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D EC E M B E R / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 7
ISSUE 46.
UPDATE 57 WOLGYE-RO 45GA-G I L , NOWO N- G U, S EO UL , 0 1 87 4 , KOREA
IN THIS ISSUE:
■ Christmas Concerts ■ It’s a Wonderful Life ■ Chinese Lunar New Year
■ 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:
■ ■Middle School Lock-in Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ ■Student Spotlights Faculty Retreat ■ Spirit Week
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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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m Catherine Gas
ate fro Kindergarten Upd
ss joined e kindergarten cla th k, ea br er int w exciting holiday The last day before buddies for some e ad gr h fift ed lov younger with their be g surprise when the bi a ith w t ou d rte were activities. The day sta ho ol! The students sc r ou at t es gu l ia a spec smiles. In the students discovered laughter and a lot of joy en d an er th ge to inter and able to me et Santa okies in different w co ke ma to d ne ar nts le arteners how to afternoon, the stude showed the kinderg s nt de stu r de ol e e spirit of holiday shapes. Th co okies. Finally, in th us io lic de eir th st d fro their buddies. It use co okie cutters an favorite bo ok with a d ge an ch ex s nt kindness. gift giving, the stude e of generosity and nc rta po im e th n ar y to le was a wonderful wa
Grade 1 Update from Soo Lee In Grade 1, we have been learning about sounds as our integrated unit. At the beginning of the unit, Mr. Knox brought in and showed us different musical instruments. We explored how each instrument makes sound. Students learned that sound comes from vibration and we can make sound in different ways. Afterward, we researched sound devices we can make using plastics, paper, and other materials. We sketched, constructed, and wrote a “How to Make My Instrument” book.
Grade 2 Update from
Kimberly House
We started off 2017 by discussing goals and wh at it means to be a setter. This activity came goal from Class Dojo (https://i de as .cla ssdojo.com/i/becoming-agoal-setter). We really en joyed learning about the importance of setting lon goals and taking small ac g-term tionable steps to reach ou r bigger goals. We discu the quote (pictured right) ssed and talked about the imp ortance of having goals ways to reach them. We and reflected on the first half of second grade, set lon goals for the future, and g-term determined the steps tha t will help us achieve the m. We thought about some thing we want to accomp lish by the end of the sch We explained what we ool year. want to do, how we will do it, and how we’ll know finished. we’re We worked together to design a bulletin board in our classroom called Grade's Step Goals.” We “2nd look forward to achievin g our goals by the end Grade 2! Come by our of classroom and check it ou t when you can!
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Grade 3 Update from
Judy Park
Third grade researchers have be en learning abou t United Nations Child Rights. They found ou t that there are many chi ldr en who suffer from not having their basic ne eds met, for instance – clean drinking water, education, food, she lter, and safety to name a few . Some of the students were shocked to find out the intensity of suf fering these children face every day. We also ha d the privilege to interview Ms. Lee from Oaktree Or and learn more about the phanage lives in the orphanage. A couple of we eks ago, my heart moved as I saw one of my students sitting in the corner shedd ing tears as we read an art icle about child labor. Shortly after, other students wanted to talk about how we can help them. My students are learning how to read, write, and research effectively as learners. At the same tim e, they are learning to exp and their hearts to be compassionate citizens. Aft er all, what go od is it without caring hearts? Ou to ha ve many smart people r future will be brighter wit h students like these with importantly, compassion. knowledge, skills, and, mo st
Grade 4 Updat e from Sarah W ood In science, Grade 4 has be en lear ning all about en have explored po ergy and force. St tential and kinetic udents energy through a simulations. One va riety of experimen simulation they re ts and ally enjoyed was coaster. They used creating their ow insulation piping to n bu mper create a mini coas energy is transferre ter and explored d from one object how to another object by how energy is . Students are fasc never destroyed bu in at ed t is transferred an d changes.
