His job is to run around

Lock 37, Bolsover, Ontario

After the war of 1812--everything seems to begin with that war!--the British decided to build a shortcut from Lake Huron to the St. Lawrence River. Instead of going around from Lake Huron to Lake Erie, and then via Niagara Falls to Lake Ontario, before finally arriving at St. Lawrence River for the journey to the Atlantic Ocean, a scenic waterway, the Trent-Severn Waterway was built to connect Lake Huron to the St. Lawrence directly via all the little lakes to the northeast of Toronto.

Of course, because of the great difference in vertical distance between the start and finish, they had to build a series of locks and canals to allow a safe way for little boats to travel.

Some of these locks, operated by human power, can still be seen today. Enjoy the following clip:



If you arrive by boat (what a great idea for a field trip!), you can moor your craft by one of these locks and set up your tent for a small fee.

Nice warm picnic in the island park

Anyone interested in the Busker Festival downtown this weekend? Check out the info here!



Well, we didn't exactly get our formal group photo, but there was no shortage of food and fun at our schoolwide field trip to Centre Island.

Check out the following video and pictures, and write your Comment below!

Field Trip Directions and Today's Assignment

Our field trip with the school is on Friday, August 24, our last day of school before it reopens on September 10. Please meet at 9:55 a.m. at Sheppard Yonge on the Southbound platform (those who want to leave earlier from Don Mills Station with other classes can meet at that station at 9 a.m.). As you will need to take a ferry to Centre Island, don't forget to bring $7 for the fare. You might wish to bring a camera, sunblock, sunglasses, sports/recreational equipment, and water and snacks. At noon, we'll be meeting with everybody near the Harbour Tours Kiosk (no. 13 on some maps, but look out for your MicroSkills friends!) for a group photo and picnic lunch.

Monday Assignment

Issues of rental, involving landlords and tenants, are often difficult to deal with. Today, you will learn some of the language that may help you work your way through some of those issues.

1. Listening & Role Play: Renting an Apartment
2. Vocabulary & Pronunciation: Tough Negotiations
3. Research & Bloggging: Using Google and Google Images, create a preview of Centre Island with text and pictures. How long does it take to get from your home to our meeting place at the Harbour Tours Kiosk on the island (No. 13 on the map)?

Friday Assignment

After a wonderful field trip, the first thing to do is to update your blogs with a report on the field trip to Woodbine Beach (some of you had a tour of the Beach and the Danforth). See if you could work in some conditional sentences of regret or relief. If you haven't completed your editing/corrections, please do so right away.
When you have finished, enjoy this listening comprehension activity: Sightseeing in Town
If you'd like to join some fun activities with Grant in the Level 3 classroom, you may do so at 1:30 p.m.

Have fun!

BONUS: When you finish, click on the "Read More" link below to watch a video!

Sun, Sand, and Spicy Noodles

Arriving from different directions and via different modes of travel, LINC 4 - 5 participants headquartered themselves on the western end of Woodbine Beach before fanning out to the rest of the park. Some went on long boardwalk walks while others played in the sand or sat in the shade. One was studying for college.

Michael, Ying Xuan, Ying Zhang, Iris, Wajdi, Jessica, Alice, Amy, Ding, Lei, and Anna were among those who wiggled their toes in the beach volleyball courts where we picnicked.

At noon, Lei broke out his mala spicy noodles, and others shared their fruits, chocolate wafers, and other goodies. Check out the pictures below and your classmates' writeups on the right.

Field Trip on Thursday, August 16: Woodbine Beach; and Wednesday Assignment

Weather looks good through 1:30 p.m. and beyond! Looking forward to seeing everybody there!

We're going on a class picnic on Thursday; so please leave your stilettos and business suits at home. Bring your recreational gear, and be prepared to enjoy one of Toronto's best-loved beaches. Here's how to get here on public transit.

Hopefully, we'll have lovely weather and lots of fun on the sand, lawn, boardwalk, and--possibly--a kayak. Don't forget your sunblock, snacks, and other fun stuff.

View Larger Map

Please arrive at the carpark (destination) by 10:30 a.m.

Saying Cheese on a Wednesday Morning

Before Class

After Class

Say hello to all our happy classmates today! Who's not here?

Monday Assignment

Welcome to a week's study on the theme of Travel & Transportation—Cities & Places of Interest.

1. Check your blogs using the editing checklist and make them really spiffy.
2. Listening & Vocabulary: Visiting a Big City
3. Role Play 1: Parts of a City 
4. Role Play 2: A Difficult Place to Find 
   

Which credit card's best for you?

Ideally, some people would say, we should not have to carry any credit cards. Just pay with cash and stay away from debt. Going by the cases on reality TV, this is probably a good principle for a large number of households in North America, especially those who have racked up many years' worth of debt.

However, there are others who have the discipline to pay off their balances on time and avoid paying interest altogether. In some cases, these cards come with purchase protection, rental insurance, reward points, roadside assistance, membership privileges, or even an annual cash rebate. If you fall into this category of card user, which one is best for you?

That's where the trouble is. It depends on how much you spend on groceries, gas, entertainment, etc. It also depends on how many cards you're willing to carry and how long you're willing to wait to redeem the bonus points. There are simply too many parameters to think about to come up with a quick answer. But the good news is, there's this wonderful website called Can I Pay Less that does the number crunching for you.

For more information and a fun and easy test drive, check out their website.

Other Countries' Olympic Houses

Watch this video and list all the Olympic houses featured.



Which is your favourite?

Now enjoy the following articles on London's Olympic houses:

1. Global Party
2. Dutch House
3. Addresses and Costs
4. Top Five
5. A Special Visitor

Field Trip Options for August and Wednesday Assignment

Folks, we really need to decide where to go:

1. Woodbine Beach, August 17 (rain day August 24)
2. Canadian National Exhibition Opening Day, August 17, $8 each
3. Tasty Thursdays, August 16, at Nathan Phillips Square, with a walking tour of Toronto's PATH Underground City

 

Lock in your vote under Comments, below.

Today's Assignment:

Today, continuing our theme of family relationships and conflict resolution, we have the following tasks to do:

1. Check your blogs using the Editing Checklist. Correct the nine kinds of mistakes before updating.
2. Research: Google for the definition of the word mediation. Use the search bar at 211 Toronto to find and identify on your blog three mediation resources in your neighbourhood. 
3. Listening and Role Play with a partner: Describing Anger and Hatred
4. Update blogs with a report on the field trip to the Ribfest or the long weekend. Or write a paragraph of when you did something at home that caused you either regret or relief.

Get a Powered Boat Licence for $20 Less

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By clicking on this DealTicker link, you not only get to save money, you'll also be helping me |(I get $2.90 per purchase, ha!) buy my dream cottage by the lake!  :D  Just remember to give me a joy ride when you pass!

Crazy Budget Extremes: From Ribfest to Outlet to Thrift Store

Our field trip exposed us to polar extremes in pricing--from $23 ribs and $10 onions to 21-cent leather belts and biscuits for a steal--a good lesson on how to abound and how to be abased in a new country!

Here's more videos and pictures: