Phoenix Flyer
2015/16 Issue 13
April 25, 2016
Korea International School
In This Issue:
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KIS True Aloha
SC The Last Great Race
ES International Day
MS Student Council
HS Global Issues Network
Forensics’ Successes
KIS Pride: Librarians
Peter Pan
KIS Spotlight
KIS Experiences True Aloha!
“Aloha!” We all know that this is a Hawaiian greeting,
but does anyone actually know the deeper meaning
of the word? In Hawaiian tradition, the word “Aloha”
holds within itself all that one needs to know in order
to interact with the world around them. Hawaiian children were taught that it was more than just a greeting;
it is a way of life, a spirit inside that inspires us to be
honest, truthful, patient, and kind to all life forms.
With this theme in mind, KIS hosted their “Hawaiian Luau BBQ” fundraiser on the G-Building Conference Hall patio as a fundraiser for the Nyaka AIDS
Orphans Project in Uganda. It was also a way for the
Elementary School, Middle School, and High School
students, parents and faculty to come together in unity to experience the true meaning of Aloha. The Student Councils of each school united together to plan
and organize this wonderful, campus-wide event that
turned out to be a huge success! Tickets to the event
included a BBQ dinner, games and booths run by the
Student Council students and teachers, and also a
white T Shirt to tie-dye in blue and white patterns for
our Phoenix Fridays.
Teachers and students ran a popular and highly competitive limbo competition, which was won by Sixth
Grader Tiffany, who bent in a way that was previously
thought impossible! There was a photo booth to take
selfies, and a tie-dying station that was both exciting
and educational. And, how can we forget Dr. Lovelin
and Mr. Rich, who sacrificed their lungs behind the
BBQ in order to pump out burger after burger and hot
dog after hot dog!
We even had our guest of honor in attendance, Jackson Kaguri, Founder and Executive Director of the
Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project. He became a pro at tiedying T shirts, and was helping others with theirs. A
big ‘Thank you!’ goes out to everyone who made this
event a possibility. Without you, the Luau would never
have been possible.
After all was said and done, and the last table was put
away, the Hawaiian Gods were smiling down at KIS
for not just saying Aloha as a greeting, but actually
experiencing the deeper meaning of the word through
our actions.
Trevor Cory
MS Student Council Advisor
1
Seoul Campus
Elementary School
Highlights
Books and Bites Club
“Today, we are going to eat dirt and worms in our
club,” Ms. Voss and I announce.
“EWWWW,” all the students in our club say.
Every year at KIS, we have awesome clubs that
help students learn, grow, and explore with new
hobbies and sports. This spring, Ms. Voss and I
are leading the Books And Bites Club with 30 PreKindergarten to Kindergarten students. We read a
book, and make a snack that relates to the book.
Last week, we read a book called Diary Of A Worm
by Doreen Cronin. In the story, the worm writes
about how terrible it is when it rains and he gets stuck on the sidewalk, or how awesome it is that he’s helping the earth by constantly digging holes. For the snack, students made “mud” out of pudding, “dirt” out of
Oreos, and they topped it all off with some worms!
We have made pancakes, toast, Saint Patrick’s Day cookies, and we dyed Easter Eggs! Each week, students ask, “What are we going to make today?” It’s so fun to see all of the students’ excited faces as they
come into club each week ready to learn and explore. This week, we are making pizza and reading Pizza At
Sally’s by Monica Wellington.
Natasha Riedel
SC Kindergarten Teacher
Teamwork And Good Sporstmanship
At The SIS Basketball Jamboree
On Saturday, April 9th, KIS Seoul Campus sent their Fourth
and Fifth Grade basketball players to compete in the annual
SIS (Seoul International School) Basketball Jamboree. Students had a whale of a time participating in the friendly competition, and we won three of the four games throughout the
day. The team of fearless hoopers improved their skills, met
new peers from other international schools, and worked together as a team using good sportsmanship in every game
they played. It was fun to watch them encourage each other
to do their best, as well as pick each other up with every challenge they encountered. Their skills on the defensive side of
the ball were ferocious and tenacious, as they swarmed every
team we played like a colony of yellow jacket bees. It was impressive to see the communication and teamwork skills they
displayed, as they didn’t allow more than 12 points to any
team during the entire tournament. We will continue to develop these defensive skills and strategies, as well as improve
our dribbling, passing, and shooting skills in preparation for
the KIS Pangyo Basketball Mini-Jamboree this Friday, April
29th. We hope you can join us this Friday for another fun day
of friendly competition and skills development!
Jeff Kordich
SC PE Teacher
2
The Last Great Race On Earth
Students in Grade Five have spent the past few months learning
about some very special athletes, both two legged and four legged, who brave the Alaskan wilderness in an annual race that tests
even the finest and most prepared contenders. The Iditarod Trail
Sled Dog Race, also known as The Last Great Race On Earth, is
a 1,049-mile competition created by Ray Redington Sr. and Dorothy Page to commemorate the historic gold rush and mail route
though the interior of Alaska.
