APIS Update Dec Jan 2015 (online)

Online

D EC E M B E R / JA N UA RY 2 0 1 5

ISSUE 27.

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:

■ Poetry Cafe ■ Wicky Wacky Week ■ Middle School History Conference

IN THIS ISSUE:

■ Inspired for the New Year ■ Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ ■HS Students and Scientists Faculty Retreat ■ List of New e-Books

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Students Step Back in Time

By Becky Cyrus, Grade 2 Teacher, and APIS Second-graders

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“We went to the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History so we could see more things from the past in the exhibition halls. In the museum we saw the 2002 World Cup soccer ball. When we went to the children’s museum we got to use special tablets to learn about the stuff we saw. We saw an old bus, old phone, old plane, old shoes, old cameras, and one old car. We saw how the houses changed from wooden houses to tall apartment buildings. We liked the president’s room because it had pictures of all the past Korean presidents, a podium, and a comfy chair. We saw a 3-D movie, played games, and got to touch many things. We took the iPads to take lots of pictures while we were there. We got to see timelines of the past, which reminded us of the timelines we made at school. We learned that technology changes the way people live.”

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he students in grade 2 spent several weeks in November learning about their community and how it has changed over time. In class, students looked at pictures and made comparisons between the past and present. To extend their knowledge and to allow the students a more hands-on approach to learning, we took a trip to the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History on December 3. The students were very excited for an opportunity to see more artifacts from the past. As a follow-up activity, all grade 2 students worked together to write this article:

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Very Varied Verses

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now and cotton candy, popcorn and robots. Guests at the grade 2 and 3 poetry cafe held December 18 in the Christian Life Center learned that these are the kinds of subjects that move APIS students to wax poetic.

Participants at the event heard students in those two grades take turns reciting or reading one of their poems — their own creative “take” — on the great thing about candy or why colors are important.

“While the goals of this unit differ slightly by grade level, I think our biggest hope is that students learn to view ordinary things in a new way,” said Jill Iwanuk, third-grade teacher. She offered an example. “It's not just a washing machine, it's a turning, swirling machine of wonder that spits out clean clothes.” The poetry section was team-taught to the two grades by second-grade teacher Becky Cyrus and Ms. Iwanuk.

At the poetry cafe, after the student poets and their guests enjoyed refreshments, each student from the two grades shared their favorite poem from a collection of original work that each had created sometime during the previous four-week poetry section in class. Instead of applauding the writers, Ms. Iwanuk instructed the students and guests to click their fingers to show approval to add to the beat-poetry-feel of the event. “We like to keep things a little groovy,” Ms. Iwanuk said.

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E L E M E N TA R Y S C H O O L N E W S & E V E N T S

After each student took their turn on stage in the spotlight, the students and guests had some time to share together books of poetry that each student had written and illustrated during the classes’ poetry section.

Personal Poetry

Packs

A Powerful Punch

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Fourth-grade Party-planners Make Their Pitch

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on Weller had a difficult decision to make. The fourth-grade class at APIS had been working for the previous six weeks on a math project where they were asked to form an event-planning business and create a party for Mr. Weller’s 13-year-old daughter’s birthday, all for $500 or less. Decorations, party venue, pizza, cake and favors for 26 guests had to be considered in the planning. The project required the students to research prices online, practice multiplying numbers with decimals, keep a budget, convert measurements, compare costs, work on persuasive arguments, and practice teamwork and public speaking.

On December 11, the class, which had divided into three different event-planning businesses for the project, tried to sell their party plans to Mr. Weller during the “Let’s Party!” math presentation held in front of parents and other elementary students in the school auditorium.

Under the spotlights, the students made their pitch — they danced, sang, cajoled, reasoned, tantalized with photos of frosted cakes and other foods, and made their case just about any way they could to appeal to the star customer at the event.

In the end, that customer, Mr. Weller, selected BBP, the Best Birthday Party Co., as the winner.

BBP was made up of fourth-graders Margarette Gatesi, Joyce Kim and Claire Park. Citing BBP’s diverse decoration plan as the reason it got the job, Mr. Weller said it was a tough choice. “They all did an amazing job,” he said. He noted that while all three groups presented plans that came within the required cost (the winning group’s plan was priced at $495.52), he was especially impressed by the collaborative work that was required by the group members.

