Week of May 27th - May 31st

Important Dates:

Wednesday May 29th: Final grades and DRAGONS scores entered into PowerSchool by 12:00pm, refer to S2 reporting deadlines here for the full rundown

Friday May 31st: MS Faculty Meeting @ 8:00am 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:

Thank you to all the coaches who attended last nights Athletics Banquet which officially ends our 2018-19 Athletics year. Updates regarding coaching vacancies for the upcoming school year will be sent out before we break for summer.

Activities / Clubs:

Thursday 5/30 is the last day for clubs!

Faculty Council:

Dear Colleagues, Attached are the Meeting Minutes from the last Faculty Council meeting of this academic year. We would like to express an enormous amount of gratitude to Brian and Stacy for their leadership and advocacy. You are extremely valued and will be greatly missed. Your new council representatives are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to serve and will do our absolute best to support the best interest of every member of our educational community. “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” ~ Coretta Scott King.

Technology:

S2 Grading - As you are working on your comments and grades, please refer to the following presentation for Powerschool Support and the SuperFast Report Writer.

Tech Bytes: More Keyboard Shortcuts -

Counseling:

Course Registration Reviews

Next week counselors will be visiting all G6 & G7 KIS Reads classes to deliver a common message to all students regarding their final opportunity to review and change their elective course selections for the 2019-2020 academic year. Please reference the schedule below at your convenience. Thank you for all of your time and support!

Associate Principal:

Become familiar with the G6 draft G7 draft G8 draft last week of school schedules. Please reach out to your team leads if you have any questions.

The last day for clubs will be May 30th. Club time during the last week of school will be dedicated to advisory and will end at 4:00 on Tuesday June 4 and Thursday June 6.

If leading field trips or other events, it is extremely important you submit a sub request asap and notify your team lead.

Principal:

PGP: End of the year reflective conversations will carry on into next week, evaluators will also be completing final teacher evaluations which will be ready for your signature later on next week as well. Please expect an email from the MS Office re: your final evaluation.

MS Dragons Spirit: on June 4th we will gather together to honor and acknowledge excellence in the middle school. At the conclusion of our annual awards ceremony we will honor an all-star faculty DRAGON amongst us. While reflecting upon our core values, please nominate an individual you believe “lives and breathes” the DRAGONS spirit through their exemplary contributions to the MS community. Please click here to complete faculty nominations. Nominations close Friday May 31st at 4:30pm.

Communicating Learning: Continue to refer S2 Report Guidelines throughout the upcoming week. Please note the deadlines, dates and times.

PowerSchool is ‘off-line’ to students and parents as of 8am today, the portal will remain closed until June 4th at 9:30am. The following message will be visible to students and parents during this time:

"Dear MS students and parents, PowerSchool is currently offline while final grades and reports are being processed. The portal will reopen on Tuesday June 4th @ 9:30am KST. In the meantime please contact your advisor or subject matter teacher directly with quarries related to your learning progress."

Teachers, our goal continues to be no surprises at the end of the semester, in order to achieve this clear communication with parents and students is key. If you’ve detected a sincere change in learning outputs or perhaps a social emotional concern direct email or face to face communication with students and parents is particularly key and we head into the final assessment period of the semester. Please continue to CC Lyla and Stacy in all parent communication as they can provide translation if needed.

Following June 4th @ 9:30am The first page of the semester report will be forwarded to parents via email, due to technical limitations S2 narrative comments on page 2 onward are only available via the online parent portal.

MAP: Thank you for your continued flexibility and understanding with respect to facilitating S2 MAP testing. KISJ will continue to use MAP scores as a key data point in determining academic progress of the students we serve. Earlier this week Mr. Bill Rago share the MAP folders with MS faculty, teachers are encouraged to reach out to Bill directly if you'd like more specific data or want support perusing the NWEA site. S2 MAP results will be mailed or emailed directly to parents the week of June 3rd.

