From our Head of College
Dear Parents and Guardians, Congratulations to our Senior School students who completed their exams this week! I hope you get some rest and enjoy this beautiful weather with friends and family.
We had another busy week filled with exciting events for students and parents. A highlight for me was hosting H.E. British Ambassador Colin Crooks for our final Dulwich Talk of the year. He spoke to our parents, staff and students in Year 6, 7 and 8 about his tenure in one of the world’s most secretive countries, North Korea. The Ambassador spoke candidly and earnestly about the challenges and rewards of being a diplomat, whether stationed in North Korea or South Korea. Calling South Korea his “second home,” Amb. Crooks said South Korea was his first foreign post. He shared that language ability, having an international outlook and living overseas is a great basis for having a diplomatic career. Students asked insightful questions including what gender equality looks like in North Korea and whether North Koreans are aware other countries have a higher standard of living. Amb. Crooks shared his connection with the Dulwich Family of Schools - his younger son graduated from Dulwich College Beijing. After an engaging discussion, the Ambassador helped us bless our Inquiry Hub Primary School library with an official “opening” event, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and an astonishingly realistic book-shaped cake. Year 2 students greeted the Ambassador along the way and Junior Librarians gave him a tour of the award-winning space designed by Seoul National University professor John Hong. The Ambassador then read the book, Bee-bim bop!, a children’s book by Linda Sue Park about the signature Korean dish of rice mixed with meat and vegetables, to an audience of Year 2 students and Junior Librarians. On another note, our Primary School students had a blast getting dressed up in retro leg warmers and big hair and dancing to 1980s songs at the Student Council Disco Nights over the past two weeks. I’m so proud to share that TeamSeas, an ocean environment cleanup charity, will get a donation of over KRW 2.6 million won from the proceeds. Well done! It has been great to support our partners, the British Embassy and the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea, which recently held galas celebrating the Queen’s birthday and Platinum Jubilee. It was wonderful to meet new friends and reconnect with old ones. Looking ahead, our students have been rehearsing diligently for our summer music recital series. Please see our Whole School section for details and I hope many of you will join us. We are also excited to announce the rollout of our optional Ignite Switzerland programme, where a group of Year 9 students will spend 12 weeks in Switzerland beginning January 2023. Ignite is a unique overseas residential experience that fosters self-confidence, independence and a sense of community. Parents of Year 6 to Year 8 students who took an assessment survey earlier this year will hear from us separately with more detailed information shortly. In the meantime, please see our Whole School section for more information. Last but not least, I’d like to thank all of our staff members who are leaving at the end of this academic year for their service and dedication. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours! I would also like to welcome our new staff members who will be joining us in August. We’re looking forward to meeting all of them in the new academic year and I wish them safe travels if they are relocating from overseas. You can see a full list of leaving and new staff in the Whole School section. I hope you have a restful weekend. With my best wishes, Mr Gudmundur Hegner Jonsson Head of College
Whole School Monthly Newsletter - Dulwich Haru
We are excited to announce that we have launched our very first monthly e-newsletter, Dulwich Haru! Haru means one day in Korean (하루), and this newsletter is about the daily lives of our students, parents and teachers in the Dulwich College Seoul community. In this issue, you can read about Head Boy Kris L’s favourite school memories, Head of Outdoor Education Holly Brigham’s thoughts on the benefits of outdoor learning, and parent Mark Buttigieg’s experiences living in Korea as a diplomat at the British Embassy.
Our stories bring us closer together and we will continue to build community as we slowly reopen. Click here to enjoy reading the stories from our community!
DCSL Dragon Boat Festival Celebration
Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival 端午节, which celebrated on the fifth day on the fifth month of the lunar calendar. This year it was on Friday, 3 June. The festival was originally initiated to pay tribute to a famous Chinese poet named Qu Yuan (340BC – 278BC). During Mandarin lessons over the two weeks, students in both Primary and Senior School have taken part in a range of fun activities to celebrate this traditional festival by discussing its origins and creating handcrafted artwork. The students’ curiosity flourished with questions, such as, “Who is Qu Yuan?” “Why do Chinese people celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival?” and “Why do they race the Dragon Boats or eat Zongzi?” The handson learning through stories and practical work made the learning experience and celebration of the festival more fun than ever before. Mandarin Department
Ignite Switzerland We are pleased to announce the rollout of our optional Ignite Switzerland programme, where a group of Year 9 students will spend 12 weeks in Switzerland beginning January 2023. Ignite: Switzerland develops self-confidence and independence whilst building character and resilience. A challenging curriculum that meets our high standards is being developed with world-class outdoor learning experiences also being meticulously planned. We will conduct a student assembly for Year 8 and will be communicating separately to parents of students in Year 6 to Year 8 who filled out an assessment survey to provide more details and register their interest. Please stay tuned for more information in the new academic year.