The project was a challenging one for the fourthgrade students. “Yeah, because … planning caused stress,” said Somang Yang before his group’s presentation. “We had to solve math problems that were hard, and we had different opinions.”

Jacob Hong, Somang Yang, and Jaeho Choi present their team's bid for the party contract

Christine Jeong, Joanne Kim and Rin Choi include a dance as part of their team's presentation.

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Joyce Kim, Margarette Gatesi and Claire Park, members of the winning team, present their pitch.

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Performing Poetry at Off-campus Café

By Alicia Morgenroth, Grade 5 Teacher

On December 19, fifth grade students celebrated an off-campus publishing party, showcasing their works from a poetry unit.

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PIS fifth graders participated in an off-campus publishing party in December. Students, teachers, and mothers traveled to Café Verde in Nowon and gathered in the business’ basement book café, where students shared their latest writing projects. From a stage, students recited memorized mentor poems as well as poems that they wrote. “I enjoyed it because I got to share my writing with people I don’t even know, and they complimented it,” said Allison Lee (Grade 5).

During their poetry unit in December, students were challenged to use a variety of figurative language, such as idioms, alliteration, similes, metaphors, personification and onomatopoeia. And the poetry presented at the party reflected that focus. “I enjoyed listening to other people’s poetry, because they gave me ideas for other poems I could write,” said Eunice Kwak (Grade 5).

At the event, fifth graders also showed off literary essays they had composed based on one of their favorite books. Students elaborated on thesis statements using text evidence that showed how the author developed characters and major themes throughout their chosen book. The fifth graders published their essays in the APIS Mac Lab using iBooks. After the publishing party, Eugene Kim (Grade 5) said, “I liked how the iPads were on the tables so everyone could see our literary essays.”

I and Mr. Jeff Underhill would like to thank Ms. Jieun Baik (mother of Sarah Koo) and and Ms. Jae Hee Lee (mother of Sunny Pak) for organizing such a wonderful publishing party!

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A Peek into the Fourth-grade Publishing Party

Somang Yang (Grade 4) reads to another student during the fourth-grade publishing party on December 5. The fourth-graders were asked to especially work on adding dialogue, step-bystep action and a lesson to the personal narratives they wrote.

Principal Bruce Knox listens to the video of Rin Choi (Grade 4) reading one of her personal narratives as Rin listens also during the fourth-grade publishing party on December 5.

Smarter

Are You

than an APIS a 4th-grader?

In the previous issue of the APIS Update, readers had the chance to glimpse the kinds of material being taught to fifth-graders here at APIS, and the opportunity to answer a few of the English, science and math questions that face students here every day. In this edition, we ease up on our readers a little and offer some test questions given to APIS fourthgraders. Good luck!

1. Who is the leader of the judicial branch in South Korea?

2. What is an interrogative sentence?

3. What is a cartographer?

4. What is it called when two words are spelled the same but have different meanings?

5. What landform is created through deposition at the mouth of a river?

6. If I could afford to give you one dollar for your first birthday, two dollars for your second birthday, four dollars for your third birthday, and continue doubling the dol lars for each birthday until your tenth birthday, how much will I give you on your tenth birthday?

7. Who painted the Son of Man? 8. What is a mbira?

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A N S W E R S

1. The Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sungtae 2. It asks a question. 3. A map maker 4. homograph 5. a delta 6. $512 (1. $1; 2. $2; 3. $4; 4. $8; 5. $16; 6. $32; 7. $64; 8. $128; 9. $256; 10. $512) 7. RenĂŠ Magritte 8. An African wooden instrument, a thumb piano

Elementary’s Wicky Wacky Week!

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ust before the winter break, elementary students enjoyed a spirit week of their own called Wicky Wacky Week! From December 8 to December 12, elementary students had fun coming to school dressing up according to each day’s themes. Day 1 was pajama day, where students wore fuzzy and cozy pajamas and Day 2 was character day, with students dressing up as their most favorite character (and of course, princesses were the girls’ favorite!). Day 3 was sports day, where students came to school to show off their favorite sport, and Day 4 was a day when students wore clothes with their favorite color. Last but not least, on Day 5, students wore whatever they wanted in mismatch — different colored socks, different pairs of shoes, and even short pants on a cold December day!

