Phoenix Flyer

Korea International School

In This Issue:• Teacher Recruitment• Art Expo• Seoul Campus Thanksgiving• Pangyo Expo• Middle School Chess• High School Mock Trial• Phoenix Athletics - Cheer Team• Phoenix Activities - Model UN

December 7, 20152015/16 Issue 6

KIS TodayKIS Faculty Recruitment!Each year, KIS celebrates the amazing accomplishments and learning that our students exhibit. We are constantly impressed with the caliber of their work and the support that their families provide them. Our students are focused, dedicated, and smart. KIS student accomplishments are possible due to the support systems that are in place to help them as they find their way from our school to higher-level educational institutions.

Each student’s support system is made up of three important components: family, themselves (the student), and the school. At KIS, we have direct influence on one important component that directly impacts each student’s continued success: our school.

There are countless factors that determine our school’s success. One area that KIS takes great pride in, is hiring and retaining highly-qualified and trained faculty. Each winter, KIS is faced with the difficult task of replacing many teaching and support staff who work diligently to provide innovative learning environments for our students. Sadly, on December 1st, teachers are asked to declare their intent to stay or leave. Some choose to leave KIS for a variety of reasons. Those who choose to leave will complete their contracts in June, and then depart for other destinations at the conclusion of the school year.

Once we have identified departing staff, in early December, we begin the process of finding their replace-ments. This is the start of the annual teacher recruitment season. First, we share the available positions internally. Internal candidates, who are certified in the position being posted, are then considered for inter-views. For those positions that we do not fill internally, we post them using several school recruitment agen-cies and our KIS website. The agencies that advertise KIS positions host teacher recruitment fairs each year, around the globe, that KIS leadership attends. A majority of our newly hired teachers are coming to KIS via the recruitment agencies we use.

Once we identify strong candidates, we conduct several reference checks. We use reference checks as a primary tool for safeguarding our students. We also ensure that our teachers: have deep content knowledge; work well within teams; love and care for students; and can critically think, lead and contribute to our inno-vative faculty. Finally, we make offers and begin identifying the staff who will replace our outgoing teachers. Coming soon, you will see displays highlighting the incoming staff—posted in B3 and in each school build-ing.

As we say goodbye to many of our talented teachers this school year, we are committed to finding the best and brightest educators from around the globe. Should you have questions about our recruiting procedures, please contact our our Assistant School Director for more details (prich@kis.or.kr).

Patrick RichAssistant Director

KIS SpotlightKIS Art Exhibition: PerspectiveOne of the highlights for the Art Department and KIS is when artists from all schools (PK through to Grade 12) exhibit their artwork in one space. This year, students focused on showing different “Perspectives” of who they are through a variety of mediums. From sculptures to paintings to circuit accessories, students displayed their dynamic creativity and technique. The reception on Tuesday, December 1st, had a great turn out of students, parents, and faculty. Artists were able to explain their processes and ideas to an audience, and friends were able to see the talent of KIS students. The Middle School PTO (Parent Teacher Organiza-tion) was gracious in providing tasty snacks; and Middle School students sold their very first coloring book as well. This coloring book was designed by 88 MS art students, with the theme of KIS student life. The Art Department is excited to begin planning for the Spring Art Exhibition, which will be in April, 2016.

Candice KimMS Art

Family Celebration and Potluck at SC!

Seoul CampusElementary School Highlights

Meredith VossJK Teacher

Last week, the JK class at KIS Seoul Campus hosted a potluck and celebration to culminate our Family And Friends Unit. Each Junior Kinder family brought in a special food item that’s unique to their family or culture. We had an array of deli-cious food, including: fruit tea; mandu / dumplings and sweet rice cakes from Korea; Arabic coffee; sweet dates and pancakes from Saudi Arabia; Spanish omelets from Spain; and an apple crisp from America! We had a few siblings and many parents attend our celebration. The JK students sang a song, along with using sign language to share how every family is unique and special. We also shared a video of the students describing who is in their family, what they like to do with their family, and how they can be a good friend. The event was a great way to celebrate culture and diversity here at KIS Seoul.

Family Hike and BBQWe wrapped up another great Saturday Sports season on November 21st with a family hike and barbeque. We enjoyed a crisp fall morning trek through the woods near campus; our hike was filled with colorful leaves and amazing views of the city. There was a great turnout for the event: over 40 students, parents, and staff hiked up Daemo-san. Our students did an amazing job encouraging each other, and they were always positive and will-ing to lend a helping hand when someone was struggling to make it to the top. After the hike, we came back to school and feasted on barbeque, and played a few games of kickball. It was a great way to finish the season.

This fall, our Saturday Sports participants played in multiple gaelic football and soccer tournaments, enjoyed vol-leyball, played basketball, ran cross country, and reached the summit of Daemo-san. During the season, we had a chance to meet and compete against students from around Seoul and abroad. Our parent support was amaz-ing. I want to thank them for taking time to come out and support the students. Special thanks to Mr. Kordich, Ms. Sneller, Ms. Voss, Ms. Riedel, Mrs. Greene, Mr. Greene, Mr. Zhou, Ms. Bedessem, and Erickson. The students had a great experience because of the time and energy you put into each event.

