AprMay Newsletter - Yongsan International School of Seoul

April/May 2012
Yongsan International School of Seoul
Newsletter
Guardians Excel on the Field and in the Classroom
The YISS boys’ soccer team made history, beating SAHS in
the championship game at GSIS on Saturday, April 28. The
team also swept the individual awards for the tournament. Shu Ikeda received Best Goalie; Shin Ikeda received Best
Offensive Player; Daniel Park received Best Defender; and
Roland Umoru received MVP for the tournament. This marks the 2nd KAIAC Soccer Division 1 Championship
win in the last three years. The Guardian boys’ won the
KAIAC tournament in 2010, and came close last year after
reaching the finals and losing in a nail biting shoot-out.
This year, Guardians played hard and beat the SAHS Falcons
to win the honor of being named KAIAC soccer champions
for 2011-2012. For more on athletics, see page 16.
The Class of 2012 has had a banner year in regards to college admissions. Colleges
have reported a record breaking number of applicants with some colleges exceeding
45,000 applications! Most colleges reported an 8~12% increase in applications. With
this rise in applications, they reported a lower acceptance rate for this year. However,
despite these circumstances, YISS students managed to defy the odds and gain
admissions to many competitive universities.
Graduates from the YISS Class of 2012 will be continuing their studies this fall at
Cornell University, Columbia University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Carnegie Mellon, Emory, University of Michigan, University of Southern California,
Notre Dame, Northwestern, Washington University, in addition to other leading schools in the United States, Hong Kong, the
Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia. For more on college admissions, see page 15.
Inside This Issue
School Supplies for 2012-2013
Key Dates for Aug-Oct
Letter from the ES Principal
ES Field Day
ES Class Spirit Day Photos
Seussical, Junior Musical
Seoul Friendship Fair
02
02
03
04
05
06
07
ES Virtual Author Visits
Letter from the MS Principal
MS Spelling Bee
MS Basketball
MS KAIAC Strings Festival
Letter from the HS Principal
HS Career Focus Month
08
09
10
10
11
12
13
HS Poetry Slam
HS Chess Club
Class of 2012 College Admissions
HS Spring Athletics
Review of Varsity Athletics
International Bazaar
YISS PTO Board
13
14
15
16
17
18
20
School Supplies for 2012-2013
The list of school supplies needed for students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 is
available online at the Guardian Store page of the YISS website www.yisseoul.org.
Most of the items, with the exception of the assignment book and library bag, may
be purchased at office supply centers in Korea and elsewhere. Middle School students will receive a list of items needed for their special classes
(art, band, strings, exploratory, etc.) after school begins. High School students will
receive a list of school supplies from their teachers on the first day of school.
Parents and students are welcome to visit the Guardian Store to purchase
school supplies OR to use the online order form by July 27 to have a School
Supply Kit delivered to your child's classroom on the first day of school.
Please note that delivery is not an option for MS School Supply Kits due to
the changing of classes. In order to minimize lines in the Guardian Store during orientations and the
first week of school, only complete school supply kits and uniforms will be
available from August 6-13.
Guardian Store
Summer Hours
July 16 - 27
Mon-Fri 10 AM to 1 PM
July 30 - August 17
Mon-Fri 8 AM to 4 PM
Key Dates in August / September / October
August 10
New Student/Parent Orientations
August 13
First Day of School (Early Release at 11:30 AM)
August 15
Korea Liberation Day (No School)
August 30
Elementary School Open House
September 4
Middle School & High School Open House
September 7
Back to School Picnic
September 10
Teacher In-Service (No School)
September 26-28
Celebrate Korea Days
2
October 1-3
Chuseok / National Foundation Day
Fall Break (No School)
October 12
End of Quarter 1 (Early Release at 11:30 AM)
October 17
PSAT
October 19
Report Cards for Q1
October 22-23
Parent-Teacher Conference (No School)
October 26
FunFest
From the Desk of the ES Principal
Dear Parents,
Variety is something that we have come to expect in our everyday lives. I
would even venture to say that some of us take for granted the ways in which
variety is a part of our life. When we walk into the grocery store, we like to see
different kinds of fruits, vegetables, meats, and snacks. We plant many types
and colors of flowers in our gardens. When we go out to eat at a restaurant, we
want to be able to choose from among foods from different countries around
the world.
On May 12, over 2,200 people in the YISS community gathered for the
International Bazaar. This school and community event is a celebration of the
diverse community that is made up by the hundreds of families at YISS. The
event offered just a glimpse of the value added to our school by the many
cultures and customs that make up the families at YISS.
The reason we value diversity is because in diversity we see the beauty and creativity of our Creator. We recognize that those
who come to join us at YISS will bring different backgrounds and cultures that add to the beauty of the collective whole.
Likewise, the individuals who are a part of the greater YISS community add to collective understanding and knowledge of
who we are and who God is. Our own understandings are challenged as we encounter other individuals who are not wrong,
but different. This allows us to tackle problems with a fresh perspective and from a new angle, in the process making us
better global citizens.
I look forward to seeing you at some of our year-end concerts and ceremonies as we wrap-up the end of a fantastic school year.
