Week of January 28th - February 1st

Important Dates:

Tuesday January 29th: MS Faculty Stand-up meeting @ 8am in MS Library

Friday February 1st: MS Department Meetings @ 8am

Sunshine:

Please bookmark this Sunshine Weekly link to stay informed of information and events going on in our community. To subscribe to the blog for automatic updates, scroll to the very bottom and enter your email address.

Athletics:

This Saturday, the MS Girls & Boys Volleyball teams will be participating in the GEC Jamboree at KISJ. Although not an ‘official tournament’ the players would certainly appreciate your support. The boys will be in HS Gym, while the girls will be in the MS Gym. You can view the game schedule here.

SLL:

Thanks to teams of teachers who were able to dedicate time and enthusiasm to planning for local SLL trips this year! We’re excited to explore possibilities across grade levels that will result in a more cohesive, coherent program that integrates service, learning, and opportunities to lead across our school and communities. This would not be possible without teachers buying into the value of these initiatives, which is evidenced in your investment of time, energy, and creative vision.

Please keep great ideas coming forward in discussions with your teams, so that we can investigate the best use of individual and collective time and energy spent in service for 2019. Designing a destination that generates sustainable, positive impact necessitates slow change over time. Once again, thank you for patience and openness and contribution to such a critical process.

As we follow up on service opportunities that tie to curriculum, we continue to make contact with community organizations, and logistics are in the process of being configured. Hopefully by next week chaperones will be finalized, and then groups, activities, schedules, budget, transportation, etc.; with details coming down the pike so that we all understand what we have to look forward to--and what will be our individual roles--throughout the week of March 11-15.

Dorms:

If you are a sponsoring any MS activity that requires students to leave or return to the dorms outside of their usual dorm student schedule, please contact the Deans (cwampler@kis.ac and bfisk@kis.ac) in advance so we can support you and the students.

Technology:

15 Minute PD Each month I will be offering a quick 15 minute PD on different technology tools and features. Please join me Thursday, January 31st to look at Pear Deck, a Google Slides add-on that makes presentations interactive for your students. Sign up using the following Form.

Powerschool As you are beginning to use powerschool as your grade book, please let me know if you see any errors in the standards or wording that needs to be changed. Do not hesitate to reach out if you need help navigating this platform.

Instructional Coach:

• Revisiting routines is an instructional strategy that helps a class community have shared understanding of expectations. Consider reviewing MS Common Agreements: Revisiting Routines Mid-Year, if you haven’t had a chance yet.
• One Book, One School: Thank you for completing the form to voice your choice of dates for One Book, One School (OBOS). The faculty have spoken! The one and only OBOS in the middle school will happen after Spring Break. We are keen to get as many faculty involved in this important initiative as possible! If you’d like to support in the planning of this, please email Alisha or me.
• KIS Reads: Please be sure to have your students work through some reading reflections via their Growth Portfolios by following these instructions: KIS Reads: My Semester in Reading Reflection. The reading survey is embedded in that document as well.
• KIS Reads Support: Would you like some support to ensure you’re starting KIS Reads on the right foot for 2019? Or, would you like some ideas of how to ensure that all students are enjoying independent reading during your KIS Reads class? Please send me an email and I’m happy to support.

Professional Collection: We have so many great professional books to support your practice and current projects. Here are a few spotlighted below in the Community Center:

Counseling:

Suicide Awareness & Prevention. Thank you all for your continued investment and dedication to Child Protection & Safeguarding. We want to acknowledge, address, and share the valuable questions and sentiments expressed at our Suicide Awareness & Prevention workshop.

• Sometimes in the moment it is difficult to identify the warning signs.

This is a challenge for all educators. What’s important to remember is that our primary role in protecting our youth is to Observe, Listen & Refer. When in need, don’t hesitate to reach out for support.

• How often does our counseling team receive referrals for students at risk for suicide?

Within the middle school, on average, we receive at least one referral for students at risk for suicide per year. We receive at least one referral per quarter for students at risk for self-harm.

• Have students identified any particular issues or risk factors at this school or community that might lead to heightened concern?

To our knowledge none of our current students have identified any particular issues or risk factors that might lead to heightened concern. It is simply best practices for all educators to be properly trained and understand the very important roles they play in all aspects of Child Protection & Safeguarding.

