Thursday, March 26, 2020

Your Vampric Tutor

Your Vampric TutorIf you're considering a vampiric tutor for your Sims 3 game, you have a lot of options. There are a lot of different tutors that can be found online, and they come in many different packages.You will want to make sure that the tutor you choose is one that fits your needs as a player. For example, if you play a stealthy character, a vampire will not do anything for you. You need a tutor that will allow you to get your vampirism out of the way.You may find that there are many different options available for Sims vampirism tutors. The most popular tutor will allow Sims to become vampires, and then allows them to get vampirism and get it out of the way. In some cases, the tutor may also teach Sims how to channel their vampirism through their Sims.The Vampiric Tutor will teach the various stages of vampirism and how to use their Sims to complete these stages. They will usually recommend a specific character with which to use as a Vampire Sim. These Sims can be purchased from the store or be made by the user.Sometimes the tutor will suggest a character from the opposite sex, but the Sims vamp will not like this. The tutor may suggest that they make the character more attractive to the Sims, or even offer a romantic relationship. This is what is most important to the player and is not worth having an unhappy Sim with a Vampire, even if the game would have been easier. It may end up being better to pick a character with whom the player has a happy relationship.Tutors that offer a romantic relationship are good because they allow the player to marry their Sims. However, this type of tutor usually comes at a higher price. The tutor may suggest that you learn how to live in a circle and when it is best to feed off of other Sims, such as the Hunter.In addition, the price of the tutor will depend on the packages they offer, the time of year, and other factors. A higher priced tutor may require more attention and may take more time to prepare. This means th at the players who are trying to find a vampiric tutor should also plan their schedule around the tutor's schedule.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Back to Basics Review Present Simple and Modals

Back to Basics Review Present Simple and Modals I dont know if youve heard, but a has started, and its amazing.  So, in the spirit of great David Attenborough documentaries, our listening exercise today is a clip from another one of his  incredible  shows-Africa.  Before we watch the clip and complete the exercises, lets review some basic grammar concepts: present simple and modal verbs.  Sometimes, when youre  learning a language and improving a lot (thanks to our talented LOI instructors!), its important  to make sure you  have a solid base.  Even advanced students need reminders about these conjugations at times.  As always, we love to hear from you, so write your answers in the comments section below!Present SimpleForm: (I/You/We/They) + (verb)     (He/She/It) + (verb)srepeated actions (hobbies, habits, daily events)  facts, generalizations  events in near futurenow (non-continuous verbs: be, have, need, want, like, hate, and more.)Practice:He (is not needing/does not need) help right now.My flight (leave/leaves) tomorr ow at 11:00.New York (are/is) a big city.I (wake/wakes) up at 7:00 each day.I (is/am) at your apartment now.Click here for more present tense conjugation practice.Modal Verbs:Form: (Subject) + (modal) + (base verb)Uses:Practice:You (could to be/could be) right.He (couldnt find/couldnt found) his car keys.Could (you gives/you give) me a ride to school?She  (cans watch/can watch) the game tonight.They (must to go/must go) to the repair shop.He (doesnt must go/must not go).The Drongo __  the Kalaharis greatest _________, and these ___ his victims.After warming  up in the morning sun, the meerkats _____  their search for breakfast.The Drongo ___ now _____ his tricks, but he _____ first ___ the confidence  of his victims.He _____ an eagle on the hunt and ______ a warning, one that _____ the meerkats gratefully scurrying to safety.Now, he ___ their trust.He ______ another warning, but this time, ___ a false alarm.The meerkats fell  for it.  The idiom, to fall for means to believe somethi ng without reservation.  Do you often fall for someones tricks?How is  the Drongo a trickster?This all _____ too easy.  He _____ the same trick again.The meerkats arent stupid.  Theyll only ____ for it once.No meerkat ___ _______ that.  Sentries never ___.  But, the sentry ____ no danger.Of course, ___ the Drongo.Now, he ___ _____ his prize.timelines source

