CASTLEGAR NEWS CHRISTMAS EDITION

The Christmas story’

By MARCY PEREPOLKIN
Grade6
Tarrys Elementary

Christmas is a joyous.

time of the season. People all
over the world celebrate the
birth of Jesus Christ, Most
people believe that Jesus was
born on Dec. 25,

Many people take part in
religious ceremonies’ usually
on Christmas Eve, Christ-
mas, New Year's Eve or New
Year's Day. People exchange
gifts and they usually dec-
orate their homes with
Christmas trees, mistletoe
and holly.

This Christmas story
comes from the Bible. (Luke

. 2and Matthew 1-2) Luke tells

a beautiful story about shep-
herds who were watching
their flocks when an angel
had appeared to them and
had told everyone that a
Savior had been born in
Bethlehem. These shepherds
went to Bethlehem fo see the
newborn baby named Jesus.

Thousands of pilgrims

visit Bethlehem to this day. an

Matthew tells us how
the three wise men followed
a bright star until it led them
to Bethlehem, where the new
Savior had been born. The

three wise men gave Jesus
gifts of gold, myrrh and
frankincense. Si

The custom of exchang-
ing gifts began when the
three wise men brought gifts
to Jesus. In some countries,
small children believe that
their gifts come from a bis-
hop named St. Nicholas, but
in other countries, children
believe that the three wise
men bring ‘gifts to them.

But the most joyous gift

Siver is Santa Claus. This
jolly fellow seems to set a
mood of happiness and real
good cheer dt Christmastime!

Merry Christmas!

College
Castlegar Campus

David
Thompson
‘University

Community

Education

Voca-¥
tional

Service

Division,

Ri OR OC ON Oh COD

Mystery
-of the
shining star

Late on Christmas Eve I saw

a bright light shining in the
sky %
That people say was a falling
star
- That got me worried

It shone so brightly it hurt’

my eyes

And I could not look any
more

Then I heard the story of
Christmas

That, sent my worrjes away!

A Joyous Christmas and

A Prosperous New Year
__ From the Faculty and Staff of

Na hai

Wi CSLLEG

Loves teaches

a timely lesson

By JOHN POPOFF .
Grade7

Kinnaird Junior Secondary

.When I woke up the
‘view from. my window
showed me it was another
crisp, white morning. I got
dressed and-as I walked to-
wards where I kept the day's
homework, I realized it was
the day-of my Christmas
holidays.

In the distancé I could
hear my mom calling, “break-
fast.” :

As! ate, my mom gently
broke the news to me that
my brat cousin was coming to
visit. My reply was, “You
mean that. ° my words
hung in silence as I left the
table, remembering the last
time he visited us. He talked
back to his parents continu-
ally. He never made any
effort to be good.

Two months later, we
got a letter from his parents

that Jason was in reform ° to

school.

I went to the closet and
put on some old outdoor

, clothes.

Walking outside, 1

walked a few feet from the’

door and just stood. After a
while I started walking
around the yard. Finally,
after walking a few minutes,
I decided to go in.

T went in and took off my
old outdoor clothes, Then
walking into the living room,
I sat down by the newly-
decorated Christmas tree. _

. Looking out the window,
Isaw acar drive in. Instantly
I called out, “Mom, they're
here!” She walked up to the
door and was ready to greet
them. The bell rang, Mom
opened the door and there
stood a boy about my size
followed by a nurse.

The nurse thanked us for

: letting Jason stay with us

and then she was on her way.
After the nurse left,
Jason and I talked for a

.while. My talk with Jason

was shallow and boring and I

~could tell from the very start

he had an act on, i
-The days were I

* i
we hardly did a thing-and my

guilt was constantly growing.

The next day was the
last shopping day before
Christmas so this gave me
reason to ask for money to
buy Jason a gift.

The day came and in no
time we were in town. Dad
and Jason went shopping for
our gifts and Mom and I for
theirs.

We chose an alarm clock
for dad and for Jason a brand
new pair of skates. (I had the
same shoe size as Jason).

We came home and the
first thing we did was put the
Presents under the Christ-
mas tree, after that we went

bed.

I woke up and walked
into the living room to find
Dad, Jason and Mom waiting
in the living room for me.

After everyone had
opened their presents, it was
Jason's turn. He raised the
box carefully then ripping
the paper off, he slowly
opened the box. At first
glance, a burst of tears came
down his cheeks,“ then a
clutter of words which I could
best make out to be “Since I
left my parents, I never got
skates or anything like this, I
could always borrow but they
were never mine.”

‘The act was gone and so _

was all the fear bottled up
inside: of him.

I think this miracle
would have never happened
if it took place in another
season or time, It's a mixture

of the Christmas spirit and .

love that made it happen.

Our holiday ‘spectacular features
Jolly St. Nick who joins us in beaming
warmhearted greetings of the season to you!

DCL OLA OL TL

365-535)

1 60 - 23rd St., Castlegar

Sara learns the true
meaning of Christmas

One day a girl named

Sara was walking home from

school. Sara was happy be-
cause the ‘Christmas holidays
had started and Sara loved
giving presents.

When Sara was just
about home she saw spots of
blood everywhere, She fol-
lowed the blood in a rather
scared manner until she saw
what it was. She quickly
dropped her books and went
running up to the animal.

It was a baby fawn

. which looked sick and hun-
-grey. Sara looked in. her

lunch-kit and gave the fawn a
sandwich. As the fawn was

eating Sara took her coat off |

and put it on the fawn,

Soon after Sara’ ran
home as fast as she could.
She burst in the door yelling,
“Dad, Dad! I found a hurt
deer in the bushes, help me
go and get it!”

Sara’s father ran with
her until they came to the
wounded deer. He carefully
picked it up and took it home.
When they got home they fed
the deer and bandaged him
up. Then they put him by the
fireplace so that he would get
warm. Soon he fell asleep.

The next day Sara
begged and begged her par-
ents to keep the little deer.

ic bss

But they refused. They said
they would keep the fawn
until it got better.

Days and days went by
until it was Christmas Eve.
Sara's parents let the deer go
(at least that's what Sara
thought).

Sara went up to her-
room and looked where she
had hidden the presents for
her family. She took them out
of their place and put them
under the tree. But somehow
she wasn’t in the Christmas
Spirit today. She went to bed
early but didn’t sleep well.

When she got up the

* next morning‘she ran down-

atairs‘to open’ her presents,
Her mother and father were

up. When she got to the tree*

she couldn't believe her eyes!
The fawn was lying under the
tree.

Sara opened the rest of
the presents but the fawn
was the best present of all.

Sara called the fawn
LOVE because it was the gift
of love and. Christmas is a
time for loving and sharing
which Sara liked the best of

IL.

City Council
| & Staff
of the

City of Castlegar
extend best wishes
for the Festive Season
to all of our residents.

Drive carefully . . . and

{|
\

ip

wae I nthe warm spirit of good
fellowship and this Christmas
season, we offer our gratitude
to our many friends.

POZDROWLAEM WAS

§-ROZDESTWOM CHRESTOWOM -

A todos 0 Portugeses
um Festa felize um
ano alegre

Oglow’s. Paint & Wallcoverings Ltd.

Castlegar

"Way all
the waunth,
the joy