Our last meetings this year: December18 and 20

Happy Holidays, Friends.

You may be hearing all kinds of greetings. People may be telling you Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. If you are saying Merry Christmas, you can switch to Happy New Year on December 26 or you can stick to the generic Happy Holidays through January first.

You don't have to be a kid to enjoy singing along with the holiday songs. The Kids Christmas Songs Playlist has songs with the words to Karioki along.

This coming week we have our last meetings of the year.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, Room 100
Join us as we read the story of the first Christmas found in Luke.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00, Room 100
Join us for our famous Holiday Party. Bring a dish to share and a "white elephant" gift for our gift exchange.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, Upstairs Classrooms
Classes continue. Come for our last class of the year! American Accent Training will not be meeting, but come for lively conversation with Wendy and Don.

Parents with Children: 9:00-11:30, Classroom at the end of the hall
The CLC Nursery will not be open. Bring your children to spend the morning with us in the classroom at the end of the hall for the entire day. We will play bingo, count, make classic reindeer antlers, make origami wreath puzzles, color and so much more.

Parents: join us as we read the classic poem Night Before Christmas.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100
"Timing is everything.” As we continue reading the Gospel of John in chapter 7, we discover Jesus’ brothers urging him to take his teaching and his miracles to the larger and more important audience in Jerusalem. Jesus tells his brothers he won’t be going to the Feast of Tabernacles with them because, “the right time for me has not yet come.” (v. 6) Yet he eventually does go secretly to Jerusalem, and halfway through the festival, he enters the temple courts and begins to teach. His audience is divided into two groups, those who believe he is the Messiah and those who don’t. We discussed how this division of beliefs reminds us of the politics in our own countries even today. Some were ready to seize Jesus, “but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.” Later the Jewish leaders gave orders to the Temple guards to bring Jesus in, but they didn’t do it. They were too amazed at his preaching to take him into custody.

International Friends: Cookie Day
We had our annual Christmas cookie baking day! What a fun day it was. It is a sweet way to enjoy the holiday traditions! Be sure to check out our pictures on our Facebook page.

I wore my Jackalope sweater. Do you know what a Jackalope is? Here is an official story from an official source: a souvenir post card!

seize: grab or capture
custody: imprisonment
stick to: maintain, continue
generic: not specific (generic drugs at the pharmacy are not manufactured by the originating company or brand but contain the same chemicals)
through: up to and including certain dates
urging: to push or press along
seize: to take by force
take into custody: arrest

Oh what fun...

Happy Holidays, Friends.

We are into the Christmas season. Enjoy all the beautiful lights on the homes in the neighborhoods. We would take our children on scenic routes with the holiday music playing. Are you looking for fun and free things to do with your kids? And speaking of fun with your family, check out this calendar from Indy With Kids. Click on the links in the calendar to find out more. Many of the events aren't limited to only to that day.

Questions about what you may be seeing and doing:

• People ringing bells outside stores. Christmas is a time of giving. These They are volunteers for the Salvation Army which is the philanthropic arm of the Universal Christian Church. You can donate your pocket change in the red bucket to help with their programs. 
• Putting up and caring for a real Christmas tree. If you decide to put up a real Christmas tree, remember that it is a living, cut plant (like a bouquet of flowers) and needs to be watered to keep it alive and from becoming a fire hazard. Wherever you buy your tree, they will wrap it and help you tie it on top of your car. You will need a tree stand (pick one up at Goodwill, or Lowes or Meynards or WalMart). Trees can drink up to a gallon of water a day. Give your tree some time to relax before your start to decorate.

As you plan to go out of town for the holidays there are some really important practices:

• Do not turn off your furnace. Turn it down to 6o degrees, but do not turn it off. Freezing temperatures may freeze your pipes and you will come home to a mess.
• Notify the police that you will be out of town and the dates. They will keep track of your home.
• Stop your mail. Mail will stack up and indicate that you are not home.
• Get your flu shot. As you travel you will be exposed to regional colds and more. Your flu shot will help you not catch that, at least!

Let's Lunch: We have a request for a new opportunity to enjoy each other's company and explore our community and learn about great places to eat and visit. Are you interested? Let me know.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30.
We took a field trip to Goodwill and to the Antique Mall in Westfield. Most of us found some great bargains and deals and discounts. Each booth had merchandise marked down anywhere from 30-50%! Some of us decided to gamble and wait and come back later for deeper discounts! When I went back on Thursday some of the booths had already lowered prices!

December 11: Join us in the large kitchen off of the gym to back and decorate Christmas cookies. Bring your rolling pin, cookie cutters and if you have a mixer bring it, too. We will mix up batches of traditional cookies and then hold a little cookie walk to share our treats and handiwork.

December 18: Join us for our holiday party and our last meeting of the year. Bring a dish to share and a white elephant gift to exchange in a fun holiday game.

International Friends Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, Room 100
If someone famous or very popular comes to town with their entourage, it can create a great deal of excitement. Huge crowds gather, streets are shut down, and police may be needed to manage the people and the traffic. In John 7, Jesus is talking with his brothers about whether or not he will leave Galilee, where he has been teaching and performing many miracles, and go to the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. He knows that if he enters the city with his brothers and the other pilgrims he will create a stir. He also knows that the Jewish leaders are plotting his demise. His brothers want him to do his teaching and miracles in Jerusalem, where more of the important religious leaders will see him. They are still not convinced that Jesus is who he says he is, the Messiah sent from God.

