Issue 33 APIS Update September 2015

Online

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ISSUE 33.

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IN THIS ISSUE:

■ Peace Day Celebration ■ Secondary Retreat ■ Volleyball Season

IN THIS ISSUE:

■ College Information Night ■ Elementary Chinese & Japanese ■ ■PTO Meeting Faculty Retreat

■ Fall Extracurricular Activities

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Getting Guidance

Guidance counselor Jodi Nielsen, left, works with Eliot Kim, Janice Oh, and Jensen Lee (all kindergarteners) on a poster about good playground behavior. At right from top, fifth-graders work together with kindergarteners and share strategies for dealing with frustration.

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ne Monday morning in September, Kim House and five of her second-grade students sat around a large yellow sheet of paper. Together they were creating a poster about listening skills. The paper was covered with words and drawings.

“Body still!” suggested Joshua Oh, one of the students.

“Good one!” Ms. House said, and asked a student to add it to the poster that already had notes about “eyes forward” and keeping quiet while someone else is speaking.

The poster project was part of the class’ guidance lesson for the week, led by guidance counselor Jodi Nielsen. All elementary classes at APIS fourth grade and younger get one guidance class a week with Ms. Nielsen, and the fifth grade gets a class every other week. Ms. Nielsen says the lessons are designed to give students “steps they can take when there’s a strong emotion they have, to solve problems, and how to deal with bullying.” To teach these lessons the Counseling Office looks at student needs and uses resources such as the Second Step program, a curriculum created by the Committee for Children (see http://www.cfchildren.org/second-step).

Managing emotions; problem-solving and having enough self-control to actively listen to someone else; having a can-do attitude rather than a defeatist one — APIS recognizes that these and other social and emotional life skills rank right up there in importance with the academic skills of solving a

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Getting Guidance

Joyce Kim (Grade 5), left, and Ethan Ho (Grade 5) far right, share their ideas with Arianna Kim (Kindergarten).

math problem or writing an essay. The goal is for the students to learn strategies for dealing with these emotional roadblocks and, as they get into the upper elementary grades, to teach those strategies to others and take action using those strategies. For instance, for the action component of their lesson on dealing with frustration, the APIS fifth-grade students visited the kindergartners in September and, after breaking into small groups, taught the kindergartners about strategies that help deal with frustration. Together, the older and younger students made posters about those ideas. The fourth-graders took action on guidance lessons in their class by creating a document on how to effectively solve problems with friends. Then, they shared the document with their parents, so that their parents know how to help out at home with positive communication.

Sarah Wood, teacher for the fourth grade, said her students remember these guidance lessons and refer to them outside of the times that Ms. Nielsen comes to the classroom. “They’ve done things like say, ‘Remember, we shouldn’t solve a problem with blame.’ [The classes have] an impact on them reflecting how their words affect other people,” Ms. Wood said.

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Parents can support this aspect of their child’s education at home, Ms. Nielsen said. She noted that when parents observe their child struggling with an emotional or social problem, parents can help by sharing their own experiences and how they deal with it. “Verbalize your healthy problem-solving with your kids,” she said.

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What Would a Peaceful World Look Like?

By Jeff Underhill, Grade 5 Teacher

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n 2001, filmmaker Jeremy Gilley sought to create a day of peace for our world. As a result, Sept.

21 is now officially Peace Day, endorsed by the United Nations and celebrated worldwide as a day of ceasefire and learning.

“Peace One Day Education aims to inspire young people to become the driving force behind the vision of a united and sustainable world by advancing active learning in the areas of reconciliation, intercultural cooperation, and global citizenship — using Peace Day 21 September as its focus.” (source: http://PeaceOneDay.org) On Peace Day at APIS, the third, fourth, and fifth grade students performed a Peace Day drama, teaching about conflict and peace through six skits. Fifth graders portrayed scenes from the SpanishInca War of 1532, teaching about steel technology and its deciding role in that battle and military conflicts since, as well as the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592 and the ensuing peaceful friendship of the two countries. Fourth graders taught about the Korean War and Korea’s present situation as a people divided, as well as community and how we can all be peaceful by spending more time together. Third graders taught about kindness and how to handle interpersonal conflict in a peaceful way.

