EC San Diego English Language School

Every week EC San Diego has a prize drawing for our fantastic students. In order to be entered into the drawing, students show their commitment to learning English by speaking in both in and out of class. Teachers also enter those students who excel in class and help encourage other students to do the same.

Here are July’s winners. Great job to each one of you!

 Sattam in his class

Eugenia with her classmates

Daniel showing off his certificate

Mitsuhiro with his class

Check out this week’s exciting activities.

Wednesday, July 25th is the International Student Party at the club FLUXX downtown San Diego! Buy your tickets today at the front desk. They are only $20.00 today and will be $30.00 tomorrow if we have any left. You will get to meet a lot of students from EC and other language schools in San Diego.

San Diego Pride weekend kicks off today with  the raising of a rainbow flag off a 65ft pole. The symbolic banner will wave over the heart of the gay community. The theme this year is America’s Pride, Equality is an American Value.

For the first time in US history, active duty service member will be allowed to wear their uniforms while marching in the parade. About 400 service members and veterans are scheduled to take part. The San Diego LGBT Pride parade is the 3rd largest in the United States. It will take place on Saturday, July 21st from 11:00AM-1:00PM beginning at Normal Street and University Avenue for a 2 mile stretch lasting about 2 hours and is free!

The parade ends at Balboa park and the celebration continues at Balboa Park.  There will be entertainment , musicians, bands, comedy, art exhibitions and great food.

Every week, EC San Diego has a prize drawing for our students for speaking English only. Whenever a teacher or staff member hears a student speaking English only, he/she will write the student’s name on a ticket and drop it in the box which is located at the front desk.

Once a week we draw one name and award that student with a prize for speaking English only. We encourage all students to speak English only at all times. It will improve your speaking level and confidence. Keep up the good job!

A lot of fans are expected at this year’s event. The Del Mar Throughbred Club is celebrating 75 years as a racing and entertainment destination. In honor of this celebration, every 75th person through the gates will receive a $75 voucher to spend at the track on Saturday, July 21st.

This event is not only about placing big bets on the fast racing horses, but also known for the fashionable hats and outfits that the women wear. During the seven-week event, there will be races, concerts and weekend events. Ziggy Marley is expected to perform on stage on Saturday, September 1, 2012.

Racing at Del Mar will happen Wednesday-Sunday, with the first race happening at 2PM on most days. Del Mar Throughbred Club is located at Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar.

You can purchase tickets by visiting: http://www.dmtc.com/season/tickets/

Check out our calendar for this week’s exciting events and sign up at the front desk.

Bastille Day is the name given in English speaking countries to the French National Day, which is celebrated on the 14th of July each year. In France, it is formally called La Fete Nationale (The National Celebration).  This is an occasion to honor the French Republic. It is a public holiday in France.

The Bastille is a fortress prison in Paris. Back in 1789, the people of Paris stormed the prison of Bastille in the hopes of demolishing the power of Louis XVI, and in return gain the rights they deserved. The storm represented a fight against oppresion between the citizens and government, as well as liberty, to the nation. This marked a turning point in the history for French citizens.

Many public events are held on this day, including a military parade in Paris in front of the President, French officials and guests. Traditionally, fireworks are shot at nightfall surrounding the Eiffel Tower.

Here in San Diego, there will be plenty of French cuisine and live music at restaurants around town.

Hexagone Restaurant: This French restaurant, located downtown at 495 Laurel Street, will have a 3-course dinner menue available for $42.50. You are also welcome to order from the regular menu, and they will have French music as well.

Tapenade Restaurant: Located at 7612 Fay Avenue, this restaurant will offer a 5-course dinner menu for $68.00. This celebration will also feature French music starting at 5:30PM.

True.

Sharks, like other marine animals, don’t seem to fall into a deep sleep like humans do. Sharks need to keep water moving over their gills to receive necessary oxygen. Not all sharks need to move constantly, though. Some sharks have spiracles, a small opening behind their eyes, that force water across the shark’s gills so that the shark can be still when it rests. Other sharks do need to swim constantly to keep water moving over their gills and their bodies, and have active and restful periods rather than undergoing deep sleep like we do. They seem to be “sleep swimming,” having parts of their brain less active while they remain swimming.

The 43rd annual San Diego Comic-Con 2012 preview begins today at the Convention Center which is downtown in the gaslamp district. Comic-Con event is a celebration of video games, movies, television shows, online entertainment and comic books! This event which is held every year attracts people from all over the country.

This year over 127,000 passes have been registered which is about 2000 more than last year. Attendees can join panels, seminars, and workshops with comic book professionals, as well as preview upcoming feature films.  A lot of Hollywood celebrities are known to stop by to promote upcoming movies. This year Sylvester Stallone, Matt Damon, Robert Downey, Jr. will be stopping by to promote their movies like Man of Steel, Expendables 2, Iron Man 3 and many more.

There will also be portfolio review sessions with top comic book and video game companies. People who attend this event are between the ages of 16-35 and mostly male, but the female attendance is actually increasing. Downtown is very alive during the 4 days that the Comic-Con event is in town. There are a lot of events around town, parties, and so many other activities.

Tonight is the preview night from 6:00pm-9:00pm. The Mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders will officially kick off this event on Thursday, July 12th. This four-day convention will generate a lot of money for San Diego. MTS has expanded trolley service, so go downtown and check out the interesting costumes people will be wearing. There will also be a Zombie Walk taking place on Friday, July 13th at 5:30PM. This walk is open to anyone wishing to participate, even those not attending Comic-Con.

Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States celebrating independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain on July 4th, 1776.

Independence day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions and ceremonies. Independence Day celebrations often take place outdoors with picnics or barbecues happening during the day, and the fireworks at night. Most people decorate their homes or offices with balloons, streamers in the colors of red, white and blue, which are the colors of the American flag. Federal institutions like the postal service and federal courts are closed on this day.

Here in San Diego, there will be fireworks across the town. La Jolla fireworks will blast off at 9 p.m. from La Jolla Cove, right behind the school. SeaWorld Park will be celebrating Independence Day with a Bang! There will be a display of red, white and blue fireworks set to patriotic music at 9:30pm (500 Sea World Drive). If you happen to be going downtown, you can also catch the fireworks show at the San Diego Bay on North Harbor Drive, which is close to the airport. The show will start at 9pm. For more information, please check out the website at www.bigbayboom.com

Wherever you’re going, plan to go early and leave late to avoid the massive traffic and parking problems.

If you are taking the bus, CHECK THE BUS SCHEDULES!! They will be running on the holiday schedule, which is the same as the Saturday/Sunday schedule.

Have a happy and safe holiday!