It looks like March decided to go out like a fluffy white lamb here in Indiana! Don’t worry, everyone who is having a staycation...we are back up in the sixties before the week is out. Wear your sunscreen.
See you April 9 and 11.
Saturday, March 30, 2019
March Madness
Happy Spring Break!
It looks like March decided to go out like a fluffy white lamb here in Indiana! Don’t worry, everyone who is having a staycation...we are back up in the sixties before the week is out. Wear your sunscreen.
See you April 9 and 11.
It looks like March decided to go out like a fluffy white lamb here in Indiana! Don’t worry, everyone who is having a staycation...we are back up in the sixties before the week is out. Wear your sunscreen.
See you April 9 and 11.
Saturday, March 23, 2019
It is Spring!
Hello Friends!
Hello Spring! It is finally, officially here with the vernal equinox (spring 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of dark) and with a super moon (when a full moon is close to the earth; we had three in a row in 2019). Did you get to see the beauty? It isn't warm, yet. Good news, though. The vultures are back! When they return it is a sure sign of spring.
The warning sirens were going off here in Carmel on Friday at 11:00 am while I was writing this Update. As we wrap up national severe weather week, it is important to understand weather service vocabulary:
Fair warning: the Carmel Marathon is next weekend. There will be road closures all morning, so plan your travels and errands. Check out the map here.
English Learning Tip
Forgetting is a part of learning. Label everything to jog your memory. Use Post It Notes to label things in your home. You can use different colors to label categories (green for electrical, blue for water, yellow for furniture, etc.). When you make flash cards, draw pictures instead of writing the work in your home language: you skip the translation step and file the word directly with the object or action.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
In the 17th chapter of John we read the longest recorded prayer of Jesus, which, if read aloud, would take approximately three and a half minutes to complete. Jesus spoke this prayer somewhere along the path that took him and his disciples from the upper room, where he had celebrated the Lord’s Supper with them and had washed their feet, to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas Iscariot would soon betray him. The prayer can be divided into three parts. In the first part Jesus prays for himself, that he would bring glory to God by finishing the work of salvation God had given him, and thus to receive glory from his Father. In part two Jesus prays for his disciples. He asks his Father to protect them from the evil one and to sanctify them through his word, which is truth. In the final section of his Farewell Prayer Jesus prays for all people that believe in him, that they would be united in their love for God and share the joy of God’s love for them. What a beautiful prayer Jesus offered on our behalf! It seems even more poignant when we consider the suffering and death he was about to endure for our sakes.
March 26: We will read Chapter 18, which is the beginning of the story of Jesus’ Passion. Please join us!
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
This week we talked about severe weather (and listened to the sirens) and what defensive actions we need to take to keep ourselves safe.
We took a tour of the church to learn some basic building vocabulary and fixes for simple problems. Surprisingly, our first stumper was light switch! We were all pretty surprised that we did not know the English name of this commonly used part of our homes. We laughed because we all know what a garbage disposal is, but not a faucet! By the way, there are a number of easy fixes for your disposal...wait call me first so I can charge you for service call plus a travel surcharge. We talked about GFI outlets (which, by the way, I had to check mine because my outdoor outlets wouldn't work), and fuses in breaker boxes and water mains.
March 26: Join us as we compare translators on line. It is another one of those hilarious classes where you learn a lot about languages and how they are used because of the odd mistakes.
English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30
Thank you, Friends for giving our staff time to meet this Thursday. We had a very productive meeting talking about our classes and how to serve you better both now and next year. And yes, we are already looking forward to our summer meet ups and starting our classes next fall.
March 28: Join us for our last six weeks of classes.
Parents with Children: Thursdays during our English Classes
Our children learned the story of the Princess and the Pea. This classic fairy tale is so fun to read or listen to and watch on You Tube. We made crafts, counted mattresses and even tried to see if we could feel pea under a pile of pillows and if we were real princesses!
March 28: Jack and the Beanstalk is our fairy tale on the 28th.
