From our Head of College Dear Parents and Guardians, Today marks the day our Year 13 students are officially released into the world as full-grown adults. They will go on to university to pursue their passion, harness their purpose and further grow into global citizens who make a positive difference in the world. I am so excited for their journey and all the rich experiences they will have along the way. I am immensely proud of every single one of them. It is a particularly special class as many students have been with us since our College’s establishment in 2010. As we saw in the tribute video during the ceremony, some still hadn’t lost the baby fat in their cheeks when they first joined us! We’ve seen them grow into the mature, bright, creative and kind adults they have become. The Class of 2022 represents the essence of who we are and what we do. Class head student Victor J. said it best: “Teachers always want what’s best for you.” Students come first. During a ceremony that was at times serious, at times emotional and also peppered with humour, beautiful music was played, heartfelt songs were sung, students reminisced about past trips that helped them bond, recounted countless deadlines, exams and papers and thanked each other and their teachers for all their support. After the diplomas were handed out, students celebrated with a finale that included an impressive rap performance, followed by another upbeat song with students playing live music. I have already congratulated our Class of 2022 for its exceptional university acceptances and offers from over 100 top institutions in the UK, US, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. I look forward to celebrating more at the graduation party tonight at the Millenium Hilton Hotel. A huge thank you to our graduation party planning committee for making sure our students have the most special celebration. I invite all graduating students to join our Worldwise Alumni Network (WAN), where you can register and connect with other alumni from our family of schools throughout Asia and beyond. Don’t miss out on alumni updates and events! Good job, Class of 2022. Gosaenghaesseoyo (고생했어요)! Enjoy your much-deserved summer break. Spread your wings and fly high. Once a DCSL Leopard, always a DCSL Leopard. With my best wishes, Mr Gudmundur Hegner Jonsson Head of College
Whole School Easier Access to Your Child's Information - ACTION REQUIRED We would like to share some changes about how you can access your child's school information. We had previously notified you of our new iSAMS password-protected Parent Portal where you can see your child's timetable, attendance record, rewards and conducts, school reports, lists of their teachers and their contact details, etc. We are pleased to introduce SchoolsBuddy, a new consolidated platform with the following benefits: View and select Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) and book school trips View, select and make dynamic daily change requests around transportation options Download the app on your iOS or Android device for a better experience! Accessible with ONE password (same as iSAMS Parent Portal password) (SchoolsBuddy is essentially replacing the current CHQ ECA platform and the iSAMS Parent Portal is replacing the current EduLink One Portal.)
How to access SchoolsBuddy: If you haven't already done so, please set up your iSAMS Parent Portal account first. Please refer to the email sent earlier this month that contains your default password that you must then change. If you need any support, please contact passwords@dulwich-seoul.kr. Once your iSAMS account is set up, you can use the same username and password to access SchoolsBuddy. To sign in with your iSAMS username and password, please click on the "iSAMS (Parents)" button shown in the sample below.
Make the most out of SchoolsBuddy: Please watch the video guide by clicking the thumbnail below to walk you through some of the new features and how to navigate the new SchoolsBuddy platform.
We will organise a workshop with our SchoolsBuddy experts at a later date. We hope you find the new platform useful to easily access your child's school information.
Junior UKMT results On the 27 April pupils in Years 5, 6, 7 and 8 participated in the Junior UKMT Challenge. Their hard work was rewarded with another fabulous set of results, with a total of 38 Bronze, 22 Silver and 20 Gold certificates awarded. Special mentions go to Ethan S (6D) and Nathan A (7SA) for being awarded Best in Year, and huge congratulations to Kunho J (8KV) for achieving Best in School, as well as qualifying for the Olympiad round due to take place on 14 June.
Founder's Day Acts If your child would like to perform on a small stage in the Queen’s Jubilee/Founder’s Day celebrations, please fill out this google form. Your child can dance, rap, sing, play an instrument, perform in groups or perform by themselves. This form will close at the end of the day on Tuesday 24 May, to allow the music department time to allocate performance times. Many thanks for your support, and we look forward to lots of performances on Friday 3 June!