5 Tips for Getting Organized in 2020

5 Tips for Getting Organized in 2020 The start of a new year, a holiday seasons worth of clutter, and stores offering deals on every kind of bin and container imaginable is inspiring many of us to get our homes organized. Its no secret that getting and staying organized is a challenge for kids with ADHD and for many of their parents. Unfortunately, the same executive functioning challenges that make it difficult to get organized also make it harder for kids with ADHD to function in a disorganized space. When a home is more organized and less cluttered kids with ADHD lose things less often, have an easier time making decisions about what to wear or what to bring to school, are better able to follow through on their routines in the morning and before bed, and can get homework done with fewer distractions. While its important to teach kids with ADHD organizational skills, the first step in helping your kids stay organized is to first become more organized yourself. If this sounds easier said than done your not alone. While most parents of kids with ADHD want to create an organized environment, following through and actually creating and maintaining organization at home is a challenge that can sometimes feel out of reach. In fact, staying organized when you have a child with ADHD is hard! Why? Well, many parents of kids with ADHD have at least some symptoms of ADHD themselves, and difficulty with organization may be one of those symptoms. On top of this, having a child with ADHD puts extra pressure on parents, often leaving them without the time or energy needed to maintain a complicated organization system. And keeping up with extra clutter and mess that a child with ADHD might create at home can wreak havoc on even the most organized among us. While your home may never look like the cover of a home organization magazine, it is possible to create and maintain an organized enough home even when your family is affected by ADHD. Here are 5 tips to get you started: Start small and go slowly. Resist the urge to do everything at once, and view getting organized as something that will happen slowly, in chunks of time spaced out over weeks or months. Tackle one area of your home at a time this may mean starting with one corner of a room, or one drawer in a dresser. Really, no area is too small as long as it feels manageable. Assess your stuff. Resist the urge to run out and buy the bins and organizers that are tempting (or taunting) you in the stores. Instead, start by pulling everything out of the space you plan to organize and assess what you have. Group similar items together in piles and throw away anything that you dont absolutely need. Buy storage containers and organizers that are a good match for your stuff and your needs. You will probably need to purchase a few bins or drawer organizers if you want to stay organized long term. So, make sure the things you buy will actually fit the stuff you have. Focus on organizers that will help you keep the things you use every day accessible and will allow you to store the things you use rarely out of the way in labeled bins or boxes. Keep the solutions simple. The best organization systems are the ones that you and your family can maintain quickly and easily. So, keep it simple and choose function over appearances. Little things can make a big difference, like storing frequently used items in open bins on a floor or bench instead of in bins with lids stacked in a closet. Why? Kids (and adults) will ADHD often struggle to follow-through on anything that requires multiple steps. Using our bins with lids example, a bin stacked in a closet represents a 5-step solution that requires your child to: (1) get the bin out of the closet, (2) take off the lid, (3) drop the item in, (4) replace the lid, and (5) put the bin back in the closet. Instead, if the frequently used item is stored in an open bin on the floor or a bench, your child will simply need to complete 1 step and drop the item in the bin. So, the lidded bin in the closet may look more organized at first, but its not something that will be maintained long-term. Spend a few minutes each day maintaining the solution. Even simple solutions take some time to maintain. Fortunately, most organization solutions can be maintained in just a few minutes each day. During this time replace misplaced items and make adjustments to the system if theres room for improvement. Getting and staying organized may feel like a challenge when your family is affected by ADHD. But if you start small, take it one step at a time, and keep it simple you will end up with a home that functions and works well for your family. ABOUT DR. MARY ROONEY Mary Rooney, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco. Dr Rooney is a researcher and clinician specializing in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD and co-occurring behavioral, anxiety, and mood disorders. A strong advocate for those with attention and behavior problems, Dr. Rooney is committed to developing and providing comprehensive, cutting edge treatments tailored to meet the unique needs of each child and adolescent. Dr. Rooney's clinical interventions and research avenues emphasize working closely with parents and teachers to create supportive, structured home and school environments that enable children and adolescents to reach their full potential. In addition, Dr. Rooney serves as a consultant and ADHD expert to Huntington Learning Centers. ABOUT HUNTINGTON Huntington Learning Center is the tutoring and test prep leader. Its certified tutors provide individualized instruction in reading, phonics, writing, study skills, elementary and middle school math, Algebra through Calculus, Chemistry, and other sciences. It preps for the SAT and ACT, as well as state and standardized exams. Huntington programs develop the skills, confidence, and motivation to help students of all levels succeed and meet the needs of Common Core State Standards. Founded in 1977, Huntington's mission is to give every student the best education possible. Call us today at 1.800.CAN LEARN to discuss how Huntington can help your child. For franchise opportunities please visit www.huntingtonfranchise.com. This website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only.