God Bless,
Dan Lazor
Elementary Principal
elementary@yisseoul.org
ES Teachers and Staff Who Are Moving On
At this time of year, it is hard to say good-bye to the students and families whom we have grown close to while a part of
the YISS community. At the end of this year, we will say goodbye to the following ES teachers and staff:
Miss SaraJane Splane (Kindergarten) will be returning to Canada to complete her master’s degree.
Mrs. Jennie Framo (1st Grade) and her family will be relocating due to her husband’s job.
Ms. April Reyes (Assistant Principal) will be returning to the United States and seeking a position to serve in Mexico.
Miss Beth Trieber (Literacy Specialist) will be moving to Batam, Indonesia, where she will join a team
establishing a new school with NICS.
The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author unknown
Thank you for being teachers who teach from the heart.
We pray that God will bless you abundantly in your new endeavors.
3
Field Day Promotes Friendly Competition and Fun
Field Day kicked off with our three principals and
chaplain trying to pop three balloons to win the muchtreasured house points for their team. At the beginning
of the year students were placed on a House Team (Green
Gators, Yellow Hornets, Orange Tigers, or Blue Sharks)
and throughout the year they have earned House Team
Points for positive behavior and other things.
Field Day on May 9 was the grand finale that helped to
determine, which of our House Teams will be named
the 2011-2012 champion. Students and teachers
participated in various activities, such as the Fireman
Relay, the Sled Race, the Water Balloon Launch, the Lily
Pad Throw, the Spoon Zoom, and the Chicken Laying an
Egg Relay. The outdoor activities culminated with the
entire elementary school participating in a water
balloon toss.
The weather was beautiful and everyone had a blast.
What an exciting day of friendly competition and fun!
Miranda Wiley
ES Physical Education
miranda.wiley@yisseoul.org
Positive Developments Coming this Fall in ES
✦ New playground equipment will be installed in both the play area next to the athletics complex and the soccer field this summer/
fall. The new playground will feature a wide variety of pieces that enable students to climb, slide, balance and move about using
their arm and leg muscles.
✦ Fourth section to open in Grade 2 - The additional classrooms made possible as a result of our expansion project currently
underway will allow YISS Elementary to add a fourth section of classes per grade. A fourth class will open in Grade 2 in August 2012
and move up year by year until a fourth class is added from Grade 2-5. The additional class will enable the school to lower our
elementary class sizes and our teacher/student ratio.
✦ Chinese language program - Elementary parents selected Mandarin as the language most preferred for a foreign language. YISS
has hired Chinese language teachers so that Mandarin instruction can begin in August 2012 for students in Kindergarten through
Grade 2.
4
ES Fun Day: Class Spirit Day
Elementary students look forward to special Fun Days held on the final
Wednesday of each month.
On March 28, we took a slightly different approach and encouraged each
class to develop their dress for the day to show their class spirit and ability
to work together as a team. It was exciting to see the various themes that
were demonstrated by our students and teachers!
Several classes were private investigators or spies; some were dressed in all
black. If you were to walk around the elementary school, you would have
found entire classes dressed as owls, celebrities, pirates, clones, and
crayons. A first grade class made it a “black and white” day.
One very creative kindergarten class
spent a week studying recycling and
saving the environment. The kids
brought in recycling items, boxes,
scrap ribbon and paper, and other
junk items and then they transformed
them into treasures - including robots,
treasure boxes, binoculars, and many
other things that they imagined and
created! Their outfits were aprons,
necklaces and hats made from old
shirts, magazines and newspapers!
5
Fifth Grade Performs Seussical, Junior
On May 11-12, the students in 5th grade presented to the delight of audiences the
hit MTI Musical Seussical, Junior. YISS elementary students were given the chance
to watch a portion of the show during school and family and friends were invited
for the evening shows. To prepare for these performances, the fifth grade music classes were
exceptionally busy during second semester with auditions in February, rehearsals
in March and more rehearsals in April, and two performances in May. Fifth grade students were involved in all aspects of this musical production:
auditions, acting, singing, dancing, choreography, props, prompts, lighting, set
design, set building, sound, staging, videography, stage crew, publicity, make-up,
clean-up, directing, stage managing, and of course, rehearsals. The students' performances were incredible. It has been such a blessing to watch
their musicianship and their maturity levels rise to the occasion in extraordinary
ways. Hats off to our fifth graders, their teachers-Ms. Bandy, Mr. Murphy, Ms. Hughesand their wonderful parents. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing
me to be a part of this wonderful production.
Dr. Robert Harding
5th Grade Music and ES/MS/HS Band
robert.harding@yisseoul.org
ES Compassion Club Exercises Loving Others
“This is why I love YISS!” exclaimed 8th grader Daniel Yi, after we approached him to see if
we could load his T-Money card free of charge to show kindness in Hanganjin subway
station. This is the second year the ES Compassion Club has been running during second
and fourth quarter. ES Compassion Club exists to give younger students the opportunity to
understand and practice showing others compassion in fun and practical ways. Ever feel
like you need an uplifting hug? We’ve given them out for free all over the school! Had a
bad day and need some encouragement? You might find a special note on your locker or
car! This month, we also had the opportunity to honor our hard-working and resilient PTO
board members by giving them packages of cookies and notes to thank them for their
endless service to our school body. Although each week’s task is always fun and
entertaining to deliver, nothing compares to the joy of watching the kids grow in their
desire and enthusiasm to love others without getting anything in return.
