APIS Update (online) April 2014

Online

APRIL 2014

ISSUE 21.

UPDATE 5 7 WO LGYE-RO 45GA-GI L , NOWO N- G U, S EO UL , 1 3 9 - 8 5 2 , KOREA ■ T. 0 2 .9 0 7 .2 7 4 7 ■ F. 0 2 .9 0 7 .2 7 4 2 ■ WWW. APIS .S EO U L.KR

IN THIS ISSUE:

■ Write Across, Read Across APIS ■ Culture Fair ■ Spring Music Concerts

IN THIS ISSUE:

■ High School Talent Show ■ Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ APIS' First Science Fair ■ Faculty Retreat ■ MOU with SNUST

APRIL 2014

E L E M E N TA R Y S C H O O L N E W S & E V E N T S

World Read Aloud Day

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PIS Elementary students love to read. So much so, that it is common to see them reading in the hallways between class or even while eating lunch. This is in large part because one of the primary goals APIS has for elementary students is that they become life-long lovers of reading.

So it just made sense for APIS elementary students to take part in Lit World’s World Read Aloud Day (WRAD) on March 5. WRAD is an opportunity to celebrate reading and storytelling. It also highlights the need for schools, libraries, and community centers to function as crucial spaces to discover, explore, and foster literacy.

When asked about APIS’ involvement in WRAD, Grade 5B teacher Mr. Jeff Underhill, said, “I initiated involvement for the elementary knowing that it is in students' best interests if we create a culture of reading-celebration at APIS. I'm always looking for every opportunity to break out in this way. This is our first year trying it out. WRAD is a young movement.”

According to Lit World, there are 793 million people in the world, ⅔ of them women, who lack basic reading and writing skills. Included in this statistic are 127 million youth aged 15-24. Being involved with WRAD helped raise awareness of the need of global literacy and our students did their part in strengthening their reading acumen.

Mr. Underhill’s passion for literacy is evident in his classroom and how his students approached this year’s campaign. Mr. Underhill shared, “My goal as a teacher was to create an opportunity for students to enjoy reading with peers across elementary grade levels in an authentic, collaborative way.”

(top) Students from different grades pair up and read aloud to one another. 5th grader Jin Kyun Lee reads to 4th grader David Lee. (top right) 4th grader Allison Lee reads to 5th grader Jeany Park during the first period. (bottom right) After reading aloud to fellow students, all the elementary students head out to the field with books in their hands to show how WRAD is celebrated at APIS!

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First Graders’ Field Trip into the Past

by Judy Park, Grade 1 Teacher Jacklyn tries on the queen's clothing and crown.

Thank you! to the moms who chaperoned the field trip to the museum.

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E L E M E N TA R Y S C H O O L N E W S & E V E N T S

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n April 4, Mrs. Judy Park’s first graders went on a field trip to the National Children's Museum and Asian Art Exhibition.

At the museum, our students learned about some traditional Korean tools, clothing, shelter, and transportation that were used long ago. Some of the students even tried on kings' and queens' clothing and crowns. They also learned about the changing world by looking at various types of artwork and artifacts from different parts of Asia. Mrs. Anna Sea, Elementary Art Teacher, also joined the students to teach them from an artist’s point of view. Several first grade moms chaperoned the class, helping them to have a smooth and a safe field trip as well.

Asked what they had learned, Jacklyn Veri said, “Long time ago, there was no cars. They only rode on horses and camels. They had no paper so they wrote on woods, rocks and slates.

They had no pencils. I noticed that long time ago they grind grains using rocks. They didn’t have mixers. King and queens clothes had big sleeves.” Jason Kim added, “Most artifacts like shoes and tools were made out of wood. They had no machines like now.

People got spiky things and wrote on the walls. There were only kings and queens but no presidents long time ago in Korea. Long time ago, people used more woods and rocks than metals.”

Jenny, Yeonsue, and Matthew learn how people in the past cooked food.

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E L E M E N TA R Y S C H O O L N E W S & E V E N T S

Write Across APIS

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rite Across APIS has become an annual event that elementary students look forward to each year. This event encourages our student authors to continue to develop their writing skills and discover the joy of writing. Every year, students engage in a special writing project. Last year, students were given illustrations from Korean artist, Mr. Jong-Hae Jeong (Bisso). They used this artwork to inspire their stories and filled the hallways with their own unique stories which accompanied each piece of art.