Now it’s time to ski and snowboard! See you on the mountain. Justin O’ConnorSC Principal

Grade Three Visits Tong-In MarketThe entry event for Grade Three’s Immigration unit occurred on Tuesday, November 24th. Students traveled to Tong-in Market to experience an old-fashioned way to buy lunch through the use of an older style of coins from the past. All food was prepared in a covered market where ten coins (5,000 Won) were used to purchase each student’s lunch. To prepare the student’s way of thinking on immigration, we wanted to provide an experience that was fresh, but possibly difficult to understand. Even our transportation through the subway was new for our classroom population as many had a difficult time figuring out how to use a subway card.

Overall, the experience was entertaining, and it gives the children a basis to reflect upon as the teaching and learning about immigration moves forward. There will be many future 2nd trimester projects in the works, includ-ing the 2nd Annual Immigration Simulation of Ellis Island held at Seoul Campus. In this future experience, the students will walk through the process as immigrants hoping to enter through New York’s gate to America.

The excitement and creative movement in these applied learning experiences give our children a foundation to explore their ideas and help them take control of their learning. It is rewarding to know that this off-site excursion stimulated my students’ minds, and I look forward to what they will bring to the table in the next few months.

Josh GreeneGrades 3-5

Social StudiesTeacher

Robo EthicsImagine yourself in the not-so-distant future: riding in your autonomous car while enjoying the view of the country-side as you zip along without fear that these distractions will impede your driving, because you are in fact not driv-ing. Suddenly, just as you are about to enter a tunnel, a person out of nowhere dashes in front of your vehicle. He stumbles and falls. Since you are only the passenger in a car that drives itself, you are uncertain of the outcome. One of two possibilities could occur: you might hit the pedestrian, critically injuring him or worse; or option two, you avoid the pedestrian, and instead crash head-on into the side of the concrete tunnel, which could result in serious injury to yourself. However, the choice is not up to you. The autonomous vehicle has to decide. Moreover, perhaps it’s really the designer and engineer who had to decide, long before the car even hit the streets.

On October 29th, KIS Seoul Campus Grade Five student Seojoon, and Grade Four students Alex, Sean, and Lu-cas, attended the Fourth Nationwide Elementary Schools Discussion Competition on Roboethics for International Elementary Students, at the KINTEX Exhibition Center, to discuss and debate the ethics surrounding this same dilemma. Also in attendance were a group of six, serious Sixth Grade competitors from the Seoul National Univer-sity of Education Elementary School. The event was held on the center stage, in a large auditorium of the KINTEX, that was surrounded by many robotics competitions, exhibitions, and vendor showcases.

Even though this was the first time that Seoul Campus students were competing in a debate such as this, they all did a superb job of defending their opinions. All contestants had to choose between the two above options: of whether to hit the pedestrian, or crash their car into the tunnel. Each student began by stating their opinion and the reasons for their choice. All of them prepared speeches and questions regarding the topic of discussion in advance. They even practiced with each other on the van ride to the site. Then, four predesignated contestants questioned and discussed the first student’s assertion. This process was repeated until all ten students’ argu-ments were debated. Most discussions focused on the possible safety features that the autonomous vehicle could have in place to prevent injury to both pedestrians and passengers. Most students believed that the car should avoid the pedestrian and crash instead.

The Roboethics debate was a great experience for our Seoul Campus students. It took a great deal of courage and confidence for them to be on center stage. They not only defended their opinions in front of a large audience, but they also argued against students a year or two older than themselves. Afterwards, they all felt relieved to be finished; but, at the same time, they were satisfied with what they had accomplished. Several of the debaters said they would like to come back and do it again next year. Seoul Campus might have to start a debate club!

Russel ShawPK-5 Science & Design Teacher

Pangyo CampusElementary School Highlights

Thanksgiving Celebrations!

Travis PetersonES Associate Principal

KIS Elementary School celebrated Thanksgiv-ing in grand fashion! Our youngest students gathered together on Monday, November 23rd to have a feast with their families and share what they were thankful for. Everyone had a wonderful time enjoying the food and each other’s company. Friends and family topped the list of things to be thankful for, of course, but our young gratitude givers didn’t stop there. Many were thankful for the turkey that was actually chicken, but tasty just the same. Toshiki and Yuan in Kindergarten A Class were thankful for their toys, especially their Legos. Endrik in Pre-Kindergarten gave a special nod to Spiderman. Alicia in Kindergarten B Class gave thanks to her pet hamster, and classmate Liam expressed his gratitude for indoor plumb-ing. Ashley in Junior Kindergarten, with a voice that could melt the Grinch’s heart, simply said “Butterflies” when asked what she was thank-ful for. Children know what adults too often forget: it’s the little things in life that count! On Thursday, November 26th, the fun continued with the ES Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) treating students to pumpkin pie with whipped cream. After that, everyone had a reason to be thankful!

Global Buddies!Students in the Pangyo Elementary School have been working hard this year to make new friends around the world. Our students have connected with classes in the following countries: America, Australia, Bahrain, China, Dominican Republic, England, Kenya, New Zealand, and South Africa.

