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Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day. In Indiana, the month of May is usually a festival month culminating on Memorial Day with the Indy 500. The race has been postponed until August this year. Across the United States, Memorial Day signals the first day of summer vacation. Many school districts begin summer breaks. Families get ready to take vacations. Our state continues to open but asks you to follow social distancing and avoiding crowds, wearing face covering, hand washing for 20 seconds, etc.
Race fans can get their Indy 500 fix Sunday on NBC by watching some classic races as well as the Indy 500 Special: Back home again at 2:00 PM.
NASA space launch Thursday, May 28 at 4:33. This is the first NASA launch in 10 years. Learn about the Space-X rocket and astronauts. Be sure not to miss this historic launch!
Virtual Life:
We are learning so much about communicating from home. Essentially we are broadcasting. What is our presence? It is interesting to note how people choose to arrange their cameras, what is the backdrop or background they choose (or do not choose). Do you think of these things as you set up your Zoom or other virtual visual visits? It's fun to see inside the homes of newscasters and personalities.
English Corner: vocabulary building
Learning vocabulary is the worst. Having a basic vocabulary is critical. Scientist and cartoonist Randall Munroe was challenged to explain complex science concepts using the most frequently used 1000 words. The Thing Explainer book is a funny way to reinforce your basic vocabulary and learn to be confident in speaking, writing and describing many things (using many basic words!). You can have fun reinforcing your basic vocabulary in different contexts.
COVID-19
Indiana is officially moving into Stage 3 of the Back on Track Stage 3 for most counties (Marion is one of them staying in Stage 2). You can read the executive order yourself and judge how much you want to participate in the reopening. We are all becoming more familiar with the legalese in these proclamations in order to make good decisions about what we will do and how much we want to participate in the reopening activities.
Going to the swimming pool and beach. The CDC posted guidelines for swimming pools and aquatic parks. While there is no evidence that pools and the ocean water transmits COVID -19, if may be transmitted person to person or from handles, chairs, tables, railings, etc., (although some new evidence implies that contact from inanimate objects may be less that previously thought). Keeping social distance (more than six feet), wearing a mask when in in closer quarters (but not in the water, please), washing your hands and wiping down surfaces (like chairs or tables at the pool before and after using them, just to be safe).
This Q and A from IU Health infectious disease specialist about visiting your health care professionals. Hospitals. Consult with your physician for advice. Consider the implications for your overall health and well being which includes routine care (tests and vaccinations) to stay well.
Don’t get scammed!
Calls saying that people are from the health department and are offering to come to your home to do a physical exam. This is a lie. You can read about text and robocall scams from the FCC.
If you get a call from contract tracers they will only ask for symptoms and who you been around physically.
International Bible Study: Tuesdays, 9:30 via Zoom
This week we talked about Mark 10:46-52. This is the story of the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus. Imagine Bartimaeus shouting to Jesus. Imagine the people trying to shush him. Mark packs so much through implication into this story:
- The story takes place on the road leaving Jericho going to Jerusalem. Jericho is the site of a famous battle in the Old Testament. Listen to Elvis Presley sing the spiritual that recounts this story. Children used to learn this song in second or third grade as a part of music studies. (also Joshua 5: 13-6:27 to read the story. Beware, though, the book of Joshua is very exciting and hard to put down.
- Titles and names of our main characters show rank and inheritance: Bartimaeus (means "son of Timaeus") (Timaeus is a philosopher and contemporary of Socrates who argues that the world is created by rational thought and planning of a rational and benevolent god) calls Jesus Son of David (David is an Old Testament king and hero of the Jewish people).
- They tell Bartimaeus to "cheer up" that Jesus wants to talk to him. Bartimaeus throws aside his cloak and jumps up go to Jesus.
- When Jesus asks what he wants Jesus to do for him, Bartimaeus states, "Rabbi (teacher), I want to see."
