Monday began with Grade 4's special Asian Global Fair! Students and teacher have been learning about Asian countries in Social Studies and the unit culminated with a global fair where students prepared a project to highlight a particular place in one of the countries. Students went from display to display with a clipboard of suggested questions to ask each presenter to learn as much as they could on the various special places! It was so exciting to see students present about their project and also ask questions of other presenters. Many parents attended as well as other students throughout the school. Such a great time of learning!
Philip presenting and students taking notes on their clipboards!
Just a few of the displays, presenters, and interviewers.
Katie did such a great job of presenting!
I really liked these two young men, Taehoon and Ansu, as they presented concerning Mt. Everest!
A sample of the displays. I loved this one since I had visited the Terracotta Warrior Museum back in 1983 when I visited China for the first time.
Another presenter presenting and answering questions.
And one more!
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Tuesday I was able to complete my interviews with the teachers I had been assigned as lead evaluator for during the 2014-15 school year. I have enjoyed these conversations with these teachers giving them encouragement and constructive assistance in making improvements in those areas where they may need additional growth.
In addition, I was able to continue making my visits to the various After School Activities. It is hard to believe that activities will end this coming week for another school year. One of the students in the Ceramics After School Activity was waiting with me for her father at the front reception desk at the close of activities on Tuesday. I noticed one of her Ceramics' projects. I asked if I could take a picture. She was happy to give me permission. Here is a sample of what the students in Ceramics have been working on this quarter.
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After making sure everyone was picked up from their ASA, I quickly finished a little project in my office and headed out to get a bite to eat before I got to perform with the Elementary Band at the Elementary & Middle School Instrumental Pops Concert. The conductor of our bands at YISS, Ms. Jessica Zakula found out I love music and love to conduct so she asked if I would enjoy conducting the final piece that the Elementary Band would play at the concert. Since January, Ms. Zakula has been working with about 15 fifth grade students in an After School Activity each Monday called "Beginning Band" and I always stop by to observe. They have come along so well. So I was honored and delighted to be asked to be part of the concert. It was so much fun! (I am sorry but I could not upload the video clip of my conducting performance in this blog. It says the file size is too large. Sorry. :-( You will have to view it on Facebook if you want to see it.)
A group of elementary students who performed in Tuesday's Pops
Concert! So proud of them!
Grade 5 and 6 Band performing at the Pops Concert. This young lady
is now in Grade 6. She was one of our star students in Grade 5 and
still continues to be such a great role model for our students in Grade 6.
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Wednesday during Elementary lunch we had a special visit from four Middle School teachers who were involved with the Middle School Spirit Week. Wednesday was the day students and teachers could come dressed as their favorite "Super Hero" or cartoon character. Four teachers came to elementary lunch particularly to surprise a kindergarten student whose father is a teacher in the Middle School. The kids loved it! As soon as they noticed the four Middle School teachers dressed in their outfits, applause erupted throughout the cafeteria and each grade wanted the characters to come to their area of the cafeteria.
Middle School teachers with our kinder cherubs at lunch. From
left to right: Mr. Carlsen (his son staring up at him), Ms. Murphy,
Mr. Walker, and Mr. Mooi!
Here they are again making a huge hit with our students. To the right is Mr. Mooi who taught in Grade 4 last year. The kids loved his costume!
This is Mrs. Pitts on one of the MS Spirit days. I
believe this one was about musicians. Carol's husband
took a marker and tattooed her arm.
Carol's hubby, Mr. Samuel Pitts supposedly representing a certain music genre. Both Sam and Carol have been sooooooooo helpful to me in the area of technology. They will be leaving YISS at the end of this year, and I will miss them greatly!!
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Thursday was another very full day! It was the day for the annual PTO Luncheon to recognize volunteers who had served so faithfully as PTO Board members and those who would be joining the Board. A very yummy catered luncheon (from Suji's) and special music performances from the Middle School students were enjoyed by volunteers and administrators present. Our elementary principal, Mrs. Birmingham, had written words to Stevie Wonder's song "I Just Came to Say I Love You" and had worked with the high school computer apps class in videoing students, teachers, and administrators in singing and dancing our thanks to this song with a new titles and words: "We Just Came to Say We Thank You." The PTO volunteers were surprised and delighted with the performance that the computer class had prepared on video.
A special performance by this String Ensemble at the PTO luncheon!
Some of the PTO volunteers serving on the PTO Board.
