So many things are happening for parents or guardians this time of year, as per the DOE Calendar below: School Enrollment Periods (October – December) & Parent Teacher Conferences (1st set in November).
Also, please click the links below to find the information about ORIENTATIONS for MS / HS enrollment seminars (in English / Chinese / Spanish).
Did you know that there is something you can do to make you feel immediately more connected to your new home in New York City?
Did you know that this can also help you learn knew American English phrases and vocabulary- and it’s as simple as riding the train?
One more question:
How often do you look around at the billboards and advertisements in while you commute (1) around the city?
Learning to understand the way Americans speak and think is just as easy as looking at an advertisement (ad).
For example, the ad below for a food delivery service says, “New Yorkers aren’t angry, we’re just hangry“.
Hangry is a new casual English word that describes the feeling of being angry because you’re hungry!
Just by looking at this ad you’ve learned a word that you would not learn from school.
Look below!
Do you recognize the train ad?
It is a popular slogan (2) in NYC that says, “If you see something, say something!”
This phrase simply means, that if you see something strange or dangerous on the train or anywhere in the city, you can call the number 888-NYC-safe to tell someone who can help you.
In the above example, we can learn new words, new ways of speech, and new information that can keep us safe!
Not only can you learn, popular words and phrases, but you can also learn valuable information about NYC and the resources it offers!
In the picture below, you’ll see an ad for NYC’s public college system- CUNY!
If you’ve ever dreamed of going to college, you can learn more information about how to go to college without spending a lot of money from this ad.
And if you didn’t already know the vocabulary, you’ll learn the words, apply, degrees, and debt.
How can you use ads to study on-the-go?
Go to the Google Translate app on your phone.
Choose your language.
Use the camera in the app to scan the ad- it will translate into whatever language you chose.
Translate the words and read the ad!
It’s as simple as that!
Next time you’re walking around your neighborhood or traveling between work and home, look at the ads around you!
You will learn new words, find things that can help you, and most importantly, you’ll feel a part of New York!
Vocabulary:
Commute– (v) to travel regularly by bus, train, car, etc. between your place of work and your home
Slogan– (n) a word or phrase used by a party, a group, or a business to attract attention.
From actors like Rami Malek and Tony Shalhoub, musicians such as French Montana and Shakira, to politicians such as George Kaseem and James Abourezk, Arabic Americans have contributed to the fabric (1) of American history and culture.
Arab America and the Arab America Foundation launched the National Arab American Heritage Month initiative in 2017, with just a handful (2) of states participating.
In 2022, Congress, the U.S. Department of State, and 45 state governors issued proclamations commemorating the initiative.
Check out the video below to learn more about Arab American Heritage Month, why it’s so important, and how we can all be better Americans by learning about each other’s heritage!
Phrases:
1. The fabric of (something) – the basic structure of (something)
Originally, St. Patrick’s Day began in Ireland as a Catholic holiday, but over the years it has grown into a festival of Irish culture. A week-long celebration of Irish music, theater, and visual arts takes place in many regions of Ireland. Family get-togethers are also important, as people sit down for a special meal. The feast of corned beef and cabbage, though, is an American tradition; in Ireland one is more likely to find bacon or a savory roast chicken on the table.
Although the St. Patrick’s Day Parade has become a part of celebrations in Ireland these days, it’s the result of an American influence, where the tradition was created by homesick Irish immigrants. More recently, St. Patrick’s Day has become a highly marketable and promoted event in Ireland, resulting in an attractive draw for tourists visiting the country.
The NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade dates back to March 17, 1762, when it was first organized by a group of homesick Irish immigrants and Irish military in the American colonies of NYC. Participants enjoyed the freedom to speak Irish, wear the color green- which was banned in Ireland at the time, sing native songs, and play the bagpipe.
These things gave powerful meaning to those people who fled their homeland.
Join in the fun! Come to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade!
The NYC Parade is held on March 17th and begins precisely at 11:00 AM. The Parade marches up Fifth Avenue beginning at East 44th Street and ending at East 79th.
‘Loisaida’ is the NYC neighborhood at the root of powerful movements.
