Winter

I liked winter in my country and I like winter here. In my country there was not any snow. It was easy to go out to walk and you could wear light cloths. Here in Minnesota we have snow and there are four seasons. With every season there is a lot of change. I think I like my country weather better, but I like Minnesota weather too.

Bezayenesh

Winter and Holiday

I liked winter in my country and I like winter here. In my country in December it was only a little cold. I like this time for fireworks. It is the month Christmas is celebrated. In Minnesota, I like when the snow comes. I like more cold than hot. The winter is beautiful all the time. I think winter is good in my country and here it is better.

Holiday Season
I like the holiday season.
Holiday season it good time for everyone.
Is better to celebrate with family and friends.
In holiday I prepera different kid and food

I think holiday is the best day for me.

Rosa

Winter in my country

Yes, I liked winter in my native country, but I don’t like winter in the U.S. In my native country I didn’t have snow and it was not too cold. When I went to school or anywhere, I didn’t have to put on a jacket. In the U.S. we have a lot of snow in the winter and you have to shovel snow. We put on thick jackets every time we go outside in the winter. I think winter in my country is better than winter in the U.S.

Maiyia

Winter

I liked winter in my native country but I don’t like winter here. The winter in my country did not have snow. The weather did not change that much. We did not need to wear a jacket. Here in Minnesota the weather is so cold. I have to shovel snow on the driveway and put on a thick jacket with gloves and a hat. I think winter in my country is better than here in Minnesota because in my country you don’t need to buy winter clothes or shovel snow. But here you need winter clothes and to shovel snow. THINK ABOUT IT!

Amenyona

Coming to the US

I came to the U.S. in January 2011 from Russia. I came here because my wife’s family is here. I came here with my wife and two children. My trip was 2 days. First I went to Moscow, after that to New York, and then finally to Minneapolis. I brought clothes, shoes, and documents with me. I planned to come to the United States. I thought about it for a long time. On my first day in the U.S., I saw an airport, my family and snow. On my first day in the U.S., I felt tired. On my first day in the U.S., I slept and called my family. The best thing about living here is cars, houses, and roads. The worst thing about living here is people speak English all the time. I’m homesick for my family in my native country. I don’t miss the criminals in my native country. I like my new life in the United States.

Mikhail

Coming to the US

I came to the U.S.in 2011 from Togo. The reason I came here is because I won a U.S. visa lottery. I came here by myself. My trip was about fifteen hours. First I went to Brussels, the capital of Belgium. I spent about five hours in the airport before I took another plane to the U.S. I brought my clothes, shoes and all my documents which contain my birth certificate, my high school diploma and some family pictures. I didn’t plan to come to the U.S. On my first day in the U.S., I saw how big the airport was and I saw a subway train for the first time. I was very happy but at the same time tired. I called my family and some of my friends. The best thing about living in the U.S. is the health care and the job opportunities. But the worst thing is that children don’t respect their parents and they can call the police on their parents. I’m homesick for my family and my girlfriend in my country. I don’t miss the education system and I wouldn’t like to go back to my country and live there because I like my new life in the U.S.

Komlanvi

Coming to the US

I came to the U.S. in 2011 from Puerto Rico. I came here with my husband. My trip was 12 hours. First I went to Orlando, then from there to Minnesota. My husband went to Blaine to eat pizza and then we went home to sleep. I brought important papers with me, for example, my ID, Social Security card, birth certificate, clothes and shoes. I planned to come to the United States. On my first day in the U.S., I saw the big airport. On my first day in the U.S., I felt nervous and happy at the same time. On my first day in the U.S., I ate in a restaurant. The best thing about living here are the universities and snow. The worst thing about living here is people speak English. I do not understand people. I am homesick for my family and food in my native country. I don’t miss the drinking in my native country because it causes too many accidents. I would like to go to my country and live there. Sometimes I like and sometimes I don’t like my new life in the United States.

Elizabeth

Coming to the US

I came to the U.S. in 2011 from Congo. The reason I came here is I won a U.S. visa lottery. I came here with my wife and four children. My trip was two days. First I went to Brussels and then to Chicago. I brought clothes, shoes and many documents with me. I planned to come to the U.S. On my first day in the U.S., I saw tall buildings and highways. On my first day in the U.S.,I felt very happy and I called my parents and brothers in Congo. The best thing about living here is I can have a good job and my children will have a good education because they study here in good schools. The worst thing about living here is the children are bad to their teachers. I am homesick for my parents and family in my native country. I don’t miss the politics in my native country. I wouldn’t like to go back to my country and live there. I like my new life in the United States.

Jean Claud

Coming to the US

I came to the U.S in 2007 from Ethoipia the reason I came hare is my buborl lived hare I came hare with my daughter my trip was 17 hours first I went to Washgimhton D .C . I brroshot Eniara spies gold clothes and pictures With me planned I to came to the United States on my first day in the U.S I saw wood linng on the growod here and nobody took it Wood in my country we used wood for cooking food I felt bad the best thing about loving here there are laws and rules and if you work you can have a good life .The wosrst thing about living here is the weather is sometime bad. Iam homesick far my mom and sister in my native country.I would like to go bach to my counry and live there Iike my new life in the United Staes!

Hagere

Beef lo mein

Ingredients:
1 bag noodles
1/2 lb beef
4 green onions
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/4 lb mushrooms
5 tsp oil
1 clove garlic
peppers
soy sauce

Cooking Instructions:
Chop beef, green onions, mushrooms, green pepper and red pepper. Boil the noodles for 15 minutes and drain. Heat the wok and add oil when hot. Add beef and cook for 5 minutes. Add green onions, garlic, mushrooms, green pepper and re pepper. Mix and cook for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce, peppers and noodles and mix. Eat!

Qing

Mesir Wet

Ingredients:
1/4 cup oil
1 clove garlic - crushed
1 spoon curry powder
2 tomatoes
Ginger - peeled and minced
paprika - 2 tablespoons
Red lentil - rinsed
1 lb mesir
4 cups water or stock
4 cups salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions:
First put the onion, garlic and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree. Add a little water if necessary. Heat the oil in sauce pan over medium flame. Add turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, eard and two tomatoes. Mix and stir rapidly to color the oil and cook spices thoroughly for 30 seconds. Add onion puree and sqate until the excess moisture evaporates and the onion loses its raw aroma, about 5 - 10 minutes, do not burn.

Add lentils and water until the fall apart, 30 - 4o minutes. Add more water, if necessary, to keep the lentils from drying out. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Rgbe

Kebabs

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:
3 lbs ground beef
1 each onion tablespoon

Cooking Instructions:
Cook the kebab, chop onion and mix ground beef with flour,onion and salt, barbecue 15 minutes.

Sumaia

Roast Chicken

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:
4 tomatoes
2 onions
1 packet of chick masala
1 lb chicken
salt
1 lime
1 small jar curd
parsley

Cooking Instructions:
Chop onions, heat the pan, put the oil in it, heat the oil and then add onion in the oil until it becomes brown. Grind the onions and tomatoes and add in the pan. Fry for one minute, then add masala, then fry for 2 minutes. Then add chicken and salt and cook for 15 minutes. Then add 1 lime and curd. Again cook for 2 minutes, add parsley. Now roast chicken is ready to eat. Serve with nan.

Zehrakhatoon

Pelmeny

Ingredients:
3 onions
2 lbs meat pieces
pepper
salt
water
sour cream
flour

Cooking Instructions:
Mix flour, water and salt. Mix in onions, pepper, and salt. Roll out into dough. Cut dough into pieces. Put meat inside dough. Boil water. Add pelmeny. Cook for 10 minutes. Drain. Add sour cream. Eat!

