhard

Team 7 Barker

Snow Days, Continued

I know that many of

us have had our fami-

lies play Christmas

music in the car on

the way to get the

Christmas tree. I

wanted to compile a

list of the top ten

Christmas songs of

2020. 2020 may not

have been the best

year, but Christmas cheer has brought at least

some of our year back to normal. Number 10 is

an upbeat Christmas song that Im sure everyone

has heard before. Coming in at number 10 is

Last Christmas

by Wham! Since

1984 this song

has been a hit

across the coun-

try. Number 9 is

an older song

written by Bing

Crosby; this song

is called White

Christmas. Our

number 8 is a very popular song in 1996. Lots of

people enjoy this song while it doesnt have lyr-

ics. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra does an amaz-

ing job with the song

See Page 13, Top Songs

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The Bulldog Bark

Top Songs, Continued

Christmas Eve/Sarajevo. Number 7 is the all

famous song called Its the Most Wonderful

Time of the Year. Andy Williams had created

this song in 1963 and it is still a hit today we have

to give him some credit! Number 6 is a great clas-

sic from the movie Rudolph The Red-Nosed

Reindeer. Number 6 is none other than A Hol-

ly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives. The Spanish sin-

gle Feli Navidad has become one of the

worlds most popular Christmas songs and is

number 5 on the list. In 1956 Bobby Helms re-

leased the song Jingle Bell Rock and it is still a

great Christmas song today which clearly shows

by its high ranking coming in at number 4 on the

list. Number 3 is probably one you havent heard

of yet but it is called The Christmas Song by

Nat King Cole. At just age 13 Brenda Lee re-

leased a great Christmas classic that Im sure eve-

ryone knows. Coming in at number 2 is Rockin

Around The Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee. Last

but certainly not least is All I Want for Christ-

mas is You by Mariah Carey. Mariahs song takes

the top spot every December. This song is so

popular that it reenters the Billboard Hot 100

every December. Well, there you have it: the top

10 Christmas songs of 2020. Go on then go jam

out to Christmas!

Holiday Fun and Games for the Season

By Gabby Lonberger

Team 8 Barker

Here are some fun games to play during the holi-

days this season with your loved ones! All the rules

and equipment and provided with the games de-

scribed below:

Saran Wrap

Ball

How to play:

The rules of the

game are simple:

basically how you

play is you need a group of people you get saran

wrap and multiple gifts like candy, socks, jewelry,

etc. The Saran Wrap ball game is a challenge in

which you unwrap prizes from a large ball of plastic

wrap. The layers are added in such a way that each

treat is more exciting than the one that came before.

The best is saved for last, and the center of the ball

will hold the most exciting or expensive gift. The

first person with the ball starts unwrapping the ball

while the person on their right rolls a pair of dice,

trying to roll doubles.

Once doubles are rolled, the ball is passed to the

next player and the sequence begins again.

The person with the ball does not stop unwrapping

until the person to their right rolls doubles. This

creates an urgency to the game! You want to roll the

dice over and over again as quickly as you can so

you get the ball! You get to keep the treasures you

unwrap! You decide who starts the game. You can

See Page 14, Games

Page 14

The Bulldog Bark

choose to roll the dice or go from youngest to

oldest. Your choice! Feel free to modify the rules

a bit too!

Here are some things you can put inside the sa-

ran wrap ball: candy pieces, candy boxes, gift

cards (small amounts), Matchbox cars, Tic Tacs,

Christmas bell necklace, Christmas earrings,

Christmas Socks, small toys, small card games,

and money.

SECRET SANTA

How to play: a White Elephant gift exchange,

each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift

and places it in a designated area. Guests are giv-

en numbers as they arrive, or their names are

randomly drawn, and they select gifts in that or-

der  with a twist.

On the first turn, the person assigned with #1

picks out a gift and opens it so all can see what it

is. On the second turn, the person assigned with

#2 gets the choice of stealing #1s unwrapped

gift or choosing a wrapped one from the pile. If

#2 steals #1s gift, then #1 must choose and

open a wrapped gift.

As subsequent players take their turns, they ei-

ther select a new gift or take any already opened

gift from any of the other players. Have any

player who has a gift taken away either choose a

new gift or take an already-opened gift from an-

other player.

