F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 7
Online
ISSUE 47.
UPDATE 57 WOLGYE-RO 45GA-G I L , NOWO N- G U, S EO UL , 0 1 87 4 , KOREA
IN THIS ISSUE:
■ National Honor Music Festivals ■ 100 Days of School ■ GIN Conference
■ 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:
■ ■Korean Science Olympiad Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ ■Student Spotlights Faculty Retreat ■ Lifelong Learning Time
FEBRUARY 2017
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
Under the Sea Art Explorations with Grade 1
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ulminating a Grade 1 art unit on sea creatures and plants, Anna Sea dove deeper with students and helped them create an underwater world art exhibit in the entryway lobby of the Seoul campus. The 3-D display consists of “sea” plants, “bubbles,” shells, and more, but the main feature of the display is eight wooden fish, designed and painted by the first graders and hung by fishing wire from the ceiling. “When I saw the final wooden sculptures, I was amazed by the organic shape of each fish, how they looked so different from each other,” said Anna Sea (art teacher). Originally displayed in the art classroom, Elementary School Principal Bruce Knox suggested to Ms. Sea that the lobby area was the perfect place to create an aquarium installation, where the fish could be admired by the wider APIS community. “I really enjoyed collaborating with Ms. Sea and the Grade 1 students on their installation,” said Mr. Knox, who also contributed his woodworking skills to help the installation come to life. “I think it’s so important to display the creative talents of our students; when I saw their fish in the art room I thought immediately of the lobby area and the idea of a fish tank! Art is meant to create a response, and from the smiles I have seen from everyone observing the exhibit, I think the Grade 1 students have succeeded.” Stages for the installation included time in the art room, time in the woodshop with Richard Harris (digital media/art teacher) showing students how to use different woodworking tools and sandpaper, and, finally, time to create the installation itself. “I liked to put shells on the floor,” said Soomin Ahn (Grade 1). And, “I liked painting my fish.” Ms. Sea expressed pride in her students, complimenting how they “showed texture using patterns, stripes, or scales.” Janice Oh (Grade 1) said,“I enjoyed the whole experience!” This sentiment was echoed by classmates and teachers.
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Materials Matter By Kim House, Second Grade Teacher
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he second grade class has been investigating science and its properties of matter this quarter. We learned that the whole world is made up of matter, even us! We also learned about the properties of solids, liquids, and gases, and ways to describe them. We went to visit the Grade 8B class because they had just finished learning about materials. One student, Jeany Park, shared a story she had written about Sally Solid, Lilly Liquid, and Gassy Gas. Joseph Kim and Jack Song showed us a reaction between baking soda and vinegar. Helen Kim showed us a model of an atom. We enjoyed learning from the eighth graders! Then, we used the scientific process to make our own experiments and the Grade 8A class came to our classroom. We learned the importance of starting with a question, researching, hypothesizing, experimenting, analyzing, and coming to a conclusion. Some of the experiments included making fake blood, mixing chemicals together to see their reaction, making oobleck, and even making an egg float!
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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
Yurina Kimura’s (Grade 2) favorite experiment was what Suki Park (Grade 2) made, the fake blood or volcano. Yurina said, “She (Suki) taught me how to make a volcano. You just put water in it and food coloring, soda, and vinegar, and it will turn into a volcano!” We shared our experiments with the Grade 8A class and then read some science books together. Irene Kim (Grade 8) said, "It was interesting how they were already doing experiments and they could teach us. And they were really cute, too. It was also a nice review for me to go over the scientific method with them." Marcus Kim (Grade 8) observed, "The little guys were so cute. It smelled like vinegar. They seemed like they actually understood their experiments so I was impressed. Normally when we were little we don't really understand the science aspects of it." We had a great learning experience together and enjoyed getting to know students from the middle school.
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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
Days of School
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n Feb. 9, in celebration of the 100th day of school, APIS elementary students gathered together for a variety of 100-day-themed activities. Divided into four multi-aged groups, students rotated through stations that included literacy, physical fitness, writing, art, and computer coding.