Margarita

Chicken and Chiles

Ingredients:
2 cans corn
Peppers
Half lb. of red chili peppers
Onion
Garlic
Salt
Water
A little oil

Cooking Instructions:
Mix 2 cans of corn with 1 onion and 1 head of garlic. Add salt. Add chicken and 1 half of the chiles ancos. Put the chiles in a blender. Next, add oil to a pan when hot and cook for ten minutes. Next add the corn and salt.

Bertha

Beef Pho - Vietnamese noodle soup

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:
4 lbs beef bone
1/3 lbs roast beef
Cinnamon
Ginger
Coloves
1 onion
Lettuce

1/2 package rice noodles

Scallions
Salt
Sugar
Pepper

Cooking Instructions:
Simmer beef bone for 6 to 7 hours. Boil the rice noodles and then drain water. Slice roast beef, onion, and scallions. Add cinnamon, ginger, coloves, salt, and sugar to the soup and simmer for 30 minutes. Put noodles and rice in a bowl, add a little scallions, pepper, and onion and put roast beef on the top. Pour the boiling soup into the bowl. Eat with lettuce.

Huyen

Choux Meat

Serves 4 people

Ingredients:
1 jar of tomato sauce
2 big onions
1 tsp pepper
2 lbs roast beef

Cooking Instructions:
Chop the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Fry and mix the ingredients. Cut up the roast beef. Add the vegetables. Simmer for 1 hour.

Mariam

Choux et la Viande

Ingredients:
1 jar of tomato sauce
1 big onion
2 lbs of roast beef
1 scallion
some cabbage
some parsley
some salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions:
Chop the cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix the ingredients, cut up and boil the roast beef, add the vegetables and simmer for 1 hour.

Dijatch

Ingredients:
1 chicken
1 can of tomato sauce
2 potatoes
1 onion
2 tsp of oil
2 tsp of curry
2 tsp of salt
2 cups of water

Cooking Instructions:
Chop the onion and cut up the chicken, peel and chop potatoes. Boil the chicken, potatoes, tomato sauce and onion. Add curry, salt and oil. Boil for 45 minutes.

By Fatima

ATTENTION ESL STUDENTS

MORNING AND EVENING TESTING WILL BE:

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2011

No Exceptions!

Please tell Melonie in the office if you will not be here.

Fall, Fall, Fall!

Fall in this country makes me feel happy, because everything is good. What I like about fall is everything. There is nothing I don’t like about fall. When I was younger, one fall activity I enjoyed was visiting my friends. Since moving to this country, one activity I enjoy in the fall is to look at ducks. When I compare the fall in Iraq with the fall here, I see that my country is very hot and the trees are the same color all the time. Of all the four seasons, I like winter best. Before winter begins, I would like to move to a new apartment. Fall is the best season to play with my daughter outside.

Atlal

Fall, Fall, Fall!

Fall in this country makes me feel delighted, seeing beauty inexpressible in words. What I like about fall is leaves. I like how leaves change colors and my birthday. What I don’t like about fall is rain and it is getting cold. When I was younger, one fall activity I enjoyed was taking photographs. Since moving to this country, one activity I enjoy in the fall is all the beauty and the gifts of nature. When I compare the fall in Russia with the fall here, I see that they are rather identical. Of all the four seasons, I like winter least. Before winter begins, I would like to play with my daughter Rimma in the park. Fall is the best season for traveling to the south.

Gennady

Fall, Fall, Fall!

Fall in this country makes me feel sad because the winter is coming. What I like about fall is the weather changes from hot to warm. What I don’t like about fall is the leaves fall down. When I was younger, fall activities I enjoyed were taking photos outside and playing tennis. Since moving to this country, one activity I enjoy in the fall is going to a corn maze with my children. When I compare the fall in Iraq to the fall here, I see that it is cooler here than in my country. I also see people go outside and have fun. I like spring best of all the four seasons. I like summer least. Before winter begins, I would like to visit my country. Fall is the best season for working out.

Zahrah

Fall

Fall in this country makes me feel happy. I like fall when the leaves
change colors. When I was in Somalia, one activity I enjoyed was playing soccer. Since I came to America, one activity I enjoy in the fall
is walking. I can’t compare the fall in my country because we don’t have fall in Somalia. The weather is hot and sunny all the time. Everything is green. Of all the four seasons, I like summer best. Of all the four seasons, I like winter least. Before winter begins, I would like to get my driver’s license. Fall is the best season for walking outside and going to the mall.

Nada

Fall, Fall, Fall!

Fall in this county makes me feel sad, because the year is coming to the end. What I like about fall is leaves change colors from green to orange, red, and brown. What I don’t like about fall is rain and cold in the morning. When I was younger, some fall activities I enjoyed were jumping in the leaves, sitting around the bonfire, and weekend in school in October. Since moving to this county, some activities I enjoy in the fall are going to the park, seeing trees and leaves changing color. When I compare the fall in Russia with the fall here, I see that it is still warm in September, October, and November here. Cold and snow start in December. Of all the four seasons, I like spring best because new leaves appear on the trees. Of all the four seasons, I like winter least because it is cold. However, I like snow. Before winter begins I would like to get a driver’s permit. Fall is the best season for playing outside, and cleaning apartments, windows, and yards.

Tatyana

Autumn

Fall in this country makes me feel good. What I like about fall is it is neither cold nor hot. What I don’t like about fall is rain and everywhere is dirty and wet. When I was younger, one fall activity I enjoyed was to sew clothes with friends and talk together. Since moving to this country, one activity I enjoy in the fall is traveling. When I compare the fall in Laos to the fall here, I see a little difference. Of all the four seasons, I like spring best. Of all four seasons, I like winter least. Before winter begins, I would like to buy a new coat. Fall is the best season for me to travel anywhere.

Uyeng

My Native Country

I am from Somalia and I like my country. My country was very beautiful before the civil war. There are 25 million people. People in my country have been fighting for 21 years. When we have free time, we like to visit family and have a picnic. The weather in my country is very nice . The best time to visit my country is in summer. Summer is a whole year and sometimes it is rainy. Typical food in my country is meat with rice, soup, and salad. Some typical jobs that people have are businessmen, doctors and teachers. One problem that my country has is a civil war. One thing that is better in my native country than in the U.S. is the weather.

Nada

My Native Country

My Native Country is Laos. I am from Laos. My country is small. There are not a lot of people. People in my country grow rice and corn. When we have free time we like to clean the house and wash clothes. The weather in my country is very hot. The best time to visit my country is in November. Typical food in my country is fresh food. Some typical jobs are low paid. One problem that my country has is a war. One thing that is better in my native country than in the U.S. is the people don’t have to pay bills every month. One thing that is better in the U.S. than in my country is education and jobs. What I miss most about my native country are my father and sister. One interesting thing about my native country is people who drive a car are very rich.

Uyeng

My Native Country

My native country is Mexico. My country is beautiful. There are ten million people. People in my country are nice. When we have free time, we like to visit other people. The weather in my country is not too cool. The best time to visit my country is in December. Typical food in my country is tamales. Some typical jobs that people in my country have are there are many criminals. One thing that is better in my native country than in U.S. is there is no snow in winter. One thing that is better in the U.S. than in my country is clothes are cheap. What I miss most about my native country is my house. One interesting thing about my native country is December 12 is Guadalupe’s birthday.

Beatriz

My Native Country

My native country is Iraq. My country is beautiful with many mountains and rivers. There are twenty five million people. People in my country are very nice and they help each other. When we have free time we like to go fishing and cook outside. The weather in my country is very hot in summer and cold in winter, but there is no snow. The best time to visit my country is in March because we celebrate spring day. During this time all people cook and grill fish and kababs outside. Typical food in my country is Almeskuf. That means grilled fish on the fire wood. Some typical jobs that people have are soldiers, doctor, and teachers. One problem that my country has is more than one war. One thing that is better in my native country than in the U.S. is people don’t have many bills and most people have a house. One thing that is better in the U.S. than in my country is peace and my children are safe. What I miss most about my native country is my family. One interesting thing about my native country is when the man wants to marry he can marry four or three women and they can live together.

