Korea International School

Phoenix Flyer
Korea International School
In This Issue:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
KIS Today with The Center
Student trips to Costa Rica & Morocco
Seoul Campus
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
Athletics
Admissions
KIS Today
International Language Teachers Unite: EARCOS at KIS
Last month, on August 22nd and 23rd, KIS hosted and EARCOS Weekend Workshop (EARCOS stands for
the East Asia Regional Council Of Schools). Both founders of the Creative Language Class, Kara Parker and
Megan Smith, lead the conference. It was very inspiring to hear from teachers from five other countries, as
well as six international schools in Korea, all working together in five languages!
The first day included a session on reworking traditional unit topics. We focused on culture as a means of
providing purpose for language-usage and exploring global perspectives. Teachers learned to break down
big, full-course goals into daily “Can Do” objectives. Later on that day, teachers discussed performancebased assessments. The aim here: allowing students to show their proficiency-growth in real-life situations.
Our second day started with the topic of improving cultural units. Using authentic resources, students can:
acquire necessary vocabulary; improve interpretive skills; and gain another perspective on the world. For
our finale session, teachers collaborated on effective assignments and projects. We focused on combining
language production with cultural experiences. We infused this topic with the critical incorporation of 21st
Century skills, including: voice and choice; technology; and problem solving for authentic practice.
One attendee enthused, after the workshop concluded, “This workshop is one of the best I have ever attended! The presenters taught us in a way that they want us to teach our students. Outstanding demonstration!”
Another teacher shared, “Their workshop was practical, relevant, and interesting. My colleagues and I are
excited to move forward in transforming our teaching and student learning!”
We believe our weekend was a great success for all involved. Our thanks also extend to EARCOS: for supporting us in making this workshop possible at KIS.
Traci Osterhagen
Director of
Teaching and Learning
2
School Spotlight
Pura Vida Immersion and Adventure: Spring 2016 Spanish Trip
Get ready for a spring break adventure like no other in beautiful
Costa Rica! Deadline for sign ups is Wednesday, September 30.
Contact Ms. Yousey if interested.
There is no better way to grow your Spanish language skills than
by immersing yourself in a Spanish-speaking country. You’ll be
having so much fun adventuring with your friends and classmates,
building relationships with your welcoming tico host family, engaging in meaningful community service, and exploring Costa Rica’s natural wonders... that you probably won’t even realize how
much you’re learning and growing in the process!
Not only will you be able to truly take your Spanish skills to the
next level, you’ll also gain invaluable insights and experiences
to guide you moving forward, as well as motivate your language
learning back at school. You will certainly set yourself apart from
the many students who learn a foreign language,
yet never have the opportunity to be fully immersed
in it! Learn what it means to be #sorustic this spring
break!
Annie Yousey Costa Rica | Mar 27th to Apr 2nd | $1,775 + Airfare
HS Spanish | 15 Service Hours| 24 Students
Moroccan Wanderer: Spring 2016 French Trip
Experience bustling cities, the great Moroccan outdoors, and rural life in the Atlas Mountains on this French
language and cultural adventure program. Visit the largest mosque in Africa in Casablanca and in Marrakech. Wander the UNESCO-acclaimed, 1,000-year-old market where you can watch snake charmers entrance
their cobras and vendors hawk their wares. See everything from whale vertebrae and acrobats, to ostrich
eggs and orange juice stands! Make new Moroccan friends while engaging in community service, bond with
your classmates, wander and wonder in the great Sahara desert. You can sandboard, hike, scavenger-hunt,
bargain in the souks, eat delicious authentic cuisine, dive into Moroccan culture and history, and have the
time of your life—all while fine-tuning your French skills!
As a former French colony, Morocco holds a rich French heritage. French is still the main language spoken in government, commerce, education, and medicine. More than 50% of the
population fluently communicates in both French and Darija (Moroccan) Arabic. Experience
the wonders of this breathtaking country, while absorbing the French language. This is sure
to be the French immersion experience of a lifetime!
Nordine Tebti
Morocco | Mar 26th to Apr 2nd | $1,795 + Airfare | 24 Students | Contact Mr. Tebti to register. HS French
3
Seoul Campus
Elementary School
Kindergarten Goes to the Dairy Farm
All of the Kindergarten friends from the Pangyo and Seoul Campuses ventured out to Yongin to Nongodwon Dairy Farm and attended
Milk School! We learned that the dairy products we all enjoy, such
as ice cream and cheese, come from milk——which comes from
wonderful cows! We even learned how to milk a cow, and learned
that the milk comes from its udders. We had a great adventure, experiencing first-hand what it takes to be a dairy farmer, by: milking a
cow named Elsa, bottle-feeding calves, and feeding hay to several
pregnant cows. Thank you, cows and dairy farmers, for providing
us with such delicious dairy products and wonderful memories too!