This year, during the week before Spring Break, students had the opportunity to use their own artwork to inspire their writing. Working alongside Elementary Art Teacher, Mrs. Anna Sea, students selected a piece of their art from this year’s portfolio. They then spent the week writing about it. They could choose to write in any format including poetry, nonfiction, personal narratives, and fiction. By the end of the week, students had finished publishing this piece of writing to feature along with their artwork in the Pacific Pencil.

Lulu Timpson (Grade 2) crafts a story about "The Dragon and the Girl."

Ashley Hong (Grade 2) looks at her artwork for inspiration and writes about "The Ant House."

Jinu Hong (Grade 3) writes about an awesome football player named David.

In the story, "Treasure" by Margaret Cheon (Grade 2), a dragon saves a bird, and then discovers treasure.

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Read Across APIS

Elementary students line up in front of the story they want to listen to. This annual event reminds both the students and teachers of the excitement and fun that comes with reading.

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arry Potter, Cat in the Hat, Spiderman, Little Red Riding Hood, several Pinkalicious Princesses, and dozens of other famous book characters could be found wandering the APIS hallways on April 10 for the annual Read Across APIS event.

APRIL 2014

E L E M E N TA R Y S C H O O L N E W S & E V E N T S

Initially created to join the Read Across America movement in the United States, this year marked the 5th annual Read Across event at APIS. Read Across America is a year round program that encourages students of all ages to read through activities and events which include an annual celebration on Dr. Seuss’ birthday.

This year, the celebration was a day-long event. Starting in the morning, the entire Elementary School joined together to listen to one of many stories being read aloud. All of the elementary faculty selected a story to read aloud and students in kindergarten to grade 5 got to choose which teacher and which story they wanted to listen to. Afterwards, throughout the day, students in all classes were greeted by guest readers, and even mystery readers, who came to their class to read a book to them. It was a special treat to have parents, teachers and staff, and even past teachers who have since moved away, join along in the celebration and share a favorite book with students.

A Book Character Parade concluded the day with a special chance for students to share their costumes and the books that inspired them. After chapel, all elementary students joined their class on stage to show the other classes which character they chose and what book the character is from. It was a great way to end the celebration and continue to encourage all students to keep reading!

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APRIL 2014

E L E M E N TA R Y S C H O O L N E W S & E V E N T S

Living Biographies

by Rebecca Cyrus & Sarah Wood, Grade 4 Teachers

As part of the Reading and Writing Workshop Biography Unit, 4th graders found someone who inspired them, wrote and memorized a speech on their subjects. Davis Beatty (Grade 4)'s source of inspiration is Walt Disney.

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o you remember the first time you gave a speech in front of your peers? That nervous shaking feeling when you thought you might actually pass out? But you didn’t. You surprised yourself and felt accomplished and full of pride.

On March 21, the APIS fourth graders felt this roller-coaster of emotions for the first time. As part of the Reading and Writing Workshop Biography Unit, the students challenged themselves to find someone who inspired them. After choosing their subject, they researched, planned, revised, and memorized a speech. Students chose a variety of people, past and present, including Walt Disney, Barack Obama, Mohandas Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, Benjamin Franklin, plus many more. The emphasis of this unit was for students to share that biographies are tales of achievement. Their subjects were people who showed great promise at a young age or were affected by something in their childhood, then, despite obstacles, grew up to do something remarkable--to achieve something meaningful.

The students then tried to relate what they learned about their subjects to their own lives.

Students were asked to think, “How will I live differently knowing that this happened in my world?” They were also asked to use these true stories that they read to serve as personal inspiration to be braver, stronger people in their own lives. All students in the fourth grade did an amazing job researching, preparing, and delivering amazing and engaging speeches!

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Spring Music Concerts

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y the time the middle of March arrived, the weather in Seoul had signified that change was definitely in the air. The cold and blustery days of winter were over and were being exchanged for warmer temperatures, the blooming of dormant flower buds, and students anxious for a break from their schoolwork.

An annual tradition at APIS to help recognize and remember this change in seasons is the Middle and High School Spring Music Concerts. Under the direction of Band Director Mrs. Sophie Holbrook, Choir Director Mrs. Melinda Baum, and Orchestra Director Ms. Emmalee Johnson, family and friends were treated to two full hours of musical selections from the Middle and High School bands, a capella choirs (complete with beat boxers), orchestra, choir, and High School Jazz Band.

point in the evening, Ms. Johnson even exclaimed that the High School Orchestra was given some of the most difficult pieces of music for their age and competence level in “Scherzo” and “Passacaglia.”

Both of these pieces had a lot of technical challenges in terms of articulation, dynamics, notes, and rhythms. The presentation of the songs were a fantastic display of musicianship and teamwork.