• Do parents receive Suicide Awareness & Prevention Training?

The MS Counseling team hosted a Child Protection & Safeguarding Dragon Dialogue on October 10th. During our Parent Weekend we held two additional Child Protection Parent Workshops and this February we will provide a training for our K-12 Parent Association Board. This Spring we will also host a second Dragon Dialogue for parents specifically on the topic of Suicide Awareness & Prevention.

• Is there a cultural context/awareness that we need to be brought into.

Of course, every country and community has a unique culture and context. As a comprehensive counseling team we’re doing everything that we can to educate ourselves in an effort to educate and empower every member of our community. This is an ongoing process and we welcome support from all stakeholders who want to get involved in fostering a culturally sensitive learning environment.

• Would it be appropriate for staff to be more visible in supporting at risk students such as LGBTQ? Could we start sharing safe classrooms, establishing places for students who may need this awareness/validation?

Our host culture has very strong and deeply ingrained sentiments about the LGBTQ community. As a result it’s important and most appropriate for every member of our staff to be visible, actively seek and develop trusting relationships with ALL of our students, creating and providing safe spaces within every classroom.

G8 Middle School to High School Transition: On Thursday February 14th, from 3:00-4:00PM in the KISJ High School PAC, all G8 students and their parents will attend a presentation regarding the transition from Middle to High School. Topics will include:

• High School Expectations
• Co-Curriculars, Clubs, Sports, and Service Learning
• Grade 9 Course Requirements
• Four-Year-Plan of Study
• Maia Learning: College and Career Planning

*Please note that on this day all Grade 8 students will be in the HSPAC during their E2 Elective.

New Student Support: Throughout Q3 counselors will be conferencing one-on-one with our new students to establish rapport and provide transitional support. We will do our best to minimize their absence from core and elective classes. Thank you for your understanding and support!

Associate Principal:

Locker removal: Hello all, please remind students to remove all belongings from all MS lockers before January 31st. In an effort to free up some more community space the some of the lockers on the 3rd floor will be reallocated to other spaces.

PDA “skinship”: Neyda and I will be visiting G8, G7, and G6 KISR groups over the next couple of weeks to give a brief overview of MS acceptable body contact rules. The short of it is “hand holding” is okay, but anything else is not okay and should be treated as a rule infraction starting with warnings, and interventions. If the behavior continues then completing the MS behavior form would be the next step.

G8 Advisors: Be sure to draw your advisees attention to page 24 of the School and Dorm life guide regarding academic status and entrance into HS. “In second semester of the academic year Grade 8 ‘students of concern’ who continue to struggle academically will be identified to the high school principal and counselors in order to be supported academically in high school. Identified students will enter the KISJ High School on academic probation status.”

S2 Friday Meetings: Access the KISJ School-wide calendar to find information regarding our Friday morning meetings for Semester 2.

Principal:

PGP Mid-year Reflection: January is the ideal time to look back on your progress toward goals set in first semester. Teachers, please refer to the Professional Growth Plan annual timeline. Your mid year reflection will effectively summarize the progress you’ve made towards your goals. Be sure to be specific about what successes you’ve had and what challenges you have faced, place this reflection into your portfolio.

Classroom walkthroughs: Bryan and myself will be engaging in classroom walkthroughs throughout the second semester, walkthroughs are brief interactions in which Bryan or I may enter your classroom, observe for a brief period of time and provide written or verbal feedback with respect to the walkthrough.

Unannounced visits: Please note that throughout the second semester Byan and I will also complete a series of unannounced classroom observations. These visits are about 30-40mins in length and similar to the S1 announced classroom observations which seek to provide you with relevant feedback on your professional practice. Please click here to reference the PGP for more information.

Head of School:

What a tremendous two weeks of learning we have all had to start semester 2. I have felt especially lucky to be able to get to know more about all areas of learning at KISJ.

Some personal highlights from this past week included: participating in a PD workshop facilitated by Ms. Julia Snider and Ms. Whitney Little on Standards Referenced Assessment & Evaluation. This workshop focused on where the MS is now in regards to grading and reporting as well as what we are working towards. Thank you, Julia and Whitney, for your work on this.

