Here I am with my siblings and Mother at the pond at Menno Village. Left to right behind my mother are Julee, GGG, Jared, and Gae.
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Before writing anything else, I want to thank you for praying for us at ICS-P over the last two months about our student management system, PowerSchool! This past week we believe we have it back up and operating! We are so thankful to Mr. Coyner, Mr. Richards, and numerous staff who went way beyond the call of duty to make this happen! There are going to be a few glitches, but for the most part, we are back up and operational. It has been a long and hard trip! Mr. Coyner still has much to do to work on students' transcripts, etc. In addition to working on PowerSchool, the last week has been filled with Advanced Placement (AP) tests, Student Council events, our Spring Music Concert, Teacher Appreciation happenings, our annual Activities' Banquet, searching for a Grade 3 Teacher, and the list could go on and on.
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As you know, we have been interviewing numerous candidates for our Grade 3 Teacher position for 2017-18. We have made several offers over the last month and a half for this person. Each time the offer has been declined. :-( On Friday morning, we interviewed a very capable candidate via Skype. She currently lives in Pennsylvania and our conversation with her was a delightful one and both Mr. Kuhn and I thought she was a great fit for our ICS-P community. On Saturday around Noon, I received an email from this young lady saying that she enjoyed the interview and the offer but was disappointed that she would not be able to accept our offer as she didn't think it was the right fit. So, we are still in need of a Grade 3 Teacher for 2017-18. It is becoming more and more a very urgent matter since it takes some time to secure all the paperwork to obtain the correct visa to teach in South Korea. So, once again, I am asking you to join us in praying for the teacher God has for us in Grade 3 at ICS-P! Some of you have put the word out already and I am asking once again for any leads that you can give us for this crucial position.
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During the last two weeks, we have been having Teacher Appreciation Weeks! We have a superb Member Care committee who have come up with all sorts of ways to encourage, affirm, and thank our teachers and staff for their amazing work. It began two weeks ago when "Affirmation Stations" were placed on each floor of the building. At each station was an envelope with slips of paper and pencils. Students, staff, parents, and administrators were encouraged to write a little note of affirmation to teachers on that floor and place it in the packet envelope for that teacher at that station! It has been so much fun and everyone has jumped right in and are actually enjoying writing many notes of affirmation and thanks! In addition, there have been teacher/staff appreciation breakfasts sponsored by the P.T.A., the Office Staff, and Member Care! The culminating event will be a Teacher/Staff Appreciation Luncheon on May 19th. It has come at a very good time with all of the extra work teachers are doing in this crazy busy month of May.
This was one of the snacks Member Care distributed to staff one day! :-)
These "Smart Cookies" were a treat another day this past week! :-)
Then there were these mints! Reverse side of the bag of mints!
Above is one of the notes left in my "Affirmation Envelope." I love it! Can you read it? :-)
The top "OREO" treat was given to me in a presentation by Mr. Kuhn. The "100 Grand" was left in my "Affirmation Envelope" along with the note! I love both of them!
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On Friday, we had two special events happening at the school. The first happened during the last period of the day when the Middle School and High School students gathered in the Basement Gym to listen to the candidates who had been campaigning for one of the offices for the 2017-18 Student Council. It was a really excellent time. After each candidate gave her/his speech as to why they wanted to hold the office for which they were running, one of the other candidates would ask them a question. At the close of the speeches and questions, the students completed their ballots and the election was held. There was a very close race for President of the Student Council, but Joon Ha Kim edged out Huin Lee.
Some of the MS.HS students listening
to Huin give his speech for President.
This is Joon Ha giving his pre-election speech. He later was declared the winner!
Here are the two advisers for Student
Council along with the current President
of Student Council and candidates.
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After dismissal at 3:30 on Friday, a great flurry of activity happened as final preparations for the "Activities Banquet" took place. The group of ladies in the school kitchen, along with the two facilities' men, under the direction of our Business Manager, Mrs. Haselman, transformed the cafeteria into a beautiful banquet setting so that at 5:00 PM the dinner could begin along with the presentation of awards, certificates, etc. to those students, coaches, and advisers who were involved in the following: Forensics and Debate, Model UN, Elementary Chess Club, Volleyball (Boys and Girls), Basketball (Boys and Girls), and Soccer (Boys and Girls). Mr. Greener, Athletic Director, did a very good job of organizing the celebratory evening!
The Cafeteria set up and ready for the Activities' Banquet. Mr. Greener is at the podium sorting out all of the awards, letters, and certificates.
Boys' Soccer Coach Thornton talking
with some of his boys prior to the banquet.
Some of the students gathering at the tables; getting ready to enjoy the banquet!
This is little Samantha Edwards waiting to be fed. Her Daddy is Mr. Edwards, Assistant Girls' Basketball Coach.
The next pictures are of some of the very delicious food Mrs. Haselman and her great kitchen staff had prepared for the banquet!
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Finally, on Saturday afternoon our final event of the week happened! Our music teacher, Mrs. Jennifer Kim, had organized our Spring Music Concert. It was held in our new gymnasium and it was a superb afternoon of music featuring our Middle School Choir, the ICS-P Little Conquerors' Orchestra, and the ICS-P Middle School/High School Orchestra. When Mrs. Kim was hired last year, her passion was to begin an orchestra at ICS-P. ICS-P has never had an orchestra. At Christmas was the debut performance, which was a huge hit, and then on Saturday, we were all so impressed with the growth in the orchestra! They performed so well and parents are so excited about having an orchestra! A special surprise was an opening piano solo by one of our high school students, Catherine Hwang. Catherine is new to our school this year. Because of her albinism, Catherine has extremely poor eyesight. Saturday was the first that most of the school heard this delightful young lady play the piano. She blew us away!! Catherine performed Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 20 in G Major, Op. 49, No. 2 to begin our Spring Concert and she did an AMAZING job!! I was so impressed! Hopefully, I will be able to share some video clips later of her solo as well as some of the orchestra numbers! The concert was a beautiful way to spend a Saturday afternoon and finish a very busy week!
Middle School Girls' Choir preparing to sing The April Rainbow!
Middle School Combined Choir right after singing Kiss the Girl from Disney's The Little Mermaid.
The Little Conquerors' Orchestra preparing to perform Tango Latino.
The ICS-P Orchestra (MS & HS) performed five pieces ending with American Fiddle Melody.
Another picture of the ICS-P Orchestra at Saturday's Spring Concert!
A view of some of the audience enjoying the Spring Concert!
A view of some of the audience from the other side of the Gym.
Mr. Kuhn and the Student MC, Sydney had just presented Mrs. Kim
with a beautiful arrangement of fresh flowers for all of her excellent work!
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After the concert, I was taken by my colleagues and friends, John Richards and Tony Kuhn, to my favorite Budae jjigae restaurant for a very yummy Budae jjigae meal! We had a great time of fellowship and enjoyed some very delicious Korean food with just the right amount of spicy kick to it. So thankful to John for treating us to this special after-concert meal. The wives of John and Tony had decided to go to Seoul to go shopping all day so the three of us enjoyed a time together.
Yummy Budae jjigae cooking and prior to the stirring of ingredients! Oh, so good!!
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I am so grateful to those of you who continue to encourage me, love and care for me, write to me, pray for me, and support me. Thank you so much! I really appreciate all you do. Please continue to pray for additional students for 2017-18 and that we will be able to finish this current year well! Many of us at ICS-P are exhausted and are in need of a refreshment break over the summer.
Love, Gregg
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