Zahrah

My Native Country

I am from Russia. My country is between Europe and Asia.
There are 142 million people in my country. When we have free time, we like to read the Bible. There are four seasons in Russia. Typical food in my country is fruits. Some typical jobs that people have are businessmen. One thing that is better in my native country than in the U.S. is good food. One thing that is better in the U.S. than in my country is economy. What I miss most about my native country is my family. One interesting thing about my native country is a lot of culture and history.

Gennadiy

My Native Country

I’m from Iraq. My country is very beautiful and there are many mountains. There are 25 million people. People in my country are good. When we have free time, we like to visit family. The weather in my country is very hot. The best time to visit my country is in March. Typical food in my country is rice and soup. Some typical jobs that people have are teachers and doctors. One problem that my country has is war. One thing that is better in my native country than in the U.S. is everything is cheaper. One thing that is better in the U.S. than in my country is freedom. What I miss most about my native country is my family. One interesting thing about my native country is women do not drive.

Atlal

Fall Break

Students in level 2 did many interesting things during the fall break. Hoa paid bills. Mohammed cooked everyday. Abdisa wrote a letter and went shopping. Pedro saw a friend. Michael ate in a restaurant and drove to the mall. Sufyan heard good news and had a headache and cleaned the house. Dema read a book. Maria went for a walk. Mahmood slept in and met a new friend. It was a good break.

Khaleel

Fall Break

Students in level 2 did many interesting things during the fall break. Hoa paid bills. Mohammed cooked everyday and went for a walk and slept in. Abdisa wrote a letter. Maria saw a friend. Elizabeth ate in a restaurant. Khaleel heard good news and cleaned the house. Dema went shopping. Fatima read a book. Sufyan had a headache. Michael drove to the mall. Mahmood met a new friend. Khaleel cleaned the house. It was a good break.

Pedro

Fall Break

Students in level 2 did many interesting things during the fall break. Mahmood paid bills. Mohammed cooked every day and went for a walk. Abdisa wrote a letter and met a new friend. Pedro saw a friend. Khaleel ate in a restaurant and drove to the mall. Sufyan heard good news. Elizabeth went shopping. Maria read a book. Dema had a headache. Hoa slept in. Fatima cleaned the house. It was a good break.

Mikhail

Fall Break

Students in level 2 did many interesting things during the fall break. Mohammed paid bills and slept. Maria cooked every day and ate in a restaurant. Elizabeth wrote a letter. Mike saw a friend. Hoa heard good news and cleaned the mall. Sufyan read a book and had a headache. Dema went for a walk. Pedro met a new friend. It was a good break.

Mahmood

Fall Break

Students in level 2 did many interesting things during the fall break. Pedro paid bills. Elizabeth cooked every day. Mahmood wrote a letter. Dema saw a friend. Abdisa ate in a restaurant and heard good news. Mike read a book. Sufyan had a headache and met a new friend. Hoa drove to the mall and slept in. Maria cleaned the house. It was good break.

Fatima

Our Fall Break

Students in level 2 did many interesting things during the fall break. Sufyan paid bills and went shopping. Khaleel cooked every day and slept in. Fatima wrote a letter. Maria saw a friend. Pedro ate in a restaurant. Michael heard good news. Hoa read a book. Dema had a headache and met a new friend. Mahmood went for a walk. Mohammed drove to the mall. Abdisa cleaned the house. It was a good break.

Elizabeth

Our Fall Break

Students in level 2 did many interesting things during the fall break. Elizabeth paid bills and read a book. Maria cooked every day. Dema wrote a letter and saw a friend. Khaleel ate in a restaurant and cleaned the house. Mohammed heard good news. Mike went shopping. Sufyan had a headache. Hoa went for a walk and slept in. Pedro drove to the mall. Fatima met a new friend. It was a good break.

Abdisa

My favorite store

My favorite store is JC Penny. My favorite store sells clothes. It is in Coon Rapids. My store is big. I like JC Penny. I like it because it sells many different things. The employees are nice. It’s different because it always has sales.

Aksana
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My favorite store is Wal-Mart. My favorite store is in Coon Rapids.
It’s my favorite for electricity and close and food and glasses. My favorite store for food is Cub Foods is in Coon Rapids. The employees are very nice.

Bertha
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My favorite store is ALDI. My favorite store is in Coon Rapids. It is a small. I like it because it has my favorite Ice cream. It has many different tasty foods. I buy for all of my family. They sell fresh fruit and vegetable and my daughter’s favorite cake. Their burritos with broccoli are tasty. I go to ALDI every week after school. But my husband likes Target. Sorry.

Margarita
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My favorite store is C0stco. Cosco sells garment F00d items my favorite store it is on Anoka like cosco because ican save money the employees helpful. It is different because you need membership card to shop there.

Muhammad
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My favorite store is Cosco. Cosco sell food, furniture, electronics, and clothes. My favorite store is on Main Street in Anoka. I like Cosco because I can save money. The employees are nice. It’s different because you need a membership card to shop there.

Salomon
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My favorite store is Macy’s. Macy’s sells shoes and clothes. My favorite store is in Edina. My favorite store’s customer service is good. It. Macy’s sells different things.

Sumaia
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My favorite store is Target. My favorite store is in Blaine. Target sells food, furniture, clothes, electronic. I like Target because I can save money. The employees are nice. It’s different because it is near my house and it sells many things. So each weekend my family always goes to Target. It is a big store.

Hau
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My favorite store is JC penny. JC penny sells clothes, shoses, jeans, t-shirts, sneakers and jackets. I like JC penny because there are discounts and sales. I can save money. The JC penny’s Employees are nice and help me in shopping.

Khaleel
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My favorite store is Target .My favorite store sell clothes and electronics. It is on Main Street in Coon Rapids. It is a medium store. I like it because it is there are discount and products are high quality. The employees are nice and friendly. It is near my apartment. It sells many different things. My favorite store is Wal-Mart. My favorite store sells food, clothes. It is in Coon Rapids. It is a big store. I like Wal-Mart. I like it because it is cheap, high quality and good thing. The employees are nice. It is different because there is a bank in it.

Mikhail
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My favorite store is Best Buy. Best Buy sells electronics. My favorite store is in Fridley. I like it because they sell very nice electronics. The employees are nice. It’s different because very nice electronics are better.

Thamer

School in Laos

I started going to school when I was eight years old. Most of my classes in school had about fifteen students. My favorite subject in school was reading. In my native country, I had about two hours of homework each night. In my native country, I attended school from 8 o’clock to 4 o’clock, 5 days a week. The school I attended had about 200 students. My favorite teacher was Nevoung who taught me math, reading and another class. The reason I liked this teacher was because they were nice. The most difficult class I studied was science and history. Those classes were very difficult, we had to memorize a lot of information three or four times a week. If we didn’t do our homework, the teacher punished us by making us stand in front of the board.