Hello Spring! It is finally, officially here with the vernal equinox (spring 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of dark) and with a super moon (when a full moon is close to the earth; we had three in a row in 2019). Did you get to see the beauty? It isn't warm, yet. Good news, though. The vultures are back! When they return it is a sure sign of spring.
The warning sirens were going off here in Carmel on Friday at 11:00 am while I was writing this Update. As we wrap up national severe weather week, it is important to understand weather service vocabulary:
- watch means "watch out" for bad weather and be ready for changing conditions but go about your daily business
- warning means that the bad weather is upon you (for example, if there is a tornado warning, severe weather is occurring and a tornado has been spotted by weather watchers) so take cover
Fair warning: the Carmel Marathon is next weekend. There will be road closures all morning, so plan your travels and errands. Check out the map here.
English Learning Tip
Forgetting is a part of learning. Label everything to jog your memory. Use Post It Notes to label things in your home. You can use different colors to label categories (green for electrical, blue for water, yellow for furniture, etc.). When you make flash cards, draw pictures instead of writing the work in your home language: you skip the translation step and file the word directly with the object or action.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
In the 17th chapter of John we read the longest recorded prayer of Jesus, which, if read aloud, would take approximately three and a half minutes to complete. Jesus spoke this prayer somewhere along the path that took him and his disciples from the upper room, where he had celebrated the Lord’s Supper with them and had washed their feet, to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Judas Iscariot would soon betray him. The prayer can be divided into three parts. In the first part Jesus prays for himself, that he would bring glory to God by finishing the work of salvation God had given him, and thus to receive glory from his Father. In part two Jesus prays for his disciples. He asks his Father to protect them from the evil one and to sanctify them through his word, which is truth. In the final section of his Farewell Prayer Jesus prays for all people that believe in him, that they would be united in their love for God and share the joy of God’s love for them. What a beautiful prayer Jesus offered on our behalf! It seems even more poignant when we consider the suffering and death he was about to endure for our sakes.
March 26: We will read Chapter 18, which is the beginning of the story of Jesus’ Passion. Please join us!
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
This week we talked about severe weather (and listened to the sirens) and what defensive actions we need to take to keep ourselves safe.
We took a tour of the church to learn some basic building vocabulary and fixes for simple problems. Surprisingly, our first stumper was light switch! We were all pretty surprised that we did not know the English name of this commonly used part of our homes. We laughed because we all know what a garbage disposal is, but not a faucet! By the way, there are a number of easy fixes for your disposal...wait call me first so I can charge you for service call plus a travel surcharge. We talked about GFI outlets (which, by the way, I had to check mine because my outdoor outlets wouldn't work), and fuses in breaker boxes and water mains.
March 26: Join us as we compare translators on line. It is another one of those hilarious classes where you learn a lot about languages and how they are used because of the odd mistakes.
English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30
Thank you, Friends for giving our staff time to meet this Thursday. We had a very productive meeting talking about our classes and how to serve you better both now and next year. And yes, we are already looking forward to our summer meet ups and starting our classes next fall.
March 28: Join us for our last six weeks of classes.
Parents with Children: Thursdays during our English Classes
Our children learned the story of the Princess and the Pea. This classic fairy tale is so fun to read or listen to and watch on You Tube. We made crafts, counted mattresses and even tried to see if we could feel pea under a pile of pillows and if we were real princesses!
March 28: Jack and the Beanstalk is our fairy tale on the 28th.
officially: public or formal
warning sirens: alarms that sound for people to take action to protect themselves
various: different
surrounding: all around something
take cover: hide in a safe place
county: geographic break up of a state (counties is more than one county)
check out: look at
fair warning: an alert far enough in advance to avoid something bad
check out: look at
jog your memory: help you to remember
in a row: one following another (in this case January, February and March)
betray: to deliver to an enemy by treachery or disloyalty
salvation: the act of saving or protecting from harm, destruction, etc.
thus: in this way
the evil one: the Devil, Satan
sanctify: to make holy
poignant: affecting or moving the emotions
defensive actions: things to protect ourselves
building: structure like a house or a school
stumper: something that puzzles us or causes us to think but not come up with the answer
service call: when a repairman comes to your home
plus: in addition (read this as more cost)
travel surcharge: cost charged to you for coming to your house; some repair people started charging this when gas prices were high and they never stopped!
