One more week to go till winter break! Despite the late starts with snow (kind of) and ice last week, things don’t slow down much at SMA right before the holidays. Last week I participated in my first mini-mock trial at Multnomah County Courthouse, which was great. I’ve been taking the mock trial class after school since the beginning of the year, and I really liked seeing how all of my teams work and preparation came together.

This week during TA we are putting together our Christmas baskets. Every year each TA is matched up with a family in need, for whom we compile presents and grocery type items, which we then deliver to the family the day before getting out for break. It's a fun and communal way to give back to our community, one that I'm glad SMA has in place.

I’ve heard that these two weeks before winter break are the worst of the year for juniors, and I believe it! I've been incredibly busy writing multiple research papers, completing several other large projects, memorizing speeches and taking tons of tests. I'm so excited for the break, and it will be nice to come back to school in January well rested and prepared to finish up the semester. Wishing you all a happy holiday!