Uyeng

School in Russia

I started going to school when I was 6 years old. Most of my classes in school had about 43 students. My favorite subject
in school was drawing. In my native country, I had about 3 hours of homework each night. In my native country, I attended school from 8 o’clock to 12 o’clock, 6 days a week. The schools I attended had about 1000 students. My favorite teacher was Galina Vasilyevna who taught me Russian and Literature. The reason I liked this teacher was because she was a good teacher. The most difficult class I ever studied was Chemistry. One thing I didn’t like about school in my native country was examination, I was nervous. When I went to school in my native country, students who didn’t behave themselves in class were punished by asking parents to come to school. When I compare my school in my native country with school in this country, I think they are good. I have respect for existing Russian and American education systems.
Gennadiy

School Days in Vietnam

I started going to school when I was 3 years old. Then, l learned at preschool. At the end of preschool I started going to elementary school when I was six years old. In the elementary school I only studied reading, dictation, math, and exercise and had a little homework. When I was 11 years old I went to middle school I had to study many subjects. My favorite subject was math. I had a lot of homework. I had to do homework for about 2 hours each night. In my country, school started from 7 o’clock to 11:30 am, 6 days a week. The school I attended had about 400 students. My favorite teacher was Phong who taught me math and he was very nice and fun. The most difficult class I ever studied was History because I had to remember months, dates, and years for many events. One thing I didn’t like about in school my native country was wearing uniform because it was uncomfortable for me. The teacher gave the students a lot of homework. The students who didn’t behave themselves in class were punished by standing in the corner by the blackboard for the first time. The second time, teacher would hit your hand. When I compare schools in Vietnam with school in the U.S, I think each one has good and bad things.

Thao

Studying English

I started studying English in 2010 in the U.S. Two years ago was the first time I came to school to study English. I felt very happy because I got to go to school to learn my second language, one more, maybe it will help my life in the future, but English is not my first language. It’s very difficult for me because there are so many verb tenses. The most difficult thing about learning English is it is not easy for me to remember.

Uyeng

Studying English

I started studying English in the U.S. in August 2009. The first time I came to school to study English I felt nervous, happy, and excited at the same time because I wanted to learn English. English is difficult because there are many verb tenses. The most difficult thing about learning English is that there are a lot of varieties of English and accents. I wish I could read, write, speak and understand better English than I can now. I spend 4-5 hours every day learning English. I do speak English outside of school. I do read and write English outside of school in my daily life. I have the biggest problem communicating in English when I talk to the neighbors, at the store and when I go to the grocery store. I think learning a second language is easiest when you are 5-6 years old because you can remember better. The best advice I can give someone who is going to study English is to learn a lot of words, listen and practice speaking, and not to be afraid to try. When I came here, I knew zero English. When I compare my English now with my English when I first arrived here, I feel better because I listen and study better.

Tatyana

Studying English

I started studying English in Jordan, in 1962. The first time I came to school to study English , I felt so excited because I could understand people. Learning English helps my brain to remember. English is difficult because there are different accents .The most difficult thing about learning English is that there are a lot of varieties. I wish I could speak better English than I can now. I spend four hours every day learning English. I try to speak English outside of school. I do read and write English outside of school. In my daily life, I have the biggest problem communicating in English when I talk to neighbors and work or mall. I think learning a second language is easiest when you’re 3 years old, because they are already learning language. The best advice I can give someone is going to study English is to listen and practice speaking, not to be afraid to try. When I came here, I want to learn English .when I compare my English now with my English when I first arrived here, I feel good because I practice, talk and write English.

Nadia

Studying English

I started studying English in the U.S. in 2009. The first time I came to school to study English, I couldn’t understand people. Everything was new to me. English is difficult because there are so many verb tenses and the spelling, speaking and grammar are different. The most difficult thing about learning English is speaking. I do speak English outside of school. In my daily life, I have the biggest problem communicating in English when I talk to neighbors, doctors, or go to the grocery store. I think learning a second language is easiest when you are 5-6 years old because at this age you have a better memory. The best advice I can give someone who is going to study English is to learn a lot of words, listen and practice speaking, and to not be afraid to try. When I came here, I knew 20 words in English. I feel progress because when I first arrived here, I began to understand little.

Gennadiy

Studying English

I started studying English in Thailand in 1986. The first time I come to school to study English, I felt excited because I met new people and learned new things in class. English is difficult for me because grammar and spelling are different. The most difficult part is grammar. I wish I could spell better in English than I can now. I spend four hours every day learning English. I do speak English at home. In my daily life I have the biggest problem communicating in English when I have an appointment and at work. I think learning a second language is easiest when you are twelve years old or younger because children can remember better. The best advice I can give someone who is going to study English is to learn a lot of words and go to ESL class. When I came here, I knew little English. When I compare my English now, I feel better. In this school the teachers teach me many things and make me a good person.

Wanpen

Studying English

When I was a child, my father taught me basic English. Then I started studying English in Viet Nam in 2010. After one year, I came to The U.S. and continued to study English. The first time I came to school to study English, I felt nervous because there were a lot of people that came from different countries and spoke different languages. English is difficult because there are many verb tenses. Some words can mean different things and grammar changes a lot. For me, the most difficult thing about learning English is listening because there are a lot of varieties of accents. Sometimes when someone speaks English, they join this word to that word so I can’t hear everything. So I can’t speak English too. This year, I’ll try to speak better English than I can now, I spend three and half hours every day learning English at school but I don’t speak, read and write English outside of school. In my daily life, I have the biggest problem communicating in English when I go to a supermarket.

Thao

Studying English

I started studying English in Minnesota, in the U.S. in 2011. I remember the first time I came to school to study English, I felt excited. The first thing is that I would to like to learn as much as possible. The first time I was very nervous. Now I feel better because I can do everything with no help. I learned a lot from my job. I remember I spoke my first words in English in my job. English is difficult because words are written in a different way, pronounced in a different way, and read in a different way, too. I think the hardest thing for me about learning English is to speak. When I do not spend any time studying at home, after school I speak more English than Spanish. I usually don’t have a problem when I speak English. I have more problems writing in it. I practice reading more. I like to read a lot. I only have problems when a person is talking to me. I don’t understand them because they are not speaking clearly. Learning a second language is easy. I think it’s easier when it’s between the age of 3 or 5 years because at that age a child is like a sponge. The mind is clean and it grabs everything it needs to know and absorbs it. The best advice I could give to someone who is going to study and learn English is that it’s not too late to learn; it all depends on the person. When I first came to the United States, I didn’t know English at all. I only knew how to say yes or no. It didn’t matter if was something was good or bad, I always said yes or no. Now it all depends on the question and I can give a good answer. When I compare the little English I knew back then to more English I know now, I feel so sure of myself to know more. I feel free and I’m not embarrassed to speak. In the past (and present) I have made mistakes with verbs. I understand when a person talks to me. That way I try to get another person to understand my English. My dream is to speak, read and write well in English. Little by little I know I will achieve it. I don’t know how or when but I know will. I like to think positive.

Rosa

Studying English

I started studying English in the United States in 2006. The first time I came to school to study English, I felt scared because I didn’t understand any English. English is difficult because it’s difficult to speak English outside of school. In my daily life, I have the biggest problem communicating in English when making an appointment. I think learning a second language is easiest when you are five years old because you have a long time to practice. The best advice I can give someone who is going to study English is to study a lot. When I came here, I knew no English. When I compare my English now with my English when I first arrived here, I feel better because I understand more.

Beatriz

About me

My full name is Zahrah Daloo. In this class please call me Zahrah. My native country is Iraq. My native language is Arabic. I can also speak a little English. There are six people in my family: husband, two girls, two sons and me. My favorite food is Kabbeb. I can make good food like okra with rice. I like reading books about language and animals. I like watching TV about news and sports. I came to the United States in 2009, because there was war in my country and here it is peaceful. What I like about living in the U.S. is a good job and here I can go anywhere with my family. What I don’t like about living here are the very cold winters because I never saw snow before. In my native country I was a housewife. In the U.S., I don’t have a job. I started coming to ESL classes on May 31, 2011. This day is special because it is my son’s birthday. My purpose for coming to school is to get a better job and connect with people.

