An Interesting Week! Many Fighting Sickness! RAT Mystery Reader Fun! Student-Led Conferences!

A very interesting week!  The weather started to warm up some which helped, but there were still many students, teachers and staff fighting off the Flu and other sicknesses.  I was off school on Monday and Tuesday because of Type B Influenza.  On Tuesday afternoon I returned to my friend, Dr. Kim, who cleared me to return to school on Wednesday.  It was good to be back, but I probably over did the use of my voice by doing some subbing for our Music teacher (which I really enjoy doing) and reading two stories back to back in two second grade classrooms for the RAT Mystery Reader Day. I woke up Thursday morning with no voice and continued coughing + some aches/pains in my knees, back and left ankle.  By Friday morning the aches were all gone but I continued coughing.  I didn't feel bad except that I cough more when I talk and I enjoy talking. :-)  So on Friday I returned to Dr. Kim and he said that I have my usual acute bronchitis so he administered some medications to help bring relief.  The ache/pain in my left ankle is probably Gout.  I get it in my big toe on my left foot from time to time so I guess I will have to be ready for it now in my left ankle.  Thanks for your prayers.  Praying that the cough goes away real soon.

As I indicated earlier, Wednesday was Mystery Reader Day in the elementary school for the Read-A-Thon.  I love reading books to all ages, and especially to children.  I was invited to Grade 2A and 2B and I shared to books with them.  One of them was A Big Guy Took My Ball by one of my favorite authors, Mo Willems.  He creates such funny stories with great illustrations in all of his books!  The kids loved it!  I also read Flossie and the Fox by Patricia McKissack.  The kids always have some great interaction and great questions as I read and Wednesday they were full of life!  I love these special times of interaction with the kids!  Oh, after the first week of reading in our three weeks of reading for RAT, the elementary kids had almost 191,000 minutes.  Their goals is 555,555 minutes and if they keep this pace, they will make it.  My head is starting to prepare for another shaving!

Here I am beginning the Mo Willems' book with the

                   students in Grade 2A.

Continuing my reading with Grade 2A!          

            They loved when I read this page!!

You can see some of the Grade 2B students' expressions

in this picture as I read to them from Mo Willems' book!

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Thursday I began working more diligently on preparations for the After School Activities for Quarter Four.  This is always a major undertaking and it is always a challenge to find a space for each of the activities to meet.  There may be as many as 33 activities this coming quarter!  Such fun!  I would appreciate your prayers.

It was also French Food Day in the cafeteria.  J & J Catering, the company that is in charge of our meals in the cafeteria likes to introduce different foods from different countries at various times throughout the year.  Thursday it was French food.  They did a good job and the food was tasty; not sure how authentically prepared it was! :-)

Students get their French Food.  J & J Manager in her

          French costume serving the students.

J & J workers serving the French food while wearing French flag T-Shirts!

A sample of the French food!  There was Quiche,

Coq au vin, and Ratatouille.  Not sure the rice would

be part of a typical French meal. :-)            

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It was also a day when teachers and staff were encouraged to vote for the semi-finalists for the PTO Community Art Project for our 2014-15 school calendar.  There were 83 pieces of art submitted for the project from students in grades K to 12 and we have to narrow it down to about 12 - 18 pieces for the calendar.  It was a difficult task, but fun!  I have put some of my favorite ones here for you to see:

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Friday was the day for Student-Led Conferences with parents in the elementary school.  It is one of my favorite days!  I love going from classroom to classroom to observe students using their oral presentation skills to communicate with their parents.  In the elementary school we have been working hard at teaching children how to communicate effectively using oral and written skills.  I love observing parents show great pride in their children as the children share with their parents what they have been learning using a great variety of methods to do that.  Teachers have done a great job in teaching their students and preparing them for this exciting day!  I wish you all could observe what I have the privilege of experiencing at these student-led conferences.  here are a few pictures from my classroom visits!

