Issue 35 APIS Online Update November 2015

Online

N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 5

ISSUE 35.

UPDATE 57 WOLGYE-RO 45GA- G I 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. A PIS .O RG

IN THIS ISSUE:

■ Field Trips ■ Poetry Cafe ■ Korean Air Art Awards

IN THIS ISSUE:

■ PBL Hawaii Camp ■ Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ ■Basketball Season Outlook Faculty Retreat ■ Spirit Week

NOVEMBER 2015

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

Better With Blueberries

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lueberry jam. Blueberry pizza. Blueberry juice. On Nov. 4, the kindergarten class at APIS experienced just a few of the ways people use blueberries when the students went on their first field trip of the year, to Byul-Nae Blueberry Farm in Nam Yang Ju, about 20 minutes outside of Seoul.

“We are learning about trees,” Landy Hwang, kindergarten teacher, said about the science unit this semester. “We are learning about the parts of the trees and what we get from the tree — nuts, fruits, etc. Later we will learn about wood and all its uses.” The trip to the farm gave the students a chance to see where and how blueberries are grown and a chance to help make blueberry juice mixed with yogurt, blueberry jam (which they ate on toast), and blueberry pizza. “It was so good,” Ms. Hwang said.

While blueberries are harvested in the summer, the farm had frozen blueberries for the students to work with. In addition, the farm had play equipment for the children after their hard work cooking. The owner of the farm gave the class a blueberry seedling to bring back to APIS and grow in the classroom.

The students not only saw science in action on the farm, they also saw cows, horses, and chickens on their way to their destination, along with pear and persimmon trees. They suggested to their teacher that a field trip to a pear farm or persimmon farm should be the next field trip.

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Field Trip to N Seoul Tower and Alive Museum

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By Kim House, Second Grade Teacher & Soo Lee, First Grade Teacher

n Wednesday, Nov. 18, the first and second grade classes took a field trip to North Seoul Tower. On the way to Namsan, students noticed that we were in an urban area because of all the cars, stores, tall buildings, and people. Once we got there, we walked up a steep hill to the base of the tower. We enjoyed eating our lunch under a big pavilion. Then it was time to go up to the observatory deck. We took a fast elevator ride to the top of the tower. Students looked out all of the windows at the amazing views of Seoul. We sure do live in a big city! Some students looked through strong binoculars to see faraway items close up. The direction and distances to cities and countries all over the world are noted on the windows visitors look out of at the tower. Students tried to find places they know and commented on new places.

After the observatory deck, we took the elevator back down to the bottom floor and went into the Alive Museum. Students got to see Trick Eye Art and optical illusions. We enjoyed being part of the artwork and took many cool pictures. We even made our way through a maze! After the Alive Museum, it was time to head back to APIS. We enjoyed our first field trip of the year and made some lasting memories.

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Poetry Cafe “Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.” ~ Rita Dove

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n Nov. 25, APIS fifth and third graders traveled to a local Starbucks for a poetry cafe. Fifth graders took turns reciting poems by famous poets, including Jack Prelutsky, Emily Dickinson, Robert Louis Stevenson, Judith Viorst, and Shel Silverstein, and read their own creative work. Third graders attended to show support, offer constructive feedback to the poets, and as preparation for their own poetry unit, which begins Nov. 30. All students and parents in attendance received a rubric for judging the poetry recitations based on voice, performance, presence, and preparation.

After students finished reading their poems, audience members offered constructive feedback in the form of specific praise for the poets and suggestions for what the poets could work on improving. Feedback included comments such as, “I liked your pacing,” and “Maybe next time you could try to add more physical movements.”

Poem topics ranged from the silly to the contemplative, and were written in either English or Korean.

APIS Korean teacher Namhee Kong attended as well to share in celebrating her students' Korean poems.

Poems shared covered animals, nature, ninjas, computers, jumping beans, Cheetos, Minecraft, darkness, and a homeless man on the streets of NYC. Grade 5 poet Rin Choi said in her poem entitled, "Mr. Stink," “I think of how people will think of him as something bad when you don’t realize he might have a brighter heart than ours.”

