As any school year ends there is always much activity: year end trips, exams, end of the year concerts, play day, graduation (for Grade 8 and Grade 12); this is part of the life of a school.
For an International Schools, like GSIS, End of the Year takes on an additional meaning as many staff leave to either return to their own country or take on a new challenge in a new country.
Over the past month the Wendling Family has been involved with the End of Year Activities and with saying good bye to the GSIS community.
Almost 3 years ago the Wendling family arrived in Korea with 14 suitcases and lot of energy and not knowing what to expect from a school and country which was foreign to them. During this time a lot of growth has occurred - Mia doesn't wear diapers anymore - Justine has moved through Middle School and we be starting high school at Ecole Secondaire Jean Vanier in the Fall - Kyara has grown to be not just taller than me mere but Rosanne as well - Matteya has learned so much Korean that she can converse with her friends and Ariel is an expert with technology using google products and facebook regularly. Finally, Rosanne and Kevin have now experienced and international education setting in an IB World School. Which has been both exciting and challenging.
Saying goodbye to Korea started at the beginning of May when Ariel accompanied Kevin back to Canada. It was decided that she would stay with me mere so that she would prepare for her First Communion which will take place at the beginning of June.
So Ariel needed to say goodbye to her classmates and then pack up her two bags and head back to Port Colborne - much to the surprise of me mere. Well, Happy Mother's Day to you me mere.
During the past month the girls have been involved with:
- the end of the year Elementary talent show - where Matteya and Mia performed
- the Middle School Concert - where both Kyara and Justine performed with their Choir and Band Groups and sang a duet - "For Good" - taken from the musical Wicked
- Grade 8 Graduation - Justine when she leaves GSIS will have Graduated from middle school and will have celebrated this event with the community
- Grade 5 Graduation - Matteya when she leaves GSIS will have finished elementary school and if we stayed would be in Grade 6 - middle school
For Rosanne and Kevin the last month has been a time to be with the kids for these activities as well as being honoured at the Farewell Banquet held at the school. Both Rosanne and Kevin have been leaders at the school during the past three years. Rosanne as Middle School Athletic Director and CAS Coordinator and Kevin as HS Principal - in these roles they have been able to help shape the present and future of the school, which has been a once in a lifetime experience.
In all, the Wendling family has been very grateful for the GSIS community for the administration, teaching staff and classified staff who have supported our family. Living internationally can be quite difficult - however, withe support of Helen, Andrew, Julia and all the classified, aka: Korean staff, at GSIS life was made a lot easier.
So we will soon be home...with lots of changes and Rosanne at a new school and Kevin with a new school board. The Korean Adventure will have to be renamed...but it will be an adventure with 5 kids and new experiences on the horizon.
God has been with us during our 3 years and we await the path which has been chosen for us. See you soon.
It seems only fitting that our 50th blog comes at time when the Wendling Family is nearing the end of their time in Korea. With just over a week left in Korea the Wendling Family was involved with the first Graduation exercises at GSIS.
Approximately three years ago the Wendling Family decided to go to Korea for two reasons. The first reason was for the family to gain an experience of the world. And to be honest with many travels to countries like China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, USA (Alaska and Saipan), Philippines the Wendling family has been able to gain a rich appreciation for other countries, other cultures and life abroad. A majority of this blog has been dedicated to reflect upon these travels and share our experiences with friends and family.
The second reason that Rosanne and Kevin came to Korea was to be involved with the building of GSIS and helping to create a school that would see its first graduating class in the Spring of 2011. This day has come as on Thursday, May 26th GSIS graduated 68 Seniors in its first commencement exercises in what can only be described as a truly historical event.
The evening was marked by speeches from the Valedictorian, Salutatorian and representative faculty speaker. GSIS' Headmaster also spoke about the history of the school and how its first class of Seniors had surpassed any and all expectations as all 63 students who applied to colleges in the US and Canada were accepted and how 3 students were accepted in the top 15 schools in the US and 1 students had been accepted into McGill University in Canada, a University which is viewed Internationally as Canada's elite Univeristy.
Both Rosanne and Kevin were involved with the Seniors and their work towards University. Rosanne was the IB CAS Coordinator and the Community Service Coordinator. Her role was to ensure that the students fulfilled their necessary requirements for these program. Kevin was the HS Principal and worked with the teachers and Rosanne to ensure that program at GSIS would prepare the students for their college applications and beyond.
Now that Graduation has occurred the Wendling family has 1 week left in Korea. It is a time for packing and tying up loose ends. A time for saying goodbye to the land of the Morning Calm and all those who they have come to know over the past three years.
For our family and friends in Canada it will soon be a time to renew friendships and restart our lives in the Great White North. Hopefully we will see you soon!!
One of the most well known, all be it infamous, attractions in South Korea is the Demilitarized Zone or the DMZ. Many visitors, and foreigners leaving in Korea, will often make sure that they visit the buffer zone between North and South Korea (or DRPK and ROK). The Wendling family with less than one month left in Korea decided that they needed to take some time to visit the DMZ.
One of the unique aspects of the DMZ is that it is far easier for foreign passport holders to go on the tours then it is for Korean citizens. As well, the tours of the DMZ usually involve a tour of the Joint Security Area, JSA, and Camp Bonifas, the United Nations camp. For this part of the tour Matteya, Kyara and Justine were old enough to attend - so they went with Kevin to see this part of the tour in the morning.
The actual JSA, or Joint Security Area, features a number of buildings in the area which were used and are still used for discussions and negotiations between North and South Korea and almost always involved a third or fourth country such as Poland, Sweden or other countries. The blue building are the places for talk but there are other buildings which were built with the intent of hosting "family reunions" with families which were separated by the Korea War. To this day they have not been used for this purpose.
The JSA has quite a history to it as well - from 1953 - 1976 the JSA was actually an area with no border that North and South Korea soliders stood side by side, however, due to a number of incidents that have occurred the JSA is very well defined and if you cross into an area that is not allowed you can be shot or step on a mine.
Then in the afternoon the entire family was able to see the rest of the DMZ attractions which included the 3rd tunnel, the observatory and the train station. The third tunnel is interesting as it is seen as being built for so that the North Korean army would have a way of circumventing the DMZ and then moving quickly towards Seoul. These tunnels, 4 in total so far, are now closed and in fact tunnel 3 is a tourist attraction which the Wendling family was able to see.
Yet, in all, the DMZ is a unique area that talks of the history of the Korean War but also provides markers of hope that one day Korea will be one country. It is unclear how this will occur if we consider the current conditions, yet, it could happen with some give on both sides and some wisdom from above. With all of the evidence of war and suffering seen in their travels the Wendling family really hope that one day Korea is unified in a way that the dignity of all Korean people can be maintained and so that all Korea can live in Harmony. However, there is much work to be done if this is going to occur.
With less than three weeks left the Wendling family has begun to pack and make preparations for retuning to Canada. This blog will continue in order to Chronicle the final transition. So stay tuned.
