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F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 5
ISSUE 28.
UPDATE 5 7 WO LGYE-RO 45GA-GI L , NOWO N- G U, S EO UL , 1 3 9 - 8 5 2 , KOREA ■ T. 0 2 .9 0 7 .2 7 4 7 ■ F. 0 2 .9 0 7 .2 7 4 2 ■ WWW. APIS .S EO U L.KR
IN THIS ISSUE:
■ Grade 1 Poetry Cafe ■ Field Trip to the Blue House ■ Winter Saturday Sports Camp
IN THIS ISSUE:
■ Chinese New Year Event ■ Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ ■National History Day Faculty Retreat
■ KIMEA/KAIAC Music Festival
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Grade 4 is Feeling Blue By Sarah Wood, Grade 4 Teacher
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n February 4, the fourth grade went on a field trip to the Blue House in downtown Seoul. They have been studying about democracy and the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. While they were there they learned all about the executive branch and the president of South Korea. The fourth graders were able to tour the grounds of the Blue House and see all the different government buildings. They also went to the Blue House museum and learned about past presidents. "The Blue House is where the president has meetings with people from the executive branch of the government," said Christine Jeong (Grade 4). Classmate Margarette Gatesi (Grade 4) added that "the Blue House has had a lot of visitors over the years from many countries. Other countries' presidents have given lots of gifts to Korea that you can see in the museum.� The fourth grade had a wonderful time during the field trip and ended the day with a lunch at a local restaurant.
Fourth graders pose for a picture in front of the Blue House. W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R
Pacific Pencil: Five Times the Fun
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he Pacific Pencil, the art and literary magazine that features elementary students’ work at APIS, marks a landmark anniversary this year. The publication is now its fifth year. To mark this milestone, the young student artists who competed to have their work selected for the publication’s front cover were told to create their design with a “five” theme. The kindergarten through fifth-grade students who participated in this optional competition came up with varied and colorful works that featured illustrations like five friends, five rainbows, five basketball players, five lions. Anna Sea, the elementary art teacher who began the Pacific Pencil five years ago, was pleased with the contest participation. “Students worked hard in and outside of school; some of the students even came to my room during recess time to work on it,” Ms. Sea said.
Teachers, from left, Anna Sea, Becky Cyrus, and Jeff Underhill consider the cover entries.
The APIS art teachers as well as all the faculty members who are on the Pacific Pencil Committee judged the entries and selected the winning design. It was a difficult decision. "The cover design entries each used the theme of five in a unique, creative way," said Jeff Underhill, grade 5 teacher and Pacific Pencil Committee member. Coming out on top of this stiff competition, Adelia Kwak (Grade 3) was selected as the winner of this year’s cover contest. Her winning entry featured a hand (five fingers) being held up against a blue sky that featured wispy, white clouds and birds and music notes and a colorful sun. ”I thought the composition was simple yet clear with intention,” said Jeff Woodrow, digital media and art teacher and another judge in the cover contest, of Adelia’s submission. “The colors used created a vibrant visible contrast and there was a deliberate attention to detail.”
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This year’s Pacific Pencil will be published in May, and a publishing ceremony held at that time will feature a fashion designer as a guest speaker. The publication will also be available for online viewing at the “News and Events” section of the APIS website, www.apis.seoul.kr.
Principal Bruce Knox congratulates Adelia Kwak (Grade 3) on her winning design, far left. W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R
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First-Grade Poets on Stage
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n February 6, first graders walked in the Christian Life Center clutching their handwritten poems. Not only their parents, but also elementary, secondary students, and teachers came to watch the first graders step on stage and recite their poems. Everyone was amazed at the students reading aloud the poems that they had written all by themselves! Some poems rhymed, some had buzzing sounds of bees, and some poems had sweet things to say about their siblings. One student expressed how much she likes school, while another recited how books are so great. Judy Park, first-grade teacher, explained to the audience that the students have been reading lots of poems throughout the school year to prepare for this Poetry Cafe. Principal Bruce Knox asked the audience to compliment students in the hallways for their fabulous work. After showcasing some of their poems in front of a large audience, the students returned to the classroom — this time reciting the rest of the poems to their parents and classmates in a more relaxing atmosphere with some cookies and juice. The first grade Poetry Cafe was a huge success. Great job, first graders!
First graders recited their original poems to a packed house on February 6.
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Are You
Smarter
than an APIS Third grader?
In the spirit of the U.S. television game show “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?”, the previous two issues of the APIS Update have included test questions from some of the elementary grades here at the school. First, the questions came from fifth grade, then the fourth. For this edition, Jillian Iwanuk, third-grade teacher, submitted some of the test questions that the APIS third graders already have had to tackle this year. See how you would do in Ms. Iwanuk’s class. 1
What's the difference between parallel and perpendicular lines?
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What kind of government does Korea have?
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Who's the mayor of Seoul? of Boston, Massachusetts?
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How are American and Korean cultures different?
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What are two ways you can describe sound?
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Does sound travel faster through liquid, solid, or gas?
