From our Head of College Dear Parents and Guardians, It is hard to believe that at long last, we will no longer be required to wear masks outdoors beginning Monday, as per the authorities’ announcement today. It will take some adjusting to walk around the streets without a mask on but it certainly is a welcome development toward our path to normality. I am incredibly energised by the sheer number of connections I have made with parents visiting our campus for the first time and with new people I have met at partner events throughout the week. As we gradually resume our in-person school-wide events, we are planning a Founder’s Day celebration this year on 3 June that is contained in scale and with a Jubilee twist. We are celebrating both our Founder and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with plenty of fanfare and an amazing array of international food, courtesy of our wonderful Friends of Dulwich parent volunteers and parent representatives. Students will set up game stations, there will be photo booths and we will have music performances on the field from 9 to midday on Friday 3 June. We will have food stalls featuring snacks and food from dozens of different countries. Because we were just recently alerted of the lifted restrictions on gathering limits, we are only able to host our students and parent volunteers. However, we look forward to having families on campus for our graduation ceremonies and sincerely hope this will pave the way for a full-blown Founder’s Day celebration in the next academic year. In the meantime, I invite you to enjoy our impressive Senior School production of Metamorphosis on YouTube by clicking the thumbnail below.
*The College received advance permission from the authorities for the performers not to wear masks on this occasion. We also have photos of this week’s Music Art Dance Drama (MADD) festival that was so rich with wonderful performances by our students for one of the biggest events of the year in the Dulwich family of schools across the region. I am looking forward to the inaugural Donuts with Dads event next week, where parents (not only Dads but any one adult guardian) will have an opportunity to meet the College Leadership Team and other parents, see their children in action as they practise taking (and delivering) food and drink orders, and then visit their children in class and tour the campus. Please continue to exercise caution and stay safe. Have a wonderful weekend. With my best wishes, Mr Gudmundur Hegner Jonsson Head of College
Whole School New Parents Coffee Morning
We are pleased to invite you to our New Parents Coffee Morning on Friday 6 May from 8.30am to 10am in the B1 College Atrium. This event will be a great opportunity for you to meet other parents new to the Dulwich community and discuss any questions you may have with our Head of College as well as our Head of Primary School and Head of Senior School. While this is an event for new parents, members of Friends of Dulwich (FoD) will be present to welcome parents. If you would like to meet the new parents or are a new parent and haven't yet RSVP-ed, please register for this event by clicking this link by 5pm Wednesday 4 May.
Light refreshments will be served. Please help us achieve our sustainability goals by bringing a reusable cup for your coffee or tea. Plates and napkins will be provided. We ask that all visitors be vaccinated. If you have any symptoms on the day of the event, please stay home. Thank you for your support in keeping our community safe. Thank you and we look forward to hosting you on campus.
Gentle Reminder: Uniform From August 2022 We are making some changes to uniform requirements that will begin in August. In summary: Regardless of gender, all Juniors students (Year 3-6) will wear a red tie and all Senior School students will wear our blue striped tie. DUCKS girls will transition to wearing shorts/trousers and the blue DCSL shirt. All DUCKS will wear that uniform from August 2023, as the dresses and pinafores will be discontinued then. Footwear: DUCKS will wear black sneakers with velcro fastenings, and Juniors may wear either black sneakers or the current black school shoes. The footwear worn must be completely black with no details or decorations in other colours (including visible soles, stripes, coloured laces, sparkles etc).
We are pleased to announce that we will be celebrating both our Founder and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on Friday 3 June. There will be plenty of fanfare and an amazing array of international food, courtesy of our wonderful Friends of Dulwich parent volunteers and parent representatives. Students will set up game stations, there will be photo booths and we will have music performances on the field from 9am to midday. We will have food stalls featuring snacks and food from dozens of different countries.
Because we were just recently alerted of the lifted restrictions on gathering limits, we are only able to host our students and parent volunteers. However, we look forward to having families on campus for our graduation ceremonies and sincerely hope this will pave the way for a full-blown Founder’s Day celebration in the next academic year.