Not only was technical expertise apparent, but the students genuinely looked like they were having fun. From the Middle School Orchestra’s donning of sunglasses for “Blue Rhythmico” to the trading of trumpet and clarinet solos in the High School Jazz Band’s, “Backburner,” students found their groove and their love of music could be seen in their expressive faces. The Middle School Chamber Orchestra also tackled a song that has probably never been heard before in the APIS Auditorium, William Cowper is credited with saying in 1785 the rock n’ roll classic, “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” that, “variety is the spice of life.” That phrase encapsulates the spirit of the song choices presented It was also a bittersweet evening for Mrs. Holbrook in the concerts. From the Middle School Choir’s as she bid a fond farewell to the graduating senpresentation of the slave spiritual, “Elijah Rock” to iors. This year’s Spring Concert was her last with the High School Band’s interpretation of “Crown the seniors because of her maternity leave. It was Him with Many Crowns,” the audience was treated evident that the past six years of investment of to a wide range of sacred and secular numbers that time and energy into each other’s lives was both displayed the students’ musical maturity. At one effective and fruitful.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

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APRIL 2014

SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

AMIS Festival in London!

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by Melinda Baum, Secondary Chorus Director

n March 17, three high school students had the opportunity of a lifetime, traveling to London to participate in the Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) International High School Honor Band and Mixed Choir Festival at the American School in London. Grace Kim (Grade 9, clarinet) and Shinyoung Lee (Grade 9, trumpet) both in the honor band and Brian Park (Grade 12, choir) in mixed honor choir worked very hard to earn this privilege.

Their journey began last fall as they prepared for the audition. Countless hours were spent rehearsing the required solo and etudes. Upon reaching the October submission deadline, final recordings were completed and downloaded to AMIS and the waiting began. In late November, students were notified of their acceptance and they began rehearsing the repertoire that would be performed in March with students from forty-five schools on four continents.

Of the four days spent in London, one day was spent seeing the city sites: Tower Bridge, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Parliament, and Buckingham Palace just to name a few. The remaining three days consisted of 8 hour rehearsals, tickets to “The Lion King,” shopping for gifts, and two gala performances that were streamed live across the world. “It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I will never forget the Big Ben, the Parliament building, the passion from so many other people that I saw, the overwhelming emotions I felt, and especially the beautiful sounds and harmonies the instruments and voices created,” says Shinyoung Lee. Grace Kim says, “I truly enjoyed my experience at AMIS. It was a good opportunity to really take a step outside the comfort zone by working with a new conductor and making new friends through music. I realized that there are so many talented young musicians in the world, and I am really thankful that I even got to attend this festival. The whole trip has inspired me to continue working on my clarinet skills and carrying out my talent for the benefit of not only me, but others as well. I look forward to future festival acceptances and adventures!”

The AMIS International Music Festivals give students at APIS the opportunity to work hard on their musical passions, communicating and sharing with students from around the world that share in that same passion. Music transcends cultural boundaries. It is the common language of the world. As Shinyoung reflects, “Since I never had a chance to travel that far, I realized that I actually was a part of this world. I realized that I could possibly be a global citizen like APIS wants us to be.”

(left to right) Shinyoung, Grace, and Brian

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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

APIS Has Talent

The audience go wild as the THEIA members put on their act.

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icking off the beginning of Spring Break in style, the High School Student Representative Council (SRC) organized the High School Talent Show. All high school students gathered for the last two periods of Friday, March 21 to cheer on their peers as they performed various acts in the talent show. The variety of talent was amazing as 10 different acts performed along with special video presentations from Mr. Woodrow’s classes and the Prom Committee. Student performances included dances, singing, a taekwondo demonstration, a strings ensemble, a magic show, and a band performance. Not to be outdone by their students, a group of 15 APIS teachers even performed a surprise final act with a flash mob to Journey's "Don't Stop Believing."

A judging panel consisting of Ms. Megan Pendleton, Ms. Janice Young, and Mr. Matthew Johnson narrowed down the acts to the Top 5. Once these acts were chosen, students went online using their smartphones and voted for their favorite performances.The winning acts were: First Pl ace: THEIA Members dancing to "The Gummy Bear Song" S econ d Pl ace: Jae Kang, Daniel Suh, Chris Kim, and BJ Kim performing Metallica's "Enter Sandman" T hir d Pl ace: Aedam Cho, Jae Kang, and Daniel Suh singing: "If I Ain't Got You", "Swim Good", "Confessions", and "Goldie" Great job to everyone who participated and to the HS SRC for organizing this event! It is sure to be remembered by students and teachers for a long time to come.