Thursday, March 5, 2020

6 Clever Tricks to Learn Any Language on a Busy Schedule

6 Clever Tricks to Learn Any Language on a Busy Schedule 6 Clever Tricks to Learn Any Language on a Busy Schedule Want to speak another language?Having trouble finding the time to learn?What if I told you that with a little creativity and planning ahead, you could  work language learning into a busy schedule?Thats rightâ€"language learning is not just for  students, retirees and the independently wealthy!While getting comfortable in a  whole new language takes a substantial time investment, its definitely doable.The trick is to weave as much of your language learning  as possible into mundane daily activities that you perform regularly. This gives yourself an opportunity to practice without having to find an extended period of uninterrupted time to devote to language study.This approach not only cuts back the amount of dedicated language learning time youll need, but also has the added benefit of turning many of lifes blander everyday moments into interesting and productive steps on your language learning journey.So here are six tricks to learn any language on a busy scheduleâ€"or, if you want t o look at it from the other side of the coin, six tricks to spice up any daily routine with a little language learning! 6 Clever Tricks to Learn Any Language on a Busy Schedule1. Snooze Your Way to Foreign Language FluencyYouve probably heard that its a good idea to work on your new language right before bed so your brain keeps processing what youve learned during the night and you wake up a bit more fluent than you were before you went to sleep. But have you ever tried doing a little language learning immediately after waking up?Yes, I realize that at first glance this seems like an absolutely terrible idea. If youre anything like me, your state of mind immediately after waking is such that brushing your teeth is mildly challenging, preparing a decent cup of coffee makes full use of your mental faculties and learning a new language is completely out of the question.However, consider that you can start your day off with some language learning without even having to get out of bedâ €"thats starting to sound better, right? If you have an alarm clock or, more likely, a smartphone that lets you use custom alarm ringtones, simply create some voice memos involving new vocab words, grammatical structures or whatever else you want to “study” while cowering in bed and wondering how it can be morning again already.By using these memos as alarm sounds, youll have your brain fired up for language learning right from the break of day. This moves a little slice of your language practice into that gap between the time your alarm gets going and the time you get going. The best part of this technique is that the more times you hit snooze, the more you learn!There are several smartphone apps that let you set voice memos as custom alarms. For instance, the Wake Up Babe iPhone app allows you to “wake up to the sexy sounds of your boyfriend or girlfriends voice, while a romantic song plays in the background”â€"or, for our purposes, wake up to the sexy sound of new foreign language vocab words while a romantic song plays in the background.My Voice Alarm is another iPhone app that lets you record our own alarm sounds. Over in Android land, apps like Recording Alarm Clock and Voice Alarm will do the trick.If youre an iPhone user and dont feel like downloading any new apps, you can also just create voice memos and add them as alarms using iTunes. Doing these in batches is a good way to avoid having to sync up through iTunes every day. Or, if you want to take your learning-while-snoozing game up a notch, you can buy this alarm clock that lets you add custom sounds. It has the bonus feature of being able to actually leap off your nightstand and roll around your floor when it goes off (although, personally, the idea that my alarm clock could spontaneously come to life and begin moving around at its own discretion is enough to keep me from falling asleep at night).Even if youre like me and feel little inclination to do anything other than guzzle coffee most mornings, give this technique a shot. You might be surprised to find that you can actually get some language learning done even while hitting the snooze button like your life depends on it. At the very least, youll get some speaking practice in just recording the voice memos!2. Link Language Learning to Everyday TasksThe average person drinks about half a gallon of water a day. If you think about it, half a gallon is a lot of water, and drinking this much water a day is a significant commitment. It would take a fair amount of time to drink half a gallon of water in one sitting!But you never hear anyone say “Oh, Id like to drink half a gallon of water a day, but Im just too busy!” or “My schedule is packedâ€"I think Im going to have to skip my half-gallon of water today” or “I really want to drink half a gallon of water a day, but I guess Ill have to wait until I retire.” The one ingenious trick used by billions of people who manage to fit drinking half a gallon of water a day into their busy schedules, of course, is that they take many smaller helpings of water at regular intervals throughout the day.So if you want to fit half a gallon of language learning into your daily routine, why not use the same approach? One easy way to do this is to link your language learning to the little tasks you perform dozens of times over the course of a day. Promise yourself, for example, that youll learn a new vocab word every time you take a drink of water.Your thirst will then act as a periodic reminder not just to get a drink of water, but to keep on top of your language learning. Plus, youll be doing part of your language learning in frequent little sips rather than trying to find time in your busy schedule to gulp everything down at once. (This language learning strategy can also double as an educational drinking game, although not one Id necessarily recommend.)By binding your language practice to repetitive everyday tasks, youll turn routine daily chores int o powerful language learning tools and get in your half-gallon of language study before you even know it. The power of this technique is limited only by your imagination and the repetitiveness of your daily routine!Heres a place where being