Thursday, March 14, 2019
More in March
Hello, Friends.
Did you have a great week? Did you celebrate Pi Day on Thursday, March 14 by eating pizza and round, fruit filled pastries?
This weekend is an exciting one! Sunday March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. Celebrate all things Irish. The first celebration was March 17, 1762 in New York when the soldiers who were homesick got together to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick (a break from Lenten fasting). You can celebrate by eating traditional corned beef with cabbage and drinking green beer. Since the holiday falls on a Sunday, you can plan to enjoy a weekend of craic (pronounced crack: the Gaelic word for fun). Look for parades. Here’s the route for the parade in downtown Indianapolis.
Every country has some great slang. In honor of St. Pat's here's some Irish for you.
Talk Like a Leprechaun
Try to cook that St Patrick’s Day classic dish: Corned Beef and Cabbage. This is an easy and delicious meal. Corned beef is seasoned meat that is simmered in liquid (usually water, but some have been known to toss in some beer for flavor). Potatoes, cabbage, onions and carrots are added to the pot in the last hour of cooking. You can cook it in a pressure cooker in about an hour. As an alternative, you can put everything in the crockpot and then when you come back from the parade and a day of Irish fun you can dine. Serve with beer or green milk!
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00
March 19: We are continuing to read in John. Join us!
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
It looks like a great brunch party at Sylvia's house. What an excellent spread! Thank you, Sylvia for opening your home.
March 21: Join us as we talk about useful English. Have you been stumped by questions from repairmen? Do you wonder what we call things in Indiana? Bring your stories. We will share our experiences and questions.
English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30
There were a number of St. Pat’s parties, Thursday. Thanks for sharing your pictures! Join us as we continue to study into May.
March 21: We have a staff is meeting 9:00-9:45 this Thursday. You are welcome to come and chat with your classmates, but classes won't begin until 10:00. Thank you for your consideration as we carve out a time for all of us to get together and improve our school for you.
Parents with Children: meetings during class time
We celebrated St Patrick’s Day with stories of leprechauns and had fun activities.
March 21: We will read about The Princess and the Pea and practice counting and enjoy this fairy tale.
homesick: lonesome for family and friends
Gaelic: the group of indigenous languages spoken in Ireland, Scotland, etc.
spread: array of food
chat: talk casually
classmates: students in a class together
Did you have a great week? Did you celebrate Pi Day on Thursday, March 14 by eating pizza and round, fruit filled pastries?
This weekend is an exciting one! Sunday March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. Celebrate all things Irish. The first celebration was March 17, 1762 in New York when the soldiers who were homesick got together to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick (a break from Lenten fasting). You can celebrate by eating traditional corned beef with cabbage and drinking green beer. Since the holiday falls on a Sunday, you can plan to enjoy a weekend of craic (pronounced crack: the Gaelic word for fun). Look for parades. Here’s the route for the parade in downtown Indianapolis.
Every country has some great slang. In honor of St. Pat's here's some Irish for you.
Talk Like a Leprechaun
Try to cook that St Patrick’s Day classic dish: Corned Beef and Cabbage. This is an easy and delicious meal. Corned beef is seasoned meat that is simmered in liquid (usually water, but some have been known to toss in some beer for flavor). Potatoes, cabbage, onions and carrots are added to the pot in the last hour of cooking. You can cook it in a pressure cooker in about an hour. As an alternative, you can put everything in the crockpot and then when you come back from the parade and a day of Irish fun you can dine. Serve with beer or green milk!
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00
March 19: We are continuing to read in John. Join us!
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
It looks like a great brunch party at Sylvia's house. What an excellent spread! Thank you, Sylvia for opening your home.