A variety of activities have been used to introduce students to new cultures. In 5A, the students are part of a mys-tery buddy program where they create short videos asking and answering questions until they discover their new friends’ location. Classes in Pre-Kindergarten, Junior Kindergarten, Grade One, and Grade Two have given their new friends tours of KIS through pre-recorded videos; and they have sent them to America, South Africa, and New Zealand. First Graders have used Kids Blog online to connect with a class in New Zealand. Buddy classes in 1st and 4th Grade have worked together to create images that will be part of a traveling sketchbook that be-gan in the Dominican Republic, and is now traveling to the Philippines after it visited KIS. Students in 5B will be participating with a mystery class that is part of a 24-hour Skypethon.

Students are not only making incredible memories through their communication, but they are also trying to make a difference in the lives of others. Kindergarteners had a live-video Skype with a school in Kenya. They learned about the food they eat, what they learn, and about the minimal clean drinking water that they have available. Now, the students are excited to try and help their new friends by creating ways to earn money for water filtration systems in Kenya.

These connections are working to give our Elementary School students a better global perspective, and we are excited to continue to connect every class throughout the year!

Megan E. GodekES Technology Specialist

Talent Show: Thankful for Amazing Students!The Grade Three-to-Five Talent Show is held each year on Thanksgiving Day, and it has become a greatly antici-pated part of our holiday tradition. While it’s true that the Pilgrims would certainly not have approved of any of the K-Pop dance routines that graced the stage last Thursday, November 26th, there is really no better way for us to appreciate what a gift it is to be a part of the KIS community than to showcase our students’ incredible tal-ent. The word “talent” can be a bit misleading. Like luck, we tend to think of it as something that you either have or you don’t. This suggests that a person can just show up and give an amazing performance, which diminishes the effort behind it. For each truly incredible 90-second act, there were hours upon hours of practice and buckets of frustrated tears. There were a host of failures as well as little accomplishments. With persistence, poise, and passion, our students persevered, resulting in performances that made it look effortless. Yes, KIS kids have tal-ent, but they also have grit. And, that’s something to be proud of. Perhaps next year we’ll change the name to the Work Ethic, Tenacity, and Talent Show!

Travis PetersonES Associate Principal

Elementary School Expo!We live in a world of constant change. There are jobs in existence today that did not ex-ist in 2007. You could easily ask a student, “What do you want to be when you grow up,” and they could state that, “The job doesn’t exist yet.” KIS is aware of this and fully understands that no matter what lies ahead in the future, all of our students will have to deal with problems and people. As a faculty, we realize that no matter what job our students choose to do, they will have to work with people to form solutions to prob-lems.

The 21st Century Learning Skills are an im-portant part of the curriculum at KIS. These skills are known as the 4C’s: Critical Think-ing, Creative Thinking, Communication, and Collaboration. The Elementary School Expo that took place on November 12th and 20th showcased students in Grades K through to Five: all using their 21st Century Learning Skills to come up with a solution to a problem. Using the Stanford’s Design Thinking model, our students had to use their knowledge, skills, and the 4C’s to gen-erate and develop solutions to a problem.

November 12th and 20th at KIS were truly days of learning and achievement. Our stu-dents were able to present their solutions in many forms such as models, presenta-tions, and videos. They also showcased the knowledge they gained along the journey of problem solving. Parents, students and faculty came together to learn and show our appreciation for the hard-working stu-dents at KIS. Josh Hassler

KOLAB KORNER

Pangyo CampusMiddle School Highlights

Maker Space

Eric NelsonMS Science Teacher

This is the second year that the KIS Middle School has had access to a Maker Space. This space was created to provide students with the tools and workspace needed to engineer solu-tions to the needs created by project-and-problem-based learning opportu-nities. Currently, the KIS Middle School is using this space in two primary ways.

The first primary use of the Maker Space is as a classroom for two sec-tions of a quarter-long, Grade Six class: entitled “Design Thinking.” De-sign Thinking (DT) is an engineering methodology used by a number of companies such as Ford, Apple, and even Google, to create new products and services. KIS is teaching the Stan-ford University variant of the DT cycle. Sixth Graders are taught the DT cycle in an effort to empower them to take a “Do It Yourself” (DIY) approach to solv-ing problems that require an engineer-ing approach. The difference between science and engineering, workplace safety, and applied creativity are also facilitated by the use of our evolving Maker Space.

Another intended use of the Maker Space is to support project-and-prob-lem-based units in the Middle School. For example, Grade Seven Science students are currently working in the Greenhouse as part of a problem-based unit entitled “Grow-Up.” The goal of this project is to engineer a sys-tem that allows the students to grow as much food as possible in a small space. Mobile building-centers are first assembled and equipped in the Maker Space. Then, they are moved to the Grade Seven classrooms to give the student engineers some of the tools they need to engineer a solution to this real-world problem. We are looking for-ward to our continuing results in 2016.

KAIAC (Korean-American Interscholastic Activi-ties Conference) has three chess tournaments every year. This year, KIS plans to participate in the Junior Varsity division, which is only for Mid-dle School students. While there is no limit to how many students can be in the club, there are strict limits on how many KIS participants can compete in tournaments. None of our current club mem-bers have ever participated in one of the KAIAC chess tournaments; so, they are learning the tournament guidelines in order to do well when we finally participate in the second tournament held in February, 2016. Players must know alge-braic notation to record moves, use a timer, and follow the Swiss-system Tournament rules.

