2015 Language Systems Basketball Tournament

This year’s basketball tournament welcomed us with a heat wave that kept everyone in the gym watching attentively. Students proudly wore their school colors as their teams took to the basketball court for a three on three tournament with no shortage of action and surprises.  

Students were greeted with drinks and pastries for breakfast. The court slowly filled with people and the energy grew by the minute. Team themed bows, shirts, slogans, and cheers were ever present in what turned out to be a day filled with smiles, chants, music, and the bizarre.

Cheers got louder as the tournament progressed.  The leading teams began to stand out clearly after the first game.  It appeared it would end in a point battle between Orange County and Downtown, but in the end, Downtown claimed the championship with no defeats and took the trophy home for this year.  It was a hard fought victory and another tournament win that downtown can add to their repertoire. 

After the game, everyone enjoyed pizza and soft drinks for lunch.  Students from all schools took the opportunity to meet and share stories from their experiences in the US. Staff and faculty worked diligently to make sure everything was in place and ready for students to enjoy.

Let’s hope next year’s tournament can be as exciting. The buildup is always slow, but the competitive spirit always rises to the occasion.  Congratulations to Downtown on their victory and congratulations to all who took part in making sure the tournament was successful.  And as always, GO Language Systems! 

By: Carlos L Takashima (PC  #NELAcampus)

www.languagesystems.edu

First Fridays!

 

What a night we had at the Natural History Museum! Everyone seemed to love the dinosaur bones and the exhibit of the founding of Los Angeles. First, we learned a little history, checked the gems and diamonds, and finally we danced our booties off. After, we met outside for a bite and an hour chat/class on meeting and making American friends. We had the best of times at First Fridays! Thanks for joining me and let's do it again soon! 

DJ - Teacher at the #SBLAcampus

www.languagesystems.edu

Karaoke Night with teacher Bhumika

Last Friday night, I organized a karaoke activity for the South Bay campus students which turned out to be a total hit. About 15-20 students from levels 1 through 7 attended. The location was not so far from school and the karaoke place was awesome. We made a reservation for the largest karaoke room which fits about 20-25 people. It was nice to have our private room with a big screen tv mounted on the wall and fancy disco lights to match the mood perfectly.

For many, it was their first time to join a karaoke event, not just in US, but the first time ever, since karaoke is not so common in their country, yet. But that didn't stop anyone from singing solos, duets and chorus all night. Also, it provided a great opportunity for students from different levels to mingle outside of school and make new friends.

Songs of many genres and moods were sung throughout the 3 or so hours we spent there. From Mamma Mia to Bruno Mars, Britney Spears to Eminem, love songs, hip hop songs...a good mix of everything. We got lucky to have students like Keisuke (level 6) who surprisingly raps very well, and Hiromi (level 3) who mesmerized us with her choice of love songs.

                      

It was a musical and memorable evening indeed. And the students can't wait for the next karaoke activity. They have promised they are going to practice and prepare more songs to be able to sing in English !! Good Job everyone !!

Bhumika Chettiar - Teacher @SouthBayCampus

www.languagesystems.edu

Norton Simon Museum Visit

The beginning conversation students had the opportunity to visit the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena on Saturday, February 21st, 2015. 

      

The students were excited to see many works of arts from painters they have studied and read about. 

   

The students also enjoyed the hundreds of sculptures from around the world. The visit provided students an opportunity to use their English skills to describe works of art they liked and even some they didn't understand. 

Although they are more accustomed to art from their country, they understood talented artists are the same all over the world.

Tommy Munoz - CMAR 1 #NELAcampus

www.languagesystems.edu

Clippers Game

     

It was a beautiful Martin Luther King Jr. holiday when I accompanied a group of Language Systems students to see the L.A. Clippers play the Boston Celtics. For many students it was their first experience riding the L.A. Metro trains, so after buying some TAP cards we were off. During the game, many of us had pretzels and popcorn among other snacks that were on offer at the Staples Center. Some of us even bought some Clippers gear. A great time was had by all. @NELAcampus

By: Jacob Slingland (Teacher) 

 

I had a good experience going to the Staples Center with classmates. We bought a TAP card and took the train to the Staples Center. We made it just in time. I was sitting with classmates and ate burgers and pop corn while watching the game : )

By: Feng, Yong Yan - Vivian (Student)

www.languagesystems.edu

Hike in Rancho Palos Verdes

On Sunday, January 18, Language Systems - South Bay Los Angeles enjoyed a rugged outdoor hike in Rancho Palos Verdes. It was a two and a half hour hike with an incline of 1,300 feet and covered five miles of trails. 

Students had the opportunity to meet local residents of the South Bay and practice their English, and saw a breathtaking sunset on the way back.  It was a great way to keep our New Year's resolutions to get more exercise! 

www.languagesystems.edu

Ugly Sweater Contest

Colorful Christmas sweaters have been part of the holiday tradition in the United States for almost a century, but they weren't always considered "ugly." Sweaters that were brightly colored in mostly reds and greens and decorated with winter scenes, snowmen, Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas trees, and everything related to the holiday were a common sight at holiday parties. It was often "grandmas" and  "aunties" who would give these sweaters as gifts that were often unappreciated. One might say that the sweaters have always been ugly, but only until recently have the ugliest sweaters become most popular. Younger generations are enjoying overly decorated holiday sweaters as more of a novelty than in the past by hosting "Ugly SweaterParties," where guests wear the ugliest holiday sweater they can find. 

At the end of last term, Language Systems hosted Ugly Sweater Contests at each of its campuses. Students, staff, and teachers were encouraged to wear ugly holiday sweaters for a chance to win a prize. There were lots of shiny bows, snowmen, snowflakes, and even some 3-D elements! It was very difficult to choose the best, but the winners definitely deserved it!

                             

www.languagesystems.edu