Students mak e 100-piece co llage work, ba work of artist sed off the Joan Miro.
y lunges allenge--how man Physical fitness ch conds? can you do in 100 se
Working wit h code.org, students wri te 100 lines
Students imagine themselves as 100 year s
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Lifelong Learning Time Ignites Passions and Projects By Matt Manley, ELA Teacher
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t APIS Hawaii, everyone seems to be excited about Wednesdays. “I really look forward to Wednesdays because I get to do my own thing,” said Soleil Worrell (Grade 6). “Wednesdays are my favorite,” added Chris Stapleton (ELA and social studies teacher). What’s so great about hump day? APIS Hawaii has created Lifelong Learning Time (LLT), a weekly time in which students and teachers partner to pursue projects that pique their interest and challenge Rylan Ascher (Grade 8) and Tyler Paddock (Grade 6) work on a trail they are developthem to learn something completely new. LLT began in the ing on the APIS Hawaii campus. fall, when APIS Hawaii decided to make a commitment to a special type of learning that would take students outside the boundaries of the classroom. “We always talk as teachers about how education should be lifelong, and classroom education does not always demonstrate this type of learning,” said Mr. Stapleton. “In LLT, you get to really take control of your own learning.” The LLT period, which meets weekly for 150 minutes, provides a wide-open time for a huge variety of projects. Current LLT pursuits include app design, building shoe racks, trailblazing, vegetable farming, and designing a campus zipline. Experience in a certain area is not a prerequisite for choosing an LLT project. Never made homemade ravioli? No problem – Hannah Todd (Grade 6) practiced Italian cuisine, then made a feast for the whole school. Soleil used one six-week session in the fall to become CPR/First Aid certified alongside Shannon Todd (school nurse).
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“There’s a lot more choice, and on your [own] path at your [own] speed,” Ms. Todd said of LLT. There are only a few simple requirements for an LLT project: The project cannot relate to something studied in class, it must sustain a student’s interest for six weeks, and the student must be able to show and explain their learning at the end of that time. At the end of the six-week period, students and staff share their learning at a celebration with all students, parents, and staff. Last semester, John Kim (Grade 8) shared the film he directed, filmed, and edited with Andy Peeler (music teacher). “It’s not like the answer was always right there, you’ve got to search for it,” John said. “We got close and learned together.”
Hannah Todd (Grade 6) and Soleil Worrell (Grade 6) at Hannah's Italian cooking night. W W W. A P I S . O R G
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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS
Julia Kim and Sophie Yoo Win First Place in Korean Sign Language Competition
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fter nearly three months of preparations and weekly meetings with their KSL (Korean Sign Language) teacher – Inkyung Koh, a professor of KSL interpretation at Nazarene University – Julia Kim (Grade 11) and Sophie Yoo (Grade 11) were awarded first prize at the 16th South Chungcheong Province KSL Competition, held on Nov. 18. The Korean Institute for the Deaf and the Chungnam Institute for the Deaf sponsored the contest. “I feel honored to have received the award,” said Sophie. “One of the participants was an all-deaf theatre group; I thought we had no chance of receiving any awards.” Julia and Sophie began studying sign language three years ago. Their inspiration came from the original Theia founders, who also studied with Professor Koh. “They wanted more people to learn sign language and meet this special teacher,” said Julia. Professor Koh’s emphasis with Julia and Sophie has always been culture first, language second. “We didn’t just learn sign language,” said Julia. “We learned about the community, cultural norms, and more.” KSL only recently became recognized as an official language in Korea, granting deaf individuals the right to have translation services provided to them by local and national government services. “People are starting to learn sign language, but they’re just translating Korean to sign language, which isn’t right. Sign language is its own language,” observed Julia. Furthermore, Julia said, “Because sign language was only recently recognized as a language here in Korea – many people still don’t recognize it as a language,” which creates challenges. “Most deaf Korean scholars,” for example, “go to the United States, where they can expect translation services to be available.” Such services are still not a given here. Julia and Sophia created a name for their KSL study club – DEAFINE. They want to advance and promote understanding and respect for deaf culture and remind people that being deaf is fine and not something that needs to be “fixed.” This goal helped inspire their entry theme for the competition – a skit, performed entirely in KSL, on the grammar of sign language, including demonstrating why KSL qualifies as a language. “Before, I had no clue on what this new language was,” said Sophie. “I just thought the language would be fun to learn. However, during my journey of learning KSL, I grew to love and respect both the language and the culture.”
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Art Students Respond to Contemporary Sculpture By Emily Sgrignoli, Art Teacher
APIS Art II students meet to critique and discuss their collaborative sculpture.