The Chess Club has members from all three Mid-dle School grades, and strong players from each grade. These students have already shown the dedication necessary to develop their abilities by committing to attend every Wednesday after school—even though many are involved in other activities both in and outside of KIS. Their dedica-tion is already paying dividends by learning new strategies and refining existing skills. Reflect-ing what KIS Middle School wants out its clubs, students are learning more from each other than the teacher involved. The group is an inquisitive bunch that asks questions throughout our club time to understand more about the finer points of the sport. Every week, they always arrive early and want to stay later than our scheduled dis-missal time. These days, our timeline feels some-what early since the next tournament is still three months away. But, our club members are quickly looking like a team that will win many matches when they finally do participate in the next KAIAC chess tournament. Javier Hernandez

MS Social Studies

MS KAIAC: Chess Club

As KIS is winding down the first semester of this school year, Middle School Phoenix Drama is ramping up! Not only are our classes preparing and giving final performances in the weeks ahead, but our Drama Two class is performing for the entire Middle School during the assembly on Friday, December 18th (our last school day before winter vacation).

MS Drama Two Students will be performing Aesop’s (Oh So Slightly) Updated Fables by Kim Esop Wylie. This is a one-act play that weaves five of Aesop’s Fables into one show with just a few modern updates, creating a very humorous retelling of these famous stories.

While Drama Two has been working onstage, the MS Technical Theatre Club has been working backstage on the technical components of the play (such as costuming, lighting, props, sound effects, and scene painting) as their culminating activity this semester.

As you start planning for next semester, please note that Phoenix Theatre will be hosting open auditions for the Spring Musical, Peter Pan, on Tuesday, December 8th and the 9th (2015) from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Call-backs will be Thursday, December 10th and 11th. This is a joint production, combining both the Middle School and High School. We are full of anticipation, and we cannot wait to showcase our student body’s many talents. Any MS or HS student is welcome to audition. Students should see the postings outside Ms. Moore’s classroom doors for more details. The show dates will be April 28th, 29th, and 30th of 2016.

The Spring semester will be full of more performance opportunities. Be on the lookout!Wendy Moore

MS Drama

Spotlight on: Drama!

As I searched for the ‘right’ message to share with the KIS family as we prepare for the winter break, I repeatedly came across articles of self wellness.

“Anyone who has flown on an airplane and listened to the flight attendant before takeoff has been cautioned what to do in the event the oxygen masks fall from the ceiling: Put on your own mask first before trying to help someone else.” (Shallcross, 2011)

Counselor wellness experts say that idea has mileage on the ground, too.

“Helping yourself first is a principle that applies directly to counseling and parents alike. If you’re gasping for air, you can’t help other people. Those who neglect their own mental, physical and spiritual self-care eventually run out of ’oxygen’ and cannot effectively help their clients because all of their energy is going out to the clients and nothing is coming back in to replenish their energy.” (Shallcross, 2011)

While this principle is relevant to counselors, I think it is ten times more relevant to parents. Often times, you try to make sure that everyone in your family is taken care of, dinner is cooked, rent is paid, groceries are picked up, dry cleaning is dropped off, homework is completed; but you didn’t think twice of your own needs. While all of those items on your list are important, please keep in mind that none of those items can be completed if YOU are not cared for. Please take this time (our winter holidays) to not only enjoy your friends and family, but also as an opportunity to recharge and reenergize for the 2016 year ahead of us.

If you need help / assistance with anything, please do not hesitate to contact your MS counselor.Dr. Elethia Rhoden

MS Guidance Counselor

Self-Care: This Winter Holiday and in 2016

Welcome to the Greenhouse! We are off and running and looking forward to a won-derful year of exploration and experimen-tation. So far this year, we have had several classes of students in the Greenhouse.

The First Graders came for a tour of the Greenhouse to learn about what plants need in order to grow. They received quite the shock when coming into the Green-house and finding no soil (dirt) anywhere! All of the plants in the Greenhouse are based on hydroponics and aquaponics; no soil required. They learned how fish are es-sential in creating the nutrients used by the plants for their food.

The Eighth Graders have also come to explore and observe the goings-on in the Greenhouse. For a lot of our Eighth Grad-ers, it was a return to the past. Most of our Eighth Graders were instrumental in creat-ing our Greenhouse. With fond memories of their Sixth and Seventh Grade Science classes, the Eighth Graders went in with a sense of awe. Some of our Eighth Grad-ers even had plants in the Greenhouse that were still producing fruit, like our bell pep-per (paprika) plants.

The Pre-Kindergarten (PK) students had a blast in the Greenhouse as well. We talked about what a plant needs to grow. They had the opportunity to plant a variety of seeds, which successfully sprouted. The PK students also had the opportunity to feed the fish, which brought a lot of giggles to us all.