ate from Grade 5 Upd
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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
n Wendy Wilso
science nt types of re e iff d n o at work beginnings ve be en hard emistry had its ha ch s of nt e ld ud fie st e at th etals just Grade 5 ous kinds of m We learned th ri h. va nt n o o m s is nt th e shiny again, few experim investigations nnies become en tried out a e p ev r e e w p p nd co a n y e ugh a re in alchem disappear thro We watched g . lly ts is ra m e lit he e lc d a lfi y our kitchen and silver su like those earl aking soda in d with copper, b te a nd a co e um m in co m uring e alu ste el b learn about d nd ith the use of a w ss n cu io is ct d a re to l chemica by lo oking inating topic es were acidic ds were a fasc nc a st b su ch hi downstairs. Aci tw d being tried to predic e students love e Th w s. e re nc he a w st b b a la other su bs and lo ok hen we added own of the la kd a re b for reactions w nd a tup ged in the se me. actively enga the we eks to co in re o m ny a gm forward to doin
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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
HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!
春节快乐 Chun jie kuai le!
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n Jan. 23, Chinese language classes hosted a Chinese Lunar New Year celebration for the elementary school. Students practiced saying “春节快乐” (Happy New Year), made paper cutting crafts, played traditional games, and received a red envelope filled with “money.” The CLC was set up with a variety of crafts and treats for students to spend their “money” on by communicating in Chinese.
In addition to the Chinese language teachers, the following volunteers made this celebration possible: ES teachers, Anna Sea (art teacher), Bruce Knox (ES principal), Ward Milligan (director of Christian Life Department), Leslie Milligan, Junko Furusawa (Japanese language teacher), Alice Chang (Korean language teacher), Naomi Anno (Japanese language teacher), Meg Hayne (MS principal), Charissa Kim (Grade 8), Crystal Cho (Grade 12), Yifei Li (Grade 12), Ms. Myoung Joo Sim (G5 Henry Kuo’s mom), Ms. Eun Young Kwon (G5 Andrew Kim’s mom), Ms. Bu Ja Lee (G5 Noa and G7 Neo Lee’s mom), and Ms. Ju-eun Cho (G5 Margaret Cheon’s mom). Thanks also to the APIS PTO for supporting this event with donations of balloons and beverages. Thanks to donations and our team of volunteers, students had a real taste of a traditional Chinese Lunar New Year!
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Middle School Lock-in 2016 Nothing Stopped Us, Not Even the Clock! By Megan Vosk, Middle School Writer’s Workshop Teacher and SRC Advisor
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he middle school lock-in took place at APIS from the evening of Friday, Dec. 2 to the morning of Saturday, Dec. 3. The annual event kicked off with a rousing game of Capture the Flag. Both teachers and students alike had fun running under the bright lights of the field, despite the windchill. After working up an appetite on the field, students went inside to eat a fried chicken dinner. The meal was followed by a spirited session of Zombie Tag. In the dark building, many suspected there were ghosts afloat, but, no, the cries were merely those of the children striving to avoid imprisonment. Meg Hayne, chaperone and administrator, smiled and watched the students laughing through the hallways. “It’s been really fun spending time with the students tonight. I’ve loved playing games with them and getting to know them better.” Zombie Tag was followed by free time. Some students chose to play videogames, revelling in the opportunity to play next to friends. Adam Nollsch (science teacher) partook in a friendly bout of Euchre as the midnight hours ticked away. A few doors down, Brett Askinas (math teacher) sang Karaoke. His song of choice? The classic ballad, “Piano Man,” by Billy Joel. In the movie room, Courtney Murfield (ELA teacher) enjoyed listening to the gasps and squeals of the large group of girls huddled together to watch the wonderful yet creepy film, “Coraline.”
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Yoon Milling (Grade 7) said, “The lock-in was pretty good. The best part was the whole thing. I can’t tell you that one thing was better than another because everything was good. Except it’s 4 a.m. now, and I’m tired, so please stop asking me questions.” Breakfast was delivered by Mr. Milligan at 6 a.m. sharp courtesy of everybody’s favorite fast food chain, McDonald’s. Pancakes, syrup, and juice – yes! It was a sugary success! The only downside was that breakfast was the last activity of the lock-in. Time to go home … Claire Park (Grade 6) said that the lock-in was “pretty fun.” She said that it was “her first time attending” and that she “really enjoyed it and can’t wait for next year.” But, for now, at 8 a.m. the morning after, all these students can’t wait for is a chance to hop into bed.