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uring a recent sculpture unit, students spent some time researching the work of artist Mark Jenkins, a contemporary American sculpture artist who focuses on sculptural street installations. Jenkins is said to use the “street as his stage” through which he presents various human-like figures in interactive poses. Using this method and theory as a starting point, APIS Art II students began exploring what it means to collaborate on a figurative sculpture piece to be displayed in a public place. Their task was to create an artform that would eventually become part of a larger space: an installation. During the first experimental stages, each student wrote a proposal for their project idea and, as a class, students voted and selected their final choice to be implemented by their peers. With the typical APIS classroom and hallway as their stage, students used the same packaging tape casting method employed by Jenkins to make various plastic molds in the form of the human body. The original intention was for each student to cast a peer’s body part, as well as one of their own; however, through much trial and error, students came to realize that the symmetrical proportions of the human form would pose a problem when casting various body types to complement one form. To alleviate this problem, students made alterations to the cast parts, eventually giving way to a full-fledged, life-like figure in an APIS uniform.
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Through this activity, students were able to explore the practice of communal art and experience how art is used to make social statements through site specific works. When asked about the difficulties of communal art, Charlotte Martin (Grade 11) said, “I think that what is difficult is to make everybody agree on one idea. If there are some people who do not agree with an idea, the project will be more difficult and less fun.”
Artist Mark Jenkins prepares for a street installation featuring his sculptures.
Additionally, when asked what makes something art and who decides on this classification, Iris Jeong (Grade 11) said, “Art is anything that brings [someone] emotion after seeing it. Art can be made by anybody who wants to express their feelings through their work.” W W W. A P I S . O R G
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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS
Hawaii Global Issues Network Conference By Jason Webster, Social Studies Teacher
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igital Divide was not a topic on anyone’s mind when the Global Issues – New Pacific Century class began in August 2016. The course was newly redesigned this year to focus on the 20 most pressing global challenges facing humanity, as identified by the Global Issues Network (GIN). After lengthy research into issues ranging from climate change to poverty to combating terrorism, the students selected a lesser-known challenge: Digital Divide. As Sarah Choi (Grade 10) defined the topic during her presentation in Hawaii, “Digital Divide is the gap between people who have digital technology and those who don’t.” After several months of research, outreach, and action to target the issue of Digital Divide in Korea, the APIS APIS GIN students and faculty Seoul Global Issues class took their growing expertise to Hawaii, joining APIS Hawaii and nearly a dozen other schools in presenting at Hawaii’s first GIN Conference, held at the ‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Feb. 24-25. The conference opened on Friday with keynote speakers, slam poetry, short student films, and icebreaker activities. Students were inspired and challenged by the words of Ted Dintersmith, venture capitalist and education philanthropist. But it was YooRa Sung, a Grade 10 student-leader of the ‘Iolani GIN team who stole the show with a call to action – a plea to “think global, act local.” Students spent time that first day networking with one another, learning more about each other’s programs, goals, and action plans. On Saturday, the program shifted into Breakout Sessions – student-led workshops devoted to GIN topics selected by participant schools. Both APIS Seoul and APIS Hawaii were among the presenters. APIS Hawaii students Alex Woo (Grade 10), Katie Todd (Grade 9), and Zian Zeng (Grade 9) led a discussion and activities around the topic of Natural Disaster Preparedness. For APIS Seoul, the only foreign school participating in the Hawaii conference, it was time to spread awareness of Digital Divide. The APIS Seoul students crafted a quality 45-minute crash course in Digital Divide. Cole Kim (Grade 11) and John Cheng (Grade 10) opened the presentation with a “hook,” asking challenging questions for the audience to answer without the use of digital devices. Once the audience was engaged, Heewon Seo (Grade 10), Jina Kwon (Grade 10), and Sarah Choi formally introduced the topic of Digital Divide. As Heewon pointed out, closing the gap on Digital Divide is essential, “because it is a key to solving other global issues, such as education for all.” Jina went on to point out the various forms Digital Divide can take, from regional divide, to gender divide, to generational divide.