Updated Guidelines for Campus Visitors Please note that we are no longer requiring parents to take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) before coming to campus. We continue to ask parents and students be vaccinated, take all precautions around washing hands and wearing masks indoors and most importantly, to not come to campus if they have any COVID-19 symptoms. Please refer to the COVID-19 page on our website for a list of symptoms. Thank you.
DCSL Community Values As adults, and therefore role models in the Dulwich College Seoul community, we are expected to adhere to the Community Values. These remind us of appropriate ways of acting and being within a learning community which focuses on young children, preteens and teens. Naturally for our community, this is quite easy to do but we have had a couple of incidents recently which have resulted in us wanting to revisit these values with families. Please take a moment this weekend to refamiliarise yourself with our community’s expectations of the families who call Dulwich College Seoul ‘home’. Showing kindness towards other people’s children when they have a ‘bad day’ Showing understanding and respect towards other families who are experiencing challenges in their lives Not talking about other children and their families in front of our own children or at community events
School Fees Please see below for changes made to the fee schedule for the 2022-2023 academic year.
We are pleased to invite you to our next Dulwich Talk entitled 'Harnessing the Power of Storytelling to Adress Global Challenges’, at 8.30am on Wednesday 11 May. Our guest speaker is Jie-ae Sohn, an invited professor at the Graduate School of International Studies at Ewha Womans University and a senior communications consultant
for the World Bank. She will be discussing what makes a powerful story and how to frame global challenges in way that will propel people into action. Please RSVP for the event by filling out the form by clicking this link. Seats will be allocated on a first-come-firstserved basis. Light refreshments will be served beginning at 8am in front of the 4th Floor Auditorium and the event will begin at 8.30am. Please do not bring any food or drinks into the auditorium. We ask that all participants be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (two shots + booster), take a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) before coming to campus and stay home if they have any COVID symptoms. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe. We look forward to seeing you there!
PEN Rowing Club This is a community bulletin announcement for anyone who might be interested in rowing as an outside-school activity. Dulwich College Seoul has no official relationship with PEN Rowing Club.
Primary School Dear Primary parents,
The campus is buzzing this week with indoor and outdoor learning across the years. The Year 3 Adventure Days have been filled with physical challenges but as always our students and staff supported each other to have a great three days. Our students are feeling cooler in their summer uniform this week. Hats are being worn for playtimes so please ensure your child has one every day so they don’t need to stay in the shade.
Classes for August 2022: Each year at this time, we look closely at the balance of classes and make the decision whether or not to split and reorganise class groups for the next academic year. As children join our school leave for other countries, and as the children grow and develop, imbalances can form across language, gender, ability, friendships and personalities in a class. Last year we decided that, as the classes had been online for periods, we would minimise uncertainty and further disruption by avoiding splitting classes where possible.
For August 2022, we have decided to re-mix all classes except Year 4, which will move into Year 5 in their current classes with some lovely new children added. Details are below:
Nursery Teals class - split into two Reception classes Reception Herons - mixed into two Year 1 classes Year 1 - split into three Year 2 classes Year 2 - mixed into three Year 3 classes Year 3 - mixed into three Year 4 classes Year 4 - move up into Year 5 in their current class groups (Ms Williams stays with her class) Year 5 - mixed into three Year 6 classes Year 6 - mixed into three Year 7 Form Groups.
There will be new students in every year group but, sadly, a small number of leavers too. Staffing for each class will be announced in June and children will meet their new teacher and TA at the Move Up Morning on 16 June. All students will receive a letter from their new teacher to prepare them for August and ensure they feel really welcome.
Sun Safe: Hats and Water Bottles All students must be wearing a hat to be able to play on the astroturf at breaks and lunchtimes. Students without a sun hat will be reminded to stay in the shade. Water bottles: all students need a reusable bottle filled with water for school each day (no tea, milk or juices please). All belongings must be clearly named.
