Words of wisdom from ELC students

Hollywood is a city full of stars and during ELC LA’s picture day, many students had the opportunity to be one. Well… at least they had the opportunity to be in a full on photo shoot equipped with lights and backdrops taken by high profile professional photographer James Benito. After a long two weeks of promoting “picture day” amongst the school population, Cyndi and I were hopeful that picture day would be a success.  It was about five minutes past 3:20 when students started to show up to room 15 to take pictures. Thanks to our recruit Tobi Krebs who rounded up students throughout the school, ELC Los Angeles had many faces to photograph. With props like mustaches, bunny ears, ties, and boa’s, provided by Cyndi and Brandy, students were able to showcase their silly side in front of the camera. Using ELC Boston’s polaroid frame as an idea, Cyndi and I also made a vertical frame like a photo strip, and used the back side to make a horizontal frame like a film strip. It became clear, after just a few minutes, that some students, like Basmah and Sascha, were great models thanks to their love for the camera. Room 15 soon came to life full of fun and laughter as students split into groups and out-posed one another. Towards the end, everyone was invited to take a group picture.

It was so much fun that the ELC staff decided to participate as well. In the end, everyone got a taste of celebrity in front of the camera!
~ Nancy, the Administrative Assistant at ELC Los Angeles

ELC Los Angeles Staff:  Beth, Cyndi, Nancy, James, Vanessa, and Liz

See the full photo album on the ELC Los Angeles Facebook Page!

When we opened up ELC last Thursday morning, students immediately started roaming around the school with full enthusiasm. Why? Because it was the ELC egg hunt day! A couple of our office staff stuffed 170 eggs with little treats, and hid them all around ELC after school on Wednesday. There was also one special gold egg that we made sure to hide carefully, because the finder of the golden egg would receive a golden chocolate bunny for the prize. Yannis and Alex (pictured below) were especially motivated to find the golden egg. By 8:45am, Alex had already found it hanging by a paper clip in our ceiling of the main office!

The egg hunt was a great success and it looked like all the eggs were gone by the time it was our B-block. Some students were calling themselves “egg hunters”, and trying to find the rest of the eggs too. We’re so happy that a lot of our students were really into this Easter-themed activity! 

This year marks 113^th anniversary of Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations in Boston, MA! Not sure how to celebrate? Follow this guide and you’ll be sure to eat, drink and be merry! Don’t forget to try the green beer!!

1. Wear Green!  Seriously. This is not a joke! On SPD, this is the only acceptable color for clothing is some shade of green.  This tradition pays homage to the Irish flag, which is green, white, and orange. If you wear another color on March 17, you can expect to be pinched by your fellow partiers!
2. Go to ANY Irish Pub in Boston:  Boston has the best and most numerous Irish pubs in the USA! The best neighborhoods to find a busy Irish pub are in downtown Boston & Back Bay. St. Pat’s Day is one of biggest events in Boston so you’ll be sure to find Irish music (sometimes live!), dancing, green beer (don’t worry—its just food coloring!), and delicious Irish food!
3. The Boston Saint Patrick’s Day Parade:  The Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is Boston’s biggest parade of the year.  Thousands march as up to a million spectators line the streets in South Boston to enjoy the Irish Festivities.  This year, the event takes place right on Saint Patrick’s Day!  For the best viewing spots, take the T to Broadway around 1:00PM.  The parade will last about three hours!
4. Irish Step Dancers at Faneuil Hall Marketplace: Faneuil Hall Marketplace is home to some of the best street performers on the East Coast. On St. Patrick’s Day, you’ll find talented Irish step dancers performing to traditional Irish tunes.  There will also be plenty of other special treats like yummy Irish food at Cheers.
5. St. Patrick’s Day Road Race: Each year on St. Patrick’s Day, the South Boston Boys & Girls Club sponsors a 5K run to benefit needy children in the Boston area.  The race starts and ends at the Boys & Girls Club at 230 West 6^th Street in South Boston. 
6. Dropkick Murphys Concert at the House of Blues: The Dropkick Murphy’s are Boston’s most famous Celtic punk-rock band that was formed right here in Quincy, MA.  Although they spend most of the year touring the United States, they find their way home each St. Patrick’s Day for a special concert for their fans in Boston.  Tickets can be found at stubhub.com!
7. Boston Irish Film Festival: This four-day festival takes place at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, MA & the Somerville Theater in Somerville, MA.  The festival will showcase 30 of the best contemporary Irish films, shorts and documentaries. Visit www.irishfilmfestival.com for more information!

