Happy October!! A Shortened Chuseok Week; Yet Lots of Fun and Much Work!

I was happy to have Monday and Tuesday off from school this past week!  I had a refreshing time at Gyungpo Beach on the East Sea with a former SYME student and great friend, Yeongmin Baek.  I was also able to catch up with my old friend from Joy El days, Tony Kuhn.  It was great to be refreshed, but Wednesday came quickly with a Fun Day, Moustache Day, in the elementary school and final preparations for the annual Walk-A-Sock-Thon in our elementary school on Friday, October 2.  In between these two activities I had a lot of work on the After School Activities program.  On Thursday, we had our first day of heavy rain in a long time and since we still do not have an Elementary Gym, I had to cancel four ASA Soccer activities and a Boys' Basketball (Grades 2-3) activity that afternoon.  That is never a fun time.  Emails are prepared and sent to each parent of a student in the affected activity + our wonderful Elementary Admin Assistant, Mrs. Yoo, had to call each parent to find out if their child would be picked up or take the bus home.  A bit of stress, but all worked out and we didn't lose any student.  Now I just have to make arrangements for a makeup day for these activities.

In addition to the usual work on Quarter One ASA, I am in the middle of finalizing Quarter Two's ASA program.  We will have approximately 33 After School Activities in Quarter Two.  Locations for each activity continues to get more and more complicated. Plus, we still have no Elementary Gym.  The last word I heard was that the repairs are to be finished by October 10.  Then we wait for final inspection from the government.  Your prayers are greatly appreciated as registration for Quarter Two activities is on October 19 and 20. I have to have everything prepared by October 12 in order to get information to parents prior to the online registration.  I am stepping out on faith that the gym will be available by the time we start Quarter Two activities on Friday, October 30. If not, then more stress will come upon me as I have to inform parents that five of the activities will be canceled, refunds requested from the YISS Business Office and sent to parents, etc.

I still have MUCH to do to finish everything for the ASA Website by October 10.  There will be many late evenings as I am also beginning teacher observations and evaluations, and Quarter One grades and comments need to be completed prior to parent-teacher conferences on October 23.  We are also involved in the final stages of our self-study for our  International Accreditation which is involving several committee assignments for me.  I am doing my best to give my stress to the Lord but it has been difficult and I am not sleeping the best.  Thanks for your prayers.

OK, enough about all of that.  I am going to do my best at just letting pictures do the talking this week.

First, I want to share a photo of our newest teacher at YISS.  We welcomed Mr. Davis Miller to our high school staff as a full-time substitute teacher this week.  Davis comes to us from Pyeongtaek International Christian School about 2 hours south of YISS.  I have heard great reports about his teaching and relational gifts and skills.  Looking forward to getting to know him better.

Our newest teacher at YISS, Davis Miller, finishing his Korean lunch in the YISS cafeteria with GGG.

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During a crazy afternoon of dismissal between 3:00 - 3:20 this past Thursday, I captured this photo of one of our Elementary Substitute teachers in the elementary office.  That is always a crazy time for me as I work with Mrs. Yoo and our bus coordinator outside and our monitors in various locations to make sure children are on the correct bus or are being picked up or going to their correct After School Activity.  There were more children than usual in the office waiting to be picked up because of a communication situation.  Mrs. Biersteker, one of our elementary subs, came to her desk in the office complex and asked one of the younger children if he would like to read a story with her while he waited.  All of sudden all of those in the office were gathered round Mrs. Biersteker enjoying some delightful reading!  I just had to capture this photo!

Mrs. Biersteker in the Elementary Office reading to her captive audience!

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Here are two pictures from our Ceramics after school activity this week.  They brought in the potter's wheel and the children were working on their final projects.  This is Felicia, one of our new young students this year working on her project.  Felicia's English is growing each day.

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Wednesday, our first day back to YISS after the Chuseok Break, was a Fun Day for students and staff in the elementary school.  It was a new day for us: Moustache Day.  Students and teachers got involved and we had so much fun.  Enjoy some pictures here.  If you want to see more, check out my facebook page.

Elementary Office Staff on Moustache Day!  From left to right: GGG, Mrs. Yoo (Admin Assistant), Mrs. Roll (El Assistant Principal), Mrs. Willetts (Principal), and Mrs. Hooper (Counselor)!

GGG with KA's Teaching Assistant, Ms. Kathy Lee!

I hope you enjoyed some of the elementary cherubs and their staches! :-)

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Friday was our annual Walk-A-Sock-A-Thon!  The kids always enjoy this day.  They are encouraged to fill socks with 100 Won coins they save throughout the year.  They are encouraged to wear crazy/colorful socks and bring in their socks with 100 Won coins.  This year all of the money raised is going to Agape International Missions to help with their program at Rahab House in Cambodia to help stop human trafficking in that country.  It was so exciting to get some pictures of students with their crazy socks and their socks filled with 100 Won coins on Friday morning.  We had our Tally Rally in the auditorium and then each class along with teachers and many parents walked from YISS to the Namsan Tower going through the Namsan Park which is right near our school.

