APIS Update 2012 Winter

APIS UPDATE

Address: 57 Wolgye-ro 45ga-gil, Nowon-gu, Seoul, 139-852, Korea Website: www.apis.seoul.kr

Issue 9.

Winter 2012 In this issue Christmas Concerts After School Activities Fall Survey Results Highlights of the First Semester Book List

From Dr. Kim’s Desk Secrets to a Successful Parent-Teacher Relationship The parent-teacher partnership is critical to a success in education. I have always argued that no boarding school can ever top a great day school because the latter allows for a close partnership between parents and teachers in educating a child. Educators almost universally regard parent involvement as one of the most critical elements in successful academic intervention. Yet, the partnership between parents and teachers in education is not always the most comfortable or easy one to manage. Moreover, in international school settings, the relationship is further complicated by the differences in cultural norms and understandings that exist in a multicultural community. Without the knowledge as to how best to handle the partnership, we often observe two extremes in the parents’ involvement in their children’s education. At one extreme, we have overprotective and overly-involved parents who hover – “helicopter-like” – over their children at school to see how they are doing. The “helicopter parents” rob their children of the opportunity to solve problems themselves and put teachers on the defensive. At the other extreme are parents who shy away from involvement at all. Even when their children face problems (social or academic) at school, they either believe no involvement is the best solution or hold back for fear of irritating teachers and sparking retaliation against their children. The truth is that teachers can feel lost in this relationship as well. Teachers often feel vulnerable and can get stressed about their professionalism being put on scrutiny.

I found a helpful article in New York Times about how to reduce the mutual anxieties and establish and maintain the kind of trust that is essential to respectful and productive parent-teacher relationships. It is written by a sixth-grade teacher, Sara Mosle, who likens the teacher-parent relationship to an arranged marriage. She says,“[n]either side gets a lot of say in the match. Both parties, however, share great responsibility for a child, which can lead to a deep rewarding partnership or the kind of conflict found in some joint-custody arrangements.” I would agree- the relationship is sometimes that difficult and should not be taken lightly. Here are some of her ideas that I think worth considering: 1. Parents should encourage their children to take the lead in sorting out difficulties with teachers. Like all challenges, our children’s difficulty with their teachers presents a “teachable moment.” Life is full of having to work with diverse people – furthermore, those with authority and power. When parents intervene on their children’s behalf every time, they are voiding them of the opportunity to robustly mature and build confidence in resolving the issue on his or her own.

Yes, we need to accept the risk of our children failing to resolve the issue at hand. This sort of calculated risk taking is what Paul Tough argues to be important training in character building to ensure our children’s future success (“How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character).

2. Parents and teachers should use e-mail and text messages only to convey simple information like appointments or scheduled absences. For anything more substantive, especially if one party is annoyed or angry, it’s better to pick up the phone or, better yet, speak in person. Conflicts can escalate in e-mail exchanges in ways that would never happen speaking face to face. With email, it is also very difficult to gauge how prepared the other person is to receive the message when the email arrives.

1

3. The principal or other administrators should not be cc’ed when e-mailing about routine issues.

According to Palo Alto superintendent Kevin Skelly (as quoted in the article), “It’s disrespectful to teachers and parents alike, as it sends the message you don’t think there’s even a chance you can work this out on your own.” There are clearly issues that must be brought attention to the administrators right away. It just means one should be deliberate about when and what type of issues are to be brought to the attention of the principal or other administrators.

4. Teachers should respond to parent communications promptly, even if it’s a brief acknowledgement and a request for some time to solve a problem. APIS parents have the right to demand timely responses to their inquiries. When the parents have difficulty getting responses from their teachers, they should let the principal or other administrators know so that corrective measures can be taken. For the parents’ part, they should appreciate that teachers are busy during the day and may have other responsibilities after school. “My students know that I’m unlikely to respond to an e-mail between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.,” says Mosle, “as that’s when I’m focusing on being a parent to my own child.”

5. Immediately apologize when we drop the ball. “Nothing is more disarming,” says Skelly, “and it’s so simple to do.” Unlike in the Western culture, apologies are not used mainly to acknowledge one’s fault. In Asian culture, apologies are used more freely as a gesture for reconciliation and an expression of sympathy.

6. Teachers and parents should emphasize and build on children’s strengths. Mosle confesses that she doesn’t do this enough as a teacher, and urges everyone, “If you have something positive to say, say it early and often.”

7. When there are conflicts, parents and teachers should present specific desired outcomes that will help the child do better. It is amazing how easily a difficult conflict can be solved when we focus simply our attention to what is in the best interest of our children’s learning.

8. Parents and teachers should proceed with humility.

Parents should take with a grain of salt occasional bellyaching about his teachers by a child, especially a teenager. “Most teenagers are in some kind of opposition of authority as they struggle to grow up,” says Mosle.

Furthermore, the information provided by your child represents only one data point.

Lastly, I would like to add to Ms. Mosle’s list the following: 9. In the event of a problem or conflict, the parent should talk directly to the teacher (or the administrator) with whom the parent has a problem, or who is responsible for the problem, without gossiping to other parents. Sometimes issues escalate or misunderstandings proliferate unnecessarily just because the problem is not addressed immediately and directly with the teacher or the administrator. Language barriers sometimes pose a challenge but nonetheless concerted efforts need to be made in order to ensure communications occur effectively. This means not just talking to a local staff to pass on the information but speaking directly, face to face with the teacher and/or the administrator with the help of a translator. When talking face to face, we communicate more than just with our words and we can make sure the message is delivered directly to the right person.

Reference: Mosle, Sara (2013, Jan.13). “The Parent-Teacher Trap,” The New York Times

2

From Dr. Kim’s Desk

김의성

이사장

성공적인 학부모-교사 관계를 위한 9가지 조언 성공적인 교육은 학부모-교사 관계가 좌우한다고 해도 과언이 아닙니다. 저는 기숙학교가 아무리 좋을지라도 절대로 최고

의 통학학교를 따라갈 수 없다고 늘 주장해왔습니다. 기숙사 학교에서는 학부모와 교사간의 긴밀한 관계를 유지할 수 없 기 때문입니다. 보편적으로 교육전문가들은 학부모 참여를 좋은 교육에 있어 매우 중요한 요소 중에 하나로 꼽습니다. 하

지만 모두가 공감하듯이 학부모-교사 관계는 편하거나 쉽지 않습니다. 더욱이 외국인학교는 다국적인 특수한 환경 속에서

서로 다른 관점 및 문화적인 차이 때문에 학부모-교사 관계는 훨씬 더 복잡합니다. 학부모-교사 관계가 쉽지 않은 이유 때 문인지 우리는 두 가지 극단적인 형태로 나뉘는 학부모 참여 유형을 많이 보게 됩니다. 첫 번째는 미국에서 흔히 말하는 “ 헬리콥터 부모” 유형입니다. 이것은 헬리콥터가 위에 날아다니는 것처럼 사소한 것부터 시작하여 모든 것에 대해 지나치 게 간섭하는 유형을 말합니다. 이와 반대로, 두 번째는 학교 일에 전혀 참여하지 않는 소위 “방목형”입니다. 이 경우 대부 분 무관심보다 부모가 학교 일에 개입을 하면 오히려 자녀에게 불리할 수 있다고 생각하는 데서 비롯됩니다. 이와 더불어

알아야 할 것은 교사들도 마찬가지로 학부모와의 관계에 대해 많은 부담을 느낀다는 것 입니다. 교사들은 학부모와의 파워 관계에 있어 약자처럼 느끼며 교사 본인의 전문성과 기량이 늘 평가 대에 놓여있는 것과 같은 불안감을 가질 수 있습니다.

최근 뉴욕타임즈는 좋은 학부모-교사 관계와 신뢰를 구축하는 방법에 대해 글을 실었습니다. 초등학교 6학

년 교사인 이 글의 저자 Sara Mosle 선생님은 흥미롭 게도 학부모-교사 관계를 중매결혼에 비유합니다. 그 는 학부모-교사관계가 중매결혼처럼 “양쪽 모두 상대

방을 선택함에 있어서 자유가 거의 없으면서도 양쪽

모두는 아이에 대한 큰 책임을 짊어지게 됩니다. 이때 관계를 어떻게 유지하느냐에 따라 서로 보람을 느낄

수 있는 파트너십으로 발전하거나 공동 양육권 문제로 갈등하는 것과 흡사한 모습이 됩니다” 라고 말합니다.

여러분도 이 비유에 공감이 가시나요? 좋은 학부모-교

사 관계를 형성하기 위해 Sara Mosle 선생님은 다음 과 같은 조언을 합니다.

