Day one was a very, very long day.

It started at 12:30am on Monday morning when I was at Kennedy Airport, waiting to board my flight to Korea. There was a long, long line of passengers. I finally reach the front and get something of a surprise. The attendant looks at my ticket and say's, "Oh, you are Ben Sherman, the Principal of the East-West School." I look at my ticket and it only says my name but nothing about my job. The attendant continues, "I have seen you before. My daughter goes to your school. She's in the 9th grade. You are sitting at a window seat. I saw your name on the flight list and tried to get you an emergency exit but they were all full. Let me know next time you'll be flying to Korea and I'll get you a better seat." 

I'll be leaving in a few hours for Korea. I can't wait. Though I lived for many years in Japan and China, Korea never seemed exotic to me and I only ever changed planes there at Inchon Airport. Now, of course, I regret not having visited when I was younger.

I am so proud of our Korean program at East-West School.  Ms. Rhi deserves the credit for starting our Korean language classes and for pulling in so many outside resources to support our program. It is Ms. Rhi who arranged with the Foundation for Korean Language and Culture in the USA to send myself, Ms. Hoffman, herself, and two of our students to Korea this summer. She deserves so much praise, as do those who support her in the community.

Today Peggy and I visited Queens college, The Bowne House, AAFE and a chinese restaurant named Spicy and Tasty. It was a refreshing experience even though the temperature was hot and humid. The Bowne house visit is what fascinated me the most. I am going to visit it again with my family this summer. I would like to take my students there as well in the fall. I would like to write a unit of lessons that focus on the architecture and the history of that building. I think my students will benefit greatly from that unit. I also think AFFE has a great facility that can be used by our students and their parents for community oriented activities.

It is now the end of the first week of our summer Professional Development. We have spent three days getting to know each other. We have tasted Korean speaking and writing, learned about the skeletal system of the body, refreshed our mathematical thinking. We learned that dominos are related to dice and also to mah jong. We learned that we think alike and share common international experiences. We are a good team and we will continue to learn and grow together.

Go peeps.

Mr. S