Here are the heaviest socks' winners announced during the Tally Rally.  I was so impressed with a young man in Grade 4.  I had challenged students last spring to begin collecting 100 Won coins.  At our Chapel and OASIS assemblies two weeks ago, I shared with the students my socks.  At that time I had collected 14.6 kg.  Friday I weighed my socks of coins (I added some more since) and my new total was 17.6 kg.  Last year my sock total was 10.5 kg.  Brian in Grade 4 arrived with two big socks and I was so excited because I thought he was going to have even more than I had.  When we weighed the socks, Brian's total was 17.4 kg!!  That is the most any student has collected in the six WASATs I have been involved in!  I was soooo proud of this young man!  Our Elementary Chaplain, Ms. Johnson, then announced that last year we had 470 kg of coins.  This year's unofficial total is already at 538.6 kg!!  The kids are so excited!  After the rally, everyone enjoyed a beautiful walk up the steps and hills to Namsan Tower!  Here are just a few pictures of the day.

I wanted to show this picture and the next one to let you know that

Autumn has arrived in Seoul!  One does not need eyes to see when 

Autumn arrives in Seoul.  You just need your nose. You can smell

   the foul odor of the fruit of this "oldest living tree," the Ginkgo

Biloba, known as the Ginkgo tree or Maidenhair tree.  You will also

find that when this fruit drops to the ground, it can be very slippery.

Here is a close up of the fruit and a couple of the leaves from the   

Ginkgo Tree.  Our YISS children had to be very careful as they    

walked through Namsan on their walk to Namsan Tower on Friday!

The above pictures are just a few of our cherubs with their socks and coins the morning of the Walk.  The bottom right one is my buddy, Brian from grade 4, lifting his two socks which weighed in at 17.4 kg!! 

Here I am at the Tally Rally announcing the heaviest socks.  This is one of me giving Brian a high five for doing such a great job collecting 17.4 kg of coins and being #1!

Here I am giving prizes to the Top Five Sock Winners at the Tally Rally!

Grade 1D on their walk.  Here their teacher is sharing about why 

  we do the Walk and collect coins as well as explaining about a 

             Momma bird and baby bird in the tree overhead!

Many of the classes stopped at this special little spot near the Grand Hyatt Hotel to take a group picture on the Walk.  This is Grade 1A posing for a Silly Picture. :-)

I am taking this from the Namsan Park bridge looking down at a 

   group of Kindergarten cherubs making their way up the hills!

Some of the beauty the children and adults enjoyed on their walk!

Another picture of the beauty which is near my apartment.  I live about 200 meters from this spot in Namsan Park!

One of our P.E. teachers, Ms. Prater, is explaining to a Korean worker why so many kids (over 450) were walking through Namsan Park on Friday.  He had noticed our little Walk-A-Sock-A-Thon markers in the bushes and started asking questions.  He loved what the kids were doing and why they were doing it.

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OK, I will conclude with two events that happened during the Chuseok Break for me.  More pictures of these events can be found on my facebook page.  My former SYME student and still a great friend, Yeongmin invited me to go with him to Gangneung on the east side of South Korea.  We enjoyed a wonderful day and a half at Gyungpo Beach.  So relaxing!  Lots of walking! Lots of yummy food!  I loved just walking on the beach and enjoying reflecting on our great Creator as we watched the sunrise on the East Sea.  A great time!

Yeongmin and GGG sitting one of the benches along Gyungpo Beach.

 Lots of time to enjoy talking, walking, observing, reading, trying out

           new coffee shops, eating yummy food, and just relaxing!

One of many pictures Yeongmin and I took at sunrise on Gyungpo Beach on the East Sea!

Our breakfast was this delicious feast of Spicy Tofu and Octopus 

Stew with lots of grilled fish and assorted side dishes!!        

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Then on Tuesday, I met up with my great friend from Camp Joy El days, Tony Kuhn!  Tony is a teacher and an administrator at Pyeongtaek International Christian School.  We always enjoy our times together.  Tony's wife, Sue, could not join us this time since she had to work.  We had a great lunch at Smokey Saloon in Itaewon and some great conversation together.

Two burgers enjoyed by Tony and me at Smokey Saloon in Itaewon!!

GGG and Tony Kuhn at Smokey Saloon on Tuesday!  A great time!

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I had a special treat on Saturday for lunch!  Two years ago the Ratier family with their two wonderful sons, Hugo and Fabian, had to return to Switzerland because of Mr. Ratier's job.  It was a sad time for all of us, but one of the constants at an international school.  About two weeks ago, Mr. Ratier contacted me to see if we could have lunch on October 3!  I was delighted!  I was hoping the whole family could come, but Mr. Ratier said the boys really wanted to come but needed to be in school back in Switzerland.  We had a great chat and if this business trip, and the one in the Spring, works out, they are really hoping to be back in Seoul and hopefully back at YISS.  I know they would value your prayers.  The boys had a rough time adjusting to their first school in Switzerland, but are doing better at the one they moved to for this year. Thank you for praying for this dear family!

Here I am with Mr. Ratier at Flying Pan Blue preparing to enjoy our yummy brunches and great  "catching up" chat!  So glad to see him again and hear about his family!

 The little bags are filled with some Swiss treats that

Mrs. Ratier made just for me!  The card is hand made

   by Hugo and Fabian for "Mr. Garman."  Inside,

the boys had written how much they miss YISS and

    ended by saying, "We love you, Mr. Garman!" 

Here I am at with Hugo and Fabian at Fabian's Kinder graduation at YISS.  I miss them so much!

A box of Swiss chocolates that Mr. Ratier brought from Switzerland

for me to share with Elementary staff who knew Hugo and Fabian! 

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I want to thank each of you reading this for your continued love, encouragement, prayers, emails, and support!  You are appreciated more than I can express!  Happy October!

Love, Gregg