When I was eight years old, my family left my hometown and moved to Florida. It was a very hard transition for me, going from the north to the south in the middle of the fourth grade. I was so sad when we left New York. My parents joked and said I cried all the way there. When we arrived at my new home, I was elated to see that it was very beautiful and spacious. The new house had a massive swimming pool. I loved that because I had been on a competitive swimming team at home, and did not want to give up my favorite sport. However, when I began school I really started to miss home. I was not well liked in my new school at all. I was very angry with my parents for making me leave New York. My time in Florida was very hard for me, and I was very relieved when we decided to move back home. I understand that it is sometimes hard to leave a life you are used to to begin a new life somewhere else. However, not all change is bad and you should always remember that one day everything will resolve itself.
Vocabulary Words:
Hometown : we call the place where we grew up our hometown. It does not need to be the town you live in right now, but rather the one that you think of when you think of growing up. My hometown is Island Park, New York. Even when I lived in Albany, Island Park was still my hometown.
Transition : going from one place or thing to another. Transitions can sometimes be a hard thing.
Elated : this is another word for excited
Spacious : this means that there is a look of room for activities. My living room was so spacious, that before we put in furniture, we had a game of catch!
Massive : this is a word for something that is very big. It is another word for huge or giant
Relieved : this is when you are worried about something, and then find a solution. I was relieved when I saw I did well on my test. That means I was worried about the results, but was happy with the score.
Resolve : this is a similar term to relieved. When something resolves itself, it means that it all worked out in the end.
Activity :
(1) Please write at least two paragraphs describing a tough time you had to overcome, or a move.
(2) Please identify all the punctuation you use in your paragraphs.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
post #5
My favorite hockey team is the New York Rangers. I have been a fan of this team since I was a little girl because my dad is a big supporter of the team, and raised me to love them as well. My sisters and I love attending as many games as we can throughout the season. We always like to sit in the highest section of the arena, because that is where the most ecstatic fans sit. This year me and my sister, Kira, attended an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium. It was frigid! However, we bundled up very well and kept warm throughout the game! The best part was that the Rangers beat the Islanders (who are my least favorite team). The team is doing fantastic this season, and I hope we make it to the playoffs!
Vocabulary Words:
Hockey : this is a sport that can occur on ice skates or roller blades. The main idea is to get the puck ( a flat round object) into the net. Whoever does this the most times, wins!
Supporter : someone who backs up a team or a person. My parents are my biggest supporters because they always tell me I can do whatever I set my mind to.
Attending: when you attend something, you are there. Example : it is important that you attend class every day, so you can graduate, and attend university.
Arena : this is a place where an event occurs. Most sporting teams have their own arenas.
Ecstatic: this is a way of saying very excited. When you are ecstatic about something it means you are so excited about whatever it may be.
Frigid : a word for extreme cold. It is not frigid outside right now, however, in Alaska, it probably is.
Bundled up : when you wear a lot of clothing in layers to keep yourself warm.
Fantastic : another way to say "great" or "awesome".
Activity :
(1) Please identify the parenthesis in this paragraph, and explain why you think they are used.
(2) Please write one sentence using vocabulary from two (2) or more previous posts.
(3) In five (5) sentences or more, please tell me about your favorite sports team (I hope its the Rangers!)
Vocabulary Words:
Hockey : this is a sport that can occur on ice skates or roller blades. The main idea is to get the puck ( a flat round object) into the net. Whoever does this the most times, wins!
Supporter : someone who backs up a team or a person. My parents are my biggest supporters because they always tell me I can do whatever I set my mind to.
Attending: when you attend something, you are there. Example : it is important that you attend class every day, so you can graduate, and attend university.
Arena : this is a place where an event occurs. Most sporting teams have their own arenas.
Ecstatic: this is a way of saying very excited. When you are ecstatic about something it means you are so excited about whatever it may be.
Frigid : a word for extreme cold. It is not frigid outside right now, however, in Alaska, it probably is.
Bundled up : when you wear a lot of clothing in layers to keep yourself warm.
Fantastic : another way to say "great" or "awesome".
Activity :
(1) Please identify the parenthesis in this paragraph, and explain why you think they are used.
(2) Please write one sentence using vocabulary from two (2) or more previous posts.
(3) In five (5) sentences or more, please tell me about your favorite sports team (I hope its the Rangers!)
This march, me and my family will be vacationing to the stunning island of Puerto Rico! We have been traveling to the island since 1991, and it has become a yearly tradition. It started as a small family trip, but now we bring relatives and friends, and we always have a nicely sized crowd. I look forward to this trip every year, because it falls in the middle of my semester, and I can always use the time to regroup and relax. I love laying on the beach all day without anyone being able to reach me on my cell phone. I also walk the beach every morning, which is great exercise. In the evening, we go out to nice restaurants and sometimes a casino. My favorite thing to do in Puerto Rico is to see the cruise ships embark from the ports. They are so gorgeous at night, and I have loved watching them since I was a child. My least favorite thing about Puerto Rico is the heat index. Because of its location, the sun is very strong, and I often get burnt and blotchy on the first day. However, that does not make me love the trip any less, and I look forward to going again this spring.