Hannah HopkinMS Greenhouse

Welcome to the Greenhouse

Pangyo CampusHigh School Highlights

High School Theatre: Departures & Arrivals

Lauren CuellarHS Theatre

Thank you to everyone who attended the High School Fall Play, Departures and Arrivals. It would not have been as successful as it was, had it not been for the school-wide support. The cast and crew were very proud of their performances, and thrilled to have such a large turnout to watch all of their hard work. Live theatre is always such an adrenaline-filled process, especially on the nights of the performances. Each night can be a different experience for the actors, technical crew, and the audience. This makes the theatre experience such a unique moment for all involved. I believe that all of the students who participated would unanimously say that it was an amazing experience where they formed bonds and made memories to last a lifetime. The Phoenix Theatre Department hopes that the audience had as much fun watching as we did performing!

If you missed Departures and Arrivals, please plan on attending the upcoming Middle School/High School Spring Musical, Peter Pan. Auditions will be held the week of December 8th to 11th, and is available to stu-dents from Grade Six through to Grade 12. I am anticipating Peter Pan to bring in audiences young and old for an event-filled theatrical evening. Don’t miss out on seeing the extremely talented KIS theatre students in an epic musical production! Put the following dates in your 2016 calendar, today! Peter Pan: April 28th, 29th, and 30th, at 6pm.

John MillerHS English

11th Graders Stage: A Mock TrialA seldom-quoted line from Shakespeare comes from King Henry VI, Part 2: “the first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.” Some claim that western societies are overly litigious, and lawyers have recently become the brunt of a great many jokes, but the fact remains that law and justice are cornerstones of democratic societies the world over. A staple of interesting literature is conflict, and oftentimes conflict involves crime. Conducting a mock trial for a fictional character is an ideal way to help students understand literature from a variety of critical perspectives, and the role that justice has in a given society.

At the end of November, Grade 11 English students concluded a mock trial for the fictional character, Mi-chael “Zits” Spirit, a Native American teenager from Sherman Alexie’s novel Flight. The students enacted various roles—from judges to witnesses to lawyers—and attempted to prove that Michael was either guilty or innocent of the crimes depicted in the novel. Any act of persuasion is an act of interpretation, and the text is particularly well suited to interpretation. It involves a fictional style known as “magical realism,” where realistic events are portrayed alongside impossible ones, as if the real and the “magical” can be one and the same. In this novel, magical realism is expressed through time travel when the protagonist enters different bodies as a way to learn greater empathy.

The novel begins with the protagonist shooting innocent people in a bank. He then enters the bodies of vari-ous individuals who played prominent roles in the saga of Native American history, and he starts to under-stand the cycle of violence as well as the possibility for making the world a more peaceful and empathetic place. The message of forgiveness is important for teenagers who are ceaselessly inundated with violence and tragedy in the everyday news.

Students in English 11 explored the main themes of the novel over the course of a two-week-long project. They were able to call witnesses from various places in the novel, and attempt to persuade a jury as to the guilt or innocence of the main character from the book. Students had to critically and closely read the text, and use the words of the author to support their main points. In addition, students were responsible for acting, memorizing speeches, character creation, and numerous other creative acts which involved writing and reading skills. They had public opportunities to display their knowledge of the text and their ability to research for a real-life project.

Alexie’s novel showcases an apologist tone for criminal activity, and students demonstrated their opinions on the thesis of the text through their arguments. Ultimately, the classes were polarized on their opinions of the guilt or innocence of the protagonist of the novel, and heated debates raged back and forth across the classroom (converted temporarily into a courtroom). Students discussed the book, formed opinions, used the words of the text to support their ideas, and formed beliefs about the world at large—exactly the goal of a more traditional, test-based classroom.

KIS Habitat for Humanity Goes to IndonesiaFrom November 21st to 28th, students and teachers in KIS’ Habitat for Humanity Club journeyed to a small island called Batam in Indonesia. Upon arriving in Batam, Habitat members received an orientation from the Indonesian Habitat staff, and started work-ing the next day. They battled through heat, mosquitos and heavy rain to help build a house for their Indonesian home partners. Members worked on different tasks while rotating in cycles. During the four work days, they measured and cut wires into various sizes, shaped wires to accommo-date sturdy pillars, dug a hole about 1.5m deep, and laid stone bricks along the out-line of the house.

Members also toured around the island, visiting historical and religious monuments. They visited Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya Monastery, and an exhibition of an old ref-ugee camp for Vietnamese people. Some members also tasted Indonesian culture through its spicy, salty food.

On the final day, the team shared their cul-ture by introducing the locals to geong-gi and tuho (two traditional Korean games), and Gangnam Style (the famous Kpop song and dance). In exchange, the locals showed the team their own creative games and dances. Then, the team distributed their gifts to many local children. Every-one laughed and cheered during the cul-tural exchange—which inevitably created a deep bond between the Habitat for Hu-manity crew and the local people of Batam.

Jeong JooHS Chemistry Teacher

SteveGrade 12 Student

Life-Sustaining Learning in High School PEKIS High School students in the Advanced Physical Education courses—taught by Mr. Ryther, Mr. Lunda-rdo, and Mr. McKelvie—have learned some incredible, life-sustaining skills this semester. Students have had the opportunity to become certified in First Aid, CPR, and Automated External Defibrillation (AED) through the American Red Cross.