The game continues with the following rules:

If someone steals your gift, you can steal some-

one elses gift or choose and open a wrapped

one. Continue until everyone has had a turn for a

gift. A turn is ended when an unopened gift has

been opened. A gift can only be stolen once

during a turn. If a gift is taken from someone

during one round, she cannot take it back during

that same round. She can, however, take it back

in a later round if she is in a position to select a

gift. A gift cannot be immediately stolen back

from the player who just stole it. Once a gift has

3 owners, the 3rd owner of a gift gets to keep

it  it is retired and cant be stolen again.

The gift exchange ends when the last wrapped

gift is chosen and opened.

STOCKING GUESSING GAME

How to play: First, you need a host to put ran-

dom items in a stocking. Once it's stuffed, tie a

ribbon or string around the top of the stocking

so that no one can peek. Sit in a circle and pass it

around to let everyone feel what's inside. Give

them note cards so that they can write down

their guesses. The person who guesses the most

correct items wins.

HOLIDAY STORYTELLERS

How to play: Everyone stands in a circle as one

person begins a made up holiday story with one

sentence. Each person after them must recite

what the previous player(s) said and add their

own sentence. If someone forgets a detail while

recalling the whole story, theyre out. The story

keeps building until only one person can recall all

of the details and wins the game.

GIFT WRAP-UP

How to play: Have participants pair off. Tie one

persons right hand to their teammates left hand.

The duos will then attempt to wrap a gift using

their free hands. Have an example gift for every-

one to attempt to duplicate  the harder it is to

create, the funnier. Give a time limit of 13

minutes and then have a judge pick the most ac-

curate gift.

Enjoy some fun this season!

Games, Continued

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Savannahs Comforting Recipes

By Savannah Hall

Team 7 Barker

Simple Comfort Desserts for Winter

Homemade Apple Pie: (5 apples, 5 tsps cinnamon,

3 cups water, 4 tbsps sugar, premade pie crust). Peel

and cut the apples into tiny little pieces. In a pot put

3 cups of water, 5 tsps of cinnamon, 4 tbsps of sugar

and let that boil. Once to a boil put your apples in

and let sit on a lower temperature for

2 hours, check every 30 minutes

Then put in your pie crust and cook

that how the box time and tempera-

ture says. Take out of the oven and

enjoy.

Hot Chocolate Cookies:

(1 cup unsalted sweet

cream butter, ¾ cup light

brown sugar, 2 eggs 1 tsp

pure vanilla, 3 cups flour, ¾ cups hot cocoa mix, 1

tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 cups mini

marshmallows, 1 cup mini chocolate chips). Put your

dry ingredients in a bowl and mix. Put wet ingredi-

ents in another bowl and mix. Then put your wet

ingredients into the dry bowl and mix. Scoop and

put on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-35

minutes.

Hot Chocolate Bombs:

(1 cup of meltable chocolate,

3 tbsp cocoa powder, and 7

mini marshmallows, if de-

sired. Melt the chocolate and

once melted, put onto a sili-

cone baking ball. Once dried,

add your cocoa powder and

marshmallows then dissolve in 16 ounces of hot milk

or water and enjoy. Click here for more details.

Hot Chocolate Cupcakes: Purchase chocolate box

cake and cocoa powder.

Put all the ingredients

that are in the box choc-

olate cake and mix in a

bowl then add a 6 tbsp

of cocoa powder and 2

more tbsps of water.

Click here for more details.

Simple Comfort Dinners for Winter

Macaroni and Cheese: Get a 16

ounce box of elbow noodles, 3

cups shredded cheese, 2 tbsp but-

ter . Put noodles in pot with water

and wait to boil then drain. Put

butter and cheese into the pot

with the noodles mix and enjoy!

Chicken Soup: (1 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion

chopped, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2

carrots peeled and chopped, 1 chopped

rib of celery, 6-8 skinless and boneless

squared boiled chicken thighs, 2 quarts

of chicken stock, 16 ounce of egg noo-

dles, 4 cups water). Put all ingredients

into a pot with a lid and put on a tem-

perature 6 for 20 minutes. Put into a

bowl and enjoy.