We had great discussion about the beginning of this story. We discussed how difficult it is to know what to believe, particularly when the government or other leaders are controlling what information we get. We also talked about sibling rivalry, a problem that has been plaguing humans since the children of Adam and Eve! 

December 11: Join us as we continue to look at this dramatic story. 

Parents With Children: Thursdays during our English classes.

Children: 9:00-10:10 and/or 10:15-11:30

Parents with Children: 9:00-9:20, 9:50-10:10, 10:15-10:35 or 11:10-11:30

Check in with the nursery before classes or start with us to be paged for the changing of the children. 

We enjoyed Frosty the Snowman cookies (check the dairy case for these cute cookies to quickly bake at home) and hot chocolate and watched the classic Frosty the Snowman. We found a great number of vocabulary building words for parents: silly, corncob, come to life, juggle, ticklish, melt, wishy washy, see the town, catch me if you can, traffic cop, tracks, sail, sleep/steep/deep.

We listened to a teacher read the book Snow by Roy Mckie and P.D. Eastman, but here is another really fun version where the "reader" sings the book instead of reading it! We always talk about singing to remember and to pronounce words. This is a great example.

We made snowmen, sorted colorful snowflakes, played shape and color identification games and sang and danced to a song about Snowflakes Falling to the Ground. See Carolyn for our activities.

December 13: Join us as we celebrate Christmas trees and the meanings behind decorations. We will sing and dance to Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree and so much more. 

scenic routes: not going directly some way to just enjoy the view

fire hazard: something that can cause a fire.

booth: a small store within a larger building
merchandise: items for sale
marked down: prices are reducedentourage: a group of attendants or associates, as of a person of rank or importance

pilgrims: persons who journey, especially a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion

create a stir: disrupt

demise: death

sibling rivalry: when children in a family compete for attention

plaguing: bothering, pestering, annoying

You’re Invited to the International Friends Holiday Party

Join us for our annual holiday party.
We will sing carols and enjoy friendship and delicious food.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2018

in ROOM 100

10:00-?:??

Bring your favorite holiday food to share.

Bring a white elephant gift for our gift exchange!



A white elephant gift is something you no longer want or need. Often these gifts are funny or unusual. Remember, one person’s trash is someone else’s treasure. 

When my site crashes three times and everything is lost the update is late...My appologies.

Hello, Friends.

While it was great to have a break, it was nice to get back together this week. There is so much to do around town for the holiday season!

• Newfields Winter Lights are definitely worth a visit 
• Carmel Christkindlmarkt has delicious food and great shopping. Book your ice skating on line, it’s very popular. Ask me about the gluhbier.
• Check out the holiday shows at the Performing Arts Center in Carmel and at Clowes Hall.
• Sullivans Hardware has a Santa Express train for family fun while shopping for a tree. 
• Head to the Indiana History Center Festival of Trees to see 80 beautiful trees.

CLC is having a sermon series that compares the secular stories of the season with the religious stories. Watch live or after the fact to learn  cultural stories and how they blend with the Christian holidays. Christmas is a great season at CLC. Check out the calendar for other events.

• December 7 and 8: Lessons and Carols service (I will be at the 10:45 service; join me!)
• December 8: Living Nativity at the Fishers Campus 5:30-8:00
• Come to CLC for any service during the holidays.

I have contracted with an Indiana certified elementary school teacher with a reading license and experience teaching preschool across all of the ages to write a curriculum specific for our Parents with Children classes. Our class activities are directly tied to Indiana standards for preschoolers. Each week we have a specific American cultural and English lesson for the parents with their children. When our parents are off studying English, we have other lessons that help our children learn and grow in the subjects of Literary/Science, Math, Art and Music and Movement. Find links to the songs and stories that support our classes on our Parents with Children tab on our webpage. Talk to Carolyn for past lesson handouts for your family.

We are suspending our Wednesday Conversation class. Students prefer not to drive in the evening and winter and no one is attending. Please e-mail me at indyintlfriends@gmail.com for more information or if you are interested in continuing.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, Room 100.
We talked about what to make with our leftover turkey carcass and tasted the classic turkey and rice vegetable soup. We also enjoyed pumpkin bread. All of our classic Thanksgiving recipes can be found on our Recipes tab.

December 4: Let's go thrifting and antiquing and eat at Big Hoffa's. Meet at CLC to depart for the stores at 10:00 and visit the Goodwill, the Main Street Shoppes: 800 East Mainstreet, Westfield.

