March Goes Out Like a Lion and April Showers Come in With Winds and Wild Weather

Hello, Friends.

March went out like a lion up to the very last minute! April showers are more like deluges! Weather watchers have had a real treat tonight. Watch for downed power lines. Be safe!

Happy Spring Break

We are officially on break! Relax and enjoy the week. See you in two weeks OR...

Let's Get Together

We have a Friend coming to town for Spring Break. Look for an email inviting you to meet up later in the week. 

When: Monday, April 10th, 10:00-12:00.  Come when you can for part or all of the time to say hi and catch up with your Accent and English class friends!

Where:  Needlers Grocery Store coffee shop (coffee shop is called Lemons....at the front of the store). 4755 E 126th St, Carmel, IN 46033 

Just a few blocks south of Cornerstone Lutheran Church where we used to meet for classes

Vocabulary

Our classes are bringing and talking about some wonderful words. Be sure to check the and look for words that are relevant to our Friends. 

In America, we have some incendiary "i" words people are talking about:

• indictment
• inflation
• insurrection

Recommended Reading

• A Man Without Words by Susan Schaller
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Golum and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

School Safety

Our schools continue to be proactive in protecting our children. The recent shooting in Nashville sheds light on how suddenly tragedy can strike and how important it is to be aware and prepared. These events do not just happen in the States. Our Friends have raised concerns with similar actions in schools in their home countries (recent stabbings by a student in Sao Paulo this same week). 

"Being forewarned is forearmed." These events do not occur in isolation. People hint and even about their plans. Many schools have mechanisms in place to collect anonymous reports of dangerous talk or behavior. Stopit is one app that is used by our local schools. This reporting system supports multiple languages. Click to see the access screen. Learn more about what services StopIt offers.

---From Carmel Clay Schools email message system

The Constitution of the United States of America: Article 1, Section 6

The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.

No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5-6:00 PM, Zoom

A small, but mighty, meeting. Five words provided us with insight into our expanding personal vocabulary. Unfortunately, a great way to practice is watching the announcements during emergency Finding the right word does not always mean that the word is right! 

While watching live news

April 11: Sign about your hero. 

American English: Thursday, 9-11:00 AM, Zoom

We like to think (and talk) about thinking. Thursday we explored the denotation and connotation of these words: wonder, ponder, research, contemplate, meditate, ruminate, worry, perseverate. There are many more synonyms, phrasal verbs, and idioms with "think." Look and listen for these.

Our breakout room conversations were especially meaningful as we described our hero or heroine. We are retelling our stories in rotating small groups. Telling and retelling your stories helps to build confidence as well as helps you to refine the story itself.

Grammar Goodies: 

A quick review of count and non-count nouns:

• Singular count nouns must be preceded by an article or determiner: a dog, the brown dog.
• Count nouns may be made plural with -s, -es, -ies, or an irregular form: dogs, horses, puppies, sheep, according to spelling rules.
• Non-count words may not be made plural, but some may be measured. 
• Be careful with "category" or "Abstract" words like these: a lot of baggage, some clothing, a bunch of equipment, no furniture, much money, a bit of advice, a great deal of information, a ton of homework, too much grammar. Do not add "s".
• Individual items in categories may be plural: two suitcases, three shirts, three pens, four chairs, $100 dollars, three assignments, etc.
• Question words (how many vs. how much), negative forms (I don't have any baggage to check), and quantifiers (some, much, a lot of) help us choose correct usage

Practice with the attached Count and Non-Count quiz. The Count and Non-Count Handout gives you more information in how to think about these nouns and how to incorporate them into your practice.

April 12: Tell our hero stories to new small groups. Brainstorm words that relate to talking.

American Accent Training: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 AM, Zoom

It is nice to continue to welcome Friends to our meeting and classes. It was super nice to drop in to the Accent class for a few minutes. We talked about compensatory strategies or ways we work around difficult to understand to be understood.

April 13: Get back together and chit chat about your break and continue to tweak your accent.

Kids' Conversation: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, Zoom

We realized we have three amazing holidays: International Friends Spring break, April Fools Day, and Easter. 

April 14: Be ready to talk about your April Fools' pranks and your Easter egg dying project.

• 30 Hilarious Pranks For April Fool's Day
• 60 Best April Fools' Pranks to Pull in 2023
• How to Make Natural Dyes For Your Easter Eggs

brainstorm: a spontaneous group discussion

coming to town: visiting

emolument: a salary, fee, or profit from employment in office; a payment for favor

relevant: meaningful

Fairwell March Winds. Welcome April Showers.