1. 자녀와 교사간의 갈등에서 학부모는 가급적 자녀가 주도적으로 문제를 해결해나가도록 장려하는 것이 좋습니다.

살아가면서 대인관계 갈등은 피할 수 없습니다. 우리자녀들은 앞으로 사회생활을 하면서 특히 상급자와의 갈등 관계를 지혜롭게 풀어갈 수 있는 능력을 키워야 합니다. 이런 면에서 학생-교사 간의 갈등은 하나의 배움의 기회 가 될 수도 있는 것 입니다. 문제가 있을 때 마다 부모가 자녀를 대신해서 개입할 경우, 자녀가 강해지고 문제 해

결 능력에 대한 자신감을 기를 수 있는 기회를 빼앗게 됩니다. “How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character 의 저자 Paul Tough가 말했듯이, 때로는 자녀가 스스로 문제를 해결할 수 있 도록 뒤에서 지켜보며 일종의 계산된 리스크를 부모로써 감수하는 것이 성공적인 자녀의 미래를 위한 것 입니다.

2. 이메일과 문자는 일상적이거나 간단한 메시지 전달에만 사용하는 것이 좋습니다. 중요한 내용을 논의해야하거

나 특히 한쪽이 기분이 언짢거나 화가 날 수 있는 내용을 다룰 때는 직접 전화를 하거나 서로 얼굴을 마주보고 만 나서 이야기를 하는 것입니다. 글로만 대화할 때 서로 오해가 생길 가능성이 높으며, 쉽게 풀릴 수 있는 일도 오

히려 갈등이 고조될 수 있습니다. (문자를 보낼 때 이모티콘을 아무리 사용해도 감정전달이 쉽지 않다는 것을 모

두 경험해 보셨으리라 생각됩니다). 이와 더불어, 상대방이 메시지를 받을 당시 심적인 상태를 예측하기 어렵기 때문에 이메일이나 문자를 통한 진솔한 대화는 매우 어렵습니다.

3

3. 어떤 문제를 해결하기 위해 교사나 부모가 서로 보내는 이메일에는 교장이나 다

른 학교관계자에게 내용을 참조하지 않을 것을 권고합니다. Palo Alto의 교육감

Kevin Skelly는 “이러한 행동은 교사 또는 학부모가 본인 스스로 문제를 해결할

능력이나 상대방에 대한 신뢰가 전혀 없음을 알리는 것 과 같다”고 말합니다. 물 론 교장 혹은 다른 학교관계자들이 바로 알아야 할 사안도 있지만, 그 외에는 우

선 교사와 직접 문제해결을 시도해 보는 것이 좋습니다. 안될 경우 단계적으로 이 외 관계자 도움을 요청하는 것이 바람직합니다.

4. 교사는 학부모 문의사항에 신속하게 답변해야 하며, 바로 답변하기 어려울 경우 시간이 소요될 수 있다는 것을

학부모에게 알려야 합니다. 당연히 APIS 학부모는 교사에게 문의사항에 대한 신속한 답변을 요구할 권리가 있 습니다. 만약, 교사와 연락이 원활하지 않을 경우에는 교장 혹은 다른 학교관계자들에게 알리어 문제가 개선될

수 있도록 해야 합니다. 한편, 학부모들도 교사들이 수업 및 학생 상담, 방과 후에도 수업 준비 및 기타 학교 업 무로 바쁠 수 있다는 사실을 이해해야 합니다. “오후 6시에서 9시 사이에는 제가 이메일에 답장하기 어려운데,

학생들이 잘 이해해줍니다. 그때는 저도 집에서 두 아이의 부모 역할을 충실히 할 때니까요,”라고 Mosle 선생님 은 말합니다.

5. 실수를 했을 경우 곧바로 사과하는 것처럼 좋은 문제해결책이 없습니다. “이처럼 간단하면서도 상대방을 무장해

제할 수 있는 방법은 없습니다,”라고 Skelly교육감은 말합니다. 사과란 반드시 본인이 잘못했다고 인정하는 것이

아닙니다. 동양 문화에서의 사과는 훨씬 더 폭넓게 사용되는데 화해의 표시며, 동조, 공감의 표시이기도 합니다.

6. 교사와 학부모는 아이의 강점을 적극적으로 부각시키는데 서로 힘을 모아야 합니다. Mosle 선생님 본인조차 이

것을 잘 지키지 못한다고 고백하면서 학생의 긍정적면을 항상 먼저, 그리고 자주 이야기하면서 교사-학부모 관 계를 만들어 갈 것을 당부합니다.

7. 갈등이 생길 때 학부모와 교사는 학생의 유익을 문제해결의 최우선 기준으로 삼아야 합니다. 어른들의 이해관

계나 감정보다 오로지 학생의 교육에 핵심을 맞추면 아무리 복잡한 갈등일지라도 쉽게 해결된다는 놀라운 사실 을 발견하게 될 것입니다.

8. 관용과 이해를 가지고 서로를 존중하는 것이 중요합니다.

학교에 대한 투덜거림이나 교사에 대한 자녀의 불만을 그 대로 받아드려서는 안됩니다. 특히 청소년기는 권위에 도전

을 하는 나이이기 때문에 우리아이들이 전하는 정보를 때 로는 약간 ‘에누리하여’ 듣는 것도 지혜라고 Mosle선생님

은 설명합니다. 아울러 그것은 한쪽 입장일 뿐만 아니라 전 체가 아닌 일부적인 관점이라는 점도 잊지 말아야 합니다.

Mosle 선생님의 위 여덟까지 조언을 읽어보고 저는 다음을 마지막으로 위 리스트에 하나 더 추가 하면 어떨까 생각해 보았습니다.

9. 갈등이 있을 때 먼저 당사자와 직접 대면하여 해결 방법을 찾는 노력을 하고 다른 사람들에게 험담 하지 않는다.

교사 혹은 교장과 직접 문제를 논의하지 않을 경우 간단한 오해가 불필요하게 커지는 경우가 종종 있습니다. 언 어 때문에 의사소통의 어려움이 있을 수 있지만, 효과적인 커뮤니케이션이 이루어질 수 있도록 다 함께 노력해 야합니다. 한국인 직원에게 내용을 전달해달라고 요청하기보다, 통역의 도움을 받아 교사 또는 교장을 직접 만

나 얼굴을 보며 대화해야 합니다. 얼굴을 마주하며 이야기 할 때 비로소 전하고자 하는 메시지와 의도가 당사자 에게 정확히 전달될 수 있습니다.

4

Chaplain’s Corner Advent Matthew 1: 22 They will call him ‘Immanuel’ – which means, ‘God with us.’

Christmas reveals the heart of the gospel: God takes the initiative to build a relationship with us. Jesus humbled himself to be Immanuel, which means, “God with us.” This truth is the content of our faith, the reason for our hope, and the foundation of our love.

We first looked at Matthew 2: 1-12 which narrates the journey of the Wise Men from the East. God calls these men to leave the comforts of home and to embark on an epic quest into the unknown to worship Jesus. Even though Christmas is fundamentally a story of God meeting us where we are, we see that God also calls us to move to where we can encounter Jesus. This journey can be difficult and even painful. Looking at the difficulties we’ve had to overcome, we are sometimes tempted to doubt God’s goodness. But God called the Magi into their journey because the journey prepared them to see the worth of Jesus and readied their hearts for worship. In the same way, everything God has us go through is what makes our hearts able to encounter and worship Jesus.

Next, we looked at Luke 2: 1-20 which narrates the experience of the Shepherds who witnessed heaven proclaim the birth of Jesus.

These shepherds were in many ways the opposite of the Magi. The Magi were rich, educated, and enjoyed high social standing. The shepherds got minimum wage, smelled, and were generally ignored by the townspeople. As a result, while the Magi were called from comfort to difficulty, the Shepherds were called from shadows to the spotlight. Some of us, when we encounter Jesus, realize that we can speak boldly before anyone. The gospel always moves the people who receive it, but God moves them in different ways.

Finally, after the elementary school shootings in Newton, we had a special prayer meeting in which we studied Matthew 2: 18. The young babies of Nazareth were massacred in an act as senseless and tragic as the massacre at the elementary school. Two truths stood out in the passage. First was that God allows free will to the perpetrators of violence, so that their desire to hurt and kill could be fulfilled. However, the second was that God’s mission to bring healing and resurrection through Jesus Christ is never threatened by the choices of people. While tragedy does strike us often, we can be assured that God will ensure that God’s will is ultimately done.

