The Banner, 2020 Spring by Seoul Foreign School

THE BANNER

Seoul Foreign School Magazine, Spring 2020

Features

Jack Moon and the SFS Legacy The beloved teacher, mentor and friend reflects on his career and the spiritual foundations that made the school what it is today.

The New Curriculum of SF British School The new curriculum of SFBS brings innovation to its global studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and puts the school at the forefront of education. Technology and Innovation at SFS Technology evolves at a rapid pace, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no problem for the modern SFS student.

Departments 4

From the Head of School and Board Chair

School Happenings Grandparents Day, SFS honored for community service, Discovery Week, Week Without Walls, Sports, Arts, Inspire Citizens, Magpie awarded

Service Oak Tree Run, Origins of the SO-GOOD Project, Nanumi

Student Voices

Class Notes

Advancement

A scene from Mermaid, a Spring 2020 SFS High School production. Photo by Siwon Lee (G10).

From the Head of School Dear SFS Community, At the time of writing this piece, we are still in the midst of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Hopefully when you read this, we will have our students back in school, and SFS will feel like we are back to normal. “Inspiring excellence, building character since 1912” has never been so pertinent in my time at the school. Students, parents, faculty and staff have all had to dig deep and draw on their reserves of character to help our community realize that sometimes it requires extra layers of resilience to inspire excellence. Seeing some of the fantastic virtual learning that has taken place over the last few weeks has been “inspiring,” and I am truly grateful to our educators who have risen to the challenge that this crisis has presented. It is interesting to me that in this age of online learning and access to the world of knowledge and education through the internet, there are those who question the place of the traditional school environment. I can tell you now, from first-hand experience, that being together, learning together, succeeding and failing together, are all crucial parts of the learning experience. Our students need to be in school, working and learning with each other and with their teachers. I also want to express my huge debt of gratitude to the staff and administrators who are working tirelessly to keep our school moving forward, and also to our parents and students who have shown support and fortitude in equal measures. SFS has a long history of tackling adversity. We are made of stern stuff, and with our passion and faith, we will conclude this academic year even stronger than we were before. God bless,

Assistant Head of School - External Relations: Dawn M. Stark Editor: Soo Jin Lee Designer: Juhie Suh Collaborators: Yoojin Um, Angie Won, Judy Raine, Alex Paik Photographers: Juhie Suh, Jonathan Myong (G11), Siwon Lee (G10), Ethan Yi (G9) Alumni: send class notes and address changes to alumni@seoulforeign.org or directly submit/update at seoulforeignschool.searchwavelength.com. Unless otherwise noted, articles may be reprinted without permission—as long as they are not edited or revised—with appropriate credit given to “The Banner, the magazine for Seoul Foreign School.”

Colm Flanagan Head of School

THE BANNER Seoul Foreign School Magazine, Spring 2020

*All efforts have been made to check details and consistency. Please contact us with any questions at marketing@seoulforeign.org.

The BANNER | From the Head of School

Cover Story: Elementary students march around the field as part of the global climate strikes after hearing about Greta Thunberg. Photography: Juhie Suh

From the Board Chair Dear SFS Community, After what can only be called a very unusual spring semester here in Korea and around the world, I sincerely hope this message finds you and your loved ones safe, happy and healthy in every way. For me, the disruption of coronavirus (COVID-19) revealed things I’d taken for granted. I hope for you, also, there was time to reflect and reconnect with what is most important. Exceeding what we might expect for a 108-year-old institution, it has been inspiring to watch SFS adapt to the unexpected challenges we’ve faced this year. I am thankful to have witnessed the amazing resolve and commitment of everyone who kept SFS going. Our faculty, staff and administrators took action to adjust systems, methods and approaches to continue delivering excellence in teaching and learning, even remotely. This was no small challenge for our teachers and students (and parents!), yet everyone pulled together and worked hard to make the very best of it. In the end, this has been another reminder of the caring and supportive community at the heart of SFS. To cite our mission statement, “Centered in Christ, Seoul Foreign School inspires a passion for learning, pursues academic and creative excellence and is dedicated to the service of others.” This year we have all been able to watch this mission in action. If crisis reveals character, we saw strength and heart from everyone at SFS. Thank you especially to all of the teachers and to all who supported their efforts. On behalf of the SFS Board, I send hope and prayers for a summer that refreshes everyone for the new school year. “Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NIV) Penelope Kim Board Chair

British School Year 5 and 6 origami paper sculptures decorating a school staircase.

