"Synch" or Swim

With this crazy winter weather we are having, many people are looking forward to the summer.  That includes me!  Summer is a time for relaxation, warm weather, and having fun.  School is out and everyone can find some time to enjoy themselves.  The reason I love the summer is because of my summer job.  I know it sounds crazy, but I love working in the summer when I coach synchronized swimming!  As a child, I used to partake in the synchronized team activities, and now I am one of the coaches.  Synchronized swimming is not that popular.  Some only hear of it during the Summer Olympics.  Synchronized swimming is a lot like dancing, but only it is done in a pool.  There are swim strokes, body motions, acrobatic stunts and movements that are performed at the same time to the beat of selected music while swimming.  It is sometimes referred to as water ballet.  I am on a staff of three that coaches girls that range from five years old to age 16.  They all vary in ability and skill.  It is our jobs as coaches to create and teach them various routines according to their ability, and to make sure every team member is synchronized in their assigned routine.  We practice all summer and at the end of the season we put on our ever popular Water Show for the entire community.  Each year our show has a theme and the music selections pertain to it.  For example, last summer the theme was "Calendar Girls" and we had a song for each month of the year.  Another year we used a "Disney" theme, so we had music from popular Disney movies.  What I truly love about my summer job is how close everyone gets.  The coaches and the team members spend so much time together, and everyone is there to help each other.  I have seen girls grow up in this program and it is remarkable to me to see  how they improve from year to year.  Very often the first time I meet them, they are barely able to get across the pool.  Yet, they end up doing a whole routine synchronized, and do it very well.  I truly love working in the summer time!



Vocabulary:
partake- to be a part of
synchronized- together, same time
referred- also known as
vary- different
ability- what one is able to do
range- span
pertain- relate




Vocabulary activity: Unscramble the vocabulary word.  The definition is there to help you.
engar (span)_______________________
aaprtke (to be a part of) ______________________
rerfrede (also known as) _____________________
yrva (different) ____________
chnysrnizedo (together, same time) __________________
aeinprt (relate) _______________
ytbalii (what one is able to do) __________________




Grammar point:
Capitalization is used in the beginning of a sentence or a proper noun that maybe placed anywhere, including the pronoun I.  For example, Are you going to the Justin Timberlake concert at Madison Square Garden?  Are is capital because it starts the sentence and Justin Timberlake as well as Madison Square Garden are capital because they are proper nouns.


Grammar activity: Correct the following capitalization mistakes in the sentences below.
1. i want to go to california.
2. the sky is blue.
3. My favorite movie is called horrible bosses.

Cheerleading: Sport or Not a Sport?

When most think of sports, usually the same key words come to mind: athletic, masculine, popular, and competitive teams, just to state a few.  Sports is defined by Dictionary.com as "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc."  This is where some disagreement may come in as to what is, or is not a sport.  The dictionary gave us some.  So, if someone asked if football or soccer was a sport, the majority of people, if not everyone, would agree it was.  But if someone suggests that cheerleading is a sport, there is usually much debate.  Some argue that it is  just for girls in short skits, that jump up and down yelling chants.  Others would say it is highly competitive, dangerous, and that a lot of athletic strength is required.  I would have to agree that it is a sport.  I was a cheerleader for youth football, in my high school and in college.  I cheered for the majority of my life and I know it takes a lot of practice and hard work to master it.  Cheerleaders practice just as much as the other sports.  They need to perfect the cheers, dance steps, gymnastics, jumps, and stunts.  Stunts are when team members lift and/or throw others in the air.  This may look easy, but actually it is not.  It takes many times to perfect this and get the timing right.  Stunt groups become very close as they must build so much trust in each other.  If one person in the group fouls up, it is up to the other members to step in.  Hopefully they react in time before someone falls and hurts themselves.  Cheerleading is high on the list of causing injuries due to its dangerous rigor and the physical demands placed upon the team members.  Although I may be bias in my opinion that cheerleading is a sport, I hope you realize that just like any sport, one must be disciplined to be successfully participate in this demanding and tough activity.  Although you may not understand it completely, I hope you can respect what goes into cheerleading. 




Vocabulary:
athletic- active, strong
masculine- manly
prowess- ability, skill
disagreement- not agree
dictionary- place that defines words
majority- most
debate- different opinions
fouls- mistake
rigor- strictness     


Vocabulary activity:

Grammar point: When to use its and when to use it's.  This is sometimes mixed up because they sound alike.  But its is used as a possessive.  For example. Did you see its footsteps?  "Its" owns the footsteps.  It's is a contraction for it is or it has.  For example, It's starting to snow again.  The it's is a contraction for it is. 


Grammar activity: Complete the following sentences using the correct its/it's. 


1. The dog licked ______ lips when it saw the big, juicy bone.


2. My teacher said that ______ important to practice times tables.


3. The football team won ______ final game.


4. ________ time to go to work.