Drop Off Time For School: 8am - 8.15am Student safety - Students may only be dropped off at the campus from 8am each school day. Staff duties for student supervision begin at 8am; no supervision of children is in place before 8am (with the exception of our school buses if they arrive earlier than expected). Parents/drivers who drop off children before 8am will be contacted by the school to arrange a later drop off. Many thanks for your understanding.
DCSL Community Values: As adults, and therefore role models in the Dulwich College Seoul community, we are expected to adhere to the Community Values. These remind us of appropriate ways of acting and being within a learning community which focuses on young children, preteens and teens. Naturally for our community, this is quite easy to do but we have had a couple of incidents recently which have resulted in us wanting to revisit these values with families. Please take a moment this weekend to refamiliarise yourself with our community’s expectations of the families who call Dulwich College Seoul ‘home’. Showing kindness towards other people’s children when they have a ‘bad day’ Showing understanding and respect towards other families who are experiencing challenges in their lives Not talking about other children and their families in front of our own children or at community events Dulwich College Seoul Community Values: Year 3 Adventure Days: This week Year 3 have enjoyed their Adventure Days despite us having to cancel the first day due to our polluted air. In and around Seoul Year 3 have been cycling along the Han River, hiking up Gwanaksan and completing an ecoteering and bushcraft day. So many highlights have been shared by the students, but to name a few, students have enjoyed being immersed in nature on their hike and completing a tough challenge: looking at tadpoles while ecoteering and building their own shelter in the woods, visiting a reservoir and getting spectacular views on their cycle ride, and completing a journey as a team while learning new cycling skills.
DUCKS 1 Sports Morning: Friday 6 May DUCKS 1 parents are invited to campus on Friday for an hour of sports fun. Our Nursery to Year 1 students will try out some active PE challenges as part of their Sports Morning with the PE staff, their TAs and teachers. Parents should bring their camera to capture their child in action (please don’t take photos of other people’s children). FYI parents will be asked to stay on the running track around the edge of the Astroturf to observe and cheer on their child.
Schedule: 10am-10.40am Coffee Shop open for parents 10.45-11.45 DUCKS 1 Sports
Family Games Night - Wednesday 4 May. Our Christmas Games Night was too much fun not to repeat, so on Wednesday we will host another online evening of manic games and family fun! The Games will include: Stop the Bus: families will receive a game sheet with different topics (for example: animal, country, food etc.). The teacher/host will call out a random letter from the alphabet. Families must then write a name beginning with the letter given for each topic. Families shout ‘Stop the Bus’ once they've filled everything in! Countdown: This game is inspired by the traditional UK game show of the same name. A contestant will ask for a mixture of 9 letters consisting of mixed consonants and vowels. Families will be given 30 seconds to then write the longest word they can make from the letters (real words only, you do not have to use all the letters but can only use a letter once). Guess the Movie Quiz: The teacher/host will read a line or perform a famous scene from a well-known family movie. Please write the title of the movie.
Year 1 Movie Night: What fun we will have with friends after school today at the Year 1 Movie Night! It’s a long-awaited event and will be a great chance for our DUCKS to have snacks and watch fun movies with their classmates and new friends. Thanks to the Student Council, Ms Goddard and her team of teachers who made this student community possible.
Upcoming - Student Council Discos: Primary School will get their dancing shoes on soon for these 1980s-inspired dance fests. Sparkly and neon outfits and accessories will be needed, as well as some smooth dance moves. Snacks are provided - please refer to our letters this week to sign up your child. Year 2 and Year 3 Disco - Friday 20 May 4pm-6pm Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6 Disco - Friday 27 May 4pm-6pm
Pets for the Summer Holidays: If you are staying in Korea for the summer holidays and would like to host one of our lovely school pets, please email Ms Wildman at natasha.wildman@dulwich-seoul.kr We have some animals that require pick up in a larger car: two guinea pigs (who must go together) and a hedgehog. We also have some smaller pets like our lovely hamsters or some interesting giant land snails!! Please let us know if you are interested as they would love the company for the holiday. Vet details(just in case) and supplies will be provided and reimbursement possible for anything bought over the holiday, plus a contact just in case there are any queries during the vacation.