In planning ahead for fall 2019 there are key learnings from spring 2019:

- Continue sharing common communication with all stakeholders leading up to MAP, during and afterwards [students, parents, teachers, schoolwide leaders]

- MS students generally need more time to complete each test therefore more time needs to be built into the schedule in order to support our kiddos while ensuring core instructional time is evenly scheduled.

- Continue to post daily special schedules in the main lobby, students referred to this often!

- Work closely with IT to ensure adequate bandwidth is available / protected during testing periods

Teachers, if you have any other feedback re: MAP please contact me directly.

Head of School:

For those who were unable to attend, here is the link to the May 23 Child Protection Presentation. The agenda focused on:

• KISJ commitment to child protection & safeguarding and what it means
• crisis management plan review
• KISJ child protection task force
• CIS child protection & safeguarding training
• Safe recruiting
• Raising awareness

On Saturday, June 8 at 09:00 in the HS cafeteria there will be a breakfast provided as a final opportunity to come together with colleagues and friends. All KISJ Faculty and Staff are invited to attend.

During this time, we will also present the KISJ Faculty Global Leader Award to one (1) member from each division “who consistently demonstrates global leadership qualities. The recipient works to engage students and faculty in global ventures while also supporting school-wide-initiatives. This recipient distinguishes him or herself through a commitment to student and faculty growth and development.” In addition to recognizing global leaders in the ES, MS, and HS, this year we will also recognize a Global Leader from the boarding department. Each of the four (4) recipients is selected by peers that work in their division. The deadline to vote for this award is Friday, May 31.

Please nominate recipients only within the one division that you work in the most.

Nomination form for ES Faculty Global Leader Award

Nomination form for MS Faculty Global Leader Award

Nomination form for HS Faculty Global Leader Award

Nomination form for KISJ Boarding Staff Global Leader Award

Congratulations to our Director of Teaching & Learning, Dr. Rick Odum on being selected to present at the 2019 EARCOS Leadership Conference on Aligning Schoolwide Practice and Policy.

Week of May 20th - May 24th

Important Dates:

May 21st: Stand-up meeting @ 8:00am in MS Library

May 22nd: MS RAFT 2 session @ 3:35pm, meet in MS Library Conference room

May 24th: MS Department Meetings @ 8:00am and Pizza lunch for MS faculty in the Dragon’s Lair 12:30-1:00pm ½ day special schedule (teacher)

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.

Faculty Council:

Dear Colleagues, Attached are the Meeting Minutes from the last Faculty Council meeting of this academic year. We would like to express an enormous amount of gratitude to Brian and Stacy for their leadership and advocacy. You are extremely valued and will be greatly missed. Your new council representatives are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to serve and will do our absolute best to support the best interest of every member of our educational community. “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” ~ Coretta Scott King.

Technology:

S2 Grading - Please refer to the following presentation for crafting comments and entering grades into Powerschool. Send me and email, chat or stop by the community center if you need some help.

For all Leaving Faculty - There will be sessions on Digital Exporting Drive Files (ways to transfer document from your school account to your personal accounts) Monday, May 20th from 4:00 - 4:30 in CS4.

Tech Bytes Student End of Year Reflections - Pear deck has just released a template pack with end of the year reflection activities that can be added to any lesson or used as a stand alone assignment. Read this post to find out more.

ELL:

Please bookmark ELL Department. The first week of every month, our department publishes a tip for that month.

Please be informed that I will be conducting unofficial observations. The observations are conducted to collect data and guide our school-wide needs as a program. In no way will this affect your performance evaluation.

Also, our department is looking for volunteers. All you have to do, if you decide to volunteer, is go to our page and click on Goal 1, Module 1. Read and complete the questionnaire. Then go onto Module 2, Module 3 and Module 4. Each module takes between 3-5 minutes to complete. Please complete all four modules. The last modules will ask you for input on the whole process.

This new tool is meant to inform teachers about our ELL department and the school-wide policies in regards to ELL.

Counseling:

Course Registration Reviews

The week of May 27th, counselors will be visiting the G6 & G7 students in KIS Reads to deliver a common message regarding their final opportunity to review and change their elective course selections for the 2019-2020 academic year. Attached is a schedule of our visits, for reference and review. Further details will be provided next week.

