First Step Job Training Program – ENROLLING NOW for May-June Class!

The Coalition for the Homeless’ First Step Program is currently recruiting for its next free, in-person job training class that focuses on helping women prepare for careers in the Human Services field. The upcoming class will begin on Monday, May 13th and run through Friday, June 21st. The program takes place every weekday from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm over those six weeks in its offices at 129 Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan.  

First Step is an HRA-approved program that empowers homeless, formerly homeless and/or low-income women through a holistic and empathetic approach. With computer training, social service support, literacy building, career mentorship, and job search assistance, it aims to help women build their self-confidence and achieve their employment and educational goals. Look at the flyer below with more details on the specific skills students can expect to develop in the class. 

Some of the topics covered in First Step include:

• Google Suite applications, Microsoft Office products, and Salesforce 
• Empathy, Active Listening, & Emotional Intelligence 
• De-escalation & Problem-solving
• Assertive Communication & Conflict Resolution
• Resumes, cover letters, interview preparation, and career exploration
• Administering Naloxone

The requirements to be considered for the class are the following:

• 18 years or older
• Identify as a woman
• Live in one of the five boroughs of New York City
• US work authorization
• Proficient in English 
• Complete a 3-step application and enrollment process

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Chinese Chicken Noodle Soup

This Chinese chicken noodle soup is an easy traditional noodle soup you can make any day of the week. 

VOCABULARY –

slices – thin, broad pieces of food, such as bread, meat, or cake, cut from a larger portion.

pat – touch quickly and gently with the flat of the hand.

simmer – stay just below the boiling point while being heated.

Leafy greens – plants with leaves you can eat.

tablespoon –  a unit of measure used in cooking

handful – as much or as many as your hand will hold

INGREDIENTS

• ▢1.5 pounds chicken leg quarters(about 2 leg quarters)
• ▢2 tablespoons oil
• ▢1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• ▢5 cups water
• ▢2-3 slices ginger (about ⅛-inch/0.3cm thick, 2 inches/5cm long)
• ▢1 scallion
• ▢salt (to taste)
• ▢white pepper powder (to taste)
• ▢8 ounces fresh thin wheat noodles (of your choice; or 3.5 ounces/100g dried noodles)
• ▢1 large handful leafy greens (such as baby bok choy, choy sum, spinach, or even romaine lettuce)
• ▢chili oil (to garnish, optional)

INSTRUCTIONS –

Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Preheat a thick-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the oil, and then add the chicken legs skin-side down. Cook for 3-4 minutes then flip and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes.

Add Shaoxing wine, water, ginger slices, and a whole scallion. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to the medium-low, and simmer (covered tightly) for 40 minutes.

Boil water in a separate pot. Remove the chicken leg quarters from the soup pot, and let cool for a few minutes. Add salt and white pepper powder to the soup to taste. Cover and keep warm on the stove. Shred the chicken into large strips with a fork.

By now, your water should be boiling. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. In the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooking, add the leafy greens, and cook along with the noodles.

Divide the noodles and greens among 2-3 bowls, and ladle the soup broth on top. Top with the shredded chicken and chili oil (if desired). Serve! 

Source: https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-chicken-noodle-soup/

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Friendship

Our 2A, 2P, and E2 students thought about and shared what friendship is through their writings. Let’s read a couple of works from them and think of our best friends!

Oksana of 2A

What is a friend? A friend is someone who is a very close person, who feels for me and supports me if I need that. A friend is a person who always wants to speak with me, who is interested in my problems. If people have friends, they feel happy and not alone. I have a few close friends. These people are the best people in my life. 

I am Ukrainian, and my close friends are also from Ukraine. Our friendship began in childhood and continues to this day. In the days of our youth, we spent a lot of time together; we traveled to various interesting places, went to dances, and were constantly in touch. Over the years, each of us got married and had two children. Our friendship has remained as strong as in childhood. We had a beautiful life in Ukraine. But in 2022, war started in my country. It was a terrible day in our lives. I moved to the USA with my children; one friend went to Germany; another went to Poland. For each of us, moving was a difficult decision. In our new countries we had to start life from scratch. The war separated us, but we keep in touch. We often text each other; we call on holidays and birthdays, and together we worry about our Ukraine. Our main dream is to be together again in Ukraine. Unfortunately, I don’t have close friends in the USA. It is very difficult to meet a true friend and it takes time. My real friends are my childhood friends.  

I believe that a person who doesn’t have real friends is unhappy. Each of us has  difficult situations in life. The advice of a friend is of great value at such times. Support, advice, and a kind word are exactly the things you can get only from true friends. I am happy because I have real friends. This is a great gift in my life. 

Qi of 2A

In my view, a friend is someone who takes the initiative to help you when you need help. For me, meeting good friends is like breathing oxygen, and is an antidote to a tiring life. They express their desires freely, can be themselves easily and comfortably, and can also bear some confusion and unhappiness with others. 

I still remember when I first came to the United States. I had no friends and no job. I was alone for a long time. During those days when I had no friends, I felt forgotten by the world and even a little depressed. By chance, I met my first friend in church. We went to church together every Sunday and hung out, ate and chatted together when we were free. She also helped me find my first job. The appearance of friends makes a boring life interesting. My second friend was one I met when I was working in Boston. We worked together for a year. We helped each other during the workdays, talked and laughed every day, and the time passed very quickly. One day at work, my stomach suddenly hurt so much that I couldn’t continue working. She discovered that I was feeling unwell in time and offered to help me complete the remaining work and let me go home to rest. At that moment, she appeared in front of me like a hero, and I was very grateful to have met such a friend. My third friend is my sister and my best friend. We have been together since the moment she was born. As a child she always talked a lot around me, which was annoying. But since I came to the United States, I don’t have the nagging sister around me, and I actually miss her. Fortunately, my sister also came to the United States three years after I did. Her arrival brought me many surprises and touched me. She remembers my birthday and prepares gifts, birthday cakes, and surprises for me. Because of the appearance of friends, life has become better and better, and I am full of expectations for my future. 