Following the Peace Day drama, the young peacemakers enjoyed leading Peace Day activities for younger students, playing games, reading aloud books on peace, face painting peace symbols, and creating peace cards, bags, and bracelets.

The goal of our APIS Peace Day 2015 celebration was to bring awareness to our world’s need for peace, and that peace begins inside of each one of us. Students came away from Peace Day with a deeper awareness of conflict and peace, and a growing understanding of our role as global citizens.

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It’s Debatable

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hen David Lee (Grade 12) was a young boy and he or his older sister, Jennifer Lee (Class of 2015, co-salutatorian) got in trouble at home, their parents believed that it was important to let their children have a chance to explain themselves … to make their case … before passing down judgement. And whether David had a natural gift or he just learned quickly as a self-protective mechanism, he proved to be a star at this exercise. He was adept at proving his point, shooting holes in other people’s version of a situation, explaining his innocence, and, thereby, lessening his sentence.

David Lee (Grade 12) was named one of the top 24 high school debaters in the country by the Korea Forensics League.

“I think that trained me somewhat,” David said, smiling. “I like nit-picking, arguing.”

In addition to keeping him out of trouble as a young boy, the skill, which he has honed through years of practice and hard work, has earned him a notable honor as a high school debater. He started learning about debate in seventh grade when he was attending school in California in the United States. He began competing in the art in eighth grade at APIS when his family moved to Seoul. And this year, in mid-September, it was announced that David was named one of the top 24 high school debaters in the country by the Korea Forensics League. From that group of students, a team of five will be selected to represent South Korea at the World Schools Debating Championships, which will take place in Stuttgart, Germany, this summer.

“Having a student of David's caliber in debate is a true treat because he possesses the unique ability to understand arguments, analyze them, and find the fallacies in reasoning quickly and almost effortlessly,” said Sarah McRoberts, APIS debate coach. “In class and after school, he works to improve his own skills as well as motivating and encouraging his fellow debaters. I could not be more thrilled that he has achieved this honor.”

David said that his strength as a debater is “recognizing weakness and exploiting it.” Even when he is not debating, he can be maybe too blunt, he said. He prefers to focus on the logic of a problem or argument over the emotion attached to that problem.

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He has been a leader in debate at APIS. Karl Craton, faculty sponsor of the APIS debate club last year, noted that David not only devoted a lot of time to his own practice, he spent a great deal of time teaching other students. “He knows a great deal about the subject and he puts a lot of time and effort into it,” Mr. Craton said.

In addition to debate, David has been involved with the Model United Nations program at APIS, as well as the business club and Mock Trial group.

His future plans include attending college in the United States and pursuing a career in either law or computer science.

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Students Asked at Retreat:

What is the Most Important Thing?

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t was a fun trip with a serious message. APIS high school students, along with administrators and high school faculty, traveled to Gangneung on the east coast of the country for a three-day retreat Sept. 9 to 11 at the Korea Women’s Center. The weather was perfect, allowing plenty of time on the beach and outside activities like fishing in a stream and a cave hike.

The three days were also an opportunity for students to get away from the books and classroom and focus on relationships with classmates and teachers and also their relationship with God. There were four chapel sessions during the trip. APIS Director Dr. Euysung Kim spoke first, elaborating on character and integrity — two aspects of the APIS vision — and how God loves us so much that He made a way for us to have a relationship with Him through Jesus. In his first trip to Korea, Steve Todd, dean of residential life and chaplain at the APIS Hawaii campus, was the guest speaker for the remaining chapel sessions. Pastor Todd encouraged the students to consider what is the most valuable or important thing in their life. Is it family, money, education, fame, acceptance … their eternal soul? “I want to get the kids to think; for them to engage and think,” Pastor Todd said before the retreat. He suggested that our eternal soul is the most important thing in our lives, and if we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, placing Him first in our hearts, then we need to learn to walk by the Spirit so that God can produce in us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

“It begins with a relationship with Jesus and grows through walking with Him,” said Ward Milligan, APIS director of Christian life department.

The retreat also fostered relationships between students and with teachers. For instance, the SRC hosted a fun night for all the students on one night of the trip. SRC put together four stations from which students could choose — a dance, game, movie, or table tennis station. Students were allowed to move between stations and were encouraged to relax and just enjoy themselves.