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Guess what my favorite sport is?

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SECONDARY SCHOOL NEWS & EVENTS

Students Take a Long Look at Leaders

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he APIS seventh- and eighth-graders were allowed to choose. What leader from history would they like to study? Whether that leader impacted the world of literature, technology, the limits of human endeavor, government, military conflict, or human rights, the students would spend the next 14 weeks or so researching and learning everything they could about that leader and his or her legacy. The students needed to select a person or topic that could hold their interest for the whole first semester of the school year.

Aaron Kang and Heewon Seo (Grade 8) present their research on Pope Pius XII.

An American writer, Sylvia Plath, and Hayao Miyazaki, creator of Japanese animated films; politicians like Karl Marx and U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt; and rights activists like Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson and Susan B. Anthony made the cut. Other APIS students looked at the legacy of Japanese occupation in Korea or the impact of Marvel Comics on culture and others at the legacy of political leaders like Adolf Hitler and Julius Caesar. Pope Pius XII; former South Korean President Park Chung Hee; British physicist and chemist Joseph Swan; Kirk Christiansen, founder of the LEGO Group, the Danish construction toy company; and others were among the eclectic array of choices.

The students’ efforts were put on display December 17 during the APIS Middle School History Conference held at the school. In addition to a public presentation of their research, the students presented an exhibit, website, documentary or paper they created to illustrate their findings. They also answered questions from the audience about their subject and presentation.

“We learned more about Marvel … but, more than that, we learned about teamwork,” said Grace Kim (Grade 8) about the semester-long project after the presentation of her team project on Marvel Comics with her classmate, Janice Kim (Grade 8). “Mostly we learned history can be fun,” Janice said.

“This type of long-term project is valuable because it allows students to really learn the process of significant research,” said Carly Althauser, who co-chaired the conference with fellow middleschool social studies teacher Tammi Wenzig. “They learn about and practice evaluating sources, how to find primary and secondary sources, how to take effective and organized notes, and how to synthesize a large amount of information and form opinions about it. Learning these skills in one project — rather than separate ones — allows them to understand and experience how it all fits together; it also helps prepare them to conduct major research projects in high school, college, and beyond.”

The next step in the project is for 22 of the seventh- and eighth-graders to participate in the Korea National History Day competition, which will be held at Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies Ms. Hallinan listens as Grace Kim and Janice Kim (Grade 8) explain an aspect of their exhibit. on Saturday, February 14.

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Drama: Christmas Unwrapped

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he December 19 presentation of “Christmas Unwrapped” by Michelle R. Davis was the first public performance of APIS’ newly offered drama class. The play featured Jeho Hahm (Grade 11) as Bob, the owner of Bob’s Holiday Emporium, and Claire Shin (Grade 9) as Noelle, a shop clerk.

They learned that the real gift of Christmas can’t be found in a store, but it is the free gift of Jesus sent to the world. Jeff Woodrow’s animation class participated by creating the backdrops for the set and Randall Kondruk's woodshop class helped create the set. Drama teacher Sarah McRoberts was assisted by Chaplain Zach Luginbill and April Paulin from the admissions office in putting on the well-received production.

The play opens with two shopkeepers – Bob, owner of Bob’s Holiday Emporium, played by Jeho Hahm, and Frank, owner of the shop next door, played by Richard Jo – discussing business and how to deal with all the unhappy customers and returns on the day after Christmas.

The two clerks at Bob’s Holiday Emporium – Noelle, played by Claire Shin, and Holly, played by Gia Kim – listen to customer complaints starting with Sophia Shin, center, playing the part of Mrs. Greentree, who explains that she wants to return her “entire Christmas experience” in addition to the 10 pounds she put on over the holidays.

Bob, owner of Bob’s Holiday Emporium, chastises Noelle for not having the right attitude about Christmas or her job.

Mary, played by Lina Kim, explains how the Christmas gift from her shop, the gift of Jesus, is free and she never has returns.

An angel, played by Jeff Hwang, steps in to share more about the free gift offered at Christmas.