addicted to checking your smartphone can actually work to your advantage. If you commit to, say, learning a new word and using it in a sentence every time you look at your cell  phone, youll be amazed at your progress (or, worst case scenario, youll start thinking twice before reaching to see if you have any new text messages).3. Use Flashcards Without BordersIf youre a flashcards kind of person, you probably already know that flashcards are great way to integrate language learning into your everyday life. Theyre portable, convenient and extremely powerful. (And if youre not a flashcards kind of person, you should think about becoming one.)But if youre trying to learn a language on a busy schedule, sometimes just having flashcards isnt enough. So metimes you need a reminder even to look at your flashcards in the first place.And this is one place where going old-school and making some actual paper flashcards can help. Once youve written up your flashcards, distribute them across different places where youre bound to run into them as you go about your daily business. Put a couple in your kitchen to find when you wake up in the morning, leave a few in your car, place some on your desk at the office, and so on.Then as you go through your day, youll have regular chances to review a few vocab words at a time (or whatever else you decide to put on the flashcards) without having to make any effort whatsoever to schedule in your language learning. When you finally lie down to go to sleep at the end of your day, youll be surprised at how much youve learned with so little effort. And you may be equally surprised to find a few more forgotten flashcards lurking under your pillow, so you can get in some last-minute vocab review before sli pping off into dreamland.4. Immerse Yourself with FluentUAnother perfect way to get daily language practice is with FluentU. Whether you prefer using the website on your computer/tablet or the app from  the  iTunes  or  Google Play  store, this powerful language immersion platform makes it easy to fit entertaining learning into your day.FluentU provides you with a huge collection of authentic videos  that span  a variety of topics and levelsâ€"from complete newbie all the way to native.  Whatever youre looking forâ€"whether you love cartoons, wildlife documentaries, news features, blockbuster hits or pop musicâ€"FluentU has it. And the collections always growing!FluentU isnt just watching videosâ€"its about learning and actively practicing the language you hear in videos. Use the interactive subtitles, flashcards, downloadable audio/transcripts and vocabulary lists to learn native phrases better than ever!  Get the most out of your listening by spending time in FluentUs unique learn mode to learn all that the clip has to offer. Learn mode takes your learning history into account, asking questions based on what you already know, which  sets  you up for success.FluentU knows exactly when its time for you to review a term, so  it does all the tracking for you. Even just five  minutes  a day reviewing or learning on FluentU will keep you constantly progressingâ€"watch as your number of words learned climbs!5. Narrate the World Around YouFor a language learning strategy that you can use literally anywhere, try practicing your new language by keeping a running narrative of the world around you. Besides giving you a chance to review all the words and grammatical structures you know, and to build fluency by keeping a running monolog, this technique is infinitely adaptable.Walking down the street? Try narrating the things happening around you.Waiting in line? Talk about the other people you see and even make up stories about them (using your inner voiceâ€"not out loud, of course!).Stuck in a boring meeting? Maybe describe what the meeting is about and try translating some of whats being said.In addition to being a useful tool to help you learn any language on a busy schedule, narrating the world around you is a great way to practice thinking on your feet in a new language. Responding to the things happening around you will help you get better at drawing on your new language on the fly, and having all the new words and grammatical structures youre learning ready at your fingertips.6. Write on the GoOne of the best tricks to learn any language on a busy schedule is to start a language learning notebook and make it your bester Freund. If youre already keeping a vocabulary book, all the betterâ€"just block off a section you can use to start building your written fluency while youre on the go.Depending on your personal preferences, there are a few ways to do this. If youre the practical type, you can integrate your language practice into everyday orga nizational tasks by using your language learning notebook mainly for to-do lists and notes-to-self. If youre more introspective, you can start keeping a diary in your new language, writing down your experiences and thoughts whenever you have a chance. If youre feeling creative, you can even try maintaining a notebook of stories and poems. Or, if you like variety, you can go for some mixture of all three!Writing on the go is basically the written equivalent of narrating the world around you. Its a highly adaptable technique thats great for fluency-building. If you use these strategies to integrate writing and speaking practice into your daily routine, plus  the other strategies listed above, youve already relocated a huge chunk of your language study into the little empty spaces that recur throughout everyday life.In the end, you wont be able to get rid of dedicated language study time altogether. To return to the nutritional analogy: Even if you drink your half-gallon of water in li ttle sips over the course of the day, youll still want to eat dinner at night (its just not practical to eat your dinner in periodic bites over a span of 12 hours).But the trick is to make sure you dont have to eat your dinner and drink half a gallon of water at the same time. Use these techniques to integrate a good portion of your speaking/writing and vocab practice into your everyday routine, leaving only the essentials for your dedicated language learning time.And before you know it, “I wish I could learn a language, but I just dont have time” will become “I didnt think I had  time to learn a language, but I learned one anyway cause Im a boss!”