Departing Staff: We say goodbye to a few dearly loved staff this year as they depart for pastures new.
Whole College Colin Seymour – leaving DCSL but staying in the Dulwich family to become Director of Business Administration at Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong Ivy Lin – went on Maternity leave in April and is moving with her family to Denmark Angela Song – staying on in Korea to teach Mandarin
Senior School Sarah Harrison – leaves us to become Head of Secondary at St. George's - The British International School Munich, Germany Kaersten Deeds – heading back to the USA Rebecca and Steven Green – the Green family leaves us for their new adventures in Saudi Arabia John Yates – leaves us to go to the United Arab Emirates Alistair Marshall – leaves us for the UK with his family Victoria Young – moving to Qatar to teach James Thorpe – off to Singapore to teach Jean Jang – leaving DCSL but staying in the Dulwich family to go to Singapore
Primary School Adele Guinee - leaves us for the UK with her husband Kira Van Otten - heading to Europe with her husband and young son Kate Dark - leaves our faculty but remains in Seoul with her husband and new baby Natasha Wildman - leaves our faculty but happily remains in Seoul Matthew Waddington - moving to Thailand to teach Wynne Buckner – moving to Germany to teach Angie Yoon – leaving us to take care of her two children On behalf of the College, I would like to thank each member of staff for their energy, warmth and commitment to our community. We wish them safe travels over the summer and every success for the future.
New Staff:
I am excited to announce the following new members of staff joining our community. I look forward to welcoming our new colleagues in August as we commence the new academic year.
Whole College Paul Smith – currently residing in Seoul and joining as our new Director of Business Administration Helen Kim – joining us from Dulwich College Beijing as Director of Admissions Jinhua Zou – joins us from Cebu, Philippines, to join our Mandarin Department Mingchin Wu – has joined to cover maternity leave and continues teaching Mandarin
Senior School Suzy Pugh – arriving from Brunei to become Head of Senior School Paul Sweet – joins us from Japan to become our new Director of University and Careers Counselling Joanne Kim – promoted internally to become University and Careers Counsellor Lucy Haley – joining us from Jordan as Head of Humanities and Geography Teacher Antonia Snower - our new Economics teacher, currently residing in Seoul Molly Lockwood – arriving from the UK to teach History Lauren McShannon – our new Chemistry Teacher from the UK Jack Watling – arriving from the UK to teach Chemistry Gemma Fullagar – joining us from the UK to teach Biology Ademola Okeowo – arriving from the United Arab Emirates to teach Mathematics
Primary School Claire Caunce - arriving from the UK for Year 3 Nina Burrows - coming to us as Head of DUCKS 1 from Almaty, Kazakhstan Hannah Sharp - our new Nursery Teacher arriving from the UK Gemma Varley - arriving from Beijing, China to teach in Reception Class Chris Bonnet - returning to DCSL from Taipei to teach Year 6 Jason Burrows - joins us from Almaty, Kazakhstan to lead the Inquiry Hub Library
Primary School Dear Primary parents,
Departing Staff: We say goodbye to a few dearly loved teachers this year as they depart for pastures new. Adele Guinee - leaves us for the UK with her husband Kira Van Otten - heading to Europe with her husband and young son Kate Dark - leaves our faculty but remains in Seoul with her husband and new baby Natasha Wildman - leaves our faculty but happily remains in Seoul Matthew Waddington - Off to Thailand to teach Thank you to each teacher for their energy, warmth and commitment to our community. We wish them safe travels over the summer and every success in the future.
Joining us in August are: Claire Caunce - arriving from the UK for Year 3 Nina Burrows - coming to us as Head of DUCKS 1 Hannah Sharp - our new Nursery Teacher arriving from Europe Gemma Varley - arriving from Beijing to teach in Reception Class Chris Bonnet - returning to DCSL from Taipei to teach Year 6
Jason Burrows - joins us to lead the Inquiry Hub Library Jinhua Zou - joins our Mandarin Department
Year Groups for August 2022 will be: DUCKS 1: Nursery - Hannah Sharp DUCKS 1: Reception - Nina Burrows and Gemma Varley DUCKS 1: Year 1 - James Loft and Hosana Lee DUCKS 2: Margaret Curran, Mark Kelly and Phoebe Rowbottom Year 3: Louisa Ramsden, Claire Caunce and Dorothee Park Year 4: Lauren Backhouse, Marcus Gomersal and Belinda Cox Year 5: Matthew Spencer, Emma Ventham and Miranda Williams Year 6: Vanessa Wilson, Tony Curran and Chris Bonnet
Students will meet their new teacher (where practical) and TA on Move Up Morning (Thursday 16 June) and will bring home a letter from their new teacher to share with their family. Parents with any questions about classes for August should approach me directly please.
