Our W1, W101, W2, and W3 classes came together this past Sunday to celebrate the end of a tremendous year. We are incredibly proud of everything our students have achieved and grateful for the enthusiasm, hard work, and support that made this year such a success.
The party also featured fantastic performances from each of our classes. 🎶 🎤
Allis’s W1 class performed a creative version of the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” as a spoken-word piece written by her class. Lynne’s W101 class performed the karaoke favorite “Stand by Me.” Erica’s W2 class performed an original poem co-written by her students. And finally, Gabe’s W3 class performed the timeless Sinatra classic “My Way.”
Check out the tremendous performances from our weekend classes! 🎶 🤩
We enjoyed food from all over the world: sandwiches, pasta, cakes, pies, sushi, dumplings, cheesecake, and salads – there was something for everyone! 🥙 🫔 🎂 🍩 🥟
And of course, no party is complete without dancing! Our W1 class ended the day with a wonderful Turkish dance performance. 💃 🕺
Congratulations to all our W1, W101, W2, and W3 students! Have a safe and happy summer – we look forward to seeing you again in September! 😀
Competition — n., a contest to see which participant is the best
Host nation — n., the country where the event will be held
Stadiums — n., a large field surrounded by many seats for a large audience
Championship — n., the final game where the winner receives the trophy
Minimal — adj., the smallest amount possible
The FIFA World Cup is starting this month! This international football (soccer) competition occurs every four years. Teams from all over the world compete to win the World Cup Trophy. Only the best teams in the world can be part of this competition.
There is also a competition for the host nation, the country where the games will take place. Many countries want to host the matches because millions of people watch them. Some are in the stadiums to watch in person, but most watch on television. More people watch the World Cup matches than watch the Olympics!
The FIFA World Cup is being played in 16 different cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 48 teams will play 104 matches, and the championship game will be played in New Jersey, just a short distance from New York City!
Many people also love to play soccer. Equipment is minimal — all that’s needed is a ball and some feet! No wonder football is played all over the world.
Oasis, n. – some place that provides refreshing relief
Tranquility, n. – peacefulness, calm
Maintain, v. – to take care of
Stumble, v. – to trip or to find something unexpectedly
Distinctive, adj. – something which stands out from its surroundings
Flora, n. – plant life
Contemplation, n. – deep thought or meditation
Drown out the noise, expression – to cover up noise
New York City has plenty of pavement, but did you know there are also little pockets of green space? Nature turns up in unexpected places and we’re providing a list of secret gardens that will be fun to explore this summer.
First up, the Creative Little Garden, “an oasis of tranquility in New York’s East Village.”
Located at 530 East Sixth Street, between Avenues A & B, the Creative Little Garden has been a “community backyard,” maintained by volunteers from the neighborhood since 1978. You can sit and relax, have your lunch, or just enjoy the landscaping.
Heading north and west, we stumble into the Jefferson Market Garden, now celebrating 50 years in Greenwich Village. This garden welcomes everyone, and drinks are permitted, but not food. They have a “blooming guide” on their website, https://www.jeffersonmarketgarden.org/bloom-guide so you can plan to visit your favorite flowers. Open from April to October, this garden is located on Greenwich Avenue, between 6th Avenue & West 10th Street.
The gardens at St. Luke-in-the-Fields are special and extensive. You are welcome to visit “some of the most distinctive and admired gardens in New York City, comprising more than two-thirds of an acre of walks, lawns, and a fine collection of garden standards…and native American flora.” These gardens are open for quiet contemplation; cell phone use, smoking, and pets are not allowed.
Another lovely urban green space can be found on the east side of Manhattan, at Tudor City (between First and Second Avenues, just south of 42nd street). Tudor City Greens is open to the public daily between 7 am and 10 pm. They also host events, from Halloween parades to Afternoon Teas.
Finally, we recommend a visit to Greenacre Park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. With plenty of seating to enjoy the sound of the waterfall (and drown out the noise of the city!) this beautifully landscaped pocket park is at 217 East 51st Street, between Second and Third Avenues.
Halloween, which takes place every October 31st, is one of the most popular holidays in the United States. Originally based on the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), Halloween has evolved into a modern celebration where children of all ages dress up in costumes and go door-to-door “trick-or-treating,” asking for candy from friends & neighbors.
Halloween is also a time to enjoy the spookier side of life. People celebrate ghosts, zombies, haunted houses, and all things creepy and fun – often with Halloween parties for children and adults alike.
For more information about Halloween, check out wikipedia.
Halloween Vocabulary
🚪 Trick-or-treat – the Halloween activity where children dress up and go door to door for candy
🎃 Pumpkin – a round orange vegetable often carved into a jack-o’-lantern
👻 Ghost – the spirit of a dead person, often imagined as white and floating
🧙 Witch – a woman with magical powers, often shown with a broomstick and pointed hat
🧛 Vampire – a creature that drinks blood and avoids sunlight
🧟 Zombie – a dead person who comes back to life, usually walking slowly
🕷️ Spider – a creepy-crawly insect often used in Halloween decorations
🕸️ Web – what a spider makes to catch insects; also used as decoration
☠️ Skeleton – the bones of a body, often shown as decorations or costumes
🏚️ Haunted house – a spooky or abandoned house believed to have ghosts
😱 Scary – something that causes fear or makes you feel afraid
🦇 Bat – a flying animal often linked with vampires and the night
🍫 Chocolate / Candy – a sweet treat made from cocoa, popular during Halloween. Sweet treats given to children who go trick-or-treating.
🎭 Costume – special clothing worn to look like someone or something else
💀 Skull – the bone part of a head, often used as a spooky symbol
Here are 5 fun & interesting facts about Halloween:
🎃 Origins in Ancient Celtic Festival: Halloween comes from the ancient Celtic festival Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), celebrated on October 31st. It marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred.
👻 Costumes to Scare Spirits: People originally wore costumes and masks to scare away or confuse ghosts and evil spirits that were thought to return on Halloween night.
🍬 Trick-or-Treating Traditions: The practice of trick-or-treating began in medieval Europe as “souling,” when poor people would go door-to-door on All Souls’ Day (Nov 2), offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food.
🕯️ Jack-o’-Lanterns Came from Turnips: Before pumpkins, the Irish carved turnips into lanterns to ward off evil spirits. When they immigrated to America, they found that pumpkins were more plentiful and easier to carve.
🦇 Popular with Americans: Halloween is one of the most popular holidays in the U.S., with Americans spending billions of dollars each year on costumes, candy, decorations, and parties.
— The New York Public Library features more than 6 million items in its circulating collections. You can find everything from books, e-books, and audiobooks to music and movies.
— The Library has a free e-reader app, SimplyE, that you can download and then read e-books on your mobile device.
— Explore local museums & attractions with Culture Pass! If you have a library card from the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, or New York Public Library (serving the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island), you can reserve free passes to 100+ cultural institutions across NYC.
— You can print documents at the Library from your mobile device. Black and white printing is available for 20 cents per page.
— NYPL offers free internet access. With your library card, you can reserve a computer to use at almost any location.
— In the summer months, many NYPL locations are official “Cooling Centers.” Some of these are even pet-friendly!
— Many locations have free yoga (in Spanish), film screenings, as well as sewing and craft groups.
Get your library card now!
If you’re 13 years old or older and live, work, or attend school in New York State, you can apply for a free library card right now using this online card application—then visit your nearest NYPL location to receive your physical NYPL card. A physical library card is your key to checking out physical books and materials, signing up for Culture Pass, and more.