5

A Charlie Brown Christmas On Friday December 21, the Christian Life Department’s last chapel for the year featured a short play, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for the entire APIS community. Under the direction of Mr. Sean Forrester, high school students from the “Christian Ministry and Growth” class acted out Charles Schultz’s classic TV special. The middle school and high school praise team provided the music for the play, singing a number familiar Charlie Brown Christmas songs as well as the classic, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” A number of elementary students also got involved, playing shepherds, angels, and Mary and Joseph in a nativity scene. Mr. Jeff Woodrow’s digital media class constructed the background images and sceneries. Everything came together under the masterful direction by Mr. Forrester and the captive audience simply loved the wonderful performance.

lying in the manger.’ And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.’ That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

The play was an opportunity for everyone to ponder the true hope celebrated in Christmas. The Christian Life Department would like to thank all those who served and participated in our Christmas celebration this year. We are certainly looking forward to what God has planned for us in 2013.

Blessings!

The Christian Life Department

High School Cast: Narrator.............................

John Park

Charlie Brown.................... Jay Moon Lunus.................................

The well-known play tells a story of Charlie Brown getting frustrated with the Christmas season. The play is a reminder that all of us often forget the true meaning of Christmas, taking it for granted year after year and treated just like any other holiday. In the play, Charlie Brown asks if anyone understands what Christmas is all about. The reply given by Charlie’s friend Linus speaks to us all: “Sure, I can tell you what Christmas is all about…

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you.

Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes

Paul Chung

Vince.................................. Aedam Cho Lucy...................................

Joanna Kim

Snoopy..............................

Sean Park

Sammy...............................

Kyunghwan Sul

Pig Pen............................... Chris Choi Schroeder........................... Joshua Yoon Elementary Peanuts: Helen Ahn, Rachael Ahn, Justin Ahn, Hara Choi, Jane Kim Gorospe, Jeremy Kim, Neo Lee, Daniel Lim, Samuel Lim, Claire Park, Sophia Chung, Matthew Kang, David Lee Band: Gabby Ravin, Yea Kyung Lee, Lia Kim, Julie Son, Johanna Kang, Jakie Lee, Jeho Hahm, Chris Daehong Kim Background Images: Jeannie Jeon, Min Hee Kang, Jessica Kim, Min Joo Kim, Christina Lee, Hanna Lee, Danny Myung, Heather Park, Jenny Park, Kathy Yun

6

Alumni Spotlight 1. Where are you going to school now? What things about your new school do you like? Are you happy with your decision to go to this school?

I am going to Emory University, which is small compared to other universities. My classes are pretty close to each other (5min.) and this is very convenient. I am generally happy with my decision to go to Emory because I have met awesome people there.

2. What is your daily schedule like? Is college life different from what you expected?

I put all of my classes in the morning so that I have time to study afterwards.

Classes that meet three times a week have 50min. of class time. Classes that meet twice a week have 1 hour 15min. of class time.

College life is very different from what I had imagined. Many people said they lack sleep, but I am getting A LOT of sleep. When I attended APIS, I woke up at 6 and usually slept between 1~2. I played sports so when I went home, Bundang, it was already 8 or 9. Now, I don’t have to commute and can’t play sports, I have so much free time. I take a 30min to 1 hour nap and then study. Living in a dorm is really different too. Sharing a bathroom is not always pleasant, but hall mates are nice.

Jenny Ji-hyun Lee (Class of 2012) is a freshman at Emory University, majoring in Biology.

3. Tell us about yourself as a student at APIS. What are some of your memorable moments at APIS? I remember the sports games. I was a volleyball manager and I enjoyed watching, cheering, and scoring games. I played basketball and soccer and conditioning was always horrible, but games were always fun.

I miss pushing people around. I remember saying hi to people in front of my locker and eating lunch with everyone. In college, everyone has different schedules so I don’t see some people at all. I don’t even get to see my roommate because we don’t have any classes together (she is pre-business and I am pre-med) 4. What was the most challenging part in preparing for college applications? How did you manage it?

The college application was a nightmare. I wrote more than 20 essays, including supplements and medical program essays. I met with Mr. Maldonado almost every day after school. I wanted to finish my application before winter break. If I remember correctly, I finished almost all schools by the first week of December. I think it helps to set a deadline, ahead of the actual deadline.

It was hard to manage time because I wanted to maintain my GPA. It doesn’t matter as much, but I think it is always better to finish strong. The high school GPA won’t change forever and getting lower grades towards the end of school year just doesn’t look that good. I hope students know that trying hard until the end is really important.

5. What programs or sessions at APIS were helpful in preparing for college applications?

I met Mr. Maldonado and Mrs. Maldonado so many times. Editing and refining writings are important so I suggest meeting with teachers. They are the nearest and most useful resources.

6. Lastly, what advice do you have for our seniors and juniors?

I know it is a tough time of the year. I also went through a lot and all I remember is getting stressed and crying many, many times. But know that EVERYONE is going through this. Even your parents suffered through this and became such successful people. If they did it, you can also do it. It will pass by quickly and everyone will get into some schools. Don’t panic and everything will be okay. I know this won’t really encourage you guys, but IT WILL REALLY BE FINE! I wish you guys the best of luck and enjoy high school. I thought I wouldn’t miss it, but I do.

7

Elementary News Welcome to 2013. The wonderful thing about schools is that they provide two opportunities each year to make a “New Year” start; the start of the school year in August and the start of the calendar year in January. So as we begin 2013 what are some of the events we can look forward to as we start the New Year?

MAP assessments and report cards were the first two events of the New Year.

Second quarter report cards were sent home with your child on January 24 and MAP assessments for the elementary school took place from Monday January 21 until Thursday January 24. Our initial review of the MAP results is very positive, with the vast majority of our students scoring significantly above their grade level norm. Teachers and administration will be meeting in the next couple of weeks to review the MAP scores, compare them with classroom performance and make any needed instructional adjustments. Individual student MAP scores will be available at the March ES Parent Coffee or sent home the day after the meeting.

Our homeroom teachers are continuing to grow our use of the Everyday Mathematics program. As the year has progressed the challenges for our students have increased as they should. Many of our students who found the introductory chapters easy are now tackling more challenging concepts. We continue to feel very positive about the selection of this math program and the way it is helping our students to grow mathematically.

On Thursday January 31, we continued with our ES parent coffees. The goal of this meeting was to hear from parents their ideas and thoughts on where we are as a school and some of the next steps they believe we should take. We used the following four focus questions to guide our conversations: 1. What are the most important things an elementary school should have? 2. What do you see are the strengths of the elementary school at APIS? 3. What do you see are the next growth areas for the ES at APIS and 4. If someone was to ask you – “Why should I send my child to the ES at APIS?” – What would you tell them?

Through their responses our parents provided many helpful insights which will continue to influence the development of the elementary school. Our next ES Parent Coffee is scheduled for Thursday, March 14 from 2:00 until 3:15 p.m. Agenda items include; 1. Feedback from the Jan. 31 parent coffee and 2. “How to interpret your child’s MAP scores.”

As always I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the support from our parent community and wish everyone a wonderful 2013.

Stephen Massiah Elementary School Principal

K5 at the Fire Station On December 7, the K5 students at APIS enjoyed a field trip to the Nowon Fire Station as part of their community helpers unit. They participated in various simulations by putting out a virtual fire with water hoses and crawling through a smoky hallway. They also learned that it is important to know their address if they ever have to dial 119 in an emergency. They ended their field trip with a tour of the garage to see the fire trucks and firefighter gear. When asked “What was your favorite part?” their unanimous replies were, “Playing the game!” (spraying water at the virtual fire).

8

Elementary Christmas Concert Celebrates Talents of Our Young Musicians December marks the season for celebration and also for great concerts here at APIS. On December 20th, the elementary school presented its annual Christmas Concert for parents, faculty, and friends. The concert was a wonderful opportunity for our music department to showcase its program and for our young musicians to shine and to celebrate in the holiday spirit.

Our 2nd grade students have been working hard all semester to learn violin. For the great majority of them, violin is the first instrument they have ever played. Under the direction of Mrs. Ji Sung Park, our young violinists looked and sounded simply fantastic. They performed six pieces, including alltime favorites such as “Old MacDonald Had a Farm,” “A Mozart Melody,” and “Jingle Bells.”

When our students move on to 3rd grade, this is the time when our students are introduced to playing the recorder.

The 3rd grade recorder ensemble led by Mrs. Ji Sung Park performed beautifully in unison many Christmas classics, including Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.”

9

Upper elementary students in 4th and 5th grades have a choice of performing either in orchestra or band. Mrs. Jisung Park’s strings ensemble performed songs including, “Eine Kleine Nacht Music,” and “Radetzky March.” Our secondary students, Yejin Jang (Grade 8), Jenna Lee (Grade 7), HeeWoong Lee (Grade 8), and Jeho Ham (Grade 9) also made a special guest appearance with the elementary orchestra by playing the cello, bass, and percussion. Under the direction of Mrs. Sophie Holbrook, our 4th and 5th grade bands played songs including, “Conquest,” “Gateway March,” and “Holiday Fantasy,” adding a festive flavor to the concert.