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APRIL 2014

SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

APIS Science Fair, Calling All Einsteins!

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cience fairs serve four major purposes: (1) they motivate students to pursue an active interest in a variety of science-related fields, (2) they provide a forum for students to showcase their research findings, (3) they provide students with an opportunity to dialog with science professionals and with the public and (4) they give recognition to students for the talents they exhibit through their hard work.

April 3-4 were exciting days at APIS as our future scientists participated in their first Science Fair exposition. Students from grades 6-10 participated in the school science fair and were encouraged to participate in the Google International Science Fair as a culmination to the research process. They set out to answer questions like, “What liquid is most effective in plant growth?” as well as, “What beverage stains teeth the most?”

"It was such a pleasure to watch my students work through the scientific method from start to finish."

- Dawn Johnston, Math/ Science/ Learning Support Teacher

sucan incredible s a w ir fa ce n ear's Science "Our first scie rd to next y a rw fo k o lo cess. I Fair." acher , Math/Science Te - Matthew Durham

"It was great to walk around and see all th e hard work many students put into thei r projects."

- Charlie Nichols, Math Teache r

"While I was walking around the expose, I saw interesting projects from the middle schoolers. Their ideas were very creative and interesting. There were lots of Science Fair projects that interested me, such as finding the energy of food, creating cosmetics, and using purple cabbage as an indicator. It was a very good experience." - Amy Hong (Grade 10)

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"I felt really proud of myself and the fact that I could actually carry out a whole new experiment by myself. I felt like I gave some good ideas to the middle schoolers who visited my booth. I taught that chemistry is happening all around us and that it is not a subject that we should fear, but enjoy."

- Eddie Kim (Grade 10)

APIS Science Fair

The competition aspect provides one more opportunity for students to publicly showcase their efforts and to defend their research findings. Healthy competition is beneficial in this respect, but the main intention in promoting science fairs continues to be for educational benefits provided to the students.

Category Win ners - Middle School -

- High School -

Chemistry

Chemistry

1st Henry Kim 2nd Jinny Choi 3rd Gia Kim

1st Lina Kim 2nd Cindy Kim 3rd Eddie Kim

Biology

Biology

1st Clara Park 2nd Grace Kim 3rd Donna Kim

1st Edwin Lee 2nd Claire Park 3rd Chris Sun

Physics

Physics

1st Julia Kim 2nd Eric Lee 3rd Gyu Young Lee

1st Joon Woo Kang 2nd Eugene Park 3rd Yoon Jae Hwang

Computer Science/ Engineering

Computer Science/ Engineering

1st Leo Rho 2nd Gerry Hwang 3rd Seth Forrester

1st David Lee

Earth/ Environmental Science

1st Chris Kang

1st Noah Kim 2nd Richard Jo 3rd Aaron Kang

Overall Middle School Winner

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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

Earth/ Environmental Science

Clara Park Overall High School WInner Edwin Lee

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APIS Update: Spring Soccer

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e’ve just concluded the spring soccer season and wanted to give the coaches an opportunity to reflect on the year’s accomplishments. Congratulations to girls’ team coaches, Andrew Murphy and Zachary Luginbill, as they were recently honored by KAIAC as Coaches of the Year.

Way to go!

Matt Johnson

Head Coach, Boys

Mike Russell

The varsity boys soccer program has seen much growth over the last five years and this season is definitely the best we've ever played. We have a very talented group of players and have played some very solid, consistent soccer. Although our ability is not necessarily represented in our record; we have dominated the midfield with quick passing and strong tackling, have scored some picturesque goals, and the boys have a very strong, consistent work ethic at every game and practice. If we put all of the pieces together at the right time, we can beat any team in the league! I can see a love of the sport in every player and this bodes well for future seasons of APIS soccer. It makes me incredibly proud to be a part of the APIS varsity soccer program. Go Hawks!

Assistant Coach, Boys

I'm most impressed with the tremendous passion and commitment the boys have for the sport and for their team. This starts at the top with the excellent leadership the captains have shown right from the first practice. Albert, Dave, and Peter set outstanding examples of dedication, effort, playing with class and sportsmanship, and especially of encouraging teammates and team spirit. The pool of talent and passion for the game in the sophomore and freshman classes is incredible. The boys have worked hard to build on their skills and refine their team play, and have shown more and more intensity and toughness with every game. It's great to see their maturity and commitment, and even more importantly, how much fun they have with each other in practices and games. That's what makes it most fun for me and what makes me most proud to be a part of the team.

