As the holiday of Halloween quickly approaches children are getting very excited. The school where I work has a policy where only second graders are allowed to wear costumes to school. Although my third grade students are not allowed to wear costumes there is still chatter about Halloween. All day long I hear about costumes, trick-or-treating, ghosts, witches, jack-o-lanterns, and of course candy. Surprisingly there is one thing I never knew about Halloween. This new concept is called "Ghosting" and this is how it works!
The first thing you need to get is a bag of candy. You also need to print out a "ghosting letter" (I will give you the link!). The ghosting letter explains the rules of "ghosting". When you are ready to begin you need to first fill a brown paper bag with candy. The bag also needs two "ghosting letters" and two copies of a picture of a ghost. The next step is to choose a friend to "ghost" and wait until it is dark outside. Finally, when it is dark (and with the help of your parents) you go to your friend's house. You quickly and quietly get out of the car, run up to your friend's house and put the bag of "ghosting" material on the front step. Before anyone hears or sees you ring the doorbell and run, also known to children as "ding, dong, ditch". Then run back to the car so no one sees you! When your friend answers the door they will be happily surprised by what they find!
Now it is your friend's job to keep the chain going! Part of their job is to take the ghost picture out of the bag and promptly put it in their window. This picture symbolizes that they have been "ghosted" and no one can "ghost" them again! The next part is to assemble a bag to "ghost" someone else. As long as no one breaks the chain all of your friends, neighbors, and classmates will be "Ghosted"! This is a safe and fun way to spread Halloween excitement! Happy "Ghosting"!

Vocabulary

1. policy- (noun) a rule that a school or group needs to follow.


2. chatter- (noun) foolish talk that children do together.


3. trick-0r-treating- (noun) Halloween tradition where students go door to door ringing the doorbell and collecting candy from their neighbors.


4. jack-o-lantern- (noun) a pumpkin that is hollowed out and cut to resemble a scary face. A candle is then placed inside to be seen at night time.

5. copies-(noun) plural for copy- a reproduction of something already made.

6. symbolizes-(verb)- a picture that represents or stands for something.

7. assemble- (verb)- to put together.

8. breaks the chain- a saying that means to keep a tradition going.

9. neighbor- (noun) people who live near on your block or near you.

Vocabulary Exercise
1. As long as no one __________ everyone will get "ghosted".
2. When you buy new furniture sometimes you need to _________ it.
3. The American flag __________ our country.
4. My next door ___________ is named Sally.
5. Many children choose to go ____________ on Halloween!
6. I went to the pumpkin patch so I could carve a _____________ for Halloween!
7. The teacher made _______ of the worksheet to give the students.
8. You could hear the __________of the children talking from the other room.
9. The school _________ says that only second graders are allowed to dress up for Halloween.

Grammar

In this paragraph there are many commas. One way a comma is used in English is when there are a list of items. The comma tells you that you should take a short pause in between each item of the list. Practice saying this example: costumes, trick-or-treating, ghosts, witches, jack-o-lanterns and of course candy!
Make sure that you take a brief pause between items. When you have mastered this skill try to write your own paragraph containing lists. Use commas between each list so the reader knows that they need to pause! Good luck!

Jury Duty

Yesterday I took part in jury duty. Jury duty is an obligation of citizens of the United States who are over the age of eighteen, a resident of the specific county in which you are called for duty, and able to speak and communicate in English. When you are called for jury duty you are expected to go. This responsibility should be taken seriously and if you do not attend then you will be fined by the state.
Many people think that jury duty is a real pain in the neck because you have to miss work for at least a day if not more. Other people can’t bear to go to jury duty because they feel that it is a waste of valuable time. When you go to jury duty you are placed in a large room with many other people from all walks of life. In this room you wait, and wait, and wait and WAIT! It feels like an eternity! Finally they begin calling people’s names. If your name gets called then you are now a prospective juror for a case. (A juror is someone who, along with other citizens, is called to listen to and decide on a legal case.) The next part of the process is to be questioned by the judge and the lawyers for both the defendant and the plaintiff in the case. These questions can range from very personal questions about your family to impersonal questions regarding the law. After the questioning session the lawyers and judge decide who they would like on the jury. If you are chosen then you are expected to show up at court until the case is closed. If you are not chosen then you are usually free to go. Although many people think that jury duty is a waste of time it is actually a very important responsibility of a United States citizen. It is our civic duty to take part in the government of our country as well as our state.

Vocabulary
1. Citizen- (noun)- an inhabitant of a city, state, or country.
2. Jury- (noun)- group of people whose goal is to determine a verdict in a court case.
3. Communicate-(verb)- to give or interchange thoughts
4. “pain in the neck”- (adj)-to be annoying or troublesome
5. Prospective- (adj)- likely or potential
6. Plaintiff- (noun)- person who brings suit in court

Exercises
1. There are usually twelve people on a _______________.
2. The _____________ sued the defendant in court for five thousand dollars.
3. Some people feel that wasting their day at court is a real _________________.
4. The ____________ jury candidates were questioned by the lawyers.
5. ____________ of the United States who are over eighteen are expected to take part in jury duty.
6. How would you like to ___________ your message?

Grammar

I discussed how jury duty is one civic duty of a United States citizen. There are also many other civic duties. Please research another civic duty of a United States citizen and write a paragraph. The paragraph should include what the civic duty is and why it is important to fulfill this obligation.