Zharah

About me

My full name is Wanpen Gresser. In this class please call me Wanpen. I came from Thailand. My native language is Thai. I can also speak a little English. In my family there are only two of us, my husband Jack and myself. My favorite food is chicken curry and spicy fish. I love to read books about love and watch news and the Weather Channel on TV. I came to the United States in 1997 because I married an American. I like living in the US because everyone is equal, there is freedom, good clean air and nice people. Every year I go back to Thailand to visit my family. In my country I cooked in the hospital, right now I work at home. I started coming to ESL classes in 1997. My purpose for coming to school is to learn how to write, read English and get a good job.

Wanpen

About Me

My full name is Tatyana Gavrilenko. In this class please call me Tatyana. My native country is Russia. Russia is a very beautiful country with big buildings, many parks, lakes, trees, flowers, and stores. My native language is Russian. I can also speak English. I have three people in my family: my husband Gennadiy, my daughter Rimma and me. I love my family very much. My favorite food is Pelmeni with chicken and salad. I like reading books about animals. I like watching TV about good films, music concerts and films about animals. I came to the United States in February 2009 because my family lives here. What I like about living in the U.S. is good schools for my daughter. What I don’t like about living here is the weather, because summers are very hot for me. In my native country I worked in the passport office. In the U.S., I don’t have a job.
I started coming to ESL classes in August 2009. My purpose for coming to school is to help my daughter in school and speak good English.

Tatyana

About me

My full name is Gennadiy. In this class please call me Gena.
My native country is Russia. My native language is Russian.
I can also speak English. There are 3 people in my family; wife Tatyana, daughter Rimma and me. My favorite food is Pelmeni and burgers. We make and cook them together. I prefer to read the Bible. I don’t like to watch TV shows. I like watching TV about history. I came to the United States in 2009 because my wife’s family went to live here. What I like about living in the U.S. is there is a peaceful and good life. What I don’t like about living here is that I cannot speak English. My job now is to study well. In my native country I worked as a bus driver, fire fighter and a police officer. In the U.S., I don’t have a job. I started coming to ESL classes in 2009. My purpose is to speak English and after graduating from school to get a permit to drive a bus and go to work.

Gennadiy

About me

My full name is Yaru Huang and Grace Huyang. In this class please call me Yaru. My native country is China. I can speak English and Cantonese. There are three people in my family: husband Hai, Yan He, my daughter Yangyang He and me. My favorite food is dumplings. I like reading books. I like watching TV about news and music. I came to the United States in 1996 because my husband came here as a student. What we like about living in the U.S. is good nature and good religion. What I don’t like about living here is that it is hard to find a job. In my native country, I was an accountant. In the U.S., I don’t have a job. I started coming to ESL classes in 2001. My purpose for coming to school is to get a good job. I like to work.

Yaru

Studying English

I started studying English in the U.S.A. in 2010. The first time I came to school
to study English I felt happy because I want to help myself for the future. But English is difficult for me because this is not my first language. It is not easy for me but I’m very happy they still have a good school for us to go to learn my second language too. The most difficult is too many verb tenses. I can’t remember. I think learning a second language is easiest when you are five years old. At that time there is nothing to worry about and it’s still a good idea.

Uyeng

About me

My full name is Nadia Naji Khider. In this class call Nadia. My native country is Jordan. My native language is Arabic. I can also speak English and French. There are 6 people in my family; my daughter, her husband and her kids; Nadia, Ali, and Noor. My favorite food is chicken. I like reading books about History. I like watching T.V. news. I came to the United States in 2008 because my daughter got married and now lives here. What I like about living in the U.S is there is equality, and freedom. I miss my daughter and her family. In my native country I was a marketing salesperson. In the U.S., I don’t have a job. I started coming to ESL class On July 20, 2011. My purpose for coming to school is to get a good job.

Nadia

Name

My name is Beatriz. I am from Mexico. I am a day person. My favorite pastime is planting flowers. Because I like flowers my husband gives me flowers once a month. I enjoy my family because they are very important for me. I like watching television programs about animals. My children like them too. I like reading books about God because it is interesting to study about God. I don’t like to wash dishes because it is very boring. My daughter says the same. What I don’t like about living here are cold winters and my children can’t play in the yard. What I like about living here is I live in a nice house. My children and I clean the house; they help me in my home. I would like to have a dog for a pet. My children want a dog. My favorite food in this country is hamburgers and my family likes them too. Something I can do very well is cook. Sometimes I don’t want to cook very well because I am tired. A sport I enjoy is baseball; it is an exercise for me. If I could change my life, I would go to college. Then my family would have a better life.

Beatriz

New American

Mai Yia has recently become an American citizen. Congratulations!

Letter

May 25, 2011

Dear Mom,

How are you? I hope you are doing well. Don’t worry about me. I am fine and happy. How is the weather over there? The weather over here is cold. Sometimes it rains, but its sunny most of the time. Mom, it is beautiful and clean over here. People are nice and friendly. I like it here. I have one new friend; his name is Tenzin. On weekends he always gives me a ride and we hang out at the Mall of America and play soccer. He is good to me and I am having a great time here. Please, take care of yourself and take good care your health.

With love your son,
Sonam Wangyal

My Goals

My long-term goal is to get a high school diploma.First think I need to learn English fast and I need to go to school every day ,and I need to listen carefully,and practice a lot.WhenI finsh college, I can get a better job and helb my family.

Zahrah

My Goals

My long –term goal is to go to college. First I need to learn English.
And I want to open a restaurant. Then I want to move to my country.
Next year I want to go to Thailand to visit my family. I want to graduate from ESL classes.

My summer
July 4th I need to go to visit my aunt in Minnetonka. I need to get a new camera.
This weekend I have a 60th birthday party at my house. I need to cook a lot of foods.

Wanpen

My Goal

My long term goal is to get a good job. First, I need to learn English. I need to learn English fast. Then I can help my family. I went better English. I can get a driver’s license. I want to get a high school diploma certificate. Then I need my short term goals to self service.

Rasila

My Goal

My long-term goal is to get a citizenship certificate. This is very important for my long term goal. When I have my certificate my plan is go to Mexico for three weeks. When I come back I’d like to study more English. Read and write English is very important for life in United States. Read and write English is good for fine a lot the different jobs and is good for help family. It is important to read and write English in United States of American. If people not understand English please come to school. The adult class is school is free. When I start in beginig class I don’t understand nothing.But right now I write and speak English more them before. I like to read and speak English detter everyday.

Luciano

My Goal

My long-term goal is to get a good job. First, I need to learn English. I want to learn fast. I need to get o driver’s license. I want to buy a car to school. I’m going to come to school every day, listen carefully, and practice a lot. I need to work part time to earn money. Finally, I can take high school classes. I hope I can get my high school diploma soon. I want to get a good job, so I can help my family. Then I want to get married and I want to come back to Vietnam.

Hau

My Goal

My long- term goal is to get a good job. First I need to learn English. I want to learn English fast. I’m going to come to ESL school every day, listen carefully and practice a lot.
Then I want to study, go to college and get a college diploma. So I can get a better job and earn more many.

Oksana

Flotsam by David Wiesner

On the beach, Tom and his father are enjoying themselves. The boy built a sand castle. The boy caught a crab and he examined it with the magnifying glass. The crab fled and Tom chased it. A big wave came his way. After the wave was gone, Tom is very sad because crab escaped. But his attention is drawn to a different object. Tom is curious. He picks it up and examines the object. He is observant and surprised. He thinks,” Oh, this is an underwater camera.” Tom runs fast to his dad and he shouts,”Hey, I found an underwater camera.” They decide to bring it to a lifeguard. They ask him about the camera, but the lifeguard answers,” I don’t know anything about it. You can keep it.” Tom goes back where he found the camera. He opens the chamber and sees the film. He takes it out and runs to a “One Hour Photo” studio and develops it. He waits for one hour. Finally, Tom has the pictures. He runs back to the beach, and looks through them. The pictures of the underwater world really surprise him. There is picture of some red mechanical fish swimming. There is a picture of an octopus family. Tom sees big octopus children. The big octopus is reading a book. The octopus children are listening. Another picture shows a fish that looks like a balloon and flies on the surface of water. Next picture has a home constructed on the back of a big turtle and many green men with scuba on their back live-under water. The last photo really gets Tom’s attention. On that photo, Tom sees a girl holding a child who is holding a photo of another child. Tom uses a magnifying glass and sees pictures of children from different countries. He examines the photo under the microscope. He finds out the current picture goes back 70 children. Tom takes the film, puts it in the camera and back in to the ocean. One day this camera will continue its adventure. The story will begin again when another child finds this camera.