SPRING 2020 | From the Board Chair

Jack Moon

AND THE LEGACY OF SFS

Jack Moon visiting a biology lab in the present SFS High School.

fter more than 35 years at SFS, Jack Moon announced his retirement in December 2019. He’s held numerous roles during his celebrated tenure: biology teacher (1979-2004), Activities Director and SWEP Coordinator (2007-2015) and, most recently, the Director of Alumni Relations (2015-2019). But the titles do not do enough to convey the impact he has had on generations of the SFS community—nor do they encompass the other ways he has been closely involved in the lives of students as a retreat leader, discipleship leader, and a coach to the tennis, soccer and basketball teams. Today, former students and colleagues recall Jack for his kindness, the high standard of excellence he set as a teacher and the genuine investment he had in each individual’s personal and spiritual growth. Indeed, when Jack recalls the many things he loved during his time at SFS, among them is the environment that allowed him to invest in the lives of its “phenomenal” students. “Nowhere,” he says, “have I felt more rewarded as a teacher than at Seoul Foreign School.” To Jack, that environment—the school that, for over a century, has cultivated thoughtful, conscientious individuals and relationships that span lifetimes—is a product of the Christian ethos upon which SFS was founded. Now at the beginning of a well-earned retirement, Jack’s own career has entered the storied legacy of Seoul Foreign School: an institution centered in Christ and dedicated to the service of others, one as resilient and adaptable as the country which it calls home.

A MODERN SEOUL, A MODERN SFS It was in 1979 when Jack disembarked from his Korean Air flight at Gimpo Airport. The son of missionaries to India and, like many of the students he would soon teach, a third culture child, he looked forward to starting his new position at Seoul Foreign School, a decision encouraged by his brother who preceded him, Dr. Ted Moon. “I was happy to be moving into a school that enabled me to interact with the kids not strictly academically, but also from the point of character development and spiritual formation.” In Jack’s first years here, he taught a variety of subjects, including life science, earth science, physical science, biology, the Old and New Testaments, and photography, the latter for which he designed a darkroom where most of the yearbook photos were developed. He was also involved in the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the High School. Jack arrived at a time when tensions were high between the government, which was run under martial law, and civilians who protested for democracy. “Barriers used to be set across the road at the bottom of the SFS hill every evening to mark curfew, with military personnel monitoring the roads and armed with live ammunition.” Back then, Seoul was not drenched in the neon lights many recognize today, instead falling “eerily dark after sunset.” He recalls his worry during a return from Busan following a sports event. He and the students under his care had finished a game late and rushed to return to Seoul before the

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Top: Jack (far left) as a coach to the HS soccer team. Bottom: Jack elected as one of the hardest graders in the HS for the 1984 yearbook. SPRING 2020 | Feature

barriers blocked the roads at 10 p.m. At the time, SFS relied on external companies to provide bus services, and the driver of this particular bus said there would be no way to return to the city before curfew. He threatened to stop outside of the city, which would have left all to sleep overnight at a rest stop. “We had a bus full of kids and no way to communicate with the parents. Finally, we convinced him to just go. We got here right under the gun.” Seoul continued to rapidly modernize into the eighties and nineties. A significant moment was the city’s hosting of the 1988 Olympics. While a terrorist attack on two airplanes in 1987 raised safety concerns, the event ultimately went smoothly and safely. Lower attendance allowed Seoul residents to spectate more events than expected, and Dick Underwood, the first Headmaster of SFS, made the decision to postpone school for two weeks so that the SFS community could be free to attend. The success of the 1988 Seoul Olympics marked a major turning point for South Korea as well as Seoul Foreign School. There had already been steady growth at SFS prior to the Olympics, but the event had an undeniable, tangible effect on the enrollment that followed. Foreign companies, having seen the success and potential in South Korea, invested in the country and, as such, brought families in need of a school that could meet the needs of their children. 'MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE’ When asked what it is that bonds Seoul Foreign School’s students, faculty, staff and families across generations—why even students who attend for only a short time maintain their close 10