Grade 5 teacher Jeff Underhill said, “The poetry cafe is experiential education. Students grow by doing.” Grade 5 student Joyce Kim voiced evidence to support this. Asked what she enjoyed about the opportunity to craft her own creative work and present before peers, teachers, and family members, Joyce said, “I realized that in class I’m quiet — but when I do poetry, I get confident.” Grade 5 students have good reason to be confident — their poems showcased all the reflection, planning, and creativity that went into this lyrical event.

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Korean Air Art Awards

By Anna Sea, Art Teacher

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mong our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders who participated in the 7th annual “Korean Air Future Artist Olympiad� children's drawing contest, an art competition hosted by one of the Korean airline companies, Cullen Webster (Grade 5), Edric Yoon (Grade 5), and Lulu Timpson (Grade 4) were given awards for their artworks on Nov. 7. A total of 810 groups of Korean and international school students from all over Korea participated in this contest.

The theme of this year's contest was: "I am a kid but I have a big heart (great kids know the joy of helping and caring for others)."

Students had meaningful discussions around this theme in class as they created their artworks for the contest. It was a good learning opportunity for all of us and a special chance for our upper elementary students to share their artworks in public.

Cullen, Edric, and Lulu attended the award ceremony with their parents at Gimpo International Airport. They had a chance to tour around behind the scenes of the airport and receive a T-shirt that Korean Air had designed with their artworks.

Congratulations to such talented and passionate APIS elementary artists.

We are very proud of your achievements!

For more information: http://myplane.koreanair.com/

I feel very proud of myself and happy. It was an exciting experience for me because it was my first time participating in a contest held in Korea.

When I first heard that I got the award, I was playing with Edric and I was soaking wet. I felt so happy that I had to have a second water fight with him.

Edric Yoon (Grade 5)

Cullen Webster (Grade 5)

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I felt excited and thankful when I got the award. It was very unexpected.

Lulu Timpson (Grade 4)

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British Man Urges Help for Hanoks

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istoric Korean architecture is worth preserving, David Kilburn said during a presentation to the eighth-grade class at APIS on Oct. 30. Mr. Kilburn, a 72-year-old British journalist, who was invited to speak to the students for their social studies unit, is particularly interested in the preservation of the historic hanoks in Kahoi-dong in Bukchon, where he lives. Speaking slowly but with conviction, Mr. Kilburn warned that the single-story homes, built according to traditional Korean design and with traditional materials at the early part of the 20th century, are being lost at an alarming rate due to redevelopment pressures. And, he noted, that redevelopment is taking place in spite of the hanoks having a protected status and in spite of them being a tremendous draw for tourists.

“I felt people should pause and think,” Mr. Kilburn said of his decade-long mission to rally Koreans to save the hanoks.

“Once they [are] destroyed, they are gone forever.”

Mr. Kilburn’s talk followed up a field trip that the eighth graders took that same week, when they went on a walking tour of the Bukchon Hanok Village. “The students are studying a thematic unit called ‘Transformation’ in their social studies class,” said Megan Vosk, ELA/social studies teacher. “By visiting Bukchon, they were able to see how much Seoul has transformed over the past 100 years … The hope was that the visit would help students think about the importance of preserving and maintaining cultural heritage and traditions despite recent and rapid transformations and changes.”

That is an attitude that Mr. Kilburn also wanted to foster through his presentation. He noted that the Bukchon hanoks were built during Japanese occupation by a developer who hoped the traditional homes would reinforce Korean values in the Korean people. The way of life signified by living in a hanok had “became a fundamental part of the Korean psyche,” Mr. Kilburn said.

"Once they [are] destroyed, they are gone forever."

He commented on the irony that a man from England is leading the charge to save what, for him, is foreign. He noted that generally the Koreans who join him in his effort were those who have lived overseas, making one wonder if Koreans at home lack the perspective that the past is worth preserving. Mr. Kilburn maintains that it is. “By preserving the old architecture of a city, you also preserve the history and identity of the people who live, who have lived there,” he said.

For more about Mr. Kilburn’s efforts to save the hanoks, see www.kahoidong. com.

