PRACTICE KEEEPING COMMUNICATION OPEN WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES WHEN WORKING INTERNATIONALLY
USING NEWSLETTERS TO CONNECT SCHOOLS AND CONTINENTS
The following is an example of the sort of short newspaper or newsletter which I put out (but with photos) twice a month for the 3 schools that I work at here in the Matsu Islands of Taiwan, i.e. just off China.
I am targeting this email to the 100,000 or more native speakers of English who work either as language assistants or full-time language trainers in public and private primary and secondary schools around the globe. I think that communication is the name of the game in our efforts for peace and learning around the globe.
Such a newsletter gives our NNST (Non-Native Speaking Teaching colleagues) a chance to get in our shoes and learn how we see and approach the world. In addition, such newsletters can evolve into platforms for further discussions and personal growth in our professions.--KAS
Kevin on Beigan Island Newsletter November 9, 2010
(1)
Dear Schools and Friends,
This morning Victoria took Kenzenia out to the BanLi Beach for the sunrise. Giving a baby the morning sunshine is like giving vitamins to the baby. I later watched the waves roll in under the morning sun. I felt a sense of connection with all parts of our planet. Each wave has come from far away and the water touches all continents.
I recalled this connection to other corners of the world later in the morning (today) as I observed the flag-raising ceremony at our Ban Li School. Thursday, November 11, is celebrated in the USA and in many other lands around the world as Veterans Day. (In Taiwan it is yearly on November 12.) It is the day when nations recognize soldiers who have died in war.
http://www4.va.gov/kids/teachers/multicontent.asp?intPageID=4
Later--as in every November--most Americans will celebrate a 1-, 2- or 3-day holiday as part of the biggest family event of each year: This is the American Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has been a family tradition for all Americans since 1863, but had taken place in New England states since the 17th Century.-->
My wife, my baby, and I have a lot to be thankful for this November. Kenzenia just turned 6 months old and can move on to “solid foods”. The weather is suddenly very nice, sunny and warm. New friends have lent us a stroller for the baby to use here in Ban Li. (Our stroller is still in the Philippines .) Other new friends at different schools here on Beigan Island have given us presents and a warm welcome.
THANK YOU.*
--Kevin
*I have been happy to bring my wife and daughter to visit the Tang Qi and other schools. We enjoy sharing about ourselves, our lives and our culture. It’s fun. Thanks for these opportunities, too.
(2)
INDIAN SUMMER
When late October or November suddenly turn unusually warm as has occurred this past week here on Beigan Island , Americans call it “Indian Summer”. This is a weather phenomena that often takes place in the Northern Hemisphere. “It may be named [Indian Summer] because this was the traditional period during which early American Indians harvested their crops of squash and corn.”
(3)
Original American Thanksgiving at Plymouth—as adapted by Kevin Stoda from THE HISTORY CHANNEL http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving
In September 1620, a small ship, called the Mayflower left Plymouth , England, carrying 102 passengers—mostly religious separatists. These peoples, who are known as “Pilgrims” in American history, were seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith.
As still occurs today, some people lured the Pilgrims with the promise of prosperity and a better life in the New World . After a dangerous and uncomfortable crossing--lasting 66 days—the ship dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod . This was hundreds of kilometers from there promised destinaion. Eventually, the Mayflower Pilgrims began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth , Massachusetts .
Throughout that first terrible winter, most of the Mayflower colonists remained on board their ship. There they suffered from exposure, scurvy and other diseases. In all, only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring.
In March 1621, the surviving settlers moved off the ship, where they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English. Several days later, this same Indian returned with another Native American, Squanto, This was a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery--before escaping to London and returning to his homeland on an exploratory expedition sometime later.
Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to raise corn, to get sap from maple trees, to catch fish in the rivers. and to avoid poisonous plants. Squanto also helped the settlers form an alliance with the Wampanoag, a local Indian tribe. This treaty would endure for more than 50 years-- demonstrating that harmony between European colonists and Native Americans was possible. In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proven successful, the leader for these settlers organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. The event is now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”——and lasted for three days.
(4)
MORE ON THANKSGIVING
In America , people are used to traveling great distances to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. I recall as a child that my parents and 3 siblings drove in a car to my different grandparents—distances of 1000 to 1800 kilometers (round-trip) to visit family in that short holiday period.
My favorite Thanksgiving dessert was always the pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. My older brother liked the pecan pie, though. Pecans are a type of nut that grows widely in the USA —including on my relatives farms. The nuts are served upon a honey based cream.
Yummy.!!!!!
(5)
NOTE: At the center of the Thanksgiving celebration is normally the Roast Turkey. It is highly likely that the very First Thanksgiving dinner - celebrated by the Indians and Pilgrims - had this meat as a focal point. Of course, their dinner would have been wild turkey, whereas most of our turkeys today are domesticated and grown for the purpose of our Thanksgiving delight. Accompanying the turkey would be the stuffing (cooked inside the bird or separately) and turkey gravy to smother the meat, stuffing and potatoes.
http://www.americana-music-and-memories.com/traditional-thanksgiving-menu.html
The following is an example of the sort of short newspaper or newsletter which I put out (but with photos) twice a month for the 3 schools that I work at here in the Matsu Islands of Taiwan, i.e. just off China.