Mark Yu
Kindergarten
Fresh Made Salsa Right from the TOP!
To kick off September, Seoul Campus (SC) was
able to reap the benefits of its rooftop garden,
which was planted last spring. All of the SC students were involved in planting their own classroom boxes. Second, 3rd and 4th graders watered
the plants before school let out; and the cleaning
ladies were generous enough to maintain our garden boxes throughout the hot summer-vacation
months.
Our goal was simple. We wanted to have a Salsa
Party with what we grew. Each year, the rooftop
garden has blossomed better than the year before.
Teachers and students—especially 2nd and 3rd
graders—helped to prepare the vegetables, and
make the salsa from a recipe in their respective
stations. Putting our final product into containers
for all grades, our tasty treat was also given to our
SC specialists, business staff, and cleaning crew.
This type of event excites us: for what we can plant
next spring in our garden; and for what we can
hopefully produce and enjoy next September at
KIS. In addition to deciding on what types of vegetables we want to grow next spring, our SC Design Center has already begun thinking of improvements. The Center is considering ways to provide
more shade, and better uses for distributing water,
to all of our plants in the heat that Korea typically
has during its summers.
Tune in next fall to find out what delicious food the
rooftop garden has produced for KIS Seoul Campus.
4
Jamie Koch
Grade 3 Teacher
Highlights
Gaelic Gold At the 2015 North-Asian Games
Fourth and Fifth Graders had a whale of a time
this past Saturday, September 12th, playing
Gaelic Football at the 2015 North-Asian Games.
On Saturday morning, students traveled to Moonhak
Stadium in Incheon, where they later competed with
international schools from around the globe. Both of
our Fourth Grade and Fifth Grade teams did a tremendous job, winning first place in both divisions
at the tournament! Our KIS teamwork was amazing,
and each player demonstrated great sportsmanship
as we made our way to the championship games.
At the end of the day, the ambassador of Ireland—
Mr. O’Donoghue—presented each student with
a medal of participation. Mr. O’Donoghue also
awarded the Tournament MVP award to our veryown Sean Kang from Grade Four! Congratulations
to Sean, and all our KIS football players and family.
This was a memorable event for everyone involved,
and we look forward to doing it again next year!
Jeff Kordich
PE Teacher
Yongsan Soldiers Surprise KIS on 9/11
It started out as a simple way to say, “Thank you.” Last
week, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders created posters,
letters, and thank-you cards for the Yongsan Base soldiers. We planned to have our student artwork delivered
to the base before Friday, September 11th.
However, Sergeant Mike Lasoya decided to do something even better: he rounded-up a few soldiers to surprise KIS Seoul Campus with an impromptu visit. Only a
few faculty and staff on campus knew about their plans
beforehand.
A Grade-2-through-to-5th-Grade assembly was created. Soldiers surprised us with their presence, then read
to the students about the many heroes of 9/11. Afterwards, students asked a variety of interesting questions to
the soldiers, before presenting the soldiers with the colourful and youthful artwork made especially for them.
Sharing more time together, soldiers went into many classrooms to take part in lessons, such as reading storybooks to classes. Recess and lunch continued the amiable atmosphere with some soldiers joining the staff or
children to eat and play. One 2nd-Grader even asked Sergeant Lasoya to attend his birthday party that day!
It was an all-round wonderful experience for us at KIS Seoul Campus. But, possibly, it was an even more rewarding and memorable experience for the soldiers who visited. We hope that they felt, and will remember, our appreciation for the jobs that they do each day—the original intent of our gifts, before the surprise of their thoughtful
and enjoyable visit. We do want to say, “Thank you soldiers for your hard work!”
Josh Greene
Grade 3 Teacher
5
Pangyo Campus
Elementary School
Highlights
Girl Power: A Night of Empowerment!
On the afternoon of Friday, September 11th, an array of sights
and sounds filled the KIS Pangyo cafeteria. The 4th and 5th Grade
girls had gathered as one—and in teams—to kick-off this year’s
Elementary Girl’s Retreat!
This annual retreat is a fun-filled, overnight event to give Grade
Four and Five girls a way to: foster relationships with other students; build confidence; and challenge themselves to step out of
their comfort zones. The girls participated in a number of community-building activities. Each activity was thoughtfully designed to
highlight positive character traits, as well as social and emotional
skills for immediate and long-term wellbeing.