Building a RAFT for Healthy Transitions:

“Leaving right is the key to entering right.” David Pollack (Third Culture Kids)

As the year is winding down, it is important to take the time to reflect on the year(s) you have been at KISJ. Leaving or staying, it doesn’t matter, we are all transitioning to some extent. For those that may want some support, we are holding two voluntary sessions, regarding “Building your RAFT.” If your unable to attend a session know that you can always reach out to any member of our counseling team for guidance and support.

May 22, 2019 (Wednesday) 3:35pm - At least 4:10 ; )

The MS counselors will take you on a hike to enjoy the natural wonders of the UNESCO site we’ve all called home for the past academic year. Dress for the weather, bring your hiking boots and/or running shoes to work, and don’t forget a small pack to carry enough water to keep you hydrated. We’ll meet at the MS Library Conference room at 3:35, and decide on an Olle hike within the vicinity where we can soak up the wonders while bidding farewell to our beloved Jeju-Do.

Associate Principal:

May 23 during advisory, help congratulate our seniors as they walk through the KISJ middle school one last time! From 8:25-8:35 please stand in the hallway outside your advisory classroom and clap as they go by!

Principal:

Communicating Learning: Continue to refer S2 Report Guidelines throughout the upcoming weeks. Please note the deadlines, dates and times:

PowerSchool will be ‘off-line’ to students and parents as of 8am on Friday May 24th, the portal will remain closed until June 4th at 9:30am. The following message will be visible to students and parents during this time:

"Dear MS students and parents, PowerSchool is currently offline while final grades and reports are being processed. The portal will reopen on Tuesday June 4th @ 9:30am KST. In the meantime please contact your advisor or subject matter teacher directly with quarries related to your learning progress."

The first page of the semester report will be forwarded to parents via email, narrative comments on page 2 onward are only available via the online parent portal.

Direct email or face to face communication with students and parents is particularly key if you detect a sincere change in learning outputs or perhaps a social emotional concern. Our goal is no surprises at the end of the semester, in order to achieve this communication is key.

Various Feedback Surveys: Teachers, please take a moment to complete our division PLC Effectiveness (MS) 2018-2019. survey responses will close today @ 5:00pm.

I would also greatly appreciate your feedback. Your response will help inform my professional growth and development as an educational leader. Constructive commentary on strengths and areas of growth are welcome. Questions are based on the Kim Marshall Leadership Evaluation Rubric. Your feedback is anonymous, unless you'd like to identify yourself in section 7 in order to receive individual follow up.

This survey link with close today @ 5:00pm KST.

Student to teacher feedback: Students are to complete one survey per class, surveys links will remain active through Wednesday May 22nd @ 4:30pm.

*Final Call* Off-campus Housing Stipend: Please click here and indicate which KISJ sponsored events and dorm related activities you’ve attended (outside your usual working hours of 8:00-4pm).

Our accounting team needs this information by 5:00pm today in order for it to be included in May salary.

Ping Pong Staff Color Challenge - We are looking to end next Friday’s long afternoon work session with a little table tennis fun from 3:30 to 4:00pm. We realize that this is a stressful time of year for everyone, and TIME is critical, but it is also important to be able to have fun along the way. This is not a mandatory event but if you are able to represent your Color Group in a little Ping Pong Tournament, please sign-up on this document by 4pm on Wednesday, May 22. The location, logistics, and refreshments are being organized as you read this message.

We can confirm that next Friday will be a comfortable dress day where teachers are encouraged to wear their Color Challenge shirts. Please make sure your attire is respectful (no ripped jeans, etc.)

Head of School:

Our incoming MS Associate Principal, Mr. Douglas Barringer will be visiting the KISJ campus from Sunday, May 19 through Friday, May 24. Please extend him a warm welcome when you see him on campus.