The above are pictures of some of the students leading their conferences with their parents!  You can see a variety of different methods they were using to share what they have been learning!

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Below are several writings with silhouettes of various students in grade 3D.  I thought they were really kind of cool!  Parents really enjoyed seeing these!

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My friend and former SYME student, Jin Seok called me on Friday evening and then needed a place to stay overnight before he returns to Busan.  He had just completed an interview for a position with the National Taxation Service of Korea.  Please pray for my wonderful friend as he seeks to find a job where he can use his translation/interpretation skills to serve the Lord.  Jin Seok is also suffering from a bad cold so I know he would also appreciate your prayers for his restored health.  So great to see him and get to talk with him for a little bit while we both continued coughing! :-)

Saturday morning we went for brunch at Tartines and enjoyed a yummy breakfast and great conversation together!  

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Saturday evening I had purchased tickets to a special concert at Super Stage in the Jamsil Sports Complex for a favorite quartet of singers called Il Divo.  Yeongmin wanted to hear them so we both went to the concert.  Before the concert we had a very delicious meal at a new restaurant for me in Seoul.  It is called Daily Round and they prepare everything on their menu fresh.  After a nice meal and great conversation, we headed to see and hear Il Divo.  Their concert tour is titled A Musical Affair featuring  some of the greatest songs from the world's favorite musicals. It was a very refreshing evening of food and music with my friend, Yeongmin.  We continue to have excellent conversations and I continue to ask you to pray that he will come to know Jesus.

Here we are at the Daily Round preparing to eat our very tasty salads!

 Above are our two salads.  On the left is the Roasted Chicken with fresh fruit, almonds, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.  On the right is the tomato and mozzarella salad.  Both served with yummy homemade bread and an amazing homemade dressing!

We had our picture taken with life-size figures of 

     the members of Il Divo prior to the concert.

Some of the 4,000 people in attendance at the Il Divo

concert on Saturday evening.              

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Thanks so much for your continued encouragement, prayers, love, notes and support.  You are very special to me.  Enjoy a great week!

Love, Gregg

A Special Valentine Week of Sharing Love!!

Happy Valentine's Day to you!  This past week brought many special opportunities to give and receive love.  I knew it was going to be a very busy week when I was informed of all the sickness among our students and staff in the elementary school.  Our one fourth grade section (4A) had less than 50% of its students at one point.  I believe they gave the Flu to their teacher, Mrs. Roll. Mrs. Roll arrived Monday morning feeling somewhat OK (she hates missing school), but soon after her arrival, the nurse took her temperature and because of school policy, Mrs. Roll had to go home.  After visiting the doctor, she discovered she had Influenza, Type A.  That meant she would be out Monday through Friday.  Two of our music teachers were out throughout the week. Dr. Harding was fighting a nasty case of bronchitis; Ms. Weir was not sick, but had already been scheduled to attend a Music Conference in Taipei on Thursday and Friday.  One of our Phys. Ed. teachers, Ms. Park was out with bronchitis a couple days.  Our Principal, Dan Lazor got sick and he was out three days.  Mrs. Birmingham, one of the Assistant Elementary Principals was out 2 days with a very bad cold.  So I had the joy of sharing some love by subbing in Grade 2 Music and OASIS Assembly on Friday for Mr. Lazor.  I also enjoyed lunch recess duty for two different teachers throughout the week.

Two fourth grade girls making mini snow creatures

during my lunch recess duty in the snow on Monday!

Here are some fourth and fifth grade cherubs

making a snow creature on Monday at lunch

recess.  It was so much fun helping them enjoy

their snow creatures during recess duty!!    

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It was interesting that the OASIS Assembly was centering in on the character trait of "love."  I always enjoy hearing these OASIS kids give definitions they have been learning on the various character traits.  One of the definitions we use for love is taken directly from I Corinthians 13.  In OASIS I asked students to stand and share what love is.  I was overwhelmed with joy to have second graders and fifth graders stand and share with me from memory I Corinthians 13!  It is exciting to know that God's Word is going into the minds and hearts of these kids and they often do not know it!

