Elementary students held the annual Celebrate Korea Days between April 18 and April 30. The days were broken down into specific areas of learning for each grade level with the goal of helping all YISS elementary students have a better understanding of the culture that they are living in.

Kindergarten students learned about Korean foods, including bibimbap, samgyeopsal, kimchi, and patbingsu. The students in the KC class had fun helping Mr. Marshall say the words correctly. The students then went to the cafeteria to make kimbap.

First grade students learned about Korean crafts. Students went to the Lotte Folk Museum, where they made Korean paper and explored the museum. Students had the opportunity to see model villages from different periods of Korean history. In addition, they were able to look into a crafts room where traditional crafts were being made.

The second grade students went to the National Museum of Korea. At the museum, the students learned about different aspects of traditional Korean pottery. Following the training, students got the opportunity to try and implement the techniques they learned by painting pottery.

Ms. Leighanne Yuh, mom to a 3A student and also an Assistant Professor of Korean History at Korea University, spoke to third grade students about Korean history and culture. She also spoke about the history of Gyeongbok Palace and then gave the students a few assignments or architectural features to find when they visited the palace later in the day.

The focus of the fourth grade trip was on nature and how it was used for protection from Korea’s enemies. For example, Dr. Yuh mentioned that the capital was built in this area because the river protected it from the south and the mountains from the north. The fourth grade students visited the Seoul City Wall Museum where they learned how the city wall was used and had the opportunity to walk the wall.

Fifth grade students went to Changdeokgung Palace. This grand palace built during the Joseon Dynasty is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Following their palace tour, students walked to Insadong in small groups to explore the area.

The YISS elementary students would not have been able to have these experiences without all of the parent volunteers that gave their time to chaperone students. The elementary administration and staff are very grateful for their service to our students.