NOWCAP Torrington, Wyoming Family Literacy ELA Department Magazine

A World of Diversity

December 2015

Contents

Did you Know That…………………………………………………………...pages 1-2 Our Stories………………………………………………………….pages 3-9 We Wish You a Merry Christmas………………………………………………page 10

Christmas is a time of sharing and joy. That is why most of the ELA students within the Adult Education Program at EWC and the NOWCAP Wyoming Family Literacy Center in Torrington came together and shared their Christmas stories in this special Christmas edition of the ELA Magazine. I joined them and shared my Christmas story in this edition as well. Enjoy! Have a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas and a Happy ! Gabriela Banville – ELA Instructor and ELA Magazine Editor

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Did You Know That?

DECEMBER INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAYS 9 December International Anti-Corruption Day 1 December World AIDS Day 10 December Human Rights Day 2 December International Day for the Abolition of 11 December Slavery International Mountain Day

3 December 18 December International Day of Persons with International Migrants Day Disabilities 20 December 5 December International Human Solidarity Day International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 25 December Christmas 5 December World Soil Day 31 December New Year 7 December International Civil Aviation Day

9 December International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime

2

These are the December holidays in the U.S.

Dec 6 Sunday St Nicholas' Day Observance Dec 24 Thursday Dec 7 Monday Chanukah/Hanukkah Observance, Christian (first day) Jewish holiday Dec 24 Thursday Christmas Eve State Dec 7 Monday Pearl Harbor holiday KS, LA, MI, NC, ND, OK, SC, TX, Remembrance Day Observance VA, WI Dec 8 Tuesday Feast of the Dec 24 Thursday Washington's Immaculate Conception Christian Birthday State holiday Georgia, Indiana Dec 12 Saturday Feast of Observance Dec 25 Friday Christmas Day National holiday, Christian Dec 13 Sunday U.S. National Guard Birthday Observance Dec 26 Saturday Kwanzaa (until Jan 1) Observance Dec 14 Monday Last Day of Chanukah Jewish holiday Dec 26 Saturday Day After Christmas Day Observance Dec 17 Thursday Pan American Aviation Day Observance Dec 26 Saturday Day After Christmas Day State holiday KS, KY, NC, NH, Dec 17 Thursday Wright Brothers Day SC, TX Observance Dec 31 Thursday New Year's Eve Dec 22 Tuesday December Solstice State holiday LA, MI, WI Season Dec 31 Thursday New Year's Eve Dec 24 Thursday The Prophet's Observance Birthday Muslim

3

Our Christmas Stories

The next pages reflect Christmas memories of most of our ELA students at the Adult Education Program, EWC and the ones studying ELA at the Wyoming Family Literacy Center in Torrington, Wyoming. I, the ELA instructor, also engaged and shared my Christmas story with everybody. Here are our students’ Christmas stories: “This is of my childhood in my home country, Guatemala. I remember that there were many drinks, much food, new clothes we were wearing. My brother put up a real pine tree and the house had a pleasant pine tree smell. On December 24th we would fire some . The next day, my family and I travelled to the beach, 25 minutes away, and had a good time there. We thought only of the vacation because soon we were going back to school. It was a very nice time lived without any pressures or stress. The change for me happened when I came to the U.S. It was exactly the reverse, and the sad thing is that