SFS Today - Spring 2014

Issue: SPRING 2014

Inspiring Excellence, Building Character - Since 1912

TODAY

Visit the campus after school during Spring and you are likely to see our High School soccer teams, badminton & track athletes busy practicing. Our Middle School and Key Stage 3 KAIAC sports program has had a tremendous season of table tennis, and volleyball, and the basketball season is just getting underway. Our younger students have also benefit from jamborees with other international schools in Seoul.

All these programs involve a tremendous committment from faculty and coaches, hours of practice from students and the partnership of our parent community.

Character Beyond The Classroom

Character is not something that’s taught from a textbook. It takes a dedicated and intentional focus of a community to create learning experiences that will build the foundation of character in the lives of students.

This past month our Seoul Foreign British School hosted the regional FOBISIA (Federation Of British International Schools In Asia) U13 Games welcoming over 300 visiting students, teachers and parents from Taipei, Hong Kong and China.

This level of competition is not unique at SFS. One glance at our school calendar will reveal the monthly events that we are either active participants in, or hosting at an Asia Pacific level through APAC or on a local level via KAIAC competitions.

SFS athletes develop character, responsibility, dedication, commitment, teamwork, leadership, and experience applicable in all areas of life. While our teams enjoy winning results in competitive conferences, we measure success well beyond the winloss column.

Quote from SFS Website -Athletics Page

SFS is committed to ‘educating the whole child’, and our commitment doesn’t stop with athletic opportunity, this is just the beginning! It’s a committment to the development of every child - academically, spiritually, emotionally, physically, and artistically.

A F O C U S O N E D U C AT I N G T H E W H O L E C H I L D

NIK - PYP Candidate School p5

Reflective Learners

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Counseling That Counts

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TODAY TODAY IN THE SPOTLIGHT - SFS Opinion Column nurturing culture, for each and every student at our school.

We strive to ensure that each student’s educational journey at SFS is one that challenges and grows their heads, hearts and hands.

This means a rigorous intellectual inquiry based education where students not only learn content but also social and emotional competencies and the important critical thinking and trans-disciplinary skills that will support them for a lifetime. This also means an educational experience that challenges our student’s hearts – it presents them with opportunities to explore and develop their character and values.

What does it mean to educate the whole child?

As our students prepare to enter the twenty second century (many of our younger students will see the next century), it is critical that we are educating the whole child for an ever-changing future.

At Seoul Foreign School, educating the whole child means providing a rich and robust, comprehensive educational experience, in a warm

At SFS, we have the unique opportunity to incorporate the dialogue of faith into this important process.

We seek to stretch our students by presenting them with challenges and opportunities to put their knowledge, skills and values in action through meaningful, life changing service learning experiences. Part of being a global citizen is embracing the responsibility that comes with this role and to look for ways to give back to the world and to pay forward the incredible blessings that each of our students have been given.

Educating the whole child is not just about standardized test scores, great SAT results, and selective university admissions. It is about

imbedding the mission of SFS into the heart of each student so that they leave us equipped and motivated to truly make a difference in the world. This is what we strive for

each day at SFS – this is our blessed calling.

Kevin Baker, HS Principal

REGULAR FEATURES IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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SNAP SHOT BOX

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What does it mean, educating the whole child? Insights from our HS Principal Kevin Baker.

S.W.E.P. an extensive range of opportunities for students to participate in after school activities all year.

High School Clubs experience increased interest and extend their range of offerings.

IN FOCUS Character Building

Cover Story

The athletics program developing important life skills.

Namsan Intl. Kindergarten

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Gains PYP Candidate School status as their program grows.

Reflective Learners

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Opportunities to develop character, values and faith.

Counseling That Counts

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How our guidance counselors impact the lives of students Pre K - 12

CONTACT US Seoul Foreign School 39 Yeonhui-ro 22-gil, Seodaemun-gu Seoul, Korea 120-823 Tel: 82-2-330-3100 Fax: 82-2-335-1857 yjum@seoulforeign.org

FOLLOW US FOLLOW US twitter.com/SFS4U LIKE US facebook.com/seoul.foreign.school JOIN US linkedin.com/company/seoul-foreign. school SUBSCRIBE youtube.com/seoulforeignschool4u FOLLOW US plus.google.com/+SeoulforeignOrg Check www.seoulforeign.org and link to MY SFS our Parent Homepage for all our school announcements.