March 21: Join us as we talk about useful English. Have you been stumped by questions from repairmen? Do you wonder what we call things in Indiana? Bring your stories. We will share our experiences and questions.
English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30
There were a number of St. Pat’s parties, Thursday. Thanks for sharing your pictures! Join us as we continue to study into May.
March 21: We have a staff is meeting 9:00-9:45 this Thursday. You are welcome to come and chat with your classmates, but classes won't begin until 10:00. Thank you for your consideration as we carve out a time for all of us to get together and improve our school for you.
Parents with Children: meetings during class time
We celebrated St Patrick’s Day with stories of leprechauns and had fun activities.
March 21: We will read about The Princess and the Pea and practice counting and enjoy this fairy tale.
homesick: lonesome for family and friends
Gaelic: the group of indigenous languages spoken in Ireland, Scotland, etc.
spread: array of food
chat: talk casually
classmates: students in a class together
Thursday, March 7, 2019
March Kick Off
Hello, Friends.
Watch the meteorologists on TV. They are so excited that it is spring. The weather here is usually unpredictable, but spring makes their job even harder since the weather is so variable and dramatic.
This coming week is full of great events:
March 10: Spring Forward. Get ready to lose the hour of sleep you gained in the fall. Get ready for dark mornings and loooonnnnggg evenings.
I have heard from a number of quarters that the flu is in full swing. Keep washing your hands! Get plenty of rest. Drink plenty of water.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
Read John 15. Jesus provides some last minute counseling. He uses the analogy of a vine and it's branches. This is a great spring read. Pruning and grooming are an important part of a healthy plant. Jesus uses this analogy to help people understand their connection to him and to God. He lays out a plan where following commands is part of the relationship. The command? Love each other as [Jesus] has loved you. Jesus tells that no one is guilty until they know that God loves them offers them eternal life with him. Hate (the opposite of love) leads to guilt and death and ultimate separation from God. Just wait. There is so much more to come!
March 12: Join us as we read chapter 15
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
We celebrated Fat Tuesday at Mudbugs. They featured crawfish po'boys (a sandwich on a delicious French roll). The place was packed and the line out the door. Order at the counter and the waitstaff brings your food to you. There is a question about tipping in this situation. Several dollars per person is adequate when you get your own drinks, etc.
March 12: Brunch at Sylvia's. Bring a dish to share and enjoy the morning at her house. RSVP by email to let her know you are coming. She will respond back with her address.
Parents with Children: Thursdays during classes.
We read along with the story of the Three Little Pigs. We built with straw, sticks and bricks. Which was most sturdy to huffing and puffing? The children made pig puppets to retell the story. Sequencing is an important skill. The repetition in the story helps with reading readiness. And it's just plain fun!
March 14: Join us for St. Patrick's Day fun.
number of quarters: many places
in full swing: active and happening
pruning: trimming
grooming: taking care of physical appearances to look good and stay healthy
Watch the meteorologists on TV. They are so excited that it is spring. The weather here is usually unpredictable, but spring makes their job even harder since the weather is so variable and dramatic.
This coming week is full of great events:
March 10: Spring Forward. Get ready to lose the hour of sleep you gained in the fall. Get ready for dark mornings and loooonnnnggg evenings.
I have heard from a number of quarters that the flu is in full swing. Keep washing your hands! Get plenty of rest. Drink plenty of water.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
Read John 15. Jesus provides some last minute counseling. He uses the analogy of a vine and it's branches. This is a great spring read. Pruning and grooming are an important part of a healthy plant. Jesus uses this analogy to help people understand their connection to him and to God. He lays out a plan where following commands is part of the relationship. The command? Love each other as [Jesus] has loved you. Jesus tells that no one is guilty until they know that God loves them offers them eternal life with him. Hate (the opposite of love) leads to guilt and death and ultimate separation from God. Just wait. There is so much more to come!
March 12: Join us as we read chapter 15
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
We celebrated Fat Tuesday at Mudbugs. They featured crawfish po'boys (a sandwich on a delicious French roll). The place was packed and the line out the door. Order at the counter and the waitstaff brings your food to you. There is a question about tipping in this situation. Several dollars per person is adequate when you get your own drinks, etc.