There were many memorable moments and happy activities. The
“Amazing Race” required students to split into similar-clothing
teams who then had to complete fun tasks before racing to the
finish line. We also had: a glow-stick dance party; a night-time
noraebang / singing-room; a photo booth; and a beauty station for
those so inclined.
Many of the female Elementary School teachers and staff, of both
Seoul and Pangyo Campuses, deserve our thanks. They volunteered and dedicated themselves: offering a diversity of talents,
passions, and abilities in the shared goal of inspiring our girls to
be their best. Thank you, for making this year’s
retreat an empowering way to come together. It
was an important evening of enthusiasm, humor,
and heart. We connected with one another, growing as individuals and as a more-inclusive comMolly Ball
munity. May next year’s Elementary Girl’s Retreat
Grade 4 Teacher be as fun and successful!
Kindergarten: A Day at the Dairy Farm!
Moo. Quack. Baa. Neigh. Perhaps you have read in the Seoul Campus section of this Phoenix Flyer about
the KIS Kindergarten trip to a dairy farm. If not, or you would like some more information, please read on.
Our Kindergarten students have been learning about farms this autumn. They have listened to many stories
about farms, including: Farmer Duck; Barnyard Banter; The Year At Maple Hill Farm; and The Cow That
Clucked. They also played in a pretend farm during Centre Time, and they have sung the ever-popular song,
Old McDonald, during their morning meeting.
6
To provide our students with a hands-on experience, we took a trip to
Nongdowon Dairy Farm. We had a lot of fun: going on a wagon ride
around the farm; helping feed pregnant cows; milking a cow named Elsa;
and petting a shy, five-day-old calf. We also made string cheese, as well
Paul Duffy
as yummy strawberry and chocolate ice cream! It was a beautiful day, and
Kindergarten Teacher
so much fun to see our Kindergarten students enjoying real-life, handson, new experiences.
Boys Retreat EPISODE V
It is a period of new beginnings...
Fourth and Fifth Grade boys, striking out from their
classrooms, took over the lower floors of KIS Elementary School on a Friday night earlier this September, 2015.
Students from both Pangyo and Seoul Campuses came
together to form new alliances with names like Droids,
Jedi, Wookies, and The Sith. These newly formed
groups did not steal the plans for the DEATH STAR, but
they did compete valiantly and with great sportsmanship in matches of kickball, soccer, and spike ball.
Pursued by great hunger, the boys devoured mass
quantities of pizza before carrying on with their frivolity
with epic games like “Jedi Master.” As the Dark (Side)
descended upon the school, the young warriors finally
settled into their sleeping pods to view and enjoy some
Lego Star Wars movies…
In other words, the annual Boys Retreat was a huge
success! The theme this year was “Star Wars,” as you
might have already guessed. Our KIS Elementary School
boys had a terrific time as they played hard, laughed a
lot, and made some lasting connections that could only
be made in this Light
Side. It was a happy
Travis Peterson
night that they won’t
Elementary School
soon forget!
Associate Principal
7
Pangyo Campus
Experiential Education
Middle School
Highlights
KIS Middle School will be embarking on an amazing Experiential Education (EE) event on Thursday, October
8th.
As with all EE learning at KIS, students will experience goal-oriented activities in a very carefully researched,
safe environment. All of the activities that the students engage in were pretested by KIS teachers themselves, on a previous day before the students participate. Our success with Middle School EE last schoolyear, and already this autumn with KIS High School, motivates us to provide the best EE for our students,
teachers, and staff. In small, predesignated groups, each student will be accompanied and monitored by an
advisory teacher, as well as a​site-specific specialist-instructor, who will cooperatively facilitate the activities
of a very-well-planned EE day.
“…But,” you might be asking, “why should students do EE? Can’t this be done in the classroom?”
Good question.
Outside the four walls of a classroom, there is a lot to learn too. Both settings of learning can be complementary and mutually enhancing.
It has been proven again and again that during EE, students improve their real-world, practical skills and
abilities. These skills and abilities include: inclusive leadership, effective team-building, appropriate communication, calm and rational problem-solving, and the fulfilling attainment of new-experience success. These
benefits greatly improve students’ academic success at KIS. They provide personable, applicable connections to cross-curricular learning on our Seoul and Pangyo campuses. But, and perhaps more importantly,
each of these skill and abilities will benefit each student for the rest of their lives.
EE has consistently proven to improve academic improvement and outcomes at KIS. It also improves our
students for the rest of their adult lives.