And then of course, Friday was Valentine's Day.  I received many demonstrations of love from children as well as staff.  I wish I had pictures of all of the visits to my office or in the hallway or in the cafeteria on Friday.  I did capture two pictures of Giselle, who came to my office on Friday with chocolate around the edges of her mouth with a beautiful smile and a card of love.

Above is Giselle in my office on Friday.  She had

been enjoying some chocolate before coming to my

office to bring me a Valentine.  I love her chocolate

mouth and her heart headpiece and her smile!!! :-)

This is the cute Valentine she brought for me!!    

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And on Friday we had a special visit from Mrs. Bang, the high school secretary (on maternity leave for several more weeks), to show us her little love package - her little angel who is now almost 2 months old!  What a delight it was to see both of them!

Here is Mrs. Bang and her little cherub in the ES/HS Office on Friday!  I was so happy to see her precious little bundle of joy!  I love her amazing head of hair!  I think Mrs. Bang is very happy and proud!!

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Before I forget, let me go back to the beginning of the week.  Monday was the Opening Assembly for the PTO's annual Read-A-Thon (RAT) for the elementary children.  This year's theme is The Wizard of Oz - actually we have called it The Reader of Oz.  Mrs. Birmingham had written an adaptation from the original Oz to kick off our 2014 RAT.  I was the Great and Powerful Reader of Oz!  It was a fun skit and the kids enjoyed it.  They are finishing their first week of reading. They need to read 555, 555 minutes during the RAT in order to have Mr. Lazor and me shave our heads again.  For some reason they get very excited about this.  Some of the kids are making suggestions for the style of hair shaving this year.  Some suggest leaving designs on our heads. Some think it would be cool if we had a "Mohawk."  The suggestions keep coming in.  We shall see.

One of the posters that are scattered throughout YISS giving the main events of RAT 2014!

Here is the Great and Powerful Reader

of Oz wight after the curtain is pulled

back showing the real Reader of Oz

reading one of the many books in the 

                 Library of Oz!

The Good Librarian (Mrs. Birmingham) and Dorothy (Ms. Weir) with Toto (the Birmingham's little dog) and some of the Munchkins of Oz.

Dorothy, the Scarecrow (Ms. Stair). the Lion (Ms. Greaves),

and the Tin Man (Mr. Williamson) following the Alphabet Road

in order to find the Great Reader of Oz.              

Meeting the Reader of Oz!

     Some of the Munchkins in their cute outfits!!

A fourth grade boy "caught reading."

Two first grade girls "caught reading."          

Two second graders "caught reading" together!  So cute!

Two fourth grade boys "caught reading" in the gym

while waiting for their class to go to their classroom!

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In conjunction with the RAT, our librarians have planned an Author Visit to YISS on February 27.  We will have a husband and wife team (Kathleen Krull, author and Paul Brewer, illustrator) share with our students about writing and illustrating books.  Should be a fun day!

Here is one of the posters announcing the Author Visit at YISS on February 27.  We are looking forward to hearing from this delightful couple!

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Tuesday I was delighted to have a special dinner visit with my wonderful friend and former SYME student, Gunmo!  As always, we have a great time together!  We are able to talk about anything and everything and I love our conversations.  Please pray for this dear young man as he seeks to find a job where he can use his English skills and his passion for telling others about Jesus.  Please continue to pray for his father and the decisions that Gunmo and his siblings need to make concerning his future.

Here are the two yummy dishes Gunmo and I enjoyed

at Ho Lee Chow restaurant on Tuesday evening. On

the left is Mongolian Beef and on the right is a tasty

Fried Rice with Bacon, Shrimp and Garlic!! So good!

Two "bad" boys preparing to eat using the Korean 

sharing method for eating!  Thanks for praying for

Gunmo and me.                    