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Next, the audience was divided into groups, and APIS students led small, personal discussions and activities. Jennifer Kang (Grade 11), John, and Cole shared their efforts to raise awareness of the issues surrounding Digital Divide. Edwin Lee (Grade 12), Chris Sun (Grade 12), and Gia Kim (Grade 11) discussed the topic of Digital Divide as it relates to the elderly, supported in their work by Eric Kim (Grade 12), who was unable to attend. And Sarah Choi, Heewon, and Jina presented their experiences in crafting curriculum and teaching with the “Hawk Squad,” a ninth period elementary program run by Sarah Wood (Grade 4 teacher) aimed at teaching essential technology skills to upper elementary students. Gia and Jennifer wrapped up the session with a quick summary and fielded questions from the audience. “I think our presentation was a huge success,” said Sarah Choi. “The audience was part of it, as they were good at interacting and responding, but I felt that the practice and effort that we put in definitely paid off.” Students left the conference with a greater understanding and appreciation of the challenges facing the world, and also with a renewed optimism that they are not alone in confronting these essential issues. Continued connections were forged between the APIS Seoul and Hawaii campuses. And new connections were formed between APIS students and GIN participants from throughout Hawaii, and with key leaders in the field, such as Robert Landau, Executive Director at the Hawaii Association of Independent Schools and GIN organizer. As Jennifer thoughtfully noted, “The 2017 Global Issues Network Conference at ‘Iolani School was a promising event that inspired students to follow their dreams and passions in a way that will positively impact the world.” Gia captured the sentiment of all involved, from students to teachers, stating emphatically: “Let’s go again!” APIS wishes to thank the following GIN Seoul faculty members for their supervision and leadership: Meg Hayne (curriculum coordinator/middle school principal) and Jason Webster (social studies teacher). Additionally, APIS thanks GIN Hawaii faculty members: Alyssa Amos (studio art and English teacher), Cole Holmes (science teacher), Matt Manley (ELA teacher), Andy Ris (dean of residential life/admission), and Jennifer Yi (math teacher).
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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS
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CCC Donates Computer to Geon Christian Children's Home By Max Park and Tommy Lee, Grade 11 Students and CCC Members
At Geon Christian Children's Home (left to right): volunteer, James Park (G11), Tommy Lee (G11), Max Park (G11), Chris Kim (G11), and William Cha (G11)
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n Dec. 20, 2016, members of CCC (Compute, Computer, Computists) traveled to the Geon Christian Children’s Home to donate a computer for the orphanage’s children to use. The donated computer was given to the club by Remann, a company that aims to make computers more accessible by recycling computer components and selling them at low costs. Thanks to APIS Pastor John Choi, who donated a monitor to the club, and other members of the club who donated a keyboard and mouse, CCC was able to deliver all of the necessary hardware to the children’s home. Since then, the managers of Geon Christian Children’s Home have informed the club that the donated computer has been placed in the girls’ room, where 16 people were previously in the unfortunate condition of sharing a single computer. Tommy Lee (Grade 11), the current president of CCC, said, “It was a great pleasure to do something nice for those who are under less fortunate circumstances,” and that more donations will be made in the future. CCC was originally known as the Computer Donations Club, a club created during the 2015-2016 school year by Josh You (Class of 2016). However, starting from the 2016-2017 school year, Tommy Lee decided to expand the club, increasing the range of club activities from just computer donations to computer building and software programming as well. It was during the 2016-2017 school year that the club’s name was changed to Compute, Computer, Computists. CCC is a student-run club that focuses on student projects and exploration in hardware (computer building) and software (computer programming). It currently has 12 members who are all in Grade 11, but all high school students are welcome to join. CCC is dedicated to becoming a place where anyone can learn about computers, and is looking to broaden its scope of activities; potential additions include offering computer classes to younger students and a computer repair service.
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2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
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he Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are the longest running, most prestigious competition and largest source of scholarships for teenagers in the United States and at international schools abroad. The awards are open to all students in grades 7 through 12. Artworks are judged on originality, technical skill, and emergence of personal voice/vision. The following APIS students have been honored as recipients of the 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: Silver Key Honorable Mention
Sun Woo Kim
(Grade 8, APIS Seoul)
"My Father"
"Pencil Cases"
These two arts are some of my life pieces. I was inspired by my father and also by a project that we did at APIS related to environmental issues. I am so happy and satisfied that I won the scholastic awards.