I think the company wants to have its cake and eat it.
Read more at http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/its_its.htm#euwBh4XwUZyoPktC.99

I think the company wants to have its cake and eat it.
Read more at http://www.grammar-monster.com/easily_confused/its_its.htm#euwBh4XwUZyoPktC.99

Connected

It seems as though everyone wants and needs to be connected nowadays.  Most young Americans do so through social media websites. The websites available are endless, so everyone can choose the one that suits them best.  I have found that most young people have multiple website pages. They may want a place to post the latest picture of themselves known as a "selfie".  Also, the current trend is having certain days when a particular picture is uploaded.  For example a picture from ones past can be posted on  "Way Back Wednesday," Throwback Thursday," or "Flashback Friday".   There are times when they are just posting what is on their mind, yet they may hurt or insult others.  And, sometimes, there is lots of personal information posted.  This may seem all innocent and fun, but unfortunately some people don't know when enough is enough or when they have gone too far. Although they feel that these are "their" web pages, one can never forget that it is posted on the internet, which means that there are certain dangers that can exist.  Anyone and everyone has access to it, even if it has privacy settings.  Too often, people foolishly post things that they later regret.  That is why it is so important to be careful, and think before making any foolish mistakes.

Vocabulary: 

social media: a way to communicate online
suits: works for someone
multiple: more than one
certain: definite
particular: specific
uploaded: place items on computer site
innocent: honest
privacy: alone
regret: feel upset about a previous act




Vocabulary exercise:

Many companies are creating ____________________ to communicate to potential buyers.
As soon as Henry said it, he felt a sense of __________ come over him.
In his youth, Justin had _____________ basketballs to play with.
Jen needs to have a _________ amount of pencils on her desk.
As the older sister grew up she wanted more ______________.
Everyone though Caitlin was so ______________ because she always did the right thing.
The color blue really _________ Christine's eyes.
James is very ______________ about the foods he eats.
Colleen ___________ her photos as soon as she came home from the party.




Grammar point: 

In the English language, we have words known as homophones. This is where they sound the same but have different meanings. One common mistake is the use of the words there, their, and they're. There means to place it. Their is possession or ownership. They're is a contraction. It combines the words they are. 

Grammar exercise: 

Please write three sentences using there, their, and they're. 

Where Did the Time Go?

Growing up, I went to the Catholic elementary school in my hometown.  I spent 11 years there from the nursery level through grade 8.  I met some of my closest friends during that time.  We have all seen each other at our best and at our worst.  We were the class that none of the teachers seemed to like.  We were the so-called, "cut ups" and there were very few of us.  We graduated with a class enrollment of 17.  Can you imagine?  I believe that is why we became such a close knit group.  The class before us had 32 enrolled and the one after us had 28.  Both of them were very well liked.  Rumor had it that the teachers dreaded the perspective of having us, or so they thought. Once they met us and got to know us individually, they realized that we were a fun loving class.  Perhaps we may have been a little rough around the edges, but all in all, we were a good class that always rooted for each other.  When graduation drew near and we were headed off to high school, we knew it was time to go our separate ways, to make new friends, and begin a "new" chapter in our lives.  As exciting and natural as that is, there are about nine of us who have stayed in constant touch.  We continue to socialize with each other, attend each others celebrations, and are there for the heartaches as well.  I guess the reason I am feeling so nostalgic is because this June will mark the 10th   anniversary since we graduated from Holy Name of Mary school.  Although a lot has happened over the past 10 years, whenever I think back to those days, it seems like yesterday.  We are presently planning an informal 10 year class reunion.  I am looking forward to having all 17 of the graduates from the Class of 2004 in one place again!




Vocabulary:
elementary school- lowest grade level of formal school
nursery- preschool
"cut ups"- misbehaved
dreaded- fear, not looking forward to
nostalgic- remembering
anniversary- yearly acknowledgement
reunion- meet again; uniting




Vocabulary activity:
1. anniversary__                                                       a) meet again; uniting
2. reunion __                                                             b) preschool
3. elementary school __                                            c) remembering
4. nursery ___                                                           d) yearly acknowledgement
5. dreaded ___                                                           e) lowest grade level of formal school
6. "cut ups" __                                                           f) fear, not looking forward to
7. nostalgic ___                                                          g) misbehaved




Grammar point:
When writing numbers, you need to spell out single-digit whole numbers. If the number is greater than nine, you may write the number.
Examples:
I want five copies.
I want 10 copies


Grammar exercise:
Complete the sentences using the correct form of the number. 


1. I want (3, three) pieces of candy please.
2. Do you have (30, thirty) books on the shelf?
3. There are (52, fifty-two) cards in a complete deck.
4. There is (2, two) in a pair. 

A Great Experience

Throughout my life, I have had my share of ups and downs.  Some memories I cherish, and Some I would like to forget. However, one very memorable moment in my life was going to the New York football Giants' training camp.  Although it was eight years ago, I still remember everything about this trip.


I went up to SUNY Albany to watch my favorite football team prepare for their upcoming season.  Both my mom and friend Ryan were there as well.  As soon as we arrived, we saw thousands of fans eager to enjoy the day.  My main goal of the trip was to get an autograph from Eli Manning.  We lined the fence and saw the players walk on to the field.  When Eli walked out, my heart stopped, and I just looked, I couldn't speak.  My mom spoke up and asked him to autograph the news article I had of him.  He responded with, "Get me after practice." 