Last week also saw many students participating in the GEC HS Basketball Jamboree and the GEC MS/HS Music Festival. Both events were great demonstrations of collaboration and learning.

For those who were able to attend the #PubPDAsia on Thursday at Smokehouse, it was an opportunity to relax with colleagues while learning and networking with other educators in Asia on the topic of "Wellness."

This weekend sees more exciting events happening on our campus. On Saturday, our MS students will be participating in a GEC Volleyball Jamboree and our MS & HS students will be participating in the first ever KISJ Robotics tournament in the HS Mini-PAC. Both of these events will be running all day on Saturday. If you have some time, please drop in to support our students and their coaches.

As announced previously, our incoming MS leadership team for next year Mr. Patrick Carroll (MS Principal) and Mr. Douglas Barringer, (MS Associate Principal) is in place and we have already begun their transition and orientation to Jeju and KISJ. Special thanks to our current MS learning leaders Ms. Julia Reynen and Mr. Bryan Keith for the outstanding work they have done in leading impactful changes that have benefitted student learning and for their efforts in ensuring a smooth transition.

Patrick and his family (Soon Jung, Quincy Jin, Ellington Chan) will be visiting Jeju Jan. 28 - Feb. 1 and may be on campus for some of these days. Please feel free to reach out to Patrick using his pcarroll@kis.ac email address. Before Monday we will be communicating to our MS parents the hiring of Mr. Patrick Carroll as our MS Principal for the 2019-20 school year. As part of this announcement we will share this prepared message to MS Parents which Patrick has written.

Please feel free to reach out at any time with any concerns you have about our learning community. My office is on the first floor of the HS, directly beside the HS counselors office and across from the HS CreateSpace.

Wishing you all a happy Friday and wonderful weekend!

Week of January 21st - January 25th

Sunshine:

Please bookmark this Sunshine Weekly link to stay informed of information and events going on in our community. To subscribe to the blog for automatic updates, scroll to the very bottom and enter your email address.

Athletics:

You can read the latest News on Athletics Website which is updated every Friday.

Lists of absent students can be found here and also on our Arts, Athletics and Activities Calendar.

Activities / Clubs:

Volunteers Needed! KISJ is hosting our first VEX Robotics Tournament. The High School and Middle School robotics clubs will be welcoming teams from across Korea to compete on our campus Saturday January 26th. However, we need your help!

Tournaments cannot function without the help of volunteers! We need people to fill various volunteer roles throughout the day. No experience or knowledge of robotics is necessary but is always a plus. A training session will be offered for the role you signup for. If you are interested, please contact Ed Lehamann, Tina Wang or Bo Shaw for more information. See the attached sheet below form more information.

Event Agenda:

7:30 - Doors open

8:00-10:00 - Inspection/Engineering Notebook Collection

9:30-10:00 - Drivers Meeting

10:00-12:00 - Qualifying Rounds

12:00-13:00 - Lunch break

13:00-13:30 - Alliance Selection

13:30-15:00 - Elimination Rounds

15:00 - Awards and clean-up

Roles we need to fill:

• Head Referee - 1 Person
• Referee/Score Keeper - 1 to 2 People (people in this role will double as Inspectors)
• Field Reset Crew - 1 or 2 People
• Judges - 2 to 3 People
• Queue Crew - 1 or 2 People
• Team Check In - 1 Person

Click here for a description of volunteer roles.

Technology:

15 Minute PD Each month I will be offering a quick 15 minute PD on different technology tools and features. Please join me Thursday, January 31st to look at Pear Deck, a Google Slides add-on that makes presentations interactive for your students. Sign up using the following Form.

SLL:

Happy 2019, Team! Service Learning and Leading week is just around the corner.

If you have yet to see this form to indicate chaperoning preferences, please do so as soon as possible. We are in the process of reviewing applications and solidifying logistics surrounding who will be where, and doing what, the week of March 11th. Your input and attention to expeditiously communicating these details are much appreciated!

Thanks to all trip leads and team leads for your time and dedication spent processing and planning. In Monday’s meeting, the discussion around learning component of this year’s SLL program (timeline, outcomes, etc.) will be a likely agenda item for colleagues to consider and discuss, as we continue to brainstorm the best ways to take a coherent approach to service learning activities that are meaningful across divisions. Our objective is to design activities that provide space for our students to expand their consciousness, their worldview, to connect with local and global communities, and undertake leadership responsibilities while tackling shared issues. If you’ve returned from break having considered creative approaches to projects that serve Jeju, please see this form to communicate your epiphanies.

