Articles by admin

Sexual Harassment

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…


Sex Offender

**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…


AMBER Alert

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    


Have you ever been catfished?

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.


Play Date

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

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.


Have you ever been ghosted?

To ghost someone is when a person “cuts off” (ends) all communication abruptly without any warning or explanation and does respond to any calls, messages and/or texts. Practice this phrase by reading the following sentences. He ghosted her after their date. Have you ever been ghosted? It is not nice to ghost people, but it happens often. He thinks she is ghosting him. He totally got ghosted.  


Talking About Someone’s Looks

There are many ways to talk about a person’s “looks” (their attractiveness or unattractiveness). For this lesson, we will be focusing on reviewing ways to talk about how attractive a person is. Cute: commonly used for children or to say someone looks nice Pretty: used to say a female looks nicer than cute or describe something Beautiful: used for females or to describe a place or thing that is more than pretty.   Handsome: used to describe when a male is attractive   Formal ways to talk about how attractive a person is   Informal ways to talk about how attractive a person isYou will hear these words/phrases, be care how you use them. In the wrong context, they can be seen as disrespectful.


What is AA?

Alcohols Anonymous is a fellowship (meeting of people) who come together to solve their drinking problem. The meetings are FREE and are in every state. There is NO age requirement. You are NOT asked for your personal information.   You don’t’ have to join or do anything, you can walk into any meeting. You can walk into the meeting and sit down. You can participate or choose only to listen.   There are different meeting places, meetings are held at all different times. You can go to multiple meetings a day, week, etc. AA usually has some meetings in other languages and also some online.   To find a meeting or additional information go aa.org to find the AAs in your state.   **DISCLAIMER:** This in general information used for the purpose of teaching English. This is general information. I was not paid or given anything to write this. Please contact your local AA if you need help.


Thanksgiving

We are 1 week away from Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a U.S. holiday that celebrates and remembers the Pilgrims and the Native Americans.   First, a little history lesson… 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 called Thanksgiving and invited the Native American Indians to give thanks for a successful harvest with plenty (lots) of food to survive the winter. The Pilgrims and the Native Americans did not share the same religious views, but they celebrated the harvest they had. Thanksgiving is an interfaith holiday; a holiday that people of all different faiths celebrate. Thanksgiving is about being thankful for what we have.   Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It is a federal holiday; all banks, schools, and federal offices are closed. Most businesses are closed for Thanksgiving.   How do people celebrate Thanksgiving? (What do people do on Thanksgiving?)   The most common tradition is for family and friends gather for a big meal. Most often turkey is severed, with many different side dishes. Typical side dishes are, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes or yams, corn, carrots, broccoli, brussels sprouts, green beans, cornbread or rolls. For dessert, there is often pie. The most common pie is apple pie, pumpkin pie, and pecan pie. However, there can…