Inspiring Excellence, Building Character - Since 1912

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Maximizing Academic Potential

NIK- PYP Candidate School

Education through real life experiences As an International Baccalaureate (IB) - Primary Years Programme Candidate School, Namsan International Kindergarten is dedicated to achieving the ‘education of the whole child’.

What exactly does the ubiquitous phrase, ‘educating the whole child’ mean, at NIK? Stated simply, it is the kind of teaching and learning that prepares our young students to become creative problem solvers who can take initiative and responsibility.

We achieve this by engaging them in project-based learn-

ing where they work in teams and address real problems in the world, that require them to apply what they have learned.

Recently, our Pre-K and Kindergarten children set out in teams of 5 to 6 and went shopping at the adjacent outdoor market place. When they returned to the classrooms, they analyzed, recorded, and showcased their business transactions and acquisitions. Such real-world, real-time learning is a prime example of allowing the wholeness of the child to engage with real-life learning experiences.

World Recognition - Scholastic Awards

This year SFS students out did themselves, winning an unprecedented 41 awards for art and writing in the Regional & National Section of the 2014 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. SFS students were awarded 2 National Gold Medals, 8 Gold Keys, 19 Silver Keys, and 12 Honorable Mentions. To see a full list of SFS award winners visit MY SFS. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is a 90 year old program – the most prestigious and longest running in the US – that provides opportunities for budding artists and writers to showcase their talents. Awards are given to work that best ‘exemplifies originality, technical skill and the emergence of a

personal voice or vision’. In being selected as Regional winners, our students have joined the ranks of other famous authors and artists including Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Andy Warhol, Stephen King and John Updike.

The students’ ability to acquit themselves so well on a world scale is a testament to the strength of our art and writing programs, and the teaching and learning that takes place on a daily basis in our classrooms.

Our 2 Gold Medal Winners have been identified by panels of creative professionals as the most talented young

artists in the nation (USA). Only the top 1% were recognized at this level.

Their work will be exhibited at a National Ceremony in NYC at Carnegie Hall, which will also be webcast live on June 6th. Visit: www.artandwriting.org to learn more.

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TODAY TODAY

THE SNAP SHOT BOX

Four Seasons of S.W.E.P. Unlike other international schools in Seoul, we are blessed with a wonderfully large, green campus which S.W.E.P. (School Wide Extra-curricular Program) takes full advantage of.

See our SFS website, www.seoulforeign.org - Student Life pages to learn more about the opportunities your child has to be involved in activities after school.

Also, check out our SUMMER PROGRAM - ‘Summer Seoulstice’, which provides academic, non-academic and sports-related opportunities for our SFS students during the summer holidays.

Photo credit: Andy Han, HS Senior

On the Stage Seoul Foreign School enjoys a long history of rich curricular and co-curricular performing and visual arts programs.

Over 90% of our students are involved in the arts each year and are showcased in our visual arts displays, and over 40 annual public performances put on by our music and drama departments.

If you haven’t had a chance to attend any performances so far this year, please join our final major drama production brought to you by Grade 4, The Phantom Tollbooth performing May 15 and 16. Our Spring music concerts are coming up later this month, April 17 and April 24. The British School Creative Arts Evening is on April 25, and the Middle School Afternoon of Jazz is May 1.

See our Fine Arts pages on www.seoulforeign.org for performance times.

FOBISIA Performing Arts Carnival This year on March 27, 16 students from Year 5 and 6 flew to Kuala Lumpur to the Alice Smith School, joining with 18 other British schools from around South East Asia.

AERO Science Club inspiring BS Students Clubs give our students a valuable opportunity to collaborate with their peers outside the classroom, show leadership, or develop a social conscience, or their areas of interest.

The choice and variety of clubs is astounding, with over 50 different clubs catering to a diverse range of interests they can be categorized as non-fundraising clubs, fundraising clubs, and teacher led clubs. Visit our High School Activities page on the SFS website for a complete listing of what is on offer at: www.seoulforeign.org/page.cfm?p=380 The AERO Science Club is a club that has experienced surprising recent growth.

We opened up membership to AERO just over a year ago but the club has seen incredible growth lately; in fact, there are about 50 active members at this time.

