Dear Parent/Guardian,
World Book Day brought a magical atmosphere to our campus today as students and staff embraced the joy of literature through creative costumes. I thoroughly enjoyed dressing up as Meg the Witch, only to discover that Mr Spencer had the same excellent literary taste! It was wonderful to see our community celebrating the power of stories and the importance of reading through such enthusiastic participation. The corridors were filled with characters from beloved books, reminding us all of how stories connect us and spark our imaginations.
Last week, we welcomed a Quality Assurance team led by Nick Magnus, Head of Dulwich College Singapore, who spent three days observing lessons and meeting with students, staff, and parents across all sections of the school. Their visit focused on how we personalise learning and differentiate instruction to meet the individual needs of our students. I’m pleased to share that the team identified many strengths, including our strong relationships, supportive learning environment, and high levels of student engagement. They also provided valuable reflective questions to guide our future development. I invite you to read the full summary of their feedback in the Whole School section, where we’ve highlighted both the celebrations and areas for growth that will inform our strategic planning going forward.
I’m so proud of our Primary School students who swept up 12 trophies during the Worldwise Primary Games in Xian hosted by our sister school, Dehong Xian. Please see the Primary Section for details on Team DCSL’s incredible achievements!
Yesterday’s AMCHAM Korea’s Women’s Leadership Committee event on “Fostering Male Allies” was a tremendous success. Hosted at our College in partnership with the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK) and the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI), the event featured a distinguished panel including best-selling author James Rhee of “Red Helicopter,” Joo-Seuk Maing, and Jade Young-ok Kim of LEGOLAND Korea Resort addressing strategies for advancing women’s empowerment in the workplace. I want to express my sincere appreciation to our Director of Communications, Marketing & External Relations, Namju Cho, for her exceptional work in organizing this important gathering and skillfully moderating the panel discussion. Events such as these reflect our commitment to being not just an educational institution, but a center for important conversations that align with our core values of diversity and inclusion.
I’m happy to share that Dulwich College Seoul has been featured in the Good Schools Guide, a highly respected independent publication known for its thorough and candid school reviews. The Guide conducted extensive interviews with our students, parents, and staff to provide an impartial assessment of our school community. We were particularly pleased to see our commitment to kindness highlighted, with the reviewer noting that it “runs through every vein” of the school. They also praised our strong academics, fabulous resources, and “rock solid community,” concluding that the Dulwich “soul” hooks families from the start. One parent’s description of our school as “not too big, too small, but just right” perfectly captures the balance we strive to maintain. I encourage you to read the full review, which offers valuable insights into what makes our community so special. It’s wonderful to receive such positive external validation of the exceptional learning environment we’ve created together.
Looking ahead to Term 3, I’m pleased to announce that we will be introducing Classlist, a secure parent-to-parent communication platform designed specifically for school communities. This new tool will make it easier for families to connect with others in their child’s class, coordinate playdates, share updates, and organise parent events. Many international schools worldwide are already using Classlist with great success, and we’re confident it will further strengthen our wonderful community connections. The platform will complement our existing MyDulwich system, with each serving different but complementary communication purposes. We’ll be launching Classlist officially on 1 May, and you can find more details about this exciting new tool in the Whole School section of this update. A small group of beta testers will have earlier access to troubleshoot and provide feedback to optimise your user experience.
I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Spring Break ahead. Whether you’re staying in Seoul to enjoy the beautiful cherry blossoms or traveling abroad, I hope this time brings rest and rejuvenation for all our families. I’ll be heading to Hong Kong for the Rugby 7s tournament and then traveling back to New Zealand to spend some quality time with my family. I look forward to seeing everyone refreshed and ready for Term 3 when we return to school. Safe travels to those who are journeying, and I’ll be excited to hear about all your adventures when we reunite in April!
Alison Derbyshire
Head of College