Dear Friends,
Saturday, February 2 was Groundhog Day. Then we had a couple of 60 degree days. Finally, classes were cancelled Thursday: Carmel Clay Schools were on delay for the dense fog. We cancel classes whenever Carmel Clay Schools delay or cancelled. Check this webpage or our Facebook Pages. You can get a jump on things by watching the morning news, checking Carmel Clay Schools on Twitter or the Carmel Clay Schools homepage. Also, I try to send out an email as soon as I know. This email may go into your spam filter or may not get to you. Regardless, we missed meeting together.
Thursday is Valentine's Day. Your children may be celebrating in their classroom. Teachers will tell you whether to put individual student names on the Valentines or if your child should just sign his or her name. Older children practice sorting when they address cards to specific classmates. Younger children practice writing their name! Pick up Valentine cards at any department or discount store. They shouldn't be too expensive. Many students include a small snack or treat. you can add a Hershey's kiss, a sucker or lollipop, individually wrapped sweets. Finally, older students may give gifts and cards to several of their close friends. Middle and high school student organizations offer single flowers for sale for sweethearts to give that also are fundraisers for good causes. Valentine's Day isn't just for sweethearts, it's for everyone!
American Culture and English lesson for the week:
Watch this two minute video first:
This digital only ad takes the words of the Star Spangled Banner and interprets the words into current American culture. Can you guess the words being portrayed?
Here are the lyrics:
Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
This is a fun and interesting interpretation. Could you tell which words matched the picture? Keep your eyes open...did you see my Jeep?
More about this ad in particular can be seen here: Forbes Jeep's Digital Only Ad...New Super Bowl Strategy. This article tells that there are more than 106 million views of this YouTube versus the approximately 98 million Americans watching the game (and how many of those were busy doing other things rather than watching?)! Now you just watched and added to the views...Do you think this strategy worked?
Indy Summer Planning
It may feel too cold to be thinking about summer, but camp registrations are opening up. Here's a short list to get you started discovering adventures for you and your family.
Young Writers Camp: Butler University helps our young authors explore
Connor Prairie Kids Camp gets the kids outdoor all day canoeing, ziplining, horseback riding, swimming, making ice cream, making crafts, exploring Connor Prairie while making friends.
Indianapolis Art Center has classes for everyone and every age
Prairie Pursuits are classes for adults and teens. They have some really interesting classes like blacksmithing, raising backyard chickens, traditional woodworking and more.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100
As we read and discussed Chapter 11 of the Gospel of John, the story of Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, we found ourselves talking about a couple of interesting English idioms. After Jesus gave sight to the man who had been blind from birth, public sentiment toward him was divided. Many believed he was the Messiah sent by God. Others labeled him a blasphemer who was falsely claiming to be God. The tension was rising. Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem to return to the area where John the Baptist had previously spent time preaching.
Then a messenger arrived, informing Jesus that his friend Lazarus was deathly ill. Did Jesus rush back to the little village near Jerusalem where Lazarus lived, in order to heal him? No, he waited.
He waited long enough that by the time he arrived, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. Although Jesus knew the danger involved, he called Lazarus forth from the grave and restored his life.
This, in many ways, was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” or “the last straw.”
Wikipedia explains: The idiom "the straw that broke the camel's back", alluding to the proverb "it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back", describes the seemingly minor or routine action that causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, because of the cumulative effect of small actions. This gives rise to the phrase "the last straw" or "the final straw", meaning the last in a line of unacceptable occurrences, provoking a seemingly sudden strong reaction.
When the Jewish leaders realized the impact of this latest miracle performed by Jesus, they started making plans to kill him. They were afraid that if the people began to believe in Jesus and follow his teachings, it could bring about the end of their religious structure and perhaps even the end of Israel as a nation. ~ Jan Heimann
February 12: Join us as we discuss John 12.
International Friends: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100
We played dice games to help combat cabin fever. We played Farkle and a garden game using a pair of die. Just in case you didn't get enough of these types of games, check out the A to Z List of Dice Games where you can look at hundreds of games and print the directions all for free! We had a great discussion about "fruit" and "vegetables" and their definition in their home countries. We discovered that fruit usually means a sweet, dessert kind of thing or a vegetable that is used as a part of a main dish. We found out that in China they use the pink part of a watermelon as a fruit and the white or green part close to the skin as an accompaniment to shrimp in a stir fry.
Playing games is a great way to have fun and enjoy casual conversation.
February 12: Let's make Valentine treats for our sweeties. We will enrobe cookies (Bring Oreos or a similar size cookie. We experimented with crackers and cereal at the cooking test with great results. maybe pretzels?) or fruit in chocolate and vanilla. We will enjoy a little fondue while we work. Bring something you would like to dip in chocolate like fruit, or marshmallows, or crackers, or pretzels, or pickles, goldfish, or...you decide1
Parents with Children: Thursdays, 9:00 through 11:30
Join us to read a valentine story with your children. After you return to your English class, we will continue the party with fun games and crafts designed to help your children develop physical skills that are helpful in life and prepare them for school. This week's activities include gross motor and counting playing hop scotch. Fine motor card making. Prewriting exercises as well as tracing and writing. Color and size sorting and identification.
If you would like copies of the hand outs, please see Carolyn or stop by the classroom
Vocabulary
digital only: something that appears only on the internet
dense: thick, heavy (I was late to work because of the dense traffic.)
Star Spangled Banner: the anthem of the United States
lyrics: words in a song
portrayed: interpreted in a picture either visually or in words
interpretation: a creative representation
approximately: about, not a precise number
views: when something is watched or seen on line they call it a view; you can view a painting, movie, beautiful scenery, etc.
strategy: plan of action
idiom: an expression whose meaning is not predictable from the usual meanings of its constituent elements, as kick the bucket or hang one's head, or from the general grammatical rules of a language
public sentiment: an attitude or opinion of the people toward something
blasphemer: one who speaks irreverently of God or sacred things
cumulative: increasing or growing by accumulation or successive additions
public sentiment: an attitude or opinion of the people toward something
blasphemer: one who speaks irreverently of God or sacred things
cumulative: increasing or growing by accumulation or successive additions
cabin fever: when you get sick of being stuck in the house.
kind of thing: for example
main dish: the main food of a meal
accompaniment: to go with or complement something
enrobe: cover or coat
a little fondue: when we use "little" like this (in this context) we are implying (indicating; saying) a simple and small amount often used in a party setting (for example: a little black dress ((LBD)) is a cocktail dress that is short but not too fancy or trendy).
No comments:
Post a Comment