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KAIAC Large Group Festival 2015 By the Music Department

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n Nov. 3, the high school music ensembles packed up their instruments and traveled to KIS to participate in the annual KAIAC (KoreanAmerican Interscholastic Activities Conference) Large Group Festival.

The band, choir, and orchestra students performed as individual ensemHigh school band students and Mrs. Holbrook pose with their plaque bles for a panel of judges and peers. from KAIAC. They received the highest rating of Platinum.

The judges, other music educators in Seoul, gave a rating with comments for each performance. Following the performance, each ensemble received private instruction with one of the judges; this is a chance to revisit the music through the eyes of the judge and learn from a different music teacher.

Students prepared for this day since the High School Music Retreat in August, and the expectations were high! With a strong history of receiving top ratings in past years, the students were nervous about living up to their potential. Some of the nerves showed prior to the performances.

Andrew Yoo (Grade 9) in Choir remarked, “I felt really really nervous and afraid, and I am not quite sure if my teammates were nervous, too. When our turn came, I took a deep breath and said to myself, ‘... you can do this … .’ As we started singing, I didn't even think about being afraid. I just thought of singing.”

Music has the power to calm the soul, and it worked for everyone! Receiving high marks again, the choir and orchestra received unanimous Gold ratings, and the band received the highest rating of Platinum for the first time ever. Band student Shinyoung Lee (Grade 11) commented, “It was amazing how the band, at the moment on stage and under those bright lights, was truly together in harmony. We were creating one sound instead of multiple individual sounds.” The process of preparation aims at achieving just that … becoming one through diligent individual work and cohesive teamwork.

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The music teachers are, as always, exceptionally proud of the high school music students for succeeding so well at this early point of the school year. As Christopher Kim (Grade 10) put it, “KAIAC is a phenomenal opportunity to show our group's outstanding skills and to receive feedback and a plaque that depicts us as a group. I can hear our ensemble develop skills and experience through our KAIAC performance.”

Through these moments, APIS music students are gaining the important skills of preparation, performance, and critique, which can be useful in all subjects. Bravo Greenhawk musicians!

Band Soloist: Eddie Kim (G12) Choir Soloists: Seunghyun Chung (G11), Jennifer Kang (G10) Rachel Cho (G10), Julie Son (G10) Choir Piano Accompanists: Joonwoo Kang (G11) June Hyun Kim (G11)

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Climbing Higher in Hawaii

Members of the Lanikai Canoe Club teach the students how to use their oars on the beach before trying them for real in the water.

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he students’ first excursion during the first PBL Futures Academy program was to a ropes course run by the YMCA of Honolulu. Kitted out in safety harnesses and helmets, the students stood near the base of the intimidating 50-foot-tall structure and watched and cheered as, two by two, their classmates figured out a way to use different ropes, footholds, and the structure itself to pull themselves triumphantly to the top. The experience set the tone for the rest of the two-week program. One of the Hawaii teachers reports overhearing one student say to another who was wary of even trying the tower, “Dude, you need to put on the harness … We're supposed to be going outside our comfort zones!"

And that was indeed the goal of the PBL program — to provide an environment and resources where students would need to challenge themselves to inquire, think, study, and learn about an issue in a deeper, broader way. Twenty-two students from the APIS Seoul campus — 12 sixth graders and 10 seventh graders — traveled to the APIS Hawaii campus in the United States to participate from Nov. 12 to 26. The sixth-grade students looked at how where you live affects how you live, and what it means to be Hawaiian. The seventh-grade students considered how innovations in communication and transportation have moved Hawaii toward globalization.

Faculty at the APIS Hawaii campus set up a multitude of excursions and experiences for the students to assist in the immersive project.

In addition to the ropes course, the students saw dances and heard music from a variety of Polynesian cultures and had the chance to ride in an outrigger canoe. The students were exposed to sustainable agricultural methods during tours at Kahuka Farms (where they also got their hands dirty and planted seeds) and the Dole Plantation. They heard lectures on heiaus (Hawaiian sacred sites) and visited two. A college professor met with them on the beach to discuss

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Climbing Higher in Hawaii the culture of surfing in Hawaii, and a special dance teacher came to campus to teach a class on hula and what that kind of dancing means to Hawaiians. They saw Hawaiian art at museums and galleries. They learned about Hawaii’s political and cultural history at the Bishop Museum and the Honolulu Museum of Art. The students also had class time where they reflected on the information they were gathering and its implications for their projects.