“To me, the chance for the kids and the adults to spend time together outside of school in a fun and engaging atmosphere was the highlight” of the retreat, said Sarah McRoberts, one of the SRC sponsors. “It gave the new teachers a chance to meet more of the students and vice versa.

I had the chance to visit with students and see them in a way I don't usually get to.” Pastor Todd also said the SRC event was his favorite part of the retreat because it gave him a chance to interact with the Seoul campus students.

Ms. McRoberts also made a point of noting that her bus’ team, “Team Doogae,” won the bus challenge by answering questions the fastest, getting ready on their bus the quickest, and winning hula-hoop/dice game competitions. “Oh, and the seniors were crushed, decimated, and destroyed,” she said.

“It was a fun, full time,” Pastor Todd said. “We had a blast.”

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Secondary Retreat

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Hig h mid light of dl ret e sch rea ool t

This year, middle school students had a retreat separate from high school students. Various activities were organized and focused on team building and personal character development. The highlight of the middle school retreat was the day trip to Mirinae Camp, where students participated in orienteering and a high ropes course!

Students Starting Something New

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s a junior at APIS last year, Ellen Lee (Grade 12) started to realize how close she was to graduation and the point where she would have to put high school activities behind her. Those activities have included performing in the school’s drama productions and playing the violin, an instrument she has practiced since the first grade. In addition, Ellen is interested in the Model United Nations (MUN) program, a student-led simulation of the work of the United Nations. “You can get some basic knowledge of what is happening in the world,” she said. “You can learn how to make deals … It helps with communicating.”

Her interest in MUN is fairly new. Ellen had only been involved for a couple of years, serving first as a delegate and then as head chair of a committee. But, in her junior year she said her schedule didn’t allow her to be in the MUN program at APIS. So, thinking that it might be her last chance to participate, Ellen and 15 other high school students from APIS and other schools throughout Seoul teamed up to start their own unofficial MUN-like conference, which they named the Seoul Youth Model United Nations (SYMUN). SYMUN held its first conference — a two-day event in August at the Seoul Olympic Parktel in Jamsil. Ellen served in the top spot, as the conference’s secretary general. Fellow APIS student Harry Park (Grade 11) was the deputy secretary general.

Also from APIS, Julia Kim (Grade 10) served as deputy chair of the UNESCO committee, and Andy Lee (Grade 12) was a delegate member in UNESCO as a China representative.

Ellen said the experience went beyond her past MUN participation, because the students also had to deal with finding a sponsor for the event, marketing, and interviewing prospective participants. It was challenging because “no one knew about who we were.”

Ellen describes the first conference as a small but strong start. Compared with a previous conference she attended in Incheon where more than 200 delegates participated, the SYMUN meeting included only about 60 middle and high school student delegates. The SYMUN event also only included three committees. “Normally, there are more than 10,” Ellen said.

Nevertheless, participants encouraged the student organizers to offer more events. And the second SYMUN conference is now planned for February. Ellen is now serving as special adviser for SYMUN. Harry is the new secretary general.

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V lleyball Season Outlook

Varsity Girls

At the start of the volleyball season, we had every girl set a team goal and an individual goal. While I was surprised by the simplicity of "winning a game" or "spiking the ball" or "learning to serve overhand,� I was doubly impressed and inspired by their goal to play as a team. Their camaraderie and commitment to the game is a testament to the kind of girls these athletes are. We have improved a lot in several facets of the game, and the girls are beginning to understand the pace and aggressive offense that volleyball success requires. When a team is young and inexperienced, one cannot measure the success of a season solely by the win-loss re cord, but by the growth, competitive spirit, and commitment of the girls. To that end, we are having a great season.

I look forward to the day their confidence matches the outcome of that first win!

Vivian Bleecker, head varsity volleyball coach Our volleyball players are an awesome group to work with. I have been really impressed with how much the team has already improved from the beginning of the year. I am looking forward to seeing how much more we can improve. I think that is going to turn into more wins this year!

Ryan Murfield, assistant coach

Our boys volleyball team has shown a lot of tenacity and dedication this season. We have a young team but they don't let their inexperience stand in the way. We have been competitive in every game thus far and we have made great strides. The positive attitude that our boys continually demonstrate has been infectious and as a result they are a very fun team to be around. You can often hear us cheer "family" in the huddle before each game, because that is who we are, one large hardworking family.