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What adaptations do desert animals have that help them survive?
Me!
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1. Parallel lines never touch. Perpendicular lines intersect at a right angle. 2. Representative democracy 3. The mayor of Seoul is Park Won Soon. The mayor of Boston is Marty Walsh. 4. This is a tricky one! So, here are just a few differences: they speak different languages, celebrate different holidays, and have different foods. 5. You can describe sound by its volume (how loud or soft) and its pitch (how high or low). 6. Sound travels fastest through solids, then liquid, and, finally, gas. 7. There are a few answers to this because desert animals survive in many ways — many are nocturnal since it’s cooler at nighttime; other animals have adapted to living in dens underground, where it's cooler; still others have larger ears, which help animals keep cool.
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All About Winter Saturday Sports Camp
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By Ryan Williams and Jeff Underhill Saturday Sports Camp Coaches
he winter session of Elementary Saturday Sports Program is off to a playful start. The coaches have been working hard preparing and planning fun and active indoor sporting competitions, skill work, group fitness, and even some dancing. Sports to be covered this session will include floor hockey, indoor soccer, racket sports (badminton and table tennis), volleyball, and basketball. From time to time — and as much as possible — we are working to organize games against other schools. On Saturday, February 7, players traveled to a three-school indoor soccer tournament in Incheon. Schools competing included Chadwick International School, Lycée Français de Séoul (a French-speaking international school), and APIS. We hope to compete with other schools in a variety of sports during the coming weeks and months. APIS played five games on February 7, scored goals, and had a few scored on us. We won some, we lost some, and everyone enjoyed exercise, competition, and a lot of fun. A big shout out to APIS families who supplied gimbap, drinks, and snacks! When not at a tournament or jamboree, each practice session will have a similar routine: •Warm-up: We start each practice with a casual game to include family members. For example: shooting basketballs and passing soccer balls or hockey pucks around. •Group Fitness: This is our cardio and muscular strength endurance work and comes in the form of cardio-boxing, kids CrossFit, tae kwon do skills, yoga, and good old push-ups and sit-ups. •Dance: Each practice session we work on a dance and, once mastered, we move on to a new one. •Sports Skills Development: Whatever sport we are currently working on, we spend time honing, improving, and sharpening skills. •Games and Competition: This is everyones’ favorite!
If you are curious, please stop by for a visit. Many parents and other APIS family members hang out to watch and cheer on the group, take pictures, talk, and enjoy the day. This is community time! We are in the APIS gym each Saturday from 10:00-12:00 (3rd-5th graders) and 1:00-2:30 (1st and 2nd graders). Please join us! The coaches, Mr. Williams, Mr. Underhill, and Mr. Langholz, are proud of the effort, participation, and sportsmanship displayed by players and parents. Our final Elementary Saturday Sports Program session, spring session, will begin May 2. It will be all about soccer in the spring! 6
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Opportunity Offered for More Math
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even APIS students participated this year in the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC), taking time out of their already busy school day on February 3 to tackle the extracurricular math challenge. More than 350,000 students in the United States and at U.S.-style international schools around the world participate in this level of the annual competition. “I like to take the AMC because I really get to challenge myself through participating and solve problems that I don't usually encounter while studying math in school,” said Jinny Choi (Grade 9), one of this year’s APIS participants. “Even though this test is not even required for my courses, I think the valuable experience I gain from it is worth taking time out of the school day.” Jinny was joined by Seung Yoon Oh (Grade 10), SeokHyun Paul Yoo (Grade 10), Josephine Oh (Grade 9), Jeho Hahm (Grade 11), Jaemo Koo (Grade 10) and David Jinsoo Lee (Grade 11), who all sat in a quiet fourth-floor room to take either the AMC 10 or AMC 12 test, both of which take approximately 75 minutes to complete. The AMC 10 is a 25-question, multiple-choice examination containing problems that can be understood and solved with algebra and geometry concepts, according to Adella Woo, APIS math teacher. The AMC 12 contains problems that can be understood and solved with pre-calculus concepts. The problems on the contest are difficult, but designed to be within the reach of students, Ms. Woo said. Each student should be challenged with mathematics that is new, different and “outside the box.” “Mathematics is increasingly important in our technological and scientific age,” Ms. Woo said. “We hope by offering these contests, we can challenge and inspire students to want to learn more mathematics.” Based on results from this month’s examination, top-ranking students will be invited to participate in the next level of competition, which takes place in March.
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Seeing Science in Action in Chemistry Lab
I Joyce Kwon (Grade 12) adds drops to the liquid in the beaker.
n mid-February, the students in Matt Kern’s AP Chemistry class gathered in the lab in small groups to work on a titration lab. Titration is a process where you measure the concentration of a substance in solution by adding a standard reagent until a reaction (such as a color change) is observed. In this class, the students were using titration to determine the acidity of different juices and soda drinks.