We can’t live without friends. Friends are indispensable in our lives. I hope everyone can meet their own friends here, as I have. 

Ebru of E2

When I came to NYC, I met a girl. We shared the same room. We were both alone. She left her mother and I left my daughter in Turkey. We got closer. We started going everywhere together. We were having dinner together. Her name was Blin. She was 20 years old. She was a very beautiful girl. She was very mature, understanding, cute, kind and respectful. We shared interests and overcame challenges together and learned from each other along the way. As our bond grew stronger, we discovered the true meaning of companionship. 

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Learning about Different Topics

Our students learn English about different topics not only in their regular classes but also through workshops presented by different partner organizations. To name a few, our intermediate and advanced level students learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. in February and March from Mae of the Chinese Progressive Association New York, about the U.S. education system and parent-teacher conferences in March from Courtney who was our previous weekend teacher, and about workforce readiness such as writing a resume, preparing for a job interview, and searching for a job online in March and April with Washington Heights Workforce 1 Career Center. There are more topics to come ahead!

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Giant Blueberry Smashes Record for Heaviest Ever

VOCABULARY –

record-breaker – someone or something that beats the previous best result in a sport or other activity

scales – An instrument used for weighing

smoothie – a thick, smooth drink made from fruit

Guinness World Records – a reference book published every year that lists world records of human achievements

READ THE ARTICLE –

A farmer in Australia has broken the record for growing the world’s biggest blueberry. The giant berry weighed 20.4 grams. This smashed the previous record of 16.2 grams. The record-breaker was as wide as a ping pong ball. It was 39.31 millimeters (1.57 inches) in diameter. It was 10 times heavier than a regular blueberry. The farmer said he was overjoyed to be verified by Guinness World Records.

He added: “While the fruit is large, there’s absolutely no compromise on quality or flavor.” At first, he was unsure if he had broken the record. He said he had to check the weighing scales to make sure. When asked what he would do with his prize berry, he said he might use it in a smoothie.

SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. giant	a. champion
2. smashed	b. very happy
3. quality	c. table tennis
4. ping pong	d. taste
5. overjoyed	e. very big
6. prize-winning	f. crushed
6. flavor	g. condition

Source: https://breakingnewsenglish.com/2403/240318-giant-blueberry.html

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Your Story, Our Story with Tenement Museum

Our University Settlement students are studying level 1 English as a Second Language at the Eldridge Street location.  They commit to a ten-month language immersion class that meets every Saturday and Sunday morning for three hours. Most have been in the country less than one year. Some are married with young children.  Most have studied in college in their home country, and some have completed a bachelor’s degree. In addition to attending school and caring for their families, they hold full and part-time jobs.  As their English improves, they will be able to pursue more lucrative careers. 

Your Story, Our Story features objects that tell personal stories of American immigration and migration.

LP RECORD PLAYER

by Dmytro Zolotov

Click Here to Read More of Their Stories!

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Summer Rising

The Summer Rising portal will open after 3PM on March 4 and close on March 25! Applications will be submitted using your NYC MySchools account . You can find your NYC MySchools account information by contacting your child’s school or visiting a Family Welcome Center (Family Welcome Centers (nyc.gov). 

Program Overview

Summer Rising 2024 is a partnership between New York City Public Schools and the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD). Summer Rising is free and available to all NYC students in grades K-8, pending seat availability.

Students in Summer Rising will have access to both academic and enrichment programming over the course of the day, including field trips, arts activities, and outdoor recreation. Programs will planned and operated collaboratively by school principals and community-based organizations (CBOs). The environment will be safe and supportive with staff prepared to respond to children’s social and emotional needs. Breakfast, lunch, and snack will be served. 

A typical day for students in grades K–8 will include a mix of academic support, social emotional learning, and enrichment activities. Academics will be provided by licensed teachers in the morning. Enrichment activities (such as art, sports, and play) will be led by CBO staff in the afternoons and on Fridays. CBOs will also facilitate enrichment in the morning, alongside academics, for K-5 programs. Students with disabilities who may require additional supports to participate in programming, such as a paraprofessional, will receive those supports as needed.

Multilingual learners/English language learners (MLs/ELLs) in grades K-8 participating in Summer Rising will engage in culturally responsive and student-centered academic opportunities in the morning and participate in afternoon enrichment sessions facilitated by trusted community-based organizations. Additionally, in the morning, MLs/ELLs will receive instruction targeting language and literacy development to support them with grade-level content. English as a New Language (ENL) teachers can provide MLs/ELLs with support through various instructional models, including small-group instruction or one-to-one support for MLs/ELLs. 

March 7, 2024 at 6:30 PM – Parent Webinar Training on Summer Rising 2024 Application in MySchools https://zoom.us/j/96118833285(Open external link)

March 12, 2024 at 6:30 PM – Parent Webinar Training on Summer Rising 2024 Application in MySchools (Open external link)https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KVYtSUBhTN2KNVnwXaXn1Q(Open external link)

March 14, 2024 at 6:30 PM – Parent Webinar Training on Summer Rising 2024 Application in MySchools (Open external link)https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gth3qrYNTMipczaS4z-LoQ(Open external link)(Open external link)

For more details, please click HERE!

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