Milpitas Senior Center Ground Breaking Ceremony!

Milpitas public officials and senior citizens gathered together on Monday, March 30, 2009, 9am for the Ground Breaking Ceremony of the new Milpitas Senior Center. The old Milpitas Library will become the new Milpitas Senior Center.

The MAE Seniors celebrate the Citizenship of a fellow student, Lily Lee,

at the Ground Breaking Ceremony for the new Milpitas Senior Center.

After the Ground Breaking ceremony, Senior ESL students from Milpitas Adult Education, Barbara Lee Senior Center, and the DeVries Senior Housing Project toured the the new Milpitas Library and DeVries Senior Housing.

You can see the photo set and read more details about each photo here.

You can see the slide show here.

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: More lessons about Women from Breaking News English

Work of National Importance: Red River Flood 2009

The Minn-Kota chapter is preparing for the floods by stockpiling supplies

Photo by Claire Sale / American Red Cross.

For more photos, see Red Cross: 2009 Red River Flooding.

If the law requires it,

are you willing to perform work

of national importance

under civilian direction?

(N-400 Part 10:H:29).

Red River Flood Forces Tough Decisions, NYTimes
Volunteers were racing to raise dikes protecting Fargo, N.D., still higher, hoping to hold back the Red River, which is expected to reach record levels by Saturday. Video. Slide Show 1. Slide Show 2.

Fargo/Moorhead a destination point for new immigrants by Bob Reha, Minnesota Public Radio, July 2, 2006
Fargo, North Dakota has a long history of accepting people driven out of their homeland by war. Twenty years ago, the city saw an influx of refugees from Vietnam. In the years since the nationalities have changed but the influx of new Americans and the communities acceptance of them, has not. Listen in RealPlayer: fargoimmigrants

Immigrant Development Center (serving the Fargo/Moorhead area)
Our Mission: to build the capacity of immigrants to develop economic and business skills.

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: VOANews: 5 Women in the Arts

VOANews: Alaska and Hawaii Mark 50 Years as States

Alaska and Hawaii Mark 50 Years as States
The two most recent additions to the Union could not be more different, but both are feeling the effects of the recession. Transcript of radio broadcast: 02 March 2009

• MP3Download (MP3)
• MP3Listen to (MP3)
• Print Version

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: Five Women Writers!

Passport Day in the USA: March 28, 2009

Regional Passport Agencies and local Passport Acceptance Facilities will open their doors to the public on March 28, 2009.

This is your chance to apply for a U.S. Passport Book or U.S. Passport Card during special weekend hours!

The Department of State is sponsoring Passport Day in the USA in locations all over the country.Find one near you!

• State.gov US Passport Home


• State.gov New 2009 Travel Requirements


• State. gov Passport Card


• USCitizenpod: New Citizen and New Passport

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: Ten Women Activists!

The 100 Questions Remixed: USCIS 100-10s

Mr. and Mrs. Hoai and Minh Thi Nguyen

USCIS 100_10s

Today we will listen to the USCIS 100 remixed plus two dictation sentences.

USCIS 100-10s "Tens": 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 plus two dictation sentences.

Direct download: q100_10s.mp3

Saturday, March 28: Passport Day in the USA!

Regional Passport Agencies and local Passport Acceptance Facilities will open their doors to the public on March 28, 2009.

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: Eleanor Roosevelt. Also check out: Women's Stamp on History, a special online exhibit from Arago, the Smithsonian Postal Museum--AMAZING!

The 100 Questions Remixed: USCIS 100-9s

Wearing green to her Citizenship Interview on St. Patrick's Day

brought Tuyen good luck!

USCIS 100_9s

Today we will listen to the USCIS 100 remixed plus two dictation sentences.

USCIS 100-9s "Nines": 09, 19, 29, 39, 49, 59, 69, 79, 89, 99 plus two dictation sentences.

Direct download: q100_9s.mp3

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: OPRAH!

The 100 Questions Remixed: USCIS 100-8s

Tran Thi Cuc (standing) became a citizen in January;

Ly Nu (sitting) will send in her N-400 this week.

USCIS 100_8s

Today we will listen to the USCIS 100 remixed plus two dictation sentences.

USCIS 100-8s "Eights": 08.18, 28, 38, 48, 58, 68, 78, 88, 98 plus two dictation sentences.

Direct download: q100_8s.mp3

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: Christiane Amanpour.

The 100 Questions Remixed: USCIS 100-7s

We love our new citizen: Mao Thi Nguyen!