KISJ was accepted for the 2019-20 school year as a probationary member of the Association of International Schools in Asia (AISA)! We are excited to be joining Korea international School-Pangyo, Senri Osaka International School, Seoul International School, Yokohama International School, and Busan International School in this outstanding organization. AISA believes in the development of each student through academic, athletic, artistic and cultural endeavors. AISA seeks to foster cooperation among its member schools by providing a forum for communication and discussion, by promoting and sponsoring activities and athletic events, and by seeking to serve as an extension of each member school’s program to enhance the development of the students, the schools, and the organization.

A special thank you, Mr. Ty Riddick, for all of your hard work in making this happen!

Congratulations to our Human Resources Coordinator, Mr. Scott Brown on being selected to present at the 2019 EARCOS Leadership Conference on Safe Recruiting.

Week of May 13th - May 17th

Important Dates:

May 13-16th, & Make-up on 17th: MAP testing Will occur. Please check the special schedule and instructions for those days.

May 14th: Stand up meeting @ 8:00am in MS Library

May 15th: MS Department Lead Advance 2:30-5pm in MS Community Center

May 16th, 17th: Drama production evening performances both nights 6:30-7:30.

May 17th only: Drama production (abbreviated version from 3:15-4:00) no special schedule. Last period teachers have students leave their things in your room, then take them to the MSPAC to sit with their advisories and advisors.

May 17th: WASC Focus group meeting @ 8:00am various locations

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:

On Friday 5/17 there will be a special showing of The Audition. The following students need to be dismissed from class at 2:30 to prepare.

Faculty Council:

The faculty council met Monday, May 6 for our final meeting of the year. David Lee and Shawn Vento were present and a lot of great information was shared in the meeting. We look forward to sharing the public minutes with you next week. Brian and I are grateful for the service we were able to provide the school this year in relation to our role as Faculty Council members. We know you all are in excellent hands next year as Neyda and Paul assume these roles.

SLL:

Thanks to Trip Leads who are posterizing material from SLL encounters for long term display in the Dragon’s Lair! If you’re a Trip Lead or Chaperone who is interested in promoting student engagement in service learning that took place this year, please let us know. Some evidence of learning and meaningful exchange that could be considered for display include (but aren’t limited to): student-created artifacts that correspond with associated learning, captioned group photos, or photo collages that show students engaging with our community. If you have ideas, would like to brainstorm, and/or require assistance with assembly of potential visuals, please contact kwilke@kis.ac prior to Wednesday, May 15th.

Joe Kennedy from World Youth Adventures will visit our campus from Monday May 20 and Tuesday May 21. The objective of his visit will be to meet our team and to follow up on feedback that was provided about international SLL trips this year. International trip leads who would like to meet with him should please contact kwilke@kis.ac by Wednesday May 15th so that the itinerary for his visit can be finalized. Thank you and have a great weekend!

Dorms:

If you are a teacher or coach who is sponsoring any type of MS activity that will require students to leave or return to the dorms outside of these hours: Monday-Friday 8:00-23:00, Saturday & Sunday from 9:00-23:00, please contact Caitlin Wampler & Ben Fisk at least 72 hours in advance. This will enable us to give our staff sufficient notice, and amend their schedules, so that we can ensure students are ready for your activity. If you are running late in returning from an activity, or your activity will mean a student will miss meal times, you must inform the Dean on duty so that alternative arrangements can be made. If you have any questions, please contact Caitlin (cwampler@kis.ac) or Ben Fisk (bfisk@kis.ac).

Technology:

For all Leaving Faculty - There will be sessions on Google Takeout (as easy way to copy the files in your school Drive to a personal account or external hard drive) May 15th and May 20th from 4:00 - 4:30 in CS4.

S2 Grading - Please refer to the following presentation for crafting comments and entering grades into Powerschool.

Tech Bytes:

Keyboard Shortcuts Save You TIME:

MS Library:

Teachers please continue to keep the following dates in mind for the EOY Library resource collection and inventory.

Wednesday, 22nd May: Everything must be returned.

• All library materials - fiction, non-fiction, reference, biography, graphic novels, magazines ... EVERYTHING!

Monday, 27th May - Friday, 31st May: Library inventory.

• There will be NO access to the books. This means that the shelves are completely off-limits.