Food-related Feedback from Students: We really appreciate feedback from students on lunches and snacks, and each day I get the children’s comments on lunches while they are eating. With this knowledge we make regular changes and improvements. This month these have included:
Our Year 6 students asked if an extra student microwave could be purchased for the Dining Room so that the waiting time to reheat their home lunch became super short. This was really helpful feedback and the new microwave is installed and there’s little or no waiting time now! Fewer sandwiches for snack and more cheese and crackers served. Mini milk boxes to be replaced by “serve-yourself” one-litre containers (in order to reduce snacktime plastic waste) New vegetarian menu items added to the menus Ice cream is served every three weeks (and for special days i.e. Children's Day).
Parents with feedback on lunches and snacks should contact Jane Smith or their Parent Rep - we’d love to hear from you.
COVID - Masks: From Monday 2 May, the rules for wearing masks will change. While at school, students and staff may pull down their masks when they go outside for any reason (inc.playtimes, on the Year 3 Terrace, in the DUCKS playground, or for outdoor PE, ECAs and trips). When inside a building or on a school bus the masks must be on fully. Students and staff who wish to continue to wear their masks outdoors may, of course, do so.
Assembly this week: Monday’s assembly was led by Mr Harvey and the theme was “Consideration”.
Friday’s assembly was led by Ms Goddard and featured Year 4 students who helped the community learn more about five world religions (four of which have had significant celebrations this month - Easter, Ramadan, Passover and Puthandu). We regularly share our own experiences as a community to help others develop curiosity, knowledge, respect and an open-minded attitude.
Summer Uniform: Our students are looking summery and cool, ready for learning and socialising outdoors now that they are in the summer uniform.
DUCKS’ summer dresses: those who choose the blue/white summer dresses (rather than the shorts and teeshirt option which we advise) may wish to wear shorts underneath so they can move and be active confidently. Can we ask that shorts and not leggings are worn. Many thanks.
NEW: Parent Handbook link
Upcoming Primary Parent Workshops:
Term 3 Primary Parent Workshops will be held on Campus (2F Primary Inquiry Hub) from 2pm to 3pm. The B1 coffee shop will be open for parents from 1.40pm. Tuesday’s Assessment session with Ms Dark and Ms Rowbottom was busy and well attended. Many thanks to those parents who came along and contributed to the conversation.
Help Your Child’s Maths Development Primary Parent Workshop (Tuesday 26 April) Slides and Information Presentation slides Maths Glossary Maths Home Learning for Parents
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 for the Week's ahead.
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@dulwichseoul.kr Maggie Goddard, Deputy Head of Primary (Pastoral - student wellbeing and support) - maggie.goddard@dulwichseoul.kr Esther Yang (Primary Admin) - esther.yang@dulwich-seoul.kr
Have a fun and safe weekend with your family.
Kind regards Mrs Jane Smith
DUCKS Planting Week
With the warming of the weather and spring changes, the DUCKS 1 children have been very interested in observing changes in nature. The children have been decorating pots and pebbles, planting seeds and carefully watching the process of real live caterpillars turning into chrysalises (and hopefully into butterflies soon). The highlight was when DUCKS 1 parents came in this week and last to help the children plant their chosen plants in the DUCKS garden. The children used the hand tools to dig a hole for their plant. After carefully planting their plant, they knew that although the sunlight and soil are necessary for it to grow, they also need to water their plant every day. As a result, our DUCKS garden looks fantastic! Thanks to all the parents who came in and helped the children; it was great to have you!