Students learning-skills ranged from administering CPR, how to use an AED (as well as where the AEDs are located at KIS), and proper care for an injured person. The students also practiced First Aid, including: controlling bleeding, wound care, splinting techniques, and care for sudden illnesses such as diabetic emer-gencies, stroke, and shock.

One of our main goals in the KIS High School PE Department is to provide our students with the skills, knowledge, and super attitudes necessary to act in an emergency situation. Recognizing an emergency is very important, but knowing how to respond to an emergency is what really matters. Students learned that they have the power and ability to help—even if their only action is to call Emergency Medical Services (EMS) by dialing 119 (not 911). To personalize our learning, students were also asked if they knew someone who had ever suffered from a sudden illness or had had an injury that required care. Every student had either personally experienced an injury or sudden illness, or knew of someone who had.

The students completed this unit with more confidence in their ability to respond to a situation that requires medical care: whether it was administering care themselves, or by summoning EMS. Our High School PE Department’s hope is that our students have this life-sustaining training, even though they may never—

hopefully—have the need to use it. Without question, we do not want them to be in an unforeseen situation where they suddenly need to care for someone, yet not know what to do. This unit has addressed that concern, and empowered each student to respond to emergency health situations... for their years at KIS and for many more years to come.

Thanks to Ms. Paula Cathers, our American Red Cross Instructor at KIS. Also, our thanks to Ms. Ver-enna and Ms. Lovelin, who helped with skills testing and training. They all provided great feedback and insight from their many years in the medical field.

Sean RytherHS PE

Phoenix AthleticsStarting from tryouts to the last game, the players on the Varsity Girls Volleyball Team have faced many challeng-es throughout the season. Although there were games every single Saturday, and practices every week, the girls maintained high spirits while continuing to encour-age one another and work together. In practices, they worked hard on a daily basis, and pushed themselves to become better volleyball players. Every single girl on the team was dedicated to making herself better —for her team.

While there were some ups and downs to the season, the girls had a pretty successful outcome. The girls fin-ished in second place at the AISA (Association of Inter-national Schools in Asia) tournament in Osaka. They fin-ished in second place at the KAIAC (Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference) tournament, and they finished third overall in the KAIAC conference tour-nament. Award winners for the season include: Senior, Sarah (AISA all tournament, KAIAC all conference and all tournament, and KIS Most Valuable Player); Senior, Faith (AISA all tournament and KIS Coach’s Award); Junior, Yujeong (KIS Most Improved Player); and Junior, Yumi (AISA all tournament and KAIAC all conference).

In addition to the the award winners listed above, here is the 2015 Varsity Girls Volleyball team: Sophomores, Hannah, Yerina, and Amy; Juniors, Lisa, Lynn, and Han-nah; and Senior, Gina. Great job girls! This is the last year for the current Seniors, Sarah, Faith, and Gina; and these girls will be truly missed on the team. They provided a support system to the young-er players— on and off the court. The coaches are so grateful for their hard work and dedication to the vol-leyball program over the past four years. Also, the team was extremely thankful for their two managers, Erica and Ellen. They dedicated so much time to the pro-gram; the girls and coaches were so thankful to have them on the team.

The girls on this team should be proud of their great ef-fort and work, and for ending the season strong. They started off as strangers, but quickly bonded together as a family, and now have memories that will last a life-time. It was a great season, and everyone is excited to see what the future has in store for the Girls Volleyball Program.

Varsity Girls: Volleyball

Aly KelleyMS PEVarsity Girls Volleyball Coach

Hee-HyunGrade 10 StudentVarsity Girls Volleyball

Fly High: Phoenix CheerleadersThe 2015—2016 Cheer Team is off to a great start this year with a total of 24 cheerleaders on the Varsity/Junior Varsity (JV) squads, after a series of extensive tryouts. Ms. Abel has been appointed as the new coach of the JV Cheer Team, and last year’s JV coach, Ms. Spitzman, has become the new Varsity Cheer Team coach for this year. The biggest change in the squad this year is the addition of new members in both the Varsity and JV teams, with a total of nine new members joining the Varsity team, and eight new members joining the JV team. The season started on October 27th, and regular practice started from October 29th.

This year, the team will weigh great importance on co-work and unity within both Varsity and JV squads. Because many of the members are new, team-building activities are being done on a weekly basis. Big-Little pairs, and other themed practices every Thursday, have become our new tradition starting this year. Also, combined stretch time before actual practice helps break the ice between returning and new members of the team. Our two squads frequently gather around after regular practice to share their personal interests: which has brought an inclusive, positive attitude and solidarity to the team. Teams will continue to have team-bonding activities, since unity is very important when it comes to cheerleading.

On November 14th, 19 Varsity and JV squad cheerleaders attended the 2015 KAIAC (Korean American In-terscholastic Activities Conference) Fall Cheerleading Clinic, which was held at SFS (Seoul Foreign School). Starting at 12:45 P.M., the cheerleaders dedicated their time to improving their tumbling and stunting skills. Almost eight hours of cheerleading on Saturday was definitely challenging for our Phoenix cheerleaders, both physically and mentally, but this event showed the dedication and motivated mindset of our cheerlead-ers this year.