Apart from performances by our regular music classes, students from the Korean Children’s Music ensemble (an after school program) and the Korean languages classes provided a major highlight of the concert. Both groups, led by Mrs. Suk Ja Kwon, not only sang popular Korean children’s songs (some of which had been written and composed by Mrs. Kwon) but also contemporary pop songs. The audience especially loved the APIS rendition of the megahit, “Gangnam Style.” Pastor Sam and Pastor Zach made a special cameo appearance to the surprise of everyone. One of our K5 students, Yeonsue Arata, commented, “Their dance was so funny. But they were very good!” Our pastors clearly stole the show with their dance moves, according to some opinion, rivaling that of Psy. The concert was surely filled with many memorable moments. Great job everyone!

10

Secondary News As we look back over the first half of the school year, it is encouraging to see how many new initiatives, efforts, and improvements have been accomplished. APIS has been able to continue to build on its successes and look for new opportunities to grow and serve our students even better. With the addition of the Dean of Students position this year, one way we are expanding our efforts is through increased communication with and input from parents. To that end the administrative team organized a series of Parent Coffee meetings as a way for us to learn more about the strengths parents see in APIS and the areas they have suggestions or questions.

The secondary Principal and Dean of Students were very excited to meet with parents during the “Parent Coffee” meetings and were pleased with the number of parents who attended. While we are not able to immediately respond to all suggestions, APIS is committed to addressing a number of items throughout the year while continuing to strengthen our existing programs and curriculum. Below is a summary of key topics and observations of both strengths and suggestions.

Strengths: • After School Learning Support Center (open every day from 3:35-5:30 p.m.)

• Good, positive relationships between students and teachers • Opening of dialogue with the Parent Coffee meetings • Good communication sent home to families of school events and news • The adoption of Power School as the school’s information system • The addition of additional writing seminar for 9th grade students • The addition of Senior Seminar focused on college applications & college readiness • The school listens to parent suggestions • Positive school growth from the first year only five years ago • Unique Korean and Christian identity

11

Questions were raised on a number of topics and suggestions noted in a number of areas. We were asked if APIS could include sex education in the APIS curriculum, as many parents desired for their children to have access to information regarding their growth and development as adolescents. APIS is, in fact, already in the final stages of formally adopting sexual education standards, at the secondary level, within the health units of the physical education curriculum.

Information about what these standards include will be sent home prior to instruction.

While parents were very pleased with the addition of the after-school learning support center, it was suggested that it could be improved further by restructuring the space in order to separate middle school and high school students. It was also noted that there was a need for higher level math help in the after school learning support center. Beginning fall 2013, APIS, is adding faculty with specific expertise and experience in mathematics to the existing learning support team. We have also added faculty with specific training in support strategies for students who are struggling or have specific learning deficiencies. Over the Christmas break, the Learning Support Center was also relocated to a facility on the basement floor in order to provide the opportunity to separate middle school and high school students at times by using the cafeteria next door as an additional room.

Parent Coffee Meetings: January 30: Grade 6 – 2:30-3:15 February 6: Grade 7 – 2:30-3:15 February 7: Grade 8 – 2:30-3:15 February 13: Grade 9 – 2:30-3:15 February 14: Grade 10 – 2:30-3:15 February 20: Grade 11 – 2:30-3:15 February 21: Grade 12 – 2:30-3:15 Location: Room 201

Parents also mentioned the desire to provide Physical Education course opportunities for seniors next year. At the coffee we reported that we have been planning to add a physical education elective for interested seniors for next year. We also encourage seniors to get involved in after-school athletics or other active after-school offerings.

Teacher retention, one of the items discussed by parents, is a top priority for APIS. Although we do realize that the nature of international school teachers is to stay at a school for 2-4 years before moving to a new school, we continue to improve our facilities and curriculum to attract the highest qualified teachers and implement programs that encourage teachers to stay longer.

Finally, parents discussed the desire to continually strengthen our reading and writing instruction for secondary students to make sure they are ready for the rigorous demands of university studies after graduating high school.

APIS is continually looking to expand our reading and writing programs at the secondary level. We are in the process of implementing the readers and writer’s workshop model in middle school next year as well as continuing to offer a number of literacy focused classes at the high school level in addition to the required English Language Arts.

We were very pleased with the turn out for the parent coffee meetings, and look forward to partnering with parents by grade level as we continue with these Parent Coffees in the future.

Secondary Classrooms

After finishing a unit on “Animal Structure and Function”, Ms. Stephanie Kwon’s AP Biology students bravely dissected fetal pigs and frogs.

Scott Paulin Secondary School Principal

Chinese class students cook Gongbaojiding, spicy chicken with peanuts, and mapodoufu with spicy beancurds.

12

Message from the Dean of Students Happy New Year!

It is my hope that all APIS families had a safe and relaxing holiday season and that all are ready for the exciting challenges and experiences of the New Year. Here are a few reminders for the second semester.

• APIS school buses will be leaving from their assigned locations on time in the morning to ensure a full day of academic and social learning and collaboration.

• Students have been doing a great job of wearing the proper uniform to school during the winter months. Please keep up this good behavior as administrators and teachers will be monitoring uniforms closely during the first weeks of the second semester. Remember that students are not able to mix and match the winter and summer uniforms and that only APIS outer coats are to be worn to and from school.

• During the second semester, all block classes will be counted as two period absences. Please keep in mind the new attendance policy in the Student and Parent Handbook that states, “accumulating in excess of 9 period-absences in a class per semester, whether excused or not, will result in a loss of credit for the course or courses involved” (p. 17). We, as administrators, understand that there are special circumstances where students may be absent from school (ex: pre-approved educational trip, medical emergency) and those absences that have been approved by administration will not be counted towards the 9 period-absence limit.

• Students are reminded that school computers, such as the library, CLC, and Mac Lab, are not to be used during the school day or after school for playing computer games.

• It is the plan of administration to continue Parent Coffee meetings during the second semester. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me at mjohnson@apis.seoul.kr as I am here to help and support all of our APIS community members.

Matthew Johnson Dean of Students

National Honor Society’s Clothing Drive Spreads the Warmth Christmas season is a time of giving around the world and here at APIS. Leading the way, the APIS National Honor Society (NHS) embraced the spirit of giving this year by organizing a school-wide clothing drive to support those less fortunate. In order to make this a fun event and to galvanize the support of the whole community, the clothing drive was organized as a competition between homeroom classes with the winner to be treated with a pizza party. The donation drive lasted from December 2 to 19 and a total of 93kg of clothing was collected. This year’s donation will support OTCAN, a non-profit organization based in Seoul that sends donated clothes to support the poor in South East Asia and Africa. (The organization’s name OTCAN is a combination of Korean and English words “OT” which means clothing in Korean and the English “CAN” to mean we can make this world a better place). The proud winner of the clothing drive competition was Ms. Renee Draszkiewicz’s class, collecting 16kg of clothing. Everyone participating in this year’s drive certainly lived up to NHS’s values: excellence in service, scholarship, leadership, and character.

13

A Festive Christmas Celebration: 175 Musicians Perform Together On Stage The annual Secondary Christmas Concert held on December 19 featured the entire APIS secondary music program, including band, orchestra, and chorus at both middle school and high school levels. Included also in the program were the APIS Jazz Band and the Select Orchestra.

formed selections from, “The Phantom of the Opera,” the captured images from the movie helped to create the perfect visual mood for the performance.

“The rhythm and music--everything was shockingly good,” commented Gyu Young Lee (Grade 7).

The concert opened with the mixed HS and MS A Cappella Chorus singing “Up on the Housetop” to a full audience. As various MS and HS performing groups took to the stage, it was amply clear how much our music program has grown each year.

“Over the years, the program has expanded in numbers and talent level. The students continue to improve every day and I can’t wait to hear the next concert!” said our Band Director, Mrs. Sophie Holbrook.

As always, the Jazz Band, with their amazing performance of Christmas favorites, was the highlight of the evening. One could feel the bond forming between the performers and audience. “We were able to enjoy Christmas through all the bouncy and swinging jazz songs,” said Shin Young Lee (Grade 8).

Big applauses filled the auditorium as each soloist, Brian Kim (Grade 11, clarinet), John Choi (Grade 9, tenor saxophone), Shin Young Lee (Grade 8, trumpet), Joon Woo Kang (Grade 8, piano), Brian Oh (Grade 10, alto saxophone) stood up to show off their skillful improvisations.