It wasn’t going smoothly at the beginning. Some students were realizing that they hadn’t set up the experiment correctly and stopped to regroup and discuss what needed to change. Mr. Kern watched from the front of the room and explained that it was what he had expected and hoped for. “Look. They are arguing and debating,” he said, smiling. “This is real science. I like that they are problem-solving. They remember it longer.” “He doesn’t give us much information,” said Lina Kim (Grade 11) of Mr. Kern. “We have to figure things out on our own.” Fellow student Chris Kim (Grade 11), looking at a light orange liquid, said "I think it’s going to take a while,” as he and his lab partners leaned forward to watch liquid drip slowly, slowly from a long, thin buret set up over a beaker. Eventually, Chris ripped off a strip of litmus paper, dipped it in the solution and groaned at the result. “We have to restart,” he said. “Titration is a common laboratory technique,” Mr. Kern said. “Calculations involving titrations have also appeared on previous AP Chemistry exams. I would argue, however, that the value of this lab experience lies more in exposing [students] to the actual process of science. Science is an active endeavor and requires creativity in designing and setting up experiments, logic to determine appropriate experimental procedures, an ability to solve problems when they arise, … and the ability to apply critical thinking skills to analyze and interpret data that aren't ‘textbook perfect.’ Experiences like this reflect the work of real-world scientists and, I feel, have more longterm … impact on students than memorizing trivia or a procedure for performing a particular calculation.” By the end of the class, the students had made adjustments to their lab work and the titration process was going smoothly. Lina and her lab partner, Claire Park (Grade 10), were celebrating. “We got consistent results,” Lina said. Lina noted that Mr. Kern’s class can be challenging. “But it’s fun. I like chemistry,” she said. Mr. Kern reviews results with two of his students.
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Be My By Lina Kim (Grade 11), Director of PR for SRC
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n February 13, APIS’s gym had changed. Decorations hung on the walls and candies littered the tables that were set up along the edges. Delicious looking sweets lined up for eating on the makeshift snack bar. The only light sources in the room were two disco balls hanging from the corner and candlelight on each of the tables. Music boomed through the air as students swayed and moved their bodies with the beat. A photo booth stood at one side snapping pictures of people who came to have a good time. When the topic of dances came up in one of the SRC meetings, hesitation filled the air. APIS’s past dances were full of failures and disappointments. How could this dance be any different? After gathering the opinions from the student body, the SRC slowly began the preparations for the Valentines Dance. “It’s going to suck.” “Why would you go to the dance?” As soon as the news of the dance was publicized, many students began to comment. Despite the amount of people who showed interest in participating, not many students were enthusiastic in buying tickets. The first two weeks of ticket sales went by quickly without success, spreading doubt and stress throughout the SRC.
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Suddenly, as the day of the dance gloomed closer, there was a surge of ticket sales. Although there were problems leading up to the event, such as the chocolate fountain breaking and the DJ arriving late, the party started without too many complications. Soon after the doors opened, the dance floor was full of students jumping up and down with the pumping beat of the music. Everyone was having fun. After a brief game in the middle of the dance, the atmosphere shifted towards the photo booth where most had fun taking pictures with their peers. When Sarang Yang (Grade 12), the SRC president, had to announce that the end has come, disappointment filled many faces. It had ended too soon. SRC definitely could make multiple improvements, but the dance definitely proved those with negative comments wrong. Many participants left with positive reviews and they all had an amazing time at the Valentines Dance. W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R
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APIS Excels at Nationwide History Competition
APIS middle school students, joined by Principal Bruce Knox and teachers, Carly Althauser, Tammi Wenzig, and Don Weller, celebrate the school's excellent showing at the end of the event.
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he APIS students sat in a group up front at the closing ceremonies of the U.S.-sponsored National History Day competition held at Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies on February 14. It was a good thing they were so close to the stage, because APIS students were called up numerous times to accept medals and special honors. “We had a lot of excitement at the competition,” said Carly Althauser, middle school social studies teacher. “While we have had students take home medals the past two years, this is the first year students in middle school have had the chance to advance to the U.S. national competition held outside Washington, D.C. This year, we have one team of students who won first place and have the opportunity to go.” First-place honors in the Group Website category went to APIS students Sooyoon Hwang, Jay Hong, Eric Lee and Dae Ho Ha (all Grade 7). The students’ website, which was titled “Kim Il Sung: The Effective and Terrible Leader,” also won the sole Korean History Award at the event. Due to its first-place finish in a category, the team of four students received an invitation to compete in the Washington, D.C., final competition in June. APIS also won third place in the Group Website category for the team of Clara Park, Francesco Oh, and Jacob Kim (all Grade 7) and its website “FDR and the Great Depression: Steps to Success.” APIS students also won second- and third-place honors in the Individual Website category, with Dan Suh (Grade 8) winning second place for creating “Dred Scott: The Man Who Defined Courage” and third place going to Sarah Choi (Grade 8) for creating “Julius Caesar: Leadership and Legacy through Politics.” Other APIS middle school students who participated in the event, which was the culmination of a semester-long research assignment, included Janice Kim, Amelia Tang, Se Eun Park, Grace Kim, Gerry Hwang, Alex Woo, Gyu Hyun Lee, Sophia Jung (all Grade 8), and Danny Kim, Lucy Lee, Jasmine Um, and Jin Lee (all Grade 7). “They were wonderful ambassadors for our school and should be proud of their efforts,” Principal Bruce Knox said of the students, in an announcement to the APIS faculty about the students’ unprecedented success at the competitive event.
