March has Arrived with Some Warmer Weather, but It is Full of Activities!

As many of you know, I arrived back in Seoul on February 28 and was greeted by snow!  After being away for two weeks, there were many things on my desk.  So although YISS did not have school on Monday, Gregg had school!  When I arrived in my office, I was greeted by numerous pictures and comments hanging from the ceiling.  As I read the comments on the photos, I realized how difficult it is going to be for me to leave this wonderful group of elementary teachers when I finish at YISS in June and head to ICS-P!  I am sorry that you can't read all of the pictures, but I have included a few of the hanging pictures/comments for you.  They were filled with encouragement and humor that I was so humbled to receive from these wonderful teachers who seemed to miss me a lot.  It was a very special return to my office.

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Tuesday, March 1 was a Professional Development Day for teachers and staff at YISS.  I was able to work much of the day on preparations for Quarter Four After School Activities.  Greatly needed and I was able to get finished with most of what I needed to accomplish.  I would continue to value your prayers as I work with one of our YISS staff on taking over the ASA program for next year.  Usually we have about 30 - 35 activities to offer to our elementary cherubs.  In Quarter Four we will offer the most activities ever - 44 regular activities + 4 in the Aquatics Department!  Still lots to do and I would value your prayers.

I was very happy that after the snow on February 28, the weather in Seoul became warmer.  We had some very nice weather for the beginning of March allowing children to get outside at recess times.  I am hoping the warmer weather continues.

This coming week I will be heading to ICS-P for a Parents' Meeting and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.  I am excited about being at the school all day on Friday, March 11, to meet teachers, students, staff, and then parents at the evening dinner and meeting.  Thank you for praying for me as I share a little about me to allow parents to get to know me a little before I come full time.  You can also be praying for two more teachers needed for 2016-17 at ICS-P.  We are in need of a 4th grade teacher and a High School English teacher!  If you know anyone who might be interested (and qualified for either position) in coming to the delightful and beautiful country of South Korea and joining us on our team at ICS-P, please let me know as soon as possible.  You could also direct them to the NICS website where they can begin the initial application process.  That website is: www.nics.org .

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In addition to catching up on the pile of work needing my attention on my desk,  there were many wonderful activities happening  in the elementary school at YISS that I wanted to experience.  It was the final week of our Read-A-Thon (RAT) so students were all excited about that.  It was also a special week for some of our cherubs in Grade 1 as they celebrated the 112th birthday (March 2, 1904) of Dr. Seuss.  Wednesday was a dress down day for the RAT where students and teachers were encouraged to dress as one of their favorite book characters.  Then on Thursday I was asked to read one of my favorite books by Dr. Seuss - Oh, The Places You'll Go!  I loved both days!  Here are some pictures from each of those events!  If you are reading this and want to win a little prize, please respond with the title of the book represented by these faculty members are representing or collection of books or the author of the books.  For most of them, you just need to look carefully; a couple you will have to do more thinking. :-)

  Our Kinder team of teachers and teaching assistants!

Grade 3 Team of teachers!

Grade 4's Team in their outfits.              

This the team of teachers from Grade 2!

 Some of our related arts teachers and ELL teachers

                  went together for this one! :-)

The Assistant Principals and Assistant Principals!

Grade 5D teacher, Mr. Benedict!    

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Below are some pictures from my visit to Grades 1B and 1D to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss:

 I love reading Oh, The Places You'll Go and have

    so much fun integrating a biblical worldview 

  throughout the story!  Students of all ages seem 

                       to always love it!

Another candid shot that Mrs. Miller, Grade 1B      

teacher, took while I shared this book with her cherubs!

Children in 1B listening and interacting.

Another candid from Mrs. Miller.

After reading to the cherubs in 1D, the teacher, Mrs. Thomas, and 

         I posed with the "Things" for a group picture!  I love it!

My "thank you" gift from 1B after reading with them!

One boy made sure to tell me not to eat the cat; "we  

used old pasta for the hat and tie," he told me with a 

big smile! :-)                           

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Friday was filled with some special events as well!  During February students in Kinder through Grade 12 were encouraged to submit art entries for the 2016-2017 YISS Calendar.  There were 113 entries and then on Friday administrators and art teachers were asked to vote on their top picks for the calendar.  This is always very difficult for me since there are so many wonderful entries.  The theme for the 2016-17 calendar is "Faith, Hope, and Love."  Students did a great job depicting the theme in their pieces of art!  I am posting a few of the 113 selections for your enjoyment!  I wish I could post all of them.