Year 6 at Dulwich Talks with H.E. Colin Crooks, UK’s Ambassador:
Our eldest Juniors joined Senior School students, staff and the FoD in the Auditorium on Thursday to hear about his work and life in North Korea. Year 6 asked some wonderfully thoughtful questions about North Korea’s culture, people and international relations, as recognised by HE; they showed great maturity and curiosity. We learned that the Ambassador is no stranger to Dulwich College as our sisterschool in Beijing was where his own children were schooled until quite recently.
The Official Opening of the Inquiry Hub Library on Thursday:
His Excellency British Ambassador Colin Crooks joined us on Thursday to officially open the Primary Inquiry Hub. Designed by Seoul National University professor John Hong to foster creative learning and a love of books for our Primary School students, it received the prestigious American Institute of Architecture (AIA) International Region Award at a ceremony held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in late 2021. While our students have been using and enjoying the spaces for book borrowing and inquiry learning since August, Thursday was the moment to pause and reflect on the contribution this new addition to our facilities has made to life and learning in the Primary School. Our Year 2 students welcomed His Excellency with cheers and the flutter of flags, the ribbon was snipped with the help of the Head of College, Our “Inquirer in Chief'' Mrs Cox and myself. Our Junior Librarians gave the guests a tour of the spaces and then some of our Year 2’s enjoyed a Korean picture book read by the Ambassador. A book-inspired cake was then cut and later enjoyed by the Year 2’s and Junior Librarians. Thank you to everyone who contributed on the day.
Donuts With Dads:
Year 1: Well done, for being such caring hosts this week. Parents were kept circulating around the room by their children, while enjoying Quadra’s delicious snacks and fruit. Many parents received Clean Plate Hero stickers and/or Eat a Rainbow stickers if they were spotted by their offspring to
have eaten up all their breakfast and chosen a range of colourful foods. Nursery and Reception: Our (final) DWD is for Reception and Nursery as follows Tuesday 14 June from 7.30am to 8.30am. Then the parents are invited to class with their children from 8.30am to 9am, and then an optional campus tour from 9am to 10am. A sign up letter has been emailed out this week for interested Dads (or a Mum) to complete.
Student Council Disco Nights - 2,623,000 KWon Raised
TeamSeas charity will receive just over KRW 2.6 million from DCSL in the coming weeks as a result of the Primary Student Council’s Discos last month. Well done to everyone involved! A super community effort to support an ocean environment cleanup charity.
Primary School Inquiry Hub Parent Working-Bee Sessions
Mrs Belinda Cox, the Dulwich School Librarian, will be holding two working-bees in the primary school library on Thursday the 16 June and Thursday 23 June. She will need assistance in sorting books and rearranging the library between the hours of 8am and 11.40am. If you can attend, please fill in the following survey by Tuesday 14 June: PS Inquiry Hub Parent Working-Bee Survey
Primary Parent Workshop - The Summer Dip - Fact or Fiction? Tuesday 14 June Led by Mrs Smith at 2pm in the 2F of the Primary Inquiry Hub. Does a child slip backwards during the long summer holidays? What’s the best use of a child’s time during the vacation?
Final Week of ECAs and Private Music Lessons next week: Thank you to those families who have taken up ECAs and private music lessons for their children this year. Today was the last day of these events for the school year.
Pets for the Summer: Please refer to our letter last Thursday for details of how to host one of our school pets for the summer holidays. It’s a great way for children to get experience of caring for another living thing, with the associated joys and responsibilities. Contact Ms Wildman for more information at natasha.wildman@dulwich-seoul.kr
Assemblies this week: Friday’s Assembly was online with the School Counsellors, Mr Dekens and Ms Kung, focusing on the challenges that change at home and school brings to us. This is in preparation for the RAFT sessions for leavers and the Move Up Morning next Thursday where students will meet their new teacher.