Vocabulary words:
Stunning: this is another way to say "beautiful". It is a less common word, but serves the same use.
Tradition : a tradition is something that is done more than once, and often holds the same date every time.
Relatives: this is any member of your family. Your sisters, brothers, cousins, and grandparents are all considered relatives.
Semester : this is the way your school year is broken up into chunks. In high school you have 4 marking periods, that make up two semesters. In college, we usually just have two big chunks, a fall semester, and a spring semester.
Regroup: this is a word similar to "relax". It just means you are clearing your mind.
Embark: this means to leave. When a ship embarks on a trip, it is leaving to go on that trip.
Blotchy : this is when you have uneven coloring. When your skin is blotchy, it often means you have patches of other colors. I get red patches when I go to Puerto Rico.
Activity :
(1) Identify all the different types of punctuation in this blog.
(2) In five (5) sentences or more, please tell me about a vacation you have been on, or want to go on.
Vocabulary words:
Stunning: this is another way to say "beautiful". It is a less common word, but serves the same use.
Tradition : a tradition is something that is done more than once, and often holds the same date every time.
Relatives: this is any member of your family. Your sisters, brothers, cousins, and grandparents are all considered relatives.
Semester : this is the way your school year is broken up into chunks. In high school you have 4 marking periods, that make up two semesters. In college, we usually just have two big chunks, a fall semester, and a spring semester.
Regroup: this is a word similar to "relax". It just means you are clearing your mind.
Embark: this means to leave. When a ship embarks on a trip, it is leaving to go on that trip.
Blotchy : this is when you have uneven coloring. When your skin is blotchy, it often means you have patches of other colors. I get red patches when I go to Puerto Rico.
Activity :
(1) Identify all the different types of punctuation in this blog.
(2) In five (5) sentences or more, please tell me about a vacation you have been on, or want to go on.
post #3
I am one of three siblings. I have two younger sisters, named Tonya and Kira. Kira is a junior at West Hempstead High school, and Tonya is a freshman at the University of Mississippi. The other day, Tonya came home for spring break. It is so nice to have her here, as the family dynamic is really different when she is away. We have planned a lot of fun things to do with Tonya while she is home. We are going to a hockey game this week, we are going ice skating as a family, we are going to a movie, and yesterday we went to a trampoline park. My favorite thing about having Tonya home is that during the day I have someone to hang out with. Since both my parents have full time jobs and my sister is still in high school, my house is only occupied by me all day. Now that Tonya is home I am not so lonely anymore. I will miss her a lot when she leaves.
Vocabulary:
Siblings : this is another word we use for sisters or brothers
University : this is a word we use for college, or a place of higher learning. When you leave high school, you may have the opportunity to attend a university.
Dynamic: this is a way to describe the way the family works together. When the family dynamic is off, it means something isn't right
Trampoline : These are really fun. It is a piece of material stretched out and attached to springs so that you can jump really high and do tricks.
Occupied : this is another word for being used. My house is occupied by me during the day, which means I am the one inside of it.
Activity :
(1) You may remember the word "graduate" from the previous blog. Please use the word "Graduate" and "university" together in a complete sentence.
(2) Please use two words from ANY of the three blogs in a complete sentence.
Vocabulary:
Siblings : this is another word we use for sisters or brothers
University : this is a word we use for college, or a place of higher learning. When you leave high school, you may have the opportunity to attend a university.
Dynamic: this is a way to describe the way the family works together. When the family dynamic is off, it means something isn't right
Trampoline : These are really fun. It is a piece of material stretched out and attached to springs so that you can jump really high and do tricks.
Occupied : this is another word for being used. My house is occupied by me during the day, which means I am the one inside of it.
Activity :
(1) You may remember the word "graduate" from the previous blog. Please use the word "Graduate" and "university" together in a complete sentence.
(2) Please use two words from ANY of the three blogs in a complete sentence.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
blog #2
I am a cheerleading coach at a local high school. I coach the varsity team, which consists of 19 girls in grades 9-12. I really enjoy my job. I started cheering when I was seven years old. At the time, I lived in Florida, and cheerleading is very popular down there. When I moved back to New York, I continued cheering all the way through college. I was eventually offered a coaching job at a high school down the block from my college. When I moved back home after graduating, I was fortunate enough to be offered a job at a school just fifteen minutes from my house.
In years past, the team I coach was made fun of frequently. However, it was my goal to help the girls earn the respect they deserved. This was the first successful season for the team, and they are now proud to be a part of the cheerleading program. We won two titles, a sportsmanship award, and finished the season by being named the eighth best team in New York State. I am very proud of what my team has accomplished this year, and I am looking forward to our future as a team.
Vocabulary Words.