relationships with their SFS friends, or the discovery of a fellow SFS alum can spark an immediate connection—Jack believes that it is the unique spiritual foundation that imbues, visibly or not, every part of the school and the students’ lives. “It is remarkable to hear from past students, even those who attended for only a year, that SFS was a pivotal time in their development and had a broadening impact on their worldview.” When Jack catches up with alumni, for instance, he enjoys seeing how many have gone into professions that serve the greater good, even when they could have taken a more profitable route. “I see that as a byproduct of their growing up at SFS.” Now that Jack is retired, he hopes to continue to foster future generations of intellectually curious, service-oriented SFS students through a scholarship fund. This annual scholarship is to be awarded to a High School junior who demonstrates an intrinsic interest and aptitude in biology; an interest in the interdisciplinary potential between biology and another scientific field, such as chemistry, physics or environmental sciences; and a true commitment to the service of others. “I would like the applicant’s activities and goals to reflect what they want to invest their lives in, and by doing so, make this world a better place for all. It would be my hope that a commitment to academic excellence, a social conscience and a resolve to work towards environmental sustainability would honor the Christian values upon which SFS is founded.” Academic excellence, and perhaps the excellence that continues to define the ongoing legacy of SFS, comes from a student’s ability to, as Jack Moon says, “see a goal higher than ourselves.” 19 12

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Jack met Edie Rader ’77, now Edie Moon, in 1983 when they were next-door neighbors in one of the apartment buildings on campus. That 1983-84 school year, they fell in love and were married that summer. They have two daughters, Melissa ’07* and Kayla ’10, who both grew up as campus kids and attended SFS.

SPRING 2020 | Feature

Jack Moon in his SFS High School classroom, 1984.

“When I made my decision to be an educator, I wanted to share my love and passion for life with my students and instill in them the need to live responsibly in this world, caring for both our environment and for those who are in need of our support and care. The classroom was the perfect place for my calling. It allowed for instruction, debate, research, analysis and synthesis—focused under the school’s mission statement to be centered in Christ. It was a joy and a privilege to have participated in the lives of so many wonderful and capable students during my time at Seoul Foreign School, and it is my hope that this legacy will be upheld in the years to come.” - Jack R. Moon, SFS Faculty 1979 - 2019

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The Jack R. Moon Biology Scholarship THE SFS LEGACY CONTINUES

Criteria: This scholarship will be presented annually to a High School Junior at the end of the school year when the academic awards are announced. It carries with it a USD 1,000 scholarship to assist in tuition, summer programs or research opportunities. The selection of this student will be done by the science department with one of the Biology teachers acting as a chairperson of the group. The Scholarship will go to the student who: • wants to pursue a profession in a Biology-related field, • shows an ability to integrate the fields of Biology and another science discipline e.g., Environmental Systems, Sports, Exercise and Health Science, Chemistry or Physics, • is intrinsically motivated and exhibits an inquisitive mind when it comes to studied topics, going beyond the attainment of good grades and into a personal exploration of the subject matter, • demonstrates the need for collaboration in the field of science and knows how to work with others in a way that encourages the participation of all, • exhibits additional initiative for research in the field of Biology, whether that is through pursuing an EE in a Biology-related field, summer programs, internships or other research opportunities as they are available, and • displays a genuine commitment to the service of others.