Matt Manley, a teacher at the Hawaii campus who was the team leader for the sixth-graders’ project, said he believes the students learned a lot. “They had this idea that being in nature was good, but I think it was new for many of them to be doing it as a group with their peers … and then to tie it into Hawaiian culture was even more powerful,” he said.

The students showed some of what they learned on the final full day of of the program when they presented their projects. The seventh graders created a website (http://sunwookim.wix.com/ masterwebsite) to express what they learned and the connections they made. “It was an intensive academic experience,” said Chris Stapleton, team leader for the seventh graders.

The sixth graders unveiled a large mural they had designed and painted that showed symbols of Hawaiian culture. They also hosted a kind of publishing party, where they each presented an individual project like a photo essay, a brochure, creative narrative, a website, or something similar that reflected what they’d learned.

The PBL Futures Academy was designed to fit in with the ongoing curriculum being followed at the APIS Seoul campus. To keep all the sixth- and seventh-grade students in the same place in their studies, a separate PBL program following similar themes was held at the Seoul campus at the same time as the Hawaii program. Pat Hallinan, instructional coordinator for both the Seoul and the Hawaii campuses, said the PBL program was “a real-life learning project to help kids develop a deeper understanding of the standards that are already in [their social studies] curriculum. Also, English, language arts, science, art, and music were integrated into the project using the standards from our curriculum in those subjects as well. “I think they developed a deeper understanding of what culture is and why it is important to individuals and cultural groups,” Ms. Hallinan said.

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APIS Hawaii Campus

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Climbing Higher in Hawaii On the next day after arriving in Honolulu, students try a ropes/climbing course.

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A guide at the Honolulu Museum of Art describes some of the pieces on display, including a statue of Hawaiian ruler, King Kamehameha I.

Rian Kwak and Annika Todd, both seventh graders, team up to create their video. The assignment required the students to learn basic film-editing skills and it gave them a chance to show which images, words, and sounds they would select to best illustrate Hawaii to others. The seventh grade also created a website as an end-of-program group project. Students created a website that shares information about how innovations in communications and transportation transform a society and move it from isolation to globalization.

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Climbing Higher in Hawaii

Students work on a mural project while listening to music and feeling the breeze in the lanai. Teacher Melissa Martinez offers some suggestions to Jane Kim (Grade 6), right, as Angela Lee (Grade 6), left, adds paint textured with sand to the bottom of the mural.

The mural illustrates symbols of Hawaii identified by the students, as well as significant comments they heard on their field trips and part of photos that relate to the state. The mural is the largegroup project for sixth grade for the PBL program. Each sixth grader also worked on an individual project.

A teacher from a dance school located in central Oahu visits the APIS campus. She taught the students about the history of hula dancing. She said it is derived from Hawaiian martial arts. Then, playing a ukulele, she taught the students a song in both Hawaiian and English.

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The hands-on earth science section of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum was a big hit.

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S E C O NSDEAC ROYN D S CA HR O Y OS LC HNOE O WLS N&E W E VSE & N TESV E N T S

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For more photos and information on the PBL camp, please see: apis.seoul.kr/pbl

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Middle School PBL

Week in Seoul

By Megan Vosk, ELA and Social Studies Teacher

Andy Oh (Grade 8) presents his project to Matthew Kern, chemistry teacher at APIS.

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n exciting project took place in our middle school this November! As Carly Althauser, grade 7 social studies teacher said, “It was an opportunity for both students and teachers to take risks.”

The project was called “I3 -- Ideas for Ingenious Innovations.” In this project, students learned about the power of innovation in a multidisciplinary project that incorporated math, science, social studies, English, art, and foreign language standards.

The project’s driving question was: “How can innovation help make the world a better place?”

Students were involved in creating a display showcasing an innovation that could potentially help address a global issue. They worked in a multi-age level groups, guided by all members of the middle school teaching team.

Students went outside the classroom to do field investigations twice during this project.

