Shool's out
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Well we got no class, Yesterday we went to my step-daughter's graduation from sixth grade. Not a big deal, it was held in the school gym at 1:00. It was obviously not rehearsed but still quite a nice thing for the parents. The highlight was the graduates had selected several of their classmates to give speeches. Taking the stage first were a girl, a boy, and a sign language interpreter. The girl spoke first and the interpreter signed. She spoke quite clearly although not perfectly; she described herself as hard of hearing. Next the boy gave his speech in sign language and the interpreter spoke in English. Both said they knew no sign language when they first came to the school. Next was a girl who has been in the country about four years, coming from a refugee camp in Thailand. She didn't say her country of origin, but I think Myanmar or possibly Laos. I was amazed at how clear (accent-free) her speech was. She was followed by a boy whose first language was English. He did an excellent job reading his speech but never really looked up from it. Finally a girl, also from this country, gave her speech. She didn't look up much either but used a lot of vocal inflection. It was moving. Why don't I ever have tissue when I need one? Another thing I found interesting is how the complexion of the school (and the therefore the city) has changed. This is the same grade school where I went decades ago. Back then it mostly neighborhood kids who walked to school, there was only one bus. Almost all white kids and a minority of minorities. (Please understand that I'm not complaining about this, merely reporting it. In fact, I'm quite pleased by it.) Now the majority of students come on a school bus and are what we used to call minorities. Looking at my younger son's class picture I find this demographic: 2 blacks, 3 whites, 3 Hispanics, 13 Asians. As each of the sixth grade teachers introduced their students and handed them their certificates, I observed that one teacher had 5 students with the family name Yang and 3 with the family name Xiong. My daughter's teacher couldn't pronounce either of her names. (Not that it's easy for your average American.) So he called her by her American nickname, Joy, and murdered her family name. Oh well, thanks for trying. Curiously her certificate also had her nickname. What's become of propriety? We like this teacher really well, but he shows up for school, on graduation day, wearing a golf shirt, open at the neck exposing a white tee s
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Well we got no class, Yesterday we went to my step-daughter's graduation from sixth grade. Not a big deal, it was held in the school gym at 1:00. It was obviously not rehearsed but still quite a nice thing for the parents. The highlight was the graduates had selected several of their classmates to give speeches. Taking the stage first were a girl, a boy, and a sign language interpreter. The girl spoke first and the interpreter signed. She spoke quite clearly although not perfectly; she described herself as hard of hearing. Next the boy gave his speech in sign language and the interpreter spoke in English. Both said they knew no sign language when they first came to the school. Next was a girl who has been in the country about four years, coming from a refugee camp in Thailand. She didn't say her country of origin, but I think Myanmar or possibly Laos. I was amazed at how clear (accent-free) her speech was. She was followed by a boy whose first language was English. He did an excellent job reading his speech but never really looked up from it. Finally a girl, also from this country, gave her speech. She didn't look up much either but used a lot of vocal inflection. It was moving. Why don't I ever have tissue when I need one? Another thing I found interesting is how the complexion of the school (and the therefore the city) has changed. This is the same grade school where I went decades ago. Back then it mostly neighborhood kids who walked to school, there was only one bus. Almost all white kids and a minority of minorities. (Please understand that I'm not complaining about this, merely reporting it. In fact, I'm quite pleased by it.) Now the majority of students come on a school bus and are what we used to call minorities. Looking at my younger son's class picture I find this demographic: 2 blacks, 3 whites, 3 Hispanics, 13 Asians. As each of the sixth grade teachers introduced their students and handed them their certificates, I observed that one teacher had 5 students with the family name Yang and 3 with the family name Xiong. My daughter's teacher couldn't pronounce either of her names. (Not that it's easy for your average American.) So he called her by her American nickname, Joy, and murdered her family name. Oh well, thanks for trying. Curiously her certificate also had her nickname. What's become of propriety? We like this teacher really well, but he shows up for school, on graduation day, wearing a golf shirt, open at the neck exposing a white tee s
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Thanks. You are an excellent writer.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
You're welcome and thank you for the gracious compliment.