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, Room 100
Jesus’ ministry reaches its peak of popularity in the sixth chapter of John. Crowds of thousands are following Jesus everywhere he goes. After the miraculous feeding of the five thousand men (plus women and children!) the people are ready to make him king by force. Jesus withdraws to a mountain by himself and later walks several miles across rough water of the Sea of Galilee in the dark to join his disciples in their boat (John 6: 16-17). Once the crowd realizes Jesus is no longer in the area, they climb into boats and cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, looking for him in Capernaum. When they find him, Jesus tells them that  he knows their primary interest in him is as a provider of bread. He goes on to explain that he is the Bread of Life, sent from heaven by God the Father, and that anyone who believes in him will have eternal life (John 6: 35-40). The Jews that were there had a hard time believing this because they knew Jesus and his family. Jesus explains in the context of their history and in the context of the required religious practices of the time (John 6: 53-59) and in the synagogue. When Jesus talks about "eating his flesh and drinking his blood" (John 6:53) he is referring to the practices where the holy people responsible for religious laws were fed through the offerings given the church (Deuteronomy 18:1-2) and how the status and "living" of these people would go away through Jesus' teaching and his perfect offering and sacrifice. They could not accept this teaching. The Twelve, the original disciples, stay with him. In Peter’s words in John 6: 68: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

December 4: Join us for our study of John 7 on Tuesday at 9:00 in Room 100.

contracted: entered into a legal agreement
licensed: holding a license; holding official proof of having the knowledge and being able to meet the standards to perform a job or task
standards: 1. level of quality, 2. measure for evaluation, 3. minimum requirements
certified: official recognized for meeting particular standards
suspending: stopping an event with the option of resuming at a future date
continuing: ongoing

primary: first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you have a wonderful day filled with families, food, football and fun.

I am thankful for all of you.

Love,
Carolyn

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends.

We had our first weather cancellation. As a reminder, when Carmel Clay Schools have a two hour delay or are closed, we cancel classes. I typically post on our site and on our Facebook pages as well as send an email as soon as I find out. You may get a delayed email from our International Friends pages because they batch process the subscription, so don't wait to check.

This week is full of excitement and great deals! For those of you new to the United States and our holidays, Thanksgiving kicks off our holiday shopping season:

• Thursday: Thanksgiving. Feast with your family and friends. The days leading up to this holiday is one of the most traveled days of the year. Interestingly enough, you can usually get great fares on Thanksgiving day.
• Friday: Black Friday. Black refers to the balance sheets of retail businesses. This sales for Christmas begin and bring "red" or losses on accounting books into the "black" or profits. Sales begin with great deals to get shoppers out and in the doors. Look for outrageous pricing to get you in the door.
• Monday: Cyber Monday. Not to be outdone, online stores take the stage with deals and pricing to keep your credit card busy at your keyboard. Don't forget about PayPal!

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100
We took a little field trip to see the "Who's a Hoosier" traveling exhibit in the Irwin library at Butler University. We learned that the United States and Indiana has a rich history of immigrants. People have come from all corners of the earth to join the Miami Indians in calling this area of land home.

The Irwin Library, itself is a great piece of architecture with an interesting history. The building was designed by Minoru Yamasaki who also designed the World Trade Center which was destroyed by the infamous attack on 9/11.

November 20: Let's talk about cooking for Thanksgiving and leftovers and casseroles. Join us as we talk about those classic, easy to make American dishes: casseroles. And so many other things...

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100
The man whom Jesus found lying near the Pool of Bethesda had been an invalid for 38 years. Therefore, it is rather surprising that Jesus asked him, “Do you want to get well?”  If you had been sick for such a long time, you would definitely want to get well, wouldn’t you? Or maybe not. Sometimes we refuse help from others. Maybe we are secretly afraid that getting well would require more responsibility from us. Maybe we’ve become comfortable in our situation and simply fear change. Maybe getting well would solve our physical problems, but we would still need to deal with emotional and spiritual weakness. Jesus did heal this man. Then he warned him to stop sinning, implying that the consequences of sin are much more serious than a physical illness or infirmity. Jesus then went on to explain in the fifth chapter of John that he had been sent to do the Father’s will. God works 24/7 on our behalf, every day of every year of our lives. The religious leaders did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, even though his miracles and John the Baptist had testified that he was. Jesus warns them that unless they accept and believe in him, they will not have eternal life with God. That is a fate much more serious than being physically weak or ill!~Jan Heimann

November 20: Please join us as we read about another of Jesus’s famous miracles, the Feeding of the Five Thousand, in the sixth chapter of John.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 100.
We chatted about the elections, correcting our pronunciation when we don't have people to practice our English on, the wildfires in California and shopping. We talked about how it is important to sit and listen to conversations (even when we don't feel like we can participate) because that helps expand our vocabulary and learn language patterns. We talked about how it is hard to carry on a conversation because you never know which why it will turn, so you can't plan ahead!

November 21: NO CLASS! Happy Thanksgiving!

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms.
What a surprise! Classes were cancelled because of the weather.

November 22: NO CLASS! Happy Thanksgiving!

Parents with Children: Thursdays, 9:00-9:20, 9:50-10:10, 10:50-10:35, or 10:10-11:30, children's classroom
Join us with your children to sing holiday songs and carols that celebrate the season (so you can sing along) and talk about customs. Your children spend the rest of the period playing with us and making holiday crafts. Over the next few weeks we will perfect our fine motor skills by using stamps to create holiday cards, string cereal and popcorn to make garland for our trees or the birds and ice and decorate cookies. Come and find out what this is all about.

Sign up for your slot.

most traveled: when many people vacation or travel

rich history: high quality or abundant
great piece: a good example
infamous: (IN-fu-mus) well known for a bad quality or deed (the prefix IN means bad)

invalid: (IN-va-lid) a person who is too sick or weak to care for himself or herself (this word is spelled like in-VAL-id meaning not relevant)

consequence:  the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier
testify: to witness; give evidence

practice...on: doing something to and not necessarily with someone
participate: join in
what this is all about: what this means

Classes are Cancelled November 15

All classes are cancelled, Thursday, November 15.

