YISS Travels Through Time at FunFest 2025
Written by Soojung Lee and Yifei Yang, PTO FunFest Co-Chairs
On Friday, September 26, excitement filled the YISS campus as the community gathered to embark on an adventure through time at FunFest 2025. From the moment guests entered the campus, they were greeted by clocks of every shape and size — antique pocket watches, glowing neon timers, and oversized gears — creating the perfect atmosphere for an evening of time-traveling fun. The stage, featuring a massive clock surrounded by swirling vortex designs, served as the visual centerpiece, transporting guests into a different era the moment they stepped onto the field.
FunFest is YISS’s annual community-wide fall festival that brings together students, parents, teachers, and staff for an evening of carnival-style games, delicious food, live music, raffles, and prizes. The event is a highlight of the school year and an important fundraiser supporting the PTO and student-led initiatives.
This year’s theme, “Time Traveler – A Journey through Past, Present, and Future,” transformed YISS into a time portal filled with creativity and imagination. In the days leading up to the event, the YISS lobby became a Time Travel Hub, decorated with glowing clocks, gears, and futuristic lights. On the day of FunFest, students and teachers arrived dressed as ancient pharaohs, 1950s rockers, astronauts, and futuristic robots — bringing each era vividly to life.
As the gates opened at 4:00 p.m., “time travelers” flooded the soccer field to enjoy the many games and activities organized by elementary parent volunteers. Each class booth represented a unique time period—from prehistoric fossil digs and medieval castle challenges to retro arcade games and futuristic space missions. Participants collected stamps on their time travel maps, which could be exchanged for prizes at the prize booth. Those who completed all 18 booths were entered to win a special prize!
The middle school Game Alley was run in collaboration with Guardian Ambassador students and quickly became a hub of excitement. One of the most popular attractions was the teacher water balloon toss, where students gleefully aimed water balloons at staff members’ faces. Meanwhile, high school clubs contributed to the fun in multiple ways. StuCo ran Zorb Balls, while other clubs offered face painting, ring toss, and games to add to the fun. In the courtyard, high school clubs sold pizza, burgers, tteokbokki, desserts, and snacks.
Down in the courtyard, families enjoyed delicious international cuisine, including tacos and other Mexican foods as well as Korean street foods, while the YISS Dads’ Club grilled their famous hot dogs. The air was filled with live performances by the Tri-M Music ensembles, the Encounter band, and YISS staff. Even the Guardian mascot joined in the fun, spreading time-traveling cheer across every era.
Sustainability once again played an important role at FunFest through the PTO’s “Guardians, Go Green!” initiative. This year, the program encouraged each grade to collect recyclable materials such as paper rolls, egg cartons, CDs, and colored papers. Among all the grades, the 4th grade collected the most materials and was awarded a special prize for their efforts. In addition, for their outstanding fundraising efforts, 1B was recognized as the class whose game booth collected the most tickets during the event.
FunFest 2025 would not have been possible without the incredible dedication of teachers, staff, parents, students, volunteers, and sponsors who brought the event to life. It was a night filled with joy, creativity, and community—a journey through time that no one will soon forget.