BDF A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool. -- Moliere
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Well we got no class, Yesterday we went to my step-daughter's graduation from sixth grade. Not a big deal, it was held in the school gym at 1:00. It was obviously not rehearsed but still quite a nice thing for the parents. The highlight was the graduates had selected several of their classmates to give speeches. Taking the stage first were a girl, a boy, and a sign language interpreter. The girl spoke first and the interpreter signed. She spoke quite clearly although not perfectly; she described herself as hard of hearing. Next the boy gave his speech in sign language and the interpreter spoke in English. Both said they knew no sign language when they first came to the school. Next was a girl who has been in the country about four years, coming from a refugee camp in Thailand. She didn't say her country of origin, but I think Myanmar or possibly Laos. I was amazed at how clear (accent-free) her speech was. She was followed by a boy whose first language was English. He did an excellent job reading his speech but never really looked up from it. Finally a girl, also from this country, gave her speech. She didn't look up much either but used a lot of vocal inflection. It was moving. Why don't I ever have tissue when I need one? Another thing I found interesting is how the complexion of the school (and the therefore the city) has changed. This is the same grade school where I went decades ago. Back then it mostly neighborhood kids who walked to school, there was only one bus. Almost all white kids and a minority of minorities. (Please understand that I'm not complaining about this, merely reporting it. In fact, I'm quite pleased by it.) Now the majority of students come on a school bus and are what we used to call minorities. Looking at my younger son's class picture I find this demographic: 2 blacks, 3 whites, 3 Hispanics, 13 Asians. As each of the sixth grade teachers introduced their students and handed them their certificates, I observed that one teacher had 5 students with the family name Yang and 3 with the family name Xiong. My daughter's teacher couldn't pronounce either of her names. (Not that it's easy for your average American.) So he called her by her American nickname, Joy, and murdered her family name. Oh well, thanks for trying. Curiously her certificate also had her nickname. What's become of propriety? We like this teacher really well, but he shows up for school, on graduation day, wearing a golf shirt, open at the neck exposing a white tee s
Big Daddy Farang wrote:
She picks Chuck E. Cheese
In hell, there is a Chuck E. Cheese one step up from fire and brimstone, but one step below having to watch Dora the Explorer reruns. I hate Chuck E. Cheese's, good for your wife to put her foot down, it would be tolerable though if they servered adult beverages, then you could at least stand the screeming little runts that occupy that place.
MrPlankton
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Big Daddy Farang wrote:
She picks Chuck E. Cheese
In hell, there is a Chuck E. Cheese one step up from fire and brimstone, but one step below having to watch Dora the Explorer reruns. I hate Chuck E. Cheese's, good for your wife to put her foot down, it would be tolerable though if they servered adult beverages, then you could at least stand the screeming little runts that occupy that place.
MrPlankton
MrPlankton wrote:
if they servered adult beverages
Well they almost do. We were there recently because the son who now has a black eye won an award at school. This one, maybe not all locations, had two kinds of wine, and beer. After yielding to begging from the kids, I bought some more game tokens and a beer. They had Bud and Bud Light. They had to get the manager (the gals at the counter may have been too young to dispense it legally) and he asked me for valid ID. :wtf: I think I look pretty good for my age but any fool can see I'm well over 21.
BDF A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool. -- Moliere
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MrPlankton wrote:
if they servered adult beverages
Well they almost do. We were there recently because the son who now has a black eye won an award at school. This one, maybe not all locations, had two kinds of wine, and beer. After yielding to begging from the kids, I bought some more game tokens and a beer. They had Bud and Bud Light. They had to get the manager (the gals at the counter may have been too young to dispense it legally) and he asked me for valid ID. :wtf: I think I look pretty good for my age but any fool can see I'm well over 21.
BDF A learned fool is more a fool than an ignorant fool. -- Moliere