Ways to Contribute: • A check payable to Friends of Seoul Foreign School (US tax receipt only) or Seoul Foreign School (Korean tax receipt only) • Telebanking and wire transfers to Hana Bank

230-910010-79204 (KRW)

230-910002-28738 (USD)

*Please ensure that the name of the donor is displayed when transferring funds. Gifts made to this bank account are strictly for the Jack R. Moon Biology Scholarship. • Online at www.seoulforeign.org/giving For more information, please contact: Yoojin Um, Director of Advancement yoojin.um@seoulforeign.org or 02-330-3137

SPRING 2020 | Feature

British Schoolvisiting Key Stage 3 students during a sustainable global development Jack Moon a Biology Lab incollaborating the present SFS High School. workshop led by Inspire Citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Steve Sostak, Aaron Moniz and Kavita Tanna.

THE NEW CURRICULUM OF SEOUL FOREIGN BRITISH SCHOOL

Globally Minded, Distinctly British By Soo Jin Lee, Dawn M. Stark and Andrew Freeman

nowledge around the world is continually growing,” Seoul Foreign British School Principal Andy Freeman says, “so how are we helping students see relevance in learning in the curriculum to the outside world and their futures? How are we helping them develop the critical thinking skills to process and responsibly use all the information they receive in an everchanging world? And are we preparing them well enough to be able to collaborate in the real world, in the virtual world, to tackle the problems of the future?” In answer to these questions, the British School recently took on the ambitious task of reworking its curriculum and, perhaps even more significantly, its philosophical approach to learning. Keeping the English National Curriculum at its core and staying true to the robust English and Maths programs, Seoul Foreign British School introduced a set of three pedagogical frameworks to deliver all other subjects through connected themes. The International Early Years Curriculum, the International Primary Curriculum and the International Middle Years Curriculum deliver learning with a global outlook and an approach that brings thinking, relevance and collaboration to the learning environment for children ages three to fourteen. 16

“Each of those frameworks,” Andy Freeman says, “is designed with the developing brain in mind.” The three frameworks follow a structured process for learning, but each is uniquely designed to meet the needs of the developing brain of that age group. This brain-friendly approach engages learners in each unit through an entry point, knowledge harvest, and well-planned research and associated activities before ending through a reflective exit point. While each framework shares these steps, teachers are the key in preparing innovative lessons to accommodate the cognitive and emotional stages of different age groups. In the International Early Years Curriculum, teachers craft opportunities for three- to fiveyear-olds to capture curiosity and enable a learning environment through structured and play-based approaches. Early Years teacher Katy Freeman recently did exactly that by engaging her class with an exciting Entry Point at an alien crash at the British School’s playground, leading to student curiosity and inquiry. As students enter the International Primary Curriculum, lessons focus more on the relevance of learning to the real world, making connections to global issues through, for example, the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students are also encouraged to bring their own life experiences from their home countries or others where they have lived. Take, for instance, a

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British School Foundation students celebrating their “Blast Off” IEYC discovery unit by preparing and holding a farewell party for their new outer space friends. The students made cupcakes and fruit skewers themselves as part of this “Exit Point” of their learning.

unit implemented by Primary Years teacher Chris Sykes in which students built a rainforest out of recycled materials as their entry point. The following day, the class was surprised to find their forest torn down—a result of, they were told, deforestation. This moment then gave way to scientific, historical and geographical inquiry: What exactly happened? Is this relevant to a country you’re familiar with? And what does it all mean? Finally, as children pass through the International Middle Years Curriculum in preparation for high school, learning connects different subjects through a “Big Idea.” The framework builds on a wealth of research and is structured to meet what it sees as the five key needs of an adolescent brain. One key need is for learners to make meaning of the learning they are exposed to. During the Big Idea of Structures, science teacher Kim Stuart encourages students to make meaning of how global environmental organizations are structured to support sustainability. Supporting the key understanding of the importance of peers, students in history class collaborated in groups on the Big Idea of Leadership. Together they identified features of people and situations in the past that led to the rise of well-known leaders. Embedded into the curriculum’s frameworks are the core values of collaboration, reflection, communication, courage,