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Individual Website 2nd Place: “Dred Scott: The Man Who Defined Courage”
“Last summer, I studied about US history at a camp called “Center for Talented Youth” in Johns Hopkins. In the session, I learned about a man named Dred Scott. It was interesting to see that this man was one of the many people who sued for their freedom in the 1800s. When I heard the topic was leadership and legacy, I thought it would be hard to do a NHD project about Dred Scott. However, I started to make connections...This got me to pick this topic and research about how his courage can be seen as leadership that was a big change in US history...” Individual Website 3rd Place: “Julius Caesar: Leadership and Legacy through Politics.”
“My project relates to the NHD theme [leadership and legacy] because J u l i u s Caesar had impacted Rome in many ways. It is also not only that he impacted Rome, but his ways of handling politics also made a legacy in history. His war skills are something he also left. His leadership was shown when he cared for his citizens. Although Julius Caesar was a dictator, or known as a dictator, he was very good at persuading and making his citizens satisfied. He built many facilities, and was amazing in convincing with speeches. Julius Caesar showed that he could take power without using force against his people. He knew that satisfying and making Rome better would be more effective in drawing in people to his side. Whether his leadership and legacy was positive or not, Julius Caesar definitely left a legacy.”
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Group Website 1st Place: "Kim Il Sung: The Effective and Terrible Leader"
“We used the internet to research the topic. We worked as a group to find good and reliable sources. This is why we found a lot of websites and read them to see if the website is reliable or not. In the internet, the primary source, Wilson Center, was the most helpful source, since it had many events that happen about every half a year, starting from March, 1949. We also interviewed an author who wrote about North Korea. The title of this book was “Under the Loving Care of my Fatherly Leader.” The author was called Bradley K. Martin, and we interviewed him and asked him his North Korea experience, which was very helpful…”
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Group Website 3rd Place: "FDR (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) and the Great Depression: Steps to Success"
“We chose this topic because we all had common interest in American history. We all thought a great leader will have to be the leaders who were leading the country through the hard times. There were many conflicts in American history but we discovered that there was a huge depression in the country’s history. Since America is such a successful country nowadays, we wanted to know the leader who brought the country to become this successful from poverty long ago. This is how we decided upon Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his leadership in the Great Depression.” W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R
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Making Music at the Honor Festival By Sophie Holbrook, Music Department Chair
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he National Honor Festival for high school musicians is an annual showcase of selected members of orchestra, choir, and band. Students practice, record, and submit auditions in October, which are then blindly critiqued by a panel of judges. Students are notified of their acceptance in November. While the competition is tough, APIS students have consistently been accepted to this festival since it began four years ago. Co-hosted by KAIAC and KIMEA, the NHF is hosted at Seoul Foreign School each mid-February. This year’s participants were Grace Jimin Kim (G10 viola), Claire Park (G10 flute), Grace Y. Kim (G10 clarinet), Chris HC Kim (G11 trumpet), Jeewon Kim, (G11 clarinet), Jeho Hahm (G11 percussion), Kevin Lee (G12 bari saxophone), Sarang Yang (G12 tuba), Jennifer Kang (G9 soprano I), Sophie Yoo (G9 soprano I), Crystal Cho (G10 soprano I), Kelly Oh (G11 alto I), Sandra Kim (G11 alto I), Jenny Jeon (G12 alto I), Jackie Lee (G12 alto II), Andrew Kang (G10 tenor II), Noah Kim (G9 bass II), and Robin Chae (G11 bass II). Our APIS music representatives joined 230 students from 12 other international schools to comprise the National Honor Choir, National Honor Orchestra, and National Honor Band. Students need to adapt to their new section members, a new conductor, and new rehearsal space in only six rehearsals over two days before performing on February 14 in the SFS Lyso Center for Performing Arts. “At the very beginning, I saw players, including me, only focusing on their own fingerings and ignoring the importance of other parts,” said Jeewon Kim (Grade 11). “But, as time went on we began listening to each other and adjusting our length of notes and mood of tones. I clearly experienced a process of combining individuals into a solid group, or ‘us.’ ” Unique to the NHF is that the three conductors are flown from the United States to be the festival guests. As professional conductors, performers, and educators, the guest conductors — Dr. Pat Patton, choir; Mr. Ray Ostwald, orchestra; and Dr. Travis Cross, band — were able to reach the students in many ways. “I am so thankful for how everyone put so much time in this, especially Dr. Patton,” said Jenny Jeon (Grade 12). “I want to say how thankful I am for motivating and inspiring me to realize how wonderful music can be. He gave me the definite answer that
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Making Music at the Honor Festival
The band students pose with Dr. Cross, a guest conductor at NHF.
music is the path I should walk for the rest of my life.” Dr. Cross, who is an associate professor of music at UCLA, was also the composer of one of the National Honor Band’s pieces, Memento. Kevin Lee (Grade 12) noted, “... learning from the composer directly makes the music much more complete. It is hard to catch the composer's intention by just looking at the music sheet, but with the composer as a conductor, it is much easier to play the composer's true meaning of the music.”