March 12: Brunch at Sylvia's. Bring a dish to share and enjoy the morning at her house. RSVP by email to let her know you are coming. She will respond back with her address.
Parents with Children: Thursdays during classes.
We read along with the story of the Three Little Pigs. We built with straw, sticks and bricks. Which was most sturdy to huffing and puffing? The children made pig puppets to retell the story. Sequencing is an important skill. The repetition in the story helps with reading readiness. And it's just plain fun!
March 14: Join us for St. Patrick's Day fun.
number of quarters: many places
in full swing: active and happening
pruning: trimming
grooming: taking care of physical appearances to look good and stay healthy
Saturday, March 2, 2019
March and Spring
Hello, Friends.
Errata: We meet Tuesdays, so my dates this week have been corrected in the Update...Did you catch my error?
And speaking of calendars:
Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras or Carnival is the Tuesday before the season of Lent on the Christian church calendar. This is not a holy holiday. It is a feast to celebrate before fasting season leading to Holy Week and Easter (a holy holidays). Not all Christians fast; many "give up" something for the season to honor the sacrifice made by Jesus (not to earn points with God). This article in Thought and Company has a great overview of the Fat Tuesday.
Wednesday, March 6 is Ash Wednesday. Some Christian churches have services this day. Priests or pastors put ashes on foreheads of parishioners. Holy Communion or the Eucharist is served and celebrated. You may see people walking around with ashes in the shape of a cross on their heads or on the back of their hands as a blessing.
errata: a mistake in print or writing; erratum is the plural and pronunciation is usual for American English "t" takes a "d" sound (not to be confused with erotic).
earn points: gain favor
holy holiday: a holiday that is set aside by a religious group to remember an event in history
Holy Communion/Eucharist: communal eating of bread and wine (in some churches only grape juice) to remember Jesus and the gift of pardon for all offenses against God and his laws
priests and pastors: ordained leaders who minister in Christian churches
parishioners: people who go to that church to worship
Errata: We meet Tuesdays, so my dates this week have been corrected in the Update...Did you catch my error?
Tuesday, March 5 is Fat Tuesday and we are going to Mudbugs: 20 West Main (meet at church at 10:30 or at the restaurant at 11:00)
Tuesday, March 12 is brunch at Sylvia's RSPV here.
And speaking of calendars:
Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras or Carnival is the Tuesday before the season of Lent on the Christian church calendar. This is not a holy holiday. It is a feast to celebrate before fasting season leading to Holy Week and Easter (a holy holidays). Not all Christians fast; many "give up" something for the season to honor the sacrifice made by Jesus (not to earn points with God). This article in Thought and Company has a great overview of the Fat Tuesday.
Wednesday, March 6 is Ash Wednesday. Some Christian churches have services this day. Priests or pastors put ashes on foreheads of parishioners. Holy Communion or the Eucharist is served and celebrated. You may see people walking around with ashes in the shape of a cross on their heads or on the back of their hands as a blessing.
errata: a mistake in print or writing; erratum is the plural and pronunciation is usual for American English "t" takes a "d" sound (not to be confused with erotic).
earn points: gain favor
holy holiday: a holiday that is set aside by a religious group to remember an event in history
Holy Communion/Eucharist: communal eating of bread and wine (in some churches only grape juice) to remember Jesus and the gift of pardon for all offenses against God and his laws
priests and pastors: ordained leaders who minister in Christian churches
parishioners: people who go to that church to worship
Friday, March 1, 2019
Welcome to March!
Hello, Friends. Hello, March!
March is an exciting month. There is a saying: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. We have a cold day today and several inches of snow are predicted over the weekend. The weather isn't mild but continues to be fierce. The average snowfall for the greater Indy area during March is 2.6 inches. Additionally, we add 1:16 of daylight during the month.