On the excursions, students explored innovations that have positively impacted Korean society. The first trip was a walking tour from the Cheonggye Stream to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and park. The second trip was to the Gwacheon Science Museum.

This innovative project is about...

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At the end of the project, students presented multilingual, multimedia displays (using a medium of choice, such as a portfolio, video, website, photojournal, presentation board, etc.) to their peers, parents, staff members, and other students at school, in a venue simulating a United Nations summit on innovation.

Middle School PBL Week in Seoul Teachers at the school were excited to pilot the project. According to middle school math teacher Alicia Morgenroth, the project had many benefits. “The Innovation Project was a great way to get students out of their comfort zones. It helped them develop problem-solving skills, and gave them the chance to work with students who they don’t normally have an opportunity to work with.” Science teacher Mandy Kern agreed. She said, “This project really helped students develop their higher-order thinking skills. Students were encouraged to synthesize information and apply their knowledge in context. They also got to use their technology skills, collaborate with others, and showcase their learning in a public forum.”

This project gave students the chance to apply the knowledge and skills they learn in school to personally relevant and real-world situations. Students were able to think critically, analyze and solve complex problems, collaborate within a diverse team, effectively communicate orally and in writing, and make creative presentations. Grade 8 student, Dae Ho Ha, was enthusiastic when reflecting on the project. He said, “I liked this project because it asked us to use our inquiry skills to learn new things. Plus, we got to make new friends.” It was a big success all around and we hope to do it again in the spring.

We would like to give special thanks to the members of the APIS Parent Teacher Organization for providing snacks at the Innovation Expo.

Your support was much appreciated!

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Basketball Season Outlook

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ndy Murphy, head coach for boys varsity, noted he has been coaching boys basketball at APIS since the school’s beginning. This year’s team represents the third generation of players that have come through under his tenure, and he’s looking forward to working with them. “I’m looking forward to a new challenge.”

However, approximately eight of his players graduated last year. “We have lots of new players,” he said. “It’s a rebuilding year.”

Speed is likely to be this team’s greatest strength. “This will be the fastest team APIS has ever had.”

Ward Milligan is the head coach for the boys junior varsity team this year. “I am excited as I look forward to my first basketball season at APIS, and I am impressed with the skills, work ethic, and commitment of our players. Mr. Milligan noted that basketball is fun way to exercise and build relationships, but what he most looks forward to is the opportunity to help players develop skills they will carry with them the rest of their lives: teamwork; cooperation; dedication; sportsmanship; handling success and failure; and respect for others including other teams, coaches, and officials. “We have a great group of young men and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with them,” he said.

Charlie Nichols

Meg Hayne

Head coach for the girls junior varsity

Head coach for girls varsity

“I am really excited to work with the girls for a second year. Knowing them as players is really beneficial as is not having to start from scratch with our offense. This year, the girls are much stronger in their skills and their confidence on the court. Their defense was awesome last year so we look to keep building that as our strength. I am looking forward to implementing new options for offense so that the girls are prepared to face any teams that come our way.

The group of girls that we have are outstanding. Their cohesiveness and support for one another is so strong.

It is a pleasure to coach them. I can't wait to see how far they can take their season this year!”

“I am super excited to be coaching girls basketball again.

The JV Girls combine some experienced players who are returning with some new players who are playing high school basketball for the first time. I have been so impressed with every girl’s hustle and heart. Our basketball skills are improving, and the girls are becoming more comfortable playing together. Last year, the JV girls finished strong with a couple wins at the end of the season and in the tournament.

We are looking to build on that success for this season. It will be a great year!”

Basketball Game Schedule

12/2 Varsity home game (Dwight @ APIS) 3:30 p.m.

12/4 Varsity home game (CDS @ APIS) 3:30 p.m.

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12/11 Varsity home game (KIS @ APIS) 3:30 p.m.

JV away game (APIS @ KIS) 3:30 p.m.

12/12 JV home game (CI @ APIS) 9 a.m.

Principal’s Note: Thank You for the Words!