Founder’s Day is one of the biggest and most anticipated annual events on the calendar of any school in the Dulwich College family of schools. The day celebrates the founding of Dulwich College in 1619 in London by Edward Alleyn. Our Founder’s Day 2022 celebrations will feature this very special event - the Great Dulwich Bake-off - a ‘royal’ cupcake decorating competition for our students.
The students may enter the competition by decorating two cupcakes to fit the theme of ‘Royalty’ as inspired by Queen Elizabeth II’s 70th Jubilee. The deadline for the entry is 8:30am Friday 3 June. and the delicious submissions should be left in the MPR. We are also thrilled to announce that we will have a special VIP guest joining the event. The guest will be revealed soon! The judging will take place at 9am and the cupcakes will be on display during the Food Fayre. The entries will then be shared around in classes during the afternoon as a snack. We look forward to seeing everyone’s cupcake
Primary School Dear Primary parents, Year 6 have had a great week out in the hills, up on the ropes and deep in the forest! They have hiked, biked, balanced and learned more about the natural world through eco-teering. Then today, they rounded off an active week with a thoughtful visit to the Korean War Memorial. Our Year 3s have had an eco-day today with bug hunting by the Han River and lots of other outdoor learning opportunities. Year 2 were magnificent at their Sports Day and thanks to parents who came along to cheer on the Houses!
“Alleyn Walk”: Our Year 13s Graduation Parade Today
Primary had great fun cheering on our graduating class of Year 13 students today on their traditional “Alleyn Walk”. The parade passed through the Primary School, so we could cheer, wave our flags and offer our congratulations to them all on their magnificent university offers and wish them all the best for the next phase of their lives after Dulwich. The Year 13s had their graduation ceremony in the College today and their formal dinner is this evening. Primary staff who taught them in previous years have been invited along and it will be a wonderful evening of celebration, I am sure.
Year 4 Donuts With Dads:
Our Year 4s treated their parents like royalty on Tuesday morning, fetching drinks and snacks while the mums and dads chatted to friends old and new. Our Students skillfully kept their parents ‘working the room’ as they networked to make new friends. Well done, Year 4 for being great hosts. Next Tuesday is Year 3’s turn - many thanks to all the Year 3 Dads (or other family member) who are able to come along to help their children develop great social skills.
Parental Help Please: We have had lots of parents signing up to organise Food Fayre tables for this event on Friday June 3. We have contacted all families with a request that you can offer some snacks/finger food from your country on that day. It’s a great way to help us achieve our College aim of being “A Bridge to the World” by helping our children taste new and familiar foods and flavours from around the world. Contact us ASAP if you haven’t heard from us in this regard!
The Great Dulwich Bake-Off Competition: Decorate two cupcakes with the theme “Royalty” in mind and deliver them to the MPR (1F) on Friday 3 June.
Judging will take place in the morning at 9am and the cupcakes will be on display during the Food Fayre and then shared in classes in the afternoon as a snack. (Cupcakes and decorations must be 100% nut-free (no ground nuts, nut butter, marzipan, nut flavourings or pieces of any nut please). More information to be shared next week.
Year 3- Year 6 Sports Day
We are excited to inform you of our Year 3- Year 6 Sports Day on Thursday 2 June, 2022 at GuanMun Sports Complex.. The event will be an all-day, out-of-school event that will be the first since the beginning of the pandemic. Start 10am and finishing at 2pm. This is a great day for our students to have the opportunity to be outside and participate in a variety of athletic events with their peers. The events will include relay races, field games and team games with the goal of the students representing their Houses. At the end of the day, we will award the winning House with the House Cup. Parents are encouraged to attend and watch their child participate in some fun events! GuanMun Sports Complex 294, Jungang-ro, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea 경기 과천시 중앙로 294 관문체육공원
TODAY - Year 2 / Year 3 Student Council Disco:
Year 2 and Year 3 will get their dancing shoes on for their 1980s-inspired dance fest this afternoon. Sparkly and neon outfits and accessories were on and some cool dance moves are being practised. Many thanks to parents who supported this event and sent in snacks for the children.
Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 Disco - Friday 27 May 4pm-6pm Year 4- Year 6 Disco cookies and cake: We would like to ask families if they would like to send in some homemade cookies or small pieces of cake for their child's disco event. Other snacks are being provided but something homemade would be "amazing" say the Student Council! The disco for Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 is Friday 27 May. Baked goods should be delivered to Reception on Friday. If the family wishes to get their box/Tupperware back, please could they clearly name it with their child's name and class.
Help needed in the Inquiry Hub Library! Parents, if you have some spare time, we would love to have your help in the Inquiry Hub. We have the official opening coming up in early June where we will welcome the UK’s new Ambassador to snip the ribbon and announce this beautiful space officially open! Meanwhile, we have lots to do and you could help! Contact Mrs Cox at belinda.cox@dulwich-seoul.kr if you’d like to assist.
Primary Parent Workshop ‘Mandarin at DCSL’: Tuesday 17 May - The Dulwich College International Mandarin curriculum aims to empower students with language skills and intercultural awareness so that they may lead a successful “worldwise” life in the 21st century. During this workshop, Ms Wen and Ms Dong talked about: What makes the Dulwich Mandarin curriculum stand out? DCSL Mandarin Learning Pathway Wo Hui Mandarin-Foreign Language, Second and First Language Mandarin Events How do parents support children’s Mandarin learning at home?
UKMT Junior Challenge - Maths Three weeks ago in April, some of our students in Years 5 and 6 took part in a very difficult Mathematics Challenge known as the 'UKMT Junior Challenge'. I am pleased to announce that many of these students achieved certificates (Bronze, Silver or Gold), which require a great depth of mathematical understanding to achieve. We are very proud of all of the students who participated as it was a very difficult challenge. Please join us in celebrating our award-winners:
Bronze Award Winners: Neil A Danny C Hyungshik C Brendan C Ryan K Terry K Jiho K Shawn K Michael K Riley K Alethea N Katherine O Lisa P Jimin S Asher S
Silver Award Winners: Pari A Charlotte C Yuzuki I Joonsei K Hechan K Dana P Amelia P Yiqi Y Yiling Y
Gold Award Winners: Ein C Ethan S Congratulations to these students on their magnificent achievements. If you know a student that would like to take part in a Maths Challenge next year, please encourage them to speak to Mr Gomersall or their class teacher.
Swimming: Please read through Mr Jay Dines letter to families which was sent on Thursday. It outlines the policy for swimming and clarifies what parents need to do if their child cannot swim on a particular week due to illness or injury. Please note his intention to email families when a child forgets their swim kit and doesn’t have an explanatory doctor’s note. We do expect all students to swim every week and we thank you for your support of the aspect of the PE curriculum.
Pets for the Summer: Please refer to our letter on Thursday for details of how to host one of our school pets for the summer holidays. It’s a great way for children to get experience of caring for another living thing, with the associated joys and responsibilities. Contact Ms Wildman for more information at natasha.wildman@dulwich-seoul.kr
Assemblies this week: Monday and Friday’s Assemblies were led by Ms Goddard and Mr Harvey and were all about endangered animals, why they may be endangered and what we can do to help.