To begin the Iditarod transdisciplinary unit, Grade Five students
read the novel, Woodsong, by Gary Paulsen: whose first-hand
account of running the Iditarod back in 1983 provided an eyeopening and entertaining account of his experience with his dogs.
Students researched the history of the Iditarod, and many other
facts about the mushers and their canine athletes, by navigating
the Iditarod site and completing a scavenger hunt. As students
familiarized themselves with the athletes competing in the 2016
race, they chose their favorite mushers and lead dogs, read their
biographies, and eventually followed them online via gps tracking and logged statistical data during the entire span of the race
(which begins the first weekend in March every year).
From a creative writing standpoint, students are currently reinventing themselves as future mushers; they wrote their own bios too, including their family backgrounds, education, careers, hobbies, and accomplishments. Students are also creating a short blurb about their lead dogs.
The students will take all of the information that they have learned from various sources, books, and their
experiences while following the race, to then write a journal entry from the perspectives of their lead dogs.
They are currently creating dog-like sock-puppets that will later star in live interviews set against video footage from this year’s race—thanks to our new green-screen room in the library.
And finally, for our Science Design Challenge, the students have been busy designing and constructing their
own sleds in teams. In this challenge, students were asked to construct a sled that could pull a load of 50
kg, with the least amount of force, across varying terrains. With little to no snow this year, we have had to
be a bit creative.
I have been covering the Iditarod in my classroom for ten years now, but I have never had the opportunity to
experience the event first-hand until this year. At the end of February, I packed my bags and headed to the
49th state to attend the Iditarod Educator’s Conference in Anchorage. There were various speakers presenting classroom ideas with a STEAM focus (Science / Technology / Engineering / Art / Math). These speakers included representatives from educational organizations such as NSTA (The National Science Teachers
Association). I learned a lot from my fellow educators, and I gained many new ideas for developing my unit
even further next year.
At the end of the conference, I had the opportunity to get even more of a first-hand experience via the Iditarider program. I bid in a silent auction to ride in a sled during the ceremonial start, and I won the auction!
This was truly a dream come true, and I can honestly say that I barely slept the night before the event. I rode
with musher Scott Smith during the ceremony, and then attended the official start of the race in Wasilla the
next day. We bid Scott and his team farewell at the end of the countdown, and watched with excitement as
his dogs pulled him out of the chute and down the trail.
Getting to spend time with a musher and his team of dogs, as well as learning first-hand how one prepares
and trains for this type of expedition, was truly fascinating. And the best part of it all was chillin’ with the
team and receiving lots of love from the four-legged athletes!
Jennifer Wright
SC Grades 3,4, 5 Math Teacher
3
4
Exporing Beyond The Walls Of The Classroom
An Early Years Trip To The Seoul Children’s Museum
On Wednesday, April 6th, the Pre-Kindergarten (PK) and Junior Kindergarten
(PK) classes from both Seoul Campus and Pangyo Campus set out to explore
the Seoul Children’s Museum in Children’s Grand Park. We had a sizeable
group of 35 students and 20 adults, and everyone was kept happily entertained
throughout the three floors of exhibits. We interacted with a wide range of materials and environments: from balls and bikes, to aliens in outer space. The
Seoul Children’s Museum encourages “self-initiated, experiential study” by the
students who come to visit, and that is exactly what happened. The children
laughed, explored, and learned through play throughout the museum.
The students had free range to do what they wanted in each of the differently
themed rooms. We started off in a room filled with balls, to explore air pressure.
From there, we headed into a Nature Room where we: listened to sounds of
water, touched rock surfaces, and saw ourselves become butterflies. Next, the
students got to apply their creativity in the Design Room, where they were presented with materials such as pom-pom balls, magnets, bottle caps, and more.
This exhibit had: a music area filled with pipes and pans, a dance area with ribbons and video, and a light
area that projected shadows and worked with translucent objects. Similarly, they applied their creativity and
imagination in the Housing Room, where they used materials to build walls and windows, lay a roof, and
decorate a home. They even had a child-friendly, motorized crane in this room! We could have spent all day
in the final exhibit, where the students got to play with water. Students squirted and splashed in the huge
tubs of water. Here, they learned to manipulate other materials by using pressure from water and air.
The Seoul Children’s Museum is perfect for this age group. The students had many opportunities to make
choices, apply creativity, and engage socially. They left with great memories. If you have children in this age
range, head to the Seoul Children’s Museum as a family! We will be sure to carry on this field trip in the years
to come.
Anna Sneller
SC Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Meredith Voss
SC Junior Kindergarten Teacher
Katie Ryther
Pangyo Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Kailyn McLean
Pangyo Junior Kindergarten Teacher
5
Pangyo Campus
Elementary School
Our 2nd-Annual ES International Day!
Highlights
It was a party of global proportions last Friday night, April 15th, as the Elementary School (ES) PTO celebrated its second-annual International Day. The students, who came to school proudly sporting special caps
that displayed the countries they identified with, grew more and more excited as the day went on, thinking
of all the fun to be had and the treats to be devoured!