"Thank you for giving me the language I needed to be successful at Harvard!�

In our recent two days of professional learning at APIS, this was one of the many comments from our presenter, Dr. Virginia Rojas, that stuck in my mind. The whole faculty spent two days working through strategies and ideas related to teaching students who are learning English as their second (or third) language. Research into the best ways to support students as they learn English would suggest that there are many different strategies teachers can use when teaching. One of the major points brought to teachers during the two days of training was the importance of speaking.

Before an English language learner can express his or her ideas in writing, he or she must be able to speak those ideas. And he or she must have multiple opportunities to express those ideas, to different people, in different ways. In these discussions, learners have many opportunities to experiment with different words and different combinations of ideas, clarify their thoughts as others ask them questions, and build a better understanding of how to express their ideas. Then, when it is time to write, the writing will be better (compared to when not having had the chance to talk about it first).

If APIS is truly preparing our students for a successful transition into a university or college, then we need to ensure our students leave with the language abilities (spoken, written, and reading) they will require for college.

As our school year progresses, we will continue to do the very best we can for our students, which will include an increased expectation that students at APIS discuss, converse, talk, and share their thinking in small and large groups.

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More than anything, I hope that in years to come our graduates can return to APIS and thank us for giving them the language they needed to be successful at college.

Professional development with Dr. Virginia Rojas.

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Spirit Week 2015

The "Men in Black" pose for a picture during the school spirit week.

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hroughout the second week in November, every day was a celebration of school spirit. Students came dressed in a specific color, in their favorite sports clothes, and in college sweaters. They were also given the opportunity to be a little creative and dress in matching clothes with a friend or friends, and come to school in their pajamas looking like they just rolled out of bed.

Unlike previous years, this year’s spirit week was not organized separately by division but organized together by the elementary, middle, and high school SRC members. “We’re a K-12 school and we wanted to be more united,” explains Kenny Jang (Grade 12), high school SRC president.

“I think the most popular day was twin day as students could do something with their friends.” Not only students but also many teachers and administrators joined in on the fun this day. The highlight was “Men in Black,” where faculty members, in black suits and shades, with hands in pockets, stood on the front steps to greet the students in the morning. In contrast to the men in black, female teachers dressed as “Women in White.”

Who showed As an added bonus to all the fun of dressing up each day, a pizza party was thrown for the class that showed the most APIS spirit. “In previous years, we’ve had students questioning why we do these things. I’m really grateful that the students this year have been actively participating and showing the school spirit. This is the most participation we’ve had thus far,” said Kenny.

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the most school spirit?

Day 1 Color DAY

Spirit Week 2015

Day 2 COLLEGE OR CAREER DAY

Day 4 TWIN DAY

Day 3 SPORTS DAY

Day 5 PAJAMA DAY

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Are you hungry? For what?

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s we move into December, some of you may still be thinking about Thanksgiving -- the most foodrelated holiday on the U.S. calendar. But, really, is the traditional turkey dinner everyone's favorite meal?

What is your favorite food ... What do you wish was served at Thanksgiving dinner?

Lefse! Traditional Norwegian food ‌it's so so so so good. It's potato that’s fried on the griddle, similar to a tortilla. People can put butter, sugar, or jelly on it. My mom even has a special lefse griddle, apron, and flipper. My brothers and I would refuse to go to someone's house for Thanksgiving if there was not lefse. We had it bad.

Here's a link to the recipe and a great article: http://www.southdakotamagazine.com/lefse-ministry Don't you want some?

-Sarah McRoberts, ELA teacher

Pecan pie! With lots and lots and lots of whipped cream :) -Megan Vosk, ELA/social studies teacher

I wish that we served burritos at Thanksgiving dinner. I could eat burritos every day. Rice, beans, tortilla, spicy salsas, lettuce, cheese, guacamole, pulled chicken, or carnitas (pork) all equal happiness to me. Maybe we could even take all of the yummiest ingredients of Thanksgiving and just invent Thanksgiving burritos? Who has the email address for Chipotle (popular American burrito restaurant)?!

-Courtney Murfield, ELA/social studies teacher

Right now a Jimmy Johns sub with guacamole is sounding so, so, so good. I wish I could have that on Thanksgiving. Too bad there are no Jimmy Johns in Korea!

-Carly Shinners, mathematics teacher

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Faculty Forum The food my family has craved the most since our move to Korea is pizza.