At the end of the production, drama teacher Sarah McRoberts thanks a variety of people for their help with this first present tion by APIS’ new drama class.

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Cast Jeho Hahm … Bob Claire Shin … Noelle Gia Kim … Holly Richard Jo … Frank

Donna Kim … Bobbi Spruce Jenna Lee … Mrs. Pine Rose Lee … Olivia Knight Julie Son … Mrs. Lumiere

Grace Kim … Mrs. Garland Lina Kim … Mary Sophia Shin … Mrs. Greentree Jeff Hwang … Angel

Harry Park … Mr. Bonds Ji Hee Suh … Mrs. Sunshine Ellen Lee … Mrs. Flowers W W W. A P I S . S E O U L . K R

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High School Students Team Up with Scientists

Professor Ly from SNUST introduces the Biosensor Research Institute and invites students to participate in research projects.

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ast year in April, APIS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Seoul National University of Science and Technology (SNUST) to provide students with the opportunity to engage in scientific research and learning. One of the areas that APIS and SNUST agreed to work on was collaboration in R&E programs, so when Professor Suw Young Ly found an opportunity to engage students in research projects, he visited APIS. High school students gathered in the auditorium on December 4 to listen to the presentation by Professor Ly. He introduced the Biosensor Research Institute, where he serves as the head, and explained how the collaboration between the research institute team and high school students has achieved great results, one example being the research which APIS alumnus Chris Kim (Class of 2014) had been a part of.

After Professor Ly’s presentation, six students signed up for the research project and have been meeting with professor Ly for two hours on a weekly basis.

During their first meeting, students shared with each other what area they were interested in and planned what they will be learning throughout the months at the university. Not only will they have a chance to conduct scientific research, but they will also learn how to craft research papers — to a qualHigh school students ask questions after Professor Ly's ity that is publishable. The students are excited as presentation. the research project is an opportunity for them to learn things outside of school textbooks. Lia Kim (Grade 10) said, “I am confident that by the end of the project I will have learned things that cannot be simply taught through lectures: discipline, confidence, the experience of working in an university lab, and the confidence that my imagination can be the spark to creating something completely new in this world.”

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First Semester in College

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Brian Kim (Class of 2014), far right, talks about how his first semester at Johns Hopkins University went.

n January 14, a special guest visited the APIS College Counseling Center: it was none other than Brian Kim from the Class of 2014! He dropped

by APIS to share his college experience and to also support high school students who are heading up to college. The office was filled with hugs and handshakes as Brian greeted his friends. Not only students, but many teachers also greeted Brian and were eager to hear how he survived his first semester in college.

Brian began by talking about his first day of college — his first experience with dorm life, the college orientation day, receiving guidelines to sign up for classes, and so on. When he was asked to compare his high school life to his college life, Brian explained that there are pros and cons.

“APIS is a small community, and I knew everyone, which can be good,” he answered. “But college is pretty big, so you can make friends with anyone since you don’t know anyone.” He also shared that some college friendships may seem shallow, whereas APIS friends stay together for a long, long time.

There were also questions related to the college application process. Brian encouraged students to be persistent and never give up, even if they had been deferred. He also mentioned that even if you did not get into the college that was your top choice, you will eventually enjoy every single day of college. He gave hope that they will gradually learn to enjoy the many benefits that each college individually provides.

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As he wrapped up, Mrs. Shana Russell, director of college counseling department, asked Brian to share with the students what is the one thing that students must take from Korea to college.

Brian’s answer made everyone laugh — which is always a good way to end an event: “Korean food! Ramen! Of course, there is ramen in the U.S., but it tastes different so you must take some Korean food!”

Students ask Brian about the college application process and college life.

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Principal’s Note: About Failure

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homas Edison, famous for inventing the lightbulb, is also famous for having a lot to say about failure.

Most famously he is reported to have made the comment, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” On negative results he is quoted to have said, “Negative results are just what I want.

They’re just as valuable to me as positive results. I can never find the thing that does the job best until I find the ones that don’t.”

Confucius, the famous teacher and philosopher, also spoke on the topic. "Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall." A quote from Henry Ford, the famous inventor of the first automobile, reads, “Failure provides the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently”, and Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketballer the game has ever seen, famously said, “I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.