Jeff Woodrow, head varsity volleyball coach

Varsity Boys I am proud to be working with such a great group of guys whose primary goal is to get better every game. We have really come together as a team this year to grow and learn as a family. My hope is that we leave everything out on the court every game. Win or lose, I want to walk away knowing we gave all we had.

Brett Askinas, assistant coach

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Volleyball Game Schedule 10/7: APIS vs. CI (@ CI) 10/14: APIS vs. KIS (@ KIS) 10/24: Junior Varsity Tournament (Girls @ Osan, Boys @ TCIS) KAIAC Volleyball Finals (Girls @ GSIS, Boys @ SIS)

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Making Physics ‘Very Tangible’

Sarah Yoon (Grade 11), Erin Oh (Grade 11), and Grace Kim (Grade 11) position the S2 robots for a test.

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tudents in Charlie Nichols’ honors physics class pulled the red robots out of their boxes at the beginning of class. The lesson that Sept. 1 morning was on graphical displays of motion, specifically the position-time graph. The students were asked to use the robots to create graphs that illustrated each robot’s distance variable, which was individually programmed into the robots by Mr. Nichols.

“It’s a hard concept,” Mr. Nichols said of the position-time idea. But the S2 robots, made by by Parallax in California and purchased by APIS last year, were going to help. “First, [using the robots] takes this conceptual thing and turns it into actual motion. Makes it very tangible. Second, it allows for an immediate check if they are right or wrong.” Mr. Nichols said, as the students positioned their robots on the classroom floor and watched as they rolled slowly, coming to a stop at a point that the students carefully measured and then graphed their results.

Was this a hard assignment? “Not yet,” said Grace Kim (Grade 11) with a laugh near the beginning of class. “Three, two, one … “ Grace said, as she and her partner flipped the switches on their robots and then watched them roll, exulting when the robots stopped at the same point.

Mr. Nichols assigned the teams a variety of graphs on their results and then on the class’ results all combined. “Which group has the fastest robot, and how do we know?” he asked. “Let’s rank them from fastest to slowest.”

Mr. Nichols said he plans to use the S2 robots frequently in his physics class this year. They will be used for two units on motion and when the class studies vectors.

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AP Studio Art Attends Korea's First International Portfolio Review

By Meg Pendleton, Secondary Art Teacher

Martin Kim (Grade 11) speaks with a representative from the School of Visual Arts in New York City about their offerings in the field of fine arts.

Michelle Suh (Grade 11) and Yea Kyoung Lee (Grade 11) happily pose with their portfolios after a successful afternoon of interviews at the International Portfolio Review.

Andy Lee (Grade 12) interviews with an admissions officer from Syracuse University, a liberal arts college with a very strong fine arts program.

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n Friday, Sept.18, ten of APIS' most prominent artists traveled to Seoul Foreign School for the first ever International Portfolio Review. More than 20 art schools and universities were present at the event, including the School of Visual Arts (NYC), Savannah College of Art & Design, MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art), and Parsons School of Art & Design.

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Students spent the afternoon interviewing with the schools, who pored over the students' art portfolios, offering advice and compliments on the work at hand. Michelle Suh (Grade 11), who attended the event said, "It was a great experience and also good practice in being an artist because if you pursue art, you have to get used to critiques and convincing other of your work so that others can understand."

Multiple schools pulled Ms. Pendleton aside to discuss the artistic talent at APIS, mentioning how well-spoken our students were and how impressive the work was, especially from a group made up of mostly grade 11 students. The event allowed students to attend presentations from the art schools and universities alike, helping students to make that all-important decision of whether to pursue art school purely or apply to a larger university art program, allowing for greater size of student body, available courses, and diverse experiences. The event was a great success and APIS hopes to attend once again next year.

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Getting an Invitation to the Dinner Party

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Martin Walsh, a U.S.-based college counselor offers advice to APIS parents and students during a special lecture, as Dr. Euysung Kim, APIS director, translates.

ow does the college acceptance process work? How can it work for you? Martin Walsh, a U.S.-based college counselor who has had an extended consulting relationship with APIS, talked about these questions when he spent several days at the school in early September. Mr. Walsh met one-on-one with APIS parents and students and also lectured on the college admissions process during his visit, drawing on his experience working in undergraduate admissions at both Stanford University and Santa Clara University in California.