 Hello, Friends.

What do you think of when you hear the term "March upsets"? Stock market? Weather changes? Spring break plans and wrapping up our winter class meetings? March going out like a lion instead of a lamb?

April 1-April 8: International Friends Spring Break

No! Not at all for us Hoosiers! This is the latest on March Madness and basketball bracket busting. Our Hoosiers are out! The 16th seeded FDU took the day over #1 seed Purdue. IU lost to Miami. There are no top seeded teams left as we go into the Final Four. Once again we are reminded that statistics, favoritism, and random selection is not a reliable predictor of actual outcome.

Welcome April!

April is a busy month. Let's just concentrate on the first week! 

Saturday, April 1: April Fool's Day. Play practical jokes on your friends and family. Look out! You may be the victim of some hoaxes yourself. Don't worry, though. Listen for the shout, "April Fool!" 

Holy Week

April 2: Palm Sunday. This Christian holiday signifies the end of Lent beginning of Holy Week. You can read this celebratory story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey to celebrate Passover in Matthew 21: 1-11. (Bible Gateway is a favorite link to read the Bible; it has translations and versions in almost every language, and you can compare two (or more) languages at the same time!)

April 6: Maundy Thursday. This Christian holiday celebrates when Jesus ate his last supper in human form (which was Passover) with his disciples. This meal instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion or Holy Eucharist and is inspiration for Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper.  Read the story in Luke 22:7-38

April 7: Good Friday. This Christian holiday remembers the passion of Christ. When he was tried, convicted, and hung on a cross. Jesus died and was entombed. Matthew 27: 45-56 tells the story.

April 9: Easter Sunday. This is both a Christian and secular holiday. Starting 

Christian celebrations: Christians celebrate Easter or the day Jesus rose from the dead. Matthew 28 tells the story.

Secular celebrations: Egg hunts, spring clothes, elaborate hats, dinners with family and friends, and bunnies are hallmarks of secular Easter. 

Community Egg Hunts

Kiwanas Club of Fishers free public event is scheduled for 10:00 AM to noon April 8 at Roy G. Holland Memorial Park in Fishers for toddlers to preteens.

Indy With Kids has a catch-all of egg hunts in the area.  

Families enjoy getting together and eating dinner. Usually ham or lamb is served. Some families eat turkey. Here is a good resource from Food and Wine for Easter dinner ideas. Dye Easter eggs and then enjoy them as deviled eggs and egg salad. 

For family celebrations, have egg hunts, the Easter bunny "hides" candy (chocolate eggs, bunnies, Peeps, jelly beans, pastel colored candies), small gifts, and money in plastic eggs. Kids of all ages find and collect "eggs" in "Easter baskets". Read about the traditions and their history in this History Channel article.

Other customs associated with Easter: you can now wear white shoes and attire (not to be confused with "winter white"!)

Easter is not unique to the United States. This Women's Day article tells about how other countries celebrate.  

March 23-April 29: Our Muslim Friends are fasting during the day and break their fast from sunrise to sundown in observance of Ramadan. Be aware that invitations to go out for coffee, lunch, etc. or offers of snacks will be turned down. This article from USA Today explains Ramadan belief and practice.

April 5-April 12: Passover (when the Angel of Death passed over the Children of Israel leading them to be released from slavery in Egypt) is celebrated by our Jewish Friends. Learn more about Passover beliefs and practices. Read the story in the Bible in Exodus 12. Wish your friends happy Passover.

In the Hamilton County Reporter

Thursday's Hamilton County Reporter has a number of interesting articles to keep you up to date with local happenings.

April showers bring May flowers!

Floral Design Institute has a wonderful interpretation of this proverb. Catch some beautiful words to add to your vocabulary as well as some practical descriptions and advice at the same time. This five-minute or so video is worth the watch. Listen! While this school is located in the Pacific Northwest, she talks about living and driving in Indiana.

Keeping Your Children and Family Safe: Only use drugs prescribed for you. 

Our police departments are charged with keeping our communities safe. This the Westfield Police Department released a public safety announcement that counterfeit M30 pills have appeared in the community. Do not buy use pills that are not prescribed for you or purchased from a pharmacy.

Watch this important news from WTHR

Public notices help us to keep our families and friends safe. Here is the notice from FaceBook.

