In the U.S. students have a Christmas break/vacation. Most commonly, students have half a day of school on December 23rd. The next day; December 24th (Christmas Eve) there is NO SCHOOL. December 25th is Christmas and there is NO SCHOOL and most places are closed. Schools remain closed, for students and teachers, between Christmas and New Year’s Day (January 26th-January 1st). Students usually return to school on January 2nd.
I’m stuffed When a person says, “I’m stuffed” it means they are full and don’t want to eat anymore. Examples: After eating a big Thanksgiving dinner, everyone is stuffed. So, we wait for 1-2 hours to have dessert. After eating Thanksgiving dinner, everyone is stuffed. So, we go window shopping to walk around and feel less stuffed. Extra info.: A teddy bear is a stuffed animal. She is stuffing everything into her suitcase. Eat like a bird When a person eats like a bird, they eat very little. Examples: Mike is a big guy, but he eats like a bird. Often, elderly people eat like a bird. To go cold turkey When a person goes cold turkey, that means they quit a bad habit and suffer from the beginning. This is often used to talk about people who stop smoking cigarettes or using drugs. Examples: He tried to quit smoking cold turkey, but he couldn’t do it. She successfully quit smoking by going cold turkey but it was very tough. Some people try to stop vaping by going cold turkey. Count your blessings To count your blessings means to be grateful for the good things in your life. Examples: This Thanksgiving we should count our blessings. Count your blessings because there are many people that don’t have what we have.
Before we talk about Thanksgiving, let’s look at the history of the first people in the U.S. and this will lead to understanding Thanksgiving. The First People in the U.S. The first people to inhabit (live in) the land that is now the United States of America were American Indians/Native Americans/First Peoples. The Native American Indians first came to the land of the U.S. thousands of years ago. In 1492, Christopher Columbus accidentally sailed to the Americas. Columbus was an Italian explorer. He was trying to find the western route or direction from Spain to India. Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached the Americas. In 1560, a Spanish colony (group of people who lived in a new place) was founded (established) in Florida; people from Spain settled (lived) in Florida. In 1607, an English colony was founded in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1620, a group of about 100 people from England, landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The group of people was called the Pilgrims, and their boat was called the Mayflower. They were planning to go to Virginia but landed in Massachusetts. The Pilgrims were fleeing (escaping) religious persecution. Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday that celebrates and remembers the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. The Pilgrims were a group of about 100 people that left England because of religious persecution. The Pilgrims sailed to the New World (United States of America) in their boat called the Mayflower. They planned to go to Virginia, but they went off course and landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. The Pilgrims were starving and did not know how to grow food in the new land. A group of Native American Indians called the Wampanoag Indians taught the Pilgrims how to grow food. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held (had) a three-day feast…
The words/terms freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior are words that tell you what grade in high school and/or year in college a student is in. There is a name for high school students for each grade they are in. When a student is in the 9th grade, they are called a freshman. Example: You can say, “I’m in 9th grade.” Or “I’m a freshman” When a student is in the 10th grade, they are called a sophomore. When a student is in the 11th grade, they are called a junior. When a student is in the 12th grade, they are called a senior. There is a name for college students for each year they are in. A student in their first year of college is called a freshman. A student in their second year of college is called a sophomore. A student in their third year of college is called a junior. A student in their fourth year of college is called a senior.
Sexual Harassment is any type of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment can be verbal or nonverbal. Both the victim and the harasser can be a man or woman. SEXUAL HARASSMENT IS ILLEGAL. It should not be accepted or tolerated anywhere. Some examples of sexual harassment: Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault Unwanted pressure for sexual favors Unwanted deliberate touching, leaning over, cornering, or pinching Unwanted sexual looks or gestures Unwanted phone calls, emails, texts, messages, etc. of a sexual nature Unwanted pressure for date Unwatched touching of body, hair, and/or clothing Unwanted hugging, kissing, touching Blowing kisses, winking, licking lips, etc. Standing to close or against someone Touching or rubbing oneself in front of or near someone else Staring someone up and down Blocking someone’s path Referring to someone as a girl, doll, babe, or honey Whistling at someone Cat calls Telling sexual stories Asking about sexual history, sexual preferences, etc. Telling lies and/or spreading rumors about someone’s sexual life or history. What to do if you experience sexual harassment: SAY NO. Tell the harasser his/her advances are unwanted. Some people think a “no” is really a “yes”. If you say no, your response should be accepted, understood, and respected. KEEP a RECORD. If the harassment continues, keep track of the times, places, statements, and actions of the harasser. This information can be used as proof of the harassment. REPORT IT. Go directly to your supervisor, the HR (Human Resource) Department, owner, President, or CEO of the company. If none of these are an option, consider going to the police. Most importantly, NEVER ACCEPT sexual harassment or be silent about it. Employers are responsible and obligated to protect their employees from sexual harassment. If a…
