Dashing Through the Snow

Students and teachers are excited for Christmas break, but the majority will not be going very far away to celebrate. Some are celebrating Christmas with their families at home, while others are traveling to New York City or other areas close by.

One of the students who is going away, junior Austin Tousaw, will experience New York City while visiting almost all of his family. He is mainly excited to not have to go to school. Senior Amanda Hand will also be in NYC, spending her vacation with her grandparents and a few aunts and uncles.

Freshman Sneha Dontha is going to see her dad's family in New Jersey.
Juniors Deborah Toscano and Stephanie Mannion are also planning to go away, with Toscano going to Long Island to see her extended family and Mannion to Binghamton where she will play in a basketball tournament with the Varsity Girls Basketball team. Toscano is excited to see her family during the break, which is a family tradition. Mannion says she has been excited for her basketball tournament for a long time now.

Many of all grades plan to stay in Syracuse. Freshman Alexis Cantor is celebrating Christmas at home with only her immediate family. Cantor also will have her basketball tournament two days after Christmas. At home as well, senior Russell Runions will spend his vacation with grandparents, aunts and uncles. Runions is excited for sledding. Junior Megan Gillson is spending Christmas break with her entire mom's side of the family, like she does during all holidays. She is excited for the food and loves the joyous feeling of Christmas in general. Like Gillson, sophomore Emily O'Brien will be seeing her extended family when they come to her house over break. She is excited for the chocolate cake she knows they will be having and to see her aunts and uncles. Hannae Lee, a sophomore, is looking forward to the days off and for her brother to come home from Cornell University. Junior Peter Drescher thinks some of his cousins may come up to visit, all of whom he doesn't see often. Aside from seeing his cousins, he also excited to receive presents on Christmas morning. Junior Amanda Pauls is just looking forward to sleeping over break.

Students are doing a variety of activities over break. Like Runions, sophomore Michaela Molesso is also going sledding and looks forward to being able to play in the snow on Christmas. TJ Pappas, also a sophomore, plans to go on every ride in Disney World, where he will spend his break. Freshman Kaleya Scott is excited to open up the many presents she says she will receive. Matt Bonaccio, sophomore, will be snowboarding throughout the week of Christmas break. Hand hopes a few of her presents will help her out financially. "This Christmas, I may get enough money to get the rest my car paid for," Hand says.

The majority of the staff at Jamesville- DeWitt High School is planning to go away, but for a variety of different reasons. Jackie Wheeler, high school secretary, and Paul Gasparini, principal of J-DHS, will each visit family over the break. Mr. Gasparini is going to Albany to see his wife's family. Wheeler will go to see extended family in Rochester, and will spend Christmas Eve with her parents in Gouvenerneur. Anne Vieau, secretary in the guidance office, is staying at home with her family, where her son will come home from medical school at Virginia Tech. Barbara Sher, who is the teacher assistant in the computer lab, is going further away than all others over the break. She will see her son and daughter in Las Vegas, where each of them are currently living. Mrs. Sher says that it will be her birthday when she leaves for Vegas. English teacher Courtney Romeiser and physics teacher Patrick Ferrick will be seeing their families and close friends. Ferrick says he will be visiting Buffalo, N.Y. to spend time with family and catch up with his old high school peers. Romeiser says she will get some sleep and looks forward to spending time with her friends. She will have to grade papers, too.