I am targeting this email to the 100,000 or more native speakers of English who work either as language assistants or full-time language trainers in public and private primary and secondary schools around the globe. I think that communication is the name of the game in our efforts for peace and learning around the globe.
Such a newsletter gives our NNST (Non-Native Speaking Teaching colleagues) a chance to get in our shoes and learn how we see and approach the world. In addition, such newsletters can evolve into platforms for further discussions and personal growth in our professions.--KAS
Kevin on Beigan Island Newsletter November 9, 2010
(1)
Dear Schools and Friends,
This morning Victoria took Kenzenia out to the BanLi Beach for the sunrise. Giving a baby the morning sunshine is like giving vitamins to the baby. I later watched the waves roll in under the morning sun. I felt a sense of connection with all parts of our planet. Each wave has come from far away and the water touches all continents.
I recalled this connection to other corners of the world later in the morning (today) as I observed the flag-raising ceremony at our Ban Li School. Thursday, November 11, is celebrated in the USA and in many other lands around the world as Veterans Day. (In Taiwan it is yearly on November 12.) It is the day when nations recognize soldiers who have died in war.
http://www4.va.gov/kids/teachers/multicontent.asp?intPageID=4
Later--as in every November--most Americans will celebrate a 1-, 2- or 3-day holiday as part of the biggest family event of each year: This is the American Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has been a family tradition for all Americans since 1863, but had taken place in New England states since the 17th Century.-->
My wife, my baby, and I have a lot to be thankful for this November. Kenzenia just turned 6 months old and can move on to “solid foods”. The weather is suddenly very nice, sunny and warm. New friends have lent us a stroller for the baby to use here in Ban Li. (Our stroller is still in the Philippines .) Other new friends at different schools here on Beigan Island have given us presents and a warm welcome.
THANK YOU.*
--Kevin
*I have been happy to bring my wife and daughter to visit the Tang Qi and other schools. We enjoy sharing about ourselves, our lives and our culture. It’s fun. Thanks for these opportunities, too.
(2)
INDIAN SUMMER
When late October or November suddenly turn unusually warm as has occurred this past week here on Beigan Island , Americans call it “Indian Summer”. This is a weather phenomena that often takes place in the Northern Hemisphere. “It may be named [Indian Summer] because this was the traditional period during which early American Indians harvested their crops of squash and corn.”
(3)
Original American Thanksgiving at Plymouth—as adapted by Kevin Stoda from THE HISTORY CHANNEL http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving
In September 1620, a small ship, called the Mayflower left Plymouth , England, carrying 102 passengers—mostly religious separatists. These peoples, who are known as “Pilgrims” in American history, were seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith.
As still occurs today, some people lured the Pilgrims with the promise of prosperity and a better life in the New World . After a dangerous and uncomfortable crossing--lasting 66 days—the ship dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod . This was hundreds of kilometers from there promised destinaion. Eventually, the Mayflower Pilgrims began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth , Massachusetts .
Throughout that first terrible winter, most of the Mayflower colonists remained on board their ship. There they suffered from exposure, scurvy and other diseases. In all, only half of the Mayflower’s original passengers and crew lived to see their first New England spring.
In March 1621, the surviving settlers moved off the ship, where they received an astonishing visit from an Abenaki Indian who greeted them in English. Several days later, this same Indian returned with another Native American, Squanto, This was a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery--before escaping to London and returning to his homeland on an exploratory expedition sometime later.
Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to raise corn, to get sap from maple trees, to catch fish in the rivers. and to avoid poisonous plants. Squanto also helped the settlers form an alliance with the Wampanoag, a local Indian tribe. This treaty would endure for more than 50 years-- demonstrating that harmony between European colonists and Native Americans was possible. In November 1621, after the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest proven successful, the leader for these settlers organized a celebratory feast and invited a group of the colony’s Native American allies, including the Wampanoag chief Massasoit. The event is now remembered as American’s “first Thanksgiving”——and lasted for three days.
(4)
MORE ON THANKSGIVING
In America , people are used to traveling great distances to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families. I recall as a child that my parents and 3 siblings drove in a car to my different grandparents—distances of 1000 to 1800 kilometers (round-trip) to visit family in that short holiday period.
My favorite Thanksgiving dessert was always the pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. My older brother liked the pecan pie, though. Pecans are a type of nut that grows widely in the USA —including on my relatives farms. The nuts are served upon a honey based cream.
Yummy.!!!!!
(5)
NOTE: At the center of the Thanksgiving celebration is normally the Roast Turkey. It is highly likely that the very First Thanksgiving dinner - celebrated by the Indians and Pilgrims - had this meat as a focal point. Of course, their dinner would have been wild turkey, whereas most of our turkeys today are domesticated and grown for the purpose of our Thanksgiving delight. Accompanying the turkey would be the stuffing (cooked inside the bird or separately) and turkey gravy to smother the meat, stuffing and potatoes.
http://www.americana-music-and-memories.com/traditional-thanksgiving-menu.html
posted by Kevin Anthony Stoda at 8:24 AM
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