I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot ... and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.”

The list of history’s most successful people is full of their quotes on how much failure it took for them to be successful. If you were to ask any successful person today they would be able to share their own stories of failure and struggle.

Each one of the people whose quotes are listed above learned from their failures, persisted through the challenges, made improvements, changed something, refocused their efforts and, most importantly, never gave up!

At APIS, we proudly explain to new students (and remind returning students) what our A.P.I.S. acronym stands for. Not only is it an abbreviation of our school name, but it also represents Aspire, Persevere, Integrity, and Spiritual Growth.

When presented with a moment of failure, that choice or decision to focus on how to succeed, that effort to seek feedback to find out what was not understood, that determination to try again and get it right is what our letter “P” represents. Perseverance. When moments of failure are followed by a choice to persevere, success is just around the corner.

If you are a student, take that moment of failure and realize it is an essential part of the journey leading to success. Take that moment and seek to understand what contributed to it, seek feedback from your teachers on how to adjust your focus, and then persevere. The importance of failing is that it is an unavoidable step on the path to success!

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New and Popular Winter Extracurricular Activities

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hen the winter extracurricular activities began on December 1, students were excited to participate in activities that they did not have the chance to enjoy during the fall session. Among the many new activities, students were particularly excited about Creative Games that Principal Bruce Knox taught — so excited that 19 kindergarten to grade 2 students signed up!

The new activity, Creative Games, is designed to help students learn to solve problems in creative ways. Mr. Knox provides students with a variety of tools to figure out a way to solve the situation they are placed in. For example, he will give some sticks and tapes for students to create a bridge that will safely transport a toy bus from one side of the river to another side of the river.

Other activities that were available again this winter session (and extremely popular) included floor hockey and elementary art. In the elementary floor hockey class, students practiced with hockey sticks and learned how to hit the puck. Elementary art this winter season focused on pottery, whereas students enjoyed drawing and painting in the previous season. Lots of fun activities are available this winter to help students foster creativity and become fit!

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Be Inspired, Aim for the Best

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ew year. Fresh start. It makes sense to pause and consider how this new period could be a turning point — a point after which we work harder, are kinder, are more God-centered or more generous. The teachers and staff at APIS promote this kind of thinking, both about where are they are headed and where the APIS students are headed. Walk into a classroom and inspirational quotes and posters are everywhere.

For instance, Jeff Woodrow, digital media and art teacher, has a painting in his classroom. “It reads, “You can’t fake real.” “I like the students to think about what it means to them and their work in the classroom,” Mr. Woodrow said.

Becky Cyrus, second-grade teacher, said her class loves to watch Kid President videos and hear his messages. A few classroom favorites are “Make the world more awesome” and “Give the world a reason to dance.”

Mandy Kern, math/science teacher, likes inspirational quotes from Mother Teresa. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples,” is Ms. Kern’s favorite. “ I love the quote, her story, and the idea each one of us can contribute to improving the world,” Ms. Kern said.

April Paulin, admissions officer, submitted one of her favorites, “Tell someone you love them today, because life is short. But shout it at them in German, because life is also terrifying and confusing.”

A framed note in music teacher Melinda Baum’s classroom extols music’s connection to math and history and other disciplines, and then continues: “Music is all these things, but most of all,

Music is art. That is why we teach music … So you will be human. So you will recognize beauty.

So you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world. So you will have something to cling to. So you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, more good — in short, more life.”

Meg Hayne has posted a quote by John Piper. “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.” “I love this quote for the sheer fact that I can so easily get caught up in my struggles and forget that the God that created the universe is working miracles on my behalf all the time,” Ms. Hayne said.

Jill Iwanuk, third-grade teacher, said her favorite quote isn’t posted, but there’s no need because she says it all the time. "You get what you get, and you don't get upset." “It's my way of helping students to be content with what they have,” Ms. Iwanuk said.