Gennady and Thuan

Tall by Jez Alborough

A little monkey is walking in the jungle all of a sudden he sees a big rock, thinking once he is on this rock he will be taller. His friends always laugh at him because he is very small. Once on the rock he said, ‘’I am tall.’’ Along comes a chameleon. He asks, ‘’Why are you so happy?’’ and the monkey replies, “Because now l am not small. I’m tall!’’ Both of them jump up for joy. But the monkey wants to see if any of his other friends are taller that he is. Just then, he sees a lion cub who is much
taller, so the monkey asks the elephant to pick him up. Now the monkey says, “I’m taller.” But the monkey wants to be even taller than that. He sees a giraffe. The giraffe picks him up way on his head. The monkey says, ‘’Now I will be very tall.’’ He jumps on head of the giraffe. He is happy because he is very tall. Oh, the monkey falls down! “BoBo!” says his mom and catches him. All of his friends are happy for the monkey and now they have a new plan for the next time. The little monkey says goodbye to his new friends and the mother holds him tight. Then they start to go home. The monkey had fun and was happy.

Hussei and Yolanda

Carl‘s Afternoon in the Park by Alexandra Day

One day, Mary with her baby daughter Kathy, Mary’s sister Jacky, dog Carl and puppy Sparky are in the park. Carl says to the little girl, “Please, jump on my back. Let’s visit other places.” Kathy jumps on his back. Sparky says, “Let’s go!”.
They go to the other park. Little Kathy asks, “What’s that? I want to go there.” So Carl walks there. They come to the flower garden. Carl says, “I feel so hot.” Sparky picks up the hose and opens the water, the water goes out of the hose. They splash water over each other. They are so happy to play on the ground. They hear some woman say, “Do you want balloon? It is free.” Kathy takes a red balloon; it is shaped like a dog. Sparky likes the blue balloon, the balloon is very big. “Help me! Help me!” cries Sparky as the balloon is carrying him away. Carl tells Kathy to hold Sparky‘s legs. She tells Sparky, “Open your mouth!” Sparky opens his mouth and now he is back on the ground.
Someone says, “We have free ice cream for you.” The three of them take an ice cream cone. The ice cream tastes good on a hot summer day.
They walk to the train and sit down. The train takes them to the children’s zoo.
“Wow! Here are our friends!” Carl said. There is a girl talking to a seal. “Hello seal are you staying here every day?” asks the girl. Seal answers,” Yeah, I am. I like people around me.” The little girl asks where the baby seal is. The seal says, “I don’t have one.” Sparky sits down on the baby sheep. The mother sheep says, “Children, please walk slowly. Take care of Sparky; He is on your back.”Another little girl says,”Hi! Baby. Why do pigs have four feet?” Kathy asks Carl then, “Are you sure we only have two feet?” Another girl started laughing. And the donkey starting crying ,” Ouzo !Our! Ou!” Carl says, “Kathy, let’s go to the other park.”
They walk for fifteen minutes, they play on the swing. Kathy says, am enjoying this.” Carl says,”It was very good, I bet you feel well!”Carl pushes the swing , and Kathy feels like she is flying Sparky plays on the other slide and the sings ,”One, two, three, four.” Sparky says,” Wow, I’m scared!” Kathy says,”Sparky, don’t worry. I hope you feel better, it’s ok!”
Carl walks to the slide. He says,”Sparky, I’ve got you!” Suddenly Sparky says,”Oh my! I want to look through binoculars. I see a red bird on the tree.” “Well. I see beige on the leaves,” Kathy says. Carl says,”Oh-oh! You guys see mother and Mary? They are talking and drinking tea, do you think they are worrying about us?”
Kathy hops on Carl’s back and the three of them go back to the park. They are tired because the weather is hot. They sit on the ground. The flowers around them smell very well. Sparky says,”I’m so tired. I can’t walk anymore.” Carl says, “Please come on, Sparky! We need to go back home to Mom.” Kathy sits on Carl’s back. Kathy says, “I wish I could see Mom. I miss her.” “I am here, sweetheart!” says Mom. Mom gives Kathy a hug.

Yaru and Gulshama

Carl’s Masquerade by Alexandra Day

Tom and Tina have a little baby girl, Kelly. They have a big smart dog, Carl. One beautiful night, Kelly’s parents are getting ready to go to a masquerade party. They tell their dog to take good care of the baby. “Make sure you don’t open the door for anybody,” said the parents. After Kelly’s parents are gone, Carl goes to Kelly’s room. Kelly is very happy to see Carl. Carl tells Kelly, “Come on! Let’s go to the party and follow your Mom and Dad.” Kelly says, “Yay! Carl, look at the sky. There are a lot of stars. What a beautiful night!”Carl and Kelly wait for Tom and Tina to go inside the building. Carl and Kelly come to the door. One of the admittance people looks at Carl and Kelly and says, “Oh my! What is that?” The other man is surprised too. He says, "Oh, they must be Beauty and the Beast. Great costumes! Go on in.” Kelly and Carl go inside. Kelly says, “Oh my! It’s magical and wonderful, Carl! Can you believe this? Let’s go to look for something to eat.” Carl walks around, sees two popsicles on the table and says, “This is what I’ve been looking for. Thanks Carl." Carl is surprised because he sees a lot of different costumes. Carl sees a nice cat, a huge watermelon and two fish. “I never thought people can choose any costumes they want,” Carl says. He takes the popsicles and goes back to find Kelly. Carl asks Kelly, “Which one do you prefer?” Kelly says, "I like the cherry popsicle." Carl says, “I like this lime popsicle." Kelly is very happy. She thanks Carl for everything. Carl tells Kelly to climb on his back because he wants to show her something. When they walk they are surprised. “Look, Kelly. Your father and mother are walking near us but they don’t know it’s us,” said Carl. Kelly says, “Carl, be careful!” Kelly and Carl wait in line to have their picture taken. Kelly says to Carl,”Come, Carl. It’s our turn for the picture. Smile!” Kelly whispers in Carl’s ear, “Let’s go and catch a golden fish and win a prize.” Kelly wins a stuffed elephant. Kelly says, “I won, Carl! I did it. Yes!” The man gives Kelly the stuffed elephant. He smiles and says, “Good job, little girl! This is your toy. You won it. Congratulations!” Kelly thanks the man. Carl and Kelly are very happy. Carl and Kelly notice that Mom and Dad are leaving. Carl and Kelly run outside. Carl tells Kelly, “When Mom and Dad go inside the flower store; we will run home before they get home.” They run home very fast. Kelly goes back to bed and falls asleep. “I’ll wait here, Kelly, “says Carl. “Thank you for everything, Carl. We had a lot of fun. I will never forget the party,” says Kelly. Carl says, “Kelly, go to sleep. Good night!” Tom and Tina come home. Tina tells Tom she would go to Kelly’s room. Tina meets Carl in Kelly’s room. Tina tells Carl, “I hope everything went all right, Carl. You’re such a good dog. Thank you for watching my baby. I love you.” Tina gives Carl a kiss. She kisses her sweet little daughter, too.

