A Right Christmas is first of all focused on a person. Christmas marks the time in history when God entered our world to redeem us by sending His only son, Jesus! Jesus won salvation for us by coming to earth, living a perfect life, and dying on the cross to take our punishment for sin. He rose from the tomb and reigns in heaven today. Jesus made the first Christmas the Right Christmas. I hope that you will enjoy a Right Christmas this year. Please enjoy a very meaningful time of celebration with your family and friends!
Another picture from the ICS-P Staff Christmas Party last Saturday. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas....and a Right Christmas!!
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On Friday, students at ICS-Pyeongtaek finished Quarter Two and left for a three-week Christmas Break. I know that MS and HS students were ready for the Break after completing three half days of Mid-term Final Exams! And I am pretty sure that all of the teachers were ready for a much-needed time of refreshment and restoration. Students had only half days Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday while teachers were at school all day grading exams, preparing grades for Quarter Two and Semester grades, and preparing lesson plans for the first week of school after the Break.
On Friday, our leadership team met with all staff in the morning for devotions and announcements and then headed to the home of our Business Manager, Mrs. Haselman. She and her husband hosted our day of Planning. We were only able to get through some of the items on the agenda, so we will be meeting at least one more extended period of time to complete items that need attention for the 2017-18 school year. I would value your prayers as we revise handbooks, prepare the school calendar, examine areas of strengths and areas that need to be improved, discuss personnel placements for the remainder of this year as well as 2017-18, and more. Friday was a good time together and good progress was made on the 2017-18 School Calendar as well as the Parent-Student Handbook.
The Haselmans' home was very nicely decorated
for Christmas!
The scene surrounding the fireplace in the Haselmans'
home!
We had some yummy refreshments in the morning at the Haselmans' home and then went to Puffin Restaurant to enjoy some very delicious lunches and great fellowship. Clockwise beginning on the far left: Helen Lee, Ben Coyner, Tony Kuhn, Jon Greener, Charlie Mooney, April Mooney, and Mylene Haselman. I was taking the photo. :-)
Helen enjoyed the Barbequed Chicken Risotto!
Mylene shared some of her Gorgonzola Pizza with a honey dipping sauce!
Quite a few of us enjoyed Puffin's Lasagna!
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On Monday, the Student Council concluded its "Secret Santa" project with the staff and students. Any student or staff member could sign up to be a "Secret Santa." All those who signed up by the deadline then purchased a gift from $5 - $15 to give to a person the Student Council assigned to each "Secret Santa." (Girls were matched with girls, boys with boys, and male staff with male staff, and female staff with another female staff.) After purchasing the gift, the "Secret Santa" was to wrap the gift and put the name of the person who was assigned to them. They were not to put on the gift who the gift was from. On Monday, the Student Council distributed the gifts to each person. It was a lot of fun! Below is the gift bag of goodies I received from my "Secret Santa." I still have no idea who my Santa was! :-)
All sorts of goodies in my gift bag from my "Secret Santa."
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ES and MS students and staff were encouraged to dress in Christmasy red and green clothing on Thursday. It was fun to see the students and staff in their Christmasy outfits. I was able to get only a few pictures from the day. I did capture our IT teacher, Mr. Richards, wearing his Santa outfit and enjoying surprising some of our students.
Santa Richards with his little Elf Boy!
Santa Richards with our HS Math guru, Ms. Gaul!
Mr. Kuhn celebrating in his Christmas Hawaiian
shirt with one of the Middle School boys!
Santa Richard with two of his reindeer: Ms. Dather, Grade 2 teacher and undefeated Girls' Basketball coach, and Ms. Lee, T.A. for Grade 1 and Korean Culture class.
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On Thursday, I also had the privilege of traveling to the main office of the Pyeongtaek International Exchange Foundation (PIEF)! This is the group that provided at no cost three excellent field trips for many of our students on December 5, 6, and 7. I had written an email thanking them for giving ICS-P this awesome opportunity - especially with our very tight budget. I informed them that I had some "Thank You" notes from many of our students and wanted to deliver them in person. They invited me to meet the General Manager, Mr. Lee, and his staff at their main office. Our wonderful Mr. Song (facilities, driver, maintenance man, etc., etc.) drove me to the PIEF Office and I enjoyed a very profitable meeting with three of the key people at PIEF. They loved the "Thank You" notes the kids had created. They had big smiles when they unrolled the Kindergarten cherubs' "Thank You!" The General Manager and his two assistants want to meet in January with ICS-P's Leadership team and the entire staff of possible. They are eager to continue to provide trips for students and teachers as well as have some exchange opportunities that would assist us and them. I was also able to let them know about the education possibilities for families that would stop by the PIEF offices asking about international schools in the area. Thank you for praying for the many opportunities that God has opened up to us through this organization.
Here I am with Mr. Lee, General Manager of the PIEF. This is outside their main office complex!
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That's about it for this week. I am looking forward to going to Seoul for a few days this next week. I am hoping to meet some of my former Korean students at SYME as well as friends from YISS. As you think about it, you can pray for the Christmas Eve service we will have at Dae Kwang Church. I have been asked by Pastor Mike to share a Christmas message during the candlelight service. The children will also be performing a few songs and a Christmas skit. We are praying for a number of visitors who may not know about the real reason we celebrate Christmas.
* I also wanted to give you a quick update on some of our staff. Many of you have been praying for Ben Coyner and Jon Greener. Ben continues to get radiation treatments and when he came to our Leadership Planning Day on Friday, I could tell that these treatments are having effects on Ben. He didn't eat any of his food at the restaurant where we had lunch. His sense of taste has been greatly affected and he is supposed to eat during these times of treatment but he doesn't have the desire. On Monday, December 19 at 10:30 AM he is to have a Cat Scan. Ben is hoping to get some more specific reports from the doctors following this scan.
* Jon Greener continues to have tests, but they can't seem to find out anything except that there may be something wrong with a disc in his lower back. I know he would appreciate your prayers.
* This past week Jonathan and Laura Edwards had to report before a judge in the Pyeongtaek area in order to see if they were officially given the final adoption papers for Little John, their adopted Korean son. They have been going through all sorts of paperwork and meetings and sessions with Korean court officials for 2 years or more. Each time they are told that they would need to come back. BUT this time, they were granted officially the adoption of Little John!! We were all excited at ICS-P! Jonathan teaches in our Middle School. Laura had been Lead Teacher in the Elementary School until they began the adoption process of Little John. They are obviously thrilled with this most recent and final decision!
Here I am with Little John at the ICS-P Staff Christmas Party last Saturday.
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Thank you so much for your continued love, care, encouragement, notes, emails, packages, prayers, and support. I trust that you, your family, and friends will enjoy a very meaningful Christmas.
Love,
Gregg
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