Anyone who walks down to Carly Althauser’s room on the fourth floor will see one of her favorite quotes by historian and author Howard Zinn, which is taped to the windows looking into her room. "The power of a bold idea uttered publicly in defiance of dominant opinion cannot be easily measured." As a social studies teacher, Ms. Althauser oversees classes where students have the chance to debate issues and discuss what is involved in just governing. “I often encourage students to speak up for what they believe in — even if it seems like no one is listening or they won't be able to ‘win’ the argument,” Ms. Althauser said. “This quote by Howard Zinn perfectly captures what I'm trying to teach them about what it means to be an active citizen.”

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‘Impressive’ Start to Pull-tab Collection

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PIS teacher Pat Hallinan traveled to Manila in November. While there, she delivered the first installment of the soda can pull-tabs that were collected and donated by APIS students and staff this fall.

Ms. Hallinan, right, delivers pull-tabs donated by the APIS community to a representative of the Philippine Community Fund in Manila during the Thanksgiving break in November. The APIS NHS-sponsored collection of the pull-tabs will continue throughout the school year.

“She was very happy and very appreciative,” Ms. Hallinan said of the representative of the Philippine Community Fund, who received the donation of two bottles of the aluminum tabs.

“And she was very surprised they had come all the way from Seoul.”

The Philippine Community Fund, which works to prevent and end child labor and poverty in the Philippines, provides an education and meals for children, as well as health care and livelihood training for adults. One of PCF’s projects is to teach mothers of PCF students livelihood skills, like how to create items and sellable products using recycled materials such as soda can ring pull-tabs. Participants in the program create beautiful handbags, placemats, bracelets and other products from the tabs.

While Ms. Hallinan personally has collected the pull-tabs for years, she was pleased that the NHS at APIS has also adopted the collection as one of its service efforts this year. “This year's National Honor Society wanted to find different ways to support both international and local community,” said Lia Kim (Grade 10). “And PCF was an organization that was quite special because NHS was able to donate actual goods (pop tabs) that directly helped the impoverished Filipino communities. The whole idea that kids can get education and women can get jobs with our collected pop tabs showed us the power of small actions when they are gathered.”

“I was very impressed,” Ms. Hallinan said of the school’s response to the collection drive in just the first few months of school. She noted that it takes a long time to amass a significant collection because the tabs are so small. But she was able to deliver almost twice as many tabs as she had expected during her visit this fall, and she has high hopes for more.

Members of the APIS National Honor Society gather in front of the school with Ms. Hallinan, standing at left, after NHS members hand over the first installment in its collection of pull-tabs to assist the Philippine Community Fund. The NHS donation drive for the pull-tabs will continue throughout the school year.

Lia Kim (Grade 10) adds donated tabs to a bottle that teacher Pat Hallinan used to transport the donation to Manila.

Lia reports that NHS will continue its donation drive throughout the year. There will be two posters in the front lobby, one on the green board behind Mr. Ahn, and on one of the columns of the Christian Life Center. The poster says "Pull a Tab, Save a Life." There is a plastic bag attached to the poster for students to drop in their donations.

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Compliments to the Cooks

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t’s easy to take it for granted — that hot lunch offered every school day at APIS. But it is a Herculean task to daily plan for, purchase and then steam, slice, saute and sort that food into a nutritious and appealing meal, timing it just right for the hundreds of students as well as faculty and staff members who are oh-so-ready to eat.

Hyang Jin Kim is the nutritionist of the APIS school cafeteria heading the staff that takes on this challenge every school day.

In a recent J&J survey, APIS diners were given the chance to name their favorite items on both the international and the Korean menu lunch choices. The chicken cutlet, mashed potatoes and tomato spaghetti were listed as favorite international selections, and oyster sauce garlic chicken, dumplings and “almost all noodles” topped the Korean menu options, Ms. Kim said. It takes a massive amount of food to keep up with the school’s young appetites.

Brian Beatty, who works in CLC communications and APIS audio/visual support, is a particularly enthusiastic diner at the school cafeteria, citing the jap-chae, bibimbap and chicken curry entrees as among his favorite meals. Several times this year he has posted a photo of the school lunch that day on Facebook to show what a good deal he is getting here.

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“From a Western perspective, what is offered here is much better” than what I would get in a school lunch in the United States, Mr. Beatty said. “It’s healthier, well-balanced. There’s a good variety. And I love that there is a Korean option and an international option to choose from, because it helps expand my [culinary] horizons.”