Monday, 3rd June: Camera and equipment inventory

• Cameras cannot be borrowed any more.

ELL:

Please bookmark ELL Department. The first week of every month, our department publishes a tip for that month.

Please be informed that I will be conducting unofficial observations. The observations are conducted to collect data and guide our school-wide needs as a program. In no way will this affect your performance evaluation.

Also, our department is looking for volunteers. All you have to do, if you decide to volunteer, is go to our page and click on Goal 1, Module 1. Read and complete the questionnaire. Then go onto Module 2, Module 3 and Module 4. Each module takes between 3-5 minutes to complete. Please complete all four modules. The last modules will ask you for input on the whole process.

This new tool is meant to inform teachers about our ELL department and the school-wide policies in regards to ELL.

Counseling:

Building a RAFT for Healthy Transitions:

“Leaving right is the key to entering right.” David Pollack (Third Culture Kids)

As the year is winding down, it is important to take the time to reflect on the year(s) you have been at KISJ. Leaving or staying, it doesn’t matter, we are all transitioning to some extent. For those that may want some support, we are holding two voluntary sessions, regarding “Building your RAFT.” If your unable to attend a session know that you can always reach out to any member of our counseling team for guidance and support.

May 15, 2019 (Wednesday) Focus on R & A (Sorries & Thank You’s) Where: Library Conference Room & When: 3:35pm to 4:30pm

May 22, 2019 (Wednesday) Focus on F & T (Good-Byes & What’s Next) Where: Library Conference Room & When: 3:35pm to 4:30pm

5th Grade Middle School Orientation: Next week counselors will be hosting all current 5th grade students, as they Step-Up to participate in a Middle School Orientation. The following 6th Grade Student Ambassadors will be leading both orientation sessions: Kyle Chun, Matthew Huh, Anika Kim, Eunseol Kim, Stella Kim, Gina Kim, Johan Oh, Jayden Park, Kayla Hong & Eugene Yoo. Please anticipate these students absences from all club sessions this week and next in preparation for our orientation events. Please anticipate their absence from your classes on our orientation dates.

All orientation events scheduled are outlined below for your reference and review. If you have questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to reach out for clarification or support. Many thanks for your time and care.

Course Registration Reviews: The week of May 20th-24th, counselors will be visiting students in KIS Reads to deliver a common message regarding their final opportunity to review and change their elective course selections for the 2019-2020 academic year. Attached is a schedule of our visits, for reference and review. Further details will be provided next week.

Associate Principal:

Faculty to AP Feedback: In an effort to continually grow I am asking you to complete my Associate Principal Spring survey. The goal of this survey is to support the professional development of your divisional leaders, so constructive commentary on strengths and areas of improvement is welcome. Thank you in advance for your feedback.

Principal:

Communicating Learning: Departments have established common agreements as minimum inputs for formative and summative grades per standard in order to achieve consistency throughout the PowerSchool gradebook. Teachers will refer to Logic Rules to guide the process of formulating final grades for the semester. It is important to note that determining a final grade is not an exact science, it is an art, the logic rules are not perfect but should help guide your professional judgement.

Feedback Surveys: This week we will complete various feedback surveys in an effort to inform our practice and future planning. Teachers, you will complete a PLC Effectiveness survey for each department and team you are a member of as well an overall division PLC Effectiveness (MS) 2018-2019. Survey responses will close Friday May 17th @ 4:30pm.

Student to teacher feedback: Students will complete an anonymous survey with respect to their learning experience in your class. Teachers are to consider student feedback when reflecting upon professional practice and future plans for learning and assessment. The survey will be completed during class time and you will be provided with the responses, school leaders also have access to this data.

On Wednesday May 15th links to the S2 student feedback survey will be shared. Students are to complete one survey per class, surveys links will remain active through Wednesday May 22nd @ 4:30pm.

Off-campus Housing Stipend: Please click here and indicate which KISJ sponsored events and dorm related activities you’ve attended (outside your usual working hours of 8:00-4pm). Our accounting team needs this information as soon as possible for May payroll.

