San Mateo Adult School ESL Website

Gong Hay Fat Choy!

2012-01-23T17:05:00.000-08:00

Today, January 23rd, is Lunar or Chinese New Year. Gung Hay Fat Choy means "Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year." It is year 4710 in the Chinese calendar.

This is a very big holiday in Chinese culture. You can learn more about Chinese New Year celebrations here.

The Chinese zodiac makes a cycle every twelve years. This year is the year of the dragon - a very powerful animal.

You can learn more about people born in the year of the dragon here.

There are many celebrations in the Bay Area for Chinese New Year, including the Chinese New Year's Parade in San Francisco. You can learn more about these celebrations here.

Gong hay fat choy!

Note: The Adult School is open today.

MLK Day

2012-01-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Monday, January 16, 2012 was Martin Luther King Day. It is a Federal holiday. The Adult School was closed. Teacher Cynthia apologizes for not posting this before MLK Day.

We celebrate the life of Dr. King because of the work he did to bring peace, justice and civil rights to all people. Dr. King was concerned not only about African-Americans but about all Americans and all the people around the world, as well. He wanted fairness and opportunity for everyone.

This was difficult work and many people were not happy about the work he did. Many people were not happy when his birthday (or the Monday closest to it, to be exact) became a Federal holiday. This day became a Federal holiday in 1983 but it was not observed in all 50 states until 2000.

He is very famous for two of his speeches -

the "I Have A Dream" speech

and

the "Mountaintop" speech.

These are both important speeches. In the first speech, he talked about his dream for a day when we everyone will understand we are all equal. In his second speech, he talked about knowing that one day that dream will come true - but he may not be there when it does. He gave the Mountaintop speech when he was helping garbage workers who were on strike for better conditions. He was assassinated (killed) a few days after his speech.

Sometimes for ESL students, it is hard to understand Dr. King's speeches because he gives his speeches in a special rhythm. You can read some of the words for his Dream speech here in this webquest for students.

You can also read some of Dr. King's quotes here. He speaks and writes in high level English so it might be hard to understand some of what he says.

Maybe everything that Dr. King said and did can be boiled down to this quote, "If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love." (Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967)

Like Ghandi, Dr. King believed in non-violence. He wanted equality and justice and peace for all people. And he did not want to use violence to achieve those goals.

Not easy, right? That's right, not easy.

The good things in life are often difficult but they are the good things and they are worth the work.

Welcome Back! (Change Ahead)

2012-01-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

And welcome to 2012 at the San Mateo Adult School!

There has been lots of talk about 2012, right?

Just like there was lots of talk about y2k.

What was y2k, you ask?

It was the year 2000.

Everyone thought everything would go crazy. They thought there might be big computer and technical problems.

There weren't.

But we did have a Dot Com Bust after the Dot Com Boom.

What was that?

An economic recession after economic success in the tech industry.

Now people are saying, "Wow! Watch out! It is 2012! Big things might happen! Big changes!"

And they might.

IF YOU MAKE THEM HAPPEN.

What do you want to happen in 2012?

What changes do you want in your life? Your community? Your family? Your English?

We can't change everything.

We can't control everything.

(Even though everyone wants to control some things. It's true. Everyone does. It's a secret we all share.)

But we can change some things.

What do you want to change this year?

Chances are, the San Mateo Adult School can help you do that.

We can help you improve your English, understand US culture, become a citizen, and gain new job and life skills.

Check out http://www.smace.com/ for all the great classes that are starting now and then come on over and register.

It's not too late to create the changes you want in your life.

You just have to try.

And keep trying.

One action at a time.

__________________

Word Notes:

What's up with "Welcome BACK" and "Change AHEAD"?

Does your home language use the words for "back" and "head" to talk about past and the future?

Why do we say "welcome back"?

Why do we say "come back"?

It is good to think about these things.

If you can understand the ideas inside a language, you can think like a native speaker.

And if you can think like a native speaker, you can talk like one!

Good, hunh?

Yes!

Try it!

_____________________

Last thing:

If you want to try some difficult English, here are some great quotes about change.

One Warm Coat

2011-11-29T10:38:00.000-08:00

It's cold outside!

It's time to put on our coats and jackets!

But many people - kids and grownups - don't have coats.

Do you have a good clean coat or jacket that you don't need?

You can donate the coat to the One Warm Coat project.

The One Warm Coat project distributes the coats to people who need them.

You can bring your coats or jackets to the collection boxes in the SMART Center or Room 28 (Distance Learning).

Help the Hungry

2011-11-14T18:08:00.001-08:00

Have you ever been hungry?

Have you ever been hungry and you did not have food to eat?

Have you ever been hungry and you did not have food to eat and you did not have money to buy food?

Many people in San Mateo County have this problem. They do not have enough money to buy food for the week or month. Some of them have kids. Some of them ARE kids!

They need help.

Your help!

Starting tomorrow - Tuesday, November 15th, you can donate food to the Second Harvest Food Drive. This food will be given to people who need it.

The bins will be at the Adult School.

Here is a list of food that are needed:

http://shfb.org/mostneededfoods

Remember, many kinds of people need food - old, young, people from many different countries.

Whatever you bring, it must be in a container that DOES NOT break. No glass!

There is a saying, "When you do good, you feel good."

Do you know that expression?

Do you agree?

Halloween!

2011-10-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

Halloween is coming!

Monday, October 31st is Halloween. People - especially children - will dress up in costumes, carve pumpkins into jack o' lanterns, and go trick-or-treating. And they will eat lots of candy!

ESL students will celebrate Halloween in the daytime on Monday, October 31 and in the evening on Thursday, October 27.

Correction: Evening Pathways is Oct 5 Wednesday

2011-10-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

Correction!

The pathways presentation for evening students is TODAY, Wednesday, October 5, from 7 to 8 pm.

Come find out more about many programs at the Adult School that can help you reach your goals.

Pathways to Success

2011-10-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 4, ESL students will learn more about the many pathways to success that the Adult School provides. In addition to all the opportunities available at the Adult School, a representative from College of San Mateo will provide information about the opportunties available there when students are ready to move on to the next step.

Presentations for day students will run from 11 am to 12 noon and consist of:

GED/ABE/HS Diploma - Room 21
Computer Training - Room 24
Home Health Care - Room 46
Fifty Plus Classes - Exercise and Arts classes - in Room 47
Building Futures - Room 65
Job Search Class - Room 48
Distance Learning - Room 25
College of San Mateo - Room 27
Citizenship - Room 40

Presentation for evening students will run from 7 to 8pm and consist of:

GED/ABE/HS Diploma - Room 10
Citizenship - Room 42
Building Futures - Room 65
Job Search Class - Room 22
Distance Learning - Room 23

Please check with your teacher or the SMART Center before going to a presentation.

New Student Council

2011-10-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome and THANK YOU! to these students who have stepped up to serve the students of San Mateo Adult School:

Day Program Student Council:

President Billy Lui
Vice President Reny Chen
Secretary Hitomi Kawagishi
Officer Mario Gomez
Officer Gigi Lui
Officer Pedro Chavez

Evening Program Student Council:

President Enrique Sandoval
Vice President Manipreet Singh
Secretary Siona Falevai

Free Music

2011-09-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Do you like music?

This weekend - Friday September 30, Saturday October 1, and Sunday October 3, there will be free music in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival.

You can get to Golden Gate Park with public transportion.

Use http://www.511.org/ to find the best way for you to get there via public transportation.

Here's a clip of Ruthie Foster, one of the headliners at the festival. Enjoy!

I take it you already know ( English pronunciation )

2011-09-20T15:54:00.000-07:00

Pronunciation

2011-09-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

English pronunciation is hard, right?!

It's frustrating! And it's hard to do it alone. You need to someone - who knows about pronunciation - to listen to you and help you.

Well, English Central is not a real person - but it is a very helpful website - especially if you have a microphone. You can record your voice and then listen to what you have recorded and compare that to a native speaker saying the same words. Their are two levels to the website - free and premium. You do not need to use the premium (which costs money) to record your voice. You can use the free level.

Now... if you want a real person to help you with your pronunciation, you should check out Teacher Elizabeth's Pronunciation Class Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 2:30 pm in Room 26. You can start the class anytime. For more information, visit the SMART Center or the school website - www.smace.org. B

y the way, if you listen to this blog posting, you can click on the word "listen" at the top of this posting. Can you pronounce the words the same way? Well, maybe not... because that recording sounds like a robot! :-) But it does help you know how to pronounce the words.

From SSL to ESL

2011-08-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

You are studying ESL - English as a Second Language - right?

But if you came to San Mateo 200 years ago, you would be studying SSL - Spanish as a Second Language. Actually, San Mateo was not a city until 1864. But there have been people living here for a long, long time. First, the Ohlone people, and then the Spanish. San Mateo was part of the Rancho de las Pulgas (Ranch of the Fleas). This area was part of Alta California (Upper California), part of Mexico. After the Mexican-American War (1846-48), it became part of the United States. California became a state in 1850. (And... hmmm... gold was discovered in 1848.)

You can learn more the old Rancho days of this area at the San Mateo County History Museum's Fiesta Days celebration Saturday, September 17th, at the Sanchez Adobe in Pacifica. Learn and enjoy old-time dances, make corn husk dolls, eat rancho food, and watch demonstrations of old trades. Go, learn, enjoy!

http://www.historysmc.org/Rancho.html

Welcome Back!

2011-08-29T18:57:00.000-07:00

School is open. ESL classes begin Tuesday, August 30th.