Before practice ended, we went back to that same spot and waited anxiously.  I saw Eli getting closer and closer.  Then he walked right past me.  I was so upset.  But luckily my mom said, "Please, you promised."  Eli looked over at me and said,  "Yes, I did".  He walked back to me and signed the newspaper article.  I couldn't believe that I had gotten his autograph.  All I could do was say, "Thank you so much!"


This was certainly one of my most memorable experiences.  As it turns out, the Giants went on to win the Superbowl game that year, beating the "Perfect" Patriots.   I sometimes joke that I led the Giants to that Super Bowl victory. 






Vocabulary:
memorable- can't forget it
upcoming- going to happen soon
eager- excited
autograph- a person's signature
my heart stopped - (idiom) feeling of shock
anxiously- feeling excited and nervous while you wait. 






Vocabulary activity:
memorable _____                                                             a. feeling excited and nervous while you wait
my heart stopped ____                                                      b. can't forget it
upcoming ____                                                                  c. excited
eager ____                                                                         d. a person's signature
anxiously ____                                                                  e. feeling of shock
autograph ___                                                                    f. going to happen soon




Grammar point:
Throughout writing, there is sometimes a remark that an individual made.  If someone writes what someone else said we have to put quotation marks (" ").   This gives the person credit for who said it and gives the reader a better understanding of who said it. 




Grammar activity:
Please come up with your own sentences using the quotes from "A Great Experience" post. 

Snow

There has been some very interesting weather here in New York.  We received a heavy snow storm on Tuesday into Wednesday.  Of course all the children were excited about the snow.  When they hear the word snow they anticipate all the fun that is associated with it.  Some of these fun items include sledding, tubing, building snowmen, creating snow angels, and creating snow forts to protect themselves from any snowball fights that may occur.  It is a great time for all youngsters. 

As for adults, they do not find it to be as fun-filled as the children.  They mostly think of the workload that goes along with the snowfall.  Adults have many responsibilites that they must think about.  First of all they have to prepare.  They prepare for a snow storm by making sure they have the proper supplies needed to remove the snow.  This could include shovels, snowblowers (if you're lucky), and rock salt to melt the ice.  In addition, people must make sure they have heat in their homes, enough food, and water on hand, just in case people are stranded in their home.  Overall, snowstorms can be fun but people need to make sure they are ready with all the materials to protect themselves and their families. 



Vocabulary:
anticipate- to look forward to
forts-safe hiding place
youngsters-child
responsibilities-jobs
prepare-to get ready
supplies- materials
stranded-can't get out





Activity:
John was ________________ in the middle of nowhere.


Derrick had many _______________.


The students needed to buy school ____________ to bring in their first day of class.


All of the ______________ were playing tag.


The children ________________ the exciting feeling of going to Disney World.


Jenna created a _________ out of blankets to hide from her brother.


Mom needed to _____________ dinner.




Grammar point:


In the English language, we use a comma (,) when we are separate three or more items that are related.  For example, Harry hit the ball, dropped the bat, and ran to first base.




Grammar exercise:
Write two sentences that uses this comma rule. 

    

The Playoffs are Here!

The holiday season is over and the new year has begun.  Usually I find most individuals depressed by this.  As for me, I find this time of year to be very exciting, as the National Football League is in their playoff season!  I love football.  I attribute this to my cheerleading career.  I have cheered for football teams since I was four years old.  In any event, the playoffs are now in full swing.  I am rooting for the Denver Broncos.  I believe they are the best team in the league.





This Sunday they will be competing against the New England Patriots.  New England's quarterback, Tom Brady, has a rivalry with the quarterback from Denver, Peyton Manning.  This has been a long standing rivalry.  They are both at the top of their game.  These two men make playing their position look like a piece of cake. This matchup will certainly make the game very exciting.  The winner of this playoff game will go on to compete in the Superbowl on February 2, 2014.  Lets go Broncos!












Vocabulary:


individuals- people


attribute- give credit to


career- job or profession


league- group or club


competing- challenging


quarterback- key player in the game of football


rivalry- on going contest with each other


position- person's place on the team


piece of cake (idiom)- simple









Vocabulary exercise:






Please match the correct definition to its vocabulary word.


individuals __                                                                    a) job or profession


attribute __                                                                         b) people


career __                                                                             c) give credit to


league __                                                                            d) simple


competing __                                                                      e) on going contest with each other


quarterback __                                                                    f) group or club  


rivalry __                                                                            g) person's place on a team


position __                                                                          h) key player in the game of football


piece of cake (idiom) __                                                     i) challenging






Grammar point:





Proper nouns name a specific person, place, thing, or object.  Every proper noun needs to be capitalized.  For example a specific state, New York, is capitalized.  This is true even in the middle of a sentence. 




Exercise: 
Please write three sentences using at least one proper noun in each.  Each sentence should have a different type of proper noun  (person, place, thing, or object).