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APIS Update: Spring Soccer

Andrew Murphy Head Coach, Girls

The varsity girls soccer team had what can be described as a very successful year. It was clear from the start that this was a year to build skills, learn, and develop. The team was the youngest team in the league, but that did not stop the girls. They came in with a great attitude and fantastic work ethic, and slowly but surely they developed into a pretty competitive team. The defense was the team’s anchor, led by Clair Choi who was named top defensive player in the KAIAC tournament.The offense came along slowly but came on strong at the end of the season. By the end of the season the talk of the league was how much our girls varsity soccer team improved in terms of skill, aggression, and passion. This in large part was due to the leadership on the team, our captains, Joyce Kwon, Haejung Yoon, Michelle Lee, and Clair Choi who did a fantastic job of guiding and mentoring this young team to success. I want thank all of the team members for their efforts and attitude as it was a really enjoyable season for me to be a part of this team.

Zachary Luginbill

APRIL 2014

SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

Assistant Coach, Girls

The varsity girls soccer team has put in some hard work this season. Going into our final tournament, they really played well together on both ends of the field, as players settled into positions. Our defense did a great job of winning the ball and sending it down to our offense. All around, we played aggressively, we worked on marking up the tough competition in KAIAC. I am most proud of the great attitude we share as a team which is shown when we give our best, but also with how everyone enjoys playing soccer as well as having fun. Great job, Green Hawks!

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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

30 Hour Famine

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ccording to World Vision, one in eight people in the world don’t have enough to eat. In hopes to stem the tide of hunger in the world, APIS partnered with World Vision to bring the 30 Hour Famine to APIS. Fifty students from Middle and High School participated in this year’s 30 Hour Famine, which ended on an extremely high (though hungry) note. All middle school students and high school leaders had a fun and meaningful time during the famine. They played a variety of games, such as Ice Breaker, Dodge Ball, and others while only being given water and ice tea. They also had worship sessions and watched videos to learn more about children in poorer areas.

by Amy Hong (Grade 10)

Paul Chung (Grade 12) encourages fellow students.

Through the 30 Hour Famine, the middle school students and high school leaders learned significant lessons. Even though they could not empathize 100% with the way the children in poor areas feel for hunger, they managed to reach some level of understanding. One of the high school leaders, Sophie Chung (Grade 11) says, ”After experiencing what it means to be actually ‘starving’ for the first time, I’ve been taking things such as food, shelter, water, and clean air less for granted. While the people living in impoverished countries live with this close-to-death hunger in their daily lives, I was ashamed to realize that I complain to my mom if my food is a little cold and under heated. After experiencing this 30 Hour Famine, I’ve realized that I need to be more appreciative not only of my surroundings, but also of the fact that I am still living and breathing and in healthy condition.”

After the famine was over, the students were able to have a simple meal of rice at 11:30 pm. Even though it was only rice without any side-dishes, it was a great welcome to their empty stomachs.

Chaplain Zachary Luginbill says, “I was very impressed with the high school leadership who took care of everything from start to finish, including: the planning, events, discussion, worship, skits, devotionals, games and most of all, the way they set the example for the middle schoolers - who participated in everything we did without any issues whatsoever. That way the real emphasis was on raising support for people in the world who are without money and food. Thanks to everyone who donated, attended and gave up time and food for a successful 30 Hour Famine!”

Fifty students from Middle and High School experience a day without food.

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Letter from the Philippines

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n November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, affecting about 14 million people.

Many in the APIS community responded with acts of service and support. The director of the Christian Light Foundation Philippines sent the following message of appreciation:

THANK YOU is not adequate to say how much we appreciate your contribution to CLF Philippines’ disaster relief ministries to the Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Yolanda) victims! It was the deadliest typhoon to ever make landfall, hitting on Nov. 8. Over 6000 died and 2000 were injured. The devastation was estimated at $13 billion, as homes were flattened, the coconut trees and other crops destroyed, schools and highways damaged.

CLF immediately ministered in four areas: Basey, Samar; Tacloban, Leyte; Tapaz, Capiz; & Tibiao, Antique, giving food, clothing, cooking pots & doing medical missions. Our teams slept in vehicles, bathed in the rain, and brought in their own food & water. There was no running water, nor electricity.