This year’s concert was all the more special because of all the preparation that went on behind the scenes. Ms. Yulie Lee and Mr. Moung Soeng Cho spent countless hours preparing background images that went along with each piece. For example, when the High School Orchestra beautifully per-

The final climax of the evening was the entire secondary music department performing, “A Festive Christmas Celebration.” It was a magnificent sight seeing the stage filled with 175 students performing together. Mrs. Sophie Holbrook, Mrs. Jisung Park and Mrs. Hye Kyoung Yoon again worked their magic to present us with another amazing concert. Much gratitude also goes to Mrs. Yoo Joung Chai (Sarah and Joshua Yoon’s mom) for providing again excellent accompaniment for our choral performance.

14

Christmas Celebrations at APIS Christmas celebrations were in full swing here at APIS in December. Faculty and staff celebrated on December 11 with a special Christmas dinner at the school. PTO moms decorated the cafeteria to bring out the holiday spirit and everyone had a great time singing Christmas carols and playing fun games. The evening was an opportunity for the whole faculty and staff to come together to give thanks for the birth of baby Jesus and to share a time of great fellowship.

15

On December 21, APIS celebrated the last day before the winter break with Santa Claus making a special appearance at the elementary school.

Santa came bearing wonderful gifts (APIS backpacks specially made by our PTO parents) and was a big hit with both students and teachers.

Santa took pictures with students and gave them big hugs. Every year, the special visit by Santa is “arranged� by Mr. Holbrook (Husband of our Band teacher, Mrs. Sophie Holbrook). Thank you, Mr. Holbrook!

The celebration of the holiday season continued as elementary and middle school students enjoyed fun filled activities all throughout the day: gift exchanges, pizza parties, movies, and Christmas caroling, to name a few. Though everyone eagerly anticipated the start of the winter break, this was surely a day that everyone did not want to end so soon.

16

Faculty Spotlight: Mr. Chris Stapleton Mr. Stapleton teaches 6th grade ELA and Social Studies here at APIS. In addition to teaching, Mr. Stapleton also serves as the Technology Integration Specialist for the school. In this role, he is able to assist teachers in the use of technology to make their lessons effective and engaging for students. Mr. Stapleton loves this role because it is exciting to introduce new tools and resources that teachers find helpful and to see them eager to use technology in the classroom.

Mr. Stapleton’s passion for technology began with his family’s first purchase of a computer in 1995.

This encounter has quickly grown into a serious hobby and professional interest. As new internet resources, tablet devices, apps, and multimedia software have stormed academic classrooms, Mr. Stapleton’s love of technology has continued as the main driver of his own professional development. Each day in Mr. Stapleton’s 6th grade class holds something new for students as he uses technology to make lessons fun and educational.

Here, he shares an insight into his classes and programs he has introduced this year:

Mr. and Mrs. Stapleton pose in front of Bongsudae (beacon tower) in Namsan near N Seoul Tower.

17

Mr. and Mrs. Stapleton and their dog, Bentley, enjoy a walk in their new neighborhood in Seoul.

Mr. Chris Stapleton I have really enjoyed incorporating technology in 6th grade this year. My students have used movie-making software, web-based presentation software, 3D pop-up book creators, and online collaborative tools for projects and daily assignments. I see the primary purpose of technology integration to enhance the learning of content, as well as for communication.

My students are regularly on my class website where we share video projects we’ve made, communicate through forums, and where they can find homework assignments. My 6th grade students have expressed their joy and gratefulness for the technology used in the classroom and they are always eager to try more. Recently, my class has been working on a research paper for 6th grade Social Studies.

The students are required to find at least three electronic resources for their inquiry-based paper, use a website called ‘Easbib.com’ to create a bibliography, and submit their paper via another website called ‘Turnitin.com.’ Students can e-mail me their rough drafts and use my online edits to create final, polished products. My students share in my excitement in using technology in the classroom and enjoy the abundant resources the school has to offer. I believe that the 21st century skills and tools the students are learning will benefit their present and future learning.

It’s Showtime! Student Filmmakers Make Their Debut at The APIS Fall Film Festival The Christian Life Center held its annual film festival on December 14. The CLC film festival has become a community-wide celebration, showcasing creative collaborations of our student artists. Many faculty members also got involved, spending countless hours advising our student groups. On December 14, it was the audience’s turn to get involved, coming together to enjoy and share great stories told by our student filmmakers. The audience also served as judges, selecting the grand prize winners of the festival.

This year, the theme of the CLC film festival was “trust.” The challenge for our students was to create short, original features that explored the meaning of “trust” in a variety of ways. One film, for example, by Brian Kim (Grade 11) clipped together footage from his family vacation with famous movie clips to tell the story of his spiritual journey, and ended with the message, “Trust in God.” Horror was the genre in a feature created

by J.Mo Yang (Grade 10), Scott Choi (Grade 10), and Ho June Kang (Grade 10). Theirs was a story about a boy who could see a ghost that others, including his brother, could not see. Because they do not trust him, they suffer the consequences when attacked by the ghost. The winners were a group of junior high students, Alvin Jo (Grade 8) and Andrew Kim (Grade 8) who made two films based on a popular computer game called “Modern Warfare.” In the high stress environment of war, the characters needed to trust their own skills. To them, trust was the basis of their courage and victory. Congratulations to all the participants!

Everyone is already looking forward to amazing new creations for next year’s 2014 film festival.

APIS Receives Grant from the Chinese Government APIS was selected among many applicants in Korea and abroad to receive a 5 million KRW grant, in the form of books and teaching resources from the Chinese government. A total of 117 items, including Chinese textbooks, dictionaries, DVDs, and story books were donated to our Chinese language department.

Mrs. Grace Gao, our Chinese teacher, was instrumental in applying for the grant. “These resources will be very helpful in improving our students’ language skills and deepening their understanding of China,” says Mrs. Gao. We are very grateful to the Chinese government for the donation and to Mrs. Gao for making it possible.

18

APIS Students Invited to the AMIS Festival held in Myanmar

Shinyoung, Sally, Mrs. Holbrook, and Grace before the AMIS concert

Three of our secondary students, Grace Kim (Grade 8, clarinet), Sally Oh(Grade 8, flute), and Shin Young Lee (Grade 8, trumpet) were selected by AMIS (Association of Music in International Schools) to participate in the Asian Middle School Honor Band Festival held from January 30 to February 2 at the International School of Yangon in Myanmar (Burma).

AMIS is a well-known international organization dedicated to the promotion of excellence at all levels of music education. It hosts festivals each year and carefully selects students from different countries through auditions. In October of last year, APIS students had the opportunity to audition for the AMIS International Honor Band and Choir. Our students had to prepare and record audition CDs, which were judged by a blind panel of music educators. It was a challenging process, but our students’ hard efforts paid off in the end, getting the opportunity to represent APIS at the festival for the first time.

During the 4-day festival, our talented young musicians joined 90 other middle school students from 15 different international schools across Asia to rehearse and perform together. To make this experience all the more special and memorable, our students stayed with a local Burmese family and got to experience local culture and understand their way of life. APIS’ Band Director, Mrs. Sophie Holbrook, who accompanied our students described this trip as a once-in-a-lifetime experience for students, and said, “This was an amazing week in Myanmar. I am so proud of the students and their progress over the past few years to achieve this level of success. Being in Myanmar with other musicians proved that music is the perfect way to bring different cultures together through a universal language!”

Band rehearsal at the International School of Yangon

19

Sally, Grace, and Shinyoung with the magnificent Shwedagon Pagoda in the background

Hwi-Eun Ban Writes a Book to Promote Multiculturalism Hwi-Eun Ban (Grade 11) recently published her own book, a collection of fables in both Korean and English titled, “하나가 되는 작은 세상 이야기” (“Tales of the Small World That Unite Us All”). “We have a growing population of ‘multicultural’ children or children born from cross-cultural marriages in Korea. However, most of these children have difficult time making social adjustments due to prejudices and ignorance.

I wanted to find ways to help children understand each other better and essentially, bring children of every background together,” explains Hwi-Eun. The book is a compilation of well-known fables in Ghana, Sri Lanka, China, Vietnam, Mongolia, and the Philippines, which took a year and a half for Hwi-Eun to research. Hwi-Eun says, “After selecting fables that are easy to read and popular with children, I had the materials translated into Korean with the help of foreign migrant workers. I then translated them again into English.”

In preparing for her book, Hwi-Eun volunteered at a hospital for foreign migrant workers for over seven years. She also made regular visits to a school established specially for multicultural children. These visits and volunteer work has allowed her to develop a deeper understanding of issues underlying social prejudices and misunderstandings. Her book, therefore, is a culmination of years of dedication and hard work to understand the problems of our own community.