Once a month, the cafeteria staff takes on a special challenge and offers a World Food Day, featuring foods from another country. For the rest of this school year, a World Food Day will be offered every month beginning in March. In January and February, students will have a chance to play traditional Korean games and also have a taste of Korean traditional desserts.

Enjoy your Ms. Kim said it is a good work day for her and the rest of the staff when teachers and students seem to have enjoyed an event that the cafeteria staff had worked for or when they enjoyed lunch so much that there were less leftovers. Friendly “hellos” and “thank yous” from the students and staff are welcome to the hard-working crew. It makes their day, however, Ms. Kim said with a smile, when students and teachers take the time after the meal to compliment the staff on how good lunch was.

Lunch !

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T

C heck Out

the New e-Books!

hroughout the school year, the APIS Library and Media Center purchases e-Books based on student requests. This past semester, a total of 117 e-Books were added to the library collection and here is a partial list. Browse through to see what’s now available or search for a book at www.apislibrary.seoul.kr. If students can't find books they would like to read, contact the librarian and submit a request form!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender Bad Science: Quacks, Hacks, and Big Pharma Flacks by Ben Goldacre Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus, Book 5) by Rick Riordan The Call of Cthulhu by H.P. Lovecraft The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau Complete Poems and Tales by Edgar Allan Poe The Diamond of Darkhold: The Fourth Book of Ember by Jeanne Duprau Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja by Marcus Emerson Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley's Journal by Jeff Kinney Doll Bones by Holly Black Dreamland by Sarah Dessen The End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail by Avi Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene Four: The Initiate: A Divergent Story (Divergent Trilogy) by Veronica Roth The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm Girl, Stolen by April Henry Heavy Hitters by Mike Lupica The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron Hollow City by Ransom Riggs How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating 100 Things To Do Before You Die by Christopher J. Smith The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini Leafpool's Wish by Erin Hunter The Lemonade Crime by Jacqueline Davies The Lost Symbol: Featuring Robert Langdon by Dan Brown Mansfield Park by Jane Austen The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids by Alexandra Robbins Payback Time by Carl Deuker The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky The Shade of the Moon (Life As We Knew It Series, Book 4) by Susan Beth Pfeffer The Shining by Stephen King The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares Smile by Raina Telgemeier Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Swagger by Carl Deuker 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne's Book of Precepts by R. J. Palacio Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Timmy Failure Now Look What You've Done by Stephan Pastis True Legend by Mike Lupica Visions: The Secret Watchers by Lauren Klever War of the Whales by Joshua Horwitz What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

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What Are We Reading?

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everal months ago, APIS 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, to be published in different installments. The final recommendations are included here. Next month, students in the fifth-grade classes will offer their reading recommendations. Other grades that would like to suggest reading material through this newsletter are invited to contact the communications office to arrange that space.

I recommend “Cloud Atlas” by David Mitchell. I haven't been that engaged in a novel in years. It's suspenseful, thoughtful, and unique in every possible way.

- Rob Sim, English/Recording Studio Teacher *High school age and older

I recommend “Guess How Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney. This book is so simple yet it contains the core of what life is about ... to show how much we love each other.

- Judy Park, First-grade Teacher *All ages

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One of my favorite books is “The Lost: A Search for Six in Six Million” by Daniel Mendelsohn. I read it about seven years ago, and when I finished it, I went through that experience that I love (and hate) about really good books — I feel like I'm lost without it, and I wander around, not sure what to do with myself. We learn at the beginning of the book that Mendelsohn's relatives died in the Holocaust; the book is about his attempt to find out as much as he can about them — which ultimately is not a lot. The Holocaust is a thoroughly covered topic, but what makes this book different is Mendelsohn's level of obsession with finding even the smallest of clues about his family. He does not end up with a full story, but that's what being a historian is all about: being satisfied with the scrap of a detail that hints at what life was like. It's a personal narrative and is touching and heartbreaking, but it's also a detective story with a bit of suspense that keeps you hooked.

- Carly Althauser, Social Studies Teacher *High school age and older

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Capital Campaign Update

W

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

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