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

2Last 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 performance-based 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 at-tended! The presenters taught us in a way that they want us to teach our students. Outstanding demonstra-tion!

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 sup-porting us in making this workshop possible at KIS.

International Language Teachers Unite: EARCOS at KIS

Traci OsterhagenDirector ofTeaching and Learning

KIS Today

3School SpotlightGet 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. Youll be having so much fun adventuring with your friends and classmates, building relationships with your welcoming tico host family, en-gaging in meaningful community service, and exploring Costa Ri-cas natural wonders... that you probably wont even realize how much youre learning and growing in the process!

Not only will you be able to truly take your Spanish skills to the next level, youll 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!

Costa Rica | Mar 27th to Apr 2nd | $1,775 + Airfare | 15 Service Hours| 24 Students

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 Marrake-ch. 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 lifeall while fine-tuning your French skills!

As a former French colony, Morocco holds a rich French heritage. French is still the main lan-guage 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!

Morocco | Mar 26th to Apr 2nd | $1,795 + Airfare | 24 Students | Contact Mr. Tebti to register.

Pura Vida Immersion and Adventure: Spring 2016 Spanish Trip

Moroccan Wanderer: Spring 2016 French Trip

Annie YouseyHS Spanish

Nordine TebtiHS French

4Kindergarten Goes to the Dairy Farm

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 stu-dents were involved in planting their own class-room boxes. Second, 3rd and 4th graders watered the plants before school let out; and the cleaning ladies were generous enough to maintain our gar-den 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 studentsespecially 2nd and 3rd gradershelped 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 veg-etables we want to grow next spring, our SC De-sign Center has already begun thinking of improve-ments. 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 Cam-pus.

Fresh Made Salsa Right from the TOP!

Seoul CampusElementary School Highlights

All of the Kindergarten friends from the Pangyo and Seoul Campus-es 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 milkwhich 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, ex-periencing 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 YuKindergarten

Jamie KochGrade 3 Teacher

5It 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 sol-diers. We planned to have our student artwork delivered to the base before Friday, September 11th. However, Sergeant Mike Lasoya decided to do some-thing even better: he rounded-up a few soldiers to sur-prise 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 creat-ed. 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 story-books 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 reward-ing and memorable experience for the soldiers who visited. We hope that they felt, and will remember, our ap-preciation for the jobs that they do each daythe 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 GreeneGrade 3 Teacher

Yongsan Soldiers Surprise KIS on 9/11

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 tre-mendous 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 IrelandMr. ODonoghuepresented each student with a medal of participation. Mr. ODonoghue also awarded the Tournament MVP award to our very-own 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 KordichPE Teacher

Gaelic Gold At the 2015 North-Asian Games

6On 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 oneand in teamsto kick-off this years Elementary Girls Retreat!

This annual retreat is a fun-filled, overnight event to give Grade Four and Five girls a way to: foster relationships with other stu-dents; build confidence; and challenge themselves to step out of their comfort zones. The girls participated in a number of commu-nity-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 volun-teered 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 years retreat an empowering way to come together. It was an important evening of enthusiasm, humor, and heart. We connected with one another, grow-ing as individuals and as a more-inclusive com-munity. May next years Elementary Girls Retreat be as fun and successful!

Girl Power: A Night of Empowerment!

Pangyo CampusElementary School Highlights

Molly BallGrade 4 Teacher

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.

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 as yummy strawberry and chocolate ice cream! It was a beautiful day, and so much fun to see our Kindergarten students enjoying real-life, hands-on, new experiences.

Kindergarten: A Day at the Dairy Farm!

Paul DuffyKindergarten Teacher

7It is a period of new beginnings...

Fourth and Fifth Grade boys, striking out from their classrooms, took over the lower floors of KIS Elementa-ry 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 sportsman-ship 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 night that they wont soon forget!

Boys Retreat EPISODE V

Travis PetersonElementary SchoolAssociate Principal

8Pangyo CampusMiddle 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 them-selves, on a previous day before the students participate. Our success with Middle School EE last school-year, 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? Cant 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 comple-mentary 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 commu-nication, 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 connec-tions 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.

Experiential Education

9Donalyn Millers professional-development book, Reading In the Wild, is inspiring this years Middle School English Department. All of our departments 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 KISs 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 stu-dents 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 gen-re 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 in-terest in reading for pleasure. Students also have a monitored list of self-chosen books that they want to read in the future. Recom-mendations from classmates are often overheard by teachers and staff, as students find more and more books that theyll love.

Wild Readers talk about the books theyve read at our new Book Talk Cafe. This cafe kicked-off on Sep-tember 11th, with a variety of snacks and drinks, in Ms. Ramseys room and with other MS English classes joining in. This months 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. Next months Book Talk Cafe is on Friday, October 16th. Be on the lookout all year for Wild Readers at KIS!

Wild Readers (+) Cafe Conversation = Middle School Literati

Tammie RamseyMS English

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 familys 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 dont deny the cons. Otherwise youll lose childrens trust, something they desperately need to cling to dur-ing change.

Acknowledge the childs feelings. This gives the child the permission to say shes 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.

Change in life is inevitable. It happens to all of us in our lives. Understanding how to 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.

Dr. Elethia RhodenMS Counsellor

Easing Transitions

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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, theyve read J.D. Salingers American classic and high-ly-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 en-joyed with their peers. The Museum of Natural History was a favorite location of this novels protagonist and narrator: Holden Caul-field. Holden caustically and dogmatically expounds, in his halting and self-conscious way:

The best thing, though, in that museum was that everythingalways stayed right where it was. Nobodyd move [] Nobodydbe 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-nar-rative 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 al-lowed 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 to be Holden for a day.

To Be Holden: English 11 Visits Seodaemun Natural History Museum

Pangyo CampusHigh School Highlights

John MillerHS English

September 9th, 10th and 11th was this years 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. Its life, and life always includes the unexpected.

The first day of the trip started with a grueling 7.6 km hike up Seoraksans Ulsan-Bawi. 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 help-ing 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 didnt 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 friendsboth 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 indi-vidual 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 chal-lenges ahead as they prepare for college. What a perfect way to wrap up a memorable trip full of laughter, friends, and adventure!

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Tamara TurnbeaughSenior Advisor

Senior Retreat: Experiential Education

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Phoenix AthleticsBoys 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 de-fending 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 con-gratulate: 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 years championship team returning; bringing their gold-medal 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 numer-ous options.

Solid back-ups Derek Min (11) and Danny Choi (10) round-out the remainder of our 12-man roster this sea-son.

The boys were off to a great start: winning this months 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 teams 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!!!

Boys Varsity Volleyball: Setting to Three-Peat as KAIAC Champs

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Korea International School

Korea International School27, Daewangpangyo-ro 385beon-gil, Bundang-gu

Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-doKorea 463-420

www.kis.kr