EE, in short, is a doorway to greater experience, potential, and success in life.
EE permission slips are due before (or on the day of) Thursday, September 24th.
8
Wild Readers (+) Cafe Conversation = Middle School Literati
Donalyn Miller’s professional-development book, Reading In the
Wild, is inspiring this year’s Middle School English Department.
All of our department’s teachers read this academic book over
the summer. Once KIS began our new 2015-2016 school year,
we were ready to clear the path and lead students into becoming
KIS’s first WILD Readers.
Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Graders began their journey by visiting
with our KIS MS/HS Librarian, Mrs. Green, during the first weeks
of school. Browsing the stacks, students self-selected books of
their choice. John Green, Jordan Sonnenblick, Gary Paulsen, and
James Dashner, are just some of the authors Middle School students are currently reading. In addition to increased independent
reading time in English classrooms, students have been spotted
reading in the cafeteria, in the hallways, in advisories, on buses,
and in the courtyard under blue, autumn skies. By presetting genre goals and committing to reading for at least 20 to 30 minutes a
day, results are already apparent. Just five weeks into the school
year, our Wild Readers are showing increased motivation and interest in reading for pleasure. Students also have a monitored list
of self-chosen books that they want to read in the future. Recommendations from classmates are often overheard by teachers and
staff, as students find more and more books that they’ll love.
Wild Readers talk about the books they’ve read at our new Book Talk Cafe. This cafe kicked-off on September 11th, with a variety of snacks and drinks, in Ms. Ramsey’s room and with other MS English classes
joining in. This month’s feature was Realistic Fiction. With Keira Knightly softly singing in the background,
students sat at polk-a-dotted covered cafe tables; and for a full forty minutes, they
chatted about the books they had just finished reading. All of the students said that
they really enjoyed the cafe time: listening to their friends talk about books in a relaxing
atmosphere.
Tammie Ramsey
MS English
Next month’s Book Talk Cafe is on Friday, October 16th. Be on the lookout all year for
Wild Readers at KIS!
Easing Transitions
Most children like routine. Adjusting to a new school, new child care, new friends, or a change in the family
can be difficult. All children, like all adults, react differently to change. How your child adapts to change will
depend on his/her temperament, personality, and your family’s circumstances. During times of change your
child may be clingy, moody or irritable, angry, sad, anxious, afraid, or less sociable than usual.
When discussing change with children, discuss both the pros and cons. Certainly focus on the pros, but
don’t deny the cons. Otherwise you’ll lose children’s trust, something they desperately need to cling to during change.
Acknowledge the child’s feelings. This gives the child the permission to say she’s not comfortable with the
change. Gradually they learn that change is not something to be avoided, but a challenge to be responded
to with thoughtfulness and understanding.
Change can make us all feel insecure and helpless. During change, let children make as
many of their own decisions as possible. Autonomy offsets anxious feelings. It gives life
balance, and it reminds kids that they have control over some things in life... just not all
things.
Dr. Elethia Rhoden Change in life is inevitable. It happens to all of us in our lives. Understanding how to
MS Counsellor
deal with and cope with change can be challenging. But, keeping a positive outlook,
and having the support of friends and family, can help make transitions in life go more
smoothly.
9
Pangyo Campus
High School
Highlights
To Be Holden: English 11 Visits Seodaemun Natural History Museum
At 9:00 am, the museum is quiet. The silence of the ages... drifts through the bones of the T-Rex, up and
over the model of a Grey Whale, and into the corridors where Homo Erectus stands frozen, entrapped in his
glass case.
An hour later, students of 11th-Grade American Literature English classes have descended on the museum.
Now, the floors reverberate with the hum and thrill of learning outside of the four walls of a classroom.
The students are on a quest. Over the past summer, they’ve read J.D. Salinger’s American classic and highly-influential novel, The Catcher In The Rye. Today, they have been given clues for their monitored search of
connections to that novel.
They move about in small teams. Furtively discovering clues, they protect their coveted secrets from the
other, insatiable scavenger hunt teams. The prize, the prize, the prize... is a picnic lunch which can be enjoyed with their peers.
The Museum of Natural History was a favorite location of this novel’s protagonist and narrator: Holden Caulfield. Holden caustically and dogmatically expounds, in his halting and self-conscious way:
The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything
always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move […] Nobody’d
be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.
As students searched, and experienced new-found items, in the museum, they were given personal-narrative writing-prompts. These prompts increased further understanding of this complex novel, as students
reflected individually on childhood and adulthood, and the life-changes between these
overlapping stages.