responsibility and respect. These values are challenged and developed in all aspects of school life. In implementing these three innovative curriculum frameworks, the Seoul Foreign British School aims to not only prepare students for the rigors of high school, but wherever else their lives may take them. A child who leaves Seoul Foreign British School for another elsewhere in the world will have the values and skills for learning a variety of subjects, allowing them to adapt anywhere. The British School is already seeing positive results. Parents, says Andy Freeman, “find that their children are far more engaged because of the collaboration, thinking and relevance that this new framework brings.” The excitement from students is palpable. Another exciting development is that teachers now collaborate, share and innovate together. The flexibility of the frameworks has made room for teachers’ creativity. The innovative changes at the British School were recently recognized by organizers for the International Curriculum Conference in Vietnam. Principal Andy Freeman and his colleagues were invited to present their experiences in depth. As one of the first international schools to fully implement this curriculum in Korea, those in the education industry are already looking to Seoul Foreign British School as an example. 19 12

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Students showing off their driving skills in obstacle courses during the SFStem Celebration with Early Years at the Blackbox Theater while parents look on. This inaugural robotics program with younger SFS students is run by faculty Heather Breedlove and Anne Kipa (K-G1 and Y1-2) and Ryan Hammerberg and Chris Friesen (G2-3 and Y3-4) as part of SWEP and attracted much student interest this past fall. Jack Moon visiting a Biology Lab in the present SFS High School.

TECHNOLOGY AT EVERY AGE

hile students of generations past might have coped with mere pencil and paper, today’s Seoul Foreign School student—and his or her Generation Z peers—learns to navigate the world through the lens of technology starting from a young age. SFS Director of Technology, David Beaty, and his team of educational technology and tech support professionals have installed a robust infrastructure of technology that supports the massive framework of the school. From administrator, to teacher, to student, to all else who serve the school community, SFS is doing more than keeping pace with the modern student: it’s providing them with the skills and tools to master technology at every age. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL / BRITISH SCHOOL EARLY YEARS AND PRIMARY YEARS STUDENTS For the students of the Elementary School and the Key Stage 1 and 2 students of the British School, learning about digital citizenship—that is, the safe and responsible use of technology and participation in digital communities—is essential.

This past year, Kindergarten students received lessons about balancing screen time, while those in Grade 3 learned about the Rings of Responsibility. The latter encouraged children to recognize and consider the effects of their actions on their in-person and online communities. Students then made digital messages with the use of iPad apps. The iPad has created new digital outlets for the creative expression and learning that is crucial at this age. Recently, for instance, BS Key Stage 1 classes learned how to use a programming app that enables students to tell stories and create games. The program encourages young children to think creatively and solve problems—even before they learn how to read. ES Grades 1 and 2 created their own digital books about space, and those in Grade 4 designed class logos. MIDDLE SCHOOL / BRITISH SCHOOL MIDDLE YEARS STUDENTS As students enter the Middle School and Key Stage 3 in the British School, digital citizenship lessons become increasingly relevant. This past year, lessons created in collaboration with

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The SFS go-kart team led by Rodrigo Diaz at Maker Faire Seoul 2019.

school counselors focused on how to balance media use with oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-being, managing friendships on social media, and dealing with cyberbullying. Of course, technology continues to be integral to this age groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s learning. Grade 7, for instance, learned how to use a multitude of programs to design their own periodic tables, and Grade 8 VoiceLab students act as digital storytellers of the surrounding community. MS and BS Middle Years students are also more formally introduced to practical productivity tools such as the G Suite of apps, including Google Forms, Slides and Meet to collect data and collaborate with one another. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS At a time when students turn their attention more and more to college and young adulthood, SFS HS students become fully familiar with the productivity and creative tools that will soon become integral to their working lives. Today, for instance, collaboration via video communication channels has become commonplace for students at the High School. HS teachers and staff, especially, have been making use