National Apprenticeship Week 2015

National Apprenticeship Week 2015 This week was National Apprenticeship week. One of the options open to students after the age of 16 is to train through an Apprenticeship scheme. In short, Apprenticeships are available across a range of sectors and at levels to suit all abilities. They aim to improve your skills, measure your capabilities and provide you with a nationally recognised qualification. This is a way of learning the skills necessary for various careers while earning at the same time. An Apprenticeship will often suit young people who do not want to go into full-time further or higher education, but still want to gain extra qualifications that are work related. There are more than 190 different occupations in which you can train through an Apprenticeship, from animal care to building trades, from administration to catering. For a level 2 apprenticeship you may need some GCSE subjects at grades A - C. For a level 3 programme (called an Advanced Apprenticeship) you will normally need five GCSEs, often including English, Science and Mathematics, or have already completed A-Level 2. To find an apprenticeship in your area head over to www.apprenticeships.gov.uk for more information.

5 Tips to Celebrate National Family Literacy Month

5 Tips to Celebrate National Family Literacy Month 5 Tips to Celebrate National Family Literacy Month Whether it’s your toddler mesmerized by the pictures and activities of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” or his Grandpa getting lost in the mysteries of a John Grisham novel, a love for books is timeless and shared across all generations. Nothing beats curling up with a good book and exploring the countless possibilities of worlds both real and imagined. “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”- Emilie Buchwald For many, the love for books starts at an early age in the stories our parents read to us. Providing your children with plentiful opportunities to listen to stories will help them learn to read and comprehend stories on their own. They also begin to think more actively as they listen to stories and picture the scenes described, wondering how the story will develop. When read to frequently, children can grow to love reading and will take the initiative to read more on their own. National Family Literacy Day ® is celebrated on November 1st each year and is a kickoff to National Family Literacy Month. This November, the celebration of National Family Literacy Month brings about a great opportunity for families to get back into the tradition of reading as a family. Here are ways you can promote family literacy at home. Set aside time each day for reading. Keep books visible around the house. Make regular visits to the library. Read the book version of your child’s favorite movie. Organize a children’s book club with friends in the neighborhood. Reading books that match ability and interests exposes children to new worlds. Check out the Kumon Recommended Reading List for age-appropriate book selections. You might also be interested in: 7 Ways to Celebrate Pi Day 6 Oral Reading Tips for Parents Happy Read Across America Day! Kick-off National Reading Month by Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ Birthday With These Fun Activities 5 Books to Read for Black History Month 5 Tips to Celebrate National Family Literacy Month 5 Tips to Celebrate National Family Literacy Month Whether it’s your toddler mesmerized by the pictures and activities of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” or his Grandpa getting lost in the mysteries of a John Grisham novel, a love for books is timeless and shared across all generations. Nothing beats curling up with a good book and exploring the countless possibilities of worlds both real and imagined. “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”- Emilie Buchwald For many, the love for books starts at an early age in the stories our parents read to us. Providing your children with plentiful opportunities to listen to stories will help them