Sunday, November 19, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Fall Break

Hello, Friends.

In this season of gratitude, I reflect on the International Friends I have met over the years. People have come to study with us from all over the world. I think about the amazing accomplishments of everyone that we have met. Students and staff become one as we have all learned and grown together. I am so grateful for all the people that have taught me so much about life and living in the United States as well as many other places in the world. Hearing your stories. Sharing your dreams. And then seeing what you go on to do is a wonderful blessing.

Have a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

Carolyn Willard

If you are looking for things to do this weekend

November and December

Wrap up November in style!

November 18: Christkindlmkt opens in Carmel!

November 23: Thanksgiving Day. Feast, watch the Macy's Day Parade, attend a church service and sing songs of thanksgiving (not all churches have services because this is a civic holiday, not a church holiday), watch football, toss a football in the back yard, feast on leftovers.

November 24: Black Friday. Shop 'til you drop at the amazing sales and bargains devised to draw you in and help businesses move from the red to the black. Shop local.

November 27: Did you find everything for Christmas? Shop CyberMonday. 

November 28: Giving Tuesday. Donate to charitable causes. Donate to support a good cause.

The last month of the year is a wonderful month.

  • December 24: Christmas Eve
  • December 25: Christmas Day
  • December 31: New Year's Eve

Classes and Meetings

Our classes and meetings are on break until November 28. Have a great vacation.

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

We reviewed our Thanksgiving vocabulary and had a great conversation about spending the holiday with our family members. We talked about voting, briefly. Being able to chat about civic events prepares us to help our neighbors communicate.

November 21: No class

November 28: Review and reset: Tell where you keep getting stuck in ASL, where you practice, how you integrate ASL into daily living. 

Bible Study: Tuesday, 8:45-9:45 PM, Zoom

Bible study notes and discussions circled around the amazing transformation of the disciples. Miracles are sprinkled through the story. Treacherous travel and exciting escapes keep us engaged.

  • Acts 16:21 While the believers are jailed, they sing and praise God. They are not affected by circumstances. They can not change the situation, but they trust God to manage the results to their good.
  • Acts 16:27 Paul is calm and shows faith and peace, strength and confidence, humble (knows their weakness), are self-supporting (are not a burden on the community they serve).
  • People treat people based on status, but in the story of Acts ordinary people do amazing things through God.
  • We observed that Jesus worked on earth professionally for three years. The story of Acts bridges 30 years according to common timelines.

November 21: No class. Happy Thanksgiving and fall break.

November 28: Back to reading with observations about the Epistles, or letters to the church. Our study transitions from historical accounts to personal letters.

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

We celebrated Thanksgiving. After learning to prepare a turkey we feasted! Find recipes on our webpages (or click here).

November 23: No class. Happy Thanksgiving.

November 30: Counting Things

  • Practice dealing with specific numbers and counting as well as nonspecific terms such as: many, few, some, more, a bit, a lot, very.
  • Practice using vague language to gain specific information regarding health, school, etc.
  • A conversation about using vague number language during negotiations to drive consensus and a deal.

Kid's Conversation and More: Friday, 4:30-5:30 PM, Zoom

We had a great time talking about horror movies and other favorite stories. I recommend The Never-ending Story. You can watch it on Amazon.

November 24: No class. Happy Thanksgiving

December 1: Let's Chat!


Words and Phrases

charitable: assisting those who have a need

historical accounts: true stories from witnesses 

secondary market: resale

shop 'til you drop: shop, and shop, and shop until your are too tired to go on

sprinkled through [throughout]: something is found within a greater context (chocolate chips are sprinkled through the cookies)

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