The biggest gain from the book project, according to Hwi-Eun, is her own personal growth, learning to become a contributing member of the community that is both inclusive and compassionate. She also points out that most of us who went abroad when we were young were also multicultural children ourselves. She adds, “I hope this book could contribute to improving not only the children’s but also adults’ perception towards multicultural children, promoting understanding and better communication with one another.”

Seung Han Sun, Grand Prize Winner of Nationwide Chinese Contest Seung Han Sun (Grade 8) was awarded the Grand Prize in the 5th Annual Chinese Essay Contest sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Education and organized by the Confucius Institute in Seoul. This year’s essay topic was “My Encounter with China” Based on his essay, Seung Han was able to move on to the final round where he had to give a speech on the same topic and answer questions from the interview panel. After all these rounds, Seung Han was awarded the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize is awarded only to one student and it is the highest honor given by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Congratulations to Seung Han!

20

The APIS Learning Support Center: Helping Every Student Succeed Many students crave encouragement and support to help them thrive in a rigorous academic environment.

Some need guidance in social adjustment, while others need help in developing a good content understanding.

Some simply need mentors in developing the study habits for success. To meet the various needs of our students, APIS created a learning support center staffed with five full-time teachers. National Honor Society students also volunteer at the Learning Support Center to provide additional help.

Every day after school, students receive additional homework and assignment help, and work independently in a productive learning environment. The Learning Support Center is making a difference. “I have seen growth in all my students that visit the learning support center,” says Ms. Johnston, who teaches MS math and science. “They think it’s wonderful to have a place to discuss together the things they have learnt that day. They also consider it a safe place to express their concerns and their troubles. From a teacher’s perspective, knowing that my students have that extra support to rely on gives me great comfort as well.” APIS technology integration specialist, Mr. Stapleton, reports that students who attend after school learning support are developing much better study and homework habits. “The other day I checked with my classes to see how many had worked hard to answer the questions in our social studies homework,” says Mr. Stapleton. “Of the 6 that were standing - four of them received help from the learning support center. I believe it really is changing the work ethic of my students!”

21

New Publication Highlights the Korean Literacy Program at APIS APIS’ Korean Department published a collection of literary works by APIS students. The collection is published by a well-known publishing company, Chang-Bi. The cost of publication is entirely supported by Chang-Bi, as its new initiative to encourage publication of literary works by young students. According to the APIS Korean Department Chair, Mrs. Emily Kim, APIS was selected despite the fierce competition among many schools that applied for this opportunity.

The collection consists of selected works written by both elementary and secondary students and it includes poems, novels, essays, scenarios, critiques, parodies, book reviews—all of which have been completed as class assignments for Korean language and literature classes. “This collection is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the incredible talent and creativity of our Korean language students,” says Mrs. Kim. Like no other international schools in Korea, APIS’ Korean education goes far beyond merely providing an introductory mastery of Korean as a foreign language. “In order to keep true to our mission of helping our students bridge the gap between the East and the West, our program aims for the level of proficiency that would help our students to code switch with fluency between Korean and other cultures,” explains Mrs. Kim. Korean faculty members, Ms. Kong, Ms. Chang, Mrs. Kim, and Mrs. Kwon, put in a lot of time and effort into planning and editing this collection. The reward for our Korean faculty members, according to Mrs. Kim, is seeing the immense growth our students are making through their hard work and effort.

Here are few selections of the student works from the collection:

Euisung Hong (Grade 1)

Kaylee Kim (Grade 2)

Jean Ho Lee (Grade 1)

22

영원하리라, 나의 외조부여

by Brian Kim (Grade 11) “혈압이 오르고 있습니다. 오늘 밤을 넘길 수 있을지 모르겠으니 보호자 분들은 병원에 오시기 바랍니다.”

12월 20일, 밤이었다. 나는 바쁘게 내일 학원 갈 준비를 하고 있었다. 그러나 학원 일이 머리에 들어오지 않았 다. 그 전화를 받은 순간, 나는 손발이 얼었다. 건강하고 항상 강했던 할아버지께서 돌아가신다고? 믿겨지지 않 았다. 나는 학원 숙제를 내던지고 바로 부모님과 함께 병원으로 향했다. 중환자실에 할머니, 큰 이모, 사촌들, 큰 이모부, 외삼촌과 외숙모, 그리고 막내 이모와 이모부가 와 계셨다. 그 분들은 모두 할아버지께서 누워계신 침 대를 둥그렇게 둘러 서 있었다. 할아버지께서는 한 번도 의식을 되찾지 못하셨다. 그러니 할아버지의 말씀이나 유언 조차도 들을 수 없었다. 아직은 돌아가시지 않았으나, 곧 임종의 시기가 다가오고 있었다고 간호사가 말했 다. 나는 할아버지의 홀쭉해진 얼굴을 보며 옛 일들을 떠 올렸다. 함께 미국 옐로스토운 공원에서 사진 찍었던 일, 학교 함께 등교 했던 일, 맛있는 음식 사 주신 일…. 다 생생하게 떠오르고 있었다. “현준이가 내 손자, 손녀 중에서 제일 최고여. 현준이의 존재 자체가 이미 내게는 행복이고 효도야.” 껄껄 웃으시며 하셨던 말씀이었다. 내 존재 자체가 효도라고? 나는 그 분께 많이 해 드리지도 못했는데….. 나 는 울컥할 것만 같았다. 나는 참을 수 없었다. 내가 무엇이었기에, 할아버지에게 가장 큰 행복이었단 말인가?

“6시 35분에 임종하신 것으로 알려졌습니다.” 간호사의 말에 세상은 무너지고 말았다. 앞에 할아버지는 평화롭게 주무시고 계시는 것처럼 보였는데, 돌아가 셨다고 한다. 이모들은 흐느끼며 얼굴들을 가렸다. 외삼촌은 얼굴을 숙이며 말씀을 하지 않으셨다. 할머니께서 는 할아버지의 손은 잡으셨다. “수고하셨어요, 여보. 이제 편히 쉬시구려.” 할머니께서는 흐느끼지는 않으셨나 이미 슬픔이 그 분 얼굴에 보였다. 나도 할아버지 곁으로 가 손을 잡았다. 손 은 매우 차가웠다. 옛날에는 정말 따뜻했는데…. 이제 저금통도 소용이 없었다. 그 돈으로 이제는 무엇을 하란 말 인가? 이제 나도 눈물을 참을 수 없었다. 부모님만 남았을 때, 나는 그 자리에서 울음을 터트렸다. 침대 옆에 무릎 꿇으며 나는 팔로 얼굴을 가리며 통곡했다. 어머니는 내 어깨에 손을 얹으며 돌아가신 할아버지께 말씀하셨다. “아빠, 들리세요? 우리 현준이가 울고 있어요. 현준이가 아빠를 너무 사랑해서…너무 보고 싶어서….울고 있어 요.” 나는 울음을 멈출 수 없었다. 끝이 없었다. 나는 천주교인이다. 죽음은 축복이며 주님 곁으로 가시는 것이라고 나는 알고 있었다. 그러나 이 순간에는, 그 말이 머리 속에 들어오지 않았다. 오직 어둠과 이별 뿐. 나는 이 슬픔 을 말로 조차도 표현 할 수 없었다. 많이 해 드리지 못했는데 그냥 떠나고 마셨다. 12월 21일, 해가 떠오르는 새 벽 시간이었다. 그러나, 내 마음에는 해가 이미 지고 말았다. “현준이의 존재 자체가 이미 내게는 행복이고 효도야.” 영안실에는 조문객이 끊이지 않았다. 나와 친했던 이종현 요셉 신부님, 친구 재우와 그의 어머니, 대홍의 부모 님, 윤주 부모님, 그리고 옛날에 알고 지내던 소원이와 어머니도 오셨다. 내가 제일 사랑했던 분을 위해 찾아온 이들에게는 너무나도 고맙지 않을 수 없었다.

12월 27일, 제기동 성당에서 장례를 마치고 할아버지가 그토록 정을 가지셨던 고향인 대전에 내려갔다. 그리 고 땅에 그분을 편안히 눕히고서는 흙을 덮었다. 그 날 밤, 눈이 내렸다. 할아버지의 마지막 선물이었을까…..

4학년 때 할아버지께서 장난감 팽이를 선물해 주셨다. 돌리면 색색 가지의 불빛을 내며 돌아가던 팽이는 어린 나 의 호기심에 신기함을 주었다. 지금 그 팽이를 다시 한번 돌려본다. 불빛은 나지 않았다. 죽었다, 우리 할아버지 께서 돌아가셨던 것처럼. 그러나 팽이는 계속 돌았다. 오랫동안 돌았다. 불빛처럼. 할아버지께서는 돌아가셨을 지라도 오랫동안 돌아가는 팽이는 나를 영원히 사랑하는 할아버지의 마음이었을 것 같았다. 위에 달려있는 십자 가를 보며, 할아버지께서도 천국에서 당신이 사랑하시는 부모님과 함께, 또 당신이 사랑하시는 자식들과 손주 들을 바라보고 있을 것 만 같았다. 눈, 아니, 할아버지의 선물이 내려오고 또 내려왔다. 팽이는 여전히 돌았다.