Rosa and Xeng

Traditional Costume

This is a picture about Hmong traditional clothes. Every New Year, Party or wedding everybody wear the clothes like this, there are many colors and many style. The hat cost about $ 35.00, the shirt and dress about $100.00, and necklace about $ 50.00.

Yer

Symbol of Mexico City

One of the most representative symbols of Mexico City and the whole country the angel Independence
Stands majestically in paseso de la reforma.
The first stone of this renowned monument was placed in January 2nd 1902 by Porfirio Diaz .The project was direct by the architect Antonio Rivas Mercado, was also responsible for the Juarez theatre in the city of Guanaguato.

Adela

Daycare

I could like to work at a daycare, because I love chirlden. I can draw,sing and dance with children.
But I don’t have a daycare lisence. I don’t know how to get to a daycare lisence. So now I am leaning
Einglish is better ,I would go to another school to get a licence.
Now I wolunteer in my neighborhood, they have about ten kids, every Tuesday.I teach children
How to draw,sing and dance. Some students go to school. There are a fewkids with me, their name’s
Tim and adem, Tim likes to exercise, he is smert and a good thinker , but he dosen’t like to wear clothes. When we exercise, he gets cold, I tell him to wear clothes, because he likes to exercise.Aden is a very good ftudent too He likes to paint and draw. He works hard, he is very serious about drawing. I like
His paintings.
I miss the kids , I love kids I, I buy gifts for them draw and they like me, I like to teach them draw, they like to teach me einglish, we sing and dance together, we have a lot of fun.

Yaru

My Mother

My mother’s name is Zanip. She was born in Iraq in October. When she finished school, she became a housewife. She was 32 years old when I was born. My mother has 10 children. My mother has a special talent for sewing and cooking. I take after my mother in this way, smile and take. I look like my mother. One important thing is my mother teaches well. My mother helped me when l was sick. She always encouraged me to do a good job. My mother likes to visit. When l did something good in school or at home, my mother rewarded me by buying me clothes. When l did something bad in school or at home, my mother punished me by giving me no money.

Hussein

My Mother

My mother‘s name was Nuriah and she was born in Iraq on January 7, 1934. She didn’t learn in school because at that time there were a few schools in my city, but she learned in life‘s school to become a good mother and how to love other people and she taught me that. My mother carried all the love in the world in her heart. She was very quiet and she was good at cooking. My mother had 11 children. I was the second child. I remember when I got a sick, she stayed up all night holding me tight. So who should I take good care of, giving all my love, who should I thank the most? My mother! Because who used to hear me before I could talk, who used to hold me before I could walk and when I fell who picked me up, cleaned my cut? No one but my mother because who used to hug me and buy me new clothes, comb my hair, blow my nose and when I cried who wiped my tears, knew my fears, who really cared…my mother!

Riyadh

My Mother

My mother’s name is Maximina Ortega. She was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco on May 4, 1945. She didn’t finish school because she needed to help my grandma. She worked a lot when she was a child. She was 38 years old when I was born. My mother has a special talent for cooking. She loved and had a lot of friends. My mother helped me when I was sick. She always told me to respect people so that people would respect me. My mother loves flowers, especially red roses. When I worked and had problems, she always encouraged me by saying, “Don’t worry, I’m here with you”. When I did something good in school or at home, my mother rewarded me by letting me play in the park and giving me money for a soda and chips. When I did something bad in school or at home, my mother punished me by not letting me go outside for two or three days. And sometimes my mother took her shoes and hit me with them. I will remember my mother because she always gave me permission to play in the park and at houses of friends. When I need my mother, she is always near me. I love my mother.

Ocari

My Mother

My mother’s name was Xiuyun Zhao. She was born in China. Her birthday was July 15, 1927. She didn’t know how to write her name, because she didn’t go to school. When she was 18 years old, she got married. Then she became a housewife. She was 36 years old when I was born. My mother had 8 children. My mother had a special talent for cooking. I take after my mother in this way: I am courteous and patient. I look like my mother. One important thing my mother taught me was to love other people and take care of poor children. My mother liked to train me to become a good farmer. When I did something good in school or at home, my mother rewarded me by praising me. When I did something bad in school or at home, my mother punished me by hitting me or by criticizing me. I think I had a very good mother. I love my mother very much.

Yaru

Friends

All the students in level 3 are different. Hussein likes American food. Tatyana came to the U.S. from Europe. Tatyana is afraid of spiders. Suhad felt sad on her first day in the U.S. Lon lives in Blaine, MN. Ocari wants to go back to her native country. Hussein came to the U.S. from Asia. Riyadh likes the weather in MN better than in his native country. Riyadh had a good job in his native country. Riyadh likes traveling. Suhad felt happy yesterday.

Gennady

Hussein

Hussein Hussein
My job in Iraq was photographer .l love my career.
I want to work as a photographer in America. Now
I’m studying English. I want to go college to get a
license to work. To help my family I sometimes
Take picture of family at home and outside. I take
pictures of flowers and any animals in the park.
I love to take photographs outside in the summer and
winter. I have about 500 photos flowers and animals
In Minnesota, I hope to do an exhibition of photography
But it is expensive. Sometimes I teach photography to
my children. They like to work with me. Last year l made
DVD for friends and teachers at my school and they love
this. Presented DVDs to everyone in my school, teachers
and friends because I love them all.
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My Friends in Class

All the students in Level 3 are different. Tatyana likes American food. Gennadiy came to the U.S. from Europe. Rosa is afraid of spiders. Suhad lives in Blaine, MN. Ocari likes the weather in MN better than in her native country. She had a good job in her native country. Rosa likes traveling and felt happy yesterday.

Riyadh

My Friends in Class
All the students in level 3 are different. Rosa likes American food. Suhad was afraid of spiders. Lon lives in Blaine. Ocari wants to go back to her native country. Suhad came to the U.S. from Asia. Suhad likes traveling. Gennadiy felt happy yesterday.
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The best gift is my health. My God gave it to me. It is a special gift because without health you couldn`t do anything in your life, so I thank my God every moment. He gave me two eyes to see beautiful things in the world and to read good stories so I can understand everything in life. He also gave me two ears to hear the sounds. He gave me a nose and gave me hands and legs and a heart and many other things I cannot count. Each one of these works differently. Do you agree with me that it is a really special gift?

Tatyana

My house is in Russia. I liked my house when I was a child very much. My house had five rooms: one bedroom for my parents, one bedroom for my brothers, one bedroom for my sisters and me and a big living room and family room. My house had a big yard and garden. There were many apple, cherry, green pear trees, raspberry plants and vines with red and green grapes. There were also many vegetables and flowers. My house had a big driveway. I like my house because I was born there.

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My Friends in Class

All the students in level 3 are different. Hussein likes American food. Suhad is afraid of spiders. Hussein wants to go back to his native country. Lon came to the U.S. from Asia. Yolanda feels tired today.

Yolanda

REGULAR DAY IN MY LIFE

I go regularly to school and I like learning English.
I sometimes walk to the stores. When I don’t work,
I stay at home and clean, cook, and visit my friends.
Together we like to pray.

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MY FRIENDS IN CLASS

All the students in Level 3 are different. Gennadiy came to the U.S from Europe. Rosa is afraid of spiders. Lon Lives in Blaine, MN. Ocari wants to go back to her native country. Suhad came to the U.S from Asia. Hussein came to the U.S. last year. Tatyana had a good job in her native country. Suhad felt happy yesterday.