Shauna Weir
2nd Grade Teacher
shauna.weir@yisseoul.org
6
Students Display Art at Seoul Friendship Fair
YISS is pleased to have contributed to the Hi Seoul’s 2012 Friendship
Fair International Children’s Painting Exhibition.
The annual event was held at Seoul Plaza as a part of other weekend
fair activities on May 5th and 6th. In March, students were given the
opportunity to voluntarily participate by choosing to spend time on
their own, outside of school, developing a piece of art to express
their creativity on the assigned theme, “My Favorite Place in Seoul”.
Twenty-four works were beautifully crafted by our students, and
some were displayed at the International Fair. Twelve pieces were
selected having made it past the first evaluation process and were
retained for viewing at the exhibition. Among the YISS entries, the
four pieces featured above were granted award status.
Congratulations to Jeri Kim (5) for receiving the Grand Prize. Three
more students were awarded recognition in the following two
categories: Coloring – Sumi Fertig (1) as well as in Composition –
Eugenia Kang (2) and Andrew Park (1). All twenty-four pieces of the artwork created for the fair is on display in the main lobby area.
Pam DeHart
ES Art
pam.dehart@yisseoul.org
7
Authors Margie Palatini & Bruce Lansky “Visit” YISS
The YISS Library hosted virtual author visits with author Margie Palatini on May 15 to the delight of students in Kindergarten to 3rd
Grade and a virtual visit with poet Bruce Lansky on May 22 to the amusement of students in 4th Grade.
Margie Palatini is an award winning author of over forty outrageously funny books for children. She lives with her family in New
Jersey. Lower elementary students became familiar with Margie Palatini and many of her books through their weekly elementary
library times. Using a range of quirky voices and sound effects, Margie brought her books to life as she read them aloud and shared
the photos with her K-Grade 3 audience via Skype on May 15.
In addition to her picture books, Margie has written and illustrated
novels for older elementary girl readers, called
Geek Chic 'The Zoey Zone' -- www.geekchicthezoeyzone.com.
To get a taste of what our students enjoyed during time with
Margie, check out some of her funny book trailers.
HOGG HOGG & HOG HOGG HOGG & HOG #2
GOLDIE AND THE THREE HARES
LOUSY ROTTEN STINKIN' GRAPES
STUFF Fourth grade students had the opportunity to listen, laugh and write poetry
with poet/author/publisher Bruce Lansky via Skype on May 22. Called “The
King of Giggle Poetry” by his fans, Bruce Lansky is the author/editor of
humorous poetry books that have sold over three million copies. Based in
Minnesota, Bruce has performed workshops and assemblies at more than
300 elementary and middle schools and has been a featured speaker at
scores of reading and media conferences. He teaches students how to write
several kinds of poems using rhyme and free verse. His interactive program
gives students a chance to create and perform poems and learn how much
fun it can be to read and write poetry. The YISS
Elementary
Library
typically hosts
a children's
author each
year to
provide an
opportunity for students to interact with authors, promote a love for
books and encourage creative writing. Authors hosted in person at YISS include Linda Sue Park (2011),
Margriet Ruurs (2010), Richard Tulloch (2009) and Mike Thaler (2008). Kelley Creecy
ES Librarian
kelley.creecy@yisseoul.org
8
From the Desk of the MS Principal
Dear Middle School Parents,
The school year is rapidly coming to a conclusion, but
there still are numerous student activities on the calendar
that are worthy of our attention. The annual 8th Grade
Gala Celebration for the students moving on into high
school will take place on May 25. Our quarterly Guard Card
Award Day to Everland Amusement Park is scheduled for
May 29 and our Final Awards Day is set for the final day of
school on May 31.
We held our Third Quarter Awards Assembly on April 12 and
recognized students who had earned a spot on one of the
Honor Rolls for the Third Quarter. YISS recognizes three
Honor Rolls: the regular Honor Roll for students who have
earned all A’s and B’s for the quarter, the High Honor Roll for
students who have earned all A’s (94%) for the quarter, and
the Principal’s Honor Roll for students who have earned 96%
or above in all courses. Our school is not an “easy school”
and good grades can be difficult to come by.
When I looked at the Honor Roll results, I was pleased to
see that 59% of the entire student body in the Middle
School earned Honor Roll recognition for the Third
Quarter. If I look at the results by class, 65% of the 8th
Grade students were named to an Honor Roll, 60% of the
7th Grade students were placed on one of the Honor Rolls,
and 51% of the 6th Grade class was named to the Honor
Roll. Please join me in congratulating the academic
achievements of the YISS Middle School students in the
Third Quarter!
Mr. McCullough and I have been working on the schedule
for the next academic year. Those parents who have
attended any of the Parent-Principal Coffee Meetings
know that I place special importance on the “elective”
aspects of our Middle School schedule. The National
Middle School Association also emphasizes the
importance of these electives offered to middle school
students. In their publication entitled, This We Believe:
Keys to Educating Young Adolescents, the Association
emphasizes “…the exploratory responsibility of the middle
school is particularly critical…If youth pass through early
adolescence without broad, exploratory experiences, their
future lives may be needlessly restricted. They deserve
opportunities to ascertain their special interests and
aptitudes and to engage in activities that will broaden
their views of the world and of themselves.”