On November 23rd, 15 Varsity cheerleaders and Philbert (our KIS mascot) opened the high school pep rally with their high-spirited moves and cheers. Starting off with a ground-breaking chant, three stunt groups per-formed right after the powerful chant, and then we finished off with bedazzling dance moves. The students were amazed by the flawless performances and the full spirit of our proud cheerleaders!

This year’s Varsity and JV Cheer Teams have amazing coaches and co-captains. Our student leadership includes: Minji (Grade 12), Michelle (Grade 12), along with Varsity manager Kate (Grade 11), and JV manager Christina (Grade 11). We are all looking forward to a very successful season this year!

KateGrade 11 Student

Varsity Cheer ManagerAngela Spitzman

Varsity Coach

Stephanie AbelJV Coach

MS Science Teacher

Junior Varsity Basketball: Boys & Girls TeamsBOYS TEAM: Over the course of four days, 46 boys battled their way to securing a spot on either the Varsity or Junior Varsity Boys Basket-ball team. Though tryouts were arduous, 14 boys—led by captains Ryan (Grade 10) and Thomas (Grade 10)—secured a place on the team. Ten of the 14 players are new to the team; but, ultimately, the combination of perseverance, skill, and effort have driven the boys to start yet another successful season. Their constant effort continues to surprise coaches Mr. Selbo and Mr. Quade, who are pumped to see the boys grow and develop from 14 individual players into one team.

After the harsh battle of tryouts, the boys faced the new challenge of practices. Everyday after school, the players come to the Lower Gym for a demanding yet strengthening practice. The boys go beyond the orders of the coaches, and practice just as if they’re in a game. Although practices are challenging, the walls of the lower gym are filled with the buzz of excitement. The team was formed not too long ago, but the players have bonded like they’ve been a team for years. The perfect combination of helpful coaches and engaged players will with no doubt lead the team to numerous victories.

GIRLS TEAM: The past three weeks for the Girls Junior Varsity Bas-ketball have been both strenuous and delightful. At tryouts, thirty girls entered the Phoenix Gym with emotions fueled by excitement, nerves, and motivation. Following the three nerve-wracking days of tryouts, the start of a new basketball season began. The Junior Varsi-ty Girls Basketball Team now consists of twelve athletic girls: Grace, Celine, Sarah, Sammie, Michelle, Tae-Young, Ah-Jin, Aris, Gyuri, Al-ice, Felicia, and Angela. Practices have been filled with sweat, dedi-cation, injuries, and painful moments. However, the hard work that these girls dedicate to these practices dwarfs the temporary growing pains of the team.

The atmosphere of the practice environment is filled with such positivity and excitement that every single player on the team has proven themselves to be a talented and athletic individual. We hope to see the captains—Sammie (Grade 10) and Michelle (Grade 10)—lead, guide, and represent the team, which in turn represents KIS. Of course, our coach, Mr. Brondel, is crucial for our team. With his leadership capabilities and humor, everybody is able to improve and laugh with each other, creating a proactive, motivating environment to play basketball in. As this is only the birth of a new season, we hope to see an accumulation of the the dedication, hard work, per-severance, and passion that will attain successes for not only our school, but also for themselves as individuals.

Charlie BrondelHS Social Studies TeacherJV Girls Coach

AmyGrade 10 Student

ElizabethGrade 10 Student

AshleyGrade 10 Student

KayGrade 10 Student

Matthew QuadeMS PE TeacherJV Boys CoachSpencer SelboHS Art TeacherJV Boys Coach

Success Once Again: Olympkis IIIWe are two leaders of the High School Spirit Council, and so we were also leaders of the recent Olympkis event. During the event, we were able to see the positive and happy faces of underclassmen who were pre-paring to get involved with Seniors and Juniors. It was also very nice to see the upperclassmen helping out the underclassmen with a lot of support.

Physical activities, along with intellectual activities, engaged the students in various ways. Some students were more active in playing sports, while others were having a lot of fun strategizing on how to win the games. Either way, everyone enjoyed the activities and had a great time!

Some of the teachers were very outgoing, participating in the games alongside the students. Thanks to those enthusiastic teachers, Olympkis became more vibrant and energetic because of their efforts!

Throughout Olympkis, at the various activities, there was evidence that students were making attempts to break down those barriers between grade levels. Students were forming new relationships with those they have not interacted with in the past. Different grade levels came together to form one team, thereby com-municating, strategizing, and laughing with each other.

The most energetic moment of Olympkis was during the last ten minutes of the event. Four mixed-grade-level teams screamed their lungs out to win extra points and become the highest scoring team.

Yes, Olympkis III was definitely a success! What happens when you bring members of our Spirit Council, HS teachers, and students of all grade levels from the entire High School together to interact for a half day of fun? The result is many new relationships, smiles, enthusiastic cheers, and enormous KIS spirit!!!Rich LunardoHS PE TeacherSpirit Council

KyungminSpirit Council

JuneSpirit Council

Phoenix Activities

SEOMUNWith the start of the Thanksgiving break, students gathered at the Coex Convention Center, not to entertain themselves, but instead to represent a country and debate on pressing, worldly issues. They arrived with fervor to participate in the 18th annual Seoul Model United Nations conference (SEOMUN), proudly hosted by Korea International School.