Silver Key
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Lia Kim
(Grade 12, APIS Hawaii)
" Genesis" "Genesis" reflects my fascination with microbiology. In a special way, I think microorganisms are filling the gaps of how we understand the world. They are the foundation of life as we know it. On the top, the stars are tiny specks because, to me, these microorganisms feel, in many ways, bigger than the stars. However, I also believe there are aspects of life that science cannot answer. Through learning what it means to have both a creative and scientific perspective, I believe I will be able to understand the world at a deeper level. W W W. A P I S . O R G
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National History Day® 2017 Taking a Stand in History
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n Feb. 9, APIS hosted a history conference where seventh- and eighth-grade students presented a history-themed project for a panel of peers, parents, and faculty. In order to prepare for the event, Carly Althauser (social studies teacher) said, “Students learned about the use of evidence, how to form and support their arguments, and how to present them in an entertaining and visually pleasing way.” Additionally, Ms. Althauser said, “Students who worked in groups learned a lot about compromise and negotiation, from the decision about what topic to focus on to how to present their learning. It's important for students to have a wider audience for their work. When students know they'll be sharing with their peers, other teachers in school, and – for students participating in the National History Day (NHD) competition – to students and adults outside of APIS, they are often motivated to take their work to the next level.” “Seventh graders,” Ms. Althauser added, “learned about how technology and innovations are complicated and have both positive and negative implications. Eighth graders learned about multiple perspectives and how the 'truth' of a situation is difficult to discern.” History conference projects are an exemplary example of an interdisciplinary unit; in addition to working on projects in social studies classes, students completed their bibliographies during ELA classes with Courtney Murfield, and wrote process papers during Megan Vosk’s Writer’s Workshop classes. The papers allowed students to spend more time thinking deeply about their argument and how their evidence connected to that argument. Project planning began in late October, with an initial focus on choosing topics and beginning research. Students could work alone or in groups, and selected one of the following methods to present their project: exhibit board, research paper, website, documentary, or live performance. Topics ranged from significant historical figures and events to broader topics, such as the Industrial Revolution, chemical warfare, genetic modification, the slave trade in the 1800s, and the Korean War.
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Eunice Kim (Grade 7) said, “When I was watching students present their work, I thought it was amazing that they knew so much about their topic. I was surprised to see my peers talking about something we did not learn together as a class. Some presentations made me feel inspired to learn more about the topic.” Thirty-one students took their project one step further and presented at the NHD in Korea competition, hosted by KIS on Feb. 25. Please congratulate the following 31 students who took part in the NHD in Korea competition, hosted by KIS on Feb. 25: Hyunjin Kim (G7), Isra Ali (G7), Luiza Cureau (G7), Eu Jean Ko (G7), Namee Kim (G7), Justin Suh (G7), Sunny Pak (G7), Angela Lee (G7), Sunny Choi (G7), Grace Lee (G7), Matthew Kang (G7), Neo Lee (G7), Matthew Lee (G7), Lucas Park (G7), Katlynn Ryu (G7), Karen Kim (G7), Eunice Kwak (G7), Helen Kim (G8), Jeany Park (G8), Joseph Kim (G8), Jack Song (G8), Sally Pak (G8), Joan Kim (G8), Charissa Kim (G8), Irene Kim (G8), Bryan Jung (G8), Sophie Calzada (G8), Kimberly Ho (G8), Clara Oh (G8), Jinhee Kwon (G8), and Nathan Cho (G8). The following individuals/groups received awards: Jinhee Kwon, third place for her paper Claudette Colvin: The Rejection of a Symbol; Sunny Pak, Angela Lee, Sunny Choi, and Grace Lee, third place for their documentary “And No Birds Sing”: The Silent Truth of DDT; Matthew Kang and Neo Lee, second place for their live performance “Genius Hour: The Controversy of Gaming”; and Irene Kim, Bryan Jung, and Sophie Calzada, first place for their live performance “From Bread to Gulags: The Case For and Against Lenin.” First and second place award winners are invited to take part in the annual NHD National Conference, held June 11-15, 2017. The final contest is hosted by University of Maryland, College Park and includes top award winners from regions all over the world.