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Young Jae Jang (Grade 10) Wins Cube Entertainment Composer Competition Award
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n the spring of 2016, Young Jae (YJ) Jang (Grade 10) received a very special invitation. He was asked to participate in an invite-only high school composer competition, sponsored by Cube Entertainment. The competition invited 40 high school students to compete. Once the invite was accepted, each individual was responsible for recruiting a team of fellow musicians, composing a piece, and preparing to perform live in front of judges in the fall of 2016. Passionate about music since a young age, having studied piano, clarinet, and violin, and even winning a Seoul Music Award while in elementary school, YJ immediately accepted the invitation and began forming his team. His first connection was with a vocalist he met in middle school. The vocalist was eager to contribute and helped connect YJ with her circle of musicians. Soon, they had a nine-member team of musicians ready to get to work. YJ composed the music, and the group met regularly to connect, practice, and polish their piece. In the fall, YJ’s team finally got to perform their piece before a live audience that included judges in the local music industry. YJ shared how delightedly surprised he was to hear his team’s name announced as the second place winner of the competition. Having watched the other teams perform, he said, his team recognized how strong the other teams were and thought a prize was a long shot. The judges, however, said YJ’s team of musicians came across as well-rehearsed and stood out for the positive teamwork on display. When asked how his team learned to work so well together, YJ shared they worked hard, but, “we also played a lot.” In between rehearsals, “we played billiards. We [even] went to Lotte World together.” YJ’s advice to other aspiring musicians comes down to one word – practice. “The judges said we got the prize because we practiced a lot.” YJ did not hesitate when asked about his favorite part of the competition. “Winning the prize,” he said. Each team member received a trophy, and the team received a cash prize to split.
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Welcome, Ace! APIS Mascot Takes Flight After years of wishing, months of planning, and significant time, heart, and fundraising, APIS mascot Ace made his first star appearance at the pep rally held on Jan. 11. High School SRC Executive President Grace Y Kim (Grade 12) said, “As a student athlete who has traveled to other international schools for sports games, I have always envied seeing other schools bring out their school mascot during home games … I thought having our own beloved Greenhawk come to life would significantly facilitate school spirit and boost up hawk pride.” The journey from idea to mascot unveiling was winding and, at times, bumpy, but the end result brought smiles schoolwide. “The biggest thing I learned about being a leader through this project was that it takes a lot of preparation to execute big proposals. We started planning on the mascot proposal from the beginning of summer vacation, started contacting the mascot design company during the first quarter, presented our proposal to the administration during the second quarter, got our designs finalized by the end of semester one, and finally got our mascot created during the winter break,” said HS SRC Executive Treasurer Jinny Choi (Grade 11). HS SRC Director of Pep & Events Sean Hong (Grade 11) had the honor of wearing the mascot at its unveiling. “When I stood behind the poster to break through the poster and stand in front of the audience (ALL high school students), I was so nervous that I actually don’t remember anything [about that moment]. But, after the pep rally, many students came to me to take pictures and say positive things. They seemed like they were really happy.”
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Sarah McRoberts (ELA teacher and HS SRC advisor) said, “It's truly an honor to watch students turn their dreams into reality. I witnessed these young leaders contact businesses, discuss budgets, design costumes, and prepare formal 45-minute presentations. Basically, what people well beyond their years have to do. I could not be more proud and impressed with the HS SRC. It's been my pleasure to work with them and guide them this year.”