Our All Media Recommendations

Our list grows! Not everyone is a reader. Not everyone is a movie buff. Not everyone has the patience or time for a feature film. 

Books:

• The Nightingale and The Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah
• Becoming by Michelle Obama
• The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
• Bridgerton Series
• Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

Netflix:

• True Spirit
• Bridgerton

YouTube:

• Mind Your Language

Constitution of the United States of America: Article 1, Section 5

Each House shall be the Judge of the Elections, Returns and Qualifications of its own Members, and a Majority of each shall constitute a Quorum to do Business; but a smaller Number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to compel the Attendance of absent Members, in such Manner, and under such Penalties as each House may provide.

Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member.

Each House shall keep a Journal of its Proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such Parts as may in their Judgment require Secrecy; and the Yeas and Nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the Desire of one fifth of those Present, be entered on the Journal.

Neither House, during the Session of Congress, shall, without the Consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other Place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom

We met to sign about vacations. We found quite a few new words in our conversation. We also found "signonyms" that help us misread or misinterpret what is being said.

March 28: Tell us about your or person or persons you admire and why.

American English: Thursday, 9:00-10:00 AM, Zoom

Our time flew by (as usual) as we "jumped right into" our "found vocabulary" lists. Try to use your own new words and borrow one or two from our shared list this week. We had a few examples of jargon--specialized or technical language of a trade, profession, or similar group, such as from sports (sweeper), advertising (gimmick), volunteerism (background check), travel (all-inclusive, excursions, cancellation), and academics (purport, investigate, adversely). Class awareness of idioms and phrasal verbs is increasing, too--(so far so good, keep an eye on, back to square one, drink from the firehose, take the initiative). We left our breakout room chats ready to plan our next vacation.

March 30:

Vocabulary:: Focus on adjectives (describing words) to help you tell about a person/ people during the conversation breakout. Paint a picture with words.

Conversation topic for next week: Tell us about a hero: A person (or people) you admire, living or dead.

Grammar and usage review:

• Subject vs object pronouns: “She and I went with them to the party.” Bring questions and challenging contexts.
• Count (“assignments”) vs non-count (“homework”) nouns. Consider you language conventions for counting. We will cover American English grammar plural.

American Accent Training: Thursday, 9:30-10:30 AM, Zoom

This week there was so much conversation through the week.

March 30: Join the Chit Chat, Bill's Tip, and adjust your accent.

Kids' Conversation: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, Zoom

Our Kids' Conversation group are bringing new words to class each week. Our words included predawn, ajar, firmly, necessities, encyclopedia, and buddy. This week was peak cherry blossoms in Tokyo, Japan. We learned how this beautiful time of year is celebrated.

March 31: Bring new words to class. These words can be found in English or another language, but we will talk about them in English. Tell us the word, where you found it, and how  to use it (an example is good). We will hear about how Easter is celebrated in Brazil.

break their fast: eat and drink

catch-all: broad collection

concentrate on: focus on, look closely at

feature film: a cinema movie

happenings: events

hoaxes: tricks, deceptions

in observance of: the custom of keeping or celebrating a holiday or religious custom 

movie buff: someone who loves movies

passion: Jesus' suffering and death

proverb: a short saying that states a general truth of advice

sacrament: Christian rite commanded and instituted by Jesus

turned down: refused

version: a variant of an original

Welcome Spring!

 Hello Friends!

Monday, March 21 is the spring equinox (equal hours of daylight and dark). We are seeing a lot of snow for almost spring! I found out today that there is an adage that we have snow until basketball is over. Go March Maddness! 

Classic English Humor

English is a fun, funny, and unpredictable language. The comedian Gallagher hits the nail on the head when he talks about our language spelling and pronunciation. Don't be fooled; everyone has trouble with this language.

Friends’ Book Recommendations

Everyone is always on the lookout for a good book. We often turn to our International Friends for advice. Here is our most recent reading list. There should be something for everyone. Do not discount a genre you don’t normally gravitate to…you may find a new interest and new ideas (and words). By the way, there are teen and children's books on this list. Try them. As one Friend said, "I am too curious not to see the end...even if it is frustrating."

• Colleen Hoover: It Ends With Us and other books in the series
• Marcus Luttrell, Lone Survivor
• Chris Kyle: American Sniper
• Kristin Hannah: The Nightingale and Winter Garden
• Alex Epstein: Fossil Future
• Jeff Kinney: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Any and all cookbooks!

