The American Flag(7/1/2024)-On June 14th, 1777, the First Continental Congress passed an act that established an official flag for the United States of America. The flag had 13 stripes, one for each union (state). The stripes are red and white. It also had a blue rectangle in the top left corner with 13 stars in the shape of a circle. From 1777-1960 Congress passed several acts that made changes to the design of the American flag. The American flag has changed over time because new states entered the union. The American flag still has 13 horizontal stripes. There are seven red stripes… Continue Reading
July 4th/Fourth of July/ “The Fourth”(6/29/2024)-The United States of America celebrates its independence from Great Britain (England) on July 4th. Most Americans refer to Independence Day as “The Fourth of July” or “July 4th.” On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress (delegates from 13 colonies/states) voted in favor of independence from Great Britain (England). Two days later, on July 4, 1776, the delegates approved the final version of the Declaration of Independence. However, it wasn’t signed until August 2, 1776. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, but others contributed their ideas. In 1941, Independence Day (The Fourth of July) became a federal holiday. Americans… Continue Reading
A Moms Group/Mommy & Me Group(5/18/2024)-A Moms Group There are groups called a Moms Group and Mommy & Me Group where you can meet other moms. Sometimes it is just moms that meet. Other groups are for moms and kids, the kids interact and the moms talk. These groups are typically for kids under age 5. The phrase "mommy and me" refers to when a mom and their child go somewhere with other moms and children and play together. The ME in "mommy and me" means the child. Many moms enjoy going to a moms groups because they need to meet other moms and have some time to socialize; having… Continue Reading
A New U.S. Citizenship Test Is Coming.(3/7/2024)-The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a goal of instating a new citizenship test by the end of 2024. The current test hasn’t been updated since 2008. USCIS wants the new test to match current educational standards. The new test has been designed, but USCIS is not using it yet. There are 3 parts to the citizenship test; reading, writing, and speaking. Let's look at the test sections and what will change. Current Test New Test Reading Section: Each applicant has to read sentences to the examiner. No changes Writing Section: The examiner asks each applicant to… Continue Reading
It’s an Election Year(2/29/2024)-This year is an “election year”, meaning that there will be ordinary (regular) elections for local government. I’m sure many of you have started seeing things in the news after the election and candidates. From January until the first Tuesday of November (Election Day) the news outlets will be discussing something about the presidential election. In every presidential election, the Democrats and Republicans have one candidate that represents their party. Many people want to become president, but each party selects one candidate. Candidates are Selected Through Primaries and Caucuses People who want to become president announce their interest in becoming… Continue Reading
The Y (YMCA)(2/18/2024)-Have you ever heard the song YMCA by the Village People? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k Ask your parents and grandparents. The song and dance moves to the YMCA song are very famous in the U.S. The song is about an organization in the U.S. called the YMCA. The YMCA has been long for a very long time and many communities have a YMCA. Currently, like always, the YMCA is a place where people pay a membership and get to enjoy services like a gym, pool, swim lessons, classes, and summer camps for children. The YMCA offers things for everyone. People call the YMCA,… Continue Reading
Christmas Break for Students in Grades K-12th(12/21/2023)-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. Continue Reading
Thanksgiving Idioms:(11/23/2023)-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… Continue Reading
Thanksgiving(11/22/2023)-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… Continue Reading
A Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior(9/10/2023)-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… Continue Reading