Page 16

The Bulldog Bark

The Art of Making Candy Gifts

By Mrs. Jones

Specials Team, FCS Teacher

This past week, we learned the art

of making candy! We have been

talking about budgeting and how

to make good food cheap!

Peppermint bark was first on the

list.

Peppermint Bark Recipe

Ingredients:

 1 bag of chocolate chips, choc-

olate wafer OR chocolate bars

for melting

 1 bag of white chocolate chips,

white chocolate wafers OR

white chocolate bars for melt-

ing

 6 Candy canes

Steps:

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax

paper

2. Powder the candy canes in a

blender or food chopper or

crush with a rolling pin to fine

dust.

3. Heat chocolate in microwave

for 2 mins and stir, folding up

from the bottom. Microwave

in intervals on 15 seconds and

stirring each time until creamy.

4. Spread out in a thin layer no

more than a 1/4 inch on the

cookie sheet.

5. Refrigerate for 15 mins.

6. Do the same with the white

chocolate Spread out evenly

over the dark chocolate.

7. Sprinkle with peppermint dust.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 bag of chocolate chips, chocolate

wafer OR chocolate bars for melt-

ing

Bag of mini pretzels

Sprinkles

Steps:

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax

paper

2. Heat chocolate in microwave

for 2 mins and stir, folding up

from the bottom. Microwave

in intervals on 15 seconds and

stirring each time until creamy.

3. Dip pretzels in the chocolate

and gently shake the extra

chocolate off, place on wax

paper, and decorate with sprin-

kles! Wait until dry and enjoy!

These are easy, CHEAP gifts!

Page 17

The Bulldog Bark

LGBTQ: A Fight Around the World

By Kierra Katen

Team 8 Barker

Globally, the journey for gay rights has been long and

arduous. Although progress has been made, there are

many countries around the world, such as Middle East-

ern and African countries, where same-sex acts bring

upon the death penalty and other harsh, unfair punish-

ments. However, public acceptance is increasing glob-

ally, but certainly there is a long way to go. According

to the most recent research, people in the United

States, India, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, and

Mexico have the largest gains in

public acceptance of gay rights.

The LGBTQ community has

been around for centuries, yet

people didnt classify it as

LGBTQ rather than some-

thing to shrug off or ignore.

There is discrimination through-

out the world with the LGBTQ community, but cer-

tainly, it is not as bad as it used to be. However, I

would like to bring awareness to how certain countries

are currently treating LGBTQ issues.

In Kenya, there is a law punishing gay sex. This law

makes it possible for people to go to jail for up to 14

years. This was soon resolved by The National Gay

and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. In Brunei, it

was a far worse punishment for LGBTQ members.

The small town in Brunei would kill people by stoning.

The ruler enforced this rule and killed any same sex

couples. Taiwan, on the other hand, was one of the

first places to ALLOW same-sex marriage; however,

these couples dont have all the same rights as tradi-

tional heterosexual couples do. For example, same-sex

couples are able to legally adopt. However, they can

only adopt the biological child of their same-sex part-

ner (so-called stepchild adoptions) In China, they used

to have conversion therapy for

LGBTQ members, but over time,

they slowly stopped, and now they

do not force people to go to con-

version camps. Lastly, in Russia,

police violence against LGBTQ

people happened often through the

winter. Over 100 people were re-

ported to be abducted and tortured. A human rights

watch investigation found out that victims were usually

electrocuted and physically beaten. Although the Rus-

sians knew about this, they never investigated it.

As stated previously, there are many strides in the

LGBTQ community, but globally, we have a long way

to go to improve the rights for all. See the map includ-

ed in this article for visual representation on our global

stances of the community.

Winter Watchlist: Recommendations for Streaming

By Melody Lindenmoyer

Team 7 Barker

Technology has become necessary not only for

our learning, but also, for some of our entertain-

ment. With all the restrictions as of late, and now

that the weather is getting colder, it is important to

consider which series and movies we should binge.

I have recommendations listed for each popular

streaming service: Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu.