Distance Learning and Citizenship begin Monday, August 29th.

Teachers and staff are ready to help you register, learn English, and find success here in the United States!

Summer Break

2011-07-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

The San Mateo Adult School will be closed from July 30 to August 28.

On Monday, August 29, Distance Learning will be open but there will be NO ESL CLASSES.

ESL classroom classes begin Tuesday, August 30th.

Check the school website www.smace.org for more information.

And enjoy your break!

Phonics

2011-07-19T11:18:00.000-07:00

What is phonics?

Phonics is the science of sound.

In English, what you see and what you hear are not the same, right?

Scene and seen, there and they're and their, right and write - they sound the same way but they don't look the same!

Why?

Okay, that is a long story.

But we know it is true: the look and sound of English are NOT the same.

This makes it hard to read and write and pronounce English correctly, right?

Right!

Phonics can help you read and speak and write English the right way.

There are many websites that can help you. You can search for "ESL phonics."

Here is one website you might like:

http://stickyball.net/phonics.html

Check it out!

International Night - July 21, 2011

2011-07-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

Come celebrate the diversity of our world and our school this Thursday evening.

The festivities start at 6:30 pm.

See you there!

4th of July

2011-06-29T13:36:00.001-07:00

Monday is the 4th of July - Indepedence Day for the United States.

The school will be CLOSED on Monday. So will all schools, banks, post offices, etc. It is a Federal holiday.

Independence Day celebrates the day - July 4, 1776 - when the 13 colonies declared their independence from England.

You can learn more about Independence Day here.

Note: Most Americans, especially here in California, call Independence Day, "The Fourth of July."

Later, there was a war - the American Revolution - to win independence. After that, the 13 colonies became the United States of America (the USA).

The people we call our "Founding Fathers" (the people who started things, who made the foundation) wrote the Constitution.

The Constitution is the first and most basic law. Really, it is more than one law. It is a set of ideas. These ideas say what the government is and can do. The ideas say what rights people have.

Sometimes we say the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land." This means it is the highest. It is number one. All the big changes that have happened in this country - more civil rights, legal abortion, Miranda rights etc. - have been based on the Constitution.

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the country. It uses the Constitution to test all the cases that come before it.

There are many traditions for the Fourth of July: picnics, parades, fireworks.

In the past, many Americans lit fireworks in the streets. But many people have been hurt and many fires started. So mow they are illegal in many cities. If you like fireworks, you can watch big shows in the sky. Many cities have such shows.

Here are some fun things to do locally:

Fourth of July events on the Peninsula (San Mateo, Foster City, Redwood City, etc.)

Bay Area Fourth of July events (All over the Bay - San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, etc.)

Have fun and enjoy the day and remember: Many of the good things we enjoy in this country - the freedom to speak our minds, practice whatever religion we like, etc. - started on this day.

2011 - 2012 Calendar

2011-06-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

On the left side of the school website you will see "School Year Calendar 2011- 2012." If you click on that link, you will find a calendar for the next year's school year.

Here are some important dates:

July 21 Thursday - International Night

July 29 Friday - Last Day for ESL Classes

July 30 - August 28 - Summer Break (NO CLASSES)

August 29 Monday - Distance Learning ONLY

August 30 Tuesday - First Day of ESL Classes

Winter Break will be three weeks this next year - from December 17 to January 8.

The break is longer because of budget cuts.

Remember, it is important to know what is going on with the state budget and to tell your legislators what you want for education - for the Adult School, for elementary schools, middle and high schools, colleges, universities, etc. All public schools across California must make some changes because of the budget cuts. If you do not want more cuts, speak up!

You can find your local representatives here:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html Enter your zip code, click on your legislator and it will link to the members home page with email contact information.

Thank You from Consul General

2011-06-20T17:34:00.000-07:00

We received a very lovely thank you note from Hiroshi Inomata, Consul General of Japan, thanking us for our school donation of $4767.88 to the Tohoku Earthquake Relief effort in Japan.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to this effort and the hard work that went into making the Benefit events.

The "Mr. T" Soccer Cup

2011-06-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

The "Mr. T" Soccer Tournament starts tomorrow!

Two weeks of games. Six teams. Lots of fun and skill and competetion.

Games are at 5:30 and 6:30 pm on the SMHS soccer fields.

Thursday, June 16
Monday, June 20
Thursday, June 23
Monday, June 27

Come and cheer on your classmates!

ESL Special Fridays

2011-06-14T11:25:00.000-07:00

Something new and different is happening on Friday afternoons now and through the end of July in the ESL classrooms. Here's a list of what's going on:

Family Literacy (open to all ESL levels) with Teachers Lisa & Daphne in High School E 116

Children's Theater (open to all ESL levels) with Teacher Mark in Room 23

Music (Beg - Low Int) with Teacher David in Room 44

Music (Hi Int - Adv) with Teacher Pat in Room 21

Movies & Culture (Low Int - Adv)with Teacher Elizabeth in Room 26

Stories and Roleplaying with Teacher Melanie (Beg - Low Int) with Teacher Melanie in Room 46
Cooking with Teachers Betty, Lily & Pam (class is NOT open to new students) in Room 40

Shakespeare with Teacher Vasyl (Low Int - Adv) in Room 20.

Looking for a Job?

2011-06-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

Do you need help finding a job?

How about a better job?

Check out the Job Search class!

Afternoon Schedule 12:30 - 3:30:

Mondays - Beginning level ESL students
Tuesdays - Intermediate level ESL students
Wednesday - Advanced level ESL students
Thursday - One on One help with any level

Evening Schedule 6:30 - 9:30

Monday - Advanced level ESL students
Tuesday - Open Office - any level ESL students
Wednesday - Intermediate level ESL students
Thursday - Open Office - any level ESL students

Visit the SMART Center office for more information and to register for the class.

Updates

2011-06-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

A little bit of this and that!

1. International Day was great! Wonderful food, displays, presentations, performances. Photos are coming! In the meantime, look for "San Mateo Adult School" on Facebook to see a few photos from the event.

2. No ESL classes this Friday, June 10, except for Distance Learning. ESL teachers will meet to share ideas to improve their teaching. Again: No ESL Classes. But Distance Learning (Room 28) is open.

3. The Summer semester for ESL classes is short - and different! There will be lots of choices. One choice will be a Family Literacy class on Fridays for ESL Parents or Caregivers. Teacher Daphne and Teacher Lisa are putting the class together now. Teacher David and Teacher Patricia will provide some music choices. More information about these classes is coming soon!

The days are getting longer. There is lots of rain, yes, but also lots of daylight. Get out there and enjoy our beautiful Bay Area. Visit "Things to Do in the Bay Area" for more ideas about what to do and where.

International Day 2011

2011-05-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

International Day is coming!

On Friday, June 3rd, students and staff will celebrate their heritage in a showcase of food, fun, music, performance, art, and more.

Here's a sample of how they celebrated in 2009:

International Day 2009 Part 1 - Introduction, set up, and interviews:
http://youtu.be/YXJuwFw3Z-M

International Day 2009 Part 2 - Performances:
http://youtu.be/GbfAIz4Ofls

International Day 2009 Part 3 - More performances:
http://youtu.be/EFzbltID0WM

And for a trip back in time.... check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1S9mYhi5Hw

International Day and Night - 1999!

A Quick Word from Teacher Cynthia

2011-05-16T17:00:00.000-07:00

Blogger was down for a bit last week and I was unable to post more information about the service for Teacher Martin or the actions students took for the Speak Up! Week of Action for Education.

The service for Teacher Martin was held Wednesday. It was recorded and will be available in future.

On Friday, students stood at curbside on Poplar Avenue to show their support for education funding (no more cuts!).

Standing up for education was a good to honor Teacher Martin.

Remembering Martin

2011-05-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

There are several ways you can show your respect and apprecation for Teacher Martin and honor his memory:

1. Write in his Memory Book. You can write your memories of Teacher Martin in the Memory Book. Ask your teacher about it. Every class will have a chance to sign it. The book will be given to his family. They can read your comments and understand how much he helped so many students.

2. Come to the Memorial Service on Wednesday, May 11th, at 8 pm in the Venus Room of the SMART Center. But! There is not a lot of space. We want everyone to come but it is not possible for everyone. Please come if you knew Martin well.

3. Watch the service later. We will record the service. You can watch the service in your class later on the SMART Board or view it on the school website. We will share the recording with Teacher Martin's family so they can watch it also.

Important: Evening classes will end at 8 pm on Wednesday, May 11.

4. Take an action for education. How can you do this?

You can study hard. You can learn. Grow. Take a risk. Remember how hard Teacher Martin worked to help so many students? He was very dedicated. Very focused. He worked hard. That brought results. You can study English like Martin taught English.

You can share what you know with others. Help them learn English. Encourage them to come to school. Help them to persevere and not give up. Support other English leaners. Share information and resources.

You can speak up about education. This is Action for Education week in California. Later this week teachers and students will be taking actions to stand up for education. I will post information about that on the blog. You can take part in what we are doing.

Martin stood up for education in so many ways. Just like a good student, he never stopped learning. He looked for and practiced new ways to be a better teacher and help others. He worked hard to teach students what they needed to succeed. He understood that people need real help - to speak better, get a good job, have a better life. He though about that and tried to find good ways to help people meet those needs and achieve their goals. And he spoke up about education to the government. He worked hard on Red Letter Day last year, helping his students write letters to the State Legislature. He knew that people must speak up. If we need something, if we know something... we must say it, share it.