1) Popular : well liked, or respected. When we say "popular" we mean that whatever we are talking about is normal and accepted. It is the opposite of being disliked or frowned upon.
2)Graduating: when we finish a grade we "graduate" from it. It is like saying we are moving up to the next thing. At certain grades we celebrate the graduation. When you graduate middle school, high school, and college we have big graduation ceremonies to celebrate your hard work.
3) Fortunate : this is another word for lucky or blessed. When we say we were fortunate enough to do something, we mean that we were lucky enough to be able to do it. Fortunate is a very positive word. The opposite of this word is " unfortunate" which is a negative word we use when something is unpleasant or bad.
4) Deserved : to deserve something means you work hard to get something, and it is not simply given to you. You deserve to graduate school because you do your homework and study.
5) Sportsmanship : sportsmanship is very important in sports. It means we have a good attitude when we are playing. Having good sportsmanship means we do not yell bad things at the other team, and we remain respectful even if we lose.
6) Accomplished : this is saying we did it! When you accomplish something you have completed what you set out to do. An accomplishment is another way to say you have reached a goal.
Grammar Exercise:
Please write a complete sentence for each of these words. You should have a total of six (6) complete sentences.
1 - popular
2-graduate or graduating
3- fortunate or unfortunate
4- deserved
5- sportsmanship (good or bad)
6- Accomplished
In years past, the team I coach was made fun of frequently. However, it was my goal to help the girls earn the respect they deserved. This was the first successful season for the team, and they are now proud to be a part of the cheerleading program. We won two titles, a sportsmanship award, and finished the season by being named the eighth best team in New York State. I am very proud of what my team has accomplished this year, and I am looking forward to our future as a team.
Vocabulary Words.
1) Popular : well liked, or respected. When we say "popular" we mean that whatever we are talking about is normal and accepted. It is the opposite of being disliked or frowned upon.
2)Graduating: when we finish a grade we "graduate" from it. It is like saying we are moving up to the next thing. At certain grades we celebrate the graduation. When you graduate middle school, high school, and college we have big graduation ceremonies to celebrate your hard work.
3) Fortunate : this is another word for lucky or blessed. When we say we were fortunate enough to do something, we mean that we were lucky enough to be able to do it. Fortunate is a very positive word. The opposite of this word is " unfortunate" which is a negative word we use when something is unpleasant or bad.
4) Deserved : to deserve something means you work hard to get something, and it is not simply given to you. You deserve to graduate school because you do your homework and study.
5) Sportsmanship : sportsmanship is very important in sports. It means we have a good attitude when we are playing. Having good sportsmanship means we do not yell bad things at the other team, and we remain respectful even if we lose.
6) Accomplished : this is saying we did it! When you accomplish something you have completed what you set out to do. An accomplishment is another way to say you have reached a goal.
Grammar Exercise:
Please write a complete sentence for each of these words. You should have a total of six (6) complete sentences.
1 - popular
2-graduate or graduating
3- fortunate or unfortunate
4- deserved
5- sportsmanship (good or bad)
6- Accomplished
Thursday, January 16, 2014
My first post
Over this past winter break I decided to take a vacation with one of my friends and visit a few European countries. On this trip, I was in many different locations, two of which had languages other then English as their primary languages. I was challenged while staying in France and Italy because I did not speak a word of the native language. While in France, I was staying with a friend who lived in central Paris. He did his best to help us learn the language and teach us key terms that we were able to use in restaurants and subway stations. By the end of the week we were finally able to grasps the basics, however it was then time for us to move. Our next stop was Italy, where we had no local friend and no knowledge of the language. Luckily, we were staying in Rome, where most people were able to speak English. This trip gave me a tiny bit of insight as to what people deal with everyday living in a country and not speaking the language. By teaching English to speakers of other languages we are able to help make someones life easier. We are able to help them adjust to life in their new home.
Vocabulary word:
Primary - this word is another way of saying "main" or another way to describe something very popular in an area. When we say "primary language" we mean the main language used in any area or by a group of people.
Vacation - another word for "holiday". When we talk about going on vacation we mean taking a break from our usual routine and doing something nice. This usually involves traveling away from home.
Insight- when we say we have insight on something it means we were able to get a better understanding of something. To have insight on how ESL students feel it means that we understand what they are going through.
Adjust - to adjust to something means to get used to it. By adjusting to the life in another country, you are getting to know the ways of the people living there and what is considered normal.
Vocabulary word:
Primary - this word is another way of saying "main" or another way to describe something very popular in an area. When we say "primary language" we mean the main language used in any area or by a group of people.
Vacation - another word for "holiday". When we talk about going on vacation we mean taking a break from our usual routine and doing something nice. This usually involves traveling away from home.
Insight- when we say we have insight on something it means we were able to get a better understanding of something. To have insight on how ESL students feel it means that we understand what they are going through.
Adjust - to adjust to something means to get used to it. By adjusting to the life in another country, you are getting to know the ways of the people living there and what is considered normal.
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