Angel Island FAQ

Where do we meet on Thursday Morning?

Meet in Room101 or at the Lake Merritt BART station

What time do we meet on Thursday morning?

Meet at 7:45 in Room 101. We will leave promptly at 7:55 to walk to the Lake Merritt BART station.

You can also meet us at the Lake Merritt BART station at 8:25.

How much money should I bring?

Bring between $20 and $25 for transportation.

BART costs $2.75 each way.

The Angel Island Ferry group rate is $13.50.

The San Francisco to Oakland Ferry (optional at 5:20 p.m.) costs $5.50.

Bring extra money if you plan on buying snacks or drinks.

Who will buy our tickets?

You will. Each student will buy their own ticket.

Please bring exact change (or at least crisp dollar bills) for the BART ticket. We won’t have a lot of time to spend buying tickets at the Lake Merritt BART station.

We will purchase the Angel Island Ferry tickets at Pier 41.

What kind of weather do we expect?

Check with weather.com. The prediction is for partially cloudy with a high of 61 degrees. This is perfect weather for hiking, but be prepared for all weather conditions.

What clothes should I wear?

Be prepared for all kinds of weather. It may be windy. If you climb to the top of Mt. Livermore (the highest point of the island) you may feel warm. Dress in layers so that you can adjust your clothing to the conditions. I usually carry a couple of sweaters and a light jacket. Don’t forget a hat if you need protection from the sun.

Dress casually and wear comfortable shoes. We will be walking quite a bit.

What else can I bring?

Bring lunch for yourself and some snack or fruit to share with your classmates.

Bring a bottle of water, juice or soda.

Don’t bring alcohol or illegal substances.

Bring sunscreen and a hat if you, like me, need protection from the sun.

Bring a camera if you have one. Don’t forget spare batteries, etc.

Bring a notebook and pencil. We will be talking about everything we see. This could be an excellent opportunity to expand your vocabulary.

Bring a backpack to carry all of the above.

What will we do on the island?

Speak English, of course.

We will walk around the eastern end of the island and look at Chinese Cove where the Chinese immigrants were detained. I hope a park ranger or volunteer will give a talk.

We’ll eat lunch together. After that, students can choose how to spend their time. Some may want to explore the shore. Others may choose to go for a walk or climb Mr. Livermore. Some may just want to relax and talk.

Everyone should meet back at the dock by 3:20.

The ferry departs for San Francisco promptly at 3:40.

When does the field trip end?

Officially, the field trip ends at 4:00 p.m. on our return to Pier 41 in San Francisco. Students are free to leave from there. The BART runs a regular schedule from the Embarcadero to Oakland.

Unofficially, I will stay and wait for the Oakland ferry that leaves Pier 41 at 5:20. This will be a good time to talk casually or grab a bite to eat. The ferry (fare is $5.50) takes about an hour to reach Jack London Square in Oakland. We’ll (several students have decided on this option) take a bus back to Neighborhood Centers School.

Can I bring a relative or a friend?

Yes, if they can walk, they are welcome, but please tell me who you are bringing by Wednesday.

Sun Shines on Sunday

The sun shone.

As you can see, the sun shone on the Golden Gate Bridge, on Angel Island and on my head.

If you like, I can show you more photos on Monday.

Vilay's Story

When I was seven years old, I went swimming. The weather was windy and cloudy. I didn't know how to swim so I stayed near the shore. I tried to swim for about 15 mninutes. A piece of glass cut my foot. It hurt and bled. I put a leaf on my cut. The bleeding stopped. I went to my house.

My mother was very angry at me. She took me to the hospital. I told my mom that I would never go to the Mekong River again.

Who wrote "Hero"?

Click here to learn more about the author of "Hero".

Read some of his poems.

Learn CPR. Save a life!

Check out these news stories:

Girl saves mom with CPR

Singer uses Heimlich Maneuver to Save Stage Hand

Bring your pet to school!

This is Tran's dog, Storm.

Bring a picture of your pet to class. We'll make him (or her) famous.
We will add your pet to our blog. 

Hello all my room!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi anyone!! Do you remember me? I hope YES!!! Especially you, Teacher Richard. I am afraid, because I did not go to school for around 7 days because I am in LA. But I studied a lot about CPR and I watched the Academy Awards. It was very fantastic, I liked it too much, but the thing that I liked more than nothing, was:" The Best Motion Picture" of Paul Haggis and Cathy Schulman in CRASH. Talking about CPR, it is very important when we want to save lifes, and you have to call 911 if the victim do not response. We have to remember exercise "SOLID COMMON SENSE" when someone needs CPR help. There are 3 kinds of CPR: Adul CPR, Child CPR, and Infant CPR. Anyway, I learned a lot about it, and I will be in school next week teacher, because I want to go to the trip too. Don't forget me please!!! Wait for me!!! O.K. I love you everybody and pay attention to the teacher because he is "SO GREAT". I"ll see you soon.

