Dear Parents and Guardians,
It was an absolute pleasure to host Alison Derbyshire this week. Her visit allowed us valuable time to further strengthen connections and facilitate a smooth transition process as she prepares to take over as the new Head of College later this year. Alison had a full schedule, meeting with teams across representative groups, students, parents and staff to gather insights and build rapport. While her stay was brief this time, I look forward to welcoming her back in June when she will continue vital preparatory work ahead of the new academic year.
Today, the College was alive with energy and house spirit as we held our eagerly anticipated Years 5 and Year 6 House Sports Day. It was an absolute delight to witness our young students giving their full effort and displaying fantastic sportsmanship while competing to earn valuable points for their respective houses. The air was electric with cheers and encouragement resonating throughout the activities. I must commend all participants on their exemplary conduct, upholding the values we aim to instill. Ultimately, it was Alleyn (Year 5) and Sejong (Year 6) who emerged victorious – sincere congratulations to them on this hard-fought achievement.
Next Tuesday, 12 March, we have an invaluable opportunity for parents and guardians to gain inside knowledge on university admissions. The Insiders’ Guide to University Admissions workshop, featuring our Director of University Counselling Paul Sweet along with counsellors from Dulwich College Beijing and Shanghai Pudong, promises to be incredibly insightful. They will demystify the admissions process, address myths around US selective universities, provide a mock admissions committee experience, and more. This comprehensive session has received outstanding feedback at other Dulwich Colleges. I urge you to secure your spot by RSVPing through this link. Full details can be found in the Whole School section of the e-Update, but don’t delay in registering for this enlightening workshop.
The Friends of Dulwich (FoD) will be hosting their Social Coffee Morning along with a Used Uniform and Book Sale next Thursday, commencing at 8.30am. This will be the first time they’ve combined the uniform sale with a book sale, providing a fantastic opportunity to pick up second-hand items at great prices. Winter uniforms will be offered at 50% off, so it’s an ideal chance to stock up before next season. I encourage everyone to come along, mingle with other parents and staff over a warm beverage, and don’t forget to bring your own mug as well as some cash for any purchases you’d like to make. It promises to be a lovely morning of socialising and sustainable sourcing of uniforms and books.
As the deadline approaches this Sunday, 10 March, I want to reiterate my encouragement for all parents and guardians to complete the 2024 Dulwich Experience Parent Survey. Your voices are invaluable in helping us identify strengths to celebrate as well as areas where we can enhance the school environment and overall experience. This anonymous survey, available in both English and Korean, takes less than 10 minutes but provides critical feedback to guide our future plans. If you haven’t yet had a chance to share your perspectives, please take a moment to do so by following this link: 2024 Dulwich Experience Parent Survey. Your continued support and engagement allow us to consistently strive for improvement across the College.
Tomorrow promises to be an exceptionally busy day on campus. In the morning, we will be hosting an Open House for local families interested in enrolling at our sister school, Dulwich College Suzhou. Concurrently, our much-anticipated IB Global Education Forum will be taking place, for which we have received an overwhelming response with several hundred attendees registered from both within our community and the general public. On top of these major events, our regular Saturday Sports Programme will also be running. With such a full roster of activities on campus, I urge everyone to strongly consider utilizing public transportation options as parking will be extremely limited.
With my best wishes,
Mr Guðmundur Hegner Jónsson