USCIS 100_7s

Today we will listen to the USCIS 100 remixed plus two dictation sentences.

USCIS 100-7s "Sevens": 07, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57, 67, 77, 87, 97 plus two dictation sentences.

Direct download: q100_7s.mp3

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: Five Stories about Women from Simple English News.

The 100 Questions Remixed: USCIS 100-6s

The Morning Citizenship Class

USCIS 100_6s

Today we will listen to the USCIS 100 remixed plus two dictation sentences.

USCIS 100-6s "Sixes": 06, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 66, 76, 86, 96 plus two dictation sentences.

Direct download: q100_6s.mp3

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: Mother Teresa.

Broward Kids Become Citizens

Broward Kids Become Citizens

OAKLAND PARK, FL - Declan Lemieux, 4, clasped an American flag in his small hands Thursday as he swore his allegiance to this country...

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

The 100 Questions Remixed: USCIS 100-5s

Happy SJ Citizenship & Immigrant Pride Day!

Check out the new NYTimes series: REMADE IN AMERICA--A series about the newest immigrants and their impact on American institutions. Today's Topic: Workplaces.

USCIS 100_5s

Today we will listen to the USCIS 100 remixed plus two dictation sentences.

USCIS 100-5s "Fives": 05, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, 75, 85, 95 plus 2 dictation sentences. Direct download: q100_5s.mp3

Ellen Yu Costa (100:58-70) teaches CBET & Citizenship in Morgan Hill.

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hero and Heras: Teacher Ibrahim Ahmed Sane and the Kenyan Pro-Choice/Pro-Life leaders.

The DeVries Seniors: VTA Bus Service Part 3

Click here to see a slide show of the DeVries Seniors at the VTA Meeting.
Click here to download photos from Flickr

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: Rosa Parks.

The DeVries Seniors: VTA Bus Service Part 2

More VTA Ideas from the DeVries Seniors

During the past week, US Citizen Podcast has featured posts that respond to the question:

USCIS 100:55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

Beginning last week, we talked about students exressing their opinions during a school board meeting. Another local example of democratic participation is the DeVries Senior ESL class attendence at a Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Community meeting about the bus service in Milpitas.

Before attending the meeting, the Seniors completed transportation surveys, studied transportation vocabulary and supporting grammar, made two videos, and attend a VTA community meeting.

In the second of two videos, the DeVries Seniors offer three suggestions for the improvement of the VTA bus service in Milpitas:

1) Increase bus frequency.

2) Lower the Senior Citizen fare.

3) Add later buses (8am, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm) buses to #104

The DeVries ESL is sponsored by Milpitas Adult Education, and hosted at DeVries Senior Housing.

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: Alexandra Avakian.

San Jose's Citizenship & Immigrant Pride Day, March 21, 2009

Immigrant groups, Santa Clara County to hold Citizenship Day on Saturday By Ken McLaughlin, SJMercury-News
Over the past 13 years, the Santa Clara County Citizenship Collaborative has helped more than 120000 people through the lengthy and often ...

CITIZENSHIP ORIENTATIONS

Saturday's Citizenship & Immigrant Pride Day (March 21, 2009) events will run from 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Language-specific orientation sessions are as follows:

SAN JOSE:
CET, 701 Vine St., San Jose, CA 95110. Contact: Herminia Arroyo at (408) 534-5471, harroyo@cet2000.org.

English: 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 1:15 p.m.
Amharic: 10:30 a.m.
Cambodian: 9 a.m.
Cantonese: 9 a.m.
Mandarin: 1:15 p.m.
Farsi: 10:15 a.m.
Hindi: 1:15 p.m.
Punjabi: 9 a.m.
Korean: 10:30 a.m.
Lao: 10:30 a.m.
Russian: 1:15 p.m.
Tagalog: 1:15 p.m.
Spanish: 9 a.m., 10:45
a.m., 1:30 p.m.
Vietnamese: 8:45 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m.

GILROY
Rebekah Children"s Services, 290 I.O.O.F. Ave., Gilroy.
English: Noon
Spanish: 10 a.m., 11 a.m.

The DeVries Seniors: VTA Bus Service Part 1

During the past week, US Citizen Podcast has featured posts that respond to the question:

USCIS 100:55. What are two ways that Americans can participate in their democracy?

The Citizenship Students, together with their fellow schoolmates at Milpitas Adult School, attended a school district board meeting. In honor of Adult Education Week and impending budget cuts, the students gave their elected officials their opinion on the issue of the importance of Milpitas Adult School.