Anticipation for the big event had reached a fevered pitch by mid-afternoon, and that is when the Third,
Fourth, and Fifth Graders were let onto the pitch to learn a bit about Gaelic football. Three members of the
Seoul Gaels Football Club came out to introduce the sport to our students and let them give it a try. It was
a real kick!
Our Pre-Kindergarten to Grade Two students tried to work out their energy on the playground, but by a
quarter to four, they were ready to storm the castle… er, the G Building! When the doors finally opened, the
reality exceeded the hype. Our students were able to “travel” all around the world in just a couple of hours.
Thirteen countries—all with KIS student / family affiliations—were represented, from the Alps of Austria to
the Alps of New Zealand, and many points high and low in between. Each country had crafts and activities
to try, and wonderful food to sample. There were so many things to see and do that it was a challenge to
do it all, let alone pick a favorite!
This celebration of diversity and togetherness was a truly delightful and authentic way for our students to
come together as a global community, and it was all made possible by the tireless efforts of our school’s
parent community! Dozens of moms and dads put
in countless hours preparing for the big event, and it
showed. And so we say: “Gamsamnida,” “‘Domo arigato,” “Dank je,” “cảm ơn bạn,” “Je vous remercie,”
“Danke,” “Dhanyavaad,” “K̄hx k̄hxbkhuṇ,” “Xièxiè,”
and “Thank you very much” to everyone who made
our ES International Day one to remember!
Travis Peterson
ES Associate Principal
6
Korean Folk Village
Last week, the First Grade classes took a
field trip to the Korean Folk Village as part
of their third-trimester transdisciplinary unit,
“Homes Around the World.” As part of this
unit, students are designing a home to meet
the needs of a specific family. They need to
take into consideration such things as the
family’s: culture, favorite activities, location
of the home, and number of children. Before they began to design their own homes,
they took some time to observe different historic residences in Korea, and then they discussed reasons why those residences were
designed that way. And what better place to
do that than the Korean Folk Village?!
Just kilometers from the KIS campus, the
Korean Folk Village was created in 1974 to
preserve and showcase traditional homes,
customs, and traditions that were all being
swallowed up in the wake of rapid development. Some of the buildings in the Korean
Folk Village are replicas of those from a bygone era. Others, like the homes from the
Joseon Period (1392 - 1897), are real houses
that were relocated to the Korean Folk Village site!
Students had a great time exploring the cultural village, as well as comparing traditional
farming homes, a nobleman’s mansion, a
governor’s estate, and other homes. They
were also able to watch a traditional farmer’s
dance and a horseback martial arts show!
Amy Cabaluna
ES Grade One Teacher
7
Fifth Graders Work Hard To Become The Next Martians
The Fifth Grade students at Pangyo Campus have spent the last month planning a NASA mission in hopes
of becoming the next Martians. The Fifth Graders were tasked with planning NASA’s next mission: a Mars
Rover set for launch in 2020. The students used real Mars data to create a logistics plan modeling NASA’s
critical Mars mission.
The Fifth Graders examined many factors in order to plan their mission for maximum success. They studied
Mars to determine where best to land the rover efficiently with regards to their exploration time. Students
also studied the gravitational differences between Mars and Earth, to understand how the rover might function differently under Mars’ lesser gravity. Also, Mars’ orbit is quite different than Earth’s. Students had to
consider these differences to ensure their rover landed at the correct time of year. Students also looked at
the rotation of Mars to ensure they helped NASA land at the right time of year.
After considering many factors, the students created a presentation that highlights their mission parameters.
They presented their work to Middle School and High School Science teachers, as well as putting their presentations on the internet in the hopes of evaluation by real NASA scientists.
Upon completion of all their hard work, students then took part in a Simulation Day to choose possible Martian astronauts. The KoLAB portion of the Simulation Day involved building chemical rockets. Looking at the
great work of all our students, it’s safe to say they were all successful in learning science.
Mike Bycraft
ES Science Teacher
8
Pangyo Campus
Middle School
Highlights
The Grade Six Elective Wheel
It is the fourth quarter of our school year, and the year
has flown by! We in The Wheel cannot believe how
much our Sixth Graders have grown throughout the
school year. As the year has progressed, students
have had a chance to sample so many new and exciting things. It is wonderful to see how confident and
competent they have become.
Throughout the year, Sixth Graders have learned to:
present persuasively, speak up in front of their peers,
work together as a team, give constructive feedback
and criticism, and perform for an audience. In Foundations Art, students learned the basic skills of drawing, painting, and how to use clay. Sixth graders also got a chance to experiment with 3D pens. They have
learned to use tools to build prototypes from repurposed materials. The value of identifying the deeper
problem to be solved has been introduced to these young students. Lastly, they have worked with basic
computer programming and web design.
We on The Wheel hope that, as Sixth Graders move onwards in the
Middle School, this year has given them a foundation to help make
each student a more well-rounded individual, and also given a taste
of all that they can do!
Candice Kim
Wendy Moore
Eric Nelson
Richard Poth
Grade 6 Wheel Teachers
Dr. David Lovelin
MS Principal
What Is Your Word Worth?
