Namsan International Kindergarten

One of the challenges for SFS is that the campus is not located in close proximity to the international community hubs of Itaewon and Hannam Dong, and our students who live in those areas must ride the school bus or commute for at least 45 minutes to an hour each day.

With the proliferation of international school options and international kindergartens in that area, the school received feedback from prospective students that, although they wanted to attend SFS, they did not want their lower elementary children to have to spend so much time commuting back and forth from school. In order to address this problem, and to draw more families into considering enrollment at SFS, the school embarked on a partnership to operate the Namsan International Kindergarten located in Hannam Dong. This project operated for a number of years, and was a highly successful venture in early childhood education and student enrollment for SFS, as each year there was a percentage of families that would choose to matriculate their children to SFS after they ‘graduated’ from NIK.

However, in the Spring of 2021, the owners of NIK made the decision to officially close educational operations. At this time, the school offered all of the current NIK students a seat at SFS, as well as worked closely with families to organize a new early childhood school transportation system that was more ‘bespoke’ and suitable for our youngest students. Although it was disappointing for NIK to close after a number of years of investment, it did ultimately lead to the enrollment of many more students in the early years program at SFS, which has been a great addition to the school.

Elementary School

The Elementary School now operates from Pre-K2 (yes, two year olds!) to 5th grade. This section is always bustling with energy and it is hard not to have a smile on your face as you walk through the hallways. The joy of learning is also evident looking into the classrooms, and there is student work displayed on every bulletin board and in the hallways to showcase their efforts and development.