Is the mascot available for use schoolwide? Yes. Anyone in the APIS community, including staff, classes, and clubs, can rent Ace for your own special events. First, you have to provide a proposal through https:// apismascot.youcanbook.me. There will be a fee attached. This will help cover the cost of dry-cleaning. Keep in mind that it is your responsibility to cover any damages done during your usage. ~ Yoonjae Hwang (Grade 12), HS SRC Executive Secretary W W W. A P I S . O R G
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APIS Welcomes His Excellency Oh Joon, Former Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations
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n Jan. 23, thanks to APIS student Harry Park (Grade 12), APIS welcomed His Excellency Oh Joon, former ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, to speak to high school students about his career in the foreign service and issues facing the Korean peninsula. Long interested in international affairs, as a sophomore Harry attended a lecture about North Korean human rights given by a famous human rights activist, Young Hwan Kim, at Yonsei University. At the end of the lecture, there was a Q-and-A session where Harry asked, “North Korea has been developing better relations with other countries; but, at the same time, they are continuing with nuclear tests and attacks toward South Korea. Why do you think they are showing this behavior?” APIS upperclassmen, who were executives of the MUN (Model United Nations) club and also in attendance, appreciated Harry Park (Grade 12) meets with His Harry’s question and asked him if he would like to join the Excellency Oh Joon at U. N. HeadquaMUN club. Ever since, Harry has been an active and awardters in New York City. winning member of MUN, currently serving as the APIS MUN president and previously serving as secretary of the APIS North Korean Human Rights Club. In January, 2016, Harry participated in Global Classrooms 2016: Seoul, hosted by Kyunghee University. Global Classrooms are MUN conferences held in more than 30 cities around the world; winners from each city get to participate in Global Classrooms International, which is held at the United Nations Headquarters located in New York City. Once Harry found out that he was among a select group of students invited to attend the international conference, he contacted the embassy of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations and requested a meeting with His Excellency Oh Joon. Harry had seen Ambassador Oh Joon’s famous speech before the United Nations Security Council in the news. “That speech truly touched my heart and made me realize what kind of diplomat I should be. Back then, [when I first heard of the ambassador], I never imagined meeting him in New York or inviting him to our school,” said Harry. The embassy first rejected Harry’s request, saying they couldn’t arrange individual meetings since he was coming as part of a group of Korean students. However, within two days, the embassy reconsidered and invited Harry to a 30-minute one-on-one meeting with Ambassador Oh Joon. In preparation, Harry prepared questions about life as an ambassador, the United Nations, and current world issues. His Excellency encouraged Harry to “keep on questioning … it is important in living a life as an ambassador.” Back in Seoul, Harry reached out to the ambassador in late fall to invite him to APIS. The invite received a swift “yes,” which led to January’s visit.
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During his speech, Ambassador Oh Joon reflected on his diplomatic service and the challenges facing the Korean peninsula. He emphasized the strong bonds between citizens of DPRK and ROK, and encouraged students to consider reunification and what that might look like. His presentation concluded with high school students having the chance to ask a few questions, one being how to facilitate trust between North Korea and South Korea after there has been discord for so long. APIS extends gratitude to His Excellency for sharing his time and expertise so generously, and also to APIS senior Harry Park for inviting him to speak.
Q&A with Harry Park For other students interested in connecting with potential guest speakers, what do you recommend? I recommend that they start developing special relationships with people they want to invite. Not just send random emails inviting people to APIS, but meet them in advance or talk with them via email on other topics. I also recommend they do it months in advance so both the school and the speaker have time to think about the event.
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Has participating in Model United Nations shaped your personal and/or professional aspirations? If so, how? It definitely impacted my aspirations and my life. Through Model United Nations, not only did I learn how to be a good public speaker and broaden my perspective of the world, but I also learned how to stand for countries’ rights, stand for indigenous people’s human rights, and act as a representative as one of the member states of the United Nations. I have also learned how living as a leader is harder than becoming one, how to represent my country in an international society, and how to live up to people’s expectations. It connected me to different students who also dream of becoming a diplomat. It also connected me to people who lead the world today, such as Ambassador Oh Joon. What is the takeaway message you hope APIS students and faculty members left Ambassador Oh Joon’s presentation with? The awareness toward the Korean unification is getting lower every year. By this rate, people will forget that DPRK and ROK used to be one country and won’t feel the need to unify. The country and the people will have to continue to engage in DPRK’s issues in order to unify in the future. Solutions will need to be made in order to raise the social awareness toward unification. I hope all the students raised their awareness with regards to unification and continue that awareness throughout their lives, and I also hope all the teachers got to broaden their perspectives toward the two Koreas and will spread the knowledge wherever they go.