Speak up... stand up... for Martin.

Honor his memory by helping yourself and your community to grow in all the best ways.

In Memoriam - Martin Doerner

2011-05-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today the flag flies at half mast in honor of Teacher Martin Doerner who passed away this morning, May 3, 2011, National Teachers Day.

Martin was a dedicated and caring teacher. He taught at the Day Labor Center as well as on site at the Adult School. He was the powerhouse behind the Passport to Employment program - special classes to help students find jobs and career success.

He knew the power of working hard to reach goals, never giving up, doing your very best, and sharing what you know with others.

There is a saying, "If you want to feed a man for a day, give him a fish. If you want him to eat every day, teach him how to fish."

Martin understood and lived that saying.

He was a success not only in his career but in helping others find success in theirs.

If the best way to measure a teacher's success is to measure the student's, then Martin's measure is large.

Thank you, Martin, for all you gave to the Adult School - both students and staff.

WASC Is Here!

2011-05-02T19:10:00.000-07:00

What is WASC? WASC is the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

WASC helps schools in different ways.

One way is to give schools a check-up. How is the school doing? Is it helping students?

How about the teachers? Do they need help? How about the administrative staff (all the people who work in the office)? How are they doing? Do they need help? And the buildings? And the people who take care of the buildings? How is everything? Is the school doing a good job? Is the school healthy? Or is it sick? Does it need special help?

Schools must prepare for the check-up.

The Adult School staff prepared. We looked at our school like you look in a mirror.

How are we doing? How do we look?

What do we want to do?

Are we doing that?

We thought about many things. We wrote reports.

Now WASC is here for our check-up. They are visiting classrooms. They are talking to administrators, staff, teachers, students. Maybe they will talk to you!

Tim Doyle Wins Award

2011-04-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

From The Savvy Source
Volume 3, Issue 8
March 2011

ACSA (Association of California School Administrators) Region 5 will recognize Tim Doyle, Assistant Director of the Adult School, as the Administrator of the Year for 2011. Tim is a career adult educator with over 22 years total at the Adult School where he served as an exemplary teacher and program lead, prior to his appointment as an Assistant Director in 2005.

Tim represents Region 5, San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, on the ACSA state Adult Education Council and represents San Mateo County Adult Educators as an appointed member of the San Mateo County Workforce Investment Board. Tim has enhanced the Adult Schools‟ connectivity to the professional colleagues and the excellent reputation through service as a WASC Visiting Committee Chair and his connection with the PLC network. Tim has rapidly become one of the state’s leading adult educators; someone to whom others outside the District seek regular counsel.

Tim has a quiet, unassuming leadership style that makes him effective in dealing with a variety of people. All 120+ faculty and staff describe Tim as principled and fair. His passion for his work and his dedication to the Adult School is most evident to all.

Tim has put his love for good teaching and learning and his genuine concern for students to work in the development of the PLCs. As a result, every year the quality of the Adult School’s instructional program has improved. Tim is a valued member of the SMUHSD leadership team.

Look for us on Facebook!

2011-04-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

The San Mateo Adult School is now on Facebook. Search for us and "like" us and you will get regular updates about events, classes, and opportunities at our wonderful school. Photos, too! When 300 people "like" us, there will be a raffle. The prize is very good and something Teacher Cynthia likes very much. (That was a little hint!)

Solving Problems

2011-04-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, April 12th, students and staff brought food, plants, crafts and more to sell to help the Japanese Red Cross. Over 1500 dollars was raised! This money will help survivors of the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear contamination. These are big problems that need big help. What problems do you need help with? How about friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, classmates? Can you Name the problem? Ask for help or offer help? Work together to solve the problem? (And can you do those three things in English?) If you can do those three things, you can help solve many problems. Be a problem-solver! Get the skills you need to help solve problems - your problems, your family's problems, the world's problems. We're here to help.

Tuesday's Benefit for Japan

2011-04-11T17:23:00.000-07:00

The Bake and Plant Sale will begin at the break at 10:30. This way more people can purchase items. Teachers from the high school may come by to buy baked goods, as well. Again, all money goes to help the Japanese Red Cross. Please come and show your support and compassion.

Benefit for Japan April 12th

2011-03-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday April 12th, there will be a benefit for Japan. As you probably know, there was a 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in Northern Japan on March 11th. 27,000 people are missing or dead. 245,000 lost their homes. 135,000 buildings are demolished or partially destroyed. You can see pictures of the devastation here. On Tuesday at 11:45 am, near the flag pole, Toshio Hirano, who works at the Adult School, will play his guitar. There will be a plant and bake sale and other items to buy. All money will go to the Japanese Red Cross. Plants will be donated by Misuzu of Utsuwa Floral Design. Misuzu was a student at the Adult School. Please come to the Benefit for Japan. Buy something delicious to eat or something beautiful for your home. Your money will help provide shelter and medical care for survivors of the earthquake and tsunami.

Connections

2011-03-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

There is a lot happening in the world right now.

Some of it good - new power for the people of Egypt.

Some of it bad - a terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Some of it uncertain - change in Libya - but in which direction?

We are all connected. What happens here touches the people in Egypt and Japan and Libya. And what happens there touches us here.

Immigrants help everyone understand our global connections because they are connected to two places - with their hearts, their minds, their bodies. They speak two languages and understand two cultures.

If you are an immigrant, it is important for you to share what you know. Your knowledge and experience and wisdom can help all of us.

You need English, of course, to do that here in the U.S. The teachers and staff at the San Mateo Adult School are here to help you with that. And we value what you can teach us, as well.

If you want to learn more about what is happening in the world, here are some good resources:

ESL News for You

BBC (on the right side, you can read news in 32 different languages)

BBC Learning English

Newsy (multi-source news)

National Public Radio

Taking Root

2011-03-01T13:21:00.000-08:00

In October 2010, students prepared the ground for planting trees as part of
the 10 - 10 - 10 Project.

In February, they planted them as you can see here:

When we begin something new, we have to practice it many times if we want it do it well. To really become a part of us, we say something must take root.

To take root means to grow roots deep in the ground.

A plant needs both soil and sun. The roots grow deep in the soil. The roots keep the plant stable. With strong roots, a plant can survive a storm or strong winds. The roots also bring nutrients to the plant. The plant needs these nutrients to grow.

The top of the plant - the trunk and leaves - reach toward the sun. As we all know, without the sun, all plants - all living things! - will die. The plants need the sun for photosynthesis.

Photo means light. Synthesis means put together.

To help bring positive change to the world, the students planted trees. These trees will change carbon dioxide into oxygen. They will provide habitat (a place to live) for animals (birds and insects). They will grow fruit that we can eat.

They want these trees to take root. They want positive change to take root.

What are you doing to make positive change take root in your life?

President Obama Likes Adult Schools

2011-02-22T09:25:00.000-08:00

President Obama understands the importance of adult education and adult schools.

On February 14th, he announced a new budget. Here is what he wants for adult education:

(Note: All this information in italics is from the OTAN website. I put the parts that are very important for students at our school in bold. I also added some notes.)

The Obama administration is requesting $635.0 million for Adult Education State Grants, $23.3 million for Adult Education National Leadership Activities, and $17.2 million for Workforce and Community Transition Training for Incarcerated Individuals State Grants. The request for Adult Education State Grants is $6.8 million over the 2011 Continuing Resolution (CR) level. It makes $75million of the state grant amount available for integrated English literacy and civics education services to immigrants and other limited English proficient populations.

Note from Teacher Cynthia: "literacy" means reading and writing. Some people are literate in their first language but not in English. Some people never went to school anywhere and are not literate in their first language or English. "Civics education" is what we call EL Civics here at our school. It means learning about how our community, US government, schools, and citizenship.

It includes an 8 percent set-aside, equivalent to $50.8 million, for a new Workforce Innovation Fund, administered with the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and in partnership with the Department of Labor. The fund will provide grants for projects that encourage innovation and validate effective strategies that improve service delivery and outcomes for beneficiaries under the Workforce Education Act (WIA). The request for Adult Education National Leadership Activities is $12.0 million over the 2011 CR level.

Note from Teacher Cynthia: That means more money for programs that help adults get new and beter jobs, especially jobs that help build a better future for all of us. "Innovation" means making and doing new things. Silicon Valley has a lot of innovation. Innovative people come up with new things and new ways of doing things.

Of the $12.0 million increase, $6.0 million would support a new impact evaluation of "college bridge programs" that assist adult learners in transitioning from adult basic education to postsecondary education and training. The remaining $6.0 million would support the development of a comprehensive technology infrastructure for adult learners and adult educators. The balance would provide continued support to the adult education and literacy field.

Note from Teacher Cynthia: "college bridge programs" means programs that help adults move from adult schools to colleges and training programs.

This budget must be approved by Congress. The President cannot decide everything by himself. In US government, Congress - which represents all of us - is very important. Congress has a lot of power.

If you like this budget and think these things are important, you can contact your Congress person to tell them. You can find out your local representatives here:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

Enter your zip code, click on your legislator and it will link to the members home page with email contact information.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T12:59:00.000-08:00

Do you know what "belated" means? The middle part of the word is LATE so maybe you can guess it means something is late.

If we forget someone's birthday, we can send them a "Happy Belated Birthday" card. They understand we forgot their birthday. Our greeting is late. But we want them to know we care.

February 14 was Valentine's Day. This holiday celebrates all kinds of love, especially romantic love.

The song, "One Love," by Bob Marley celebrates love for all people. Many of you know the song because you have sung it in ESL classrooms.