Be careful out there:
Marion county police and the adjoining counties are conducting a crackdown on aggressive driving safety blitz. This is part of a nationwide safety effort. People tend to drive faster and in a less safe manner when weather conditions improve causing more accidents. Officers want you to know that this isn't a revenue generating campaign; its a safety campaign since deaths caused by aggressive driving increased by 55% from 2016 to 2017. The penalties for driving faster than the speed limit or conditions cost you a ticket:
Did you know that there is so much more to these notes? You can dig deeper to learn more by clicking on the links that are included. Most of the time I embed the links in a sentence. You can tell that the words are a link because they are underlined and another color. Check out the links in the International Friends portion of this update: the links are obvious. Conversely, the Bible Study links are embedded. Vocabulary words are just underlined and are not a different color.
Learning a new skill:
We discovered that it isn't easy to learn a new skill. Working with our hands and trying to understand crochet takes concentration and the willingness to make mistakes. Learning any new skill (or language) is like that. The more you practice, the better your skills become. As adults, so much of what we do has become second nature. When we are faced with a new challenge or opportunity, we forget that there is a learning curve. Things aren't as simple as they look. Language learning can be frustrating (just like learning crochet). It's rough to start and even harder to persevere. Just go for it! Expect to make mistakes and keep trying.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100
The 14th chapter of John is full of comfort! In a matter of a few short hours, Judas Iscariot will betray Jesus. Jesus is spending these final hours teaching his disciples about the plan of salvation that is about to unfold. He is like the teacher who is helping his students “cram” for their final exam. So much to learn, so little time!
The opening verse begins, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” In verses 2-3, Jesus tells his disciples that there are plenty of rooms in his Father’s house, and that he is going there to prepare a place for them, a permanent place in heaven, where those who believe in him will live with him forever.
He breaks it down into the simplest terms. How can a person get to heaven? Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He then tells them, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” Obedience to God follows naturally if a person believes in God. Jesus finishes this lesson with a promise: he will send his Holy Spirit to be their Comforter and their Helper.
One of our Bible Study participants said that John 14 was his “go to” Bible passage when he was in college and was facing difficult final exams. The message of peace and comfort reminded him that God was in control and that he didn’t need to worry. Another participant remarked after reading this chapter, “You can sleep very well! No worries!” God loves you and will always take care of you. ~Jan Heimann
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00, usually room 100
We tried our hand at crocheting. We had the option of four projects where the same row is repeated over and over again until you get the length you want (short and it's a coaster, longer and it's a washcloth, longer and it's a scarf). The different stitches provide for different textures. The density of the fabric is determined by the thickness of the yarn and the hook size. While yarns have recommended hook sizes, you can choose to use other sizes to get a looser or denser effect.
Here is a good video and instruction for starting a crochet project:
How to Begin Crocheting from Instructables
Here are great instructions for learning how to crochet that includes videos as well as step.
Basic Crochet Stitches from All Free Crochet
Once you get the hang of the stitches in a row, crocheting is pretty easy. It is a matter of keeping track of where you are. For me, a variety of stitches is easier to keep track of because I don't have to count my stitches. One thing you can be sure of when learning to crochet: it is very, very easy to start over when you aren't sure and make a mistake: take out the hook and pull the yarn and unravel your stitches. You can practice over and over again with the same yarn as you learn.
Studies show that crocheting and knitting have great health benefits:
Health Benefits of Crocheting and Knitting
March 5: Let's celebrate Mardi Gras (also known as Fat Tuesday) at Mud Bugs: 20 West Main Street, Carmel. Meet at the church to touch base. The restaurant doesn't open until 11:00, so meet at the church to chat and get information about our change in plans next week.
March 12: Sylvia is inviting you to her home for brunch. Bring a dish to share. Please RSVP.
Parents with Children: Thursdays during English classes
We had a nice time wrapping up our health unit with Moms Don't Get Sick. This picture book explains a truth we all know.
