Newsletter Spring 2018

Editorial - Welcome Spring By Michelle Buell, Academic director

Welcome, all new and returning students to Language Systems, Spring Term 2018! We have just finished an action-packed Winter Term that started out with New Year’s resolutions, American Football parties, Valentine’s Day Celebrations, and Chinese New Year food and fun! We finished our Winter Term with a four-school basketball tournament, where LSI - Downtown LA took home the trophy after three exciting games.

We hope you are ready for another term full of celebrations and activities. In April, we will welcome the Spring season with Easter fun! Each school puts out yummy Easter treats for the students to enjoy during break time, so be sure to stop by the front desk for a treat and to practice your English! Springtime means that baseball season is in full swing. There are two professional baseball teams in Southern California, the LA Dodgers and the Anaheim Angels. LSI often organizes trips to see the games at both stadiums, so keep an eye out for announcements and join us for one of the baseball games!  During session B, the schools will be gearing up for LSI’s annual Soccer Tournament on May 18th in Glendale. This tournament is always a favorite with our students, and the competitive matches usually have exciting endings!

At the end of May, LSI students will experience the long Memorial Day weekend, a time in which Americans welcome the Summer season with outdoor parties and fun activities.  Throughout the Spring season, each school organizes trips like barbecues in the park or sightseeing at local attractions. Be sure to join us for Fun Fridays, where LSI offers free classes such as American Slang, Spanish, Healthy Living, and much more! We hope you join us for the activities and events we have planned for all our LSI students in the Spring term!

Free in LA By Ligia Andersen, Program Coordinator at DTLA

Los Angeles has so many free or very cheap events coming up! Did you know you can see a rehearsal at the Hollywood Bowl for free? Have you ever heard about the Kite Festival at the Redondo Beach pier? Check out this link from NBC Los Angeles for more fun activities: https://www.nbclosangeles.com/multimedia/Free-and-Cheap-in-LA--430773433.html

Free in OC By Ty Mussack, Program Coordinator at OC

April is the beginning of Spring, and it is when people begin to see green leaves re-appear on trees and the blossoming of all sorts of flowers.  It is also the month that is home to International Earth Day.  Every April the Surfrider Foundation organizes a free volunteer opportunity called “Beach Cleanup.”   The local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is in Huntington Beach, and they have beach cleanups two or three times a month, every month!   It’s easy.  You just show up at the appointed location and begin picking up trash that you find on the beach.  It is a great way to meet other American volunteers and work together to do something positive for California’s environment.  You would be amazed to see just how much trash is collected at the end of these Beach Cleanups.  This volunteer opportunity is free and very rewarding.  You should try it! 

Discover LA By Sylvia Sunada, Program Coordinator at SBLA

Kite Festival in Santa Monica Sat, April 14, 2018 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT Santa Monica Pier (just North on the Beach) 200 Santa Monica Pier A Santa Monica, CA 90401

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/otis-7th-annual-kite-festival-tickets-43219846725?aff=es2 Discover Marina Del Rey Sun, May 20, 2018 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM PDT Burton Chace Park 13650 Mindanao Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/discover-marina-del-rey-tickets-44001625045?aff=es2

By Ty Mussack, Program Coordinator at OC
Anaheim Ducks

 Which sport in America has the toughest and roughest players?  Which sport has the most exciting and intense playoff format?  If you ask these questions to Americans who are really into sports and who really know what they are talking about, the answer is ice hockey.  Most of our students come from Asia and South America, where hockey does not even exist.  So naturally, when students come to study at LSI, it really is a special opportunity to experience a brand new sport and a brand new atmosphere.  Luckily, Orange County is home to the Anaheim Ducks hockey team, who were the champions of hockey in 2007.  They play at the Honda Center, which is just 5 minutes from our Orange County campus.   April is the beginning of the hockey playoffs, and it truly is the most exciting event in sports.  This year the Anaheim Ducks are in a position to make the playoffs once again.  If you’re anywhere near Orange County in April, you really should try to attend a hockey game to see the action live.  You won’t forget it!

Language Systems Faces (SBLA) 

Level 1

Miho and Keita are both from Japan. Miho has made a lot of improvements since she started! Keita was unanimously chosen as Level 1's Super Student! Keep up the good work and best of luck in Level 2!

Level 2

 Koichi from Japan was recognized for his improvement. He has been working hard since Level 1! He's making great progress! Adriana was given the Best Effort award. She's here every day and works hard to learn English. Level 2's Super Student was unanimously chosen by the teachers as Viviane from Brazil!

 Level 3

 This is Yumi from Level 3. She's a little camera shy here, but in class, she is a Super Star!

 Level 4

Marie is Level 4's Super Student. She is finishing up her first term at LSI and is she's off to a great start! Augusto was recognized for his great improvement! He started in Level 1 and will be starting Level 5 in April! His goal is to start college in the fall. Great job, Level 4!

Level 5

Our Level 5 Super Student is Caio from Brazil. He is finishing up his very first term at LSI. Next to him is Zhanna from Russia. She started in Level 3 at LSI and is on her way to finishing Level 5. All her teachers agree that Zhanna puts in the most effort in Level 5.

 Student Article Whale Watching By Jingtao, Level 5 at SBLA

 We went whale watching last Friday morning. It was about a 3-hour trip. We took a small ship and the weather was good. It was not windy but the ship was still shaking. When we were on the ship, many people began to feel uncomfortable. Some people began to vomit. At the beginning, I was fine, but after the ship continued shaking, I felt sick, too. We were very lucky to see the dolphins and whales. All in all, it was worth going.

Student Essay Rona and her students at Santa Anita Race Track!

By Christine, at NELA

 The horse racing bet yesterday was fun. It was my first-time experience seeing a live horse race and betting on it. Usually, I come to the Santa Anita race track only for special events such as 626-night markets, and most of the time, this place is very crowded, and it’s hard to find a parking. But yesterday was an exception.  There were lots of parking spots, and they were all free.  On the way to the race track, everyone in the car was so excited and couldn’t wait to try the famous turkey sandwich. For me, I’m not really into any gambling games, but I felt like this would be a special experience. After we got there, Rona kindly gave us a tour around the whole area and shared her past experience there with us. The basic rules of this game are something like this: There are about 7-9 horses for each race and these horses will be shown around to the public before people bet on them. After making the decision, people can bet on their ideal horses to win, place, and show, and whoever makes the closes prediction and puts the most money on it will get the highest reward. My first bet was not very lucky. I picked one that has a healthy and strong look. It wasn’t very tall but had smooth skin and bright eyes.  Lots of people had a positive prediction on it, but unfortunately it only got the 5th place. To change my depressing mood, I decided to buy the turkey sandwich. The size of it was about 7 inches and looked just like a normal sandwich.  I thought this might be another thing that would not match its reputation. However, its taste did not disappoint me. The turkey meat was tender and chewy, and the sauce in it was just about the right amount. I have to admit this might be the best turkey sandwich I ever had. When I finished, I tried one more bet. This time I bet on its name- “Moonlight.” What a romantic name. I expected this name would get me some good luck, and it did. It got the 2nd place, and won me about 3 bucks. The experience at the Santa Anita race track was amazing, and the best strategy that I have learned about this game was “always follow your heart and be intuitive.   

https://languagesystems.edu/