Issue 26 APIS online Update November 2014

Online

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ISSUE 26.

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:

■ Geology Rocks! Musical ■ KAIAC Large Ensemble Festival ■ Spirit Week

IN THIS ISSUE:

■ Parent Teacher Conferences ■ Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ New Drama Class ■ Faculty Retreat ■ Thanksgiving Celebrations

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'Good Job. Great Story!'

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right yellow, blue and pink Post-it notes covered the desks of students in third grade on the afternoon of November 3. Each of the notes had a message to the student at that desk.

“Noa, I love your story about cats.”

“Dear Jamie, your story is detailed and well-written!

It makes me feel I am at the Lotte World at this very moment.”

“Good handwriting, Adelia” “Good job. Great story!”

The third-grade class had just finished its first publishing party of the school year. It was a chance for the students to present a recently completed writing project — in this case, a personal narrative — to their parents and other students in the elementary grades and a chance to get feedback from those who attended. The students had written about topics like a birthday trip, trying coffee, the carnival, getting shots at the doctor’s office and visiting Lotte World.

One of the third-graders, Jean Lee, called to the teacher, Ms. Iwanuk, to come over to see all the notes blanketing his desk. “I can see from here. It’s amazing! Wow!” she answered with a smile.

Other students were quietly reading some of the notes stuck to their own desks and others counted how many comments they had received after reading their writing over and over for the participants. “They are very proud of their work, and now they get to show it off, which is fun,” Ms. Iwanuk said. “Tomorrow, they will reflect the Post-its and their project.”

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Publishing Parties

This is the fourth year that APIS has been teaching reading and writing by following the Writing Workshop model designed by Lucy Calkins at Columbia University in New York City. The idea of holding a publishing party is part of Calkins’ model.

The third-grade students worked for close to five weeks on their project before the November 3 publishing party. They studied characteristics of a good personal narrative, like remembering to include details and elaborating on what could have been just a small moment. The class practiced writing these kinds of pieces, and then each student chose their favorite narrative and revised and edited it for the final project. “They go through the whole writing process,” Ms. Iwanuk said.

“It’s a pretty intense task for third-graders.”

The avalanche of positive feedback offered at a publishing party is encouraging to the students, Ms. Iwanuk said. It is also encouraging to have so many parents take time to come in and participate and show that they also support the students’ work, she added. One parent, for instance, drove an hour and a half to attend the event. “That says a lot,” Ms. Iwanuk said.

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Highlights from the 1st Grade Publishing Party

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Grade 5 students perform a group number in "Geology Rocks!"

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edimentary, igneous, metamorphic … the fifth-graders at APIS really know their rocks. The classes’ study of geology this year went way beyond just reading about it in textbooks. The students studied geological terms, memorized lines about the subject and then sang about it when the 28 students presented “Geology Rocks!”, a musical by Ron Fink and John Heath, on November 26 in the APIS auditorium.

The production answered the question “Who kidnapped Professor Rock?” The musical is about three students who are trying to find their professor. In their search, they talk to mountains, different kinds of rocks, volcanoes, ferns and several landforms, like a valley, seashore and canyons, and even Snow White. And they learn something about geology along the way. For instance, from the ferns, the students learn how fossil fuels are created and from the different rocks, how each kind is formed.

“It’s a very informative musical,” said Alicia Morgenroth, one of the two fifth-grade teachers involved in the production. “We watched videos … read articles, to learn different things that are in the play. In addition, work on the musical has extended to the students’ art class, where they’ve been creating representations of the different kinds of rocks to use on stage.” “It’s not just a fun play,” Ms. Morgenroth said. “We’re also trying to teach others about the earth.” The play was presented to the other elementary grades and the parents and family members of the cast members.

Jeff Underhill, the other fifth-grade teacher overseeing the production, noted that he and Ms. Morgenroth chose the musical as a way to enhance the students’ understanding of their science lessons. “Music empowers. Remixing science content with rhythm and rhyme stirs enjoyment into learning,” Mr. Underhill said. “Research tells us the patterns and emotions of music enhance learning, and repeatedly enjoying the singing and saying of science-specific words builds vocabulary and fluency ...The fifth graders have explored the abstract ideas of our Earth science geology unit in an approachable context, all the while building English language confidence and skills.”