Playing For Change is an organization that brings people together through music. Musicians from all the world come together to show us we are one people. Music helps us feel that connection. Music unifies.

Enjoy the Playing For Change musicians singing "One Love." And Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Don't Collect Fossils!

2011-02-07T17:21:00.000-08:00

Do you know what a fossil is?

A fossil is something that was alive a long, long, long, long, long, long, long time ago - a plant or an animal. Now it is hard like a rock.

Do you know what a fossilized mistake is?

It is a mistake that you have made many, many, many, many, many, many times.

It is the wrong English and you say it wrong over and over and over and over and over.

It is hard to change and it is hard like a rock.

How can you change that?

How can you stop saying the wrong English over and over and over and over and over.

Teacher Cynthia is looking for ideas on how to do this. If you have an idea for her, please tell her or tell your teacher.

Changing fossilized mistakes is hard! Everyone - students AND teachers - needs and wants ideas on how to change them.

If YOU have an idea, please share it here in the comments section or tell Teacher Cynthia or your teacher.

You can email Teacher Cynthia your ideas at cyn.eagleton@gmail.com or you can leave a note for her in Room 28 Distance Learning.

English, like every language is always growing and changing. Language is like water. Language is not like a rock. The best students and teachers are flexible. They can use new ideas to grow and improve. If you have an idea for growing and improving your English, share it with your teacher!

A Son Talks

2011-01-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

Do you know the actor Edward James Olmos?

He is very famous for playing a teacher in the movie Stand and Deliver. He also starred in Zoot Suit - both the play and the movie.

His parents went to Adult Schools.

He talks about this and the ways that Adult Schools help people on the California Council for Adult Education website. He wants the California State Legislature to understand what Adult Schools do and how they help people.

Click here to go to the website.

Click on Edward James Olmos (on the left side of the page) to hear what he has to say about Adult Schools.

If you could talk to the State Legislature, what would you say?

Home Care Aide Training Class

2011-01-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Do you like caring for others? Do you need a job?

You might be interested in the Home Care Aide Training Aide class.

This class teaches students how to provide non-medical home care to older people and adults with disabilities.

If you are a high-intermediate or advanced level ESL students, you can be in the class.

If you are interested in the class, you must register today Wednesday January 19 or tomorrow Thursday January 20.

The class begins Tuesday January 25th and ends Thursday March 31st.

The class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 3:30 pm.

Call 650 - 558 - 2100 or visit www.smace.org for more information.

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-04T11:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! It's 2011 now. We are in the second decade of the twenty first century.

In the U.S. and in many other countries, people decide to new things with the new year. Often they decide to do things that will improve their life: exercise, lose weight, learn new skills, get a better job, etc. Sometimes they decide to do big things: run a marathon, build a hospital, write a book.

We call these decisions New Year's resolutions.

The verb "resolve" means many things. It means to make things clear, to solve a problem, to decide to do something.

The noun "resolution" also means many things. Most often, it means the solution to a conflict. As we all know, conflicts can be big problems.

In this case, resolution means saying your intention out loud, in a formal way. It is a kind of promise you make in front of everybody.

When you make a resolution, you are making a promise to yourself and your community to do something to make things better. It is a kind of contract, an agreement between you and everyone else in the world we share.

What sorts of problems do you and your community have?

Do you sometimes feel frustrated when you try to communicate in stores, on the job, or with your neighbors? Does U.S. culture confuse you? Do you want to be a citizen, vote, and help decide what happens in your community? Do you want to be able to talk to your children's teachers and help your children with school? Do you want a better job? Do you want to be able to talk with your boss about your paycheck, job situation or schedule? Do you want to get a new and better job? Do you want to learn more about computers, video, or digital cameras? Do you want to open your own business? Do you have the English and the skills you need to do that?

How about your community? Do you see problems you want to solve? Do you want to help others succeed in school, business, or family life? Do you want to create something to help others? Do you have an idea that make life better for people here in San Mateo, in California, the U.S., in your home country, or the world?

The San Mateo Adult School can help you solve some of these problems. Classes in ESL, citizenship, job search & resume writing, computer and job skills, and many other classes are available.

The new semester begins January 24th. Visit the school website at http://www.smace.org/

or come in to the Adult School (the big red building) to learn more about which classes can help you.

Resolve to make 2011 the best year ever for you, your family, and your community - then take the steps to make that happen!

Winter Break - Dec 18 - Jan 2

2010-12-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

The San Mateo Adult School will be closed from December 18 to January 2.

The first day of school after the break will be Monday January 3.

Enjoy your break: Rest up. Spend time with friends and family.

Have a warm cup of coffee or tea.

Resting makes us stronger - mentally and physically.

So rest up - then come back to school ready to learn and grow in 2011!

As always, teachers and staff members will be ready to help you.

(Because they will be resting over the break, also! :-)

Happy New Year!

Sing Your English!

2010-12-06T20:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes English feels difficult, right? Sometimes English is just too much work!

But how about music?

Music lifts our spirits. Music puts a bounce in our steps. Music gives us energy, hope, and joy.

If you like music, try learning English in songs.

Check out

1. http://www.pandora.com/ This is an amazing and FREE website. You can click on different genres - that means different kinds of music - such as blues, hip-hop, latin, rock, pop, world, etc. If you click on "family" and then on "toddler" you'll find songs are easy to sing along to. You can also create your own radio stations. Put in the name of a singer or song you like. Pandora will give you more songs or singers like that one. Frank Sinatra is a good singer to sing along to. He sings nice and slow. You might also like Elvis Presley or Pete Seeger.

2. http://www.danzanes.com/ Dan Zanes makes music for everyone - young, old and in between. His website has the lyrics (the words) to most of the songs he sings. Most of his songs are in English. Some are in Spanish. He also has the chords to his songs if you like to play the guitar or another instrument. He believes in the power of music and thinks people should make and sing music - not just listen to it.

3. http://www.laurieberkner.com/ makes music for kids. Kid music is very good for ESL students because the tunes and the lyrics (the music and the words) are usually pretty easy to follow and sing along to. If you click on the "music" tab on her website, you can find the lyrics for her songs.

When we sing songs we remember words in a different way - different and stronger.

Try it yourself. Try to learn new vocabulary without music. Then try with a song. Which was easier?

By the way, do you know how many staff members at San Mateo Adult School - teachers, administrators, administrative assistants, etc. can play a musical instrument? I was going to have a contest to see who could figure out the correct number - but then I realized, I don't know the correct number, myself! So many staff members here at SMAS are musical. Fred, Toshio, David Doneff, Patricia Brown, the list is long and goes on and on - a very good thing for all of us.

How about you? Do you like to sing or play an instrument?

Thanksgiving - Thursday Nov 25

2010-11-22T17:35:00.000-08:00

Gobble Gobble!! Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Why not take some time to learn more about it and enjoy the celebration with everyone else near you?

For Beginning students, please click on the picture for your lesson.

For Intermediate and Advance students, try this reading lesson and do the quiz that goes with it.

Never had a turkey before? Don't know how to make one? Try it this year by following this recipe. Click on the turkey picture to find a recipe with pictures to guide you through the steps. You can also watch this video to find out how to make your own turkey from scratch!

If you have a great recipe, please share it with us! Click on "Post comment" at the bottom to add your voice! Also feel free to post in the comment any questions about new words or English grammar for your teacher. YES WE WILL ANSWER YOU!!

Here's another Thanksgiving website to checkout.
It tells the stories of the Voyage across the sea, Pilgrims, feasts, and more!
I like this website because you can click on the speaker to hear the stories.
It has a fun webquest to play and also a great English-English dictionary that follows you from page to page.
Have a great Thanksgiving Weekend!

Eat lots, have fun, and happy Thanksgiving.

Thursday Nov 11 Veterans Day - No School

2010-11-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

Thursday November 11th is Veterans Day.

The Adult School and all other schools will be closed on this day. Federal buildings, banks, post offices, and government buildings will also be closed.

On this day we honor military veterans - people who serve or served in the military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines).

Serve - present tense

Served - past tense

We use the verb "serve" for many things in English - for being in the military , for working in the government, for working in restaurants as a waiter or waitress, and for sports (tennis, volleyball, etc.). We also use it to talk about helping others.

Where and how do you serve the community, your home country, or the United States?

Is service important to you?

How about military service?

You can read more about Veterans Day here and here.

Note: There WILL be school on Friday November 12th.

Will - the future of the verb "to be."

The teachers will not be at school on Thursday November 11th but they will be there on Friday the 12th.

Will you?

Halloween Celebrations

2010-10-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

Halloween is an old holiday that started in Europe. Now it is celebrated in many countries, including the United States. Here in the U.S., people wear costumes, carve pumpkins into jack o' lanterns, and go trick or treating.

Both day and evening students will celebrate Halloween this week with costumes, pumpkin carving, and maybe a little candy.

Evening students will celebrate Thursday, October 28th.

Day students will celebrate Friday, October 29th.

Visit here to see photos of how students celebrated last year.

Happy Halloween!

Working Together for a Better Future

2010-10-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 8th, students from twenty three different countries joined with people from countries all over the world to create a better future. 10 - 10 - 10 - October 10th, 2010 - was the day chosen for projects that will help lower the carbon dioxide level of our atmosphere.

Here, at San Mateo Adult School, students prepared the ground for more fruit trees. These trees will be planted near the school garden.

Plants of all kinds - trees, bushes, weeds, grasses, shrubs, flowers, vegetables - remove carbon dioxide from the air and replace it with oxygen. Too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is bad. It creates many problems.