______________________________________

Netflix- Netflix is a great streaming service that

allows many different genres of movies and shows

to watch. Overall ranking: 4.5 stars. Here are some

of my recommendations to watch on Netflix:

Jingle Jangle- Jingle

Jangle is a great Christ-

mas movie about a for-

mer inventor who had

given up on his dreams

because his former ap-

prentice had stolen his

invention ideas. Well,

not until his imaginative

granddaughter steps in

the picture. The inventor, his new apprentice, his

granddaughter, and his old experiment go on a life

changing adventure to get back his inventions

Page 18

The Bulldog Bark

from his former apprentice. This movie is rated a

4.6/5 stars!

The Christmas Chronicles 2- The Christmas

Chronicles 2 is a sequel to The Christmas Chronicles.

Kate Pierce is now a teenager and is unexpectedly re-

united with Santa when a trouble maker kid threatens

to ruin Christmas forever. The movie has action and

humor mixed into it and is a great movie. This movie

is rated a 3.9/5 stars.

Over the Moon- Over the Moon is a Chinese folk-

lore movie. Its about a girl named Fei Fei whose

mother had died and father had moved on to another

woman. Although her father is able to move on, she

is not. She remembers the story of a woman on the

moon who has found her love forever, and when

they got separated she had waited for him on the

moon forever. Now, Fei Fei is trying to prove that

she is real so he wont move on. So, she builds a

Rocketship to go to the moon and prove shes real.

The movie was rated 4.5.

Outer Banks: Outer Banks is a series about a group

of teens who are in a group called Pogues. They live

in a place called The Cut. A boy apart of the group

has lost his father and him along with everyone else

in the group is determined to find out what had hap-

pened to his dad. Later they find out about a treasure

that is tied with that dad and will help them find him.

This show is rated 4.8.

_______________________________________

Disney Plus- Disney Plus is an app filled with all dif-

ferent sorts of Disney movies and shows. You can

reach things from Star Wars all the way to the Marvel

cinematic movies. Its a great platform to find the

movies you love. I give this

platform a 4.5 rating. Here are

some of my recommenda-

tions to watch on Dis-

ney+:

The Mandalorian: The

Mandalorian is a Star Wars se-

ries about a Mandalorian

who has a child of an un-

known species in his care. He

must return the child, but

knows no information about the child. They go on

many adventures throughout the series meet many

knew people to help out and not help. This show I

would rate a 4.8.

Avatar: No, I am not talking about Avatar the last

Airbender OR Avatar Legend of Kora, I am talking

about the alien species Avatar movie. Avatar is about

a man named Jake whos planet, Earth, is so full of

pollution they have to evacuate. They then have

found a planted filled with giant blue aliens named

Atari. Jake, along with the rest of the people on the

planet have to have Avatars that look like the Atari to

blend in. So, throughout the movie, we follow Jake

and his friends and learn about the Atari. This movie

is rated a 4.6.

_______________________________________

Hulu- Hulu is a app where you can watch various

different movies. What is nice about Hulu is you can

watch shows that are currently on network television

(not just older shows). This platform overall is rated a

4/5.

The Addams Family: The Addams Family is an ad-

aptation of the original Addams Family. You follow

the weird and wacky Addams family. They have

moved into a new town that isnt what they are used

to. Its bright and colorful, the exact opposite of what

they are used to. Watch as they adapt to this new

town and the town adapts to them. I would rate this a

3.6/5.

Missing Link: Missing Link is an adaptation for hu-

man evolution. The missing link really means the half

way point between humans and their start. The actual

movie is about an investigator who has found a big

foot like creature and helps him find his cousins the

abominable snow people. Watch as they follow their

adventure. This is rated a 4.1.

Abominable: Abominable follows a teenage girl

named Yi who has found a you Yeti on her roof. She

names the yeti Everest and the go on a quest to find

Everest family. It has magical creatures and magic in

general. This movie was rated 4.6.

During this winter break, I hope you find a new series

or movie to enjoy!

Page 19

The Bulldog Bark

Thanksgiving Football Facts

By Grady Newhard

Team 7 Barker

As our Thanksgiving break has just wrapped

up and our winter break is upon us, you

might be wondering about what you're

thankful for. I'm thankful for my friends,

family, dog, and the

great game of foot-

ball. And as you

know, football is a

huge deal on thanks-

giving. Of course you

have the Lions al-

ways playing or the

Cowboys, but Id like

to tell you some facts that you might not

know about Football and its history on

Thanksgiving:

 The Easton vs Phillipsburg game has been

played every year since starting in 1905.