During his discussions about the business of getting into college, Mr. Walsh noted that very large, public universities in the United States sometimes admit students based almost totally on numeric measures — grades, SAT/ACT scores. However, college admissions officers at U.S. colleges and universities that are smaller and have the resources to be more selective use a holistic approach to admissions. In addition to grades and test scores, the student’s application is considered based on “the whole person,” which is reflected in things like teacher recommendations, essays, interviews, and extracurricular activities. What are the implications of this for APIS parents?

“You want to make sure your kids are doing something beyond just the numbers,” Mr. Walsh stressed. “Good grades are wonderful, but that’s just one piece.”

For instance, he noted that he has heard of students devoting their entire summer before their senior year only to studying for the SAT or ACT. “I think that’s a little bit of a lost opportunity,” he said, suggesting that volunteer work, an internship, or work on a non-academic skill would be more compelling to admissions offices.

In addition to looking for students who get good grades and do interesting things, there is a particular “type” of student that each school values and is searching for. “Each school will have a unique evaluation process,” Mr. Walsh said. One school might be looking for what they call “intellectual vitality,” another might identify their ideal student as one typified by purpose, passion, and meaning. “It can feel very mysterious,” Mr. Walsh said. He explained that from the point of view of an admissions officer, the decision process can be “a little bit like a dinner party. Who do you want to invite and sit next to?” And the tone of every dinner party is just a little different.

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College Information Night Mr. Walsh encouraged APIS students to see the essays required in the college application as a great chance — a chance to express their passion, their “authentic voice,” a chance to elaborate on what they’ve learned in their extracurricular activities. He described an essay he remembers that was written by a student applying to Stanford. The student wrote about how he’d spent the summer rebuilding a car engine. Mr. Walsh was impressed. The essay revealed a student who was a learner, a self-starter, a person who had a passion for mechanics. That student was recommended for admission.

Mr. Walsh also presented during a workshop on teacher recommendation letters.

The teacher’s letter of recommendation is another powerful message about the student, according to Mr. Walsh. So, students should ask for those letters from teachers who really know the student and can comment on the student’s engagement with learning. And students can help generate good comments in those letters by being enthusiastically involved in their classes. Participate, raise your hand, get involved in the discussions, he suggested.

Finally, Mr. Walsh suggested that APIS students shouldn’t keep their college search too narrow (it’s Yale, or nothing). There are more than 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States, and, out of them, “there’s a couple hundred real winners,” Mr. Walsh said. Not every student would thrive at Stanford or Harvard or Yale. Many would be overwhelmed and not even have a chance to shine. It’s not a dinner party that they should want to attend. The idea should be to find the college that is the best fit for the student.

Martin Walsh currently works as a counselor at the Harker School in San Jose, California.

Upcoming

College Visits

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Johns Hopkins University / Creighton University University of Missouri University of Colorado The University of Iowa

Hult Int'l Business School

Linden College Fair (21 colleges & universities) Swiss School of Tourism & Hospitality Binghamton University St. John's University Washington and Jefferson College

University of Southern California California College of the Arts W W W. A P I S . O R G

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Principal’s Note: Grades Are Not Everything!

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hen he handed me back the guitar I was impressed! Other than sharing a “good morning” every morning, I had never really spoken to this student.

I had been sitting outside playing the guitar and he had sat down next to me.

“Do you play?” I asked him.

“A little bit,” was his reply. As I handed him the guitar and he began to play, I smiled. This young man, who I knew nothing about, was a very good guitarist! After a song or two he handed the guitar back with a smile.

“This is the third time I’ve been here,” he commented.

“So I guess you weren’t really looking forward to it,” I replied.

“No. I love it!” was his response.

I was intrigued. “Why?” I asked.

“I get to be with all my friends and with classmates I don’t really know. It is a great time to get to know everyone,” was his response.