“People with great intentions make promises, but people with good character keep them.”—Anonymous
All parents want the best for their child. They want their child to be intellectually ready, financially secure, and
emotionally stable. Growing up, my parents constantly told me, “Say what you mean, and mean what you say.”
That message seems to be fading as social media seems to enforce any message, whether good or bad. Growing up, I knew what my parents’ words were, and I could recite them if asked. But, I didn’t truly understand the
meaning behind the message until I was in college—most likely because I didn’t have my parents in my ear as a
constant reminder to do something. While I don’t want to be a nag in your ear, I am here to remind you that good
values continue to be just that: good.
Keeping your word has many benefits, besides the happiness of the person you promised. It is a great sign
of integrity. It allows those around you to trust and rely on you. They know that if you say you are going to do
something, it will be done. With integrity comes respect from your peers and those around you ...not to mention
a burst in self respect and self worth. If one continues to “keep their word,” they will see an increase in personal
power as more doors open and opportunities arise, because others know that the job will get done if you’re on it.
So, I ask you: will you follow through on the next thing you ‘say’ you are going to do, big or small, even if plans
change?
For further reading on this topic, please see the Huffington Post (2013); “5 Reasons to do what you say you are
going to do.” Retrieved on Thursday, April 14th, 2016, from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/margaret-paulphd/keeping-promises_b_2519691.html
Dr. Elethia Rhoden
MS Counselor
9
Middle School: International Festival
The MS (Middle School) World Languages Department at the
Pangyo Campus hosted its first MS International Festival on
Thursday, March 24th. From 11:10 am to 12:10 pm, students
from Grades Six, Seven, and Eight participated in various
cultural activities. The following teachers worked with their
students to prepare for this large event: Mrs. Cho - Korean,
Mrs. Sellars - Spanish, Mr. Plamondon - French, Mrs. ZhouLunardo and Mrs. Li - Chinese.
The MS International Festival took place in the Conference
Hall of the G-building. It was divided into three large areas:
the upper lobby, the lower lobby, and the stage area. Booths
/ stations of two to three students were spread throughout
the three areas of the Conference Hall. Every student in the
MS who studies a World Language had an opportunity to
both run a booth for about 30 minutes as well as enjoy the
Festival as a participant for about 30 minutes.
The upper lobby had several photo booths where participants could: pose in front of the Eiffel Tower while wearing a
French beret and a fake mustache, take a photo with K-pop
stars, or try on traditional Chinese and Spanish clothing with
friends. The popular online educational game Kahoot! was a
favourite for many as they tried to get the highest score on
topics such as familiar French greetings or Spanish colors.
The face-painting booths were also quite popular.
The stage area specialized in activities that mainly involved
physical movement, such as: playing Spanish football by
maneuvering a ping-pong ball by blowing through a straw;
the Korean game Cham Cham Cham, where you have an
opportunity to hit your friend on the head with a plastic hammer if they move their head in the same direction as you;
the French game La Pétanque, that is very similar to Bocce,
where the goal is to throw your large ball the closest to the
tiny ball; and the Chinese game Jianzi, where players try to
keep a weighted shuttlecock in the air by using their bodies
(apart from their hands).
In the lower lobby, students prepared and ate various samples, from French crêpes to Spanish quesadillas to Korean
tteokbokki. They could even drink Chinese bubble tea. The
World Languages teachers asked that all the student participants earn the opportunity to eat or drink at the Festival.
The participants simply had to get a stamp on their passport
(that they made prior to the Festival) by participating at the
non-food booths. Once they earned a stamp, they showed
it to a student running a food booth and received a sample
to eat or drink. They then needed to get another stamp to try
another delicious treat.
The MS International Festival was a great success. The Fifth
Grade students and their teachers were invited guests who
enjoyed themselves immensely. Special thanks go to the MS
PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) and Dr. Lovelin for their
financial contributions to this great event.
Kim Plamondon
MS/HS French Teacher
10
Performances, Talent, And Charity: MS StuCo
The Middle School Student Council (MS StuCo) has had
another busy month as we: hosted an all-school Assembly,
performed our annual Talent Show (entitled “Produce KIS”),
and completed a Charity Project.
As usual, our Assembly was the talk of KIS, with our pinpoint
planning and amazing performances, including the Math Department’s final round of the “Math Olympics.” ...Not to be
outdone, our Talent Show was another huge hit! Our students performed admirably, and they were an inspiration to
everyone watching. Some of our teachers got to display their
singing skills, and I heard that Lorde Cory even made an appearance!
An important aspect of being a 21st Century school is providing authentic learning experiences that involve the local
and global communities. So, in these past two months, the
MS StuCo has been dedicated to service learning in Korea.
What better way to fulfill KIS’ Core Values of Global Citizenship than to get involved in local charities? The MS StuCo
was challenged with: choosing a charity close to their heart,
researching about that charity, fundraising 100,000 Won to
give, and volunteering at that charity for at least one hour. I
was amazed with the MS StuCo’s personal experiences and
positive contributions to making Korea a better place. They
blew away my expectations, and once again showed that
they are true leaders.