Sarang Yang and Jackie Lee, Grade 12, are APIS’ only four-year members of NHF. Sarang was in the flute section of the band for two years before switching to tuba at the end of her sophomore year. She learned quickly and was accepted to the NHF on tuba for her junior and senior years. Mrs. Holbrook, Sarang’s band director, said, “The fact that Sarang has not only been a member of the National Honor Band for four years, but that she switched instruments and was still accepted even though she had only been playing tuba for a few months is a true testament to Sarang’s musicianship and effort.” Jackie Lee noticed that the level of difficulty of music repertoire has increased and the competition to be ac“Being around the top cepted has become more intense. musicians from so many "Because this was my last NHF in the Choir, I really wanted to make this one the best one. Under the best conductor I've ever met, Dr. Patton helped me feel proud of my last KIMEA concert!” Jackie said.
different schools just takes music to a whole new level. The level of musicianship and skill of the students and the difficulty of the pieces we get to play is something I only get at NHF.” -Jeho Hahm (Grade 11)
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"I just loved my first experience in KIMEA National Honor Festival. The conductor was awesome and humorous and the students were very professional. But moreover, the passion in music was everywhere! During lunch in one of the practice rooms, a girl started to play the piano. A guy came in with the drum beats and people started singing; some sang the melody, some added in with harmony, and some even danced. I was amazed how students like me all had love for music so even though I did not meet them before, I could have a strong connection with them." -Crystal Cho(Grade 10)
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APIS Music Hits a High Note
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wo classes of APIS music students had the opportunity to work with collegiate-level guest conductors on February 12. Dr. Travis Cross, director of bands at University of California, Los Angeles, and Dr. Patrick Patton, former longtime head of the chorale department at Casper College in Wyoming, were both visiting Seoul to serve as conductors at the KAIAC and KIMEA 2015 National Honor Festival. As one of only a few music-related stops outside of the festival, Dr. Cross works with the APIS high school band students. Dr. Cross led the APIS high school band and Dr. Patton led the APIS high school choir for one period, giving the APIS student musicians a chance to both show off their skills and receive feedback and instruction beyond their regular classroom work. Dr. Patton took the choir through a series of listening and rhythm exercises and led the male voice sections through a quick tutorial on barbershop-style singing before working with the whole group on two pieces of music. When the tone sounded for the end of class, Dr. Patton groaned. “I could spend all day with you guys,” he said. One of the choir students, Jackie Lee (Grade 12) gave a thumbs-up and left the classroom smiling. “It was good,” she said. Dr. Cross worked with the band on “Danse Carnivale” by Randall D. Standridge. “That’s it! How exciting,” Dr. Cross said, as the percussion section responded to his suggestions for a section of music. His goal during the class, he said, was to increase the contrast between sections of the piece. The guest conductors’ comments for both classes closely mirrored what the students’ classroom instructors had already been preaching to them. As Dr. Patton was encouraging the chorus to ramp up the rhythmic element to a certain piece of music, Melinda Baum, the APIS chorus teacher, was in the background nodding to the students. This is commonly what happens with outside music teachers, noted both Dr. Cross and Dr. Patton. “Almost always what the guest conductor says is what the teacher has been saying for weeks,” Dr. Cross said. This helps because the common message comes across differently when it comes from a guest, they said, and it validates what the regular teacher has been saying. Both conductors complimented the APIS students’ skills. “It’s so fun,” Dr. Cross said after first hearing the band play its piece. “You guys are wonderful.” And Dr. Patton noted how focused and technically excellent the choir students are. “She has a great, great chorus here,” Dr. Patton said. “This is not the norm.” Dr. Patton discusses the rhythmic aspect of a piece, while working with the high school choir at APIS.
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Hungry to Help
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ore than two dozen, middle-school students and several high school leaders participated in the World Vision 30 Hour Famine held at APIS from February 27 to 28. The annual event, which involves students from around the world, is designed to increase awareness about world hunger and to raise funds to help. The APIS famine, which was sponsored by the APIS Christian Life Department, featured student testimonies, chapel time, interactive team-building games and the opportunity to learn more about how hunger affects the world. “It’s fun. But there’s also an educational side to it,” said Pastor Zach Luginbill. The students began their fast on early Thursday evening and then broke that fast together with a very welcome bowl of rice late on Friday night. They spent Friday night at the school and the event ended that Saturday morning after breakfast. This was the second year that Jackie Lee (Grade 12) participated in the famine. She said she remembers she was initially skeptical about the event’s value. “Honestly, at first, I was the one who said ‘Why should we have to starve ourselves to make this world a better place to live in?’ she said. But as I participated ... I realized the true hunger and learned another aspect/perspective of the world. Even though we just took a glimpse of the lives of starving kids, we could slightly understand how their lives would be.” “The 30 Hour Famine is a very effective way of spreading awareness of world hunger,” said Sophia Jung (Grade 8), who has participated in the event several times, first when she lived in New Zealand and now three times at APIS. “It is a hands-on way to feel empathy, while enduring through those 30 hours with people you are familiar with. Many participants decide to join the 30 hour famine because their friend is doing it, and because of this, both the friend and them get to know about poverty and its issue.”
