Walk to School Day

Walk to School Day

Walk to School Day is an event that takes place in my school every spring.  It is one day when the students and parents are encouraged to walk to school.   When the students arrive at school on that fateful day, they are greeted with balloons, water, and snacks. 

I hate to be cynical, but when I was young, walk to school day was everyday.  Moreover, there were no balloons, water, or snacks when I got there.

At the school in which I work, many of the students live far and get a bus.  In that respect, I understand why they do not walk to school.  However, some of the kids literally live around the corner, and they still are driven to school. 

The concept of walking to school is wonderful.  I just wish more people would do it on a regular basis.

To learn more about the Walk to School Day program, click on the link below to visit the Let’s Move Website.

http://www.letsmove.gov/blog/2011/04/12/april-showers-bring%E2%80%A6walk-school-day-registration

Grammar Point 

Transition words help connect our ideas when we write.  They also help provide a better flow for our writing.  When writing try to use transition words to go from one idea to the next.  For a list of transition words, click on the following link:

http://www.english-for-students.com/Transition-Words.html

Vocabulary

event (n.) – something that takes place

encouraged (v.) –  to inspire

cynical (adj.) – skeptical, distrustful

concept (n.) – idea

regular basis (adv.) – frequently, daily

literally (adv.) – word for word

Your Crossword Puzzle

1 2 3 4 5 6

ACROSS 1. something that takes place 2. to inspire 5. idea 6. word for word

DOWN 1. something that takes place 3. skeptical, distrustful 4. frequently, daily

Skype Shower Part II

At the end of March the day of the shower finally arrived.  My mother and I had been planning this shower since my sister found out she was pregnant.  It was a small gathering at my parent’s house.  I arrived early to help my mom set everything up.  The guests began to arrive at 1:00.  I thought it was so nice of everyone to come to a shower where the guest of honor wouldn’t even be there.  However, most of them were pretty intrigued by the idea of the virtual shower.

After the guest arrived, we chatted awhile, and then ate lunch.  After lunch, we made our way to my parent’s den.  I then texted my sister to make sure she was ready, and she was.  So we connected via the computer.  Instead of Skype, we used an apple-based program called i Chat.  Because, both my parents and my sister both have Mac computers, we were able to link via i Chat.  My father actually hooked the laptop up to the big screen television.  This enabled the crowd to see Jean on the big screen.  If we could not have Jean with us, this was the next best thing.

The power of video conferencing is so great.  We can now see people very far away.  It is also a great instructional tool.  My sister and I are close, so it stinks that she is so far away.  However, with the power of technology, I can see her whenever I want.

Vocabulary

gathering (n.) –  a group of people who get together

guest of honor (n.) – the person being honored at a gathering

intrigued (v.) –  to be curious about something

video conference (n.) – the ability to meet with someone face to face via the computer

stinks (adj.) –  something that is unpleasant

connected (v.) -  joined together

Cloze Exercise

Fill in the blanks using the correct vocabulary word from above.

We had a surprise party for my brother.  In the weeks before the party, my brother was __________________ about what was going on.  It was a small ________________ of about twenty people.  The guests arrived on time, and we got ready for the ____________________ to arrive.  My sister was even able to join in on the festivities through a ____________________.  We _____________________ via the computer.  Finally, my brother arrived, and he was surprised.  It _________________ that my sister could not be there in person, but it was great that she could join us through the computer!

Grammar Point

In most languages, slang is an informal way of speaking used by particular groups of people.  The slang terms could be words developed amongst a group of people who work together or live in the same area.  Slang terms are difficult for people trying to learn the language because many times the words already have a meaning in the language. 

For instance in my blog, I used the term stinks.  This term usually means that something smells really bad.  In my writing, I used it to mean that something was unfavorable.  

Watch the video to learn more about American slang.