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APIS Continues to Succeed in Forensics Endeavors By Tyler Sgrignoli, High School English Teacher
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t is with great pleasure and excitement that we announce the results from the most recent KAIAC forensics tournament held at Korea International School on Jan. 13 and 14. During this competition, the APIS speech and debate teams continued to show great improvement and initiative. Undeterred by the lack of time for preparation, it being the first week back from winter break, these dedicated students approached one of the largest KAIAC tournaments of the year and gave it their ultimate effort. Representing the APIS speech team, Speech Captain Gia Kim (Grade 11) received one second and two third place rankings during the first three rounds despite performing in the solo interpretation category for the first time. Additional achievements include Claire Park (Grade 12) receiving a third place ranking in the prose category and Andrew Kim (Grade 12) accumulating the highest possible speaker points in the prose category, both during round two. In regard to the APIS debate team, the accomplishments were far-reaching, with the public forum duo, made up of Jina Kwon (Grade 10) and Seojung Park (Grade 10), going unrivaled and undefeated into the final round to be awarded second place during their first debate tournament of the year, and, remarkably, their first tournament ever. In response to the success of the APIS debate team, Team Captain Max Park (Grade 11) had this to say: “Debate matters because it helps you practice your proficiency by voicing your opinion. Since this is my third year in debate, I've learned exactly how important it is to talk in a persuasive manner in order to convince others of what I think. I really enjoy parliamentary because it focuses on real-world issues that many people talk about.� In total, the APIS debate team has now accrued 37 wins for this season. The next and final KAIAC forensics tournament of the school year will be held March 3 and 4 at Gyeonggi Suwon International School.
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Additional best speaker round winners for the APIS debate team included:
Students who represented APIS at this tournament included:
Public Forum: Seojung Park (G10) Parliamentary Procedure: Tommy Lee (G11) and Cole Kim (G11) Public Forum: Henry Kim (G10) Lincoln Douglas: Claire Lee (G10)
Prose: Claire Park (G12) and Andrew Kim (G12) Solo Interpretation: Gia Kim (G11)
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Speech
Debate
Public Forum: Jina Kwon (G10 ) and Seojung Park (G10); John Cheng (G10) and Henry Kim (G10) Parliamentary Procedure: Tommy Lee (G11) and Max Park (G11); Cole Kim (G11) and James Park (G11) Lincoln Douglas: Claire Lee (G10)
Principal’s Note: What’s NOT on the Transcript May Be More Important!
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By Bruce Knox, Elementary School Principal
t APIS we take pride in doing the best we can to provide an education that ultimately prepares our students for their move into college. As our seniors would agree, the effort required to successfully apply and be accepted into a college is considerable. Good grades, a complete transcript, letters of recommendation, portfolios, college essays, SATs, ACTs, and the list goes on. These individual elements are very important. Together, they attempt to give the college admissions office a picture of each of our students, upon which the college accepts or rejects each application. But if we only focus on these individual elements, we would not be doing our job to prepare our students for this big step. There are elements not found on a transcript that are just as important – some may argue they are more important! At APIS we call those elements “ESLRs” – an acronym that stands for “Expected Schoolwide Learning Results.” They are framed on the wall of nearly every classroom. Teachers aim to weave them into every subject. They are skills we (along with many, many, many other educators) believe are essential for success in almost anything our students attempt. At the highest level, our ESLRs are: • Communicate Effectively • Solve Problems Effectively • Learn Independently and Cooperatively • Demonstrate Responsibility and Christian Values as Citizens of the World
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We believe these elements to be critical for success, both at school and beyond. They are skills that you, as a parent, can help your children develop when they are not at school. So, with that, I will pose some questions for you to consider: • What real-life problems are you giving to your son/daughter to solve? Are they involved in planning your vacation trips? Do they help you do the cost analysis on hotels/flights to then decide which one to choose? Do they have an allowance they must budget with in order to purchase the things they would like? • How are you teaching your son/daughter to communicate? Do they speak to the waiter/ waitress if their meal is not quite right? Do they call to make the food order? Do they talk to the teacher when there is a problem at school (or do you)? • What responsibilities does your son/daughter have? Who cleans their bathroom? Who does their laundry? Who sets their schedule? Ultimately, preparing our students for college goes beyond just getting them into college. Proper preparation ensures they get there and successfully stay there through to graduation. With home and school working together to build our students’ capacity in the ESLRs, we can confidently say we really are preparing our students for college (and life!). W W W. A P I S . O R G
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2016
Grade 6 students and Megan Vosk (MS Writer's Workshop teacher) dress up for "character day" during spirit week.