“We couldn’t do this without parental help,” Ms. Morgenroth said. At the end of the presentation, Mr. Underhill thanked the parents for their assistance with planning, costumes and with set design. In addition, the teachers thanked Brian Beatty for his assistance with audio/visual support. The fifth grade was given a cast party after the performance.

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Grade 5 Musical

Who Kidnapped Professor Rock?

Jeremy Kim sings about being a volcano.

The rocks, played by Hara Choi, Justin Suh, Eugene Kim, Hannah Kim, Subin Park, and Allison Lee.

(from left) The three students, Vivian Woo, Matt Lee and Sophia Park, listen to Eunice Kwak, playing the Earth.

(from left) The ferns confess, including, Davis Beatty, Jason Misner, Neo Lee, Eu Jean Ko, Min Seok Koo and Matthew Kang.

Gabby Kern, playing the part of Snow White, talks to the students in search of Professor Rock.

David Lee plays the part of Dr. Watson and Andrew Linton performs as Sherlock Holmes.

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What’s Happening in the Cafeteria?

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omething fun is happening in the cafeteria — even when we are not having our lunch! Elementary students from all grade levels had a chance to make their own Songpyeon, a Korean rice cake that Koreans eat during Chuseok. Students shaped their own rice cake into a ball, filled it with sesame seeds and beans, and created it into whichever shape they wanted. Some students decorated their Songpyeon with beans to make a smiley face or a frowning face. Overall, everyone had fun in creating the one-ofa-kind rice cakes and also had the pleasure of eating the leftover sesame seeds and beans along the way.

Smarter

Are You

than an APIS Fifth-grader?

"Are You Smarter than a Fifth-grader?” is a television quiz show in the United States that features adult contestants trying to answer questions taken from the textbooks of firstthrough fifth-graders. It is an intriguing way to look at the level of learning that is happening in elementary school. The APIS Update team wanted to give its readers a chance to see how they would do in a fifth-grade classroom at APIS. The following questions were taken from actual quizzes or tests given to fifth graders at APIS this fall. How many can you answer correctly?

1. What is a memoir?

English Language : 2. Correct the following sentence: mr knox our principal is from australia and he has a funny accent

Science :

3. Explain the causes and locations of earthquakes and volcanoes.

4. What does pyroclastic mean?

5. Why doesn't Korea experience as many natural disasters as other countries (i.e. earthquakes and volcanoes)?

Social Studies :

6.What is a primary source?

Math :

7. What is a reflex angle?

8. There are twice as many nickels as quarters and 3 times as many dimes as quarters. If there are 24 coins total, how many nickels, dimes, and quarters are there? What is the total value of the coins?

* The answers are on page 19!

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!

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New Class adds Drama to APIS

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enna Lee (Grade 9) was transformed. After applying makeup, donning a costume and affecting an American Southern accent, Jenna was ready to perform a scene from one of Southern playwright Tennessee Williams’ most famous plays, “The Glass Menagerie.”

Jenna and others in Sarah McRoberts’ drama class, which is a new course this year at APIS, were divided into small groups near the end of October, and each group performed and filmed a scene from the play as part of a class project. The play, which is set during the Great Depression in the United States, is about a family struggling with abandonment, economic stress and family responsibility. Jenna’s group was assigned the last scene of the play, where a brief, hopeful situation ends in disappointment. “Things have a way of turning out so badly,” Jenna read with a drawl, playing the part of the mother, Amanda Wingfield, as her classmate filmed the scene.

Ms. McRoberts said the new drama class is popular with the students. “They really seem to enjoy having another creative outlet that involves makeup, clothing, over-thetop emotions… basically the chance to be someone else,” she said.

In this initial year, Ms. McRoberts plans to focus on oneact plays. But as the drama program grows over the next several years, Ms. McRoberts expects the school to take on some major productions. Aside from glimpsing the students in the midst of class projects, the first time the class is expected to perform publicly will be during the Christmas chapel production.

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“For me, the big goal is to teach them the fundamentals of not only acting, but also the behind-the-scene [skills] like stage design and lighting,” Ms. McRoberts said.