From Sept. 9 to 11, the high school travelled to Donghae, on the east coast of Korea and enjoyed the High School Retreat. With the theme of “APIS Live,” our high school students and their teachers were led by the Christian Life Department in three days of relationship building, cultural activities, and bigpicture questions. It was an opportunity for students and teachers to interact in a setting outside the classroom, to build relationships and to learn more about each other. It is an extremely important part of the school year, and an extremely important part of the education APIS provides for its students. It is an extremely important event that develops Aspirations, Perseverance, Integrity and Spiritual grounding. It has been the highlight of my year so far.

Every student who attended the retreat gained something invaluable, that I believe will have a positive impact on the rest of their year at APIS. While grades are very important, they are not everything!

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A Step Towards Better Communication

Parents gather in a circle to share opinions about the PTO leadership team during the first PTO meeting on Sept. 9.

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n Sept. 9, dedicated parents of APIS gathered at the Christian Life Center for the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meeting.

Principal Bruce Knox stood in front, welcoming all the parents and thanking them for coming together for the meeting. He reminded parents of the purpose and roles of the PTO and handed out copies of the PTO bylaws to assist new parents who were participating in the PTO meeting for the first time.

After Mr. Knox’s session, Mrs. Kyung Jin Hwang (Grade 12 Kenny Jang’s mother) and Mrs. Kyung Hee Lee (Grade 5 Somang Yang’s mother) explained how they came to think of forming the PTO after a couple of years’ gap. Following their short speeches, the meeting came to order with its first task: discussion about the leadership team. Parents gathered their chairs into a circle so that they could communicate with each other more effectively. They shared their thoughts on who the leadership team should be consisted of, and agreed that the leadership team should include parents in both the elementary and secondary divisions to maintain better interaction between the two divisions. They also had an intense discussion about the role of the leader, and how support from all parents can be a great help to the PTO.

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Many thoughts and opinions were exchanged. The PTO meeting of this year was a small, yet important first step for better communication at APIS.

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Extracurricular Activities

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2015 fall Activities

eginning Sept. 2, students could not wait to enjoy some fun time after school ended. This year, the extracurricular program at APIS varied even more: some students enjoyed learning Korean songs, while others developed technical skills by making stop motion video clips. Some students tried jump rope both individually and as a group, while others learned to help others through community service. Secondary students also enjoyed extracurricular activities such as the popular jazz band, and the recording studio art class. Artistic secondary students gathered at Ms. Pendleton’s room and created an art club to explore the world of art after school. The fun never ends at school — even after class is over.

Jump Rope for Heart

Elementary Activities

ES Lego

Video Club 16

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Fall Extracurricular Activities

Korean Song Class and Storytelling

ES Arts & Craft

Culture Exploration Club

Secondary Activities

Jazz Band

MS Girls Soccer

Chamber Orchestra

Recording Arts

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What is some advice you wish you'd had as you headed off to college?

Don't do your work at the last minute! Procrastination is dangerous because then you have to wake up at 4 a.m. to complete an assignment that's due at 10 a.m., and that's no good! The quality of your work really suffers if you aren't getting enough sleep or giving yourself enough time to plan and prepare for what you need to do.

Megan Vosk, ELA/social studies teacher (University of Virginia, majored in studies in women and gender with a minor in astronomy)

Get to know your professors. Go in for office hours, get help whenever you need it, or stop by their office to introduce yourself. You will be amazed at how many opportunities come your way with professors on your side!

Carly Shinners, mathematics teacher (University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, majored in math education)

Everyone always told me it would be the best years of my life — and they were right to a certain extent (although, quite frankly, the fun continues to this day). I'm glad my father told me to take chances and try things I'd never tried before. I met so many good people, had crazy experiences like hiking mountains at midnight under a full moon and hitting the mountain to ski every day after class, and watched hundreds of gorgeous sunsets off the art department fire escape with friends. Getting out into the great outdoors during your college years is something I would highly recommend to our students, especially coming from such an urban environment like Seoul.

Megan Pendleton, secondary art teacher (University of Vermont,majored in art education; Cambridge College for master’s in art education)

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Faculty Forum 1. Study hard.