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rom Nov. 28 through Dec. 2, APIS students delighted in the opportunity to show their school spirit by participating in a variety of dress-up challenges. With different daily themes selected for secondary and elementary students, variety abounded. From pajama day, twin day, and dress-like-a-teacher day, to dress-like-your-favorite-animal day, a mannequin challenge, and character day, students showed tremendous school spirit throughout spirit week. Henry Kim (Grade 10 class president) said, “When the sophomores did the mannequin challenge, we really got into it by trying to be real mannequins. It was a great way to start spirit week. And we won!” Grades six through twelves accumulated daily points, based on grade level participation and creativity. Both the middle school grade and the high school grade with the highest total weekly tally were awarded a class prize. Grade 6 students won the middle school challenge and celebrated with a class pizza and juice party on Dec. 12. Seniors won the high school challenge and are still voting on how to celebrate. Their celebration is scheduled for February. Edwin Lee (Grade 12 class president) said, “Compared to last year, the senior class was more involved in spirit week, and we can thank SRC for encouraging all grades and students to be involved in the competition. It really meant a lot to me as class president that the seniors won because it was my job to make sure that our class and SRC are connected, and I'm thankful that I was able to make that happen.” Even faculty members had fun with the daily challenges. Megan Vosk (Middle School Writer’s Workshop Teacher and SRC Advisor) said, "My favorite spirit week day was twin day. Many teachers dressed up like cowboys or cowgirls, and it was so cute. We had fun discussing our outfit choices with each other the night before, and it was even more fun to see everyone decked out in boots and flannels on that day. Yeehaw!"
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Spirit Week 2016
Character Day
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Alien Day
Favorite Animal Day
Character Day
Pajama Day W W W. A P I S . O R G
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Snapshots
Upper elementary afterscho ol pottery class
recess Fourth graders enjoying lunch
Grade 8 science class learning about vectors
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rful Creating the set for "It's a Wonde
Grade 1 in the recording studio
January rece ss snowy d ay fun
Life"
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Honors che mistry class
January recess snowy day fun
ery class Lower elementary afterschool pott
Songwriting workshop wit h Leeds
Third grade rs share a sk it during ch apel
College of Music
l ffeehouse tria tory mock co AP World His
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From the PTO
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hank you so much for your interest and love last semester. Carnival, sports festivals, the bazaar, and more were filled with your passion and support. It was a successful start to the school year, and we are proud we could make a new start. Hopefully PTO-sponsored events provide good memories for APIS and students. Our thanks to faculty, staff, and parents for volunteering and supporting. The new year 2017 has opened, and we wish a happy new year and all new year's blessings will be received and that all good moments will reveal our children's future. Please continue to attend and support this year's Pacific Pencil, Art Night, and other events, such as graduation!! Anytime, anywhere, we pray for our school APIS and our children. Shine APIS, shine bright and big. Thank you for your support. 지난 한해도 저희 APIS PTO에 많은 애정과 관심을 가져 주셔서 감사합니다!!! 여러분의 열정과 응원에 힘입어 카니발과 스포츠 행사, 페스티벌과 바자회 등 다양한 행사가 진행됐습니다. 덕분에 새로운 학기가 성공적으로 시작됐다고 생각합니다. PTO에서 후원한 여러 행사는 APIS와 학생들에게도 좋은 추억이 되었 으리라 믿습니다. 이제 2017년 새해가 밝았네요. 모두 새해 복 많이 받으시고 모든 좋은 기운이 저희 아이들 앞 길을 밝혀주길 바랍니다. 올해 있을 퍼시픽팬슬과 아트나잇, 그리고 졸업 등 다른 여러 행사에도 지속적으로 많은 관심과 참여 바랍니다!! 언제 어디서나 APIS 학교가 더욱 발전하고 빛나기를 기도합니다!!! 감사합니다.