**This blog post is ONLY to teach English learners what a sex offender is and provide them with information about how they can find out if a sex offender lives in their neighborhood. A sex offender is a person that has committed a sexual crime. Examples of Sexual Offenses: Sexual misconduct with a minor (someone under 18 years old) Rape Sexual assault of a spouse Molestation of a child Continuous sexual abuse of a child Indecent exposure Public sexual indecency Taking a child for the purpose of prostitution Sexual exploitation of a minor Selling or buying of children Material that sexually exploits a minor. Having child pornography Sharing child pornography Lascivious Acts (sexual behavior that is considered crude and offensive.) Lewd Acts (unlawful behavior that is of sexual nature, performed with the intention of sexually arousing a perpetrator or to who the conduct is directed at.) Transporting people so they can engage in prostitution or illegal sexual activity. Using the interstate to transport information about an individual under the age of 16. Kidnapping, aggravated assault, murder, unlawful imprisonment, and burglary where there is evidence of sexual motivation Sexual acts where force was used on the victim or the victim was under duress. Sexual acts where the victim was unable to consent due to mental impairment or disability. Many sexual offenses are in the jurisdiction of state and federal law. A sexual offender can be a person that is over the age of 18 that has sex with a person under the age 18. In other countries, it might be legal for a person over 18 to have sex with a person under the age 18. But, in the U.S. (in most states) it is NOT. The offender can be arrested and go to jail, then be required to register as…
Have you ever heard your phone make a really loud noise and the screen says AMBER Alert? An AMBER Alert is an emergency response system about a missing person (usually a child). AMBER Alerts go to cell phones, are shown on the TV, and/or electronic road signs. Typically, AMBER Alerts will say the city and/or state and give a LIC (license plate number) of a car the person might be in. Just because the car is in another state, doesn’t mean the car is not in your area. When you see an AMBER Alert, please “be on the lookout” for the vehicle it is describing. You could save a life. If you see the car that is on the AMBER Alert, call 911 immediately. Don’t think other people will call 911. For more information, visit www.amberalert.gov
Catfish: When someone creates a fake profile/personal identity to target someone romantically. Examples of things people do when they are catfishing. A person doesn’t use real pictures of themselves. A person alters (edits) their pictures to look very different than they are. A person pies about themselves, their job, etc. Practice this new phrase. He went to meet her for a date ad she didn’t look anything like her photos. He totally got catfished. She saw him and instantly realized she got catfished.
A play date is a date and time that is set by parents for their children to play together. Typically, parents use the term play date for babies, toddlers, and children in kindergarten. It is sometimes used with children in 1st– 4th grade, However, after 5th it is not used, because it is arranged by parents. As children grow older, they arrange their own time with friends and they refer to it as “hanging out”. Play dates for young children are often 1-2 hours. As children get older, they can from 2 hours to 4 or more. How to ask for a play date. In-person Hello, my name is (your name). I am (your child’s name) mom/dad. My son/daughter would like to invite your son/daughter to have a play date. If he/she would like that, please let me know. You are both welcome to come to our home, or we can meet at the park, or the library during story time. In writing Dear (the other child’s name) parent, My son/daughter (your child’s name) is in the same class as your child. We would like to invite your son/daughter to have a play date. If he/she would like that, please let me know. You are both welcome to come to our home, or we can meet at the park, or the library during story time. My cell phone number is 123-456-7890. Sincerely, Your name (Your child’s name)’s mom/dad How to respond to a playdate invite/request. Thank you, that is very nice of you. I will ask my son/daughter and get back to you about it. Either way, let’s exchange phone numbers. Practice Reading Hey Maggie, would your daughter like to come over for a play date with my daughter? Ben said he wants to invite Kevin from his…
Passover is a festival that is celebrated by people of the Jewish faith. Passover is also called Pesach. The holiday lasts for eight days. Passover is typically during March or April. Passover is a holiday that celebrates God freeing the Israelites from Egyptian slavery. Passover remembers the journey of the ancient Hebrews leaving slavery in Egypt and going to the “Promise Land” of Israel. On the first or second night of Passover, most families gather (come) together for a Seder; a ritual meal. For the Seder, Jewish people eat specific foods, do specific rituals, and say specific prayers. For tradition, the Seder will include matzah, unleavened bread, Also, maror, which is bitter herbs. In addition, a lamb or shank bone is used, but no lamb is eaten. Another important part of the Seder, is the wine. Typically, there will also be matzah ball soup, gefilte fish, brisket, roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, or potato kugel for dinner. During Passover, children play a game called afikoman. A piece of matzah is broken in half, one half of the matzah is put on the table, and the other half is hidden somewhere in the house. Then, the children search for the hidden piece of matzah, the person who finds the matzah receives a prize.