of video technology to connect with their students. Flipgrid, a learning platform that allows users to respond to teacher questions via short videos, offers a way for students to work with their teachers and peers in a way that is meaningful and thoroughly modern. Interactive lessons presented via Google Slides and Peardeck not only further familiarize students with the platforms, but also allow teachers to collect real-time feedback. And HS counselors, as well, have been making use of Hangouts to provide support via video chat at a stage when stress levels can be exceptionally high for students. Tech at SFS has also widened the creative landscape for High Schoolers, giving them the opportunity to dream up, plan and execute design projects that will go out into the real world. This past year, HS students working with Design Lab Coordinator Rodrigo Diaz and teachers Nate Walker and Matt Grieve applied their skills for Maker Faire Seoul, an innovative technology trade show, designing the logo for two electric go-karts that were raced at the main event. The students also learned about go-kart design and small scale manufacturing. 19 12

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Grandparents Day The SFS Advancement Office hosted a special event to honor the school community’s grandparents and help them become better acquainted with their grandchildren’s international school life. A special reception, student performances, historical picture slide presentation, tours to the grandchildren’s

Stephanie and Kevin Chae Dear our two lovely grandchildren Stephanie Yoonsuh and Kevin Junwoo Chae, Your grandparents always thank God and are very glad that you both are attending SFS so well and have grown big and strong and learning a lot from school. We always wish and pray that you two listen carefully to your teachers and make good relationships and friendships with your classmates. You are our hope and joy. We love you very much. From your grandparents

Henry Choo 사랑하는 Henry에게, 밝고 건강하게 자라기 바란다. 사랑하는 할아버지가

Jaemin Terence Park 할아버지와 재민이가 만난지 7년이 넘었네. 그동안 씩씩하게 잘 자라주어 너무 감사하고 고맙구나. 더 착하고 건강하길 기도하는 할아버지가

Grace Park, Anna Park and Amy Kim Dear Grace, Anna & Amy, 모두 건강하게 자라렴. 할비, 할미

The BANNER | School Happenings

classrooms, lunch and a photo opportunity were offered that day. After the event, deeply moved by the Christ-centered vision and mission of SFS, several grandparents contributed generously to the school’s Annual Fund.

Joseph Seungjae Woo 승제야, 지혜롭고 총명하고 건강하고 남을 배려하는 하나님의 귀한 자녀되기를 기도한다. 사랑하는 할아버지, 할머니, 외할아버지, 외할머니가

Shihyung Joo 사랑하는 시형이에게, 한국에서 좋은 추억 많이 만들고 항상 건강하고 행복하길 빈다. 시형이를 믿고 응원하는 할머니가

Ryan Kim 우리 라이언이 친구들과 잘 지내고 축구도 열심히 해서 신통하고 착하다. 앞으로 학교 생활 재미있게 하고 건강하게 지내! 사랑하는 할머니가

Eric Waligora Eric, We are happy you can attend a wonderful school such as Seoul Foreign School! Keep Pressing On! Love, Harmoni and Haraboji SPRING 2020 | School Happenings

A group of SFS and Seodaemun-gu District officials at the Mayoral Award ceremony. From left to right: Ye Hwan Jun (ESWS General Secretary), Andy Lee, Jang Soon Choi (Seodaemun-gu District Welfare Dept. Lead), Yoojin Um, Dawn M. Stark, Won-soon Park (Seoul City Mayor), Colm Flanagan, Sinead Flanagan, Mi Sook Hong (Seodaemun-gu District Welfare Dept. staff), Grace Song, Jin Sook Kim (ESWS President), and Jean Kim