NEW: Parent Handbook link
You will find the link to the Primary School Parent Handbook in the Newsletter each week and in your Week Ahead email from each year group. NEW: Click on this link for the full Values: Dulwich College Seoul Community Values
Stars of the Week (DUCKS to Year 4) and Learning Warriors (Year 5 / Year 6) Each week, our staff spot a child in each class who has been doing especially well with the IB Learner Profile dispositions and that child becomes SoW or the LW for the class. Click here to see who was spotted this week and here for the week ahead section
Quadra Instagram page link - see daily posts by our caterer, Quadra, showing the lunch served to students that day.
Dulwich Adventure instagram page link - check out posts from staff accompanying our latest day trips and expeditions.
Contact details of Primary Leadership staff: Jane Smith, Head of Primary - jane.smith@dulwich-seoul.kr Jim Harvey, Deputy Head of Primary (Academic - online learning, curriculum and reporting) james.harvey@dulwich-seoul.kr Maggie Goddard, Deputy Head of Primary (Pastoral - student wellbeing and support) maggie.goddard@dulwich-seoul.kr Esther Yang (Primary Administrator) - esther.yang@dulwich-seoul.kr
Have a fun and safe weekend with your family.
Kind regards Mrs Jane Smith Head of Primary School
End of Year Charity Bake Sale!
The Charity Committee have worked hard this term to organise an end of year charity bake sale to raise awareness and money for Animals Asia - Kindness in action! on Friday 24 June 2022 (9am-11.30am)! Children may bring in a donation of KRW 2,000 or more to buy a little treat. Our last bake sale raised an outstanding 1,828,310 won for Team Seas so we have every hope and faith that we can continue our efforts and donation to raise money for worthy causes. Please could we ask you to get active and enjoy some family fun by baking and bringing in a little tray or box of home-baked goods (no nuts!) to donate to our bake sale. We will greatly appreciate any size or amount of baked goods and if it has an animal theme, even better! Please can you send your child into school with the baked goods (to Ms Lee in DUCKS 1) labelled clearly with your child’s name and class and ‘Charity Committee Bake Sale’. You can also drop it off at the Reception desk by 8.45am Friday. Any goods brought in earlier (such as Thursday to Reception or Ms Lee in DUCKS 1) will also be greatly received and safely stored safely at school. Again, please do not feel pressured to take part as we understand how busy parents are (especially after the most recent food fair!) and this is quite a big last-minute request. We always appreciate everything you do! Please email any queries to Ms Hosana Lee (hosana.lee@dulwich-seoul.kr) Thank you so much! Primary School Teacher
Year 3 Science Fair
Stars of the Week Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Senior School
Year 11 The IGCSE exams finished on Thursday, so Year 11 students are free to enjoy their long summer holiday. These students have worked with focus when studying in school and have responded positively to the challenges of written exams. I look forward to receiving their results and am confident there will be lots to celebrate when they are published in August.
Year 11 will gain an insight into the IB Diploma Progarmme next Wednesday when they attend their IB Induction Day. Students will attend introductory lessons in each of their IB option subjects and learn more about expectations around CAS, TOK and the Extended Essay. We will also host a small celebration at the end of the day to mark the end of the exams.
OWN Academy Internships Year 9 and Year 10 students have spent two days this week learning more about the world of work through online internships. Working with industry leaders in biotechnology, mechanical engineering, molecular biology and pharmaceutical science, they have collaborated to solve real-world problems. It was an interesting and enjoyable experience, and gave students a valuable insight into their chosen industry. Best wishes for a relaxing weekend. Ms Sarah Harrison Head of Senior School
Friends of Dulwich Kojeon Antiques
The Friends of Dulwich organised a day trip for parents to Kojeon Antiques, about an hour’s bus ride from Seoul. We were treated to coffee on arrival before browsing our way through a warehouse full of antique, vintage and reproduction furniture and knick-knacks. We then enjoyed a delicious homecooked Korean lunch before heading back to school with a variety of acquired treasures. A fantastic day out and thank you to those parents who joined us, especially at such a busy time of the year.
Flower Arranging Class - Make a Hand-tied Bouquet
Social Coffee Morning for All Parents
Thank you to the parents that came along to the Monthly Social Coffee Morning on Thursday! These events are a great opportunity for you to get to know other parents in the Dulwich community. We hope to see more new faces at the next Social Coffee Morning.
Used Books Donation Drive
We are pleased to announce that there will be a ‘Used Books Donation Drive’ from 30 May to 17 June. If you have any gently used books (English books only) that you no longer need, please donate them! We will place collections bins by the College entrance and foyer for easy access. Friends of Dulwich members will sort the books and hold a used book sale at the beginning of the next Academic Year in August 2022. Thank you for your participation!