In some way, we can say plants remove the negative and create the positive.

What are you doing to remove the negative from your life and your community?

What are you doing to create the positive for yourself and others?

The San Mateo Adult School is committed to helping people create the positive.

On Friday, October 8th, the students created the positive by preparing the ground for fruit trees.

Every day, San Mateo Adult School students create the positive in many ways - learning English, gaining new job and computer skills, understanding US culture and US schools, helping each other, helping themselves, helping the community, helping our world.

But What If I Can't Pay?

2010-09-14T10:00:00.000-07:00

As you know, because of budget cuts, there is now a registration fee for classes at the Adult School.

If you want to take an ESL, Citizenship, or Distance Learning class, the registration fee is $30 for one semester.

The fee covers all those classes. One fee covers all classes in those areas.
You do not need to pay for each class separately.

But - what if you don't have thirty dollars?

Can you still come to the Adult School and learn English, computer skills, how to use the Internet, etc.?

Yes! You can!

When you register for class, explain that you cannot pay the full thirty dollars.

Some people pay extra so we have extra money for the people who cannot pay the full amount.

(If you want to help people who cannot pay the full amount, please tell the Adult School.)

We want you to learn English.

We want you to get new job skills.

We want you to know how to use a computer, the Internet, and get a job.

We want you to become a citizen.

And we will try to help you do those things!

Welcome!

2010-08-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

The San Mateo Adult School is open and ready to help you learn English and computer skills,
become a citizen, and get a job.

Check out our many wonderful classes at www.smace.org or come on down to the SMART Center at 789 Poplar Ave (next to San Mateo High School) and talk to registration counselor.

Registration hours are

8:30 am - 12:30 pm Monday through Thursday

and

6:15 - 8:15 Monday through Thursday.

Vacation Break

2010-07-28T09:28:00.000-07:00

The last day of school is Friday, July 30th.

No classes for FOUR WEEKS in August.

The first day for Student Registration is Monday, August 30th.

The first day of class for Distance Learning and Citizenship is Monday, August 30th.

The first day for Regular ESL classes is Tuesday, August 31st.

If you need to visit the office in the SMART Center, you can visit August 2 - August 6 and
August 23 - August 27 from 8 am to 4 pm.

If you have questions about the Adult School or ESL classes, you can visit the SMART Center or call 650 - 558 - 2100.

Improve Your Life

2010-07-13T08:56:00.001-07:00

Come to the Flea Market this Saturday July 17th, 2010 - 9 am to 2 pm
in the parking lot of the Adult School - 789 E. Poplar Ave -
between Peninsula and Delaware
just off the 101 Freeway.

Take home valuable items to make your life better
and leave a few dollars for the Adult School -
a special place where people learn English, parenting and job skills,
prepare for citizenship, earn GEDs and High School Diplomas, stay mentally and physically fit, participate in civic and community life, and get the support they need to live long and productive lives!

More Joy

2010-07-07T13:54:00.001-07:00

Students and staff shared the many joys and beauties of their home cultures in the evening of July 1, 2010 International Night.

Thanks to Tom Jung for these great photos.

Go to the San Mateo Adult School website at www.smace.org and click on "Adult School Photo Album" (on the lower left side of the website) to see more photos of both International Day and International Night.

Like something you see? You can purchase the photo from Kodak.

Flea Market Saturday - July 17th 9 am to 2 pm

2010-07-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

Is the Adult School going to sell fleas?

No... Smile! :-)

The Adult School is selling gently used items - clothing, appliances,
jewelry, books, etc. - to raise money for the Adult School.

Do you want to sell or buy something?

Here's more information:

The Flea Market is Saturday July 17th from 9 am to 2 pm.

It is in the front parking lot of the San Mateo Adult School - 789 E. Poplar Ave (next to San Mateo High School).

If you want to donate items to sell, please bring them to Room 47th in the morning or Room 25 in the evening.

If you want to rent a table to sell items for your own profit, please call 558 - 2100.

The cost of renting a table is $20.

If you rent a table and are selling items, set up time is 8 am.

Please support the Adult School and donate, buy, or sell something at the Flea Market.

Anything but fleas!

International Day 2010

2010-06-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

On Friday, June 17th, San Mateo Adult School staff and students celebrated the many cultures that make our school, community and world such a rich and wonderful experience.

Thanks to Tom Jung for these photos.

Note: International Night will be Thursday, July 1, 2010 at 6:30 pm. Come and enjoy!

More Letters From Red Letter Day!

2010-06-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

Teacher Shirley has submitted two wonderful letters that her students wrote for Red Letter Day. Our students are awesome!

Dear Assembly Woman Brownley,

I'm a student at San Mateo Adult School. I'm in the High Beginning ESL Class.

I'm writing you because money was cut from our school. My school is important because I want to learn English because I want to speak to my children's doctor and my children's teachers. I want to help my children with homework. I want to understand important papers and I want a better job. I will have more opportunities for my family.

My class helps me learn English.

Please Support our school and education for us.

Sincerely,

Maria Esthela Vega

Dear Senator Romero,

I'm a student at San Mateo Adult School. I'm in the High Beginning ESL class. The School is very good. I want to live in America so I need to learn English. I want to learn English because I want a better job. I want to connect and talk with my neighbors and other Americans. I want to read the newspaper. I want to be able to read important papers. I want to understand TV shows. I want to help my children and family. San Mateo Adult School give me the chance to study and learn English.

I'm writing you because money was cut from our school. My school is important because I learn English here.

Please support our school and education.

Sincerely,

Junyao

Thanks For Your Help!

2010-06-01T11:30:00.001-07:00

To all who wrote letters on Red Letter Day:

Thanks for your help, support, and participation.

Many times in US culture, we talk about voice.

Use your voice, raise your voice, speak up, say your piece -

All these phrases mean:

Ask for what you want. Talk about what is important to you.

On Thursday, May 27th, that is what you did.

And you can do it again.

Remember that - it is important in life and in US culture, especially.

Red Letter Day

2010-05-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

What does "Red Letter Day" mean in American culture?
It means a very important day.

And what does the color red mean in American culture?
Often, it means emergency or stop.

If your budget is in the red, you do not have enough money to pay your bills.

Right now, California is in the red. We have a budget emergency.

Thursday, May 27th, is a Red Letter Day for the San Mateo Adult School.
On this day, we will write letters to tell the California State Legislature why we love our school. We will ask them not to make more cuts to the budget for education.

From 10 am to 2 pm and again from 6 pm to 8:30 pm, we will have everything you need to write a letter - pens, paper, envelopes, and people to help you.

Has the San Mateo Adult School helped you? Do you want the classes and programs - ESL, job skills, GED, High School Diploma, classes for older adults, etc. - to continue?

Then come to Red Letter Day and tell the Legislature why these classes are important to you.

What's Happening At Other Adult Schools?

2010-05-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

The budget crisis is not just for our school. It is for all schools in California -
elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities, and of course, adult schools.

What is happening at other adult schools?

You can go here: http://adultedbudgetcuts.wikispaces.com/ to find out.

For example, in Newport/Mesa, (2/12/10) Program wiped out for next year except for a few HS diploma classes!, (2/23/10) elimination of adult ed program confirmed and in Oakland, Oaklandadult education will be cut by 40% if preliminary budget is approved .

It is very important that we all work together to help schools at this difficult time.

No Classes on Monday, May 3, 2010

2010-04-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Dear students,

Your teachers are going to dedicate Monday and work together to prepare for your summer classes. There will be NO CLASSES on Monday except for Distance learning. So relax on Monday and get ready for the new semester starting Tuesday, May 4.

Thank You For Summer School!

2010-04-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Summer term for the San Mateo Adult School begins May 3, 2010.
We are very lucky we have school this summer.

The San Mateo Union High School District must make many difficult decisions now. There is not enough money in the budget. They do not want to cut things but they must. They do not have enough money for the Adult School to have a full summer term.

But! We are lucky!

The United States Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. President Obama was very happy. He wanted this program to be approved by Congress and help people. The purpose of the program is to create jobs and make the economy stronger. Some of the money went to education. Some of the money went to us!

The San Mateo Adult School administration decided to use the money to keep the summer term open. The summer term is May 3 through July 30, 2010. The Adult School is closed for four weeks in August.

Note: For ESL students, there are no classes - except Distance Learning - on Monday, May 3. On that Monday, the teachers will meet to improve their teaching. The first day for ESL students for the ESL summer term classes is Tuesday May 4.

Thank you, President Obama and the United State Congress for this help. We are glad we have school this summer.

Now let's use this time to learn English!

Just Like Us

2010-04-14T10:44:00.000-07:00

Just like us, Hayward Adult School is under the gun and fighting hard to survive.

(What does "under the gun" mean? Can you guess?)

Here's what they're doing to save their program:
Adult Education Solutions

Sacramento Protest March 22, 2010

2010-04-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Some of our teachers and students went up to Sacramento in March to speak up about cuts to education. They marched and carried signs to tell the State Legislature that public education is important. Adult Schools are part of California's public education system. All schools are being cut now, especially adult schools. It is important that we tell the State Legislature what we think and feel about this. The State Legislature - the State Assembly People and the State Senators - make the decisions about money and cuts for education.

What do you want for our schools? It is important for you to tell the State Legislature what you want.

You can click on the picture to see more pictures of that event.

From The Heart

2010-03-29T16:45:00.001-07:00

San Mateo Adult School student Li knows it is very important to speak up now. More cuts to education - to our school and all schools - are possible. She has written a letter to Senator Leland Yee about how SMAS has helped her.

Here, with her permission, is her letter:

The Honorable Senator Leland Yee,

My name is Li and I come from China. I write this letter just to let you know how much I deeply appreciate the San Mateo Adult School from my heart. It has changed my life.
A few years ago, when I came to the USA, I couldn’t speak any English. I couldn’t help my kids with their school work or get involved at their school at all. I couldn’t see the doctor by myself. I didn’t have any entertainment. When my children and I needed to see a doctor, my husband had to take the day off to take us to see a doctor. When my husband or someone asked me to go to a movie, I couldn’t go, because I didn’t speak English and didn’t understand English. But the San Mateo Adult School helped me. I learned to talk, read, and write English at the Adult School. Now I can go to movies; I can see my doctor by myself; I can volunteer at my kid’s school; I can help our community; and I can do a better job when I teach Chinese to children in the US.
So, I like the adult school. I think it is very important for us, and very important for our community.

Yours Sincerely,

Li

Adult Schools Help Us In So Many Ways

2010-03-19T10:55:00.000-07:00

Adult Schools - all across California - help us in so many different ways.

Here is a list of ways they help all of us.

If some of the words are hard for you to understand, ask your teacher to help you.

Maybe the teacher can talk about the list with your whole class.

You can also use a dictionary to look up the words.

Click on "read more" to see the list.

2010 Why Adult Education Works Paper

Pictures and Video from the Demonstration on March 4

2010-03-11T14:35:00.001-08:00

A big THANK YOU to everyone who came and supported the demonstration. For those who couldn't make it, thank you for creating posters and getting the words out. One person may not be able to do much, but as a group we sure got our message out!

You can click on the picture to see more photos taken at Civic Center. Many thanks to Mario Ayala for providing them.

Let's take a look at a nice video that our Video Class students put together. You might see many familiar faces in this video!

Our School Census Result

2010-03-09T14:22:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all the students who participated in the San Mateo Adult School Census! Are you curious about how many people speak Spanish? How many students are from China? How many people live in San Mateo? Click on "Read More" to see the results!

Click on the thumbnail to see the full size image. Click "Back" to go back to this page.

Morning Students

The "Other" countries where our students are from:
Albania, Azerbijan, Belarus, Burma, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, Eritea, Honduras, India, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Morroco, Nepal, Niger, Peru, Republic of Dominica, Serbia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, Vietnam.

The "Other" languages our students speak are:
Albania, Arabic, Aziry, Farsi, French, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kurdish, Malaysian, Nepalese, Portugese, Serbian, Thai, Tigre, Turkish, Ukranian, Vietnamese.

The "Other" cities where our students are from:
Millbrae, Belmont, San Carlos, Hillsborough, South San Francisco, San Francisco, Daily City, Moss Beach, Hayward.l

Evening Students

The "Other" countries where our students are from:
Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Colombia, Czech Republic, Honduras, Malaysia, Nepal, Panama, Peru, Poland, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam.

The "Other" languages our students speak are:
Albania, Bulgarian, Cambodian, Czech, Farsi, Nepalese, Polish, Portugese, Tajikea, Thai, Turkish, Ukranian, Vietnamese.

The "Other" cities where our students are from:
Millbrae, Belmont, San Carlos, Hillsborough, South San Francisco, San Francisco, Daily City

Put Your Words On Paper

2010-03-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday, March 4, we stood up for education. We carried signs and shouted, "Education!"

Now we must put our words on paper and send letters to the government to tell them how we feel.

Education is important, right?

Right! We know this. We know it helps people be better workers, get better jobs, help their children in school, stay healthy, become citizens, and help the community.

We must tell the people in the State Legislature because they make the decisions about money for education.

Can you write a letter if you are not a citizen? Yes, you can.

It is important that everyone write a letter.

You can ask your teacher to help you.

You can say, "Teacher, I want to write a letter about education. I want to send it to the State Legislature. Can you help me?"

Here are some things you can talk about in your letter:

1. How the Adult School helped you get a job, keep a job, or do better: Did you get a promotion? Can you help customers better? Did you learn new skills that you use at your job?

2. How the Adult School helped you be a better parent: Can you read to your children in English? Do you take them to the Public Library? Did a teacher at the Adult School help you understand American schools better, and learn how to help your child succeed? Do you volunteer at your child’s school?

3. How classes at the Adult School helped you become active in your community or become a citizen: Have you volunteered with anything? Did you join the Student Council? Did you help at Samaritan House, Coyote Point, or donate coats to the One Warm Coat Drive? Can you understand US culture better now? Can you read the newspaper or read the news on the Internet now? Are you a better neighbor now?

Here is where to send your letters:

Senator Leland Yee
400 South El Camino Real, Suite 630
San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: 650 – 340 – 8840

Assemblymember Jerry Hill
1528 South El Camino Real, Suite 302
San Mateo, CA 94402
Phone: 650 – 341 – 4676

Maybe you have friends or family who study at Adult Schools in others parts of California. It is important for them to write their State Senator and Assembly Member, also.

They can go to http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html and put in their zip code to find out who their senator or assembly member is.

All Adult Schools - and all the other public schools - in the state of California need your help now.

Here are a few more things:

1. Adults Schools have been in California for 150 years.
2. We serve 1.5 million students each year.
3. 15,000 people work for Adult Schools.
4. When the economy is bad, many people go to Adult Schools for more job skills and better English
5. Adult Schools are very cost-effective. That means they don’t cost a lot of money.
We are good schools but we are not fancy. California can help many, many
people in a low-cost way through Adult School programs.
6. We teach ESL, Citizenship, and Job Skills. We help students who are 18 years old or over get their GED, ABE or High School Diploma. We teach Older Adults many, many things to keep them healthy and active. We provide Parent Education to all parents. We teach immigrant parents how to help their children in school. We work very hard to serve our community and to teach our students how to serve their community, also.

Tell your friends and family about our school. Tell them what you know about the power and value of education.

If think think the San Mateo Adult School has helped you... if you think education is important... if you want to have good public schools for children and adults... you must speak up and tell the State Legislature.

Put your words on paper.

Stand for Schools! Thursday 3:30 pm

2010-03-04T09:07:00.000-08:00

Today - Thursday, March 4 - 3:30 pm

Students from across the district will be lining up on El Camino Ave

from Millbrae Ave to San Bruno.

Come and join us!

Stand for education.

Stand for yourself.

Stand for your family.

Stand for your community.

Stand for the future.

Our future.

What Is Happening With Our Schools?

2010-03-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, people all across California will join together to show support for our schools. We do not want more cuts!

But what is the problem? Why are more cuts possible?

Here is some information to help you understand:

1. There are many problems in the economy in the United States and in California.

2. Education in California, one of the wealthiest states in the country, is in extreme danger.

3. Adult education in particular is in real trouble.

4. K-12 and Community colleges and universities are also in trouble. This is hardest for people with less money. (Fee hikes, for example).

5. If we want to keep our right to education, we must speak up.

6. March 4 is a big national mobilization. Thousands of people will join together to speak up for schools.

6. You can be a part of that by going to one of the events on Thursday.

7, You can tell people that you are a student at the Adult School and you care about what happens to the Adult School and other public schools.

Please tell your teacher if youplan to go to one of the events.

Day of Action to Save Our Schools - Thursday, March 4

2010-03-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

Last year, in 2009, there were many cuts for our school and other schools.

Now again, more cuts are possible - for our school and for all public schools in California.

On Thursday, March 4, 2010, many people will join together to ask that schools not be cut.

Here are three ways to join with others on this day:

1. Meet in the Student Lounge Room 32 at 8:00 am. Make signs and then stand together with other students and teachers on Poplar Ave. (There will be other people on Poplar Ave. Parents of children at San Mateo High School will be out, also.)

2. Meet at 5 pm in Room 45. Make signs and then walk with other students and teachers on Poplar Avenue.

3. There will be a very big event in San Francisco.

* Rally at Civic Center @ 1:30 – SF State Students will be marching to meet here

* Rally @ 3 pm 24th and Mission – K-12 march to Civic center with CCSF, SF State

* 5 pm Rally @ San Francisco Civic Center

You can read more about events all across the State of California here:

http://defendcapubliceducation.wordpress.com

No School on Monday February 15, 2010

2010-02-08T19:08:00.001-08:00

The Adult School will be closed on Monday February 15, 2010 because it is President's Day. On President's Day we remember President George Washington and President Abraham Lincoln.

George Washington was the first president of the United States. His birthday was February 22, 1732. He was a general in the Revolutionary War. The U.S. fought the Revolutionary War against the British. The U.S. won the war. This was the beginning of the United States. Sometimes Washington is known as the Father of our Country.

Abraham Lincoln was the president during the Civil War. His birthday was February 12. 1809. He freed the slaves. Some people think he was the greatest president we have ever had. He grew up poor and suffered from depression. He had many hardships in his life. He was assassinated during his second term as president.

What does assassinate mean? It means to kill a leader. Sometimes we say that to assassinate someone is cut the head off the snake. Without the head, the snake cannot live. Without a great leader, sometimes a country does not move forward.

Both these men had great love for their country. February 14 is a day we celebrate love of all kinds, especially romantic love. Do you know the name of this holiday?
Yes, that's right: Valentine's Day!

Who and what do you love?
Who and what inspires you to do great things for others?
And what does "inspire" mean?