Week of May 6th - May 10th

Important Dates:

Tuesday May 7th: Stand up meeting @ 8:00am in MS Library

Wednesday May 8th and Thursday May 9th: 7th grade trip to Busan

Friday May 10th: Department Meetings @ 8am, New supervision rotation for morning and cafeteria starts.

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.

A message from Stacy, your MS Sunshine Representative: When my family and I arrived to KIS in 2014, we observed that the opportunities to connect with the community were very limited. This observation was the impetus behind the creation of the Sunshine Committee. Myself, Gloria DeBaun (former KIS employee) and Anna Pfeiffer founded the Sunshine Committee which officially began in the school year of 2015. As you all know, this is my final year at KIS and I am hopeful that the Sunshine Committee will be a lasting legacy at KIS. Therefore, this email is to ask for anyone who is interested in carrying on the torch and would like to volunteer as MS Sunshine Committee Representative. If you enjoy planning social events for the faculty, being involved in the creation of the weekly newsletter and have ideas for ways to bring our community together, please reach out to me. I’m happy to share the nuances behind the role and leave you in good standing to carry on the torch. Thank you so much in advance! Yours truly, Stacy

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:

Please take a moment to fill out this very short survey about clubs. It will help make our clubs better for next year.

Dorms:

If you are a teacher or coach who is sponsoring any type of MS activity that will require students to leave or return to the dorms outside of these hours: Monday-Friday 8:00-23:00, Saturday & Sunday from 9:00-23:00, please contact Caitlin Wampler & Ben Fisk at least 72 hours in advance. This will enable us to give our staff sufficient notice, and amend their schedules, so that we can ensure students are ready for your activity. If you are running late in returning from an activity, or your activity will mean a student will miss meal times, you must inform the Dean on duty so that alternative arrangements can be made. If you have any questions, please contact Caitlin (cwampler@kis.ac) or Ben Fisk (bfisk@kis.ac).

Technology:

In preparation for S2 reporting, please refer to the following presentation on crafting comments and entering grades and comments into Powerschool.

Techbytes: Flipgrid is a fantastic video recording and discussion platform. Students create short videos (you give them a topic and a time limit), add extras (text, emojis, images) and respond to each other’s videos all on a topic you set. And it is connected to Google Classroom!

ELL:

Please bookmark ELL Department. The first week of every month, our department publishes a tip for that month.

Please be informed that I will be conducting unofficial observations. The observations are conducted to collect data and guide our school-wide needs as a program. In no way will this affect your performance evaluation.

Also, our department is looking for volunteers. All you have to do, if you decide to volunteer, is go to our page and click on Goal 1, Module 1. Read and complete the questionnaire. Then go onto Module 2, Module 3 and Module 4. Each module takes between 3-5 minutes to complete. Please complete all four modules. The last modules will ask you for input on the whole process.

This new tool is meant to inform teachers about our ELL department and the school-wide policies in regards to ELL.

Counseling:

Counseling Program Evaluation: The MS Counseling Department would like to request your valuable insight regarding the quality of the support services we have provided to all stakeholders throughout the academic year. Your constructive feedback will be used to inform and enhance the comprehensive counseling program as well as our professional counseling practices.

At your earliest convenience, per your schedule and flexibility, please complete The Middle School Counseling Program Evaluation Survey. Thank you so much for your time and support!

Associate Principal:

May 8th and Thursday May 9th: 7th grade trip to Busan. Teachers traveling: if you teach other grade levels be sure to complete a sub request for your classes that you will be missing.

May 10th: New supervision rotation for morning and cafeteria starts.

As you are planning for the weeks ahead keep these dates in mind:

May 13,14,15,16,17: MAP testing Will occur. Please check the special schedule and instructions for those days.

May 16th, 17th: Drama production evening performances both nights 6:30-7:30.

May 17th only: Drama production (abbreviated version from 3:20-4:00) no special schedule.