This week, Friday, newly enrolled students will attend a brief overview that will introduce local and international SLL opportunities to serve and lead. These students will have a brief window of time to decide if they would like to participate in experiences abroad. Once numbers of participating students and candidates to chaperone are finalized, these details will be communicated to teams.

Thank you all for your continued commitment to these efforts. I look forward to continuing our collaborative conversations and efforts that will make our students and communities better. For any curiosities, doubts, or ideas, please contact kwilke@kis.ac and cc respective Team Leads.

"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." -Mahatma Gandhi

Instructional Coach:

• When returning from a long break, it’s important to revisit routines that were created in Semester 1. Consider reviewing MS Common Agreements: Revisiting Routines Mid-Year, a suggested list of areas to review, with your Advisory, KIS Reads, club and content area classes.
• One Book, One School: Following up from this morning’s faculty meeting, One Book, One School, is a school initiative to bring our community - parents, dorms, teachers and students - together through a shared experience of reading the same book over the course of a few weeks. For the first OBOS, we will all read Holes by Louis Sachar - the title that was overwhelmingly chosen by students at the end of the last campaign. We are keen to get as many faculty involved in this important initiative as possible! If you’d like to support in the planning of this, please email Alisha or me. Please complete this form, to indicate your preferred involvement.

• KIS Reads: Grade level teams will share more about the Student Reading Survey 2018-19. KIS Reads teachers, please have your students complete this survey by next Friday, January 25. Additionally, please have your students work through some reading reflections via their Growth Portfolios by following these instructions: KIS Reads: My Semester in Reading Reflection. Please reach out when you have questions/concerns.
• KIS Reads Support! Would you like some support to ensure you’re starting KIS Reads on the right foot for 2019? Or, would you like some ideas of how to ensure that all students are enjoying independent reading during your KIS Reads class? Please send me an email and I’m happy to support.

Counseling:

Suicide Awareness & Prevention. Thank you all for your continued investment and dedication to Child Protection & Safeguarding. Your active participation in our Suicide Awareness & Prevention workshop was truly inspiring. Thank you for everything that you do every day, to educate, care for, and protect our students. Your hard work is recognized, greatly and genuinely valued.

* New teachers as well as alumni staff who recently completed the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS) online training please don’t forget to download your certificate of completion and it to the MS Suicide Prevention Training Folder. Many Thanks!

S2 Student Schedules. All students schedules should be finalized in PowerSchool by the end of the school day on Monday, January 21st. We’d like to extend a very special thanks to all of our Elective Teachers for your exceptional patience, understanding, and flexibility throughout this transition.

Advisors please continue to use the MS Student Schedule Template to guide and support our students transition to their new S2 elective classes. Please refer students with immediate scheduling questions or concerns directly to their grade level counselor. Thank you for your understanding and support!

New Student Support: Throughout Q3 counselors will be conferencing one-on-one with our new students to establish rapport and provide transitional support. We will do our best to minimize their absence from core and elective classes. Thank you for your understanding and support!

Associate Principal:

-Please RSVP by 5:00pm on Friday January 18th, for our faculty appreciation event to be held next Friday January 25th at Devil’s Door restaurant - Shinhwa World.

-Supervision reminder: Continue to play an active role in encouraging students to engage in positive behaviors. As the beginning of semester 2 begins I am sure they will need reminders.

-Walkthroughs: As we begin the 2nd semester please complete this form indicating what you would like specific feedback on during my classroom walkthroughs.

DRAGON Challenge: Challenge students to a game of table tennis during break time!

Principal:

MS Recruitment: Following the Search Bangkok Teacher Recruitment Fair we have a few middle school hires to share with you. Please join me in welcoming the following teachers to the middle school program in SY’19/20; Aaron Allooh and Adam Abbas, math and Science, Natalie Bahen, English and ELL and Ashley Hayes, design and technology. Although I will remain involved in the hiring process, moving forward Shawn Vento and incoming MS Principal Patrick Carroll will take a more active role in the final stages of the hiring process.

