Classroom
Internet Exchange
Letters from USA
Here are some of the topics covered by students from the USA :
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 1998 11:40:46 -0500
Dear Friends,
I know you want to know a bit about St. Valentines day. Valentines day was a day just for lovers. The name all began by a priest from Rome named Valentine from 270AD.
Now Valentines day is a time for family and friends. This holiday is for boy friends, girl friends and for lovers. Today we give presents or cards to show all our appreciation. sometimes they give you something back to show that they care about you a lot.
Today Valentine's is also an opportunity to express our feelings for teachers, classmates, parents and friends.
We're going to have a dance at our school and we give Valentines to our classmates.
Jenny
Grade 3
Montgomery County Public Schools
Maryland, Washington, D.C., USA
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Thu, 29 Jan 1998 12:42:50 PST
Dear Keypal,
Hello, how are you?
In America, we celebrate a holiday called Valentine's Day on February 14. Valentine's Day is a day that you spend with someone you love and care about. You give out chocolates and do special things with your Valentine.
Lee
Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA
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Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 09:26:14 -0500Dear Nevil,
We have a day called Valentine's Day. It is a day to celebrate love.
You often send your boyfriend or girlfriend or a person you like a card asking them to be your Valentine. If they say that they will be your Valentine, you are happy and you give each other presents. If the person says no, you get really mad and jump off a building. You fall, and go splat! And Die! NOT! You just go and find another Valentine!
It is a very fun day and lots of love is around.
Your buddy,
Will Jordan
H. M. Arndt Middle School
North Carolina, USA
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Thu, 29 Jan 1998 12:42:50 PST
Dear Friends,
Hi, my name is John and the next holiday we celebrate is Valentine's day.
It is the day on February 14, that we spend time with someone you love usually your girlfriend. You take them out to dinner and give them gifts like chocolate. It is a day for love, hugs, and kisses.
Sincerely
John
Barnstable, Massachusetts, USA
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 14:24:03 -0400
Dear students,
Another one of our celebrations is Labor Day. We celebrate Labor Day because to honor people who work, it is also called the last day of summer.
Heather Haymore, Ashley Lechtner, Brandon Reitzel
H. M. Arndt Middle School
North Carolina, USA
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 1998 14:41:25 -0800
Dear Friends,
We celebrate a holiday called Christmas. A long time ago there was a wonderful man. His name was Saint Nicholas. He gave money, jewels and food to the poor. We celebrate this holiday on the 25th of December. Saint Nicholas is also known as Santa Claus.
The people put a tree in their house, and Santa Claus puts the presents under the tree. The tree would usually be a pine tree or evergreen tree. We put lights and ornaments on our tree to make it look merrier.
by Kelly
Grade 3
Holly Avenue School
Arcadia Unified School District
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Date: Thu, 05 Feb 1998 15:27:56 -0800
Dear Keypals,
The holiday I am talking about is Christmas. Christmas is a time when we give presents to each other. We celebrate Jesus' birthday by eating nice dinners. My mom and grandparents have something kind of like a potluck. We see lots of presents.
Do you know who is Jesus? If you don't, I will tell you. Jesus died on the cross for the bad things we've done. The holiday is on December 25th. December is Jesus' birthday.
We celebrate by having Christmas trees. They are pine trees. If you touch it, you will get spiked. It smells very good. We decorate the Christmas trees with lights. The lights are beautiful.
Emily
Grade 3
Holly Avenue School
Arcadia Unified School District
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Date: Thu, 05 Feb 1998 15:27:56 -0800
Dear Keypals,
Christmas is Jesus' birthday. It is on the 25th of December.
On Christmas you get to decorate fake pine trees. You could put ornaments on the Christmas tree. Most of them are round. If you made a present for someone you put it under their Christmas tree.
Most people eat turkey and ham with cranberry sauce. I eat seaweed soup. You could smell delicious smells from the turkey in the oven.
You could see holly. Holly is a kind of plant with three leaves and red berries in the middle. Some people put wreaths on for more decoration. You also get presents sometimes.
You also get to eat candy canes at the end sometimes. Most people eat small candy canes.
Grace
Grade 3
Holly Avenue School
Arcadia Unified School District
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Date: Thu, 05 Feb 1998 15:27:56 -0800
Dear Keypals,
I'm talking about Christmas. Christmas is on the 25th of December. We celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus' birthday, Jesus is our God's son.
On Christmas we put a real or fake pine tree in our house and we decorate it. I put flashing lights, ornaments, and candy canes.
Some people eat turkey, ham, pie, fruit cakes, mashed potatoes, and more. Those things smell and taste good, but I didn't eat any of them this time. We also decorate our house with colored lights, and we give and receive presents.
There is also a man that is dressed in red, who has a white beard and white hair. He lives in the North Pole. His name is Santa Claus.