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I was also invited to experience 2A's Publishing Party on Friday!  What a great time I had.  I could have spent many hours interacting with these delightful cherubs.  Many of the students in 2A do not have English as their main language.  A number of them attend additional ELL (English Language Learners) classes.  I was so amazed and impressed as I sat with various students to see how much they have progressed in their English skills.  We have been placing an emphasis on reading and writing throughout the elementary school and the hard work by teachers and students is paying off. Students in 2A had been working on creating an illustrated brochure that included several sections: favorite character in the book they read,  favorite part of the book and why, and a review of the book. I was so impressed with the tremendous growth from the beginning of the year!  Ms. Minor, grade 2A teacher, is so creative and her students love her so much.  She has done an amazing job bringing her students to the level of writing I witnessed on Friday!  You can look on Facebook for more pictures but here are a few of them:

    This is what greeted 2A students as they entered Ms. Minor's

classroom on Friday morning!  They were so excited about sharing 

            their brochures about their favorite adventure book!

At each student's desk was this big donut with

little slips of paper for students, principals, and

teachers to "sprinkle each student some    

compliments!"                     

Here are the 2A students putting final touches on their amazing brochures!

One of the students checking over his brochure before

            visitors began coming to the classroom.

I love this sign that was hanging in 

the room! :-)                

    Students reading each other's brochures and "sprinkling some 

                         compliments for their classmates!

This young man is amazing!  Struggled with English but now speaks with great passion and writes beautifully.  I loved having him interact with me!!  

  Another beautiful young lady who is in our ELL class for help 

with English.  She has come soooo far with her skills and was so

                   proud as we interacted with her brochure!

This is a young man from Turkey who has grown by leaps and bounds with his English.  Oh, what a great job he is doing!!

And after the guests left, students enjoyed donuts and juice while 

reading their big donut "sprinkled with compliments." :-)       

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Friday afternoon, my great friend, Koko So, came to visit me at YISS.  He wanted to see where I was working.  I met Koko at the chiropractic office started going to over 3 years ago.  I had not seen Koko and found for over 2 years and I found out that he decided to go (with very little money) on a journey that took him to 21 countries in 28 months!  I followed his journeys and was taken by how God provided for his every need throughout the journey - even when he came down with Malaria, then had his bicycle stolen, then his wallet, passport,  and credit card in Morocco.  I loved hearing first hand how God provided, as we toured YISS and then had dinner at the Original Pancake House.  I want to meet him again soon to hear more of his experiences.  He asked prayer that he would continue to strengthen his faith in God first and then seek what it is God wants him to do.  He has a heart for Ghana but wants to make sure that is where he is to go.  Thanks for praying for my dear friend.

  Koko and I in front of YISS after touring the school.  He was so 

 impressed with the facilities and all that was happening to impact 

                                        lives for Jesus!

Here we are enjoying our time at the Original Pancake House! It     

was so wonderful to hear the very powerful stories Koko had to share.

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This week I would like to conclude with a big prayer request for a family who has son in our grade 2. When I was in Mississippi for two weeks for New Directors' Training and the Annual Leadership Conference, this little boy found himself in some trouble in our after school activities.  I am going to call him Josh although that is not his real name.  God knows his name and his mother's name.

Josh's mother has been involved in starting several businesses in Seoul and the marriage has suffered. Josh has a little brother and both boys are often left in the care of a driver.  Mom and Dad are separated.  I have known the mother and when I contacted her about the problem we had with Josh in an after school activity plus a couple other incidents, she called me and asked for a time to talk.  We met on Thursday after school and she unburdened her heart concerning her lack of relationship with Josh and is concerned because he has become very distant and she is worried that she is going to lose him.  I listened and then shared how important it is to be in the lives of your children - especially in this day (and especially in Korea) when any person including children can get on the Internet and see things that are just not appropriate.  After giving her some recommendations, she was very grateful and expressed her desire to stop spending so much time at her new business ventures and getting to know her sons and getting into their lives to make sure, as best she can, that she is aware of the dangers of technology today.  As she got up to leave, I asked her if she would mind if I would pray

Would you please pray for this family?  Pray that Mom and Dad will get back together.  Pray that Mom will make special time for her sons, especially Josh.  Pray for Josh that he would realize that his Mom loves him, and even more importantly that Jesus loves him.  Thanks so much!

Thank you so much for your continued encouragement, love, care, prayers, and support.  I especially need them right now as I desire to finish well at YISS and begin well at ICS-P.  Thanks so much.

Happy March!

Love, Gregg