ESL/ABE Newsletter – Issue 37 – 11/8/2022

Stay Connected, Stay Learning! |

¡Sigue Conectado, Sigue Aprendiendo!

Thanksgivng Colors!

Do the warm greens, golden yellows and browns, or the orangery reds make up the color palette that thrills you during the month of November? What colorful recipes represent your tradition or culture during Thanksgiving? Do the colors of Thanksgiving remind you that we are midway into the semester? The Student Support team is here to assist you through this mid-point to reach your semester goals. We can also register that friend or family member to join an ESL, GED, or NEDP class with us. So as the leaves change colors and you put on that favorite color to get ready for that favorite colorful meal, put the Adult Education Department at Chesapeake College to the test and reach out to us. We are here for you.  

Winter classes begin in January2023!   



Contact our Registration Team for further information! 

• For ABE/GED® classes, contact Beth Moyer at

     (410) 829-6043 (text), or [email protected].

• For ESL classes, contact Sergio Cilla at

     (410) 443-1163 (text), or [email protected].

• For NEDP information, contact us via [email protected].

Students who do not meet the registration deadline can join our Learning Circle classes.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Cinnamon is a new twist on a Thanksgiving favorite. Ingredients: 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes; ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, ¼ - ½ cup of honey; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, a pinch of salt. Place sweet potatoes, single layer on a roasting sheet pan, in a 375-degree oven. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss them. Then drizzle the honey, cinnamon, and salt over the sweet potatoes and roast for 30 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a serving bowl.

A traditional family recipe for banana pudding shows the beautiful color of yellow.

Ingredients:

¾ cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

a pinch (1/8 tsp) salt

4 eggs, separated (save the whites, you'll need them for the méringue topping)

2 cups whole milk

½ -1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

35-45 Nilla Wafers (measure these with your heart. My heart usually uses the whole box 🙂)

5-6 ripe bananas, sliced (my great-grandmother used to mash the bananas)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To make the custard:

• Simmer one or two inches of water in a pot over low heat. Place a glass or metal bowl on top of the pot, making sure it doesn't touch the water. 
• Add ½ cup of sugar, flour, and salt to the bowl.
• In a separate bowl beat together the egg yolks and milk. Pour overtop the flour mixture and stir until well combined.  
• Cook the mixture over low heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir constantly to prevent the milk from burning.  
• Remove the bowl from the heat and mix in the vanilla. 
• Spread a small amount of custard at the bottom of a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.
• Layer Nilla Wafers on top of the custard. Top with a layer of sliced bananas. 
• Pour 1/3 of the custard over the bananas. Continue layering until you get three layers of each component, ending with custard. 

If you do not want to make vanilla pudding from scratch, you can certainly use vanilla pudding from a box. Just make sure you use the cook-and-serve kind, do not use instant. 

To make meringue topping:

• Beat the egg whites with a mixer until foamy. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form (4-5 minutes).  
• Spoon meringue over the pudding, making sure the entire surface is covered well. 
• Bake the pudding for 5 minutes, or until the meringue has turned lightly golden.

It can be served slightly warm or chilled. 

Here is a list of Thanksgiving colorful idioms for you!

• To be green with envy: jealous, envious.
•  Caught red-handed: in the act of doing something.
•  To have a green thumb: skilled at gardening.
•  A golden opportunity: the perfect chance.
•  Give the green light: permission.
•  To be in the red: in debt.
•  Rose-colored glasses: for an unrealistic view
•  To see red: to be very angry.
•  To roll out the red carpet: treat someone like royalty.
•  Red tape: official or bureaucratic tasks.

Can you write a short paragraph combining at least 5 of these idioms? Please, email it to [email protected] or [email protected] and we will publish it together with your name in our next newsletter.

Devin Rouzer, ABE Math student – Instructor: Dr. Pat Daniels



Devin learns math concepts quickly. He scores 90-100% on every quiz and he is also the only student with 100% attendance in our class. Although he is a quiet student, he participates often and always has the correct responses. Devin has a full-time job and three children. 

Warm Greens – Our earth is full of green forests, unusual plants, animals, and insects. Have you ever considered how climate change has impacted the weather and how the weather has impacted the natural habitats and inhabitants of our green planet? Extreme weather gets a boost from climate change. Scientists are detecting a strong connection between the planet’s warming and changing weather patterns. Weather patterns indicate a link to hotter heat waves, drier droughts, greater snowfalls, and stronger more severe hurricanes. What can we do to prepare for extreme weather?

We can:

1.      Create an emergency plan – Stay informed about the weather.

2.      Be ready to evacuate – Know the route to a safe shelter or haven.

3.      Have copies of important documents stored in a safe place

4.      Have an emergency supply kit

Next month an emergency plan and emergency supply kit just for you!

 Orangey reds – What’s your passion?

The Day of the Dead is one of Mexico’s most colorful celebrations. It is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1^st. It originated in Mexico, but it is also observed in other countries, mostly by people of Mexican heritage. Although associated with the All-Saints’ Day, it has a much less solemn tone and is portrayed as a holiday of joyful celebration, with a humorous tone, to remember funny events and anecdotes about friends and family members who have died.

All Saints’ Day is also celebrated on November 1st by the Roman Catholic Church, as well as other Protestant churches in the Western Christian world.

Flu Season

Golden Browns - The changing colors of autumn from deep green to the spectrum of golden browns remind me that it is flu season once again. In addition, flu vaccines are free at your local health department. So, click on the website for your county or give them a call to find out the date, location, and time for your seasonal flu vaccination clinics. Not vaccinated for COVID yet? Get your COVID shot at the same time!

·      Caroline County – https://www.carolinecovid19.org/seasonal-flu or call:

   (410)479-8030

·      Dorchester County – www.dorchesterhealth.org/ or call: 410-228-3223

·      Kent County www.kenthd.org/ or call: 410-778-1350

·      Queen Anne’s County www.qahealth.org/ or call: 410-758-0720

·      Talbot County www.talbothealth.org/ or call: 410-819-5600

Remember, masks are optional at Chesapeake College.

Brain Game

TEACHER’S CORNER: Solution to last issue’s Brain Game: The original 6-digit number.   

For more information, please contact:

Beth Moyer, Intake and Assessment Specialist for ABE at (410) 829-6043 or [email protected].

Sergio Cilla, Student Navigator Coordinator at (410) 443-1163 or [email protected].

Chesapeake College Adult Education