On Valentine’s Day, ELC Los Angeles was filled with love..and sweets! This year, we sold candy grams like previous years, and also had a cupcake decorating activity. Our candy grams were Hershey’s kisses roses that I handmade by putting together two Hershey’s kisses, cellophane, a lollipop stick, and floral tape. We sold three stems for $1 in the Main Office, and attached a little heart note where students could write a message. And of course, if students wanted to, they were allowed to keep the notes anonymous to surprise the recipient. It was a great success, and we will be donating any profit to a non-profit organization later on!

Candy Grams

Cupid & her bodyguard

I had the privilege to be the ELC cupid this year, and delivered the grams with my bodyguard Nancy during Conversation class. The grams were sent not only to students, but to teachers and office staff members too. It was such a pleasure to see the pleasantly surprised faces when I delivered them to each person!

Later during lunch, we had free cupcakes, frosting, and sprinkles in the student lounge for students to decorate and eat. (Big thanks go to Vanessa, Liz, and Nancy for helping me bake those cupcakes!) Students were slowly trickling in at 12:40pm already, and then there was a sudden rush of students who came to claim their cupcakes. By 12:55pm, all the cupcakes had completely disappeared! Lesson of the day? Our students love cupcakes, and next time we’ll need a lot more than 100 cupcakes.

Marine and Ornella

It was my first time celebrating Valentine’s Day with ELC, and I definitely had a pleasant day. I hope everybody else had a nice Valentine’s Day too!
- Cyndi, the Student Services Coordinator

When fresh snow covers the city, Boston turns into a charming, winter wonderland. Boston celebrates the winter through activities inspired by the snow. Below are some of our some of our favorite things to do. These activities should not be missed, especially if you are from a warm weather climate! You should experience everything winter has to offer. Come play in the snow with us!

Ice Skating at the Frog Pond: This activity is one of Boston’s oldest and most fun traditions! Each winter, the Frog Pond attracts thousands of visitors looking to have fun, get moving and take in some breathtaking, romantic views of the city. The rink is open Sunday - Thursday from 10AM – 9PM and stays open until 10PM on Fridays & Saturdays! Admission is only $5.00 and you can rent skates for just $9.00.

Sledding at Jamaica Pond: A bit off the beaten path, this pond is a local landmark and offers some of the best hills in the city for sledding. Pick up a cheap sled at Yumont Hardware on Center Street in Jamaica Plain (known as JP by the locals…) and walk down Burroughs Street to get to the pond. Be sure to take part in the “Sugar Bowl Challenge” – slide down this inverted hill and see if you can build enough momentum to make it up and over the bowl on the other side!

Go Skiing: This year, the Wachusett Mountain has teamed up with Boston’s MBTA to create a round trip “ski train” that leaves North Station at 8:35AM on Saturday’s and Sunday’s. A free shuttle bus will take skiers directly to the mountain and back at the end of the day to catch the 5:35 train back to Boston. This special train schedule will run from December 10 – March 31. Ski Train (commuter rail) fares as low as $7.75 one way! Visit www.wachusett.com for more information, prices and schedules.

Play in the Snow: Step One: Bundle up! Step Two: Gather friends and head to any of Boston’s beautiful snow-filled parks. Step Three: Pick up a handful of snow and throw it at your friends!

Climb the Bunker Hill Monument: At the top of this 221-foot granite monument you will see some of the best views that Boston has to offer! The monument is open to the public from 9AM – 5PM every day with the last climb at 4:30PM. You’ll certainly break a sweat climbing the monument’s 294 steps!

Join a Gym: Many Boston gyms offer pools, rock climbing and best of all: saunas! For indoor rock climbing, visit Rock Spot Climbing! They offer Student Nights on Friday & Sunday with discounted rate! The Boston Rock Gym offers indoor and outdoor climbing. For $58.00 you get a two-week course that includes three hours of lessons and climbing, equipment rental, a day pass and a two week gym membership! For more info on this awesome deal, visit bostonrockgym.com/indoor.htm!