Another local example of publicly supporting or opposing an issue or policy is the DeVries Senior ESL class attending a Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Community meeting about the bus service in Milpitas.

First, the Seniors completed transportation surveys. Second, they made two 5-minute videos in which they made further suggestions for improved service. And third, they attended the VTA Community as a group, presented the surveys and their DVD to the VTA Sommunity Relations Offficer, and talked one-on-one with the VTA staff.

In the first of two videos, the DeVries Seniors offer two suggestions for the improvement of the VTA bus service in Milpitas:

1) Add a public restroom to the Great Mall Transit Center.

2) Improve connections between 66, 70, and AC 217.

The DeVries ESL is sponsored by Milpitas Adult Education, and hosted at DeVries Senior Housing.

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: The National Women's Hall of Fame.

School Board Meeting #5: Adult School is a Window of a Country

An Adult School is a Window of a Country

Three years ago, Cathy Liu began to study at Milpitas Adult School. She quickly progressed through the ESL courses and obtained her GED. She returned to teach a fee-based Tai-Chi class at Milpitas Adult School.

At the March 10, 2009 MUSD school Board Meeting, Cathy Liu spok not only about important role of Milpitas Adult School in her life, but the importance of all Adult Schools as windows for immigrants to their new homeland, America.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Cathy!

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: Máiread Corrigan and Betty Williams.

School Board Meeting: Part 4

If a peson wants to speak at a School Board meeting (or any public meeting), he or she must fill out a simple form with his or her name, address, phone number, and the reason why her or she wants to speak to the School Board.

Representatives from each of the Adult School programs filled out these forms and gave the forms to the School Board. Several students had written that they did not want their program to be cut or the school to be closed. The Superintendent and the School Board President quietly reviewed these comments during the meeting.

Before the Adult School students spoke, the Superintendent and the School Board President said: "There are budget cuts, but no, the Adult School will not close."

The students were relieved. The representatives said that Milpitas Adult Education taught them academic, career, and life skills needed to achieve important life goals. The Board and MAE students thanked each other, and the students returned to class.

Congratulations MAE students on expressing your opinions to elected officials and participating in the democratic process!

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: US First Ladies.

Pink Friday Report Back: NewHaven WalknTalk

Find more videos like this on Pink Friday

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: Angela Merkel.

School Board Meeting: Part 3

MAE Citizenship Students attended the MUSD School Board meeting

with their schoolmates from the GED, ESL, VESL, and Medical Assistants programs.

On Tuesday 7pm, students and teachers from the Milpitas Adult School programs (ESL, Citizenship, GED, VESL, Medical Assistants) filled the Board Room. We had expected public commentary (a person can talk to the Board members for 2 minutes) followed by School Board business, with a proclamation about Adult Education Week towards the top of the agenda.

Agendas change. First item: a presentation of a donation by a local church group to the high school special education program. For the next hour, the Adult School listened to reports from individual Board Members followed by financial summaries.

It is difficult for a native speaker of English, "Finance-ish", and/or "Education-ese" to listen attentively to School Board-talk. It is easy to get bored and it is important to stay awake. I quietly circulated a folder with a US History Word Search & USCIS 100 Questions Quiz among my thirty-five students (next year--School Board Meeting Word Search & Listening Activity!).

The Adult School Week was read and passed by the School Board, and the Board members moved on to more budget items. Around 8:15, the Adult Students were invited to address their concerns to the School Board.

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Heras: reformist Iranian women.

School Board Meeting: Part 2

Agenda posted on the whiteboard 03/10/09; teacher leads a choral reading & discussion of the agenda @ the beginning of class.

Materials: "Rights & Responsibilities"

• Text Book: Civics & Literacy pg 114-117.
• Handout: USCIS 100:55. focus on #6: give an elected official your opinion on an issue

The following was posted on from white board next to the agenda

What is a School Board?

• School directors and other elected officials vote on laws and money for their schools.

What happens during a School Board meeting?

• People talk for two minutes about good things/problems in their schools.
• People give petitions (to the School Board).
• The Board Members discuss school laws and money-->and VOTE!

What will happen tonight?

• Our school director will talk about why Adult Education is important.

What are we going to do?

• We are going to write letters.
• We will go to the School Board meeting @ 6:50.
• We will listen to the speakers. (about 1 hour)
• Jiayan will speak for us and give out letters to the School Board.

After the meeting:

• Come back to class.
• Talk about the meeting.
• Eat a snack.
• Take a 100 question quiz & dictation.
• Go home.

MilpitasChat.blogspot.com is hosting a new series: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month. Today's Hera: Marian Anderson.