Andy Han HS Senior

Our students rehearsed music together twice a week for the Carnival since last November. During 4 days of the Carnival, they had an opportunity to see the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in action at an open rehearsal. They also participated in many different areas of the performing arts, including various workshops in music, drama and dance.

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Inspiring Excellence, Building Character - Since Inspiring Excellence, Building Character - Since 1912 1912

Developing Artistic Talents

A Festival Of Opportunities These value added events are important and special as they encourage students to collaborate in music making, and establish cross- school friendships.

The spring term brings with it a host of opportunities for our music students. Our music program is enhanced by our involvement in various festivals and specialist music organizations such as: KIMEA (Korean International Music Educators Association), KAIAC (Korean American Inter-Scholastic Activities Conference), APAC (Asia Pacific Activities Conference) Festivals, AMIS (The Association of Music in International Schools), and FOBISIA (Federation Of Brit-

ish International Schools In Asia) Music Festivals.

Seoul Foreign School’s superb theater facilities contribute to the success of such wonderful events. Not only do we have a superb performance venue in the Lyso Centre, our Black-box Theater and Robb Hall also allow for complex rehearsal schedules to proceed with ease.

Music At a Glance A Few Fast Facts: • Our High School Choir and their director Mrs. Allison Lyso recently gained Platinum for their performance at the KAIAC Choir Large Group Festival hosted by YISS. • 39 of our Grade 5 students recently attended the KIMEA Elementary Chorus Festival at Chadwick, joining 200+ students from international schools in Korea.

• For the past 3 years we’ve hosted the annual KAIAC High School Honor Festival for band, choir and orchestra.

Representing the best musicians across Korea, SFS students make up about 25% of these ensembles each year.

• APAC Festivals are the most extensive events that bring together 96 musicians from 6 schools across Asia. This year’s APAC Band Festival, hosted

by SAS Pudong Campus, saw 16 of our students travel to Shanghai.

• AMIS is an organization established 29 years ago to promote ensemble music. Selection is by recorded audition and is highly competitive.

• Since becoming a member of AMIS our School has had MS & HS students involved, and this year we had an impressive 7 students selected for the Women’s Choir and String Orchestra Festival in Dusseldorf and 4 students selected for the Band and Mixed Choir Festival in London.

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TODAY

COMMITTED TO SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

Reflective Learners SFS is deeply committed to educating and caring for ‘the whole child’. A central component in our mission is to encourage and nurture the faith development of our students.

The Christian Ministries Department is committed to offering engaging, meaningful, and age appropriate extra-curricular ministries in which students can choose to participate from as young as 5 all the way through high school.

challenged to both see the great needs in the world and recognize their personal responsibility to help. This year

our students raised nearly $25,000 to help World Vision fight hunger!

In the High School, students can also participate in Discipleship groups and in monthly G2G outreach events that are similar to the IMPACT events in MS/KS3. Many

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anPsalms Choir United In Prayer a Caring

Christian Ministries Faith

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For the Elementary and Key Stage 1 and 2 students, the AWANA program happens every Wednesday afternoon. These young students are supported by a team of high school “leaders in training” and parent volunteers. Students engage in game and craft times, learn Bible

week. They are safe and fun places where students can ask tough questions, be challenged to learn and grow in knowledge of faith, and make friends that can last a lifetime. IMPACT is open to all MS and KS3 students to come out and play some crazy games and hear a short message on the Christ-like Attitude of the Month. Additionally, MS and KS3 students have the opportunity each year to join the 30hr Famine. Students are

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Vida Nueva Retreat Leadership

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Impact Service

Reflection

have several opportunities to engage in leadership development throughout the Christian Ministry programs, including leading in the younger age group programs mentioned previously, or participating in the Psalms Choir as student leaders.

verses, and hear stories of faith all structured through a system of positive rewards that encourage both character and faith development.

In the Middle School and Key Stage 3, students can participate in weekly Discipleship groups and monthly large group IMPACT meetings.

The Discipleship groups are small single gender groups that meet with an adult mentor an hour each

students get involved in the Vida Nueva retreat and leadership development program that happens twice each year. About 80 students and adults from schools around Seoul work to put on a powerful, life-transforming retreat for 36 students. This program not only exposes students to the core tenets of the Christian faith, but empowers and equips them to be leaders with a heart for service. HS students

Although these ministries are critical to our school mission as we seek to nurture the whole child, the crucial factor that enables us to be “Christ Centered” is the Christian teacher.