Students benefit from taking drama beyond just preparing for a performance. “I guess they get more ... confidence, because they are acting in front of people,” said Jenna, who had taken a drama class while living in England last year. Ms. McRoberts elaborated. Studying drama fosters “the ability to analyze literature, communicate with confidence, public speaking [skills] … poise,” she said.

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Music Students Go for the Gold

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By Sophie Holbrook, Music Department Chair

n November 4, the high school music department traveled to Seoul International School to participate in the KAIAC Large-Ensemble Music Festival. One hundred APIS high school students comprised the HS Orchestra, HS Chorus, and HS Band. At SIS, the ensembles each performed a 15-minute set of music before a judged audience. Following each performance, one of the judges gave a clinic to the students to enrich their musical learning on their performance repertoire.

Although the clinic was short, some of the best learning happened during the time with the judge; students listened attentively and took notes on musical aspects to consider for the future.

Music directors Emmalee Johnson, Melinda Baum, and myself led countless hours of rehearsal that resulted in unanimous gold ratings for each group. Students pushed themselves to perfect the music, practicing at home and at lunchtime, in addition to the daily rehearsals. In addition to the students’ outstanding work ethic, this was the first year that the music department used online recording portfolios as progress checks for each student. Each student has a Google Drive folder, or portfolio, that is shared between the student and teacher. The student submits their recordings, which the teacher can then download and listen to and give immediate feedback using a rubric. The student can see the rubric and submit an additional recording for improvement.

Through this process, students heard progress in different aspects of their musicianship.

Following the festival, a senior in band stated,“It'd been a while since I had practiced outside of class this much, and because I was able to witness the improvements myself, it made all my efforts worth it.” Another student realized, “The recording assessment helped me improve on the music a lot. Everytime I do these music activities I always learn something and grow. I am so thankful for the opportunities that are given to me. I really enjoyed doing them.” Although a young ensemble, the choir sang beyond their years of experience. One adjudicator commented, “You understand the text of each piece and gave each one a unique interpretation.” The choir students were equally pleased with their performance and heard their noticeable improvement.

In orchestra, a junior exclaimed that this particular KAIAC event was the best performance of his life. It is quite clear that students in all music classes felt proud of their performance!

A music ensemble must respect, trust, and care for one another. The students and teachers must be equally dedicated to produce the best teamwork. This is the first time I truly felt we were a team working together; every member of our team worked their best and contributed their part of the music. The students’ sincerity showed through their level of commitment to extra practicing, making both individual and full-band recordings, completing listening assignments using the judging rubric, and participating in intense class rehearsals. I’ve never seen these students work so hard, and it makes me very proud to watch them become mature musicians.

Thank you to Mrs. Russell and Mr. Weller for accompanying the music department on this special trip. Jeho Hahm (G11, Band) and Charlie Cho (G10, Chorus) received KAIAC Adjudication Awards for their leadership and musicianship within their ensemble. Congratulations to all the high school student musicians!

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KAIAC Large-Ensemble Music Festival

h I G H S c hool BA

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h I G H S c h ool CHORUS

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Special Week Promotes School Spirit

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econdary students arrived at school Monday, November 17, dressed in APIS sports jerseys and sweatpants. They wore pajamas the next day. Wednesday, the APIS halls were a sea of green Green Hawks clothes on high school students and a day for middle school students to look injured with crutches and wearing bandages. The week in which uniform rules were abandoned continued Thursday, with friends teaming up to dress alike for twin day. On Friday, the upperclassmen sported college sweatshirts and other gear related to colleges they’d like to attend, while the middle school students showed class pride by wearing green (Grade 6), orange (Grade 7) and white (Grade 8).

It was Spirit Week from November 17 to 21 at APIS, an event sponsored and promoted by the high school and middle school Student Representative Councils. “The goal of Spirit Week is to raise school spirit and encourage class camaraderie,” said Meg Pendleton, high school SRC adviser. “And to cheer on our basketball teams!”