23

Top Award, 2011-2012 APIS KOREAN Writing Contest

My dream and my future

by Joanna Kim (Grade 12)

나는 항상 꿈을 꾸었다. 태어났을 때부터 외동딸로 자라 나랑 자주 놀아주고 매일같이 곁에 있었던 것이 바로 꿈이었다. 낮에는 공상에 빠지면서 나는 어느 날은 사파리의 여왕 사자이었다. 그리고 또 다음날에는 바다 밑을 탐구하면서 여러가지의 돌고래를 발견하는 과학자이었다. 나는 어렸을 때부터 아빠와 항상 출퇴근해서 지 루한 기분을 이기기 위해선 공상에 빠질 수 밖에 없었다. 나의 상상력은 워낙 활발해서 나의 공상도 색깔이 많았 고 항상 창의적이었다. 그리고 또 밤이 되면 나는 이불을 덮고 서서히 잠에게 지면서 또 다른 모험을 시작했다.

나는 이렇게 크다가 책을 읽을 수 있는 나이가 되어 버렸다. 그 나이가 되자 엄마는 매일 같이 책을 읽 으라는 강의를 했고 도서관은 나의 두번째 집이 되어 버렸다. 상상력이 좋은 나에겐 책이 꿈만 꾸던 보물이었다. 한달 동안 아무것도 못 먹은 아이처럼 나는 책을 읽게 되었고 나의 꿈들은 더 밝아지고 색깔이 많아지기 시작했 다. 그리고 시간이 좀 지나서 또 글씨를 쓰는 사랑을 발견해서 나는 내 꿈에서만 갔던 모험들을 종이에다가 쓰기 시작했다.

나는 그렇게 11년 동안 미국에서 생활을 했다. 그리고 나선 한국에 와서 힘든 일들을 많이 겪었다. 하지 만 그 힘든 일안에서 나에겐 책들이 있었고 또한 글로 표현할 수 있는 마음이 있었다. 그래서 나는 온라인으로 글들을 올렸고 한국학교 생활들을 참으면서 나의 하루들을 보냈다. 한국어로도 글씨를 써봤지만 아주 힘든 일이 었고 한국어로 쓰면 점점 글 쓰는 것을 싫어하기 시작했다. 그리고 내 꿈들도 점점 검은색과 회색으로 변하기 시 작했다.

하지만 나는 APIS에 들어와서 나의 마음과 사고방식이 완전 바꾸게 되었다. 흑백으로 변한 내 꿈들은 다시 색깔을 찾게 되었고 나는 내가 쓴 작품들을 다른 사람들에게 보여주기 시작했다. 그리고 또 2011년 여름에 하나님을 만난 뒤에 하나님께서는 내가 항상 쓰기만 했던 꿈들을 현실로 나타나게 하셨다. 눈이 먼 아이들에게 영어 책을 읽으면서 영어를 가르치기도 했고 또한 내가 쓴 글을 통해 하나님의 사랑을 받은 사람들도 생기게 되 었다.

나는 항상 너무 작고, 뛰어나지도 않고, 사람들을 잘 믿을 수 없는 아이라고 생각했다. 하지만 나는 정 말 하나님의 소중하고 아끼는 딸이라는 것을 이번 년에 믿게 되었다. 그래서 내 힘으로 아닌 하나님의 힘으로 나 는 새로운 꿈을 꾸게 되었다. 그리고 그 꿈은 바로 아시아의 있는 여러 나라들에서 살면서 문맹의 아이들을 가르 치는 것이다. 책을 읽을 수 있는 능력과 글을 쓸 수 있는 이렇게 귀중한 능력을 내가 혼자 갖고 있기엔 너무 이기 적인 것 같다. 그래서 나는 꿈이 없는 아이들에게 흑백으로만 보이는 아이들에게 이렇게 소중한 보물을 주고 싶 다. 꿈에 색깔을 칠하고 싶다.

나는 솔직히 말해서 한국학교에서 힘든 일들을 너무 많이 겪어서 한국에서 태어나서 자란 사람들을 무 서워했고 싫어하게 되었다. 그래서 APIS에 와서도 한국말만 잘하는 애들이랑 같이 어울려 다니기도 싫었고 한 국어 선생님들을 믿지를 못해서 존중 할 수도 없었다. 하지만 이번 년은 다를 것이다. 아마 내가 커서 하나님께 서 나를 다시 한국으로 보내실 수도 있다. 그리고 내가 만약 한국 와서 하나님의 사랑도 나누고 문맹의 아이들을 가르치고 싶으면 나도 마음을 열어서 한국어를 열심히 배워야 한다. 그래서 나는 이번 년에는 내가 여태까지 놓 기 싫었던 노력을 놓아서 한국어를 열심히 배울 것이다. 내가 바라는 건 내 노력으로 하나님을 자랑스럽게 만드 는 것이다. 그래야 내가 커서 하나님은 나를 더 많은 길들을 보낼 수 있을 것이다.

이사야 6장 8절이 말한 듯이 “내가 또 주의 목소리를 들은즉 이르시되 내가 누구를 보내며 누가 우리를 위하여 갈꼬 그때에 내가 가로되 내가 여기 있나이다 나를 보내소서.”

내가 바로 그 사람이 될 것이다. 내가 바로 그 꿈을 이루어 갈 것이다.

Creative Writing (KAL: Korean as an Additional Language)

24

Pottery Students build from pinch pots to coil pots and also develop hand building skills making sculptures.

Students learn the basic skills of pottery such as making slabs/ coils, doing score/slip, and learn to use different clay tools. They also get to experience the process of making the clay sculpture by doing bisque firing - painting/ glazing - glaze firing in the kiln.

Origami Students use many types of paper and learn the methods to make beautiful origami.

presentation skills could join this creativity club fixed upon having fun. Meetings include dramatic elements such as roleplaying and narration, putting on a short play, and attending a live professional musical performance, AIDA. A Cappella In A Cappella, students sing various songs including pop, musical, movie songs and madrigals. They can feel the harmony and enjoy the music while they sing and listen to each other’s voices.

Jazz Band Students come together as a band learning how to play improvised jazz music sessions and enjoy music.

Korean Song and Storytelling Students sing Korean songs (동 요) and learn how to story tell (동 화구연) and acquire musical skills and Korean language skills. Students perform in front of an audience and work on self-expression as well as self-esteem.

A Bard’s Company Each member of the APIS drama troupe explore aspects of all that is tragical-comical-historicalpastoral, and everything rich and rosy in the land of performance and communications. Weekly activities include student driven improvisation games, stand-up comedy, dramatic storytelling, and training of the individual voice, expression, movement, and imagination. Anyone interested in improving speaking and

25

Hip Hop Dance/Tap Dance Students learn the basic skills of dance and learn choreographed routines through an instructor who previously worked with various dance teams and celebrities.

ES Cooperative Games The Kinder/ES cooperative games of lower organization are de-

signed to improve basic motor skills, locomotors skills, teamwork and cooperation, whilst having fun. These games include various tag activities, fort building, pin guard, cage ball, target games, body space awareness games. Participants gain valuable skills with cooperation whilst improving health, and having fun.

ES Basketball Students learn the basic rules and skills of basketball.

ES Floor Hockey Floor hockey is the non-ice, noncontact, equivalent game to ice hockey. In introduction to floor hockey, students learn how use and handle a hockey stick, stick handle, pass, and shoot puck.

They also learn how to play the game of hockey and its rules. For grades 1-2, students learn and play a lot of modified floor hockey games to increase their stick to eye skills, and motor skills ability.

For grades 3-5, students explore more floor hockey like games and skills. Both sessions are full of games and fun for a great brand new athletic experience.

ES Volleyball Students learn the basic rules and skills of volleyball. Also, students learn how to play as a team by competing with each other.

MS Coed Volleyball Middle school students learn more refined skills required for volleyball. They are placed in teams where they learn valuable assets as a sports player. This is a great way to test out one’s interest in volleyball and prepare for varsity try-outs.

Secondary Table Tennis Students learn skills for table tennis; play with one another honing their skills and improve their health.

JV Basketball Students prepare for the Varsity level. As higher level of skills is achieved, students look forward to making the varsity team, next season. JV teams compete with other KAIAC JV teams.

Varsity Basketball High School students who made the cut from try outs represent the school and compete with other international schools in Korea.