Be safe and stay warm!

Love,
Carolyn

Have a Great Week and Weekend

Hello, Friends.

We celebrated a delicious Thanksgiving on Tuesday at International Friends. It was a great “training feast” to get us ready for the holiday season.

You might notice some people sporting beards when they are normally clean shaven. That's because it is No Shave November. What started as a goofy excuse for lax grooming has become a symbol of  fundraising for cancer research.

There are some key dates through the end of the year for  your calendars:

We do not meet November 21 or 22: Happy Thanksgiving
Mark your calendar for December 18 and our annual Christmas party! Food! Fun! White Elephant Gifts!
Our last class/meeting of 2018 is December 22
Classes and meetings resume January 4, 2019

We sang a traditional Thanksgiving hymn "Come, Ye Thankful People Come." This song uses the old English "ye" for the word "you" and "doth" for the word "does". As we roll into the holiday season, ye might notice many holiday songs that came from England keep this tradition.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100
Novmeber 14: Join us as we visit Butler University Irwin Library and for the last day of the Historical Society "Who is a Hoosier?" Exhibit. Read more about this traveling exhibit that shows how Indiana has always had a place on the international stage.

Meet at CLC to carpool/caravan at 10:00 or meet us on campus in front of the Metro Diner (located by the parking garage). 4702 Sunset Avenue, Indianapolis, IN.

sporting: wearing

clean shaven: no beard or moustache

goofy: silly

lax: not careful

grooming: the things people do to look nice and clean, particularly with hair and skin

symbol: something that represents something else

key: important

the holiday season: the weeks between Thanksgiving and the new year.

keep this tradition: maintain a practice

Let's Feast!

Hello, Friends.

The upcoming week is a really busy and exciting for our Friends.

You are invited to the

International Friends Thanksgiving Feast

Tuesday, November 6 beginning at 10:00 in the small kitchen

Join us at 10:00 in the kitchen and learn how to prepare traditional American turkey,  green been casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Bring your favorite feasting dish to share. 

Bring your recipe to be included in our Thanksgiving Recipe book

11:30 we begin our feast in Room 100

Sunday, November 4: Daylight savings time ends: Set the clock on your microwave and in your car back one hour. This used to be a bigger deal (before we relied on our phones for keeping time).

Tuesday, November 6: Midterm Elections. Political fans are looking forward to watching this race.

Parents with Children: Thursdays during English Classes
Join us for our class for Parents with Children. Your children can stay and play with us. Register for one of the 20 minute sessions at the beginning or the end of each of our sessions: 9:00-10:10 or 10:15-11:30 (your children can spend the alternate time in the CLC Nursery). Find more information and links to our songs and activities: Parents with Children

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:40-6:00, Room 100.
Join us as we return on November 7.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, Room 100.
We had a great meeting and pumpkin carving. This is always one of my favorites. If you saved your pumpkin seeds, you can make a tasty treat. Simply wash them and season them as you like (salt, taco seasoning, garlic salt, cinnamon and sugar, you decide!). Spread them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until they are toasty and brown. Some directions call for oil, but when they are soaking wet it works just fine.

tasty: delicious
toasty: warm and browned
just fine: great!

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, Room 100
Jesus was on his way home to Galilee, we read in John 4:43-54. He had spent two days in Samaria teaching the people about the kingdom of God, and many there believed that Jesus was the Messiah sent from God.

Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee. The people there know about the miraculous healings Jesus performed in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover. They welcomed Jesus back to his Galilean home, eager to see him perform more signs and wonders. Yet, they are not ready to acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God. After all, he’s one of them. They know his parents, his brothers, and his sisters. Some of them remember Jesus as a little boy. How could he possibly be God’s Son? He was their neighbor!

Suddenly a royal official approached Jesus with an urgent request. He begged him to come to Capernaum and to heal his child, who was near death. Jesus tells him, “Go, your son will live.” The official believes what Jesus says. As he nears home, he is met by servants who share the wonderful news that his son’s fever is gone! When he asks them when his son’s fever left, he learns that it was at the exact time Jesus told him his son would live. Jesus is reliable. He is pleased to give life and health.

We discussed the difference between this believing official, who trusted Jesus and his words of healing, and the Galilean people who were “sign-seekers” and “wonder-worshipers,” but not believers in Jesus as the Son of God. ~ Jan Heimann

November 6: We will read John 5. Please join us!

miraculous: of the nature of a miracle; marvelous
acknowledge: to admit to be real or true
urgent: requiring immediate action or attention; imperative;pressing

Halloween, Refining Parents with Children and Nursery Procedures.

Hi Friends,

The fall color is really starting to get pretty.

Get ready for Halloween on Wednesday. Here is a list of the times for you to expect Trick or Treaters. In Carmel the time is from 5:00-8:00PM.  In Marion County trick or treating is from 6:00-8:00 PM. Turn on your porch lights to show the kids that you are ready for them to come. Be sure to have plenty of candy on hand.

