Dear Parents and Guardians,
I hope you had a wonderful Chuseok holiday, autumn break and Hangeul Day. The weather has been simply spectacular, and I hope you have enjoyed the great outdoors.
We have kicked off the week with a visit from the Provost from the University College London, which happens to be the alma mater of many of our staff, including myself. It was a pleasure hosting the Provost and other counsellors from UCL. I am glad we got to capture the momentous event when he met all of our staff who are UCL alumni.
Our Senior School Sports Day at the Banpo Sports Complex was a great success. Students started with track and field, including short distance running, javelin and shotput and went on to high jump and other fun activities throughout the day. They showed great sportsmanship and house spirit. Congratulations to all the students for a great Sports Day and to Sejong House for winning the day!
I had a great chat with the Friends of Dulwich co-chairs Sunny Moon and Susanna Wollschlaeger. We are always thankful to our wonderful parent group for their leadership around building our community and supporting our students. We are looking forward to seeing the beautifully festive decoration of our foyer and atrium for the holidays and another Winter Bazaar following last year’s successful run.
On Tuesday, we celebrated World Mental Health Day, focusing on the importance of emotional wellbeing and reaffirming our commitment to supporting not just academic, but also emotional development of our students.
With the weather getting chillier, it is now time for our students to transition into winter uniforms. It is great to see the seamless transition showcasing our students’ school spirit and pride.
Today, I had the pleasure of having lunch with a group of parents who have generously agreed to be our ambassadors and champions. They are our second batch of ambassadors through an online app called The Ambassador Platform (TAP) available through our website. These 12 parents from 10 different countries and children in various year groups have been instrumental in helping prospective and new parents get settled and learn about what life at Dulwich is like for families. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to seek out these wonderful ambassadors whenever you see them at events on campus or online here. They will welcome you and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Looking ahead, I’m pleased to report that next week is packed with exciting events, including our Open House on 18 October, where we expect a significantly large group of prospective parents to join us on campus.
The upcoming UK University Tour offers students a chance to navigate through the diverse academic offerings of renowned institutions. Our Parent-Teacher Conferences for both Senior and Primary School are poised to offer valuable information to parents about their children’s learning. A blend of culinary and conversational delights awaits at the FoD Cooking Class and Coffee Morning on 18 October and 19 October, respectively. Our Year 5 students are set for an exhilarating adventure residential, while our Primary School student body looks forward to embracing the gorgeous autumn hues during our seasonal hikes.
I am very much looking forward to our newly named Global Citizenship Day (formerly International Day) on 20 October. This important celebration of diversity and inclusion will include an amazing array of food from all over the world, as well as engaging dialogues and activities centred on global citizenship.
We are also launching our annual holiday charity Gift Drive for all to contribute to – in the spirit of kindness and generosity for those less fortunate.
Hope you continue to enjoy the clear skies and excellent fall weather this weekend!
With my best wishes,
Mr Guðmundur Hegner Jónsson