But not just any pizza — Burlington, Vermont's American Flatbread Pizza. Thin crust, baked in a stone oven in front of your eyes with fresh ingredients and the aroma swirling all around you . . the perfect food to warm one up on a cold Vermont day. Maybe they'll expand to Seoul?

-Jason Webster, social studies teacher; and family

I love to eat squash (pumpkin) & tofurky.

Mmmm, mmmm!

-Mandy Kern, math/science teacher

I really crave good Mexican food which is hard to find in Korea. Specifically I miss my mum's green chili or a baked dish called chilaquiles, which is similar to a casserole, made of tortillas, green chili, chicken, and cheese.

-Meg Hayne, biology teacher

I love everything but the turkey. My Thanksgiving plate is full of sides. My most favorite is sweet potato casserole — yams with marshmallows on top, baked in the oven. Yummy!

-Jill Iwanuk, literacy specialist

My favorite food is raviolis, and it would be great if they were served at Thanksgiving!

They are a noodle (usually round) with ricotta cheese inside! They are best served with tomato sauce, garlic bread, and a salad.

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-Kim House, grade 2 teacher

My favorite is turkey with cranberry sauce & mashed potatoes.

-Judy Park, grade 3 teacher

Oddly enough, our traditional Thanksgiving meal would be great because it would be so different from the food here. I always cook a turkey but make fun stuffing — usually with fruit (apricot or cherry) and almonds or walnuts. Then we have mashed potatoes and homemade gravy, salad, fresh veggies, cranberry sauce, fresh rolls, and sauerkraut (my Mom's tradition). Way too much food, but always great before a football game.

-Don Kirkwood, computer science teacher

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Librarian's Pick: All about Thanksgiving

hanksgiving is on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. It is a day to give thanks for the blessings of the harvest and the gifts of the preceding year. These books offer insight into this special tradition and invite readers to reflect on the tradition of giving thanks.

Milly and the Macy's Parade by Shana Corey

L E V E L: K - G 2

The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with its marching bands and big balloons, is a highlight of the holiday season. This story follows a Polish immigrant child, Milly, who persuades Mr. Macy to take her idea of “singing and strolling in the streets.” An author's note explains the facts behind the fiction. The book is fictional, but the immigrant origins of the parade are based on facts. This entertaining story beautifully captures the origins of this classic American Thanksgiving tradition.

Thank you, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson

L E V E L: G 2 - G 5

Sarah Hale is the woman who persuaded Lincoln to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. Before then, Thanksgiving was celebrated by individual colonies and states for more than two centuries.

However, interest was waning when Sarah, a magazine editor, author, teacher, and mother, began her 38-year campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Ignored or refused by administration after administration, she persisted until the last! The book includes additional information about Sarah Hale, Thanksgiving, the Civil War, and slavery.

This book will give you new appreciation for this special holiday.

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

L E V E L: G 6 - G8

This heartwarming historical fiction novel captures the friendship of a young settler and a Native American boy in the 18th century. The story begins when thirteen-year-old Matt, left alone in a log cabin in the wilderness, learns to survive with the help of his Native American friend, Attean. By sharing their different skills, such as English and hunting, the two boys grow to become friends and and appreciate each other's way of life. As time passes, Matt must decide if he should continue waiting for his family in a cabin or join Attean's tribe.The detailed descriptions of wilderness life and the relationships formed between settlers and natives in the 1700s makes for a perfect seasonal read and an interesting adventure and survival story.

The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World by Nathaniel Philbrick

L E V E L: G8 & U P

If you want a detailed history of Thanksgiving, this book is for you! Adapted for young people from The New York Times bestselling historical narrative, “MAYFLOWER: A Story of Courage, Community, and War,” this book offers a realistic, readable portrayal of the Pilgrims and their first 50 years in America. Happy Thanksgiving!

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W W W. A P I S . O R G EDITORIAL TEAM: ■ Euysung Kim Director ■ Nicole Suh Art & Design Editor ■ Josephine Shim Communications & PR Team Leader ■ Susan Craton Writing / Editing Staff ■ Caroline Webster Writing / Editing Staff