We continue to refine our Parents with Children offering. Please read the details and find the sign up link for our new Parents with Children. Your children stay with us either before or after your chosen Parents with Children 

International Bible Study: Tuesday, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
In the fourth chapter of John we learn that after Jesus spent time in Jerusalem, performing miraculous signs and teaching the people, he decided to go back to Galilee, the region in which he had grown up. The journey took him and his disciples through an area called Samaria, the home of a group of believers that had split away from the Jewish faith due to a quarrel about where they should worship God. Both Jewish and Samaritan religious leaders taught that it was wrong to have any contact with the opposite group, and neither was to enter each other's territories or even to speak to one another.
So it was surprising to read that when Jesus stopped to rest at Jacob’s well, and his disciples went off in search of a place to buy food, Jesus struck up a conversation with a Samaritan woman who had come at noon to fetch water from the well. Women in this area usually got water in the cool of the morning or in the evening. Why was this woman avoiding the crowds? 

Another surprise - Jesus asked her for a drink of water! Then he went on to tell her that he could supply her with “living water” and (most surprisingly) he told her he knew the secrets of her immoral life, that she had been married five times, and that she was currently living with a man who was not her husband. The woman quickly realized she was speaking to someone who had been sent from God. She told Jesus that she knew the Messiah (The Christ) was coming. Jesus said, “I, the one speaking to you - I am he.”

This was the first time Jesus had plainly claimed to be the Messiah, the one sent from God. The woman went back to her village and told everyone about Jesus. They hurried to see him and listened to him teach for two days. Because of her witness, many Samaritans believed in Jesus!
Jesus filled these people with the “living water” that filled their souls! What a gift! Faith that brings us to eternal life!

October 30: Join us as we continue reading and discussing John 4.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
We had some general conversation talking about police stops and other miscellaneous topics and then rolled into our "swearing class". We talked about words in our home languages that sound like salty words to English ears. We also talked about words and gestures that are rude in America and compared them to gestures in our home countries. 

• October 30: Bring a big pumpkin to carve. Bring a sharp knife, a large spoon and newspapers. We will carve pumpkins into Jack o' Lanterns. To prepare, enjoy this great video about pumpkins.
• November 6: Let's Feast! Come and learn to prepare a traditional turkey and the fixings. Bring your favorite feasting dish to share.
• November 13: Let's go to Butler University Irwin Library an see the Indianapolis Historical Society "Who is a Hoosier?" Exhibit.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 100.
John brought a great sheet with Halloween. We popped pop corn on the cob in the microwave.  This tasty treat easy to prepare and healthy. John brought Indian corn which is a colorful

October 31: No class...Happy Halloween!

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms.
We continue our classes. Do you like our new curriculum? There are so many nice options on line. Did you enjoy the Easy English News? There is much to read and talk about.

Parents and Children: Thursdays.
We continue to refine our partnership with the Nursery at CLC.

The Nursery is now offering two sessions: 9:00-10:10 and 10:15-11:25. They can only have 15 children at a time. Either go for the early session, or be ready to "switch out" for the later session.

Your children are welcome to be with you in the classroom, or you can bring them to our Children's Classroom. Join them there to learn songs, stories and games that American children love and work on your English at the same time. Practice reading aloud to your children and work on your vocabulary and pronunciation. Your children stay with us either before or after your chosen Parents with Children. We are offering four Parent and Child classes.

1. 9:00-9:20
2. 9:50-10:10
3. 10:15-10:35
4. 11:10-11:30

Read, sing songs, and learn about American Culture with your children. You can go on to class if you choose 1 or 3 and leave your child(ren) with us to play and learn. Choose 2 or 4 and leave your children with us to play and learn and come back for our Parents and Childen class.

Here is our New and Improved Parent and Child Sign Up.
Please select your preferred times so we can plan ahead.

VOCABULARY

refine: improve

quarrel: an angry dispute; a disagreement marked by a break in friendly relations
immoral: violating the principles of personal and social ethics
witness: testimony or evidence

Indian: the race of people native to the Americas often referred to as Native Americans
vice versa: the other way around
partnership: two groups or people who have an agreement and work together

Getting ready for Halloween and Tap Water

Hello, Friends.

Halloween is almost upon us. There is so much you can to do to get into the spirit of this favorite holiday with your family:

• Friday, October 26 at 8:00 pm watch It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown on ABC. Read more about this 52 year old Halloween classic.
• Don't forget to enjoy the Headless Horseman at Conner Prairie over the weekends through October 28. This is just a little scary and a great way to enjoy the fall weather. 
• The Children's Museum has a "Grim-nasium" with a lights on option sponsored by IPL (Indianapolis Power and Light: a very funny joke!) with a "dare to be scared" option.

Bottled or Tap?
We had a very interesting conversation about water here in the Midwest. In this area the water is hard. When rain falls on the ground it doesn't contain minerals, but as the water percolates through the ground and into the aquifer here in the Indianapolis area it picks up minerals like lime, calcium and magnesium. These essential minerals are often preferred because they make water taste better and have health benefits. Unfortunately, these same minerals cause shower doors and other surfaces turn white and look dirty. Hard water spots can be reduced by using with water softeners that add salt to the water to "soften" it and adding Jet Wash to your dishwasher. Tap water is very safe to drink and is beneficial to your health.

Municipalities are responsible for maintaining the quality and safety of the water within their city. They often add chemicals to the water for the community's safety and health. These can include fluoride and chlorine. Fluoride is added to public water to prevent and reduce cavities by reducing the rate for tooth enamel to demineralize. How much is added (or removed) depends on how much occurs naturally in the water. The World Health Organization sets recommendations. The amount of fluorine in bottled water isn't known.