March 7: Join us as we start our month of Fairy Tales. Fairy Tales are old stories that have been handed down through the generations. They are full of fancy and often have a dark theme. The purpose is to give us the opportunity to talk about real life dangers and to plan and make solutions in a non threatening way. Fairy tales are repetitive and use literary devices that help to teach English patterns and rules. Unfortunately, many times these stories are left untaught because people feel they are old fashioned and not relevant, but education research shows that they are important culturally, for reading readiness and language development.
March 7: The Three Little Pigs
March 14: St. Patrick's Day celebration and a leprechaun story
March 21: The Princess and the Pea
March 28: Jack and the Beanstalk
textures: the feeling of a fabric or surface
pretty easy: not hard, but not second nature
get the hang of: get accustomed to something, ablt to do things
variety: different kinds of things
unravel: when you pull a string and something comes apart or untangles
repetitive: something that appears again and again or in a pattern
nimble: able to move easily
real world application: something that is used often in life
keeps your mind sharp: focused, alert
March is an exciting month. There is a saying: March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. We have a cold day today and several inches of snow are predicted over the weekend. The weather isn't mild but continues to be fierce. The average snowfall for the greater Indy area during March is 2.6 inches. Additionally, we add 1:16 of daylight during the month.
Be careful out there:
Marion county police and the adjoining counties are conducting a crackdown on aggressive driving safety blitz. This is part of a nationwide safety effort. People tend to drive faster and in a less safe manner when weather conditions improve causing more accidents. Officers want you to know that this isn't a revenue generating campaign; its a safety campaign since deaths caused by aggressive driving increased by 55% from 2016 to 2017. The penalties for driving faster than the speed limit or conditions cost you a ticket:
- A basic speeding could cost $175
- Speeding through construction and school zones: a ticket costs $300
Did you know that there is so much more to these notes? You can dig deeper to learn more by clicking on the links that are included. Most of the time I embed the links in a sentence. You can tell that the words are a link because they are underlined and another color. Check out the links in the International Friends portion of this update: the links are obvious. Conversely, the Bible Study links are embedded. Vocabulary words are just underlined and are not a different color.
Learning a new skill:
We discovered that it isn't easy to learn a new skill. Working with our hands and trying to understand crochet takes concentration and the willingness to make mistakes. Learning any new skill (or language) is like that. The more you practice, the better your skills become. As adults, so much of what we do has become second nature. When we are faced with a new challenge or opportunity, we forget that there is a learning curve. Things aren't as simple as they look. Language learning can be frustrating (just like learning crochet). It's rough to start and even harder to persevere. Just go for it! Expect to make mistakes and keep trying.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100
The 14th chapter of John is full of comfort! In a matter of a few short hours, Judas Iscariot will betray Jesus. Jesus is spending these final hours teaching his disciples about the plan of salvation that is about to unfold. He is like the teacher who is helping his students “cram” for their final exam. So much to learn, so little time!
The opening verse begins, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” In verses 2-3, Jesus tells his disciples that there are plenty of rooms in his Father’s house, and that he is going there to prepare a place for them, a permanent place in heaven, where those who believe in him will live with him forever.
He breaks it down into the simplest terms. How can a person get to heaven? Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He then tells them, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” Obedience to God follows naturally if a person believes in God. Jesus finishes this lesson with a promise: he will send his Holy Spirit to be their Comforter and their Helper.
One of our Bible Study participants said that John 14 was his “go to” Bible passage when he was in college and was facing difficult final exams. The message of peace and comfort reminded him that God was in control and that he didn’t need to worry. Another participant remarked after reading this chapter, “You can sleep very well! No worries!” God loves you and will always take care of you. ~Jan Heimann
International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00, usually room 100
We tried our hand at crocheting. We had the option of four projects where the same row is repeated over and over again until you get the length you want (short and it's a coaster, longer and it's a washcloth, longer and it's a scarf). The different stitches provide for different textures. The density of the fabric is determined by the thickness of the yarn and the hook size. While yarns have recommended hook sizes, you can choose to use other sizes to get a looser or denser effect.