Trevor Cory
MS Social Studies Teacher
11
Pangyo Campus
High School
Highlights
First Korean Global Issues Network
(GIN) Conference
On Saturday, April 9th, six international schools in Korea,
including KIS, attended the very first Global Issues Network
(GIN) Conference at Seoul International School (SIS). Delegates from GIN KIS attended a diverse array of activities
from 8.30 a.m. until 6.30 p.m.
Twenty global issues were split into nine subtopics; (1) Deforestation, (2) the Digital Divide, (3) Education for All, (4) Global Warming & Electronic Waste, (5) Human
Rights of the Disabled, (6) Labor Laws / Labor Migration, (7) the North Korean Refugee Crisis, (8) the Poverty
and Food Crisis, (9) Water Pollution and Loss of Marine Life.
During the first part of the day, each school’s GIN club presented information about their club and highlighted some of their achievements. SIS discussed their international service program, which KIS GIN is excited
to begin our own version of next year. KIS GIN was proud to present their achievements from debating the
20 global issues during their KIS club time, as well as their creation of action plans to improve their work in
each area. These presentations were followed by a team-building exercise, so KIS students had the opportunity to work and collaborate with students from the other five schools.
In the afternoon, students were placed in mixed groups again to look more closely at the nine subtopics. All
of the participants were placed in subtopic groups earlier this year, so they had ample time to prepare information and ideas for their subtopic. Each group analyzed all of their information, and divided the issues into
local, national, and international impacts. They then strategized to produce practical solutions that could be
done by us as “global” citizens.
As a teacher, seeing the practical and intelligent solutions presented by the students was amazing! Each
group created well-researched, logical, pragmatic ideas for implementation. Initially, there was going to be a
vote to determine the best solution for implementation. But, due to the high quality of all the proposals, the
hosting SIS GIN Club is now debating the implementation of them all!
The next step is to follow through on their ideas, so as to make an impact on their planet. There will be status
checks for accountability and for progress.
Overall, this was an amazing first national GIN Conference, and full credit goes to SIS for organising a tremendous event. GIN KIS also deserves congratulations for their wonderful work and skillful collaboration
with the other GIN groups.
If you want to know more about GIN, see this link: http://globalissuesnetwork.org/learn-about-our-globalissues/ If you are interested in joining the KIS High School GIN club (year long), please email Mr. Kennedy
at [email protected] for more information and an application form.
Andrew Kennedy
Utility Teacher
12
College Counseling Sessions: Freshmen & Sophomores
Sophomores met with their counselor during Autonomous Blocks on Wednesday, March 23rd and Thursday,
the 24th. Freshmen meetings were held on Wednesday, April 6th and Thursday, the 7th. Career Exploration
was the main topic of discussion during these meetings. Students were also reminded of key goals for the
year:
• Stay on track with grades and classes
• Continue to be involved in extracurricular activities that you enjoy
• Take PSAT in October for Grades Ten and 11 (wait until Grade 11 to take SAT)
• Begin to explore careers that may interest you
Family Connection was introduced with a few activities. Students used the resume builder to keep track
of extracurricular activities and accomplishments for college applications. Sophomores completed two assessments: the Strengths Explorer®, and the Career Interest Profiler. Freshman completed the Career Cluster Finder. These assessments help guide students to potential careers and college majors. Students may
search for any career, not just careers in their assessment results. Hopefully, they discovered something new
to consider, while also affirming their current ideas for potential careers.
Career Cluster Finder (9th)
• helps students discover career clusters that are most interesting to them
• provides top-matching career clusters, overviews, and related careers / majors
• students can retake the cluster finder at any time
Explore Careers (9th and 10th)
• job descriptions to help students understand careers better
• matching interests, related occupations, and related college majors
• credentials, knowledge, skills, and abilities needed
• typical tasks and activities
• employment outlook and wages
Roadtrip Nation (9th and 10th)
• digital career exploration tool
• discover new pathways, interests, and ambitions
• includes more than 3,500 full-length video interviews
• diverse personal stories of leaders who turned their interests into their life’s work
• how successful people have overcome challenges and pursued endeavors that matter to them
• students learn from leaders and apply insights to their own lives
Check out “Getting Started with Roadtrip Nation in Family Connection” by Hobsons on Vimeo. The video is
available at https://vimeo.com/59094009
StrengthsExplorer® (10th)
• assesses ten talent themes
• identifies each student’s three strongest emerging talents
• explains their top-three themes
• discover how to build on their strengths
Parents also have access to the StrengthsExplorer Parent Manual in Family Connection.
Career Interest Profiler (10th)
• based on Holland’s codes (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional)
• identifies top Holland Code interest matches
• provides a “matching occupations list” with related college majors
Parents may view all of the above tools, and their student’s results, by logging into Naviance Family Connection.
Ultimately, we want students to be happy, productive, engaged, thriving, and successful in their colleges
and careers. We hope students gained a few ideas for majors to consider. We reminded students that it is
okay to be undecided on a major; however, it is helpful to identify a few areas of interest to explore. The
information that students recently gained will further help in the college search process which begins in their
Junior year.
