Dear Parents and Guardians,
It’s been great to see and hear about the wonderful time our students are having on the various adventure journeys, from serene temple stays to action-packed experiences hiking, kayaking, sand sledding and ziplining in Mongolia!
We also had students visit a local university, the national museum and practice their mandarin at a Chinese hot pot restaurant as part of their experiential learning. They became curious risk-takers while sitting in college-level classes alongside older college students and engaging in class discussions about Harley Davidson and globalisation, and having a unique dining experience that included creating their own dipping sauces for the hot pot that gave them a delicious taste of Chinese culture.
I can’t wait to hear more stories from our students about the journeys’ highlights as they created lasting memories with their friends that they will remember for years to come.
On Monday, I had the pleasure of hosting a group of Heads of College from various schools in Seoul, including Seoul Foreign British School, Dwight and British Education Korea. They were accompanied by Lucinda Walker at the British Chamber of Commerce in Korea (BCCK) and make up part of the chamber’s Education Committee.
I also attended several other events, including one hosted by BCCK that provided an overview of South Korea’s geopolitical situation with North Korea and gave insights on the future direction of the Korean peninsula.
Other events included my first Korea Council of Overseas Schools (KORCOS) meeting with other foreign schools in Seoul that was hosted by Seoul International School (SIS), where school leadership met and discussed ways of collaborating by sharing best practices and partnering on various events.
On Thursday evening, I attended a reception hosted by the Embassy of New Zealand in Korea in honour of the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand who is visiting Korea. It was a special evening, with an incredible performance by one of the top Kapa Haka (Maori culture) groups, alongside official speeches, and the opportunity to meet other members of the New Zealand community here. I was also surprised and delighted to meet one of my former students from New Zealand, who is now a political advisor at the embassy. Special thanks to our Dulwich parent at the embassy who made this possible.
One housekeeping item is that our School Calendar has been updated on our website for your reference.
I look forward to next week where students, staff and parents will be donning their best Chuseok hanboks (traditional Korean dress) or other celebratory outfits to celebrate Chuseok, the Harvest Moon Festival (한가위) and Korea’s biggest holiday of the year. All parents are invited to join us at our annual Chuseok Assembly extravaganza on 2pm Friday at the Gymnasium, that will include lively performances and a heavy dose of cuteness! I hope to see you then.
With warm regards,
Ms Alison Derbyshire