Another group of PTO volunteers at the luncheon.
My very tasty Reuben sandwich, etc. at the PTO Luncheon.
I have known these two special ladies ever since I arrived at YISS.
They have been so active in the PTO and were recognized for their
excellent work over the years!
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On Thursday evening was the final music performance in the elementary school for Dr. Al Harding Al and his wife, Lynelle, have grown our music department so well! They will be moving to Irvine, CA where their son, Joey, will attend university. It was the 4th grades' music concert, It's Gotta Be Jazz! It was a great evening and everyone did an excellent job!
Poster and program cover for the 4th Grade It's Gotta Be Jazz concert on Thursday!
Fourth graders with Dr. Harding preparing to take a bow at the opening of their concert on Thursday evening!
Several of the special soloists in one of the Jazz songs!
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Friday was a day full of Chapels and OASIS Assembly as well as a number of interesting discipline situations that needed to be handled. Yes, kids are kids anywhere in the world. And Friday we had our share of situations that needed the attention of all of the elementary administrators. I am thankful that all seem to have come to positive conclusions. Keep praying for us as we close the year!
In the middle of the Chapels and meetings to handle discipline situations, I had the privilege of stopping by Grade 1D. They have been working on a unit on dinosaurs and fossils. Friday they were learning how to be archaeologists with the aid of their teacher and a little kit that allowed them to go through the process an archaeologist would go through while uncovering fossils. It was so delightful to watch them at work.
One of the first grade "archaeologists" uncovering a fossil!
Here she is describing what she is doing to the rest of the eager first graders!
Ms. Weir was subbing for Mrs. Thomas on Friday afternoon and
she is asking questions to get the students thinking about what needs
to be done by an archaeologist and the use of her/his special tools.
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The week ended with a wonderful Saturday evening at Yonsei University! It was the evening of the annual Spring Concert of the Yonsei University Men's Glee Club. I was anticipating this event ever since I heard them last year and have gotten to know the conductor as well as some of the members of the Glee Club. Saturday evening's concert was great! The Men's Glee Club had asked the Ewha Women's University Chorus to join them in this concert. They were excellent as well! A wonderful way to finish a very hectic week! So great to sit and relax and enjoy great music and reflect!
Above is my friend, Eric Lee, conducting the Men's Glee Club during one of their beautiful selections.
Above Conductor Lee directs the combined voices of the Yonsei Men's Glee and Ewha Women's Chorus!
The conductor of the Ewha University Women's Chorus directing her ladies during the third section of the concert.
After the final encore selection by the Yonsei Men, Conductor Lee invited any alumni of the Yonsei University Men's Glee Club to join them in their final traditional closing number. So much fun!
After presenting Eric with the traditional flower bouquet of
congratulations. I had a photo taken with him!
Above I am posing with the President of the Yonsei Men's Glee Club!
He was so thrilled that I had come to the concert. Most of the men think
I am some celebrity because I write so many comments about their music
on facebook! :-)
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I want to close this week's post with some names of new staff who will join us in the Elementary School at YISS for the 2015-16 school year. I know they would value your prayers as they prepare to move to South Korea and begin their adjustment to life in Seoul as well as the life within the community of Yongsan International School of Seoul. As you think of them, your prayers for the following would be appreciated:
* ES Principal: Mrs. Sara Willetts is coming from Beanstalk International Bilingual School in Beijing, China to join our elementary administrative team.
* ES Classroom Teachers: Mr. David Benedict is coming from our NICS sister school in Turkey to join our elementary team in Grade 5. Mrs. Mary Hannah has just graduated from Northern Arizona University and will be joining us in the lower elementary. Ms. Domenique Roberts will teach in Grade 3. She joins us from Chadwick International School in South Korea.
* ELL Teachers: This coming year we will have two full-time ELL teachers: Ms. Candace Swift returns to teach with us. She had taught at the former ICS-Seoul school before it became YISS and has also taught in Buenos Aires and Kunming, China. Mr. James Lantz has been teaching English in the Korean public schools for four years and will come to YISS as the second ELL teacher.
* Upper ES Music Teacher: Ms. Tori Palmer joins us to teach music in the upper elementary grades. She has been teaching in Korea and comes with a background of teaching music and theater. Tori also has a Masters in Education in ESOL.
Thanks so much for your prayers. You are such an encouragement to me! Thank you for your love, care, notes, emails, packages, prayers, and support. I hope you enjoy a great week!
Love, Gregg
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