With this in mind, we are happy to be able to offer three
new exploratory courses next year, in addition to those
9
offered in the past. For 6th Grade, we will be offering a
new course entitled “Contemporary World Affairs” which
will introduce students to the importance of being aware
of many of the issues taking place in the world in which we
live. For the 7th Grade, we will be offering a new course
entitled “Hot Topics: An Introduction to Debate.” Students
will immerse themselves in researching controversial
issues and engage in discussions/debates with their
classmates. For the 8th Grade girls, Ms. Ronning will be
offering a new course entitled “Young Ladies Book Club” to
explore topics such as relationships, self-image, faith,
family, cultural identity and social justice found in
contemporary literature. Which new elective would you
register for?
As many of you know, I resigned from my position of
Middle School Principal, effective June 15. It was a difficult
decision to make because I thoroughly enjoy the students
at YISS Middle School. I have also stated on several
occasions that the Middle School faculty is probably the
finest collective faculty I have ever worked with in my 35
years of education. I am convinced that YISS has
tremendous potential and it is my hope and prayer that
the school will continue to thrive and prosper. I thank you
for the opportunity to interact with your sons and
daughters over the past academic year.
Kind regards,
Darrell Druvenga, Ed.D
Middle School Principal
YISS Students Participate in Spelling Bee
On April 27, Serin Lee (7th), Byung Joon Lee (8th) and May Lee (8th), the top three
finishers from the YISS Middle School Spelling Bee, competed at the annual KAIAC
Spelling Bee at SFS. This year’s Spelling Bee included a total of 24 middle school
student competitors, representing eight international schools in Korea. The YISS
students performed very well, including having two students place within the top five!
4th Place: Serin Lee / 5th Place: Byung Joon Lee / 13th Place: May Lee
Special recognition goes to Byung Joon Lee who on April 17 won his second
consecutive YISS Middle School Bee, qualifying him to compete in his third KAIAC
Spelling Bee. His fifth place finish was his personal best at KAIAC.
YISS participants agreed that they were very nervous during the competition, but
they really enjoyed the experience.
Ben Coyner
MS English
ben.coyner@yisseoul.org
Basketball Rounds Out MS Athletic Season
April 28 not only marked the end of the middle school basketball season, but also the
end to a great year for middle school sports. As they have all year long, our students
demonstrated excellent teamwork and sportsmanship as they completed the final
athletic season of the year. A special thanks to all of our teachers who volunteered to
help out with middle school sports.
Blair McCullough
MS Assistant Principal and Athletics Director
bmccullough@yisseoul.org
Many Stock Up on Books at Spring Book Fair
Book fairs provide a wonderful
opportunity for those in our community to
conveniently acquire quality English books
twice a year at discounted prices.
The Spring Book Fair from April 18-20
offered a wide variety of titles for all ages.
Sales for the three-day fair totaled
W37,894,400. As a result, the YISS PTO
donated W3,789,440 (10% of sales) to the
YISS library to further expand the library’s
collection of books.
Many thanks to our parent volunteers,
Spring Book Fair Committee,
Gabe Johnson, Kelley Creecy, Seonah Han and Heesun Lee, and the staff of KidsBook Sejong for
their enthusiasm and hard work. Click HERE for the YISS Summer Reading List.
10
MS Musicians Perform at KAIAC Strings Festival
The KAIAC Middle School Strings Festival held on March 9
at Korea International School brought together 46 middle
school strings musicians from seven international schools.
The talented young musicians performed Bagatelle by
Antonin Dvorak / Arranged by Robert Sieving, Air on the
G String by Johann Sebastian Bach, Donal Riggion, and
Presto (From String Quartet Opus 131) under the
direction of three guest conductors.
The six strings students who qualified to represent YISS
were Junhee Cho (7), Kenneth Yim (7), Alberta Yoo (7),
Christian Kim (8), Hyo Jin Ha (8) and Daisy Yang (8).
Lynelle Harding
Strings and Grade 4 Music
lynelle.harding@yisseoul.org
MS Students Enjoy 3Q Guard Card Reward Day
On Friday, March 30, approximately 80% of the middle school student body participated in the third quarter Guard Card reward
day. Those students were treated to a day of movies and games.
Congratulations to all who were eligible to participate in this day of fun! Our fourth quarter Guard Card reward day will be held at
Everland on May 29. In order to be eligible, students may only use three hall passes on their guard card. Good luck, students. We
know you can do it!
Departing Middle School Teachers and Staff
We are thankful for the dedication and service of the teachers below and trust that God will continue to lead them as they pursue
new opportunities or positions elsewhere. Our prayers and gratitude go out to the following staff members as we say farewell:
Mr. Ben Coyner (English) will be teaching English at ICS Pyeongtaek in Korea.
Mrs. Schalette Gudger (English) will be remaining at home to care for her newborn child.
Mr. Scot Byrd (Technology Director) will be leaving to work at International Community School in Singapore.