Searching for English

2010-02-03T15:59:00.000-08:00

What's a search engine?
A search engine is something on the Internet that helps you find things.
http://www.blogger.com/www.google.com, http://www.blogger.com/www.bing.com, http://www.blogger.com/www.ask.com, and http://www.blogger.com/www.yahoo.comare all search engines.

Do you have questions about English?
Try typing them into a search engine.

For example, I typed "English verb conjugation" into Google and I found
http://conjugator.reverso.net/conjugation-english.html
Wow! What an amazing site! It can help you with English, Spanish, German, and French.

How about something like this: English prepositions.
I typed that into Bing and I got http://www.englishlanguageguide.com/english/grammar/preposition.asp.
More good information!

The next time you have a question about English, try typing it into a search engine and see what you find.

Distance Learning

2010-01-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

Are you too busy to come to class?
Or maybe you come to class but you need extra help with your English?

Distance Learning might be the answer for you.

You can borrow a DVD to learn English at home. Watch the DVD at home and do the homework the teacher gives you. Come back for corrections and practice with the teacher.

Call 558 - 2128 or stop by Room 28 to make an appointment to get started.

Check out the Distance Learning blog for more information.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2010-01-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 18, 2010 is Martin Luther King Day. It is a Federal holiday. The Adult School will be closed.

Click on the picture to the left to learn about this great man and what he did for the United States.

Do you have a dream? What would you like to see happen in this world? Share your dream with us by writing it in the comment section. Simply click on "Comment" below and click on "Publish Comment" when you are done.

For Intermediate and Advanced ESL students, you can test and practice your English reading skills by completing the following webQuest on Dr. King.

webQuest

Also, practice your listening skill while listening to his speech. Click here

Watch the original video of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's speech.

You can also watch the music video of Elvis Presley's "If I Can Dream" with direct quotations from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Over the Rainbow

2010-01-12T13:53:00.000-08:00

There is a very famous American song -

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Today it looks like the San Mateo Adult School is somewhere dreams really do come true!

Thanks to ESL student Misuzu Hayama for this photo.

You can listen to the song on youtube.

Welcome Back!

2010-01-06T08:36:00.001-08:00

It's the start of the Spring Semester and the Adult School is ready and waiting to help you improve your English, job skills, resume, computer skills and parenting skills. Want to become an American citizen? We can help you with that, too.

This semester, students need to pay a $30 registration fee.
You must pay thirty dollars for classes from January to May in

- ESL and Distance Learning

and another thirty for classes from January to May in

- GED, ABE, and High School Diploma

and another thirty dollars for classes from January to May in

- Parent Education

Your thirty dollars will help keep the school going during this difficult economic period.If you cannot pay, tell the school. Financial aid is available.

Registration is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings from 8:30 to 12:30 pm.and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6:15 to 8:15 pm.

We look forward to helping you get started here at the Adult School and get the skills you need to succeed in life, on the job, and in the U.S.

Learn by Listening

2009-12-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Adult School will be closed for our Winter Break from Friday December 11 to Sunday January 3, 2010. The first day of the new term will be Monday January 4. What can you do to keep learning during the break?
You can learn by listening!

Both the Peninsula Library System http://peninsulals.myilibraryaudio.com/ and the San Francisco Library System http://www.sfpl.org/news/overdrive.htm have audio material available online.

What does audio mean? It means listening!

You can download books onto your computer or MP3 player and listen to them. If you have a library card, it is free. You can also download eBooks, music, and videos.

You can also visit http://www.eslpod.com/ for free audio ESL lessons. You can listen to them on your computer or download onto your MP3 player.

Keep your ears open and keep learning during the break!

One Warm Coat Project

2009-11-23T17:55:00.000-08:00

The "One Warm Coat Project" collects gently used coats for people who don't have enough money to buy one.

If you have a coat or jacket you don't need, and it's clean and in good condition, you can donate it to the project. They will give it to someone who really needs this coat to stay warm this winter. Coats for children are especially needed.

Where can you bring these clean, gently used coats? You can bring them to the Adult School. We have two boxes: one in the SMART Center (the big red building) and one in Room 32 - the Student Lounge. Teacher Cynthia will bring the boxes Monday November 30.

Teacher Cynthia and Teacher Toshio and other teachers will drive the coats to the pick up points.

If you want to read more about the project, you can go to http://www.onewarmcoat.org/.

Learn more about Thanksgiving online!

2009-11-22T14:21:00.000-08:00

New Registration Fee at the Adult School

2009-11-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

As we all know, there has been an economic crisis in California , the US , and the world.

The Adult School , like many schools and social programs, was hit by this. Funding was cut by 20% and the way the Adult School is funded was changed as well.

What is San Mateo Adult School doing about that?

Some classes were cut and we had a longer break this summer.

Now the Adult School has a new plan:

Charging a small registration fee to take classes will help keep the doors open to many classes.

What is a fee? A fee is small amount of money that you pay for a service.

How will that work? Click on "Read More" to find out.

Each program - ESL, Parent Ed, and the GED/ABE - will charge 30 dollars per semester.

If you pay 30 dollars for the ESL program, then you can take any class in the ESL program, including Distance Learning, for the whole semester. You can take as many classes as you want in the semester for the 30 dollar fee.

The only program that will be different is the Fifty Plus program. (For more information about the Fifty Plus program, visit the Fifty Plus section of the school website.)

How will paying the fee work?

If you are a new student on-site at the Adult School (789 E. Poplar), you can pay in the SMART Center (the big red building) when you register.

If you are a continuing student at the Adult School (789 E. Poplar), someone will come to your class and you can pay them.

If you take a class off-site (for example, in Foster City or San Bruno), someone from the Adult School will come at the beginning of the semester and collect the money from you. If you join the class later in the semester, you will pay the money directly to the teacher.

When will this start?

In January, at the start of the semester. The first day of classes is January 4, 2010.

Is there anything else I should know?

Yes! Keep your receipt! Your receipt shows that you paid. This is important.

You can read more about the new policy in this article from the San Francisco Examiner.

Friends of the Library Fall Harvest Book Sale

2009-11-05T17:53:00.000-08:00

Do you like reading? Need a new book to read? Come to the San Mateo Public Library this weekend for the Fall Book Sale!!

Fri, Nov 6, 11:00am-4:30pm
Sat, Nov 7, 11:00am-4:30pm
Sun, Nov 8, 1:00pm-4:30pm

Thousands of books are looking for new readers. Pick from a great selection of books at bargain prices!

* Click on the picture for a map to the library.

October Student Council Meeting Minutes

2009-10-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

PM Meeting -- October 12, 2009 • AM Meeting -- October 20, 2009

Welcome to Our New Officers!

Financial Report

Account Update - $10,000 in the bank

Business

1. Student D Card Photo Session on November 3

2. Student ID Card Expenses -- APPROVED “No more than $750” approved for Student ID Card expenses

3. Halloween Festivities

• Classes will celebrate Halloween with a jack-o-lantern contest and a costume contest.

• Celebrations will be:

Evening -- Thursday, October 29

Morning -- Friday, October 30

• APPROVED “No more than $400” approved for pumpkins, prizes and other Halloween expenses.

4. Classroom Computers

We are having many problems with computers crashing because of a virus.

Representatives are asked to report back on the following:

Does your class use the student computers?

Do you use them to access the internet?

Are the computers working okay?

Please check: keyboard mouse

Next Meetings:

PM -- November 2, 2009 • AM -- November 3, 2009

2009-2010 Student Council Officers

2009-10-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our new Student Council Officers!
A big THANK YOU to all the students who came on Thursday, October 1 to vote!!
We look forward to seeing your excellent services to the students in the next school year.

Morning Student Council Officers:

Evening Student Council Officers:

Free Museums - Saturday September 26, 2009

2009-09-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Smithsonian, many museums across the whole United States will be free this Saturday, September 26th.

Locally, Coyote Point Museum, Zeum, The Train Museum in Sacramento, the Jewish Contemporary Museum (which has a special show about Maurice Sendak), the Exploratorium, the Sacramento Zoo, and many more, will all be free.

But! To get in free, you must go to this website:

http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/admission.html
and fill out the short form.
Then you can print out your pass to get into the museums FREE!

Enjoy!

Student Council Officers (New Term)

2009-09-11T10:26:00.001-07:00

Are you ready to be PRESIDENT?

Nominations are now open for President, Vice President, and Secretary!!
(Morning and Evening Student Councils)

Interested candidates must...

Be available for monthly meetings
Commit to be in office until June, 2010
Be interested in practicing English -- reading, writing, and speaking in front of groups
Be prepared to learn new skills
Have an interest in making our school better!

Click here to see what some of the fun events that previous officers have done in the past!

*If you are interested, see your teacher for a nomination form (By Sept.23)

Upcoming Community Events (September 2009)

2009-09-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

The 5th Annual San Mateo County Disaster Preparedness Day

September 12, 2009
10:00am - 2:00pm

South San Francisco High School
400 B Street
South San Francisco, CA 94080

Free Admission, Free Hot Dogs & Soda, Free Gift for First 500 Families!
Emergency Kit and Disaster Plan Instructions
First-Aid, Police, Fire & Emergency Equipment Demonstrations
H1N1 Flu Virus Update

MEN'S HEALTH SYMPOSIUM
BROTHERS REACHING BROTHERS

SATURDAY
September 12, 2009
8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
(Screenings from 8:00 - 9:45 a.m.)

