A MESSAGE FROM MR. YANEZ's advisory class

by MR. YANEZ'S ADVISORY STUDENTS

Contributing writers

It is always good to have a break from your studies, to just relax from the stress of regular classes. Advisory is a class where you can sit back, still learn, and have fun! In Mr. Yanez’s advisory, we’ve become closer as a class and developed some funny moments to help release some of the stress created by online school. Our class is very diverse as we have people from different backgrounds which contributes to our unique class.

On the first few days of school, we got to learn about some of our classmates. One of our students Bashir shared how he learned to cut his own hair over the summer during the quarantine. So Bashir's barbershop is the place you should go to get the freshest cut! We also learned about Wint who is our ice cream specialist. She talked about how she worked at an ice cream shop with her parents and shared with us some secret flavors that we have never heard of like pistachio ice cream. How delicious! While learning about our students we happened to hear Sr. Yanez lab retriever dog, Milo, barking in the background. Even though he is not a student we learned that Milo does not like the mailman because the mailman disturbs him by coming to the door.

We also learned more about our teacher Sr. Yanez. He mentioned to us how he loves to get sesame bagels from Einstein Bros. He likes double toasted sesame bagels and eats them with plain cream cheese. Next, we have our nail specialist Eileen who said she has mastered nail painting and all types of nail crafts. We also have our bitmoji specialist Stella, she has made multiple bitmojis and even made one for Mr. Yanez makes her “the bitmojis”. Our class is well rounded as we have many athletes like Ben, Bereket, and Farshid. Ben is an athlete who can jump extremely high, Bereket is as fast as the wind, and Farshid is ridiculously strong.

As a class, we come together to support each other when going through tough times. Like when one of our classmates Wint said she was stressed and wasn’t having a good day. We cheered her up and started a hashtag called #strongWint to make her feel better and show our support for her.

Although this pandemic took the time we had with most of our friends, teachers and family away, we still have time to take in what we have with this advisory class to relax and have a less stressful time with classmates and teachers alike! We are thankful for our teachers and staff that work hard to give us our education and they thank us for listening and learning although it may be difficult at times. With this advisory class we take the time to appreciate and respect all who are here and persevere to learn!

HOW TO WRAP YOUR HOLIDAY PRESENTS

by CALLIE PETIT

Staff writer

The holidays are coming up, so that means time with family, making a variety of wonderful foods, helping others, and presents! Wrapping gifts can be very difficult, but it doesn’t have to be! Here is an easy step-by-step on how to wrap presents without the hassle.

Why you should shop small this holiday season

by RILEY GRANT

Creative and visual director

Supporting local and small businesses has always been important, but the COVID-19 crisis has made it even more necessary to shop locally. The pandemic has caused a large number of small businesses to close due to fewer customers and available employees, in fact, the Washington Post projects that over 100,000 small businesses have permanently closed since COVID-19 first swept across the U.S. Shopping locally supports the community and has even been proven to be better for the environment by reducing customer’s carbon footprint. Check out these small businesses in northern Virginia to spice up your gift-giving this holiday season.

Small businesses give back to the community and depend on their customers more now than ever, so grab a mask, and shop small this holiday season.

The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe in the U.S.

by Jamie O'Donnell

Staff writer

Every winter I can remember, my mom has always made the best hot chocolate. I’ve never thought to ask and see exactly how she makes it until now. It turns out that all you need is one crockpot and a total disregard for your health.

To start, you’ll need to gather your ingredients and a crockpot. This recipe calls for:

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

• 6 cups whole milk

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk

• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Combine the cocoa, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and chocolate chips in the crockpot. It may mix together faster if you heat up the milk beforehand, but it will all dissolve eventually with enough time.

2. Put the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for about two hours or until you think it’s sufficiently warm and mixed together.

3. Add any toppings that you’d like! This recipe can serve at least ten people, so be sure to share a warm cup of hot chocolate with your friends and family!

Helpful Technology Tricks for virtual learning

by ALLISON ADYE

Lifestyles editor

Virtual learning has proven to be a challenge for both teachers and students. Computers, which we now rely on fully, are incredibly complex things that are difficult to operate. Everyone who has had to deal with virtual learning in some way or another, whether that be a student, teacher, or parent can relate to the frustration and hopelessness that comes with dealing with technology. Here are some tech tips designed to make your technology filled lives easier.

Restart your computer:

The creators of Dell, the computer given to all FCPS students to use during the school year, recommend that Dell computers should be restarted at least once a day. This helps the computer stay fast and updated to its fullest potential. Restarting doesn’t take longer than a minute or two. In order to restart a Dell computer, look in the bottom left corner of the screen. You will see a small slanted square divided into four sections. Simply press the square, press the power button, and press the restart option.

Connect your airpods:

It gets extremely annoying to deal with wires and having to carry your computer around with you every time you want to get up to get a glass of water or a notebook. Being able to move around freely while still listening to a call may seem like a little victory, but it makes a big difference.

“During online school I like to use my earbuds more than my airpods,” says sophomore Sofia Ielmini. “It allows me to stand up and get notebooks or other materials without having to take them out.”

On a Dell computer, there is a search bar directly to the left of the slanted square divided into four parts. If you type “bluetooth” into the search bar, an option reading “Bluetooth and other device settings” will pop up. Click on it. An option will pop up saying “Add bluetooth device.” Click on it. Make sure your airpods are not connected to anything, then open them, hold them two inches to the left of the computer, and press the white button on the back. This will connect your airpods to the computer.

Use your resources:

Computers can give you answers to almost any random question in less than a second with a quick Google search. This applies to technology issues as well, your computer can teach you how to fix itself if you look in the right places! Youtube is a phenomenal resource to learn how to deal with your computer’s technology issues. Make sure to search your computer's "symptoms" to get accurate results.

“I didn’t know how to use a program called dochub so I found a youtube video explaining everything,” says sophomore Julia Tredeau. “It was fast and easy, the creator of the video was great!”

At first glance, learning how to use complex technology such as a computer may seem impossible, but hopefully this article has shown that it is not only doable, but relatively easy as well!