Familiar and unfamiliar delegates from various schools immediately filled up the seats of the Grand Ballroom. SEOTV (similar to KIS’ PhoenixTV, but for this conference) gave an introductory video to begin the opening ceremony. The Executive Secretariat members then proceeded with their own speeches. This year’s guest speaker was Dae jong Yoo, Director General for International Organizations from the Ministry of Foreign Af-fairs. In his speech, he accentuated this year’s theme, “Freedom from Fear”, connecting the topic to recent incidents such as terrorism. The next speeches were from adviser Mr. Farley, and the editor- in -chiefs of SEOTV and SEOLITE (SEOLITE is the print publication put out during the conference). Finally, Secretary General, Olivia (Grade 12) made her way to the podium:

“We’re connected on so many different levels. We’re born with the full capacity to empathize, born with the natural inclination to care for one another, born with the irresistible desire to understand and help one another, born to live on one another’s welfare, one another’s happiness, and not by one another’s misery or failure. It’s up to our will, and it’s up to our conviction. We can make a difference. As trite and commonplace as it may sound, the podium is yours, so go ahead and take it.”

At last, the sound of the gavel marked the beginning of the three-day journey of SEOMUN 2015. Centered upon the main theme of “Freedom from Fear”, all 13 committees of the conference were assigned varying global issues with unifying aims. Many issues emphasized the vital need of government transparency and the protection of civil rights. Then, it was the duty of the delegates to dissect these issues from inside out—to tackle the issue from various perspectives. With this responsibility, all delegates passionately engaged in lobbying sessions to cooperate in formulating original, pragmatic, and creative resolutions. After hours of collective drafting, delegates began debating and critically discussing the plausibility of each resolution. Regardless of a participant’s years of experience, all delegates bravely took the podium, proposing ways to attain peace in the international community.

In addition to debating upon resolutions formulated in advance, delegates were also confronted with un-expected yet entertaining crises. These crises ranged from Ban Ki Moon becoming captured by ISIS in the Security Council, to the Advisory Panel for Kim Jong- Un declaring the invasion of the Republic of Korea during the Six Party Talks.

For all delegates, chairs, and secretariats, regardless of the roles they played, SEOMUN XVIII was definitely an indelible experience. Young minds were able to explore prevailing issues and gain a broader view of the international community, as well as make unforgettable memories with new friends. More inspirational than it has ever been, this year’s distinguished SEOMUN conference came to a very successful end. Anticipating the next SEOMUN conference, we say goodbye to a great SEOMUN XVIII.

Jim FarleyMUN Advisor

HS Social Studies

HananhGrade 10 Student

Yoo-BinGrade 10 Student

MIT Seminar January 4-8 For KIS High School Students

Apply Now To Participate!

Apply as follows:1. Complete application form (available at principal

and counselor’s offices) and submit by 8 a.m. December 10;

2. Application must be signed by your parent;3. Indicate whether you can host a home-stay for an

MIT student for one, two or three weeks January 11-30;

4. Each seminar has limited enrollment and will be capped to keep class size small

5. Priority will be given to upperclassmen; Grades 10 & 11

6. Seminar is for KIS students only;7. Seminar will be free of charge.

Korea International School will offer two one-week science and engineering seminars taught by four advanced MIT students beginning Monday, January 4 and continuing through Friday, January 8.

These seminars will meet daily during the last week of Winter Break from Monday through Friday. Students will have the option to take one of two hands- on workshops. A certificate for successful participants will be provided showing completion of the MIT Seminar. Full participation is required.

Option 1: Engineering Robotics Systems: Create a Robotic HandThe fundamentals of software & hardware design.

Option 2: Engineering and Physics: Design an AirplaneThe fundamentals of physics & electrical engineering.

Deadline to apply is 8:00 amThursday, December 10

MIT Seminar January 4-8 For KIS Middle School Students

Apply Now To Participate!

Apply as follows:1. Complete application form (available on Schoology

and the MS Office) and submit by 8 a.m. December 10

2. Application must be signed by your parent3. Indicate whether you can host a home-stay for an

MIT student for one, two or three weeks January 11-30

4. Each seminar has limited enrollment and will be capped to keep class size small

5. Priority will be given to upperclassmen; Grades 10 & 11

6. Seminar is for KIS students only7. Seminar will be free of chargeKorea International School will offer a week-

long science seminar taught by two advanced MIT students beginning Monday, January 4 and continuing through Friday, January 8.

These seminars will meet daily during the last week of Winter Break from Monday through Friday. Students will be working in a hands-on environment to understand biology concepts ranging from microbiology to macrobiology, as well as integrating chemistry activities as supplementary material. A certificate for successful participants will be provided showing completion of the MIT Seminar. Full participation is required.

“In this workshop you'll get to extract and analyze your own DNA, dissect animals, burn things, and even make your own ice cream! Join us as we dive deeper to explore biology and chemistry in a fun, interactive (and even delicious) way!”

Deadline to apply is 8:00 amThursday, December 10

Korea International School

Korea International School

Korea International School27 Daewangpangyo-ro, 385 Beon-gil, Bundang-gu

Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-doKorea, 463-420

www.kis.kr