KIS College Counseling
13
New AP Environmental Course For 2016 - 2017
Advanced Placement (AP) Environmental Science is an AP
course which will be implemented into the KIS High School
curriculum starting next school year. Students will be challenged to learn both inside and outside of the classroom,
and extend their learning to solve real-world problems. Mr.
Taylor, the AP Environmental Science teacher, has poured
countless hours into designing the perfect AP Envi Sci curriculum for us students, which consists of a total of eight
units. There is no doubt that this class will be both enjoyable and educational.
However, KIS has decided to take this new AP course a
step further, by proposing a joint partnership between our
school and K-Water. K-Water is the South Korean governmental agency for comprehensive water resource
development that provides both public and industrial water for the nation. Just last month, current Environmental Science students Willy (Grade 12) and myself visited the K-Water HQ located in Taejeon, alongside
Ms. Quirin, Mr. O’Connor, and of course, Mr. Taylor. There, further discussions about the partnership were
made, including reassurance as to how exactly this partnership would work. Furthermore, we took a tour
around the various facilities owned by K-Water, such as their water reservoirs, dams, and educational centers.
Amongst the eight units prepared for the AP Envi Sci curriculum, the Land And Water Use Unit as wells as
the Energy Resources, Transformations, And Consumption Unit can be further enhanced with K-Water’s
resources and facilities. Students will be able to take field trips to K-Water’s facilities, thus allowing them to
experience Environmental Sciences and Engineering hands on, rather than simply through a textbook.
But, how exactly would a partnership with K-Water change students’ learning experiences? No need to linger on, waiting for an answer. We were able to schedule an exclusive interview with Mr. Taylor on his views,
perspectives, and plans for the future of AP Envi Sci.
Q1: Why K-Water?
Mr. T: This has been a relationship we [KIS] have been working on for a year or two now. It started with a
relationship that Justin O’Connor, Principal of KIS’ Seoul Campus, developed with Mr. Max Kim, of Team
Max Adventures, who has done many of our EE trips. Justin and Max came up with a couple of field trips
that K-Water sponsored, that took Elementary School students through wastewater treatment plants and
drinking water plants. I think that’s been it so far. Then K-water offered to take twelve to eighteen kids on
a water sampling excursion in one of their reservoirs, but not enough students were able to sign up for the
trip. That’s when Michelle [Quirin] piped in and said there’s a new guy at the High School (me) who might be
interested, especially with the new AP offering. Anyway, that’s how this chance with K-water came to the
High School.
Q2: How do outdoor activities benefit students?
Mr. T: It gets them out of the classroom – where the real stuff is! Projects and problem-solving within the
environmental context have to take place outside, if possible. Almost any career in Environmental Sciences
and Engineering will have something to do with the outside, so getting kids out there in the real dirt and
water and air is essential to making the learning relevant, right? Schools and employers want hands-on
problem-solvers. So, outside is where you learn how to collect real data and interpret what they’re saying.
With the help of K-Water, students will gain access to the resources that we wouldn’t have had our hands
on, had it not been for the partnership. Students can expect to go on weekend field experiences, visit the
watersheds and reservoirs managed by K-Water, and even go on trips to learn field sampling methods and
analytical techniques. The possibilities are endless! We hope to see great things happen while engaging in
experiences beyond our expectations.
Leona
Grade 11 Student
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Phoenix Activities
KAIAC Chess: A Successful Final Tournament for ES, MS, & HS
KIS competed at the final Korean American Interscholastic Activities Conference (KAIAC) Chess Tournament
of the school year at Dulwich College Seoul on Saturday, April 9th; and they had a wonderful day. This was
one of the rare events that included students from Elementary School (ES), Middle School (MS), and High
School (HS). KIS was well represented with 20 students from across the three divisions. For the MS students, this was their second tournament; but it was the first tournament for ES and HS students.
Competing at this event for the first time, KIS ES students competed remarkably well. They scored many
victories throughout the day, which had a total of seven rounds. The time limit of each game was 15 minutes
per player. Originally, the tournament was intended for only Grade Four and Five students, but exceptions
were later made for younger students. All of our Grade Three students won at least one match, clearly showing that the Grade Three students were just as worthy of competition as higher grades. Emerging near the
top of the field was Benjamin (Grade Three), finishing the day with six points out of a possible seven points.
He was rewarded for his elite skills with a beautiful Second Place plaque. Congratulations to Benjamin and
all of the ES students who challenged themselves and had a successful day playing chess!
HS students (also participating for the first time in a tournament) had a total of six rounds, with a time limit of
25 minutes per player. All five KIS students scored victories, and two had standout performances. Jun-Hwuy
(Grade 12) and Jeonghyun (Grade 10) both finished tied for Fourth Place, just half a point out of First Place!
Clearly, the High School division was extremely competitive, with many highly-skilled players, so it was a
great showing by our KIS students.