11
From the Desk of the HS Principal
Dear Parents,
This April, as I stood before the student body to distribute the four Guardian Awards
to the top student representatives our school values from each grade, I looked out at
the full auditorium thinking how proud I was on behalf of the students receiving the
honor that day, but I was also thinking about so many deserving students who were
not receiving any award at all.
Though we know our school naturally fosters a competitive environment, we do our
best to honor those who, in spite of that, hold on to integrity, and who sacrifice their
time, and maybe even their grades, for the sake of contributing to important causes.
Those causes are sometimes as close to home as a friend in need of a shoulder to
lean on and sometimes as big and seemingly far away as global water shortages. I
am frequently amazed at how many of our students care so deeply not just about
friends, but also peers whom they barely know. I have seen the number of students
displaying such compassion grow over the years, and this semester I have seen it on
display more than I have seen in my two decades in education. A number of our
students display concern about the corporate and individual legacy that they leave
here, no matter the cost, and I cannot wait to see that legacy grow during the
2012-13 school year.
Of course, not every student here buys into such values, but our annual student council elections gives me a great deal of hope.
Every year the students whom our entire student body elect as leaders model the values that we uphold. Our student body
yearns to be led down the right path, and they, on their own, elect the right students to take them there.
I am glad that each student has been a part of this journey with us this year and I hope that each takes what has been learned
here and does something meaningful with it in years well beyond this one!
Grace and peace,
Seth Parrish
High School Principal
highschool@yisseoul.org
Departing High School Teachers and Staff
We are thankful for the dedication and service of the teachers below and trust that God will continue to lead them as they pursue
new opportunities or positions elsewhere. Our prayers and gratitude go out to the following staff members as we say farewell:
Ms. Kelly Shuey (Science) is returning to the northeastern U.S. to pursue a teaching position in the sciences.
Ms. Rebecca Brown (US History) will be moving back to the States to complete her master’s degree.
Ms. Natalia Kolnik (World Literature) will be moving to the U.K. to pursue a master’s degree
in international and comparative education at Oxford University.
Ms. Menya Jefferson (World Languages) has taught three languages during her tenure here, but French is her forte
and she plans to continue teaching French at a foreign language center in Korea.
Mrs. Sarah Boush (European History and Art History) will be remaining at home next year to care for her newborn son, Dominic.
Mrs. Brooke Hale (Substitute) will also be remaining at home to care for her newborn daughter due in June.
Mr. Jim Kosmack (Social Studies) will be staying at YISS, but transitioning into the middle school.
Mr. Will Irvine (PE/Aquatics) will be returning to the United States to attend law school.
Each has made huge contributions of time and energy while at YISS and
have touched numerous lives through teaching, coaching and ministry.
12
Students Explore Careers During Career Focus Month
Building on the success of Career Day, the high school administration and Career
Day Committee dedicated April as Career Focus Month. The committee contacted
a number of professionals in the YISS community to ask if they would consider
hosting a group of YISS juniors or seniors at their workplace for a half-day for the
purpose of helping students gain insights into the skills required to be successful
in a particular career field.
Each visit was unique, but all provided opportunities to dialogue with
professionals, understand the benefits of early career exploration, and get an
inside look at companies. Students shared that the opportunity to meet
professionals working in their fields of interest was extremely valuable and
worthwhile. We are deeply grateful for those in our community who made this
year’s Career Focus Month possible.
To help students grow in their awareness of their personal interests, passions,
skills and personality traits and to aid them in their college and career decisions,
11th and 12th grade students at YISS also participated in the following
assessments: Career Cluster, Career
Interest Profiler, Gardner’s Multiple
Intelligences Test, and Myers-Briggs
Personality Assessment. The results
of the assessments were used during
a variety of enrichment activities that
took place in student assemblies as
well as in Senior Ethics classes. We appreciate the companies who
participated this year’s Career Focus
Month. The High School Career
Committee will be hosting
professionals on campus for career
workshops in April for Career Day
2013. We look forward to your
active participation and support.
Monica Wichmann and Brian Kim scrub in to
observe surgery at the Yongsan Vet Clinic.
Career Focus students visit a recording studio to
experience voice over work with Jessica Rau.
YISS students pose next to the newly released
GM Volt at their facility in Bupyeong.
Students share the opportunity to see firsthand
clay models at the GM design center.
Cyndi Brower
Career Day Committee Chairperson
hsparents@gmail.com
House Groups Drum Up School Spirit
This year the high school has been kindling school spirit with house groups -- dividing the student body into four teams to foster
friendly competition and promote identity and small groups in a fun way. Sometimes there were silly competitions (such as the pie
eating contest) and sometimes more athletic occasions on the soccer field. As spring came our way, we were challenged to
decorate classroom doors on April 18th in our activity period. Individual teachers worked with their house sub-group to try to add
a touch of spring to their door in whatever way possible. The house groups have added a touch of spice to our weekly school life!
13
Students Captivate the Audience at Poetry Slam
In English class, there are many opportunities to explore the complexities of life through the literature we read. In novels, short
stories and poetry, we understand more fully what it means to be human and the roles that storytelling and language play in
our common search for meaning. Though we read works by many masters of the written word, I am always amazed at our
students’ own creativity. In the poetry and stories that they write, I have seen them reach into the depths of their own
experiences, make connections with important themes, and deepen their appreciation for literature as a subject.