Chlorine is often added to public water to kill diseases like cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, bacteria, viruses etc. that commonly grow in water supply reservoirs and grow in the walls of water mains and storage tanks. While there could be risks from exposure to this addition are much less risk than the potential disease from contamination. Chlorine boils out of water. Additionally, it will evaporate from water exposed to air. It can also be filtered out of water, but filters need to be changed regularly because they can become contaminated and grow the bacterial and diseases they were intended to remove.

One last concern in water is lead. Water from a city is regularly tested for lead. Pipes in older buildings and plumbing systems may contain lead either in the pipes or in the solder that holds the pipes together. This is mainly in older homes. You can reduce your exposure from lead in your home a good number of ways including using cold water or cooking and running the tap before using the water for drinking or bathing.

Ultimately, tap water in the greater Indianapolis area is very safe to drink. You may have difficulty cleaning lime scale off of shower doors and other surfaces that get a lot of water exposure. Vinegar is a great way to dissolve it. Spray surfaces with vinegar water with a drop or two of dish detergent (which helps the vinegary water stick to the surface). After a while, wipe the area clean. you may have to repeat this a few times. Adding vinegar to your washer helps also. Some people have water softeners to combat the effects of hard water and to maintain their household appliances.

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
Thank you to our Friends who taught us to make Takoyaki. I know that I want one of these makers in our home. I think these tasty treats could become a great tailgate snack! Sylvia told us about a Danish style of balls that are created in a similar way. These are called Aebleskiver. Here are three other recipes that are trendy with current cuisine. We were glad to celebrate a birthday with one of our Friends. It is always special and rare to have a meeting coincides with an actual birthday!

October 23: Join us for one of my favorite topics: Swearing Class. Come and learn words not to say. Talk about words in your home language that can be mistaken for salty language to English ears.

October 30: Let's carve pumpkins into Jack o' Lanterns. Bring a large pumpkin to carve, a sharp knife and old newspapers. We will carve our pumpkins and toast pumpkin seeds. You can find pumpkins at reasonable prices at most grocery stores. I was told that Meijer has carving pumpkins two for $5.99!

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
We talked about the court of public opinion which is when the due process is influenced by the news media or social outlets rather than through the judicial system. Even if someone isn't found guilty through due process, their reputation may be damaged even though they win the case.  We talked about these concepts  as a result of Jesus statements in John 3: 16-18. We talked about the English words for people who don't believe in any god or that haven't make a judgement or formed an opinion about their beliefs: atheists are people who believe there are no gods and agnostics are people who haven't made a decision. Both these words begin with "a" which means not

We finished the chapter where John the Baptist testifies about Jesus and John's role in the work that was being done through him and then through Jesus. We talked about succession management which is the formal plan for people to take roles and responsibilities to get a job finished or to maintain a community or business.

October 23: Join us as we read further in this great story.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 100.
We had a nice conversation on Wednesday including some topics in the Easy English newspaper. We asked our resident Doctor about whether we should get the flu vaccine. He said, "yes, if you are healthy." Getting the vaccine protects you from the disease and protects those around you from catching the flu.

October 24:  Join us as we talk about articles in the Easy English News and other topics.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms
We continue to roll along with our classes. I hope you are enjoying our new text book series. 

We kicked off our Parents with Children. This month we are learning the song Five Little Pumpkins and reading stories and books about Halloween. We worked on pronouncing "clown" and "Clifford".

Sign up for Parents With Children: Please click to reserve your preferred spot in our sessions for these classes so we can be sure to have enough materials for our activities. Also, check our  

get into the spirit: join in the mood and fun

over the weekend: on Saturday and Sunday only

essential: something that is necessary or important

risk from exposure: danger from coming in contact with someting

contamination: poison or make dirty

regularly: often

percolates: filter slowly through a porous surface 

aquifer: rock that can transmit groundwater; as water seeps into limestone it can leave behind impurities and pick up healthy minerals

mainly: more than anything else

tap water: water from faucets and sinks

dissolve: turn something into a liquid form

carving pumpkins: large pumpkins that are used for decoration rather than eating; they are also edible, but the quality of the flesh isn't as good as other pumpkins and squashes.

due process: a system where citizens have rights that can not be taken away or deprived without legal procedures

judicial system: the branch of the government that interprets and applies the laws to situations 

reputation: a general belief or opinion about someone or something, good name, character

roll along: continue

kicked off: started, began

preferred spot: the session you want to attend

Fall Break and Parents with Children Kick Off

Happy Fall Break, Friends!

I hope that you are enjoying this crisp weather. The temperatures this weekend are dipping into the 30s. I wonder if you kicked your furnace on?

We are excited to kick off our Parents with Children classes. This is a new class offering during our regular classes that give your children a break from the nursery while offering you a chance to learn typical American stories, games, and skills for our children. This also let you get to know some of the other parents at International Friends and talk about parenting issues. Don't worry. Your classroom teachers are aware of this opportunity and fully support you in participating and growing with your children.

crisp: cool, refreshing temperatures dipping into: the temperature is lowering into the 30s; imagine dipping your toes into a swimming pool...
kicked your furnace on: turned on your heat; in the spring we kick on the AC (air conditioning)

Parents with Children: Thursdays, 9:00-9:40, 9:50-10:30, 10:40-11:20, classroom at the end of the hall.
We are asking all parents with children to sign up for and participate in one of our parent and child English classes. Sign up in the nursery as you check your children in or come to the room at the end of the hall by our classrooms.