MADD Festival 2022
This week, our Year 5 and Year 6 students all took part in MADD 2022: The Continuum of Space - and some of our students took part in an extended program, which included art, music, dance & drama. Our students all explored different concepts and meanings of space, through a range of performances and art work.
At the end of the week, our students' art projects were installed in a small exhibition, and our MADD Festival choir performed in our weekly assembly. We look forward to showcasing our student’s creative projects later in the term.
Primary Eco-thon
As part of our Earth Day celebration last week, the Primary School Eco-warriors introduced the Eco-thon in Friday’s assembly. The event is similar to the readathon where the children receive sponsorship money by performing an environmental action for the next two weeks. Students choose the eco-action that they feel most strongly about. Some examples that our eco warriors came up with are:
You could take shorter showers (2-3 minutes long) Finish all the food on your plate (So that you don’t waste food) Turn off the lights when you are not using them Turn off the tap when you are brushing your teeth or putting soap on your hand Don’t use plastic bags when doing shopping Use multi use/ reusable water bottles Buy products without plastic wrappers The sponsorship form that the children can use can be found by clicking this link (please make a copy of the form if you would like to use it digitally). All money raised will go to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Fund to help support communities affected by the recent fires in Gangwon-do, which were exacerbated by the climate crisis. More information about the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Fund can be found here.
The Wonder of Science
On Wednesday, Mr Ronaldo from the Senior School science department visited each Year 2 class to teach the children about flowers. ‘What would happen if there were no flowers?’ The children were eager to share their thoughts and ideas. ‘There would be bad air because there would not be any flowers to make the air clean’. There will be no bees and no honey and no food for the hummingbirds.’ The children learned that plants have flowers that turn into fruits. For example, cherry blossom flowers turn into cherries. They dissected flowers and were introduced to the parts of the flower and their functions. The children documented their learning as a beautiful collection of photographs and pictures to show the labelled parts of a flower. Mrs Margaret Curran
Year 3 Adventure Week
This week Year 3 have enjoyed their Adventure Days despite us having to cancel day one due to bad air quality. In and around Seoul Year 3 have been cycling along the Han River, hiking up Gwanaksan and completing an ecoteering and bushcraft day. So many highlights have been shared by the students, but to name a few, students have enjoyed being immersed in nature on their hike and completing a tough challenge, looking at tadpoles eco-teering and building their own shelter in the woods and visiting a reservoir and getting spectacular views on their cycle ride, completing a journey as a team and learning new cycling skills.
Stars of the Week - DUCKS Year 2
Year 4
Senior School Senior School Parent Representative Meeting It was a pleasure to welcome the Senior School Parent Representatives onto the College campus for the first faceto-face meeting in over two years. We discussed a range of issues pertaining to the Senior School. I then took the opportunity to lead a tour of the Senior School, which was the first chance that some of the reps had been given to visit classes and see our facilities. With restrictions easing, I fully intend opening up opportunities for tours and will share details in due course. As always, I provide a summary of our discussion below.
Senior School Uniform In response to student feedback, we are making a slight change to the Senior School Uniform for August 2022. Students have been requesting for us to reconsider our gender-specific tie policy for a long while. From August 2022, all Senior School students will wear a blue and red striped tie. Primary School students will wear a red tie. Founders Day 2022: Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee Fair
We are excited about celebrating this event on Friday 3 June. Please see the Whole School section of this week’s e-update for further details.
Best wishes for a relaxing weekend, Ms Sarah Harrison Head of Senior School
Netball
As a wise PE Teacher once said, ‘Netball is perhaps the most teamy of team sports!’ And how right they were. Without the cooperation of the whole team, you can achieve very little. The GA and GS may grab the headlines, but this only happens with the work and build-up from the GK through the WD to the C and beyond. You can see here the Year 7 class in full flight, engaged and working hard.
Netball is an awesome sport!
Friends of Dulwich International Cooking Class
Here are some shots of our parents having a great time learning how to cook delicious Italian recipes during the International Cooking Class.