Over the past few years, the Poetry Slam has become a fixture here at YISS. Each year, students are given a theme and an
assignment: to compose their own poem that combines verse and drama and to perform it in front of their peers. Every year
one of my favorite experiences is standing at the back of my classroom as a member of the audience to hear the rough drafts of
these unique poems. It is really a beautiful thing to see students captivate the classroom with their expressive compositions. I
have seen quiet, introverted students become engaging storytellers as they present their work—everyone knows each other a
little bit better after these poems are shared.
This year, on May 5, the student body gathered in the auditorium to hear the finalists perform. The theme of this year’s slam
was “value,” and students explored this theme in a variety of ways: some poems bemoaned the academic pressures of high
school life, some discussed society’s view of image and beauty, some confessed their faith and others called for action to fight
for justice for the many “undervalued” people in the world.
In the past the Poetry Slam has been an intimate event, held in the cafeteria after school hours, but the stage, the spotlight and
the full crowd gave weight and energy to the event that it has never had before. Students cheered for each of the poets who
performed and the judges had a difficult task before them as they selected the first, second and third place contestants. In the
end, those honors went to Beom Jun Lee (10th grade), Matthew Ash (9th grade), and Luke You (11th grade), respectively.
Ryan Dixon
HS English Literature
ryan.dixon@yisseoul.org
Chess Club Competes in KAIAC Tournament
Our YISS Chess Club welcomed a
new initiative from the KAIAC body
that oversees our inter-scholastic
athletic and academic competitions. For the first time ever, chess was
included in the tournament
schedule, and was welcomed
enthusiastically by a half dozen of
the KAIAC schools. We anticipate
continuing growth in this classic
sport and test of academic
capability, with tournaments
planned for the fall. Tournaments are organized using the Swiss system, with students playing 5 or 6 games each in a full day's
event. Two tournaments were held, on February 25 and April 14, with about 50 students competing in each. Schools were limited
to 10 players, with YISS having a strong team and showing in both tournaments. Brian Kim placed 3rd in the February event and
2nd in our most recent event on April 14. We are looking forward to what can happen in our next tournament. Congratulations,
team! We welcome new chess players next fall.
Ivan Franck
HS Chess Club Sponsor ivan.franck@yisseoul.org
14
Class of 2012 Admitted to Leading Universities
The YISS Class of 2012 had a banner year in regards to college acceptances. Colleges have reported a record breaking number
of applicants with some colleges
exceeding 45,000 applications! YISS Class of 2012 students were admitted to the following universities:
Most colleges reported an 8~12%
increase in applications. With the
Amherst College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Art Center College of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
increase in applications, they
Babson
College
Rose-Hulman
Institute of Technology
reported an equally lower
Barnard
College
Rotterdam University
acceptance rate for this year. Baylor University
Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey
Binghamton University
San Diego State University
However, despite these pessimistic
Biola University
Santa Clara University
reports, YISS managed to have its
Boston College
Savannah College of Art and Design
best year ever. YISS Class of 2012
Boston University
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
students gained admissions to
Brandeis University
School of Visual Arts
leading universities in the United
Bryn Mawr College
Simon Fraser University
States, Canada, Japan, Hong Kong,
California State University
Smith College
Calvin College
Sogang University
Thailand, the Netherlands, Saudi
Carnegie Mellon University
Sungkyunkwan University
Arabia, and Korea.
Case Western Reserve University
Syracuse University
Cedarville
University
Temple
University, Japan
In addition to college admissions,
Central
St
Martins
College
of
Art
&
Design
The
George
Washington
University
many of our seniors were also
City
University
of
Hong
Kong
The
Hague
University
admitted to highly competitive
College for Creative Studies
The Ohio State University
programs within various
College of William and Mary
The University of North Carolina
universities, such as:
Columbia University
Trinity University
• The 7 year DDS program at The
University of the Pacific
• The 7 year PharmD program at
Rutgers University
• The Steinhardt School of Music
at NYU
• The Conservatory of Music at
SUNY, Purchase College
• School of Hotel Administration
at Cornell University
We congratulate the Class of 2012
and wish you well as you move
forward in your studies at
universities around the world.
The high school graduation for the
YISS Class of 2012 will be held at
Blue Square on Saturday, May 26
at 10 AM.
Wilson Lee
Guidance Counselor
for Grades 11-12
wlee@yisseoul.org
15
Cornell University
Emerson College
Emily Carr University of Art + Design
Emory University
Ewha Woman's University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Harvey Mudd College
Haverford College
Indiana University at Bloomington
James Madison University
Johns Hopkins University
Knox College
Kyung Hee University
Lawrence University
Mahidol University (Thailand)
Marist College
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
McGill University
Michigan State University
Mount Holyoke College
New York University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Otis College of Art and Design
Parsons The New School for Design
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University
Pratt Institute
Purchase College
Purdue University
Queen's University
Reed College
University of British Columbia
University of California at Berkeley
University of California at Davis
University of California at Irvine
University of California at Los Angeles
University of California at Riverside
University of California at San Diego
University of California at Santa Barbara
University of California at Santa Cruz
University of Chicago
University of Hong Kong
University of Houston
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Michigan
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Notre Dame
University of Oregon
University of Rochester
University of St. Thomas
University of Southern California
University of the Pacific
University of Toronto
University of Washington
University of Western Ontario
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Virginia Commonwealth University
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wheaton College, IL
Wheaton College, MA
York University
Athletes Enjoy Unparalleled Spring Season
BOYS’ and GIRLS’ SWIM TEAMS
The YISS High School Swim Team had
an amazing 2011-2012 season during
which swimmers on both the boys’ and
girls’ teams broke school and personal
records. The teams wrapped up the swim
season at the KAIAC Swim Championships
hosted by YISS on April 28. Our girls’ team
took 2nd place, while the boys’ swim team
placed 5th, and combined they placed 4th
over all. This is the our swim team’s best
finish to date.