2. Experience many things.

Jong Hwa Shin, general affairs in business office (Myungji University in Seoul, majored in business administration and public administration)

I wish someone had talked to me about what careers I could prepare for and how plentiful jobs in these areas were. I had no clear idea of how much I could earn or how much I would need to live. I was unaware of many possible careers that I might have liked. I studied in a field that had few if any jobs in the area of the country where I preferred to live. Out of college I took a low-paying job that I was overqualified for. Later I went back to college to study teaching, which did have jobs for me and paid more. When I first went, I truly did not understand how to approach college and make decisions about careers. … People would say to me, ‘Oh, you are good in art and music; study that,’ but that advice is too vague — what jobs could I get? At that time I did not want to teach in those areas, so what could I do?

You can't just study something with no end purpose unless you are independently wealthy.

Chris Kirkwood, kindergarten assistant, retired elementary school teacher (Willamette University, majored in music therapy; Western Oregon University, majored in education)

My advice to APIS students who will be heading off to college next fall is very simple — be prepared. Prepare yourselves with knowledge about the makeup of your university, the city it is in, and the region. You will be living there for the next few years, and it behooves all of you to do your due diligence regarding your new home. College should be a fun time, but at the same time, it will be a place where you will be working harder at your academics than you have ever imagined. Be prepared for what to expect, and make it the most rewarding time of your life. It is an incredibly exciting journey you all will be embarking on filled with memories and friendships you will make that will last a lifetime. Have some fun.. you earned it.

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SCHOOL-WIDE

Jim Bleecker, director of college counseling (Washington State University, has more than 60 post-grad credits from multiple universities and more than 20 fire service-related professional certifications)

Contribute a question The APIS Update staff plans to make the Faculty Forum a regular feature for the 2015-2016 school year. While we have many questions ready for forum topics, we also invite students to submit questions that they would like to see faculty, staff, and administrators answer. Whether a question is used is up to the editorial discretion of the Update staff, but we encourage Update readers to participate in the discussion. Email proposed questions to scraton@apis.seoul.kr.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

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Librarian's Pick: Celebrating Roald Dahl Day!

iss Trunchbull, the redoubtable headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School. Willy Wonka, the chocolate-making genius who relishes nonsense.

Aunt Sponge, who makes her nephew do all the housework without any free time. Have you ever heard about these characters?

Sept. 13 was the birthday of Roald Dahl, who created these characters. Each year, "Roald Dahl Day” is celebrated, and this year marked his 99th birthday. While there are many famous works of this beloved British author, this month we will take a look at books that help us understand Roald Dahl better. Ready or not, you will soon want to join the Roald Dahl fan club!

More About Boy: Roald Dahl's Tales from Childhood There’s no doubt that Roald Dahl was one of the world’s most creative storytellers. Where did Roald get his ideas from in writing “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “The Magic Finger,” “The BFG,” “The Twits,” “The Witches,” or “Matilda”? “More about Boy” will introduce you to the funny, insightful childhood memories of Roald Dahl, which helped inspire his creative works. Roald Dahl shares some of his life-defining moments; the death of his sister and father, his early years in boarding school, and the idyllic paradise of summer holidays in Norway. The book also includes dozens of amazing photographs and letters from his childhood.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More Roald Dahl is best known for his children's books, but did you know he also wrote a variety of cookbooks, teenage fiction, poems, plays, and short stories? “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More” is probably the best collection of Roald Dahl's short stories for slightly older age groups. The seven stories featured are “The Boy Who Talked with Animals,” “The Hitch-hiker,” “The Mildenhall Treasure,” “The Swan,” “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” “Lucky Break,” and “A Piece of Cake.” With Roald Dahl, you can never be sure where reality ends and fantasy begins.

D is for Dahl: A Gloriumptious A-Z Guide to the World of Roald Dahl Did you know that Roald’s parents were both Norwegian? Or the fact that Roald served in the Royal Air Force in World War II? Also that he spoke four languages: Swedish, Swahili, Norwegian, and English? This book starts with the question, “How much do you know about Roald Dahl?” It gives you some clues from A to Z. A is for Adenoids, B is for blabbermouth, C is for chocolate, and D is for Dahl….If you would like to know the ABCs of Roald Dahl, this is the book for you. The good thing about “D is for Dahl” is that you can start with any alphabet you want!

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W W W. A P I S . O R G EDITORIAL TEAM: ■ Euysung Kim Director ■ Nicole Suh Art & Design Editor ■ Josephine Shim Communications & PR Team Leader ■ Susan Craton Writing / Editing Staff ■ Soora Koh Communications Officer