Principal:

KIS Reads / Academic Support: As communicated by grade level ELL teachers, certain students are receiving LLI reading instruction during the KIS Reads/Academic Support block. Please refrain from requesting these students during this period while they are receiving LLI support. One suggestion is that teachers and students can meet Wednesday afternoons between 3:35pm and 4:10pm; another option is break time in the afternoon, alternatively please speak directly with the grade level teacher who provides LLI support.

PowerSchool: In Q4 it is expected that all MS teachers are actively using PowerSchool gradebook as the primary platform for communicating learning progress with students and parents. All departments have come to common agreements as to the ideal amount of information shared with students and parents, ie. minimum inputs for formative and summative remarks per standard in order to achieve consistency throughout. At this juncture if you have any questions re: PowerSchool gradebook please contact Whitney or your evaluator for clarification and support.

Communicating Learning: Teachers, please refer S2 Report Guidelines throughout the upcoming weeks. Please note the deadlines, dates and times. Department leads will communicate with MS teachers re: the time and date as to when they would like to receive narrative comments by in order for department lead approval by May 29th @ 4pm.

PowerSchool will be ‘off-line’ to students and parents as of 8am on Friday May 24th, the portal will remain closed until June 4th at 9:30am. The following message will be visible to students and parents during this time:

"Dear MS students and parents, PowerSchool is currently offline while final grades and reports are being processed. The portal will reopen on Tuesday June 4th @ 9:30am KST. In the meantime please contact your advisor or subject matter teacher directly with quarries related to your learning progress."

The first page of the semester report will be forwarded to parents via email, narrative comments on page 2 onward are only available via the online parent portal. The above information was shared with our PAB and parent community this week.

Atlas Expectations: Please click here to revisit the SY’18/19 ATLAS expectations. Continue to allocate your time accordingly during planning periods in Q4 (non-student contact time) toward staying up-to-date on ATLAS curriculum mapping. Teachers, stage 1 & 2 of each course you teach must be completed before May 30th in order for Departments Leads to review all units with the DOTL on May 30th & 31st. It is important to note this step is a part of the EOY Checkout Process. If you have questions please reach out to Rick Odum or me, as we are here to help.

PGP: Unannounced classroom visits have now concluded, walkthroughs will continue throughout Q4, along with Department Lead observations. In preparation for observations and walkthroughs, please be sure to consult the PGP 2018/19. Teachers have been invited to a final reflective conversation with their evaluator; Google Calendar invitations have been sent. During this conversation, teachers will share their professional portfolio and growth toward their professional goals. Following the reflective conversation with your evaluator teachers can expect to receive their final written evaluation printed for signature and pick-up the week of May 27th. As always, if you have feedback for your evaluator re: your professional growth and development, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Off-campus housing stipend: Please click here and indicate which KISJ sponsored events and dorm related activities you’ve attended (outside your usual working hours of 8:00-4pm). Our accounting team needs this information as soon as possible for May payroll.

Head of School:

We have over 80 KISJ faculty and staff signed up for New Jersey Cafe & Lounge (close to Osulloc Tea Museum) this afternoon from 5:00-7:00 pm to acknowledge and celebrate our friends and colleagues who are departing at the end of the school year. Light snacks and a drink will be provided. A bus will be departing from the HS parking lot at 5:00 pm and will return to campus and the KIS Village at 7:00 pm. Parking is limited.

I will be away from campus from May 10-15 on school business. Mr. Ty Riddick and I will be in Busan presenting the KISJ application to join the Association of International Schools in Asia (AISA). Following this, I will be traveling to Tianjin International School as part of a WASC mid-cycle visit team. During this absence, I will do my best to respond to emails in a timely manner.

Interested in running a marathon, ½ marathon, or 10k run/walk? The 24th Jeju International Tourism Marathon will be hosted by the Jeju Tourism Association on May 26th. The deadline to apply is May 4.

Be sure to check out the KISJ Intranet (my.kis.ac) for all of our most important KISJ documents and links to the ES Weekly, MS Weekly, HS Weekly, Sunshine Weekly, Human Resources Updates, Director of Teaching & Learning News & Announcements, Head of School, Dragons News, and all KISJ social media accounts.