These sessions take place during our class time and are designed to take the pressure off of the CLC Nursery (and let all of our children have the opportunity for free play) while still offering you and avenue to continue your English studies as well as answer many of your questions about how young children are raised in the United States. Practice with your children and learn along with them!

9:05-9:45: Begin your morning with us.
9:55-10:35: this is the perfect break from the hubbub of the nursery for many of our children
10:45-11:25: Wind up the morning with activities and learning together.

The curriculum includes activities that help our children grow with:

• Reading aloud to our children
• Fine motor skills
• Gross motor skills
• Question and Discussion time

...and helps us as parents have exposure to what is expected and valued in American parenting to grow independent and well prepared children. This also helps you to understand what other parents expect from our children.

take the pressure off: reduce the stress of or the volume of
kick off: begin
exposure: contact with something

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
The third chapter of the Gospel of John begins with the story of Nicodemus, a Jewish leader who was a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. He came to see Jesus at night, seeking information about who Jesus was and what he was teaching. Evidently Nicodemus was very aware of the miraculous signs Jesus had already performed. He was sure that Jesus could not have done those miracles unless God was with him.

Jesus’s explanation about being “born again” seems to have confused Nicodemus. So Jesus makes it clear that it is the work of the Holy Spirit in the water of baptism that gives “new life” to the believer.
Jesus goes on to say that "God loved the world so much, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) And, just as important, "For God, did not send his Son into the world ot condemn the world, but to save the world through him" (John 3:17) ~ Jan Heimann

October 16: Join Carolyn as we read and discuss more of the third chapter of John.

Pharisee: a member of a Jewish sect that flourished during the 1st century b.c. and 1st century a.d. and that differed from the Sadducees chiefly in its strict observance of religious ceremonies and practices, adherence to oral laws and traditions, and belief in an afterlife and the coming of a Messiah.
evidently: obviously; apparently
perish: to die

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
We carved apples into heads to become shrunken heads. We dressed our witches and goblins and are watching them age and become wizened. We made somemores over a Sterno "bonfire" as a snack.

October 16: Join us for a Takoyaki Party!

wizened: become wrinkled with age
sterno: can of fuel used for cooking or keep food warm

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 100.
We celebrated Kay's birthday American-style with cake and candles and singing. We tasted the cake from Market District and the Limited Edition, sparkling, caramel apple juice. It was great to welcome an old friend back. At the afterparty we learned more about features on our iPhones and on Facebook.

October 17: Join Carolyn and Kay for light or heavy conversation.

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, room 100
I hope you enjoyed a relaxing and rejuvenating fall break. You may have your break next week if you live in Fishers! 

October 18: Join us back in our classes. Parents with Children: come to our 40 minute session to learn with your children!

Fall Break. New Text Books. Apple Fun! Could it get any better than this?

Hello, Friends.

We had a great week at International Friends! We baked and fried apples. We got new text books (the link for your on-line resources are at below). Next week promises to be even better! 

...And the weather...for those of you new to Indiana, we had another taste of fall today. Don't worry. Summer hasn't left us behind, yet. Get ready for a few more hot and enjoyable summer days. Meanwhile, keep your eyes open: The leaves are turning.

Remember: Fall Break. No classes on Thursday. Enjoy the day off and practice your English!

English Tips and Observations (from our Friends):
Want to improve your listening? Watch children's TV programs (in English) with the Closed Captioning on so you can read along. Children's programs often use "characters" that have a wide and obvious voice style that makes listening interesting and tunes your ear to a variety of speaking styles.

Asian languages often END the sentence with the question marker...English BEGINS with the question marker (who, what, where, when) about the following information. This might make you miss that a question was even asked because you were listening for information! It doesn't help that most English questioning words begin with the same sound, but indicate completely different things. Listen carefully!

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
The Bible story in John 2:12-25 about Jesus clearing the Temple is surprising! Why? Because Jesus gets angry! Its “righteous anger,” but its anger. People struggle that how could God be loving and be angry. 

Jesus went to Jerusalem to observe the Passover, as was required of all Jewish men. As he entered the outer court of the Temple (the only section in which non-Jewish people were allowed to worship), he found animals for sale for sacrifice and salesmen were selling them to pilgrims who were required to bring sacrifices to God as part of their worship. There were also money-changers who were taking currencies from all over the world and exchanging them. All of this “temple business” had previously been done outside the Temple walls. God’s house was turned into a market. Jesus made a whip and drove the merchants and their animals out of the Temple. 

We observed:

• Jesus came to be the ultimate or final, perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people. Animals wouldn't be needed! Spoiler: because of his suffering and death on the cross, and his resurrection three days later, animals were no longer needed as sacrifices for sin. 
• Righteous anger is a display of love and compassion.
  

Jesus’ anger was focused on making things right. He was angry for a good reason.

October 9: Please join us as begin our study of the third chapter of the Gospel of John with the story about Jesus teaching Nicodemus.

Passover: Jewish holiday

righteous: morally right or justifiable

pilgrims: people traveling for religious purposes

currency: something that is used as a medium of exchange; money

exchanging: trading for something of equal value

defile: to make dirty, foul, or unclean

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
We cooked apple dishes. Maria hosted baking a Roman Apple Cake. Here’s a great site of recipes from many home cooks. This one is very similar to the recipe we used.