Talking Topics

Buzzwords and hot buttons may push the conversation into the danger zone. Since we are more than halfway to a big election year, watch for an acceleration of issues around ideologies, terms, positions, and personalities. It can be hard to judge what words will become the next great discussion point, argument, or battle.

• reparation
• equity
• inclusion 
• root cause
• fentanyl
• bias
• woke
• MAGA (Make America Great Again)

And practically speaking, this article has 30 Business Buzzwords to keep you current and in the know.

News Bite Sources

In a related story, being informed from reliable sources and from a variety of sources is important. There is so many places and people out there. How can you curate and source news and information. Get started with these.

• 1440: All the news. None of the bias.
• The Hustle: Five minute newsletter for innovators in business and tech.

Local issues and information come from the local news.

• Hamilton County Reporter provides a consolidation of local news for Hamilton County in Indiana. This type of "newspaper" is available all over the United State.
• Current is another source for local news at a city or town level.

The Constitution of the United States of America: Article 1, Section 4

The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Places of chusing Senators.

The Congress shall assemble at least once in every Year, and such Meeting shall be on the first Monday in December, unless they shall by Law appoint a different Day.

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom

We presented vacations including who, what, when, where, why, and how. Everyone had to ask additional questions. Polishing our conversation skills is great. Five new words or needed words was easy to come up with because of our presentations.

March 21: 

• Bring five new words or needed words.
• Talk topic: A book or movie you like. 

American English: Thursday, 9:00-10:00 AM, Zoom

We had a reunion and new Friends join us. It was time to have a refresh for getting to know each other.

March 23: 

• Bring five new words and one old word that you would like to talk about further.
• Talk topic: vacations.

American Accent Training: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 AM, Zoom

Chit chat covered some strong conversation topics. 

March 23: Pop in for chit chat, polish, and Bill's Tip!

Kids' Conversation: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, Zoom

What a great meeting we had. Everyone had a wonderful weekend of firsts: a ski trip to a resort and a Cold Play concert! We are living the life! Chvches was the warm-up band. Wow! This is a good one, too. Look them up.

March 24: Join us to share five new words (or old interesting ones). Our conversation will be free-flowing about what your school is like.

acceleration: speeding up or increase

adage: short statement of general truth

buzz words: jargon words or phrases that are fashionable or used regularly

curate: select and bring together the best or most accurate people and ideas

danger zone: controversial area

hits the nail on the head: is spot on, accurate

hot buttons: emotionally or politically charged topics

in the know: well informed

keep you current: aware of what is happening

look them up: do research to find out more

on the look out: looking

out there: in the world, in the wild

positions: philosophical or political perspectives

terms: words

turn to: ask for advise or help

Important News for March 14

Hello, Friends.

A few quick and pertinent notes!

A few of us are going to meet for coffee and chatting.

When: Tuesday, March 14th, 10:00-12:00.  Come when you can for part or all of the time to say hi and catch up with your Accent Class friends!

Where:  Needlers Grocery Store coffee shop (coffee shop is called Lemons....at the front of the store). 4755 E 126th St, Carmel, IN 46033 

Just a few blocks south of Cornerstone Lutheran Church where we used to meet for classes.

March Madness Basketball Pool for International Friends

Here is the link to participate in our March Madness basketball pool. 

Frequently Asked Questions and Objections:

I don't know anything about basketball. 

It doesn't matter. You can choose autofill or you can choose by mascot or you can choose by team name, or you can choose by team color. It really doesn't matter. 

Do I have to do this?

Basketball is a big sport here in the Hoosier state. By making a bracket (picking which teams you think will win). It is a way to participate in local fun.

Does it cost anything to participate?

No, it is free to all who make a bracket.

March 14 Statewide Tornado Drill

March brings the spring storms and winds (and snow). March 14 is a statewide tornado drill. The sirens are tested at 10:00 AM. At about 10:15 AM the National Weather Service (NWS) will issue a tornado warning. There will not be an "all clear" alert. Use that time to consider your weather safety plans and practice.

Hamilton County tests the sirens every Friday at 11:00 AM beginning the Friday before the statewide drill and ending the last Friday in October.

• Indiana Severe Weather Preparedness 
• Hamilton County Outdoor Warning: read more about Hamilton County procedures as well as the siren sounds.

If you are located in other states or counties in the United States check your local webpages for more information.

March Fun and More

Hello, Friends.