Compared to many other schools, the YISS swim program is quite
young, but has shown steady progress and the future looks bright for
YISS. Not only did the team perform well in the pool, they
also exemplified YISS throughout the season as they cheered on their
fellow swimmers and competitors, whether they were part of the YISS
team or not. The YISS swim team received the spirit award for the
second year in a row, while Coaches Tim Linn, Kristen Linn and Will
Irvine once again received "Coach of the Year" honors for the girls’
team. Congrats, swim team!
GIRLS’ SOCCER TEAM
The girls’ soccer tournament was held at SAHS. The YISS girls’ soccer
team fought extremely hard in two heart-breaking defeats. They lost
to SIS on Friday in a penalty kick shoot-out, a game in which they had
most of the ball control and chances to score. Then, they lost a 1-0
lead against KIS on Saturday in the 2nd half, eventually losing 2-1. Thank you Coaches Boush, Byrd and Creech for all of their hard work
this season. BOYS’ SOCCER TEAM
The boys’ soccer team made history, beating SAHS in the
championship game at GSIS on Saturday,
April 28. They also swept the individual
awards for the tournament. Shu Ikeda
received Best Goalie; Shin Ikeda received Best
Offensive Player; Daniel Park received Best
Defender; and Roland Umoru received MVP
for the tournament. Congratulations to Coaches Creech,
Williamson, and Wiley and the players. This is
the 2nd time that the boys’ soccer team has
won the KAIAC tournament in the last three
years. (Last year, they reached the finals and
lost in a shoot-out). Both soccer teams will finish the season with
the Far East tournament from May 20-25. GO GUARDIANS!!!
16
Varsity Athletes Contribute to a Banner Year
This has been an especially successful year for Guardian athletics. We have seen our teams
succeed on their respective playing fields as well as individual students grow through the
avenue of athletics. Each season, fall, winter and spring, has been historic in its own right. The fall season proved to be the most successful fall sports season in our school history. In
cross country, the boys team finished in 2nd place with a record of 15-3 (best in school
history). The girls were right behind with a 3rd place finish and a record of 13-5. Roland
Umoru broke his own school record and also finished in the top ten for the region at the
Asia Pacific Invitational meet in Guam. The boys’
tennis team finished in 4th place with a record of
9-5, and girls’ tennis team took 2nd with a historic
11-3 record. Helen Lim finished the season as the
2nd best girls’ tennis player in KAIAC. Both teams
placed 2nd at the region-wide Far East
tournament. The boys’ volleyball team finished 3rd for the
season (13-4) and 2nd in the tournament, taking
top seed TCIS to 5 sets in the championship game. The girls’ volleyball team finished 2nd in the
regular season (17-7). Both of these were historic
finishes. For the winter season, the boys’ basketball made
history by beating the undefeated SAHS Falcons for
the first time ever. They finished in 3rd place for the
season and tournament with a record of 19-11. The
girls’ basketball team reached the championship
game for the first time, as well as, defeating the top
seed DAHS along the way. They also finished the
season with a record of 19-11. Cheerleading hosted
the cheer competition for the first time and took 2nd
place overall. In the spring season, the boys’ swim team broke
many school records and finished 5th place in a very
competitive pool. The girls’ swim team also broke
many records and made history by earning 2nd place
in the KAIAC swimming championship. The boys' soccer team won the KAIAC tournament for the
2nd time in three years, defeating top seed GSIS in the semifinals and SAHS in the championship game. They also swept
the individual awards for the tournament, with Shu
Ikeda winning Best Goalie, Daniel Park winning
Best Defender, Shin Ikeda winning Best Offensive
Player, and Roland Umoru winning Tournament
MVP. The girls’ soccer team finished in a
disappointing 8th place, but continued to grow as
a program and add depth to their team. Both
soccer teams look forward to great competition at
the Far East tournament from May 20-25.
To view photos, videos and more from the 2011-2012 athletics season go to YISSPN.COM
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YISS Celebrates Diversity at the International Bazaar
The International Bazaar
sponsored by the YISS PTO
and chaired by Krista Jackson
was a wonderful celebration
for our school community on
Saturday, May 12! The event
offered delicious food, live
music, a beautiful parade of
flags representing 47
countries, variety of cultural
performances, games and
activities, and over 50 vendor
tables providing a wide range
of products and services.
A good time was had by
everyone.
Click HERE to view the
slideshow.