Here is a good video and instruction for starting a crochet project:
How to Begin Crocheting from Instructables
Here are great instructions for learning how to crochet that includes videos as well as step.
Basic Crochet Stitches from All Free Crochet
Once you get the hang of the stitches in a row, crocheting is pretty easy. It is a matter of keeping track of where you are. For me, a variety of stitches is easier to keep track of because I don't have to count my stitches. One thing you can be sure of when learning to crochet: it is very, very easy to start over when you aren't sure and make a mistake: take out the hook and pull the yarn and unravel your stitches. You can practice over and over again with the same yarn as you learn.
Studies show that crocheting and knitting have great health benefits:
- They help relieve stress because of the relaxed, repetitive motion (especially ripping out mistakes or miscounts!). There are cases where people have used fiber arts to beat depression.
- Crocheting and knitting help with fine motor skills and keep your hands nimble.
- Reading patterns requires problem solving skills and most patterns require some aspect of math including counting and calculations which allows for real world application and keeps your mind sharp.
- Because these arts are often practiced in groups, there is a great social aspect that helps with mental health.
Health Benefits of Crocheting and Knitting
March 5: Let's celebrate Mardi Gras (also known as Fat Tuesday) at Mud Bugs: 20 West Main Street, Carmel. Meet at the church to touch base. The restaurant doesn't open until 11:00, so meet at the church to chat and get information about our change in plans next week.
March 12: Sylvia is inviting you to her home for brunch. Bring a dish to share. Please RSVP.
Parents with Children: Thursdays during English classes
We had a nice time wrapping up our health unit with Moms Don't Get Sick. This picture book explains a truth we all know.
March 7: Join us as we start our month of Fairy Tales. Fairy Tales are old stories that have been handed down through the generations. They are full of fancy and often have a dark theme. The purpose is to give us the opportunity to talk about real life dangers and to plan and make solutions in a non threatening way. Fairy tales are repetitive and use literary devices that help to teach English patterns and rules. Unfortunately, many times these stories are left untaught because people feel they are old fashioned and not relevant, but education research shows that they are important culturally, for reading readiness and language development.
March 7: The Three Little Pigs
March 14: St. Patrick's Day celebration and a leprechaun story
March 21: The Princess and the Pea
March 28: Jack and the Beanstalk
crack down: severe measures to stop illegal behavior
aggressive: forceful, bold; this can also mean violent and argumentative which is how some people
respond to being pulled over by an officer for breaking the law
blitz: when resources are focused on a certain effort
campaign: work organized for a particular goal
revenue generating: an action to gain money
pulled over: stopped by a police officer for breaking a traffic law
defensively: in a manner that protects you and others
dig deeper: learn more; investigate
embedded: buried or contained in something
conversely: as opposed to
persevere: continue in a direction even though it is difficult
unfold: to develop
second nature: part of our being
learning curve: a progression to learning where what we learn becomes easier as we go along
things aren't as simple as they look:
frustrating: something that is annoying or upsetting because you can't change factors
persevere: keep trying, keep working
cram: to study for an examination by memorizing facts at the last minute
final exam: a comprehensive test at the end of a class
breaks it down: reduces, present in small pieces
go to: someone or something you can turn to for expert knowledge, advice, or reliable performance, especially in a crucial situation
tried our hand: tried to do something
looser: relaxed or not tight
density; denser: thickness
get the hang of: are familiar with a performing a task (I can't get the hang of making rice balls...they are rice rocks)textures: the feeling of a fabric or surface
pretty easy: not hard, but not second nature
get the hang of: get accustomed to something, ablt to do things
variety: different kinds of things
unravel: when you pull a string and something comes apart or untangles
repetitive: something that appears again and again or in a pattern
nimble: able to move easily
real world application: something that is used often in life
keeps your mind sharp: focused, alert
handed down through the generations: a legacy from parents to children
full of fancy: not realistic
dark: not positive
repetitive: over and over
literary devices: turns of word that make a language interesting
unfortunately: sadly
old fashioned: not current; from the past
relevant: appropriate, useful
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