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Sophia said she had high hopes for this year’s event. “I hope that through the 30 Hour Famine, APIS can grow to be a school that can empathize [with] what people in this world are going through and that APIS can grow to be a spiritually strong school,” she said. “I hope that this year’s participants ... go back to their daily lives with a spiritually grown heart and mind.” “Complaining about first world problems, we often forget about the dark side of the world,” Jackie said. “As we have a short time period without any food, we can at least think about that dark side once again and realize how privileged we are and learn why we should share what we have got.” Pastor Zach said the famine was a transformative experience for the participants. “I really enjoy, for middle school, to see them going from not eating for 30 hours to ‘Wow … this is what people experience,’” Pastor Zach said. “I love to sit back and watch God at work in our students’ lives.” See more about the 30 Hour Famine at http://www.30hourfamine.org/. W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R
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Principal’s Note: Celebrating the Great Things Happening at APIS!
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n one of my many subway journeys of the weekend, I was standing, people watching, by myself with my headphones and I happened to notice a young couple across from me. She was sitting, looking up at him. He was standing, looking down to her. They were laughing. Talking. Whispering. Giggling. Oblivious to those around them. Obviously very happy to be in each other's company. As the train arrived at the next stop it was clear he was about to leave. There was some close whispering, more laughter and big smiles. He stepped off. She watched him go. She looked at the floor and played with her scarf. Then, after a moment, she turned to look for him through the train window but was blocked by the solid wall of the station doors. She returned to her scarf twisting. Meanwhile, he had walked down to the next carriage door and peered in, hoping to see his friend, searching for a final goodbye glance. Unfortunately there were too many other passengers standing in the way and the doors closed on his disappointed smile, having missed that parting glance. The train moved off slowly. I may have been the only person on the train who noticed what had happened. They had both searched for that final goodbye glance but both missed. Neither of them knew. But I did! I had seen her turn to look for him and saw him search for her through the crowd of passengers. In that moment I wished I could tell them what had happened. I watched her get off at the next station and noticed that her bright smile had faded. Just a little bit. And this morning, as I walked into school and waved my daughter off to her Grade 1 class, I wondered if that's not a little bit like parents sending their children off to school. As teachers, we see your children doing amazing things. Little things. Big things. Things that don't really matter. And things that really do. And too often we let those moments pass without letting you know. I am sure If I had stopped the young lady on the train and told her about how her friend had searched for her before he left, her smile would have lasted all day. Having shared these thoughts already with the teachers of APIS, I have asked them to notice those moments and to share them with you when they can. The small moments. The big moments. The things they notice when no-one else is looking. Having the opportunity to visit every classroom every day, as the principal I notice a lot of things, things I would love to share with parents, teachers and other students. And now I have a way to do exactly that. This week I created an “APIS Principal” Twitter account. If you would like to see examples of the great things happening across APIS, get onto Twitter and search for “APIS Principal.” My aim is to create a stream of “great things going on at APIS.” You are more than welcome to follow it!
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Lunar New Year Celebrations!
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he third floor of the school building, where the foreign language classes are located, was decorated in red on February 16. At this time of the year, the Chinese department is busy with the Lunar New Year celebrations. What was more exciting this year, though, was that special guests from the Chinese embassy visited APIS to participate in this event! Mrs. Shan Li, the ambassador’s wife, and Dr. Hong Ge Ai, the educational counsellor, and the third secretary of education stepped into APIS to see how students celebrate the Chinese New Year.
APIS welcomes special guests from the Chinese embassy.
The first stop was the first-grade and second-grade classrooms where students danced to songs they prepared in Chinese. Mrs. Shan Li and Dr. Hong Ge Ai enjoyed seeing the performances that the students knew by heart. The students also had a chance to introduce themselves in Chinese, and members of the delegation from the Chinese embassy were impressed at the ease with which the young students spoke Chinese. After a brief tour of APIS, everyone settled in the Chinese classrooms. Each room had a set of activities for students to enjoy, such as quizzes related to the Lunar New Year, making paper crafts in the shape of a Chinese character, and so on. After completing a task at each booth, students earned paper money which they could exchange with Chinese souvenirs or dumplings at a booth run by APIS parents. One of the most popular activities for students was dressing up in Chinese traditional clothing and reciting the Lunar New Year greetings in Chinese to Mrs. Shan Li. The fun part was receiving red Chinese envelopes with a surprise in it — which is also part of the tradition! Numerous secondary and elementary students came over to the Chinese classrooms to enjoy this event. Some students tried the activities more than once to earn more paper money in order to exchange it with a fancy souvenir, such as the beautiful Chinese calendars brought by the Chinese embassy and scrumptious Chinese sweets prepared by the Chinese department teachers.
