Dear Parents and Guardians,
I had the pleasure of attending the FOBISIA Leadership Conference in Bangkok this past weekend together with my colleagues Suzy Pugh, Head of Senior School, and Jane Smith, Head of Primary School. This year’s conference had the theme of ‘Reconnecting Resilient Leaders – Together Towards Tomorrow’, bringing leaders in education together from across Asia to share best practice, to build bridges between school communities and to foster innovation and development in teaching and learning.
We had the opportunity to engage with colleagues around themes such as: diversity, equity, inclusion and justice; artificial intelligence; creating a culture for better belonging; developing a whole school approach to wellbeing in schools; safeguarding; leading equitable and inclusive schools, and many more. It is safe to say that we came away feeling inspired in our continued work to make Dulwich College Seoul the best school it can be for our community. The conference also gave us the opportunity to see so many of our colleagues from across the Dulwich family of schools in-person that we had only seen on a screen for the past three years.
Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the opening ceremony of our IB Visual Art Exhibition. The incredible artwork showcased by our immensely talented students, Dabinn and Isabelle, left everyone in awe of their creative abilities. The thought-provoking pieces on display not only demonstrated the students’ artistic prowess but also their capacity to engage our minds and hearts. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone in our community to visit the College Foyer to see and experience this remarkable exhibition.
Year 5 and Year 6 students participated in the Model United Nations (MUN) event this week, delving into the topic of asylum seekers and refugees. They had a special guest speaker, Year 5 parent Charlie Miller, a CNN cameraman and editor, who shared his firsthand experiences from visiting conflict zones. Mr Miller portrayed the daily struggles faced by those living in these areas, establishing a real-life connection for the students to something that might have only been theoretical in their lessons. The presentation left a profound impact on our students and enriched their global understanding during this MUN exercise.
The 10th Dulwich Photo Competition is currently underway. We are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the competition by featuring popular themes from the past decade while emphasising global citizenship values. The competition is open to all members of our community – students, parents and staff. Click here for more details on how to enter. Entries close Monday 24 April.
Recently, some parents have expressed concerns about the content from our E-updates appearing in Google search results. We have always taken great care to safeguard the privacy of our students by removing identifying information such as last names. This is especially true since we share the bulk of the content publicly on our social media platforms. That said, we have taken prompt action to set our E-update website to ‘unlisted’. This adjustment will ensure the content is no longer accessible via search engines, further protecting our school community’s privacy. Stars of the Week certificates that showed the students’ full names will now include the students’ first names only to protect their safety.
This week, the College Leadership Team visited our neighbouring Gyeseong Elementary School, a historically rich institution founded in 1882 by Western missionaries. The team was impressed by the school’s beautiful facilities, engaging curriculum, and unique offerings such as Korean etiquette and tea ceremony classes. This visit has opened the door for potential collaborations between the schools, including language exchanges, arts, sports, and mutual learning opportunities for both teachers and students. We eagerly anticipate hosting a delegation from Gyeseong Elementary School’s leadership team on 10 April, further strengthening our connection and fostering collaboration opportunities in our local community.
Please come to our next Dulwich Talk featuring guest speaker Catherine Shin, a UN senior political affairs officer who has over two decades of experience in peace, security, human rights, and development. Catherine will share her experiences from conflict zones, discuss her current work in South Sudan, emphasising the interconnectedness of global events. The talk will be at 8.30am on Friday 31 March in the College Auditorium. I hope you can join us in what will surely be a stimulating talk.
Hope you enjoy the gorgeous Spring weather this weekend.
With my best wishes,
Mr Guðmundur Hegner Jónsson