Dear Primary Families,
Primary MUN in Shanghai this Week:
Our crack team of debaters arrived in Shanghai at the start of the week and leaped into some sightseeing along the Bund and the tea gardens, before meeting students from other EiM schools. Motions were discussed and arguments were crafted in teams of students from across our family of schools. Our students, Soraya and Kiana, were picked out for special roles by the organisers and represented DCSL beautifully. Feedback from students on their temple trip highlights is below:
Laylah: “Jingan Temple was really cool and burning the incense to make a wish too”
Sohee: “Temple – compare how it is different in other countries”
Summer: “[My highlights were at the] temple – fun throwing the coins in the wishing well”
Kiana: “[My highlights were] yu gardens xilongbao Shanghai soup dumplings”
Mr Thomson: “[A highlight was that] Soraya and Kiana improved their use of chopsticks”
Mrs Ventham: “[A highlight was] watching Laylah land the wishing well coin on her first real throw”
Gabriel: “It was very satisfying and lucky to make dishes by throwing coins [in] the temple”
Emma: “It was great to practice my aim and it was really fun to get my coins in the wishing well.”
Caden: “Jingan temple we got to see how our ancestors created beautiful temples and architecture without modern tools or technology (no nails only carved and slotted together) from 200AD”
Eddie: “Architecture at Jingan temple and Yu gardens [was a highlight] as well as making wishes with the coins and incense”
Laura: “[At] Jingan temple we got to learn how to pray for one of our friends about Buddhism and share in that together”
Thank you to our staff for leading this trip this week.
FOBISIA Maths Competition:
Our team of eight plus staff started their trip with some revision while travelling (such is their dedication!). Today they are deep into problems and challenges against other teams from across Asia. We wish them the best of luck for all their maths endeavours this weekend. Thank you to Mr Gomersal and Ms Cindy for giving their time and great energy for this trip!
“Eat a Rainbow” Parent Workshop on Wednesday.
We had a great group of parents at this term’s kitchen tour and workshop. Thank you to attendees for their feedback and questions (see below for some of those asked):
Who is our supplier: We use CJ Freshway, one of Korea’s best known suppliers.
Are our fruit and vegetables all organic (grown without artificial fertilisers or pesticides): we try to source organic produce but this isn’t guaranteed for every meal.
Meat-free Mondays: Further protein options are being added to those menus from April.
Nutritionists on Campus: we have 2 nutritionists on staff in the kitchen who have oversight of the monthly menus and check that all ingredients are correct in dishes each day.
Feedback from the Parents attending the workshop this week:
Much was shared at the workshop and parents were pleasantly surprised that: the kitchen feeds over 800 people per day, is so clean and well organised, that Nursery can eat their whole lunch in 30 mins, that the chef can take suggestions and add them to the menu so quickly, and that the fruit and vegetables are cleaned by ultra-sound!
Suggestions made by parents included: less salt and sugar (we add only the very minimum already and sugar only to baked goods), more legumes and dairy – less meat, more organic produce (yes, we continue to try) and reduce the sweets/candies that students bring from home for snack (yes, please see the poster below).
Golden Coat Hanger Award: Are Students “Dressed for Success?”
Each week, this prestigious award is given to the class in a Year Group who has shown the greatest effort and attention to detail in dressing smartly and being well prepped for school. Are our black shoes shining; are shirts crisply tucked in, and are our ties snugly at our top buttons?
Y3: 3S
Y4: 4G
Y5: 5S
Y6: 6T
Some Highlights this Week:
Book day (all year groups)
As we approach the end of term, we are excited about our upcoming Book Day on Friday, 28 March! Students are encouraged to dress up as their favourite book characters, celebrating their love for reading and creativity.
We will also have an assembly from 10.40am to 11.40am to mark the end of term. The assembly will feature various activities, presentations, and lots of musical acts that highlight the joy and importance of reading.
We look forward to seeing all the wonderful costumes and celebrating together!
T.Z LAYTON VISIT
We are thrilled to announce that T.Z. Layton, the renowned author of the Academy books, will be visiting our school on Thursday, 27 March! This is a fantastic opportunity for our students in Year 4 to Year 7 to meet a real author, learn about the writing process, and get inspired.
Mr Layton will be talking to the children about his experiences as an author, answering their questions, and holding a special book signing session. We will have copies of his book available for purchase at a special price of KRW 15,000 each, thanks to Mr Layton’s generosity. Each child is allowed to buy one signed copy. If you would like to purchase extra copies, they can be bought on this website.
We look forward to this exciting event and hope it will inspire our young readers and writers!
World Story Telling Day Charity Event for ‘Good Neighbors Korea’ & Eco-Warriors pre-loved book collection
On Thursday, 20 March, we will celebrate World Story Telling Day with a cosy but fun charity event for ‘Good Neighbors Korea’. The children can wear their pajamas or comfortable home wear to school and bring in their favourite book (& a small cuddly toy)! Their book can be in any language that they like. Please bring in a donation of KRW 3,000 or more for ‘Good neighbors Korea’. This is the charity we are supporting as they help children and young people who are unwell and living in difficult conditions in Korea.
In addition, if you have any pre-loved, used but in good condition books at home that you would like to donate, please pop them into the collection box which will be in the 1F College Foyer.