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Overall, the Chinese New Year Culture Fair was a huge success. We hope you had a happy Lunar New Year! 新 年 快 乐
Mrs. Shan Li gives a red envelope to Jay Hong (Grade 7).
Students enjoy paper crafts in one of the Chinese classrooms. W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R
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Newbery Medal & Caldecott Medal Winners
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hen it comes to children’s books, the two most prestigious awards in America are the Caldecott and Newbery medals. Since 1938, the Randolph Caldecott Medal has been awarded to the illustrator of the most distinguished American picture book for children. The John Newbery Medal has an even longer history (since 1922) and is given to the author of “the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.” With the announcement of these medal winners made in February, this month’s “Librarian’s Pick” will introduce our readers to the 2015 Caldecott and Newbery Medal winning books.
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend
Caldecott Medal 2015
By Dan Santat
The story begins with a scene on a colorful island where imaginary creatures are waiting to be picked up by friends to travel to the real world. Beekle waits and waits to be “imagined” by a child so that he too can be brought into the real world. But when his turn doesn’t come and he gets tired of waiting, he decides to do something “unimaginable”— sailing through unknown waters to reach the real world all by himself! In search of a friend, he arrives in the real world and his adventure unfolds. New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Dan Santat combines classic storytelling using mixed-media illustrations, filled with imagination. This magical story of an incredible journey to a new city will lead you to think about the meaning and value of real friendship.
L E V E L: L O W E R E L E M E N TA R Y A G E S The Crossover
Newbery Medal 2015
By Kwame Alexander
Do you like playing sports? We have a fun “reading” sports here! The Crossover is a fun read that uses a hip-hop writing style to convey the high-energy feel of youth basketball. The author, utilizing unique constructions, fonts, and styles, describes the confrontations between the twins Josh and Jordan (junior high basketball stars), who drift apart after one of them starts to have a girlfriend. None of them are perfect, but they stand by each other even when they are confronted with the worst possible outcomes. Will it be possible for their team to win the county championship regardless of these family circumstances? Grab this book and find out!
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Fifth graders Recommend Reading
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n the past several issues of the APIS Update, we have been sharing reading recommendations that were submitted by APIS faculty members. This issue we turned the spotlight on some of our student readers, and the fifth-grade students were given the chance to share their book recommendations. This month will feature recommendations from Jeff Underhill’s class (5A) and our edition next month will feature recommendations from Alicia Morgenroth’s class (5B). Any other grade that would like to share favorite book titles is invited to contact the communications office.
David Lee recommends “Wringer” by Jerry Spinelli. In the book, “a boy named Palmer was a wringer, but he was scared to wring a pigeon from 5 Thousand Pigeon like other boys.” Davis Beatty recommends “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner. “It is very mysterious and asks a lot of questions that you are asking too. There is things that you will know and things that you will not know and want to find out.” Gabby Kern recommends “The Last Hero” by Rick Riordan. “Others (fourth- to ninth-grade) will enjoy reading this book because it is very adventurous, and it will lead you lots of memories from the Percy Jackson Series.” Jane Kim recommends “Evil Star” (book 2 of The Gatekeeper) by Anthony Horowitz. “I think others will like this book because it has a great adventure of horrors, so it doesn’t bore the reader, and the book pulls the reader in.” Jeremy Kim recommends “Sideways Story” from the Wayside School by Louis Sachar, “because this is a funny book happening in school, and the school is 30 stories tall, but there is no 19th story.” Justin Suh recommends “Bud, Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curts. “Because not only is this a great book but also a book of true kindness, and when I read it, it made me feel really good and warm on the inside ... I strongly recommend this book to fourth- and fifth-graders who enjoy realistic fiction. I really liked the part where Bud never gave up. He showed courage when he kept on going even when Bud’s father pretended to know nothing about his own son.” Karen Kim recommends “Because of Mr. Terupt” by Rob Buyea, “because for people who like sad stories, this will be a great book, especially for people who like happy endings in sad stories.”
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Matt Lee recommends “How to Steal a Dog” by Barbara O’Conner. “Georgina Hayes and her brother are so desperate to steal a dog because they will get a reward of money to buy a clean, clean house.” Subin Park recommends “Wayside School” by Louis Sacher, which she says “is really great for fourthgraders, it might be easy to the fifth graders. It is very funny, and it’s about fiction school life of student in the Wayside School.” Sunny Pak recommends “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien. “I think others will enjoy how it tells you a clear message in an adventurous, serious like humor. Others might enjoy the awkward friendship between the dwarves, Bilbo, and Gandalf. I really recommend it to fifth-graders who love adventurous books. Vivian Woo recommends “The End of the Beginning” by Avi. “This book will be helpful for students who love reading about adventure, because this small snail named ‘Avon’ and even smaller ant named ‘Edward’ do a big adventure.”