- Jesus tells him that his faith has healed him. Bartimaeus receives his sight and follows Jesus. How different is this from the choice of the rich young man in the previous story.
May 26: Join us as we talk about Mark 11: 1-11 where Jesus comes to Jerusalem as king.
We tried several minutes of speed dating. That appeared to be a fun activity that gave everyone a chance to get to know each other or catch up. We talked about a good number of things like whether you are seeing ants in your home since it has been raining.
May 26: Zoom over and bring your favorite summer drink.
Conversation: Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00 via Zoom
We talked about planning vacations and National Geographic had a great article on why we would want to do this at this time. We ended up talking about the top 10 political/social cartoons. Many of these are specific to American culture and humor. This painting by Andrew Wyeth at the MoMA may help you understand one of the cartoons. Do you feel hope or despair when you view rather bleak or stark pictures? Read about Christina and Wyeth's intentions for the painting. Did your opinion change?
May 27: Seriously, bring your vacation wishes. Can we turn them into plans?
Level 2 English: Thursday 10:30
We had many interesting discussions but several that important distinctions for most of our students. We talked about the fine difference in using from or since.
- I have lived in Indiana since 2002. (an ongoing and continuous state)
- I lived in Wisconsin from 1962 to1967. (a length of time)
- I was married in 1987. (an ongoing and continuous state of being)
- I have been married since 1987. (ongoing and continuous state of being)
COVID-19 concerns over the multi-symptom reaction to this disease for children up to age 15 that is similar to Kawasaki Disease Multisystem Inflammatory Disease in Children (MIS-C). The CDC has detailed listings of the symptoms to look for as well as what to expect for care from doctors.
What is Indiana like for children over the summer? This may be a bit different summer and things may be subject to change. Indianapolis Summer Camps Your Kids will Love. Some famous camps like Interlochen have shifted to an all online program. Instead of being locked down, a whole new world is opening up.
In Indiana children are enrolled in summer club sports, day and sleepover camps all interest areas, specific education classes as well as library/reading programs and competitions. Older kids get seasonal jobs at stores and restaurants, babysit, pet sit and house sit to earn pocket money and build their resumes. Kids hit the streets on their bikes and head to the pool with their family and friends. Having the opportunity to socialize, try out a new sport or hone their advancing skills.
Q and A: Questions and Answers
scammed: swindle
physical exam: doctor visit to affirm health
robocall: automated call that phishes for you to give money
festival: party or evet
culminating: ending
postponed: delayed
across: spanning a time
signals: starts, begins, indicates
virtual visual visits: all these words are begin with "v"; this is called an alliteration and is a way to make writing and speaking interesting
cartoonist: an artist that draws cartoons or works that usually impart a story, message or view
reinforcing: strengthen, support
context: meaning that is inferred from
executive order: official, legal statement from a head governing official to address a current (and temporary) issue
legalese: using the vocabulary that is reserved for legal or formal discussions and writing
proclamation: governmental statement
evidence: facts that can be proved
implies: suggests
inanimate: not living
implication: a conclusion drawn from something
scammed: swindle or trick
physical exam: a medical or other exam of your body
robocall: a call made by a computer program to reach a great number of people
contact tracers: people who are hired to map people who could be infected with COVID-19 because they near others
imagine: picture something
shush: make the ssshhhhh sound to quiet someone
spiritual: a religious based song associated with black Christians that has roots in European and African music that praises God or tells a Bible story
hard to put down: you want to keep reading or working on something
contemporary of: colleague; someone who lived and worked during the same time period
benevolent: kind
do for: do something for someone
intentions: a plan or act
seriously: please do something
day camps: a program that meets daily several days in a row or a week
all types: many
club sports: sporting competitions within a club setting (Dad's Club in Carmel for example)
seasonal: short term, relating to a particular weather or holiday
pocket money: money to spend rather than save
hit the streets: go out on the road
head to: go out
socialize: meat with others
hone: sharpen a skill or a tool
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