 The Jacksonville Jaguars have never played on

Thanksgiving.

 Ernie Nevers holds the record for most touch-

downs scored with 6

 The Green Bay Packers hold the most losses on

Thanksgiving with a whopping 18.

 Troy Aikman holds the record

for most passing yards on this day

with 455.

 The Minnesota Vikings hold the

highest win percentage on Thanks-

giving with an all time record of 5-1.

 The Miami Dolphins are the on-

ly team to win a turkey day game

and a Super Bowl in the same year.

 The Dallas Cowboys started playing on

Thanksgiving in 1966 while they were still in

the AFL.

I hope you enjoyed these facts and you en-

joyed your holidays spending it with the

ones you love and the ones you care about.

10 Fun Facts About Penguins

By Kierra Katen

Team 8 Barker

1: When swimming penguins can jump out

of the water, this is called porpoising.

2: The light front and dark back tuxedo-like

coloration of classic

penguin plumage is

called countershad-

ing.

3: Penguins are carni-

vores; they eat all

their food from the

sea. They eat things

like shrimp, fish, and

crabs.

4: Penguins see better underwater than

above water, so they can see their prey bet-

ter.

5: The Emperor penguin is the largest spe-

cies of penguin, standing 48 inches tall, and

weighing 90 pounds.

6: Penguins are highly social birds; they

usually stick in breeding groups

called rookiers.

7: Emperor and King penguins

do not make nests for their eggs;

rather, they incubate in their legs

for two months.

8: Depending on the breed of

penguin, they can live from 15 to

20 years.

9: Penguins live 75 percent of their life in

the sea.

10: Penguins live all around the southern

hemisphere, not just in Antarctica.

Page 20

The Bulldog Bark

Picture Perfect Moments...

All Photographed by

Samantha Mack

Team 7 Barker

Page 21

The Bulldog Bark

Picture Perfect Moments...

Student Councils Food Drive

Page 22

The Bulldog Bark

Bulldog Winter Happenings...

Snow Da Art/Photograph in Mrs. Franks Art Class

Chocolate Covered Pretzels (and other decadent

holida treats) were made in Mrs. Jones FCS class!

Just so you know,

Leah, Mrs. Dunham

relates to wanting to

lounge in a beach

chair and drink iced

coffee in more ways

than you realize!

Page 23

The Bulldog Bark

Letter from the Advisor

Are you ready for Winter Break? I think we all deserve and very much need the rest. It certainly

goes without saying that hybrid and virtual learning have been quite a challenging endeavor.

There have been countless adjustments and learning curves throughout this school year for ad-

ministrators, teachers, staff, parents, and students. We are all working tirelessly to try to make

this new approach to education work, although it has not

been an easy feat. We had to learn how to become more

self-disciplined, structured, organized, and motivated in or-

der to be as successful as we can be. Despite the obstacles

that this virus has imposed on our lives, we have truly

achieved greatness. I think many of us often feel we arent

able to be our best selves under the current conditions, but

truthfully, we deserve a lot more credit than we give our-

selves! I am hoping that as we embark on the new year, that

we take the time to honor and celebrate our accomplish-

ments, no matter how big or small.

The Bulldog Bark serves to represent students voices at

Northern Lehigh, so speak up! The Bulldog Bark is always

looking for more Barkers to add to the pack; even if you

would like to contribute to just one issue.

This paper serves to represent all of us. If you have any ar-

ticle ideas or are interested in writing at any point, please

see me in Room 30 or send me an e-mail:

[email protected]. Also, if you are a talented

artist/photographer, I would love for you to feature your

artwork/photography! We have plenty of room to show off

your skills!

I would like again acknowledge my awesome 2020-2021 Bulldog Bark pack. Theyre a fantastic

group!

Stephen Berry, Savannah Hall, Bella Haydt, Kierra Katen, Melody Lindenmoyer,

Emily Mack, Samantha Mack, Anayis Martir, Grady Newhard, Lauren Nichols,

Aubrey Reinhard, Landon Rosado, and Andi Szwast

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Come back from the break recharged!

-Mrs. Dunham