We sprang forward to an inch or so of snow! What a beautiful surprise! Don't be disheartened. Spring snows are common in the midwest. They are short lived and let the water slowly absorb into the soil giving all the spring flower roots and seeds a nice cold drink rather than a drenching.

This upcoming week is a busy one for people who celebrate: March 14 is Pi Day and March 17 is St. Patrick's Day. If you have children in school, you may have learned a little about these dates. 

Pi Day is a punny joke about the date: March is the third month and the 14th day=3.14. In elementary school they celebrate by bringing in circle snacks and measuring them and using Pi. Read more about the fascinating history of the calculation of this amazing and useful number! 

March 17 is St. Patrick's Day when we celebrate being Irish. Everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day! Corned beef and cabbage (a boiled dinner with roots in the United States) is the traditional fare along with green beer. Indianapolis with Kids has plenty of ideas. Westfield Shamrock Drop is back! Head to the park for fun: 6-8:00 PM in the Grand Junction Plaza. Find me there!

Places and Dates

Easter is coming! People new to the area are asking where to go to observe Easter and Holy Week. If you are not Christian, you are more than welcome to come to a service and see and hear. There is 

Cornerstone Lutheran Church has four sites with family activities and services. Meet Carolyn after any of the Carmel traditional services on Easter! Cornerstone Lutheran Church Easter for Family and Services.

English and AI Help

AI or Artificial Intelligence tools can help you with your English practice and boost your skills. You can use it to anticipate possible conversations to practice. Be careful that you don't spend your time generating and not using! Also, be aware that these helps are not always accurate. AI is a tool and does not replace real, human interactions. Check the work and get out there and make friends.

Iphone Close Caption: Settings> Accessibility> Live Captions. Toggle on (or off to stop it). When the screen opens up, turn on the microphone. You can "see" the conversation.

Grammarly: a free online to look at your writing and correct your English

ChatGpt: sign up to use this resource to boost your English skills. This video tells you more.

COVID Update

It has been a very long while since International Friends posted about COVID. In the United States, we are becoming more relaxed about the virus and it has become much less deadly than in the beginning. Numbers are down. Disease duration is about five days total.  Now eyes are turning to discover more about the disease and understanding its origins. Read more about what the U.S. legislative arm of government is doing: House Votes to Declassify Info about origins of COVID 19. The U.S. government is making public the research and intelligence findings.

U. S. Constitution Article 1 Section 3

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote.

Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, they shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.

No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the Absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Meeting and Class Notes

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom

We spent the day in conversation. We are discovering that our vocabulary bank is growing. We need to practice stringing our words together to make meaningful sentences in conversation. 

March 21: Tell about a vacation. Be sure to include who, what, when, where, why, and how. Be prepared to ask and answer questions.

American English Class: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM, Zoom

We had a fun discussion about conversational taboos in our home countries. In the United States the rule of thumb is to avoid the topics of religion, politics, and money. Our Korean Friends added soccer to that list (and our South American Friends agreed!). Other topics: bad dreams and women's ages. In some countries people welcome politics and religion in polite conversation.

Send writing samples to indyintlfriends2@gmail.com at any time--just for fun or if you want particular feedback on an assignment. We would love to collect some writing samples to share in an International Friends Stories series.

March 14 (Pi Day):

Bring five more "new" words.  These can be any words--words you heard, read, looked up, used to know, want to know, need to know.  Tell us why you chose these words.  Bonus points if you write a sentence for each word.

Share what brings you "peace."  Think about who, what, when, where, why, and how. You could show us a picture or photograph.

Practice active listening or echo (repeat exactly without embellishment) others' word this week. Share your observations. Try using the Love Language tactics to show caring and help people feel content. 

American Accent Training: Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 AM, Zoom

Kid's Conversation: Friday, 5:30-6:00 PM, Zoom

We met and talked about our plans for the weekend. We talked about the song from Disney: Supercalifragilisticexpilidocias. Talk about a mouthful! Our Friend sang this song in Japanese at his end of the year school choir concert. 

If you are looking for a great read, checkout Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers.

a good or great read: a book that is recommended

anticipate: look forward to something

boost: lift, raise

embellishment: enhance or add to

eyes are turning: to gain attention

fare: menu item or food

intelligence: information concerning an enemy or possible eneny

making public: announce or disseminate (spread or broadcast) information, usually this is sensitive or can be controversial

punny: a funny pun or play on words

roots: orgin

stringing words together: communicating in a meaningful way

March Winds and Weather

Hello, Friends.
In the U.S. spring weather is exciting and changeable. March certainly came in like a lion! 