Teachers, coaches, counselors and specialists if you are interested in applying for an internal position please click here to review positions we are still looking to fill. The first step in the process of expressing interest is to invite me to a 1:1 conversation, in the invitation please include; position you are seeking and the most recent iteration of your CV. If the position you are interested in is in another division please communicate your intentions to me and then follow the above steps with the appropriate principal. All internal applications must be received by January 31st.

PGP Mid-year Reflection: January is the ideal time to look back on your progress toward goals set in first semester. Teachers, please refer to the Professional Growth Plan annual timeline. Your mid year reflection will effectively summarize the progress you’ve made towards your goals. Be sure to be specific about what successes you’ve had and what challenges you have faced, place this reflection into your portfolio.

Week of January 14th - January 18th

Important Dates:

Monday January 14th: ½ day for students, teacher pizza party @ Dragon Lair 12:30-1:00pm and teacher PD from 1-4pm.

Friday January 18th: MS Faculty meeting @ 8am in MS Library

Sunshine:

Please bookmark this Sunshine Weekly link to stay informed of information and events going on in our community. To subscribe to the blog for automatic updates, scroll to the very bottom and enter your email address.

Athletics:

You can read the latest News on Athletics Website which is updated every Friday. Lists of absent students can be found here and also on our Arts, Athletics and Activities Calendar.

Technology:

In an effort to positively impact student learning and build the skill set of our teachers we are starting an initiative in S2 to help MS faculty become recognized as a Google Certified Educator, Apple Educator and/or Common Sense Educator. Please complete this form with your current recognitions/interest. This presentation will provide more information on the initiative and different programs.

Counseling:

S2 Student Schedules. Due to our rolling admissions process as well as the Q2 grading timeline provided, counselors will need to input new student schedules and update current students schedules in PowerSchool upon our return from the winter break. We will inform staff via email as soon as all schedules are finalized.

Advisors please continue to use the MS Student Schedule Template to guide and support our students transition to their new S2 elective classes. Please refer students with immediate scheduling questions or concerns directly to their grade level counselor. Thank you for your understanding and support!

S2 New Students. On Monday January 14th we will be welcoming at least 14 new students (G6-9, G7-1, G8-4) to the Middle School. New student enrollment will be finalized on Friday, December 21st.

Upon arrival our new dragons will participate in a Middle School Orientation led by the counseling team. Please anticipate their arrival into your classrooms during Advisory on Tuesday, January 15th.

Child Protection & Safeguarding. New Teachers as well as Alumni Staff who completed the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide online training before or in the 2015-2016 academic year will need to complete the training by January 14, 2019.

Detailed instructions are provided below for reference and support. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your grade level counselor with questions or concerns. Upon completion please download your certificate and add it to the MS Suicide Prevention Training Folder.

1. Click on the following link http://sptsuniversity.org/
2. Create an account and open the link provided via email to continue (Disable pop-ups if necessary).
3. Complete the 2018-2019 National Version - Making Educators Partners in Youth Suicide Prevention: Act on Facts
   • Click ‘Enroll Me’ and complete the Pre-Evaluation
   • View the Introduction and Modules 1-6
   • Complete the Post-Evaluation
   • Provide Course Feedback
   • Receive a Certificate of Completion
   • Download Certificate of Completion & add it to the MS Suicide Prevention Training Folder

Associate Principal:

Welcome back! Keep in mind S2 morning and lunch supervision starts this week! If you haven’t signed up for a duty by Monday January 14 you will be placed in a slot.

DRAGON power challenge: Ask 3 students what they did during vacation.

Principal:

MS Recruitment: The new year will be an active recruiting time for our division and school, I will be attending the Search Associates Bangkok teacher recruitment fair January 10th - 13th along with Jim French, Ben Wilkins and Shawn Vento. Please click here to view current KISJ vacancies, if you would like to refer a colleague who you feel would be a good fit for the middle school please do so via email at any time. In the new year I will provide further updates on teacher recruitment.

PGP Mid-year Reflection: This week is the ideal time to look back on your progress toward goals set in first semester. Teachers, please refer to the Professional Growth Plan annual timeline. Your mid year reflection will effectively summarize the progress you’ve made towards your goals. Be sure to be specific about what successes you’ve had and what challenges you have faced, place this reflection into your portfolio.