The highlight of the week was Wednesday, when a pep rally was held in the gym in the afternoon, just before the Green Hawks boys varsity team took on Korea Kent Foreign School Merlions. The pep rally was emceed by Catherine Kim (Grade 12), vice president of the high school SRC; and Yoon Jae Hwang (Grade 10), an SRC class representative. During the pep rally, seniors on the boys and girls basketball teams were honored.

The Green Hawks went on to win 61-35 in this preseason game, with the Lady Hawks notching a win also with a 20-14 game over the Merlions, and the junior varsity boys team completing the sweep 37-9 in the APIS games that day.

“I'm very impressed with how many students and teachers have participated in Spirit Week 2014, far more than last year's effort,” Ms. Pendleton said. “It's been great to see the community rally and build anticipation for the big game!”

MONDAY

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Middle and High School Spirit Week

TUESDAY

PAJAMAS DAY

p e p r a l l y g a m e _ 당첨

WEDNESDAY

I NJURY Day

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Jakin Jeong Wins Silver at Reading and Writing Contest

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t APIS, we value literacy as an important skill in school and also in life. So, when a student is acknowledged for his or her achievement in reading and writing, APIS applauds that achievement.

Jakin Jeong (Grade 8) has been working hard at reading and writing these past few months for the preliminary and final rounds of the IET-RC (International English Test - Reading Contest), and he has proudly earned the silver award! The IET-RC is a nationwide contest sponsored by the International Language Institute of Seoul National University of Educations and other education-related corporations. In this contest, elementary, middle, and high school students from all over Korea compete with each other by writing English essays on books they have read.

During the preliminaries, Jakin submitted a book review on “The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster. The final round, where over 300 students from more than 150 schools from all around Korea (including Jeju) participated, was challenging because students had to write an essay about a topic given on the day of the contest. The finalists were given a short passage discussing a character’s personality and had to write about their own merits, explaining how they shaped their lives. Jakin wrote about his optimistic personality — which won him his silver award among over 30 students in 8th grade.

“I was very excited and proud of myself when I received the award,” said Jakin. Even though he does not have much time these days, Jakin said that he has “always enjoyed reading books” and especially spared some time every now and then to “read a lot of books in preparation for this national reading contest.” Congratulations Jakin on your effort, and thank you for making APIS proud!

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Mentors are ‘Just Building a Relationship’

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hey started out with each student holding a paper plate on top of his or her head. Then Kirstan Beatty, the APIS school counselor, directed the roomful of students to each draw a picture on their plate — a mountain, a tree, a nest and birds — all while the plate remained on top of their heads and out of eyesight. There were groans and lots of laughing as the students tried to accomplish the impossible task and then again as they compared their results once Ms. Beatty said they could take their plates down.

This unorthodox art project on November 13 was an icebreaker activity that kicked off the first meeting between high school mentors and their younger mentees for this year’s National Honor Society student mentoring program, which is now in its third year at APIS. The plan is for the 16 pairs of students participating this year to meet together once a month for the rest of the school year.

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The goal of the program is “just building a relationship, a trust between the two students,” Ms. Beatty said. The younger student benefits because they have the chance to learn how to navigate life from a high school perspective and “just to know they’ve got someone else watching out for them,” she said.

Claire Park (Grade 4) is participating as a mentee again this year. “It was incredibly cool,” Claire said of her experience last year with Sarang Yang (Grade 12) as her mentor. “It was fun because I got to experience being with an older kid … It was like she was an older sister.”

Every NHS member has an option to do mentoring as part of the group’s community service efforts, and the majority do participate in the program, Ms. Beatty said. She said the mentoring program is positive for all those involved, noting that while the younger students can learn a lot from the older students’ experience and friendship, the older students also gain from the program.

“Humans are made to help each other,” she said. “When you give to someone else, you receive even more benefit than you’ve given.”

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PTC: A Step Towards Better Communication

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eachers were busy preparing for the Parent Teacher Conferences as the first quarter of 20142015 school year reached its end in October. PTCs, which are held twice a year, are a great chance for parents and teachers to communicate with one another regarding the students’ academic progress.