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I made it through the week, but on Friday, I started this very different type of cough.  I would get these coughing fits and some headaches.  They just seemed to get worse so on Saturday morning I went to see my friendly doctor, Dr. Kim,  at the International Health Clinic in Itaewon.  After an examination and a swab of my throat, Dr. Kim informed me that I had Influenza, Type B.  He said it is not as serious as Type A but that it can still be contagious.  So his orders were to stay home, rest, and take the medication he prescribed.  He said, "You should not go to school on Monday and Tuesday.  See me on Tuesday evening to see if you are OK to return on Wednesday."  So I am having some special time of rest, reading, thinking, praying, etc. over this weekend and on Monday and Tuesday.  Please pray that I will be obedient to the doctor's orders and recover quickly.  I really do not like being sick, but I have found these times to be very good at refocusing on what is important and spending time with the One who should be my primary focus!  Thanks for praying.

I trust you enjoyed a great day of sharing love on Valentine's Day.  Thank you so much for the love you share with me along with your prayers, encouragement, and support!

Love,
Gregg

ASAs Begin; Sick; RAT; Korean HS Graduation!

This past week brought a little warmer weather!  But right now as I write this post, it is snowing! Such fun!  Not sure how much of the white stuff we are to get so it will be interesting to find out.

Quarter Three After School Activities began in full force this week with only a few minor situations.  So now there are 30 ASAs happening each week.  This includes several that had already begun - 4th and 5th Grade Boys' Tournament Basketball, 4th and 5th Grade Girls' Tournament Basketball, 5th Grade Band, 5th Grade Orchestra, and the two Scratch Computer classes.  It was an exciting week.  Add to these After School Activities two special events that are happening and it was very interesting each day at 3:00 dismissal for buses.  Starting this week were the beginning rehearsals for the Grade 5 Spring Musical, The Music Man - Junior and rehearsals for the Read-A-Thon opening assembly on Monday.

Yes, it is time once again for our annual Read-A-Thon (RAT)!  YISS really encourages reading and I love seeing kids with their books.  Each year the PTO takes a past musical or play as the basis for the RAT. This year is a take off on The Wizard of Oz.  We are calling it The Reader of Oz!  About 20 students and 8 teachers and staff are involved in parts of a very brief adapted version of the original Wizard.  The kids are the Munchkins, teachers are playing the parts of Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Lion.  Mrs. Birmingham wrote this version of our play and she is the Good Librarian!  She asked me to be the Great and Powerful Reader of Oz!  We are having fun and the kickoff is on Monday at 2:00.  You can pray as we share with the entire elementary student body.  Then the reading begins and so do all of the wonderful activities throughout the next several weeks!  Busy times, yet fun times, ahead!

At the beginning of this past week I was struggling with headaches and running to the bathroom as well as just feeling BLAH!  No fever though.  I finally took a Sick Day and went to see Dr. Kim on Tuesday.  He examined me and then took some blood samples as well as other samples I will not mention.  He had the nurses give me an IV that was to help stop the diarrhea quicker and then prescribed some meds for three days.  By Thursday I was eating solid food once again.  I am feeling fine at present.  You can pray for our students and staff as there are many struggling with the Flu.

Friday was a special day!  I have told you about my new friend, Minsoon, one of the employees at the 7/11 in my apartment building.  Minsoon asked me about two weeks ago if I would be able to come to his High School Graduation on February 7 at Seoul Foreign Language High School. He was permitted to invite one other person in addition to his family members so he asked his mother if he could invite me.  I was able to take one of my Personal Days at YISS and was privileged to accept his invitation.  It was a very good experience and I was happy to meet Minsoon's mother, younger sister, and aunt.  I will share a few pictures here, but you can get a better understanding of the graduation from the album I posted on Facebook.

Here I am following the ceremony with Minsoon. A

typical gift at a graduation is a bouquet of flowers. I

gave Minsoon a bouquet as well as a card with a note

and an additional monetary gift.  He was so surprised

and so happy.  Keep praying for him as we meet to 

                         talk about God.