We baked apples using Werther’s Pumpkin Spice Carmels and sugar, butter and oatmeal. Heat the oven to 350°. Cut the top quarter of the apple. Scoop out the core with the seeds. Score the inside being careful not to cut through the skin. Put the Carmel in the hollow. Make a crumble by mixing the sugar, butter and oatmeal and top the apples. Bake the apples in a baking pan or muffin tin a for 35-40 minutes until soft. Serve hot from the oven with vanilla ice cream.

We fried apple fritters. Heat oil to 375°. Mix about a cup of flour with about a teaspoon of baking soda and a teaspoon of sugar and a good sprinkle of cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into two to three cups of chopped apples (I like the skin on). Stir in 2/3 cup of milk make a batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter in the oil. Fry them until they they float to the top and are golden brown. The trick to good frying is to keep the oil temperature up so that the food doesn’t absorb the oil. Having a good electric frier helps or use a thermometer to assure steady heat.

Other moms stopped by and shared quick, no bake snack recipes.
Emily’s Snacking Balls
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Honey to taste
Mix all together and roll into bite-sized balls.

Beth’s
1 teaspoon butter melted with 1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup Cheerios cereal
1/4 cup peanut butter
Mix all together and roll into bite sized balls.

October 9: Let’s make Halloween Witches and Some Mores!
Bring a small apple, an empty toilet paper or empty soda or beer bottle or paper towel roll for the body, a small knife, scissors and a glue gun if you have one. Check out this description for making a witch head. There are a good number of other descriptions out there, too. Google apple witch or shrunken apple heads for more ideas.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 100.
John brought office supplies and we learned the names for many

October 10: Let’s have a birthday party! Let’s celebrate Kay’s birthday and talk about parties.

English Classes: Thursday’s, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms.
Our Leveled classes got new text books this week! This is a new text for our school. This product was chosen because it integrates on-line technologies. 

Access all the audio files, flash cards and other support materials: World Link

October 11: No Class: Fall Break
October 18: Welcome back! We are launching our Parent and Child Classes. Watch for more information this coming week.

Welcome Fall

Hello Friends,

This weekend felt so much like fall. Our neighbors had a bonfire party. The smells of burning wood and toasting marshmallows wafted and whiffed out of the night and into our windows. This is a typical fall scenario. Be sure to take advantage of these wonderful days and the festivals they spawn. Enjoy corn mazes, pumpkin patches, hay rides and bonfires.

Important to note: we have our Fall Break Thursday, October 11. No classes that day.

so much: a lot
wafted: carried by the air
whiffed: smoke or a scent carried by air
scenario: setting or a story
spawn: cause to grow or happen

International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:00-10:00, room 100.
John briefly talks about how several men became Jesus' disciples in John 1:35-51. Jesus says his classic, "come and see" and "follow me." Brothers invite brothers and friends to meet and follow. Interestingly enough, John decides to tell the story of Nathanael meeting Jesus. This is the only mention of Nathanael in the whole Bible, yet this meeting is important enough for John to note.

We also read how Jesus changes water into wine as His first miracle in John 2:1-11. He does this at a wedding in Cana. That Jesus chooses to save the party and the reputation of the groom and make the wedding a success is a wonderful gift. We discovered that Jesus' mother encouraged Him to begin His official work. There is a beautiful parallel between this story and the analogy of Jesus as the bridegroom and the church as the bride. The bridegroom of the church transforms water reserved for purifying into wine for celebrating!

October 2: Join us as we discuss the story where Jesus "clears" the temple: John 2:12-25.

briefly: using a few words
interestingly enough: strangely, curiously
note: mention
parallel: follow along side
purifying: cleaning

International Friends: Tuesdays, 10:00-11:30, room 100.
We made it to Tuttle Orchards! The weather cooperated long enough for us to have the opportunity to pick delicious apples. We visited the store and checked out the café area. They have some really delicious options with high quality, Indiana locally sourced ingredients.

locally sourced: obtained from the near area

October 2: Let's cook with apples! Join us as we try some recipes. Bring two apples and to make fritters and baked apples and apple cake. If you have cup cake tins, please bring those, also.

Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00, room 100.

John taught us the very many dishes and serving pieces that make up the typical American dinner table. We practiced passing plates and asking classmates to serve each other. It was good practice of practical American eating skills. Etiquette is an important aspect of friendly conversation. The Gentlemans' Gazette Table Etiquette Guide to Informal Dining gives a great summary. Note that this guide has European (two handed) rather than American (one handed) guidelines for handling flatware...either custom is appropriate in the United States. If you want to know more about place settings and templates for them visit the Template.net for some quick diagrams and explanations.

October 3: Our group continues to grow. Join us and learn new vocabulary and American customs.

passing plates:
etiquette: social rules and guides
appropriate: suitable, proper
diagrams: drawings

English Classes: Thursdays, 9:00-11:30, upstairs classrooms.
We are continuing to develop an elegant solution for parents with small children to continue their English practice and learn about American customs as well as have an interesting and meaningful experience for our children.

We have developed a program to begin October 18: Spend 40 minutes with your children and learn skills (in English) that help to cement children's success and development while practicing your English language skills. Then, rotate your children into the nursery while you attend your class.This option helps to take the pressure off of the nursery and gives your children a break and structure from free play.