Students lead these conferences by taking part in discussions on how their first quarter went and presenting their work as well. During the conferences on November 7 and 8, students and parents, for example, were both given a chart to write down how the student has developed socially and academically the first quarter. In another conference in elementary school, a student stepped in front of the classroom to give a presentation on what she had learned during the first three months of school. In this way, parents not only were able to better understand the progress their child has been making but had an opportunity to see from their child’s perspective as well.

Students who had particular interests in co-curricular subjects also made visits to the art and music departments and sought advice on how to further develop those talents.

Communication is always important at APIS since it strengthens the relationship between the school and the APIS family. We thank all the parents who took the time to visit the school.

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Principal’s Note: About Communication

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ipal's note

hank you for your participation in the very successful student led Parent Teacher Conferences held recently here at APIS. It was wonderful to hear about the fantastic conversations occurring in all classrooms throughout the two days. On a personal level, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet many of you for the first time and having the opportunity to talk about your experiences of APIS.

Through those conversations it was clear that APIS is doing a very good job of supporting students and challenging them in their learning. It was also very clear that at the heart of the learning and support, at the heart of the success of APIS, is clear communication.

The Parent Teacher Conference is one way that we provide a formal way to communicate between teachers and parents, but in no way is it meant to be the only time that this important communication occurs. As parents, I encourage you to contact your child’s teacher/s directly if you have questions or concerns, just as APIS teachers are expected to contact you directly. Your child’s teachers are the ones who deal with your son or daughter every day and are best placed to have the answers you might be looking for.

As the principal, my first question to parents when they bring their concerns to me is, “Have you discussed this with the teacher yet?” Not only is this the most direct way to have questions answered, but it also strengthens the very important partnership between the teacher and home that is so important to support each student and their learning.

Taking your important school concerns to other parents before taking them to school usually do not help resolve issues, and in fact usually complicates matters by unnecessarily involving others in the concern you have for your son or daughter.

At APIS our most important job is to support your child as they grow and develop and learn. By continuing to maintain high standards of clear and direct communication, we can further strengthen the important partnership between home and school. So again, thank you for the recent Parent Teacher Conferences. They were a fantastic example of the great communication taking place at APIS!

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APIS is committed to open communication and problem solving. When conflicts and/ or concerns arise, parents are encouraged to email the teacher to schedule a meeting.

If the teacher and parent cannot successfully resolve the concern, then either party may contact the School Office to arrange a meeting with the principal. For more information on the procedure, please read the chapter “Procedure for Parent Concerns” of the Student Handbooks.

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‘We Gather to Ask the Lord’s

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he aroma of turkey roasting in the oven, time to visit with family and friends, football games on the television and an unusually heartfelt prayer to God before the feast — it’s the American holiday of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed it an official federal holiday in 1863, describing it as a day of "thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”

But while turkey, football and family are usually common denominators to the celebration, every family has ways of making the holiday uniquely its own. Some faculty members who moved to Seoul from the United States shared Thanksgiving traditions and memories with the APIS Update staff.

Don Kirkwood, computer and math teacher, said they always had great

family Thanksgivings as he was growing up in Puyallup, Washington. His family frequently recalls the Thanksgiving when Mr. Kirkwood’s father was serving in Vietnam. “My parents, because of the unfortunate possibilities with dad being in the middle of the fighting, decided that mom should go back and finish her degree to become a teacher. With her paying for college, finances were tight,” he said. “So when Thanksgiving came around, mom gave us kids a choice of either having a turkey or driving up into the mountains to our favorite family spot and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows while thinking of our family being together. We chose the latter and made one of the best memories that is especially meaningful now that dad has passed.”

Sophie Holbrook, music department chair, remembers celebrating Thanksgiving at her aunt’s

and uncle’s house in San Jose, California. She tells a story of how she once tried to help her aunt avoid a cooking disaster (which are also often a Thanksgiving tradition). “My favorite part then, and now, is smelling the turkey cook along with the mashed potatoes, cranberries, pies, and stuffing. It's such a comforting smell and it warms the whole house,” Ms. Holbrook said. “When I was 7, I noticed that ‘the’ smell wasn't as strong as I had remembered in years past. I asked my aunt and she said not to worry because the turkey had been in the oven for a few hours. Being a kid, I didn't question her. When I still didn't smell the turkey an hour later, I asked her again, and it turns out she had never turned the oven on. So the cold turkey had been sitting in the oven for four hours. That year we had two dinners: one at the normal time with everything but the turkey, and then a later dinner with just turkey.”