MS students once again demonstrated the extent of their abilities in 20-minute matches over the course of
nine grueling rounds. As in the previous tournament, Justin (Grade Seven) and Kevin (Grade Eight) finished
First Place and Fourth Place, respectively. Kevin also finished just a half-point out of Second Place, which
came down to the final round of the tournament. Well done on having a great day with six points! And, once
again, Justin proved too tough for the rest of the players by winning all nine of his matches: the only player
to do so in the entire tournament! That now makes it two tournaments, two First Place plaques for Justin.
Yes, the future of KIS Chess looks very bright with so many talented players.
KIS plans to participate in all three KAIAC Chess tournaments next school year, with a goal of increasing
the number of participants across the three school divisions. Furthermore, KIS looks to get more involved in
KAIAC Chess by hosting one of those upcoming tournaments. As for this tournament, congratulations to all
of our chess players on a terrific day of representing KIS!
Javier Hernandez
MS Chess Advisor
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Forensics’ Successess: The Year In Review
It was an exciting end of the season for the Forensics team this year, as their ongoing rivalry with SIS (Seoul
International School) made for a photo finish.
The first three preliminary tournaments, beginning in October and finishing in March, make up the KAIAC
Conference Championship. (KAIAC stands for the Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference.)
The team won the first tournament here at KIS, but then fell significantly behind by dropping the second
tournament at SIS in November. This spring, our KIS team entered the third tournament at TCIS (Taejon
Christian International School) having quite a large deficit to make up, and students worked long and hard
to try to pull out the win. It was an amazing win at TCIS, with both Speech and Debate students pulling out
all of the stops. At TCIS, on Speech day, First Place trophies were brought home by Sara in Prose, Matthew
in Poetry, and Leona and Erica in Dual Interpretation. On Saturday, the Debate team dominated with a full
sweep (First, Second, and Third places) in Public Forum Debate (with Jessica and Ariel taking First place),
and Subin and Jay bringing home the First place in Parliamentary Debate. Unfortunately, while it was a
valiant effort, the team fell just short. Falling to SIS by a mere .04 points over three tournaments, the team
brought home Second place.
This month, on Friday, April 8th and Saturday the 9th, our KIS team came into the KAIAC Conference Championship Tournament at GSIS (Gyeongi Suwon International School) vowing revenge. They worked hard in
the weeks leading up to the final and most important tournament of the season, and finished the Speech
portion of the tournament strong. Once again, Sarah took First in Prose, and Leona and Erica took First in
Dual Interpretation. Katie also brought home a First place medal in Impromptu. The Debate team on Saturday fought hard, with Jessica and Ariel again bringing home the First place medal in Public Forum debate.
All told, the difference with the strong SIS team was once again less than one percentage point, but this time
it was KIS who came on top!
There was much to celebrate at the Awards Luncheon held last Thursday. The Most Valuable plaque went
to Amy, the Most Improved plaque to Jessica, and the Coach’s Award to Subin.
The KIS Forensics team proved once again this year their dedication and skill. Over the past three years, they
have brought home two KAIAC Conference Championships and two KAIAC Tournament Championships.
Including both Preliminary and Championship Tournaments, they have won ten of the past 12 tournaments!
With results like that, there can by no other word but “dominant” applied to this amazing group of students.
Jim Burwell
HS Forensics Advisor
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The Digital Education Show: Malaysia
I had the pleasure of presenting at, and experiencing, The Digital Education Show in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
on Monday, April 18th and Tuesday, the 19th. This was a conference with a clear theme and guiding question: how can schools progress further by implementing technology effectively in teaching and learning? By
the time I was walking away from this conference, I felt proud to be part of a school that is currently ahead
of the game compared to many schools and colleges that attended this conference in the Southeast Asian
region.
KIS is already using technology in the way that many schools are moving towards. So, I was able to share
my first-hand experience about the great work that teachers at KIS are doing in our classrooms, as well as
give advice on how other schools can move forward.
The organisers of the conference asked me to present on the following topic:
“Bring your own cloud.
How to leverage a multi-device ecosystem in order to support teaching and learning.”
I offered the attending educators three pieces of advice, which are essential when moving forward with a
multi-device ecosystem:
• A Solid Infrastructure
• A Solid Cloud Technology
• A Solid Professional Development Program
I focused primarily on the final piece of advice by giving examples of the effective work that the KIS Edtech
team is doing with the Fishbowl Professional Development Program. As a result, I was able to offer many
educators at the conference some practical advice on how they could achieve some of the great work that
KIS is doing.
The conference also offered some inspirational keynotes speakers, including the following three people.
Dato P. Kamalanathan, the Deputy Malaysian Minister of Education, spoke notably about the ever-changing
need for technology integration in teaching and learning. Jenny Magiera, a very inspirational educator, spoke
about the digital learning culture, and how failure is the key to success. Thirdly, Jim Latrache, the founder
and CEO of Equal Learning, gave his fascinating life story, including how being in prison has changed his
outlook on education—with the goal of enabling equality for all levels of ability.
My biggest takeaway was the knowledge that Korea International School is a school that other schools can
learn from. We can provide inspirational ideas, so that other Asian schools can move forward with integrating technology effectively in learning.