Weather Warning Words

March winds have been blowing up some exciting weather. We have not heard the sirens in Hamilton County, yet but it is only a matter of time. The National Weather Service provides safety advice for tornado season. When it comes to important words, here is a refresher:

• Warning: The bad weather is eminent. Take cover! Move to an interior room or space (glass from windows is dangerous). If you have time, gather your pets. Make sure you have shoes.
• Watch: conditions are good for bad weather to develop. Watch out! Be ready for conditions to become worse.
• 
  
  
  

Whether the weather becomes worse, know where to go at home or in a public place. Talk with your family about where and how to meet.

Preparing

The Red Cross has a comprehensive resource for how to prepare for disastrous weather. 
Here is the link to preparing a survival kit. 

March Madness

Basketball is big in Indiana. March Madness is when the college tournaments come to a head.  Learn all about it and get ready for the fun, even if you are not a fan. You are a Hoosier in March! NCAA Tournament. Get set to pick your favorite teams and fill your bracket. 

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday, March 12. We "spring forward" so set your clocks forward one hour (or let your technology do it for you). International Friends not in the United States may need to recalculate their meeting time. Our Kid's Conversation Class meets at 5:30-6:30 PM (our young International Friends do not need to recalculate their meeting time). 

Chat GPT

For the last couple of weeks American Accent Training has been talking about a sweeping trend that has been in the news a lot lately. This new trend in technology called ChatGPT. Chat GPT is a natural language processing tool driven by AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology.  The language model can answer questions and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, messages, essays. It can also check your wording and grammar. If you are interested or curious you can follow the first link below. It is free and it is not an app, you just go to a webpage. But you do have to register and create a password. It might also be useful for your kids........especially the older ones. 

Introducing ChatGPT

Here are some ideas on how you might use it:

25 Things You Can Do With ChatGPT - TechWiser
ChatGPT: how to use the AI chatbot everyone's talking about | Digital Trends

Constitution of the United States

Look at the authentic language! What has changed over time? The section on the number of persons determining the number of Representatives was amended in Article XVI, Section 2 to include all persons (not a fraction of the count)

Article 1, Section. 2.
The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.

No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative; and until such enumeration shall be made, the State of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode-Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New-York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina five, South Carolina five, and Georgia three.

When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.

The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

American Sign Language: Tuesday, 5:00-6:00 PM, Zoom

Words can look alike. We all made lists and ran through them and then added on to them from our own vocabulary.

March 7: Learn more and practice conversation.

American English: Thursday, 9:00-11:00 AM EST, Zoom

We talked about what brings us joy. It was wonderful to see various translations for joy, to discuss synonyms for joy, and to hear personal examples of what brings joy. Does joy mean: bliss, charm, cheer, comfort, contentment, delight, elation, fun, glee, happiness, humor, pride, satisfaction, or wonder? Is joy aroused by the laughter and growth of children, the taste of good food in good company, the beauty and majesty of nature, the gift of memory, the power of friendship, the bonds of love across generations? Easy answer—it’s all these things AND MORE. My favorite translation shared today is “the attitude of an open heart.” This article from Psychology Today discusses happiness.

We wrapped up the 1000 Words! Woo Hoo! What is next? Continue to revisit these common words to cement them into your memory and vocabulary. 

March 9: 

• Join us as we explore the Five Love Languages. This article from Healthline explains the Five Love Languages. What makes you feel loved? What is the best way to show your love to others?
• We continue to discuss strategies to build vocabulary. For vocabulary homework, choose five words—any words—and tell us why you chose them. 

American Accent Training: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 AM, Zoom

American Accent Training reviewed that pesky short "i" long "e" sound that can get some of our Friends in trouble when they say "beach". Aside from a lot of giggling, working with these sounds helps you to be better understood and more importantly, not misunderstood!

Bill’s Tip

March 9: Chit Chat, perfect, and learn a new tip from Bill!

Kid’s Conversation: Friday, 4:30-5:00 PM, Zoom

It was good to see each other catch up. It is always good to see old friends. We talked about our wind-driven car models. 

March 10: Design an air-driven car. Be ready to tell us about your design. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of vehicle?

aroused: awakened

come to a head: reach a crisis

eminent: about to happen
in good company: with other loved or interesting people

only a matter of time: inevitable

pesky: annoying
quick and dirty:
ran through: 
revisit: consider again
sweeping trend: widescale direction change