One of the things that really shocked me was the lack of respect when anyone was speaking from the podium on stage.  The graduates, and even some of the guests, continued to chat, talk, laugh, etc. while the commencement speaker was speaking.  I took this picture of the one teacher who was going up and down the rows of graduates during the ceremony giving the "Shhhh" sign with his finger.  I lost count of how many times he did it, but it was meaningless; nothing happened with the noise.  I found it very strange for Korean culture who have been so respectful.  Maybe this is the way now?  I was the only American in the audience of 300 + graduates and their guests.

The last part of the ceremony was to have the students

bow to their teachers (standing on stage and on the floor

beneath the stage), and then teachers bowing to the 

students.                             

Minsoon with his mother and younger sister after the ceremony!

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After the graduation ceremony, Minsoon and his family invited me to lunch.  Minsoon had asked me what I would like to eat.  I said, "Anything!"  He smiled and then said that I must be more specific. :-)  I told him that I really am missing one of my favorite Korean taste treats - Pizza Dak Galbi!  So after the ceremony we traveled a short distance by Taxi to Nowon and enjoyed a very yummy Pizza Dak Galbi!  I really had missed this food!

This is a statue/sculpture in the center

of the busy shopping and entertainment

area of Nowon.  Nowon is called "Korea's

Hub City of Northeast Seoul." Very busy!

This restaurant was in the heart of the Nowon shopping district.  Here I am with Minsoon, his younger sister, mother, and his aunt preparing to enjoy yummy Pizza Dak Galbi!!

Here is Pizza Dak Galbi ready to eat!!  I can taste it

even now!  I want some more!!           

When you are almost finished with the main Pizza Dak Galbi, the server brings rice, kim, and red paste to your table.  Then it is fried and you eat it!  I love it when you have to scrape the rice off the bottom of the pan!!  Soooo good!  Minsoon made a smiley face on the fried rice! :-)

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Saturday I met up with Youngkwang (Dennis), a former SYME student and friend. Youngkwang contacted me on Friday evening to ask if he could have lunch with me on Saturday.  I had not seen him since he had his laser eye surgery in September so it was great to see him and his new look.  He was going to take me to experience some new Korean food at a little restaurant in Itaewon, but when we got there the line was very long and the wait time was too long for him. He hates waiting more than I do! :-)  So Youngkwang suggested we go to Suji's.  I never have a problem with that.  I told him the line may be long there, too.  We got there and the line was even longer than the previous restaurant.  However, we were seated in 3 minutes.  The hostess smiled when Youngkwang showed surprise and said quietly to him, "Mr. Gregg is a VIP at Suji's!"

We had a great conversation!  I found out about his girlfriend.  He wants me to meet her soon. He is starting to look for another job and would appreciate your prayers.  He brought a box of Korean snacks - a gift from his parents.  Then he gave me a tube of hand cream for my dry hands.  His company is a supplier for a German body care company.  It was a really nice time with Youngkwang!

Youngkwang and I getting ready to eat our very

              yummy brunches at Suji's!

Youngkwang selected the Original Eggs Benedict!  Sooooo good!!!

I chose the Mexican Brunch, which is also quite tasty!

After leaving Suji's I took Youngkwang to the subway station and then stopped at the IBK (Industrial Bank of Korea) to withdraw some Korean Won.  After the withdrawal and updating my passbook, I went to the shredder at the bank doors.  Above is the message on the shredder!  I love it.  The grammar is good and someone was trying to use a new vocabulary word; a bit strong, but glad she/he attempted a new word.  It sort of scared me at first! :-)

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I trust you will enjoy a wonderful week.  I would value your prayers as next week begins to get busier with the Read-A-Thon beginning, Progress Reports due, more After School Activities, etc. Thank you so much for being so faithful in your encouragement, prayers, love, and support!

Love, Gregg