Semester 2 Schedule of Parent Coffee/PTO Meetings. All parents are encouraged to attend to learn more about the topics being offered and to participate in the PTO meetings afterward. Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2 p.m. - Adolescent Development (Ms. Nielsen/Ms. Hayne) Monday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m. - Digital Parenting (Mr. Knox) Friday, March 17, 3 p.m. - Preparing for College Life (Ms. Nielsen/Mr. Milligan) Thursday, April 13, 3 p.m. - Elementary/Middle School Curriculum @ APIS (Mr. Knox/Ms. Hayne) and High School Athletics (Mr. Murphy/Mr. Leroy) Wednesday, May 10, 2 p.m. - Scheduling improvements for 2017-2018 (Mr. Knox/Ms. Hayne/Mr. Murphy)
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Christmas Celebration at APIS
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CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
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Joy to the World APIS Christmas Concerts
The elementary students lit up the auditorium stage as they celebrated their learning with a supportive audience. They displayed poise even with their nervousness and excitement, singing and playing with confidence. The middle school and high school choirs focused on the beauty of singing, balancing and blending their voices in perfect harmony. The Christmas season was made brighter by the wonderful music our students created. Our spirits were lifted! ~ Melinda Baum and Naarah Callender, Choir Directors
W W W. A P I S . O R G
The music of the Christmas season is my favorite part of December, and it gives me such pleasure to plan the program and conduct the bands at the Christmas concert. This year we added a new project for the high school classes; students arranged their own versions of Christmas carols for a chamber ensemble of their choosing. It was wonderful to see the students' creative spirit in the arranging of familiar tunes. The performances at the Christmas concerts brought a warm smile to my face! ~ Sophie Holbrook, Music Department Chair/Band Director
DEC/JAN 2017
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
APIS string students in grades 2-12 showed their best efforts on the stage in December. Between August and December, all of the students made so much progress, from learning the basics to refining advanced techniques. Our students supported each other in the spirit of Christmas – sharing music and a message of cheer for all. What a great opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate their work! ~ Emmalee Johnson, Orchestra Director W W W. A P I S . O R G
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DEC/JAN 2017
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
It’s a Wonderful Life
Richard Jo (Grade 11) and Rose Lee (Grade 11) cast as angels who help save George Bailey's (played by Andrew Kim, Grade 12) life.
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t has become an annual tradition. On the final school day before winter break, APIS hosts a schoolwide chapel that consists of a message from the Christian Life Department and a drama production. “For this year’s production,” Sarah McRoberts (ELA and drama teacher) said, “We chose 'It's a Wonderful Life,' a live radio play by Joe Landry, because of the message that everyone's life matters and is precious. The class, with the support of the Christian Life Department, discussed how vital this message is – especially during the busy holiday season. This was, by far, the most challenging play that our school has produced, which is a true testament to how much these students have improved in their craft. It's humbling as a director to see such talent across the board in drama this year – not only did we have strong actors, we also had visionary artists, tech gurus, and talented musicians. I'm incredibly proud of how much the high school drama department has grown in the last three years, and I know so much of it is because of the support and encouragement that the APIS faculty, staff, and admin have given us.” APIS drama students were cast in acting, as well as directorial, roles. Artistic Director Yeakyoung Lee (Grade 12) shared, “Instead of participating in acting, I went through an interview to be an artistic director. Although Ms. Mc and I had a hard time finishing set designing, many people from AP art and other classes helped me. I am very thankful to have such good friends and teachers. Everything for the set was possible because many people supported me. I have learned that completing a play set is never possible all by oneself, and it is okay to ask for help.” Lead actor Andrew Kim (Grade 12) said, “The thing I am most proud is that everybody improved, not only in terms of acting but also in terms of cooperating with others, which is crucial to drama. People often overlook drama as mere entertainment. However, drama is also art. And through the drama experience, actors not only get better in their acting, but also learn to cooperate, to be confident, and to be social.”