Personal Memories

My real name is Rosalba. I have a long story to tell. It was a mistake and it is very funny. My mother’s friend picked my name but the problem is she never knew who family was. We had one girl with the name Rosa. She is older. In my country, Mexico, it is very popular for a best friend from the mother’s side to pick a baby’s name. We don’t have a choice. After that, father, mother and friend go together to the church and the pastor covers the baby with clothes and signs papers. They go home to have a party for friends. I use Rosa only for my middle name because the truth is my real name is Rosalba. The problem is everybody calls me Rosa. I don’t have any problem with this but I don’t like it and I don’t have any idea what my name means.

Rosa

My friends in class

All the students in Level 3 are different. Tatyana likes American food. Lon felt sad on his first day in the U.S. Suhad lives in Blaine, MN. Hussein wants to go back to his native country. Yolanda feels tired today. Hussein came to the U.S. last year. Gennadiy had a good job in his native country and Riyadh likes traveling.

Ocari

Personal Memories

I remember my favorite piece of clothing when I was a child because it was funny. My mother went shopping in the city. My mother gave me a pair of shorts. The shorts were nice and comfortable. I remember they had stripes and squares of different colors. I remember wearing them all the time because they were my favorite shorts. When I got older the shorts didn’t fit me as well as they used to. So, I stopped wearing them.

Ocari

Suzanne

Suzanne is a teacher at College of Fine Arts. Suzanne is guiding her students to nature. She shows them the things that are interesting to notice. They are walking through nature and taking new photographs. When they finish work they go back to College. They will exhibit their work there. After graduating from College, they want to do this type of job. They are happy and love what they do. When they finish College they want to travel and create art to convey what they do to younger generations.

Senad

Africa

One day Pete and Ann saved money to go to Africa. They took a flight from South America to Africa. Suddenly they heard a flop. The airplane broke in the desert Pete and Ann came out and looked for anyone to fix the plane. Ann was crying. They didn’t know what to do. They walked, ran and jogged to the hill. They sat down and called for help. A man came and said, “I will take you home, but you need to pay me 5 million dollars. If you don’t pay me I won’t take you home.” They said, “Take us and we will pay you when we get home.”

Gisma

Poem

Night.
Dark, light.
Sleeping, drinking, watching.
Cold, blanket, rice field, swim.
Running, working, shopping.
Shiny, beautiful.
Day.

Child
Little, funny.
Playing, eating, sleeping.
Walk, toys, money, car.
Cleaning, supporting, helping.
Hard working, depressed.
Adult.

Mai Yia

Tom

Tom is the youngest person in his family. He is 19 years old. He goes to college every day. He doesn’t have time to wash his clothes. One day his mother came to his bedroom. She sees that Tom’s clothes are dirty. His mother gives him $20 to go to the laundromat to wash the clothes. Then he brought the clothes to the laundromat. He put clothes into the washing machine and he took money out. He wanted to get change. He put the money into the machine. Tom is too tired. He sits and reads the magazine. He spends $8.00 to wash his clothes. Now he went back to the house. He wants to have clean clothes and not be lazy again. Tom’s mother looks at him. He is a good a person now!

Mai Yia

Sun

Sun.
Hot and warm.
Swimming, walking, riding bikes.
Park, beach home, car, working.
Sleeping, reading, eating.
Cold and dark.
Moon.

Agnes

Gennady

Child.
Small and under-age.
Playing,listening,eating.
Happy,pupil,teacher,sad.
Big and grown-up.

Cat.
Fluffy, friendly.
Outgoing, overtaking, slinking.
Grasping, catching, hiding, fleeing.
Drawing, keeping, hurdling.
Smooth, scared.
Mouse.

One Sunday Evening

One Sunday evening Roman called his beloved at home. He asked to come out to the street, to a telephone call-box near the house.”What happened?” she asked. ”Come. I’ll explain everything,” said Roman. Mariya threw on a coat and a scarf, grabbed her purse and ran down the stairs. It seemed to her that she was flying. Mariya felt that something would change her entire life. She was very happy. Feelings overwhelmed her. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. Mariya saw Roman and ran up to him.”What happened?” he asked. “I have a great surprise. I got a promotion work and I am being sent to France for a new job for 2 years.” The purse tumbled out of Mariya’s hands. Everything faded before her eyes and everything seemed to stop. ”But that’s not all,” said Roman. He got down on one knee in front of Mariya. He took a small box from his pocket. ”I ask you to marry me and go with me to France,” said Roman. “Do you agree?” he asked and handed her an open box. In it lay a beautiful diamond. Mariya was feeling overwhelmed once again. “It is happiness to be loved!”, Mary thought and she said, “Yes.”

Gennady

Sun

SUN
HOT AND WARM
SWIMMING, PLAYING, WAKING
BEACH, PARK, READING
SLEEPING, RELAXING, READING
COLD AND BIG
MOON

Suhad

Parents

Mom
Sad , and , good
Working , talking , smiling
T- Shirt , talking , hat , sunglasses
Playing , sleeping , working
Happy , and , quiet
Dad

Kim

Yaru

Night
Dark, quiet
Relaxing, sleeping, dreaming
Peaceful, calming, busy, stressful
Talking, walking, running
Bright, noisy
Morning

I got number one

Sunday afternoon it was snowing, I with Dad, Mom, and my brother Peter went skiing at a Blaine park. I was the first to get down the hill, they chased me. I heard mom laugh and say, “Good job, Mike!” I was so happy, because skiing is better than jumping on my bed…some times. I dreamt I could ski. That time I got that feeling, after our downhill skiing, he did clap his hands. “Mike, you are number one! Give me five!” dad said. I felt great. Yeah!

Yaru

Yolanda

Light.
Bright, Hot.
Working, Lightning, Bursting.
Electric, Daylight, Night, Black.
Sleeping, Frightening, Dreaming.
Afraid, Resting.
Dark.

Winter

Tatyana.
Winter.
Cold, Snowy.
Snowing, Blowing, Slippery.
Park, City, Lake, Playground.
Swimming, Raining, Tightening.
Hot, Sunny.
Summer.

Pizza

It is Saturday evening. A family of four people is in the living room. Father Oleg and mother Mary work together. Son Alex and daughter Olga eat dinner after school. Mother and daughter are sitting on the sofa. Mom and daughter are eating pizza. Father Oleg and son Alex are sitting on the floor. Father and son are eating pizza too. The family is watching T.V. together. Before dinner the children played outside. Parents cooked dinner. After watching T.V. family is going to bed to sleep.

Tatyana

Tatyana

WORK.
HARD AND LONG.
TALKING, READING, WRITING.
STORE, SCHOOL, PARK, MCDONALD’S.
SWIMMING, RUNNING, CLIMBING.
FUN AND SHORT.
PLAY.

Bio Poem

1.Senad
2.Hard working and nice friendly.
3.Relative of son, grandkids, and parents.
4,Who likes job, family, and sport.
5.Who feels happy, tired, and shocked.
6.Who needs vacation, money, and good teachers.
7. Who fears bad people and war.
8.Who gives help, love, and gold.
9.Who would like to see Roma, parents, and grandkids
10.Resident of Blaine.
11.Paratusic.

Titiya

Apartment
Dirty and messy
Cooking, sleeping, eating
Television, lamp, stove, computer
Sitting, washing, studying
Clean and quiet
House




Sister
Polite and kind
Playing, talking, fighting
Jeans, hat, shoes, jacket
Working, watching, exercising
Bad and handsome
Brother

Winter Break

On December 17, 2010, we had our last day of school. Our winter break started. Lon saw a movie. He doesn’t like winter, so he stayed at home a lot. Leyla visited family. Agnes got money as a gift. She didn’t celebrate Christmas and she went last-minute shopping. Viktar cooked lots of food. Mai went to a restaurant. Mehmed likes winter and made a snowperson. Ola gave money as a gift. Ivan played games. Duaa felt happy. Gennadiy visited friends. Maria played snowballs with children and slept a lot. Gisma didn’t watch TV at all. Liubovi was very busy.

Yolanda