SFS Receives Mayoral Award for Community Service

eoul Foreign School’s ongoing endeavors to foster community engagement and service were given official recognition in November, with Head of School Colm Flanagan joining eighteen foreign residents from fourteen countries in being officially designated an Honorary Citizen of Seoul by Mayor Won-soon Park. Mr. Flanagan proudly accepted the award on behalf of all the SFS community who actively participated in various community outreach programs throughout the surrounding Seodaemun-gu District in recent years. Reflecting the school’s strong commitment to community, kindness and giving, the programs have included contributing canned goods, rice and clothing to Seodaemun’s food markets; “adopting” underprivileged local families by providing long-term financial support; and a special Mini Olympics event for orphans at Seodaemun-gu District Disabled Welfare. Additional programs have seen students engage in tree-planting efforts, trash pickup

and a variety of other social welfare activities for disadvantaged youths in the district. Addressing the school following his acceptance of the award, Mr. Flanagan expressed his thanks to “all students, staff, faculty and parents who have helped us focus our attention in recent years on being a more relevant and positive presence in our community. “It is through projects of this nature that we help fulfill the mission of our school and help develop lifetime habits of service in our students,” he added. Mr. Flanagan went on to thank Jean Kim of Christian Ministries for spearheading SFS’ collaborative efforts with Seodaemun-gu District. SFS congratulates Mr. Flanagan, Seoul’s newest Honorary Citizen, and would like to thank participating SFS students and families for their ongoing kindness and hard work that have continued to reflect the strong core values of the school.

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DISCOVERY WEEK 2019

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Discovery Week Israel 25 Photo by Jonathan Myong (G11)

efore students embarked on their Discovery Week 2019 trips across Korea and the world—including Ethiopia, Japan and Nepal—Discovery Week coordinators Heather Adkins and Peter Hutchin asked something of all of the groups that hadn’t been requested before: the development of an inquiry question. “We’re asking all of our trips to develop some form of inquiry before they go,” Adkins says. “What it was they wanted to learn, or what were some things they could explore.” SFS’ annual Discovery Week allows all High School students to participate in life-changing trips and activities. Projects are designed for students to take their education outside of the classroom and bond across age and social groups. Trips should also, according to Hutchin, offer a “real challenge.” Beyond that, Adkins and Hutchin wanted to ensure that every trip was imbued with a sense of intention and, when the week was over, that all students were given the space to reflect on the learning they had done that week. Thus, the inquiry question and post-trip project, the Gallery Walk exhibition, were born. Students who visited Israel, for instance, asked how other cultures have impacted the daily life in the country. In the evening, after a full day of visits to cultural sites, the group gathered to discuss this framing question with each other. Doing so required a synthesis of information they had already learned in

the classroom with all that they were now experiencing in person every day. Those involved in the Seoul City Guide project asked what were the best ways to de-stress in the city. Students sought out places where Seoulites could nurture their physical, social and emotional well-beings, then developed a website beautifully featuring all that they had found. Following Discovery Week, groups continued to meet and reflect, maintain the close bonds they had formed, and prepare their booths for the Gallery Walk on February 11. Rainforest to Reef, which took students to Malaysia, featured an underwater virtual tour alongside a display on clearing beaches of plastics. And the long-running Philippines Service Trip (PST) created a cooking station that presented dishes from the country. Now, planning for Discovery Week 2020 is underway. Teachers from the High School, Adkins and Hutchin excitedly note, are already in the process of developing trips and projects. Students will continue to be offered a wide variety of opportunities and places to go. Regardless of what they choose, students will continue to be challenged to bring their education outside of the classrooms of SFS, learn and grow together and thoughtfully engage with the world.

The BANNER | School Happenings

DW Adventure Korea

DW Discovering Football

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London Theatre

Mongolia Service Exploring Israel

Adventure Korea Arduino Engineering Boul - Busan to Seoul Cooking Course Digital Fabrication Discovering Football Jeju Cultural Exploration Lifeguarding Model UN Scents of Service

Shangri-La and the Tiger Leaping Gorge (China) Nepal

Vietnam, Mai Chau

A Japanese Walkabout

Taiwan Cycling

Thailand Adventure Trip Ethiopian Adventure

Laos

Compassion Philippines

Rainforest to Reef Ecology (Malaysia)

SFS DW 2019

Left: The students of DW Nepal. Right: Thomas Callaghan (left) and Peter Hutchin during DW Nepal.

in numbers

522

Students Participated

Number of Trips Organized

112,571 km Estimated Distance Flown Countries Visited

6 Activity-Oriented Trips

Service-Oriented Trips

Cultural/Exploration -Oriented Trips

Local Trips 28

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The Year 7 WWW group after pulling weeds and raking pine needles at a senior nursing home in Pyeongchang. Ryan Hammerberg (third row, second from the left) remarked on how hard all of the students worked, with some trying to stay behind and pull more weeds even after being told that it was time to leave.