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KIMEA National Honor Music Festivals APIS Celebrates Record Participation
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By Sophie Holbrook, Music Department Chair
ifty-seven. That is the new record number of participants we have had in our secondary KIMEA (Korea International Music Educators Association) honor festivals from the APIS middle and high school ensembles. Thirteen of these students participated in multiple honor festivals, showing their versatil- KIMEA High School Honor Band ity in different styles of musicmaking. To be included in a high school honor ensemble, students made an audition recording last fall and were selected by a panel of KIMEA judges. Upon their acceptance, the students practiced college-level music in preparation for the festival which was held Feb. 17-18 at Seoul Foreign School. The students worked with visiting college professors over the festival weekend: Dr. Jonathan Talberg, California State University, Long Beach (choir); Mr. Steven Amundson, St. Olaf College (orchestra); and Mr. Gary Speck, Miami University of Ohio (band). Each conductor provided new insight to music and inspired the students to perform to the best of their ability. Congratulations to all the high school participants, especially to seniors Grace Y. Kim, Shinyoung Lee, and Sarah Yoon for being recognized as four-year National Honor Festival members! In middle school, the APIS student honor musicians enjoyed a one-day event that culminated in a concert. How amazing to join an honor ensemble in the morning and perform together on stage in the afternoon! Our middle schoolers showed great dedication and motivation. When asked about something new they learned through the experience, Justin Suh (Grade 7) said, “I learned and was reminded that it takes a full ensemble. Not even one member can be slacking. In the concert we pulled off, I could feel it. Everybody gave it their best shot. The energy was crazy. It was then that I realized I didn't want to go home. I wanted to keep making music.� Special thanks to the parents of these wonderful students who have supported their passion and believed in them to pursue this opportunity. Through these honor experiences, APIS student musicians are learning to communicate effectively through music and make meaningful new relationships in the process.
KIMEA Middle School Honor Band
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KIMEA Middle School Honor Orchestra
KIMEA Middle School Band Festival
KIMEA Middle School Choir Festival
Christine Jeong (G6), clarinet Jeannette Kim (G6), French horn Cullen Webster (G6), percussion Claire Park (G6), trumpet Rin Choi (G6), bass clarinet Joanna Kim (G6), flute Junho Son (G7), tenor saxophone Sunny Pak (G7), trumpet Jeremy Kim (G7), alto saxophone Matthew Lee (G7), French horn Yoon Milling (G7), clarinet Justin Suh (G7), bass clarinet Clara Oh (G8), flute Joan Kim (G8), trumpet Irene Kim (G8), alto saxophone Harrison Oh (G8), bari saxophone Bryan Jung (G8), trumpet Sally Pak (G8), trumpet Marcus Kim (G8), clarinet Sophie Calzada (G8), flute
Claire Park (G6), soprano Rin Choi (G6), soprano Joanna Kim (G6), soprano Christine Jeong (G6), soprano Matthew Shima Kang (G7), alto Lucas Park (G7), baritone Justin Suh (G7), alto Joan Kim (G8), soprano Sally Pak (G8), soprano Kimberly Ho (G8), soprano Sophie Calzada (G8), soprano Bryan Jung (G8), alto Irene Kim (G8), Soprano
Grade 9 Mei-Mei Timpson, tenor saxophone, soprano Dae Ho Ha, bass Joshua Kim, bass Daniel Oh, bass
KIMEA Middle School Strings Festival Cullen Webster (G6), violin Neo Lee (G7), cello Angela Lee (G7), violin Grace Lee (G7), cello Sunny Choi (G7), viola Jinhee Kwon (G8), violin Jeany Park (G8), violin Helen Kim (G8), violin Kimberly Ho (G8), viola
Grade 11 Eugenie Kwon, flute Christopher Kim, tenor saxophone Jocelyn Kim, french horn Michelle Choi, tuba Max Park, percussion Sophie Yoo, soprano Jennifer Kang, soprano Gia Kim, alto Claire Shin, alto Soo Bin Park, alto Donna Kim, alto Tim Lee, bass Noah Kim, bass Gyu Young Lee, bass Julia Kim, viola Jerry (Bing-Han) Chung, viola David Kim, cello
Grade 12 Grace Y. Kim, clarinet Shinyoung Lee, trumpet Sarah Yoon, soprano Brandon Sohn, tenor Andrew Kang, tenor
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APIS Wins Gold at Korean Science Olympiad By Amanda Meyer, Biology Teacher
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he 6th Annual Korean Science Olympiad took place at Dwight School Seoul on Saturday, Feb. 25. Nine science students from APIS represented the school at the event, competing against hundreds of other students from various international schools in Korea. This is the first time APIS has participated in the Science Olympiad. Richard Jo (Grade 11), an AP Biology student at APIS, learned about the competition and asked his AP Biology teacher, Ms. Amanda Meyer, to supervise the team. The Science Olympiad is divided into three sections: a written exam, the brain bowl, and a group challenge. During the written exam, students choose between a physics, chemistry, biology, or general science exam to complete, consisting of AP, IB, and SAT style questions. The brain bowl is a team event in which a group of four students represents each school in a double-elimination trivia tournament. Science questions from a variety of topics are read aloud by a moderator, and students "buzz in" to answer the questions. Once an initial question has been correctly answered by the team, a bonus question for group discussion is read. Students' problem-solving skills are tested in the group challenge. The goal of this category changes every year. This year, the students had over an hour to design three different models of paper airplanes: one that could stay in the air the longest, one that could fly the farthest, and one that could do impressive acrobatics. Each school competed head-to-head with their three best models. APIS performed exceptionally well at the Science Olympiad. Three students received honorable mention for their subject exam scores: Jinny Choi (chemistry), Henry Kim (general science), and Noah Kim (biology). The APIS team also won gold for the brain bowl competition, with an undefeated record after four rounds of questions. Their combination of quick thinking and good teamwork made them unstoppable.