Richard Poth
EdTech Specialist
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Meet KIS Pride
#kispride
Interviews
From the March Madness Reading Tournament to the Poetry Out Loud competition, KIS has been active
with reading-related events recently. Behind these activities are the hardworking librarians of the KIS secondary library: Kristi Green and Sue Chong. Everyday, the library is filled with students searching for a good
book, finishing up their schoolwork, or even just printing off their homework with the library printer. To find
out more about the KIS secondary library and the people who work there, tenth graders Minji and Elizabeth
interviewed the two librarians:
MS/HS Librarian: Kristi Green
1. What is the best part of your job?
“The best part of my job is when a student is satisfied,
like they come back and tell me, ‘Thank you for the
help you gave me, thank you so much.’”
2. What is one of your favorite books?
“11/22/66 by Stephen King.”
3. What is a book you’d recommend to anyone?
“The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.”
4. How is the KIS library different from other libraries?
“The funding for the KIS library is so much more flexible, we can be very creative with programs. I love the
funding. A lot of money is invested for each pupil. So
right now, I have been planning an event called ‘Destress For Success’ for High School’s finals week. So,
we have massage pillows, aromatherapy, and music
to play on speakers like nature sounds… even a coloring station.”
Secondary Librarian: Sue Chong
1. What is the best part of your job?
“I love learning...Whether it’s from students, co-workers, and teachers.”
2. What is the worst part of your job?
“Discipline. I have to do my job and correct the students’ behavior… especially when they misbehave.”
3. What is your favorite book?
“Thousand Splendid Suns and Kite Runner.”
4. What book would you recommend to the high
school students?
“Both of those books! They’re my favorite.”
Minji & Elizabeth
Grade 10 Students
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Korea International School
SUMMER PROGRAMS 2016
Session I June 13 - June 24/Session II June 27 - July 08
Design Your Future at KIS this summer!
Don’t miss out on this summer’s expedition of active learning!
Calling all KIS students in Kindergarten through grade 8 - there is still space available for enrollment
in the 2016 Summer Programs. Students can enroll for the full four weeks or for Session I only (June
13 - June 24) or Session II only (June 27 - July 08). Participants will spend the summer completing
fantastic STEM based experiments and projects, building collaborative learning skills, hiking,
biking, swimming, and each Friday traveling to exciting locations around Seoul. ​Enroll today!
See the full schedule and the enrollment form by clicking the
Summer Programs link at ​http://kis.kr/
Eric Majors, Summer Programs Principal, can be reached at ​[email protected]
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- SAVE THE DATE Bazaar & Carnival
May 14, 2016 / 10 AM - 2 PM
@ KIS Seoul Campus
The Seoul Campus PTO is hosting our annual
bazaar to raise money in order to provide
enriching educational experiences for our PK Grade 5 students. Please join us for a fun day
of shopping, games, food and fun.
Fine Arts Week Mark your calendars for the last week of April! KIS will be having their annual Fine Arts Week, which is a time the school celebrates all the arts. The spring art exhibition (A Place where Dreams are Born) will be showing in the Conference Hall and the musical (Peter Pan) will be playing in the PAC. There will also be a Poetry Out Loud contest hosted by the English department on Wednesday. The Fine Arts department will be having various events and activities throughout that week so please take a look at the schedule below to see which one you can attend. Information about the events will be shared through Schoology. Monday 4/25 Tuesday 4/26 Wednesday 4/27 Thursday 4/28 Friday 4/28 Activity (during club/advisory for MS/HS) ES: Collaborative Environmental Art Installation MS: iClay sculpting HS: C
ollaborative Exquisite Corpse Installation ES: Collaborative Environmental Art Installation MS: 3D printing session HS: C
ollaborative Exquisite Corpse Installation Pottery: Throwing by PAC steps ES: Collaborative Environmental Art Installation MS: 3D printing session HS: C
ollaborative Exquisite Corpse Installation National Art Honor Society Induction Ceremony ES: Collaborative Environmental Art Installation ollaborative HS: C
Exquisite Corpse Installation Calligraphy Demonstration Pottery: Throwing by PAC steps ES: Collaborative Environmental Art Installation HS: C
ollaborative Exquisite Corpse Installation After School Art Show Reception Poetry Out Loud Contest MS: Painting Party Peter Pan Opening Night Peter Pan 20
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The Korea International School Theatre Department Presents
Thursday, April 28, 2016 @ 6pm - Friday, April 29, 2016 @ 6pm
Saturday, April 30th, 2016 @ 6pm
Advanced Purchase
Students & Teachers 7,000 / Parents 10,000
At the Door
Students & Teachers 10,000 / Parents 13,000
A Musical Based on the Play by Sir J.M. Barrie, Lyrcs By Carolyn Leigh, Music By Morris (Moose) Charlap,
Additional Lyrics By Betty Comden and Adolph Green, Additional Music by Julie Styne, Originally Directed, Choreographed and Adapted By Jerome Robbin
Peter Pan Is presented through special arrangement with Musical Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
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Korea International School
Korea International School
27 Daewangpangyo-ro, 385 Beon-gil, Bundang-gu
Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do
Korea, 13543
www.kis.kr