FREE and open to everyone

Mills Health Center
100 S. San Mateo Drive San Mateo CA
Hendrickson Auditorium

FREE prostate cancer screening
FREE Lab Screenings -First come, first served
FREE Workshops for men of all ages
Cooking Demonstration
Gifts and Raffle Prizes
Continental Breakfast and Lunch provided
Information available about other health issues

To register call
650.696.4378

Information on Swine Flu (H1N1)

2009-08-10T12:57:00.000-07:00

Flu Season Health Tips

Please ask your teacher for more information or if you need help. If you have a fever, please DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL!! (A fever is when your head feels very hot)

• Avoid close contact:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

• Stay home when you are sick:
Stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness. Stay home until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.

• Cover your mouth and nose: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

• Clean your hands:
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth:
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Click on the picture to make it bigger.

Click to see picture in Spanish or Chinese.

Friday Conversation Class

2009-07-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

Last week we recorded some great videos for the Conversation Class.

Let's give the best students who stayed after class to finish the videos some comments and feedback! Please click on the special words and follow the instructions on how to make your own comments!!!

If you do not have an e-mail account and do not wish to create one, please give the alternative activity a try! Randall's got many listening activities with comprehension check questions to help you practice your listening skills. Simply click HERE and select a topic that interests you.

Survey on Listening Programs for Distance Learning

2009-07-29T09:31:00.000-07:00

Distance Learning has many programs on DVD, video, and CD-rom which students can borrow.

Would you be interested in listening programs from Distance Learning?

Please take the survey here:

Click Here to take survey

NPR Radio Station Interviewed us!!

2009-07-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Lisa Morehouse of the KQED radion station came and interviewed some of our teachers and students last week. You can listen to the report by clicking here.

National Public Report regarding Adult School cuts featuring San Mateo Adult School.

Conversation Class Interview Videos

2009-07-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Good Job everyone for recording the videos! It was the best!! I hope that you'll have a great weekend. Remember that your homework is to listen to yourself and write down a transcript of what you said!! Please include the mistakes too. This will help you fix your mistakes.

To see the videos, you must click on our password. I hope you remember what it was!

International Day

2009-07-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

It's the time of the year for us to celebrate who we are! Mark the dates down on your calendar so you will not miss out all the great fun.

International Day - July 17, 2009
International Night - July 16, 2009

There will be singing, there will be dancing, and there will be food for eating! Watch this video to learn more about this exciting event.

Please use the school calendar on the top left of this page to find out when the preparation meeting dates are.

The event can't happen without YOU!!! Join students from your country and take part in this great event.

Use this chart to find out which room your country is meeting and who the teachers are helping your group.

Don't forget to bring your family to join the fun too! More questions? Just ask any teacher you see at school.

Happy Birthday America!

2009-07-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

First of all, the school will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2009. Please take that day to prepare for the celebration on the following day.

On Thursday, July 2, 2009, there will be a sing-along event in the evening. If you are in a class at night, ask your teacher to take your class to the singing event. If you are a day time student, feel free to join us at the Venus/Mercury room. There will be 2 sessions: 7-8pm and 8:30-9:30pm. You can listen to samples of the songs online, but more importantly read the lyrics to the songs. We will also give you time to sing your national anthem on Thursday.

Here is a karaoke video of the Star Spangled Banner (America's National Anthem) for you to practice both in the class and at home!

Now, let us study a little about the history to this special day. How old is America this year? What do you know about Fourth of July? Take a few minutes and read about its history.

For Intermediate and Advanced students, you may want to challenge yourself to this Webquest with your classmates in groups.

For teachers: you may want to use some ideas from this webpage for class / group projects to do with your students to help them learn more about the Fourth of July.

Once again, Happy Birthday America! Until next year, stay happy and healthy.

June Student Council Meeting Minutes

2009-06-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

Evening – Monday, June 15, 2009
Morning – Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Account Update -- Balance more than $10,000 in our account.

New and Continuing Business:

1. Get ready for International Day:
The annual International Day parties are coming soon --

Thursday night, July 16th, for the evening classes
Friday, July 17th, for the morning classes.

2. Viva la soccer – in San Mateo!
The annual soccer tournament for the evening classes (morning students are invited to play, too!) will be the last two weeks in July – July 20th-30th -- with games at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Cost is $40 per team (16 registered players each). All players must have SM Adult School ID cards.
Information/registration: Contact Guy Oling, who is here during evening classes; morning students contact Luis Santiago.

3. ID card sales and photos: Sales of ID cards and photos are planned for Tuesday, June 30 – 10:30 a.m. for morning classes, 8 p.m. for evening.

4. Vote on EL Civics study topics for next school year: Among the topics: Being a great student, helping our children, eating healthy, safety, helping the environment, assisting others.

5. The new outdoor tables and benches are here! They look great and are a nice addition to our school. Thanks to our student government for initiating the project.

Next Meetings: This fall -- after our summer break from Aug. 8 to Sept. 8.

Thanks again !!! -- To all our Student Government officers and all our Classroom Representatives for helping make our school great. Your time and your work have been very much appreciated !!!

The Budget Crisis - Bigger Than Ever

2009-06-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

Many of you probably know: The state of California does not have enough money to pay for everything right now. The State Legislature must decide what to do.

We - the people of the state of California - are at a real crossroads.

What is a crossroads? A crossroads is the place where two roads come together and you must decide: Where do I go? What do I do?

The State of California must decide: Should we cut programs? Should we raise taxes? If we cut programs, what programs do we cut? Governor Schwartzennger is talking about cuts for education, health care, state parks, and other programs.
If we raise taxes, what kind? Taxes for people for lots of money? Or taxes for everyone - like a sales tax?

At San Mateo Adult School, we have already made some cuts. The Adult School has closed some classes. Distance Learning is now much smaller. Seniors must pay for classes now.

Other Adult Schools have made cuts also, some of them very big. Many schools, all across California, are making cuts.

We have already raised the state sales tax.

But we must do more. California does not have money to pay its bills right now. What are the bills the state must pay? The state pays for schools and teachers. The state pays for courts and law enforcement. The state pays for roads and hospitals, job safety and unemployment, environmental protection and emergency response systems. The state pays for many, many things so we can live safely and prepare for the future.

Now Caliornia does not have enough money to pay for these things.

You can help decide what we do. You can tell the State Legislature your opinion about cuts and taxes. You can tell them what is important to you. How do you think this problem can be solved?

This is a serious time. Think about what is important to you. Think about how we can solve this serious problem. And then tell your represenstatives your experiences and ideas.

You can find out your local representatives here:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
Enter your zip code, click on your legislator and it will link to the members home page with email contact information.

Video Orientation - CASAS TEST

2009-05-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to the Video Class for making this excellent video to help the school promote the importance of the CASAS test. It is only in Spanish now but they are working on the English subtitle and will release that very soon.

Adult School Idol

2009-05-19T18:03:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the TV show "American Idol"? Let's take a quick look at a short video clip. (Thanks to Bruce Neuburger for creating this video)

So what do you think? Do you want to be our next "Adult School Idol"? Please see Mary Peros and Mark Tharp for more details for the audition. Application deadline is Friday, May 22.

* Mark is sick in the hospital now. The contest will be postponed until he returns to the school. Please let Mark know how much the school appreciates his works.

Each class will vote for the winner after the performances.

Good luck future idols!

Student Council Meeting Minutes - May 2009

2009-05-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

Account Update -- Balance more than $10,000 in our account.

New and Continuing Business:

1. “American Idol” is coming to San Mateo Adult School !

This Friday (May 22nd) is the final day for students to sign up in their classrooms for “Adult School Idol.” Auditions will be June 3rd and the final performances on Friday, June 5th.

2. Earth Day follow-up:

Trees were planted, trash was collected and great barbecues were enjoyed by students in both the morning and evening.

Thank you to everyone who participated!

3. The long-awaited tables and benches:

They have been ordered and are scheduled to be shipped next week, and we hope to begin using them by early next month.

4. Friends of San Mateo Adult School :

Teacher Cynthia Eagleton is continuing to explore options for creating a non-profit organization to help support our school. This project will be continued after the summer break.

5. Get ready for International Day:

The annual International Day parties are coming soon -- Friday, July 17th, for the morning classes and sometime in late June or early/mid-July for the evening classes.

6. Annual soccer tournament:

The annual soccer tournament for the evening classes (morning students are invited to play, too) will be the final two weeks in July – July 20th-30th. Good luck to all!

Next Meetings:

Evening – Monday, June 15, 2009; 8 p.m. in Room 22.
Morning – Tuesday, June 16, 2009; 11:15 a.m. in Room 27.

Soul-Stroll for Health 2009

2009-05-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday, May 16, 2009
Coyote Point Park in San Mateo, CA (map)
9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

One-, three- and five-mile courses will be marked along the beautiful bayfront path in San Mateo’s Coyote Point Park. Walk as little or as far as you like, at your own pace.

Join us and make Soul Stroll for Health 2009 another big success!

Free health screenings & information
Children's activities
Continental breakfast & lunch provided
Free Parking! (Carpooling is encouraged)

Registration is $15 Per Person ($20 ON-SITE PER PERSON) which helps fund the African American Community Health Advisory Committee’s work including free screenings and education. Registered participants age five and older receive a free commemorative T-shirt, refreshments, gifts and other great prizes. Free admission for children under 5.

San Mateo Adult School Students and Teachers and Staffs, please register with Connie Zakos at the SMART center by Friday, May 08 to be entered in an early-bird drawing!

For additional registration forms or for more information, call (650) 696 4378 or visit www.aachac.org