It’s Ava Kahn, your news editor for the 2023-2024 school year! Happy December! I hope your semester has been going well. As we get closer to the end of first semester, make sure to stay on top of your work and check in with your teachers when needed. Keep up the hard work! I hope you all get to spend time outside this month, even in the cold, for some sledding, skiing and fun!

As winter sports begin, don’t forget to show up and support your fellow spartans. Make sure to check out our articles about the upcoming sport seasons and our updates from the girls swimming state qualifiers! Also make sure to check out our reviews of the Nutcracker, Priscilla movie, and new music albums as they are released. Discover gift ideas for the holiday season and updates on the VPM student council. Learn about Ukraine updates,concrete, and more in the news section! Finally, read opinions about holiday music, and the length of winter break? There are a lot of awesome articles to read this month so make sure to check them out. Have a great December!

P.S. If you want to write for the Sword & Shield, please join our Google Classroom (code: awjii5f) to receive meeting announcements and instructions. We meet every Monday at the start of lunch in the photo lab.