Dear Parents and Guardians,
Happy New Year, and welcome back to the start of Term 2 in 2024! I hope that the holiday season offered a valuable chance to spend time with family and friends. There’s been a real air of excitement this week, with everyone recharged and ready to get down to the business of learning and growing. The recent snowfall added a playful touch, with children thoroughly enjoying the snow, engaging in snowball fights, and crafting snowmen. The sheer joy emanating from the children playing in snow invariably brightened our day.
I would like to extend a special welcome to all the new families who have joined us this term. Settling into new routines can be a significant transition, and I hope that you are finding your footing comfortably within our school community. I look forward to meeting you at the New Parents Coffee Morning next Friday morning in the B1 atrium. This is an excellent opportunity for us to get acquainted and for you to connect with other members of our Dulwich family, including our volunteer parent group, Friends of Dulwich, whose members will be on hand to welcome new families and hold a used uniform sale for all parents.
I would like to share some recent staffing updates with you. We are delighted to welcome back Hosana Lee from her maternity leave. Additionally, we are pleased to reintroduce Mercini Lindsay, a familiar face to many, who re-joins us as a PE Teacher covering for Jennifer Smith during Term 2 (Mercini previously worked with us until 2020). We also warmly welcome Michael Donkin as our new Economics Teacher, covering for Antonia Snower, and Cindy Shin, who has recently started as our Reception / School Administrator. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to these new and returning colleagues.
Yesterday, we were honoured to host Graham Nelson, a UK diplomat and Dulwich parent, for a deeply inspiring Dulwich Talk. In his presentation, “From Mathematician to Linguist and Diplomat: A Passion to Make a Positive Difference,” Graham shared his diverse career journey and his dedicated efforts in establishing Against Malaria Foundation in Korea (AMF Korea). He emphasized the global inequality challenge and how small sacrifices on our part could make an enormous impact in the most impoverished regions of the world, highlighting the efficacy of simple, low-cost measures like bed nets in combating malaria. For those interested in learning more and donating to this important cause, please visit the AMF Korea website here. Graham’s talk was a powerful reminder of the impact we can have beyond our personal enrichment by committing to meaningful global change.
As we look forward to the Dulwich Gala on 23 February, I’d like to remind you that tickets are currently on sale. Please note that tomorrow (Saturday) is your last chance to avail of the early bird discount, with tickets priced at 200,000 KRW. From next week, tickets can be purchased for 225,000 KRW in the College Foyer in the mornings from 8.15am to 9am, afternoons from 3pm to 4pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm. We kindly ask for cash payments only. The Friends of Dulwich (FoD) are dedicated to ensuring that all proceeds from ticket sales are reinvested into making the event a spectacular one, aiming to break even. For any inquiries regarding the gala, please email fod@dulwich-seoul.kr. Your participation and support are greatly appreciated, and we’re excited to make this event a memorable one for our community.
Finally, I’d like to remind everyone that Saturday Sports begins again tomorrow, and then next week will see the commencement of Extracurricular Activities (ECAs), private music lessons, and private swimming lessons.
With the flu season upon us, we encourage all of you to get the flu shot if you haven’t already done so, to protect the health and safety of our community.
I hope everyone has a restful weekend. Remember to stay warm and cosy!
With my best wishes,
Mr Guðmundur Hegner Jónsson