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Students who participated in the Science Olympiad are: Claire Shin (Grade 11) Jenna Lee (Grade 11) Noah Kim (Grade 11) Chris Lee (Grade 11) HJ Hong (Grade 11) Henry Kim (Grade 10) Jinny Choi (Grade 11) Max Park (Grade 11) Richard Jo (Grade 11)
APIS 학생들, 한국 과학 올림피아드에서 우승 거둬 글: 아만다 마이어, 생물 교사 제6회 연례 한국 과학 올림피아드가 2017년 2월 25일 토요일 서울드와이트외국인학교 에서 개최되었습니다. 이번 올림피아드 행사에는 여러 외국인학교에서 수백만 명의 학 생이 참가했는데, APIS에서도 올해 처음으로 9명의 학생이 대표로 대회에 참가했습니 다. APIS의 AP Biology반 학생인 리처드 조 (Richard Jo, G11)는 이번 대회에 대해 알 게 된 후 AP Biology반 담당 선생님인 Ms. Amanda Meyer에게 자신의 팀을 지도해달 라고 부탁했습니다. 과학 올림피아드는 필기 시험, 브레인볼(Brain Bowl: 지식경연대회), 그룹 챌린지 등 세 부문으로 나눠 진행됩니다. 필기 시험은 AP, IB, SAT 방식의 질문으로 이뤄져 있으며 학 생들은 물리, 화학, 생물, 또는 일반 과학 시험 가운데 택일해 답안을 작성하게 됩니다.
FEBRUARY 2017
SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS
브레인볼은 더블 엘리미네이션 트리비아 토너먼트(double elimination trivia tournament: 두 번을 지면 탈락하지만 한 번을 지더라도 남은 경기를 전부 승리하면 우승할 수 있는 토너먼트 방식)로 4명의 학생이 한 그룹을 이뤄 각 학교를 대표해 경쟁을 벌이 는 팀별 대항전입니다. 사회자가 다양한 주제의 과학 퀴즈를 소리 내어 읽으면 학생들 이 버즈를 누르고 퀴즈에 답하게 됩니다. 특정 팀이 처음 퀴즈의 정답을 맞추면 그 팀 에 집단 토의를 위한 보너스 퀴즈가 제공됩니다. 그룹 챌린지에서는 학생들의 문제해결 능력을 테스트합니다. 그룹 챌린지의 목표는 해 마다 바뀝니다. 올해는 학생들에게 1시간 동안 세 가지 다른 종류의 종이 비행기, 즉 최 장 시간 공중에 떠 있을 수 있는 종이 비행기, 가장 멀리 날 수 있는 종이 비행기, 그 리고 인상적인 묘기를 펼칠 수 있는 종이 비행기의 모형을 각각 디자인하게 했습니다. 참가 학교는 각기 디자인한 가장 뛰어난 세 가지 모형으로 정면 승부를 펼쳤습니다. APIS는 과학 올림피아드에서 괄목할만 한 성과를 올렸습니다. Jinny Choi (G11, 화학), Henry Kim (G10, 일반 과학), Noah Kim (G11, 생물) 등 세 명의 학생은 각자의 과목 시 험 성적에서 장려상(Honorable Mention)을 수상했습니다. APIS 팀은 또한 4라운드까지 무패 행진을 기록하며 이번 브레인볼 대회의 우승컵을 거머쥐었습니다. 이들은 민첩한 사고능력과 뛰어난 팀워크를 절묘하게 발휘하며 독보적인 성과를 거두었습니다.