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Thanksgiving Celebrations

Megan Pendleton, secondary art teacher,

shared a story about her last Thanksgiving in the United States before moving to Seoul. “It was November 2012, and I had just accepted my new position at APIS. …I realized that I would not be home for the Thanksgiving holiday for a number of years.

I … vowed to make it an extra special Thanksgiving memory that my whole family could remember when I was gone. I invited everyone to my little apartment in Boston for the big day. I planned for weeks — ordering the turkey, making decorations, choosing records to play. It may not have been the classiest of Thanksgivings but it was filled with love and heart.” Ms. Pendleton keeps a photo of that dinner on her desk “to remind me that my family is never far away,” she said.

Zach Luginbill, APIS chaplain, grew up in Ohio. “My

family loves to sing,” he said. “Grams was the youngest of 10 other brothers and sisters, and they were all musical. So whenever we get together … someone would share a song or a hymn and everyone would just join in,” he said. Pastor Zach said he also remembers his grandfather having everyone join hands in a circle before the Thanksgiving meal, and leading everyone in prayer.

Broiled Sweet Potatoes (Courtesy Megan Pendleton)

• Time: 20 minutes; four servings • Ingredients: 4 sweet potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon butter, sugar • Directions: Preheat oven to broil.

Line a 10x15-inch cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave until done, about 4 minutes per potato. When the potatoes are cool, peel, cut in half lengthwise and slice about 1/4 inch. Place the potato slices in a single layer on prepared cookie sheet. Slice the butter into about ⅛-inch pats and place all over the sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the sugar on the potatoes and butter. Place under broiler until golden and bubbly, about 5 to 8 minutes.

“Thanksgiving is a great time to re* Note: This was the sweet potato recipe that member all that we have to be thankful for,” Pastor Ms. Pendleton used for her last Thanksgiving Zach said. “God has given us so much to enjoy and dinner at home before coming to APIS. share together with friends and family during this holiday. Ephesians 5:19 says: ‘Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ May our hearts be filled with thanksgiving, our homes filled with joy laughter and music, and a spirit of thankfulness for all God has done and given us as we remember to always give thanks through Jesus.”

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unseling ing, my fa he said. s college co oon on Thanksgiv Guthrie,” tn lo A r “ A . s y tt b p:// ’ e t s sachu stauran now why!” See htt e R 's e c li A ' cM. it to k I listen to 57gzA2JC listen to m o = t v ? e v h a c t h /wa “You tube.com www.you

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Principal Produces Solo Album

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t’s no secret that Bruce Knox, the new APIS principal, is a musician. He kicked off karaoke at the faculty retreat, performing so well that most were afraid to even try after his turn. He has played both the drums and guitar with the worship band at the school’s Sunday fellowship. He was a rockin’ guitarist wearing Elvis shades when the faculty/staff band performed during the secondary retreat. And he began the middle school music concert in October by stepping on stage with his flute and playing the Korean folk tune, “Arirang.”

He writes music. He performs. Music is his creative outlet, he says. He likes “lyrics that tell a story; a melody that moves me.” While he started learning music on the recorder in third grade, Mr. Knox can now play 30 or 40 instruments that he has collected during his travels, and can perform proficiently on about 10 of them.

This May, Mr. Knox fulfilled a longtime goal related to his passion for music. He released a solo digital album of original music, "beenalongtime." While he has participated in at least a dozen albums with different bands and soloists and he has been writing music for 30 years, "beenalongtime" is his first all-solo product. The largely acoustic collection of 11 songs includes folk styles, blues and one song with Indian overtones. The songs, most of which were written over the years and several of which were written particularly for this project, are somewhat introspective. “I cannot write a happy song,” he said smiling, when he heard this description of his lyrics. “Mine tend to come out a little …,” and he sighed.

To hear Mr. Knox’s digital album, visit http://bruceknox.bandcamp.com/album/beenalongtime.

The album is also available on iTunes and Spotify.