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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

We are still doing relief ministry: a team was in Capiz last week helping reconstruct homes. We are horrified that the cost of construction materials is four to eight times what it costs in Manila! We will do medical mission and give clothing in a remote village of Tacloban & Villaba, Leyte in April. In May, we will distribute school supplies in 3 provinces for a school opening in June.

With deep appreciation,

Judy

IN BRIEF

Director Christian Light Foundation Philippines www.clfphils.org

Mulmangcho School Supplies Delivered!

Mrs. Beatty, Mrs. Paulin and Davis Beatty deliver supplies for students of the Mulmangcho School. In response to the recent secondary school's Global Citizens Program, Mrs. Beatty challenged all APIS elementary school students to gather much-needed school supplies for North Korean refugees. Casey Lartigue, International Advisor to the Mulmangcho School, said the school is very grateful for the donation and the supplies will be put to use immediately.

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SCHOOL-WIDE

Around the World with the APIS Culture Fair

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By Kirstan Beatty, School Counselor

n Friday, April 18, APIS hosted its second annual Culture Fair. We continued to celebrate the rich cultural heritage represented through our students, families and staff through the theme “Around the World in a Day.” Twenty-five cultures were represented through food, activities, clothing, music and much more.

Students were able to eat lamb chops from Saudi Arabia, baklava from Greece, and gumbo from New Orleans. Students also got to try their hand at Canadian curling, create a Taiwanese lantern, and they learned why Chicago dyes their river green for St. Patricks Day. There were tea ceremonies from Japan, a real life Tin Tin from Belgium, and Vegemite from Australia. Students were truly able to travel the world in a day!

The secondary students completed an activity and found out that Norway is home of puffins, polar bears, and wolverines, among other surprising tidbits of information. The elementary students used their “passport” to gather stamps from each booth they visited as a memento of the experience. Many students were seen comparing what stamps they received and making sure they did not miss a booth experience.

The event culminated with an interactive Gaelic sports and music presentation by Ireland native, Conor Melvin. He shared with the students the ancient game of hurling (a Gaelic sport with similarities to lacrosse, field hockey, and baseball) and Gaelic football (similar to rugby and American football). Simon Oh (Grade 11), Rian Kwak (Grade 5), and Louise Schattle (Grade 3) became “Hurlers in Training” by trying out their hurling skills on stage.

Conor then invited Grainne Barrett, our own Brian Kim (Grade 12), and Ms. Emmalee Johnson, APIS Orchestra teacher on stage. Using a bodhran drum, accordion, Irish whistle, and fiddle, we were treated to traditional Irish jigs and reels. Grainne Barrett and Ms. Meg Hayne, APIS Biology teacher, showed us traditional Irish dancing for the secondary school and later the entire elementary school joined in as well. We might have spotted a leprechaun or two! Conor represents the Seoul Gaels Gaelic football team, one of the largest foreign sports clubs in Korea, who recently set up a kids team who travelled to Ireland to play an exhibition game in front of 42,000 people and met the prime minister. You can check out their blog here http://m.blog.naver.com/ireland_camp or contact Conor directly at development.seoulgaels@gmail.com.

We are looking forward to more cultures being represented next year, so gather your items from around the world and host a booth! Interested? Contact Kirstan Beatty, School Counselor, at kbeatty@apis.seoul.kr

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Around the World with the APIS Culture Fair

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SCHOOL-WIDE

APIS’ Annual Korean Writing Contest

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PIS’ Korean Department hosted its annual Korean Writing Contest on April 3 and 4. It was the fourth contest for the secondary division and the second time for elementary students. The purpose of the writing contest is to encourage students to engage in the Korean language and motivate them to further develop their Korean writing skills.

The theme this year was “Pondering Life… On the Road” (길 위에서, 묻다) and students were challenged to interpret the meaning of this topic on their own. Whether it was deep self-reflection or about a journey that influenced their life, students reflected on the theme and wrote a poetry or prose. Elementary students also worked on the same theme but created works in a wider range of genres: G1 and G2 submitted illustrated diaries, G3 wrote parody poetry after reading a book, G4 wrote a persuasive writing on “Respect Life,” and G5 created children’s stories.

The elementary student’s award-winning works are published in the Pacific Pencil. The secondary works will be exhibited in front of the Korean classrooms on the 3rd floor of APIS and they will also be published in next year’s “Korean Language Arts Program Collection of Literary Works.”

Here is the list of the award winning students of this year’s Korean Writing Contest. Congratulations everyone for your hard work!