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FEBRUARY 2017
S C H O O LW I D E N E W S & E V E N T S
Principal’s Note: Raising Kind Kids By Meg Hayne, Middle School Principal/Curriculum Coordinator
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recently came across a note that really resonated with me as an educator. It said, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind!” Walking through our halls I see future writers, engineers, doctors, designers, and CEOs. We equip students with the skills and content knowledge, but I sometimes worry that they will lack the heart of compassion that is so needed in the world. We all have the opportunity to come together as a community to raise kind and compassionate students. Harvard research offers a few suggestions.
Be a Model
Kids base their actions and attitudes on what they see in the world around them. Even when we don’t think that they are watching or listening to us, they are. It is easy to believe that they won’t notice how angry we get when someone is rude or that we are impatient with the wait staff at a restaurant. The truth is that they see these interactions and they learn from them. When given the chance, we should practice kindness ourselves. Showing them compassion when they make a mistake is a great example of helping them understand grace. Don’t be afraid to talk about this and have conversations about gratitude and grace.
Be a Guide
Practice makes perfect and that holds true with kindness as well. We must give students the opportunity to practice rather than just hope that they pick it up along the way. Increase their circle of exposure and concern by helping them reach out with kindness to those around them. Making a personal connection increases their understanding of the impact kindness can make. Encourage them to sit with a student who looks lonely, help a neighbor in need, or help them find an organization to be involved with that they care about. We teach them to read and write, and we should also teach them how to reach out with compassion.
Cooperation over Competition
Students spend a great deal of time competing in classrooms, on exams, and on the court or field. That can be healthy, but if it dominates their feelings toward others in areas where they should be collaborative instead, it stands the chance of doing more damage in their personal relationships than they might realize. Both teachers and parents can emphasize the success that collaboration can bring by helping them learn to interact cooperatively with peers and adults. Showing and explaining the collaboration we have with adults in our lives can give them a healthy idea of how to interact with their peers in a positive way.
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Snapshots
ung Sahn InternaTong Sunim from Se e Hy le rab ne Ve e Th sh Teacher Ryan sangsa visited Engli tional Zen Center, Mu . Honors English class Murfield’s Grade 10
Theia fundraising
Nowon police visit wit h kindergarten and firs t grade to discuss traffic and perso nal safety.
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FEBRUARY 2017
S C H O O LW I D E N E W S & E V E N T S
Honors Psych ology students made “brain ha their understa ts” to demonst nding of the rate parts of the br function. ain and each part’s
Grade 6 student s visit with Grade 5 students to shar tives they’ve writte e narran after a unit of stu dy on refugees. ers have
Third grad
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music d n making
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FEBRUARY 2017
S C H O O LW I D E N E W S & E V E N T S
Spring Choir Concert By Melinda Baum, Choir Director
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cience has proven that singing triggers “feel-good” chemicals in our brain and lifts our spirit. There is even research that shows it can boost the immune system and, amazingly, when people join their voices together in group singing, their heart rates synchronize and their breathing is regulated. But, is that the reason we sing? Eric Whitacre, a renowned contemporary composer and conductor, describes his first experience singing in a choir. “In my entire life I had seen in black and white, and suddenly everything was in shocking Technicolor. The most transformative experience I've ever had – in that single moment, hearing dissonance and harmony and people singing, people together, the shared vision. And I felt for the first time in my life that I was part of something bigger than myself.” That’s the power of choral singing! At the APIS Spring Choral Concert on Tuesday, Feb. 21, over 100 students joined their voices and felt that “shared vision” as they performed to a standing-room-only attentive audience. Jennifer Kim (Grade 11) reflects, “I think our choir’s best moment [is] when we unite and sound ‘whole’ because everyone is attentive and we listen to each other.” Choral singing is the perfect case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. While some students are more experienced, and therefore more confident singers, others lack in confidence. Yet, through the power of group singing, all students sound as one unified voice and create a magical experience. Sing on!
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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