Mr. Knox’s interest in following his interest in music as well as performing his job at APIS with excellence is a reflection of his belief in pursuing balance in his life; a belief that was taught to him by a special grandmother. “My grandmother, who I called ‘Granny,’ is the most inspirational woman I have ever met,” Mr. Knox said of the Scottish woman who immigrated to Australia. “She was very present in my life from about 8 years old onwards, and we were very, very close.” The theme of her life was always about working hard, enjoying what life has to offer and enjoying the people you are surrounded by, he said. She told him, "You are either earning money or spending money — make sure you enjoy doing both."

Music provides balance in his life, Mr. Knox said, and is part of him enjoying the part of his life that isn’t work related. If a person only focuses on their career, “you run the danger of running yourself to the ground,” he said. In addition to music, Mr. Knox also enjoys cycling, photography and graphic design, drawing Celtic knots, traveling, all kinds of sports and learning new things .. lots of new things.

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What Are We Reading?

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or last month’s APIS Update, faculty members were given the opportunity to submit recommendations for books they particularly liked. The response was so enthusiastic that the recommendations were divided into several parts. The rest of the faculty recommendations will be published in the next issue.

One book which powerfully stands out in my mind is “The Graveyard Book”

by Neil Gaiman. It won the Newbery Medal, Carnegie Medal, and Hugo Award in 2010. The story is dark, yet peaceful. It is about a boy — Bod — who is the youngest member of a family murdered by “the man Jack.”

Denizens of the graveyard keep him safe, and Bod grows up as a graveyard orphan. As a teacher, I connect with the story for its humanism.

Bod’s full name is Nobody, and the story resonates with me in its quiet lifting up and calling important — worth protecting — those who society often neglects. Bod is an orphan and there is no one to take care of him. The neglected dead take him in. The story offers readers a new perception and upholds all that is important in life.

- Jeff Underhill, Grade 5 teacher If I were to recommend one book, I would recommend “The Shack” by William P. Young. I really enjoyed reading this novel because you can experience God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit in different perspective through this book. This book empowers the healing to people's spirit, especially those impacted by devastating emotional pains in their lives.

- Anna Sea, art teacher

A N S W E R S

1. A memoir is an autobiography written from a theme of patterned memories. 2. Mr. Knox, our principal, is from Australia, and he has a funny accent. 3. Earthquakes are caused when continental plates connect across a transform boundary. Volcanoes occur when continental plates separate at a divergent boundary.

Both are located at the boundaries of tectonic plates.

4. Pyroclastic means related to or consisting of fragments of rock erupted from a volcano. 5. Korea is not on a plate boundary. Convergent plate boundaries most often are the cause of earthquakes and volcanoes. The Ring of Fire has the majority of earth's volcanoes and earthquakes. 6. A primary source is an original document or artifact created during the time of study. 7. A reflex angle is an angle measuring greater than 180 and less than 360 degrees. 8. There are four quarters, eight nickels, and 12 dimes. The total is $2.60. (Thank you to fifth-grade teachers Jeff Underhill and Alicia Morgenroth for providing these questions and answers.)

At my college, every freshman is required to participate in a First Year Seminar. Every class spanned multiple academic disciplines and drew students with a wide range of interests.

I chose the class The Things We Carry, which was based off the book “The Things They Carried” by Tim O'Brien.

This is a collection of short stories about an American platoon during the Vietnam War. … My favorite part of the class, including discovering this amazing book, was talking about the text with other students who had such varied academic interests. This class drew students interested in English, psychology, history, and many others. This was one of the first times that I understood how important it is to study across the disciplines because I wouldn't have understood the book without a background in many different subjects. One of the highlights of a recent trip to Vietnam was to visit the Mekong Delta to understand more about the topography in the book. This also gave me a chance to couple my love of traveling with my favorite book.

NOVEMBER 2014

SCHOOL-WIDE

- Shana Russell, college counseling director

W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R

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NOVEMBER 2014

SCHOOL-WIDE

2014 Capital Campaign

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e would like to thank all the parents for their continued support in the 2014 Capital Campaign to furnish a woodshop and a new cooking/multipurpose lab. Here is an updated list of all the donors as of November.

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