For the conclusion of the field trip, with a different setting and tone... students were allowed to hit the town and explore Seoul with their Grade 11, English-class friends. Within
reason, and with accountability, they were encouraged to be reflective, to be urban, and John Miller
HS English
to be “Holden for a day.”
10
Senior Retreat: Experiential Education
Tamara Turnbeaugh
Senior Advisor
September 9th, 10th and 11th was this year’s Senior Retreat. Unlike the quick trips of
the past, the class of 2016 got to embark upon three days of Experiential Education
(or EE). EE focuses on pushing personal boundaries, working as a team, and learning
to meet a variety of challenges in a variety of circumstances. It’s life, and life always
includes the unexpected.
The first day of the trip started with a grueling 7.6 km hike up Seoraksan’s UlsanBawi. It was steep, with lots of stairs and big boulders, but the view at the top was
worth it. Seniors learned the value of pushing individual limits, encouraging each other, and offering a helping hand.
On Thursday, our second day, we began with white water rafting. The water was cold, but the smiles were
warm. Boats of eight learned to work together while navigating level-appropriate rapids and obstacles.
There was also time to swim, jump off of rocks, and splash other boats. What a beautiful fall morning on the
water!
Thursday afternoon brought a variety of adventures to choose from: a thrilling rock climb up a cliff face; a
death-defying sky drop; or a heart-thumping skywalk around a Plexiglas walkway in the clouds. Students
overcame fears to conquer these challenges with gusto! Strong teamwork was also demonstrated as groups
challenged one another at laser tag.
The fun didn’t stop when the sun set. Tired from a long day of escapades, the seniors came together around
a warm campfire to bond further. Sausages and marshmallows were roasted over the hot coals as the
class of 2016 strengthened their sense of community. After these delicious treats, it was time to relax with
friends—both new and old. Outdoor seating areas filled-up, with students star-gazing, sharing stories, and
laughing freely.
Friday was our third and final day. We played some games on the beach, before having some time for individual reflection. We had conquered mountains, rivers, and personal fears; and now the beach was a calm
and quiet setting for the class of 2016 to ponder the future. Seniors wrote thoughtful letters to themselves
for their 2016 graduation. Indeed, many of the skills learned on this trip will help students conquer the challenges ahead as they prepare for college. What a perfect way to wrap up a memorable trip full of laughter,
friends, and adventure!
11
Phoenix Athletics
Boys Varsity Volleyball: Setting to Three-Peat as KAIAC Champs
Boys Varsity Volleyball: Setting To Three-Peat As KAIAC Champs
Head Coach Karen Callahan returns for her second season to lead the Boys Varsity Volleyball team in defending their twice-won title as the KAIAC Conference and Tournament Championships. (KAIAC stands for
The Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference.)
Our 2015-2016 team will have to fill a void that was created by the departure of three notable graduates.
These three, outstanding players raked-in four of the five top KAIAC individual awards last season! We congratulate: Hojune Kwak, Best Hitter … Philip An, Best Passer … and Jeff Kim, Best Setter and KAIAC MVP!
Excellent job and congratulations!
We remain strong with seven members of last year’s championship team returning; bringing their goldmedal experience and leadership.
Here is a closer look at our Boys Varsity Volleyball Team this school year:
Captains Taeshin Lee (12) and Harry Song (12) will lead the front row attack, along with middle blocker Chris
Chung (11).
Second-year varsity members Kevin Han (11) and Jordan Jang (11)— along with newcomers Jason Kwon
(12) and Ryan Choi (10) —will be filling out the rest of the rotation.
Libero Logan Cha (11) will be taking care of all the dirty work in the backcourt as the defensive specialist
...while Willy Yun (12) and John Gee (10) will be splitting the duties of setting up the attacks with their numerous options.
Solid back-ups Derek Min (11) and Danny Choi (10) round-out the remainder of our 12-man roster this season.
The boys were off to a great start: winning this month’s league-opener in straight sets against their eternal
rivals SIS.
Taeshin Lee led the way with 17 kills; with Chris Chung and Kevin Han contributing 13 more between them.
Logan Cha did a solid job taking care of the backcourt, adding-in 40% of the team’s passes.
Willy Yun, John Gee, and Chris Chung combined for 29 assists… with Kevin Han throwing in two blocks in
our KIS domination from start to finish.
For their second league match, the boys travel to APIS with intentions of victory. Go Phoenix!!!
12
Korea International School
Korea International School
27, Daewangpangyo-ro 385beon-gil, Bundang-gu
Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do
Korea 463-420
www.kis.kr