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Happy about the Writing on the Wall
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t feels a little bit like breaking the rules. But, there it is — the invitation posted in front of the APIS guidance counseling department to write on the wall above the office’s fireplace. All that is asked is that participants keep their message on whatever the theme is for the month. In February, students and staff answered the question “How do you feel loved?,” with early postings including “When I know someone cares” and “Spending time with friends.” Previous months’ themes have included new year’s resolutions, Christmas memories and things for which you are grateful. “We try to make the theme relate to the theme of the month,” said Brian Lim (Grade 8), who started a group of middle school students called The Peace, which meets regularly to come up with the wall’s theme. All of the themes posted so far this year seem to have struck a chord, Brian said, because every month there has been plenty of participation. “I think a lot of people like this idea,” Brian said just before a group meeting at the beginning of February. He said that when people read comments on the wall, they can see “I’m not the only one — there are other people that feel the same.” Kirstan Beatty, one of the two guidance counselors at APIS, came up with the idea of writing on the wall when she was working this fall on an online course, The Science of Happiness. Ms. Beatty saw the wall as an opportunity to practice some of the ideas she learned in the course. For instance, “when we practice gratitude, [November’s theme] thankfulness comes along much easier, and science has shown that it can have lasting affects on our general outlook on life,” she said. Ms. Beatty noted that the idea of the wall has expanded since its start in November “to help reflect on more social/emotional needs related to things we want to make better about ourselves (resolutions) and things that we care about or make us unique. For most, it will show how we are really more similar than we think and might inspire us to forge a new path.” So, if you want to share, if you want to inspire — grab one of the pens provided, and express yourself.
HOW DO YOU FEEL LOVED? Wh
When
rd
I feel hea
en
I kn ow eon e ca res
som
When I get
n Whe ever
yone
ing is be NICE
Ms. Beatty, school counselor, adds a note to the alreadyfull wall.
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a complimen t
THANK YOU ! APIS PARENTS Thank you to Ms. Dana Lee (Sung Hyun Hong’s mom), Ms. Kyung Hee Song (Rin Choi’s mom), Ms. Hye Jin Baek (Joanna Kim‘s mom), and Ms. Rebecca Delancey (Margarette Gatesi’s mom) for your help during our Blue House field trip. Your guidance and help was greatly appreciated. I have the best fourth grade mothers in the world. They are amazing!! -Sarah Wood, Grade 4 Teacher nderful t our wo u o h it w s citces ch fun re en a suc ad so mu t have be h o n ts n ld e F u d . o w ces irst e stu at audien oetry Cafe poets. Th re P g g e r n n u u O o o y t e u r y. I am itho Grad d ou us to enjo ppened w to applau r a h y fo d e y a v rt a re a h p 't g parents it wouldn r publishin oems and nts for ou p e ir m e h s th e ts g fr n in tude . ed re cher nts and s nts provid re a re p a l p u ade 1 Tea e rf r d e G d , n gra k o r a w P r u - Judy iative of o so apprec
ring the varsity basThe parents’ support du s very much appreciketball tournament wa amazing that day. The ated. The parents were er schools loved them girls loved it! The oth u Ms. Sang Mi Ji (G11 just as we did. Thank yo . Marika Ravin (G10 Sarah Choi's mom), Ms Ms. Jin Young Pairk Gabby Ravin's mom), , and Ms. Yoo Joung (G10 Grace Kim's mom) mom)! Chai (G10 Sarah Yoon's
ll Coach
ls’ Basketba - Meg Hayne, Varsity Gir
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The Chinese department would like to thank Ms. Ally Lee (G3 Noa & G5 Neo Lee’s Ji Eun Baik (G5 Sarah mom), Ms. and G8 Dan Ms. Yuni K iel Koo’s mo im (G3 Ad m), elia and G5 mom), and Eunice Kwa Ms. Kyung k’s Soon Lee (G Rachel Lee 5 Grace & ’s mom) for G12 lending a h nese Lunar and at the Holiday eve Chint. They se students to t up a booth have a tast for e of dumpli tracted so ngs, and it many stude a tnts! Thank for helping you all so m this event uch end in succ could have ess. We ne done it with ver out your su pport. - The Chinese
Departmen t
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Capital Campaign Update
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e would like to thank all the parents for their continued support in the Capital Campaign to furnish a woodshop and a new cooking/multipurpose lab. Here is an updated list of all the donors as of February.
Platinum Level Donations
Gold Level Donations
Silver Level Donations
Bronze Level Donations
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W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R EDITORIAL TEAM: ■ Euysung Kim Director ■ Nicole Suh Art & Design Editor ■ Josephine Shim Communications & PR Team Leader ■ Susan Craton Writing / Editing Staff ■ Soora Koh Communication Officer