Kevin
Grade 3
Holly Avenue School
Arcadia Unified School District
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Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 20:39:16 -0600
Dear Friends,
We have Christmas in December. It's where all of the kids get presents. Santa Claus is suppose to be the one who brings the presents to all the kids but it's their parents
Seung Min
Grade 7
Northwest Junior High School
Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 20:39:16 -0600
Dear Friends,
Our biggest holiday is Christmas, at least for Christians. Before Christmas many families set up a pine tree in their house and decorate it with lights and ornaments. Different families have different ornaments. Like in my family, my great Aunt makes ornaments for me and all my cousins. My mom has kept them over the years and we hand those on the tree. We also have ornaments from alot of places we've been.
When we put up the tree we also hang stockings on a stair railing or fireplace mantle. On Christmas Eve we go to bed and Santa Claus comes down the chimmney and gives us presents and fills our stockings. Then on Christmas morning everyone wakes up and opens gifts from Santa Claus and family members.
My family has a tradition where we have cinnamon rolls for breakfast and lasagna for dinner/lunch. We usually have my grandparents or neighbors over for lunch.
Around Christmas time my mom and I make alot of candies like fudge, english toffee, and peanut clusters. Alot of families make different kinds of candy. We also make alot of cookies. I like making sugar cookies and then decorating them with sprinkles.
Alot of families do different things at christmas and many families have different traditions.
Emily Joynt
Grade 7
Northwest Junior High School
Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Date: Wed, 04 Feb 1998 11:36:36 -0500
Dear Keypal,
Hi! i'm 12 1/2 years old. I like to play sports and like to listen to songs.
This is how we celebrate our Christmas is by puting our Christmas tree up 1 week before Christmas and we also put up our Christmas light up around our house to. We also decorted our tree when we put it up.
On Christmas day or Christmas Eve we eat stuff for Christmas. Here is some food that we eat on Christmas like Egg Nog and Turkey.
Sincerely,
Sarah Kiwi Vue
Grade 7
H M Arndt Middle School
North Carolina, USA
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 1998 14:41:25 -0800
Halloween is on October 31.
People wear costumes. You can wear maid costumes. People put scary decorations.
We go to different houses to get candy. The candy can be sweet or sour. The candy can be chocolate candy with almonds, nuts or M and M's. We are supposed to go at night time--at maybe 7:00 p.m.
You have to say Trick or treat.
Courtney
Arcadia Unified School Dist
California, USA
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Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 14:24:03 -0400
Dear students,
Another one of our holidays is Halloween. It is when people dress up in costumes as a character and go to parties. People also collect candy as they go from house to house saying "TRICK OR TREAT!" The costumes many people wear are supposed to be scary, but now many people say they are silly. We carve out faces inside the pumpkins.
Your friends,
Blake Weeks, Ashley Glass, Jesse Wooten(-:,Brett von Drehle,and Amanda Haynes
H. M. Arndt Middle School
North Carolina, USA
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Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 20:41:38 -0700
Dear Mrs. Shah and class,
October 31 is Halloween. Halloween is a fun time for all kids. We dress up in all sorts of costumes. Another name for Halloween is All Hallows Eve.
All the kids go from door to door and say, "Trick or Treat!" Last year I was an indian princess. This year I'm going to dress up like Pebbles from the Flintstones cartoon. I'm also going to dress up my horse like a zebra. You also get candy at other people's houses.
A funny thing to say when you go to someone's door is, "Trick or treat, smell my feet. Give me something good to eat!" Funny, huh?
Well, that's my friendly letter to you for now. Bye.
Sincerely,
Jessica Hargrove(girl)
Third Grade
Woodville Intermediate School
Woodville, Texas, USA
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Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 20:41:38 -0700
Dear Mrs. Shah's class,
Halloween is a fun time for kids. We ask people for candy when we go up to their doors. We say, "Trick or Treat," and if they are home we knock on the door. Babies like it, too. They always have fun with their moms and dads.
Please write back.
Your friend,
Courtney Ferrell(girl)
Third Grade
Woodville Intermediate School
Woodville, Texas, USA
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Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 20:41:38 -0700
Dear Mrs. Shah's class,
We have a special holiday coming up. It is called Halloween. We go over to people's houses and we knock on the door and say, "Trick or Treat!" They give us candy when we say this. We always go trick-or-treating at night when it is dark. It is so fun.
We also carve pumpkins for Halloween. After we take the seeds out, we put a candle inside the pumpkin and then carve a face on it. We make the face look like a demon or a cartoon character.
Last year I dressed up like a spirit for Halloween. I cannot wait until Halloween this year.
Bye bye.
Sincerely,
Chris Jenkins (boy)
Third Grade
Woodville Intermediate School
Woodville, Texas, USA
Mrs Bharti
Shah is Co-ordinator of the Computer
Centre.
Copyright � 1998 [Knowledge Ware Interactive]. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 13, 1999.