Elementary Chapel Skits The ES Chapel Skit after school activity is an opportunity for students to help join in with Thursday elementary chapels by planning, practicing and performing dramas about the Bible, as well as film short videos that also help teach about God. Each week students learn more about our chapel themes through acting, serving and communicating lessons about God. Community Service Club Students visit Sungmin Community Service Center and provide community service for people with disabilities.

Sensational Stories Students explore a single story together over several weeks through a variety of activities that span across the curriculum.

The focus of this class is to build vocabulary and use higher level thinking skills.

After School Chinese/ Japanese This class is open for Elementary

students who are interested in learning a new East Asian language.

Korean Newspaper and NIE Class Students engage in activities using a variety of Korean newspapers such as reading about current events and culture, drawing, finding pictures, letters, words, sentences, and finally making their own newspapers about family.

Korean Bible Study (Jesus Always Magnified) This is a Korean Bible study class for younger Elementary students.

Instruction is in Korean.

Korean as a Second language Students learn to read, write and speak Korean as an additional language. After the first hour, students are encouraged to stay after and engage in Korean traditional games and cultural activities.

Lego Robotics The goal of this club is to have students compete at world-wide robotic competitions such as the Vex Competition or FEST Competition.

Chinese/ Japanese Enrichment This class is open for Secondary students who are interested in refining their language skills. Students are encouraged to bring their homework, difficult questions or conversational topics National History Day Club In National History Day Club stu-

dents choose a historical topic of interest, research it, create a project about it, and participate in a competition. Students can choose to compete individually or in groups and can choose between creating a live performance, website, research paper (individuals only), documentary film, or exhibition (middle school only). The winners in high school advance to a competition in Washington, D.C. in June.

TED Talks Students watch TED Talk clips and engage in intellectual debate ranging from politics, culture and global issues.

MUN Model UN is for secondary students interested in debate and foreign affairs. Students meet weekly to discuss current events and to prepare for a conference.

Students learn how the UN functions and will become delegates of a UN member nation.

AP Chinese Support AP Chinese class after school aims at providing students with opportunities to improve their writing skills by using a computer/keyboard correctly.

Forensics Students meet to practice and prepare for KAIAC Forensics meets. Students hone speaking skills and effective communication in friendly and challenging competition. Full season runs from September through March.

26

To better understand the needs of our students and parents APIS conducts surveys twice a year. This fall semester, a total of 70 students (grades 5 through 12) and 60 parents participated in the survey. Here is a summary of the responses.

Students Survey

27

Parents Survey

28

Highlights of the First Semester New Technology and Resources

This year, APIS purchased a new 3D printer, electronic book readers, and installed a professional sound recording studio to enhance the quality of our education and spark the creativity in our students.

APIS’ brand new music recording studio is equipped with Pro Tools software, the same software professional music studios use to record today’s biggest artists.

School Events

APIS celebrated the beginning of a new exciting school year with our annual Back to School Night event on August 23. At the end of August, all secondary students went on a retreat and enjoyed fishing, riding bikes, and camping. The retreat was not the only event to bond with fellow students and teachers, and have fun; the week-long Spirit Week in late September and early October was also another time to show school spirit and celebrate who we are.

Music concerts took place in both fall and winter to show off our students’ musical talents. The highlight of the semester was the SRC Thanksgiving Carnival, during which the students enjoyed many fun-filled games and activities and participated in a school-wide donation drive, generously donating a total of 1,500 items to a school for North Korean refugee students.

New Faculty Positions Used by design firms, engineers, toy makers, and high-tech manufacturers, this printer can create complex objects using a computer-aided design program.

In the school year 2012-2013, three key positions were newly created to better meet the needs of our growing academic program. Ms. Elaine Park joined APIS as our new Curriculum Coordinator to ensure APIS maintains a rigorous and relevant curriculum that achieves our school’s mission and vision. Mr. Matthew Johnson was appointed to the position of the Dean of Students to provide assistance related to student learning and school life. Ms. Tammi Wenzig was appointed as the Middle School Core Academic Coordinator to promote collaboration among middle school department members and also help coordinate SRC activities and events.

Parent Involvement Electronic book readers were purchased in response to survey results requesting for more books for secondary students. Now our students can choose and read from Amazon’s entire book collection of 1.5 million books!

29

This semester, we hosted various meetings/workshops and diversified the channels of communication to encourage more parent involvement.

Aside from the regular PTO meetings, and Parent Teacher Conferences, we started a new Parent Coffee meeting to keep parents informed about the changes happening in and around school, and also to hear the voices of our parents about their concerns or suggestions to create a better school. For senior parents in particular, numerous counseling opportunities and workshops were arranged including the college night with former Harvard Admissions Officer, Ms. Sally Champagne.

cago) that helps students like and appreciate math.

In Everyday Math, mathematical content is not taught in isolation, but are presented in different context and activities so that students can connect their experience with the concepts and learn math skills while solving problems that interest them.

For the secondary division, our foreign language program was strengthed by introducing foreign language proficiency tests (HSK and JLPT) as a way of measuring students’ progress in language.

Others

Other notable events or changes in the first semester include the opening of a Salad/ Sandwich Bar at the school cafeteria, a visit by a committee of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges in October for reaccreditation, and temporary shutdown of school due to typhoons, Bolaven and Sanba.

List of Early College Acceptances In order to facilitate communication further, our school replaced Edline with a new web-based student information system called PowerSchool which updates attendance and grades real time, thereby keeping parents informed about their children’s academic progress in a timely manner. We also started a bulletin that summarizes school events on a weekly basis, and created a new Events Portal where parents could view school event photos and videos. Starting this school year, APIS is also on Twitter and Facebook.

New and Improved Programs

A secondary learning support center staffed with full-time teachers was newly created to provide both in school and after school support for any students who need extra academic assistance.

Based on parent survey results, APIS also made a number of improvements in its after-school program this year in terms of structure, coherence, and alignment with our school’s mission and vision. Our after-school program now has four components (Athletics, Fine Arts, Service, and Academics) providing a wider selection of activities, and offers a core group of activities with regularity and consistency.

As for improvements related to curriculum, our elementary division successfully introduced a new math program (developed by the University of Chi-

Babson College Boston College Case Western Reserve University Chinese University of Hong Kong Duke University Indiana University-Bloomington Kingston University Michigan State University Pennsylvania State University - University Park School of the Art Institute of Chicago School of Visual Arts Stony Brook University University of British Columbia University of Buffalo - SUNY University of Colorado - Boulder University of the Arts London University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign University of Miami University of Michigan - Ann Arbor University of Minnesota - Twin Cities University of Notre Dame University of Southern California University of Virginia University of Wisconsin - Madison Wellesley College

26 30

CHOOSING THE RIGHT BOOK FOR YOUR CHILD The development of strong reading skills is vital for a child’s success. There is much more to developing reading skills than simply reading the words. Strong readers are able to think deeply about books, discuss characters and their interactions with others, and use evidence from the text to form opinions on books. As a child grows in their reading, they move through three stages of thinking: within the text, about the text, and beyond the text. Below are ways you can help you child strengthen those skills at home.

Suanne Forrester Literacy Specialist Ways To Think About Books

What I can do at home?

Early Readers

• What strategies do you know to use when you get to a tricky word?

• Can you tell me what happened in the story in the order it happened?

• Let’s read that again; this time make it sound like real talking!

Think WITHIN the text (decoding words, comprehension, reading smoothly)

Intermediate Readers Think BEYOND the text (deep comprehension, inferences, drawing conclusions)

Advanced Readers Think ABOUT the Text (critical thinking, author’s style and purpose)

• What do you think will happen next? What in the story makes you think that?

• This character is saying one thing but acting in a different way- what do you think is REALLY going on here? What in the book makes you think this?

• What is your theory about the character? Why do you think he or she would act in that way?

• What do you think the author’s intent was when they wrote this book?

• Do you think this character is realistic? Why do you think that?

• Did the author persuade you to see the world differently than you did before?

The most important thing a child can do is READ! Books, magazines, blogs, articles, newspaper, and graphic novels are all valuable reading material. Help your child choose the reading material they love!

Titles Kids Will Love:

31

K5-Grade 3 Miss Nelson is Missing Ivy and Bean Stone Soup Diary of a Worm Strega Nona

Grade 4-6 Poppy Tuck Everlasting Frindle Coraline Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

Grade 7-8 Skellig The Outsiders Where the Lilies Bloom The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes The Yearling

Grade 9-12 The Spellman Files As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth Divergent The Dragon of Babel

Editorial Team: Euysung Kim Director / Hyewon Kang Art and Design Editor / Keumjo Shim Communications Officer / Ashley Stapleton Writing Staff