While walking through the Lower East Side, did you ever notice the other name for Avenue C?
If you’re Puerto Rican or have lived in NYC for long enough to see the neighborhood change, you may have a soft spot for the word, “ Loisaida”.
Say it slowly. What downtown New York City neighborhood does it sound like?
Before The Lower East Side (LES) was a shopping and restaurant area mostly for university students, the Manhattan neighborhood was a working-class neighborhood for immigrants from across the world. In the mid-1900s, the Latinos who lived there called it “Loisaida”. Puerto Ricans and other working-class people made Loisaida a place for activism in New York City from the 1940s to the 1990s.
Activist groups tried to improve the lives of residents in the neighborhood by leading protests and mass building squats. Locals also created spaces for the community, like gardens and restaurants. These actions along with art that brought Latinos together helped form national cultural pride. This created the The “Nuyorican” identity (preferred by some Puerto Ricans from New York),
Have you heard of the Nuyorican Poets Café, opened in 1973? Many Latino artists, like poet, Aja Monet and actress, Rosario Dawson performed here!
Today LES has the second-highest income inequality gap in Manhattan. As the neighborhood becomes unaffordable, Latino families who once lived well there are being pushed out.
Thankfully, some cultural hubs, like Loisaida Center and Tenement Museum, still exist and remind us of the Latino influence that helped strengthen Latino movements for justice, such as the creation of the modern Puerto Rican Flag!
Check out next week’s blog to learn more about the influence of the Lower East Side on the history of Puerto Rico!
Soft spot-noun- to like something or someone a lot. Income inequality gap- noun– income = money, inequality= unequal, gap= space Unaffordable- adjective– expensive, not easy to buy Hub-noun – a place that is a center of a particular activity Activism – Noun– social or political change To squat – Verb – living in a building without the legal right to do so
The World’s Most Famous Arena – Madison Square Garden (MSG)
Did you know that the famous arena, MSG, hasn’t always been in its current location on 34th street?
Did you know that it could move again?
Before the current day Madison Square Garden, which was completed in 1968, there were actually three other Madison Square Gardens.
The construction of the original Madison Square Garden was completed, and MSG I was open for business in Manhattan in 1871.However, it wasn’t open for long before a new Madison Square Garden was built.
In 1890 the second Madison Square Garden opened on the same site as the original. Once again, this Madison Square Garden was not open for long before yet another Garden was built, now the third different Madison Square Garden within 60 years.
The third Madison Square Garden, completed in 1925, took under a year to build.
Madison Square Garden III was the first Madison Square Garden that was not located near Madison Square Park, It was located on Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets in Manhattan. People from all over came to see Madison Square Garden for sports and entertainment, like the prior ones, but this Garden became extremely popular very quickly.
Lastly, the current day Madison Square Garden opened in 1968. All of the Madison Square Gardens had a big impact on the culture of New York City, even though they were not all on the same site. The MSG that we know today has a lease that expires this year- in 2023! There have been talks about whether it will move, but so far, no decision has been made. Who knows? Maybe the next MSG will be in the Lower East Side!
Arguably, the best time of the year in NYC is here! It’s finally the holiday season. The holiday season in New York City is famous for many reasons. Visitors from all over the world come to see the famous Rockefeller Christmas tree, Rockette Christmas Spectacular, and window displays on Fifth Avenue.
With the excitement of the holidays, come large crowds. It can be hard to comfortably enjoy the holidays and the scenery within the small confines of the city blocks.
For this reason, the mayor is trying something new this year! The new open streets program, called Fifth Avenue for All, closes nine blocks, from 48th to 57th streets, on Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18. No cars will be allowed in that area on those days from noon to 6 p.m.
The goal, according to the association, is to provide a “one-of-a-kind holiday experience for families and sightseers of all ages” as the Big Apple looks to continue its post-pandemic recovery during the busiest shopping season of the year.
Don’t miss the oversized red holiday mailbox at 51st Street, which will collect letters to Santa. These letters will be mailed to “The North Pole” and sent replies.
Also coming to Fifth Avenue on those three Sundays: food kiosks, seating areas and live music.
