Our theme for the year is taken from Colossians 2:1-5: "United in Love; United in Knowledge." Last year I was so impressed with the great care, love, and encouragement demonstrated by all of our staff to other staff members and students when they were facing trials and suffering. I want us to continue to demonstrate the community of love that we have at ICS-P among our staff. In addition, each year we emphasize one of our five ESLRs. The five "Expected Student Learning Results" that we desire to see in our graduates at ICS-P are: 1) Effective Communicators; 2) Community Contributors; 3) Biblically Informed Individuals; 4) Complex Thinkers; and 5) 21st Century Learners. This year we are emphasizing ESLR #3 - Biblically Informed Individuals. As we presented the school's theme and the ESLR we are going to emphasize in our classrooms, I was reminded of a quote from a British writer, N. T. Wright: "The aim, as in all theological and biblical exploration, is not to replace love with knowledge. Rather, it is to keep love focused upon its true object!"
During Monday morning, teachers and staff went to their individual classrooms or offices and wrote out prayer concerns they had for their rooms, remembering some of the needs of their students. After about 15 minutes, teachers posted these requests on their classroom door and then began to walk from the B1 level to the third floor and to the Gymnasium to pray over each classroom and office! It is one of my favorite times at ICS-P! All classrooms, offices, and the gym were covered in prayer before school begins on Wednesday, August 16. After all were finished with their "Prayer Walk" - either alone or in small groups, everyone gathered back in the cafeteria where student's names and class were displayed on the screen. As each group of students was displayed, individual teachers prayed for the students. In about an hour, each student enrolled for 2017-18 at ICS-P had been prayed for. We call this "Standing in the Gap" for our students.
The pictures above are of our staff going from room-to-room praying over each classroom!
This is the School Principal, Mr. Mooney, introducing our "Standing in the Gap" prayer time for each of our students for 2017-18!
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On the same day, our Member Care committee prepared a fantastic Ice Cream Social to end the day! We enjoyed some delicious ice cream with all of the toppings, including WHIPPED CREAM, and baked goodies and just lots of fun and fellowship!
Some of our Member Care Committee at ICS-P! From left to right: Minsun Lee (wife of Barry Wolfer); Pamela Richards, Chair (wife of John Richards); April Mooney, Last year's Chair); and Becca Gaul, HS Math Teacher).
We had three little ones join us at the
Ice Cream Social. Here is Minsun Lee
holding Cora the Conqueror!
This is the ICS-P head cook, Mrs. Okamoto, holding our Part-time counselor, Camille Parker's baby!
Grade 1 teacher, Ms. Hunter with the
Wolfers' little man, Justus!
Mrs. Haselman, our Business Manager, loves to cook and bake. She baked and decorated this cake for the Ice Cream Social!
Here is the table full of ice cream and assorted taste treats, which everyone greatly enjoyed!
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Friday, August 11 arrived and all the classrooms were ready for our annual Open House. We had a good number of parents and students who came to visit their classroom and their teacher as well as receive their Parent/Student Handbook and other information that they would need to begin the school year on August 16. According to Mr. Mooney, we also instituted the first New Student and Parent Orientation session on Friday morning. All new students and their parents were invited to attend this orientation session from 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM. We had a nice group of parents and students (hoping for more of the new middle school and high school students) in attendance and all seemed to be very grateful for the orientation.
Lobby of the school on Friday morning! Parents and students arriving to attend the Open House and New Student Orientation!
Our Librarian, TiNa Lee, loves to keep changing things around in the Library. Here is her new bulletin board for the beginning of this year! :-)
TiNa opened up the area around the windows to allow more light into the library as well as preparing a very nice reading area for our cherubs!
Our ELD Coordinator/Teacher, Mrs. Amos,
is very excited about being at ICS-P. Here
is the door entrance to her classroom.
Here is Mrs. Amos in her rearranged ELD classroom! Looking good!
Another view in the ELD classroom!
Last year, Ms. Kathy Lee, was our Grade 1 T. A. and Korean teacher. This year Kathy will be teaching Korean and Art! She is an amazing artist and has already made the difference between night and day in the Art classroom! This is a really cool display on the outside wall before you enter the Art Room!
A view of one side of the new Art Room!
A better picture of the brand new Art Room! Kathy has made it a bright and cheery room! Many students (as well as parents) stopped by on Friday and could not believe the fantastic change in the Art Room!
This is the kindergarten classroom, but early in the week when Mrs. Cho, our Kinder teacher, and lead Elementary teacher, was conducting a professional development session with elementary teachers and several MS teachers. On Friday, she met with each of the parents of her Kinder cherubs!
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I was invited to join Mike and Alicia Nicholes and their four cherubs for breakfast on Saturday morning! Mike is the pastor at Dae Kwang where I am fellowshipping. I always love going to their apartment to play with the kids, eat yummy food, enjoy some excellent conversations, and just enjoy one another.
Here I am with Mike and Alicia Nicholes and their youngest, Titus!
These three cherubs plus Titus ate at this Korean table while the
adults sat at the higher dining room table! (Josiah is the young man;
Charis is across from Josiah; and Michaela is waiting for Titus
to stop playing with his steam shovel. GGG is at fault!)
Here is Titus on the sofa with his steam shovel. He and I had so
much fun playing with it!
After breakfast, I gave each of the
children a Kinder Toy. (They now have
them "for boys" and "for girls." Titus
wanted to open his and eat the treat and
play with the toy inside right away!
Yummy bacon and amazing cinnamon rolls!!!! Soooo good!!
My plate of tasty breakfast goodies!!
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That will do it for this week! It has been another hot and humid week, but I did get my air conditioner working! So thankful for that! Please pray as we make the final preparations for our first day of school on Wednesday, August 16! We could use at least six more students! If there were more than six, that would be awesome! Thank you so much for your love, care, encouragement, prayers, and gifts of support both for me personally and for the improvement of ICS-Pyeongtaek. I trust that you will enjoy a tremendous week!
Love, Gregg
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