Daily, they model their faith both in and out of the classroom showing what it means to be a person of character and faith. Without these caring, passionate, and excellent educators, SFS simply wouldn’t be the quality of school it is renowned for in Asia.

Inspiring Inspiring Excellence, Excellence, Building Building Character Character -- Since Since 1912 1912

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Nuturing Character Development

Counseling Counts Pre K - 12 we provide students with access to trained counselors who support them in various and vital ways.

As a parent at SFS our counselors welcome your partnership and offer regular parent chats in most divisions.

Our students have access to invididual and confidential counseling in regards to transitioning, emotional developmet, social skills, conflict resolution, stress management, and of course college counseling. Our counselors also work with teachers and students in small groups, or in a larger context to help develop positive character and build awareness of important health and personal safety issues.

Fill a Bucket

A bucket filler is someone who cheers people up and makes them happy. This person also brings joy to others.

Max Jefferd Grade 2 Student

This year, the Elementary School launched an initiative during weekly guidance lessons called Fill a Bucket, aimed at building positive character.

When students fill someone’s bucket, they are showing kindness and appreciation through their words and actions. Students have learned that the manner we relate to others is important and are encouraged to think about the way they treat others.

Each month, one student from each class is chosen as the bucket filler of the month. The student is recognized at the monthly chapels, receives a certificate, takes a group photo (displayed in the ES lobby), and celebrates with other bucket fillers at an ice cream party.

ES Chapels

Grade 2 Chapel on Forgiveness

Ever wondered how the Christ-like attitudes of the month are incorporated into learning at SFS? Our

approach to this is different at each age level, but in our Elementary School our regular chapel services provide a wonderful opportunity for students to perform in front of their peers and demonstrate the attitudes through songs, plays and Bible verses.

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Pushing the boundaries

Tech Crewsaders

provide for our high school students and clubs.

Since releasing their first issue of the Tech Crewsaders Magazine in the Fall of 2013 this group of young tech enthusiasts in our High School have come a long way!

Some of their accomplishments include: providing support for the 2013 Google Summit at SFS, designing the website for APAC Forensics, collaborating with American International School of Guangzhou to help them start their own student led technology support and innovation team, being featured in the Learning 2.013 Conference at UWCSEA in Singapore, collaborating with the Activities Directors Office and creating

Take a moment to Google search TECH CREWSADERS, and see what you discover! We don’t want to spoil the surprise, but when you get to their website techcrewsaders.com you’ll be blown away by the content these students produce on a weekly and quarterly basis, and the regular services, and training programs they

sfsapac.com for all things APAC, and many more. And now, the Tech Crewsaders have their eyes set on new horizons.

The group aims to further diversify their services to include the launch of their e-textbook service and phase 1 of their HS Club services focused on web development. Committed to fostering such raw enthusiasm and innovation in our School, we ask you to keep an eye out and support the work of these talented students.

Teachers Pushing the Boundaries On any given day if you were to walk the halls of Seoul Foreign School, you would see teachers ‘pushing the boundaries’. They might be applying new teaching techniques, have students researching in a new and innovative manner, or be utalizing technology that is cutting edge.

These activities are open for all to see, but complimenting this very public ‘pushing the boundaries’, teachers are doing more behind the scenes.

For example, in our High School alone over the last few years there has been a significant increase in the number of teachers that are applying to become IB Examiners.

Currently high school teachers are IB Examiners in Math, Music, English, Korean, Psychology and one staff member sits on the world wide Extended Essay review board. This is just one example across our School illustrating how our teachers are

FEEDBACK

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE CHANGES WE’VE MADE TO SFS TODAY, ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER OR ON OUR SFS WEBSITE FEEDBACK FORM LINK HERE: http://tinyurl.com/SFSTODAY

email: yjum@seoulforeign.org

taking on new challenges and developing their skill set in an attempt to“push the boundaries” and become even more effective teachers.

Considered by many educators as some of the best professional development available to IB teachers, our high shool teachers are taking on the challenge like never before.

NOTICE SOMETHING DIFFERENT? We’ve made some changes to

TODAY