learn to read and comprehend stories on their own. They also begin to think more actively as they listen to stories and picture the scenes described, wondering how the story will develop. When read to frequently, children can grow to love reading and will take the initiative to read more on their own. National Family Literacy Day ® is celebrated on November 1st each year and is a kickoff to National Family Literacy Month. This November, the celebration of National Family Literacy Month brings about a great opportunity for families to get back into the tradition of reading as a family. Here are ways you can promote family literacy at home. Set aside time each day for reading. Keep books visible around the house. Make regular visits to the library. Read the book version of your child’s favorite movie. Organize a children’s book club with friends in the neighborhood. Reading books that match ability and interests exposes children to new worlds. Check out the Kumon Recommended Reading List for age-appropriate book selections. You might also be interested in: 7 Ways to Celebrate Pi Day 6 Oral Reading Tips for Parents Happy Read Across America Day! Kick-off National Reading Month by Celebrating Dr. Seuss’ Birthday With These Fun Activities 5 Books to Read for Black History Month

Spring Branch Independent School District

Spring Branch Independent School District Spring Branch Independent School District Inspiring minds. Shaping lives. Its not just a tag line...its a promise. People make the difference. Our educators and staff believe that all children can and will achieve their highest potential, and that everyone in the Spring Branch school district and area community is responsible for inspiring students to find their passion, and shaping that passion into a path to future success. Our staff and educators are committed to ensuring all students graduate prepared to make a positive impact in their own lives, and in the life of the community. Our Goal SBISDs goal is to double the number of students who graduate and go on to successfully complete some form of higher education. This goal, known as Spring Branch T-2-4, drives our work. To achieve our goal, we need the best and brightest educators and leaders. Dont just make a difference. Make the difference. We believe a students success starts with a great teacher. When you combine a great teacher and student...great things will happen! Research shows that teachers are the most important school-related influence that can positively impact student achievement and life-success. Great teachers engage students in learning, expand the possibilities, build futures and turn dreams into realities. We are looking for leader educators who are passionate about what they do, and who can share that passion with their students, co-workers and campus communities. Spring Branch T-2-4 To achieve our goal of T-2-4, and sustain excellence for all children in the future, SBISD is investing heavily in our people. We are committed to identifying and developing strong leaders within our school district. Some of the most inspiring and action-oriented people go into education as their lifes work. Ask yourself... Are you a highly effective educator who has the capacity to engage students and empower them to succeed? Do you set goals and achieve them? Do you hold your students, your peers and yourself to the highest standards? Do you believe all children have the ability to learn? If you answered YES...we need you to apply to be a teacher in SBISD! Our educators have the opportunities and support they need to excel in their classroom and beyond. Excellent Benefits Salaries Innovative Instructional Methods Outstanding Support at All Levels Growth Leadership Opportunities Community Supported Schools With Modern Classrooms State-of-the-Art Technology Resources Resources/Links: Our Teachers https://www.springbranchisd.com/pdfs/HR/teachers2.pdf Our Area https://www.springbranchisd.com/pdfs/HR/area.pdf What is Spring Branch T-2-4? https://www.springbranchisd.com/pdfs/HR/t24.pdf View our Brochure