Awa r d Win ners Ji Woo Jung, David Jeong

Grade2

Adelia Kwak, Jean Ho Lee

Grade3

Joanna Kim, Catherine Cho

Grade4

Sarah Koo, Sarah Kim

Elaine Kim (G11)

Grade5

Bryan Jung, Charissa Kim

Sanghee Kim (G9)

Poetry Golden Award Prose

Poetry

The Top Award

Eddie Kim (G10) Poetry

Jeff Jeon (G10)

Prose

Nicholas Yu (G10)

Grand Award

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Sophie Yoo (G8)

Grade1

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Sarah Choi (G7) Edwin Lee (G9)

Adrian Rhee (G11) Lynn Kim (G10)

Silver Award

Anna Kwon (G6) Prose

Henry Park (G10) Albert Cho (G11)

APIS' Annual Korean Writing Contest

APIS' 2013-2014 APIS Korean Writing Contest Top Award 길

Eddie Kim (Grade10)

나는 오늘 길을 걷는다 평평한 돌로 잘 포장된 길 가로수들은 계절에 맞춰 변화하고 차가운 눈빛으로 지나쳐 사라지는 차들 자그마한 가게들이 길에 오밀조밀 모여 있다 아침에 맞이한 그 길은 현실의 무게에 지친 회사원들이 버스 정류장으로 발걸음을 옮기고 화려한 옷, 선캡, 선글라스, 그리고 마스크로 무장한 아주머니들이 특유의 걸음걸이로 걸으며 친구들과 수다를 떨고 학업에 지친 아이들은 눈을 감은채 귀에 이어폰을 꽂고 걷는다 저녁에 맞이한 그 길은 지친 사람들을 나르는 버스가 쉴새 없이 사람들을 토해내고 회식에서 한 잔 한 잔 걸친 회사원들이 가로수를 붙잡고 현실에서 받은 상처- 분노- 서러움을 게워내고 하이힐의 아가씨들은 팔짱을 끼고 걸으며 오늘 저녁 메뉴를 고르고 늦은 밤 학원에서는 어린 학생들이 핸드폰에 시선을 빼앗긴채 몰려 나온다 그러나, 나는 오늘도 이 길을 걷는다 억압 대신 자유, 절망보다 희망을 지닌 그 길을 오늘도 걷는다 모두에게 인연을 선사해 주고 생(生)과 사(死)의 냉정함을 지닌 불확실함만이 확실한, 그래서 언제나 우리를 불안하게 하는 그 길을 어떻게든 닦고 또 닦아 가며 나는 오늘도 걷고 또 걷는다 가파른 산길, 뜨거운 태양, 살을 애는 듯한 바람과 쉴 새 없는 추위로 나를 시험하고 불현듯 나타나 사라지는 아름다운 경관으로 나의 눈을 의심하게 하고 많은 사람들 속에서 ‘나’를 만나 울고 웃고 악수를 청해보지만 점점 더 진지하게 길을 걷고 있는 ‘나’를 발견한다

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그래서, 나는 오늘도 길을 걷는다

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APIS' Annual Korean Writing Contest

David Jeong (Grade 1)

Adelia Kwak (Grade 2)

Jean Lee (Grade 2)

Ji Woo Jung (Grade 1)

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APIS Signs an MOU with SNUST

(left to right) Mr. Han, Chris Kim (Grade 12), Professor Lee, Mr. Paulin, Ms. Park, and Dr. Kim

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PIS constantly strives to provide students with the best environment for them to deeply engage in learning and research, and science and technology has always been one of APIS’ core emphasis. In line with this vision, APIS recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SNUST) to seek new ways to improve Research and Education (R&E) programs at APIS.

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The idea about signing an MOU was prompted when our high school students started to engage in collaborative research with college level staff. Last November, Chris Kim’s (Grade 12) published a research paper in a science journal through collaboration with Professor Suw Young Ly and his research team at the Seoul National University of Science and Technology.

APIS and SNUST will work together in the following areas: 1. Establishing an R&E educational program at APIS 2. Support of research materials and facilities 3. Support of professors for R&E program By encouraging students to conduct research with professors, the MOU with SNUST will allow more opportunities for students to conduct scientific experiments and research that will enhance their learning experience.

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Helping Your Child Prepare for College

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PIS regularly hostsParent Coffee Meetings to provide an opportunity for parents to better understand the education their child is receiving, and also to facilitate the communication between parents and teachers. In March, the topic of Parent Coffee Meetings for all elementary and secondary parents was, “Helping Your Child Prepare for College,” presented by College Counseling Director, Mrs. Shana Russell.