Healthy Snack Policy Reminder
As part of our ongoing efforts to promote healthy habits, we would like to remind everyone that while we appreciate the occasional treat at DCSL, candy, chocolate, lollipops, and sweets are not permitted as daily snacks. We encourage parents to send in fruit, a simple sandwich, or a plain cookie for their child’s snack.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us maintain a healthy and balanced environment for all students.
Menu for lunches and snacks:
Our students are great eaters and really enjoy the 8-10 separate offerings each lunchtime from salad, meat dishes, rice or pasta, fruit, raw veggies, and vegetarian options too. Click here for the March 2025 menu.
Weekly Parent Workshops:
Parents Workshops for this year will be held on Thursdays 10am-11am in the Tech Hub (2F above the Inquiry Hub) unless otherwise stated. The Coffee Shop (B1) will be open from 9.30am. You will be escorted to Tech Hub from the Coffee Shop by the leading teacher prior to the workshop, so please wait in B1 to be escorted upstairs. For our topics for this Term, please find the PDFs here. If you have any suggestions for future workshops, please let us know.
Please click here for the power point slide from this Thursday’s Eat a Rainbow Kitchen Tour.
‘What can be learned from Model United Nations?’ on Thursday, 20 March 10am – Tech Hub
Hear from the conference organizer along with student leaders from our recent Model United Nations conference about their experiences during this invaluable simulation that promotes strong communication skills, open-mindedness and practical problem-solving strategies for a Worldwise approach to learning. As parents, learn about why you might want to encourage your child to join this ECA and what resources you can use at home to help promote age-appropriate conversations related to global issues and practical action.
Led by: Emma Ventham, Y6 Teacher and IC Lead
Term 2 Parent Rep Meeting Schedule and Links:
Friday 21 March 9.00-10.00
Meeting ID: 430 112 143 56
Passcode: MW6Nc6Yy
Wednesday 30 April 10.30-11.30
Meeting ID: 494 492 530 614
Passcode: hV9bd23B
Friday 30 May 13.00-14.00
Meeting ID: 416 395 358 899
Passcode: og3vN9X6
“Stay and Play” Ducklings event in the MPR – now on TUESDAYS
Ducklings event has restarted on 9 January. This event takes place in the MPR (1F) on Wednesdays mornings from 8.30am during term time. For DCSL community babies and toddlers aged 0-3 years and their special adult. Please sign-up by emailing Daozia and Liz at daovanhattum@gmail.com and elisabethannbanks@gmail.com. Parents can also turn up on Wednesday mornings at 8.15am.
DCSL Parents Korean Class Information
DCSL Parent Korean Class sign up is open for Term 2 until the end of January.
Please sign up via this link.
Class Type: A0 – Beginner Tue & Thurs 8.30-10.00, A1+ – Late Beginner Tue & Thurs 10.00-11.30
Period: 7 Jan 2025 – 12 June 2025
Fee: 25,000 KRW per hour (Add 10% VAT)
Upcoming Dates for your Diary:
Monday 17 March: Year 4 Celebration of Learning 8.40am to 9.30am Year 4 Classrooms
Tuesday 18 March: Ducklings “Stay and Play” 8.30am to 10am MPR
Wednesday 19 March: Year 2 Production 9.30am to 10.30am Auditorium
Thursday 20 March: Parent Workshop ‘What can be learned from MUN?’ 10am to11am Tech Hub / Year 5 Celebration of Learning 1pm to 2pm Year 5 Classrooms
Friday 21 March: Parent Rep Meeting 9am to 10am Online
Sunday 23 March to Thursday 27 March: The Worldwise Primary Games
Tuesday 25 March: Parent Teacher Conference 4pm to 7pm On Campus
Tuesday 25 March: Ducklings “Stay and Play” 8.30am to 10am MPR
Wednesday 26 March: Year 6 Cultural Trip in Seoul
Thursday 27 March: Parent Teacher Conference 4pm to 7pm On Campus & Online
Friday 28 March: End of Term 2 Assembly 10.15am to 11.30am Gym
Communications:
As always, if I can assist you with any matters large or small, please get in contact with me at jane.smith@dulwich-seoul.kr
Kind regards
Jane Smith
FOBISIA Primary Maths
The Primary Maths Team, led by Mr Gomersall and Ms Neo, will be taking 8 students to Hanoi for the FOBISIA Primary Maths event on March 14 & 15, 2025. Hosted at the British International School Hanoi, this exciting event will challenge students with engaging mathematical activities, fostering teamwork and problem-solving skills. Stay tuned for updates as our students represent our school on this fantastic academic journey!
The Ambassador Platform
We’re pleased to share “The Ambassador Platform” with our community—an interactive chatting app that’s been connecting prospective parents with our dedicated community of parents. Our team of parent ambassadors has been doing a great job engaging with potential families, sharing personal experiences, and offering advice to showcase why Dulwich College Seoul is a great choice.
This platform is not only useful for prospective parents but also a helpful resource for our current parents. They can easily start a conversation with our experienced parent ambassadors to get answers to any questions they may have about Dulwich College Seoul’s school life. Click here to start chatting and learn more about our community and the enriching experiences at Dulwich College Seoul for your family!
Stars of the Week
DUCKS1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Year 5