Raffle and Silent Auction Offer Great Prizes
PTO Sponsorship co-chairs, Seonah Han
and Jinhee Bae, pulled out all the stops
for this year’s International Bazaar prize
raffle and silent auction. From jewelry,
hotel accommodations, restaurant
vouchers, hybrid bicycles, a painting, a
slingbox, foot massages, gift cards to
local vendors, designer clothing items,
theatre tickets, to children’s toys, the list
of raffle prizes was long and kept booth
volunteers busy throughout the entire
event.
Thank you, sponsors and parents, for
your gracious donations. We appreciate
your contribution and involvement!
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Delicious Food Satisfies Many Palates
The variety, quality, and quantity of food was plentiful at the YISS International Bazaar. From steaks, cheeseburgers, tandori chicken,
curries, bulgogi, chicken skewers, okonomiyaki, blini, adobo, kebabs, fried rice, pad thai, spring rolls, sausage, pizza, funnel cakes, etc.,
there was something for even the pickiest of palates. We applaud country food booth coordinators, Karen Kim and Grace Chae, for
doing an excellent job.
Thank you, country booth
volunteers, local restaurants and
vendors, Chakraa, Braai Republic,
Good Steak, High Street Market,
Adnan Kebab, and Taste of Thailand,
for your participation and support!
Thank You Bazaar Committee & Volunteers
Events as large as the International Bazaar require months of
planning. The YISS community thanks the YISS PTO
International Bazaar Committee, parade participants, cultural
show performers, country booth volunteers, prize sponsors,
table vendors, games & activity volunteers, parking staff,
facility staff, cleaning staff, and others for your time and tireless
efforts to host this spectacular event. Click HERE to view the
photos and relive the memories.
19
2012-2013 PTO Board and Chair Members
The YISS PTO extends a big
“thank you” to everyone who
attended our events, participated
in our fundraisers, and
volunteered to help out this
school year. We couldn’t have
done it without you!
Below are things that PTO and parent volunteers helped to make possible this year:
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
Back to School Picnic (September)
ES Room Parent Program
MS E-newsletters
Coffee with the Principals/Guidance Counselors
HS Grade Level Meetings
Special Activities for Celebrate Korea Days (October)
Fall Book Fair & Classroom Library Donations (October)
Fall Book Fair Poster Contest (October)
FunFest (October)
Guardian Idol (October)
Initiation of New Playground Equipment (November)
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
✴
HS Speech & Debate Competition (November)
Decorations for Christmas Concerts (December)
Book Swap (January/February)
MS Homework Club
ES Read-a-Thon (February)
MS Read-a-Thon (February)
HS Career Focus Month (April)
Teacher Appreciation Luncheon (May)
International Bazaar (May)
School Uniform Consignment (May)
PTO Scholarship to Graduating Senior (May)
Monetary Donations:
✴ Read-a-Thon proceeds donated to purchase library
books / Book Adventure Program (W10,058,020)
✴ Ten percent of Book Fair sales were donated to the
YISS library (W7,867,370)
✴ New playground equipment donation (W15,000,000)
✴ PTO HS Scholarship (W1,000,000)
✴ Funding for MS Homework Club (W1,500,000)
✴ Renewal of RAZ Kids for ES (W1,237,588)
✴ Parent Volunteer Appreciation Gift (W721,500)
YISS PTO would like to introduce the Board and Chair Members for 2012-2013:
Co-Presidents
Krista Jackson (Jordan, grade 7 and Kyle, grade 5)
Jinhee Bae (Haeli, grade 4 and Zachary, grade 1)
Treasurer
Wonmi Choi (Eugene, grade 8)
Secretary
Patty Kocher (Brooke, grade 4)
Elementary Vice President
Chitra Kurup (Jay, grade 4 and Vik, grade 3)
Elementary Asst. Vice President Jaehee Lee (Genie, grade 3)
Middle School Vice President
Stephanie Waldeck (Caroline, grade 7 and Catherine, grade 5)
Middle School Asst. Vice Presidents Katie Kim (Rachel, grade 7 and Rebecca, grade 6)
Heaseon Whang (Surin, grade 8)
High School Vice President
Cyndi Brower (Elaina, grade 11, Emily, grade 9, Hannah, grade 4 and Paul, grade 2)
High School Asst. Vice Presidents Tanya Whelan (Safire, grade 10)
Hyesoo Han (Ann Lee, grade 9)
Volunteer Coordinator
Stephanie Manni (Michaela, grade 3)
Room Parent Coordinator
Karen Kim (Yennah, grade 5 and Noah, grade K)
Sponsorship Chair
Seonah Han (Claire, grade 5)
Hospitality Co-Chairs
Amanda Bibb (Jack, grade 9 and Harper, grade 7)
Arleen Norkitis (Annelise, grade 5)
Music & Art Enrichment Chair
Heesun Lee (Audrey, grade 5, Charlie, grade 3, Thomas grade 1)
Music & Art Enrichment Asst. Chair Janet Han (Andrew, grade 1)
Social Events Chair
Aaron Simmons (Madie, grade 4, Izzy, grade 2, Katie, grade 1)
Library Enrichment Chair
Eric Hagerstrom (Kyle, grade 4)
20