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W W W. A P I S . O R G
It’s a Wonderful Life Cast and Crew Wish to Thank APIS administration for supporting and encouraging drama Mr. Shin, Minnie Kang, and the maintenance staff for setting up the stage and moving all of the big pieces Youngmin Park for IT needs and microphones Jade Shim, Minnie Kang, and Faith Kim for helping purchase all the supplies and organize maintenance Caroline Webster and Kate Kim for Publicity Set Designers (sketched/made props)
Yeakyoung Lee
AP Studio Art
AP Literature
Leadership Class
Emily Sgrignoli (High School Art Teacher)
Pastor John Choi
Roger Tu (High School Science Teacher)
Joseph Gassner (High School Social Studies Teacher)
James Park Set Painters
AP Studio Art
AP English: Literature
AP Comparative Government
AP Japanese
Leadership Class
Global Issue Network Class
STEAM class
Art History
Grade 7 and Grade 8 Intro to Art classes
Yeakyoung Lee
Andrew Murphy, High School Principal
Meg Hayne, Middle School Principal/ Curriculum Coordinator
Emily Sgrignoli (High School Art Teacher)
Nam Hee Kong (Korean Teacher)
Carly Althauser (Middle School Social Studies Teacher)
Jason Webster (High School Social Studies Teacher)
Junko Furusawa (Japanese Teacher)
Anna Sea (Elementary Art Teacher)
Chungjin Park
Sean Hong Set Movers:
The following classes: Psychology, Global Issues Network, and Art History HS SRC for selling snacks during intermission Extra Special Thanks to the following:
Acapella students under the direction of Choir Director Melinda Baum
Ms. Sgrignoli for making art miracles
It’s a Wonderful Life Directed by Ms. McRoberts I. Student Directors Yeakyoung Lee (Grade 12) - Artistic Director Sophia Shin (Grade 11) - Technical Director
DEC/JAN 2017
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
II. Cast (in order of curtain call) Andrew Kim (Grade 12) - George Bailey Julie Son (Grade 11) - Mary Bailey Richard Jo (Grade 11) - Joseph, Charlie, Man Rose Lee (Grade 11) - Candace, Matilda Michelle Suh (Grade 12) - Violet, Zuzu Donna Kim (Grade 11) - Mrs. Potter, Mrs. Hatch, Martini, Sheriff, Schultz Joyce Yoon (Grade 10) - Aunt Belle, Bert, Petey James Park (Grade 11) - Announcer, Peter Bailey, Tommy Bailey, Bridge Keeper, Dr. Campbell Chris Lee (Grade 11) - Harry Bailey, Man, Sam Wainwright, Mr. Welch Anna Frankl (Grade 9) - Mrs. Gower, Binky, Sadie Vance, Horace the Teller, Mrs. Thompson Jennifer Kim (Grade 11) - Ruth Bailey, Rose Bailey, Nick, Old Woman Collins, Stage Manager Stephanie Kim (Grade 12) - Ernie, Janie, Ed, Cop III. Crew (in order of curtain call) Acapella: Grace J Kim (Grade 12), Grace Y. Kim (Grade 12), Sarah Yoon (Grade 12), Johanna Kang (Grade 12), Jennifer Kang (Grade 11) Sound Cues: Angelina Ahn (12) House Lights: Cathy Lim (Grade 12) Photography: Chris Sun (Grade 12), Gloria Lee (Grade 12) Film: Tommy Lee (Grade 11) Props Master: Andrew Yoo (Grade 10) Spotlights: Claire Park (Grade 12), Shannon Yi (Grade 12), Yoonjae Hwang (12) AP Studio Art: Lauren Kim (Grade 12), David Kim (Grade 11), Jenny "Jae Min" Kim (Grade 11)
IV. Concessions: HS SRC Edwin Lee (Grade 12), Brandon Sohn (Grade 12), Jennifer Lee (Grade 11), Julia Kim (Grade 11), Sean Hong (Grade 11)
It's a wonderful life!! W W W. A P I S . O R G EDITORIAL TEAM: ■ Euysung Kim Director ■ Lily Jung Art & Design Editor ■ Sunok Nam Communications & PR Team Leader ■ Caroline Webster Lead Writer/Editor
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