NEW: Parent Handbook link
NEW: Click on this link for the full Values: Dulwich College Seoul Community Values. Stars of the Week (DUCKS to Year 4) and Learning Warriors (Year 5 / Year 6)
Each week, our staff spot a child in each class who has been doing especially well with the IB Learner Profile dispositions and that child becomes SoW or the LW for the class. Click here to see who was spotted this week and click here to read the Week ahead section. Quadra Instagram page link - see daily posts by our caterer, Quadra, showing the lunch served to students that day. Contact details of Primary Leadership staff: Jane Smith, Head of Primary - jane.smith@dulwich-seoul.kr Jim Harvey, Deputy Head of Primary (Academic - online learning, curriculum and reporting) james.harvey@dulwich-seoul.kr Maggie Goddard, Deputy Head of Primary (Pastoral - student wellbeing and support) maggie.goddard@dulwich-seoul.kr Esther Yang (Primary Administrator) - esther.yang@dulwich-seoul.kr
Have a fun and safe weekend with your family.
Kind regards Mrs Jane Smith Head of Primary School
Stars of the Week - DUCKS Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Senior School Congratulations to the Class of 2022!
Graduation is one of my favourite days of the year. This year it gave me enormous pleasure to lead the celebration of the Class of 2022 - a cohort of thirty-two extraordinary students. Over the past six years, I have watched the group progress through Senior School, taking full advantage of every opportunity, and working hard to achieve their goals.
For me, this is a very special year group. I recall many hours spent in my former office when they were in Years 8 and 9, listening to their problems and helping them to navigate the challenges of Senior School. When they were in Year 8, I met with a few of them to discuss their learning and they explained how they supported each other with homework; there was always someone to reach out to via Skype if they needed help. At the time, a student described their year group as one big family, who may fall out over silly things but are always there for each other. That description of this group has always stuck with me and I have seen this evidenced countless times in the past few years. They have supported one another, performed and competed together, faced challenges together, and emerged stronger as a result.
For this year group, COVID-19 has had a significant impact through campus closure, cancellation of IGCSE exams, months of online learning and uncertainty, and operating in a blended model which split the ‘family’ in two for much of Year 12. They have not experienced the wide range of social activities, extra-curricular trips and visits, or opportunities in performing arts and sport that they should have enjoyed throughout the IB Diploma Programme. However, they have emerged stronger than ever and ready to take on the world!
As is the nature of international schools, some students left as the cohort progressed through school, but the group has been enriched with new characters, all of whom have been warmly welcomed into the family and have made their mark. So, whilst the make-up of the group may have changed, the family spirit remains. The Class of 2022 may be heading in different directions now they have graduated, but I am certain that they will always be connected and, just like in Year 8, there will always be someone to reach out to. I hope they realise how lucky they are.
The afternoon of celebrations began with the traditional Alleynian Walk - a parade through the campus and a chance for the Dulwich College Seoul community to congratulate the graduating students. We started on the 5th floor and worked our way down to families gathered in Reception. The corridors were lined with students, teachers and support staff, clapping and cheering. As always, I was particularly impressed with the greeting from Primary school students, who waved flags to represent the countries our graduates are heading off to next year.
The formal celebration took place in the Auditorium. Former Head Students, Suan K and Victor J, spoke on behalf of the Class of 2022. There were some spectacular performances from graduating students, and I had an opportunity to tell Year 13 just how fantastic they are in my remarks as they stepped up to receive their
certificates. The Class of 2022 have always been performers, so made the most of the opportunity to get on stage for one last time in a fabulous musical finale - a fitting end to the event and their time at Dulwich College Seoul. Congratulations to the Class of 2022. Good luck for the next adventure! Best wishes for a relaxing weekend, Ms Sarah Harrison Head of Senior School
Movie Night
Last Friday, Senior school students enjoyed a red themed non-uniform day and movie night as part of fundraising efforts co-ordinated by students from Sejong House and Tacloban ECA. The movie of choice was Disney Pixar Encanto. The money raised will be going towards The World Literacy Foundation and Volunteer for Visayans charities.
Friends of Dulwich Day trip to Kojeon Antique
Cooking Class Today is the last chance for you to sign up for the upcoming International Cooking Class. Don't miss out!