Help Plan Our Field Trip

We are planning a trip to Angel Island on March 30th.

Please help with the planning!


How can we get to Angel Island?

What are the costs?

When will we have to leave and what time will we return? Check the schedules.

What kind of weather do you expect on March 30?

What should we bring with us?

Will we have to walk far?

What will we do on Angel Island?

Here are some resources to help answer these questions.

BART
Angel Island Ferry
San Francisco Ferry
San Francisco Transit Guide

Information about Angel Island
Angel Island Immigration Foundation
Angel Island State Park
Angel Island Tours
Angel Island Immigrant Journeys of Asian Americans
Angel Island Poetry
More about Angel Island Poetry

Can you answer these CPR questions?

How CPR Works

What happens when a person experiences cardiac arrest?

How effective is CPR?

What does CPR mean?

When was CPR invented?

Where does the oxygen we breathe go?

When to Dial 911

What may be the most important step that you can take to save a life?

If two people are present and CPR is needed, what should they do?

If you are the only one present and CPR is needed, what should you do?

What should we always do when faced with an emergency situation?

What should you be prepared to tell the 911 operator?

Adult CPR

According to the American Heart Association, Adult CPR should be performed on anyone over what age?

What is responsiveness?

What should you do before beginning any rescue effort?

When shouldn’t you shake the victim?

What should you do if the victim does not respond to gentle shaking and shouting?

Adult CPR Airway

What does the “A” in “ABC” mean?

What do you need to do if the victim is unconscious and unresponsive?

How do you check to see if the victim is breathing?

What is the most common airway obstruction in an unconscious victim?

How can you clear the airway of an unconscious victim when the tongue is blocking it?

Adult CPR Breathing

What does the “B” in breathing stand for?

How do you prepare to give rescue breathing?

What can happen if you over-inflate the victim’s lungs?

What should you do if the victim vomits?

How many breaths should you give?

What should you do after you give the first two breaths?

What should you do if the victim does not begin breathing, coughing or moving?

Adult CPR Circulation

What does the “C” stand for in “ABC”?

How can you determine if the victim’s heart is beating?

Where is the carotid artery?

What is a pulse?

What will you have to do if there is no pulse?

Adult CPR Compressions

Why is correct hand placement very important when performing chest compressions?

If you hear a cracking sound, should you stop performing chest compressions?

How many times should you compress before giving two more breaths?

How fast should you compress the victim’s chest?

Should you check the victim’s pulse again?

How long should you continue if there is no pulse?

What should you do if the victim has a pulse but is not breathing?

Homework Update!

Oops!!!

The Academy Awards start at 8:00 p.m. New York time.

That would be: 5 p.m. in Oakland.

If you want to see the stars arrive, watch the Red Carpet Special at 4:00 p.m.

Homework Assignment

Watch the Academy Awards at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday night . The Academy Awards will be on the ABC network. Locally, ABC is on channel 7.

Please share what you think about the Academy Award showin class on Monday. What did you like? What didn't you like?

You can click here to listen to a Voice of America story about the Academy Awards.

http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2006-02-26-voa2.cfm

See you on Monday. I hope to read your stories before then.

Once I had an Emergency

When I was working at my last job, I had a real emergency. It happened on a Tuesday after I and my bosses had dinner. Around 9:30 pm, I was in bed but I woke up with a strong stomach ache. I started vomiting and I was vomiting for more than three hours.

I had blood in the vomit. Oh, my God! I was really sick! I felt really bad. I called to my bosses through their bedroom door and I told them, "CAN YOU HELP ME PLEASE?" They came to help me. I vomitted during the next two hours.

My boss's wife prepared some tea for me, but this was not enough. They saw I was very sick and I didn't stop vomiting. Around 3:00 a.m. my bosses decided to call 911 for help. An ambulance came soon. I was in the hospital for almost two hours before the vomitting stopped.

The doctor told me that I had poison in my stomach. He did many things to my stomach and gave me a lot of medicine. I think this was a real emergency.

In an emergency, if we can't solve the problem, the best thing that we can do is call 911.