College may seem far-fetched for elementary students, but Mrs. Russell helped parents understand what they can do to help their child prepare for college at an early age. Starting off by asking, “What makes you happy?” she explained this is a real college essay question from a prestigious liberal arts school in the United States and said that the foundation for how to answer these questions actually begins in elementary school. Throughout her presentation, Mrs. Russell emphasized that colleges in the U.S. practice a “holistic” review and look at every part of a student’s application--from academics to sports and arts--and she encouraged parents to embrace a more holistic mindset about education. At the end of her talk, Mrs. Russell said, “My best advice, the advice I am taking as a parent myself, is that you provide unconditional support for your child.

Give them hugs, give them high-fives, healthy meals, the chance to sleep in on the weekends, and the opportunity to just be a kid.”

The Secondary Parent Coffee Meetings touched upon each component of college admissions in more detail. Mrs. Russell focused on three categories by which colleges evaluate students: academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, and character. After talking about standardized tests, she emphasized that a really high SAT or ACT score does not necessarily guarantee admission to any school. Rather than high SAT scores, Mrs. Russell said, “The most important thing that colleges look at in terms of academic achievement is the high school transcript because it isn’t just a reflection of one exam on one day, but three plus years of cumulative work.” As for extracurricular activities, she reminded parents that it is “quality over quantity,” and that ideally, students should be participating in an activity they are genuinely interested in for all four years of high school. Lastly, in fostering character, she encouraged parents to talk with their son or daughter about what they are learning in school, and help them make connections to their lives.

She said, “Some of the best college essays that I’ve ever read were about just that – being a kid, enjoying life, making mistakes, and learning life lessons.”

The recurring idea in all the presentations was that it was important for parents to get to know their child better; asking what their son or daughter wants to do and discover their child’s talents. The series of Parent Coffee Meetings ended successfully giving all parents, Kindergarten through Grade 11, a head start on preparing for college.

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THANK YOU !

APIS PARENTS From the Science Department Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to support the First Annual APIS Science Fair. It was such a wonderful experience for our students to have the opportunity to present to outside judges from scientific professions. We would like to thank the following guest judges: Ms. Pill Eun Lee ('13 Alumni Grace & Sophia Park’s Mother) Mr. Dae Seung Kang (G12 Kiwon Kang’s Father) Mr. Jeong Bong Lee (G6 Elizabeth Lee’s Father) Ms. Kang Ok Seo (G9 Eugene Park’s Mother) Mr. Jae Nam Lee (G6 Eric Lee’s Father) Mr. San Ku Jo (G9 Alvin Jo’s Father)

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“I'd like to nominate Louise Choi-Schattle's (Grade 3) parents: Hans Schattle and Yun Kyung Choi. They have been instrumental in helping me research and organize field trips this year and Mr. Schattle has even come along as a chaperon! They also volunteered at the Culture Fair, hosting a booth for Greece. Not only did they prepare food, they also visited the Greek Embassy beforehand to get materials and information about Greece and Greek culture.”

-Jillian Iwanuk, Grade 3 TeacherThank you to all of the parents who made the 2nd Annual APIS Culture Fair such a success!! Whether you were able to host a booth or provided the food for your student to represent their culture, we could not have an event like this without the support of our APIS families. Specifically, thank you to the following parents for hosting a booth: Ms. Tomoko Arata (G1 Yeonsue Arata's mom), Ms. Atsuko Shima (G4 Matthew, G9 Johanna & Andrew Kang's mom), Ms. Yingshi Li (G4 Peter Jin's mom), Ms. Ji Eun Baik (G4 Sarah and G7 Daniel Koo's mom), Ms. Eun Ju Park (G7 Chris Kim's mom), Ms. Yingxia Zhang (G9 Yifei Li's mom), Mr. Hans Schattle & Ms. Yun Kyung Choi (G3 Louise Choi-Schattle's mom), Mr. Peter & Ms. Nan Paik (G5 Elliot Paik's parents), Ms. Julien Solizen-Veri (G1 Jacklyn & G5 Jardine Veri's mom), Ms. Marika Ravin (G9 Gabby Ravin's mom), Ms. Hea Yeung Shim (G2 Erica & G8 Richard's mom), and Ms. Jamie Shin (G2 Johan's mom).

-Culture Fair Committee-

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W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R EDITORIAL TEAM: ■ Euysung Kim Director ■ Nicole Suh Art & Design Editor ■ Josephine Shim Communications & PR Team Leader ■ Ashley Stapleton Writing / Editing Staff ■ Brian Beatty Writing / Editing Staff ■ Soora Koh Communication Officer