Week Without Walls

his past November 2019, the British School’s Year 7, 8 and 9 students embarked on life-changing trips for Week Without Walls. During this exciting week, students applied their British School values by collaborating on cultural and service trips outside of the confines of campus. Early in the Year 7 trip to Pyeongchang, students engaged in a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking, ziplining and caving. “Teachers were impressed with the resilience shown by the students and saw how proud students were after completing the caving challenge,” says Ryan Hammerberg. Later, the group went to a daycare center for the elderly in Pyeongchang where they gardened together and students performed a talent show. On their return to Seodaemun-gu, they helped clean the streets and canal. The Year 8 students tested their nerve at a rope adventure park in Yangpyeong and also went kayaking, wood rafting and dragon boat racing. The group also went to Soomy Cooperative Farm where students harvested radishes and cabbages, made

kimchi for the Nanumi homeless shelter and learned, says teacher Kim Stuart, “how a community works together to run a farm, evenly distributing the profit to everyone regardless of their contribution.” The Year 9 trip took students abroad to Cambodia. There, students worked “extremely hard,” according to teacher Vasile Lozneanu, to mix and lay concrete for a new basketball court for a local school. The students “never once complained about the physical hardship of the task, but rather enjoyed it and saw it as a privilege to help those who desperately needed their help,” says Lozneanu. The students took a number of cultural and historical trips as well, including to Cambodia’s Killing Fields. Without a doubt, students ended their transformative weeks having grown as people, friends and thoughtful citizens of the world.

SPRING 2020 | School Happenings

Sports Recap Girls Varsity Basketball - Ben Kask

The 2019-2020 Girls Varsity team had a very successful season despite going through adversity. The team suffered a lot of injuries, but the silver lining was that this allowed us to develop depth. Every single player on the roster was needed to step up and play in the starting lineup at one point or another during the season. It was disappointing not to play in the last two tournaments due to the COVID-19 cancellations, but the team still managed to play in two finals during this season. We were the champions in the Korea Classic and the runners-up in the prestigious and highly competitive Great Wall Shoot-out (the highest finish for any SFS team in the event). The team finished third in the KAIAC conference behind the very strong Daegu and Humphries teams and ended with an overall 13-5 record. This was an unforgettable year, and the trials will make us better in the future. SFS Girls Basketball is back on the map!

Boys Varsity Basketball - Paul Rader

The 2019-2020 Boys Varsity started the season on a high note, winning the Korea Classic in an epic final against Seoul International School. SFS pulled it out in the end, winning the overtime game 75-74. Going into the regular season, we played well against all of our opponents, falling only to Humphries and earning us second place overall. Throughout, our guys showed the character to stay level headed and finish off games. This team developed a really strong chemistry and learned to play unselfishly with each other. If the season had not been ended abruptly by the COVID-19 cancellations, I have no doubt that we would have been in the KAIAC finals and would have made a run at the championship of APAC. Unfortunately, our seniors did not get that opportunity, but I am still very proud of how they led the team and the hard work they put in over the past four seasons. We are now all looking forward to next season with the return of a very solid core of players who will pick up the torch and carry on the legacy of SFS basketball.

The BANNER | Sports

Varsity Cheer - Stephanie Mitchell

The SFS Cheerleaders were again a very passionate, dedicated and motivated team led by a great group of experienced and hardworking seniors. Both the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams worked hard to learn and develop their cheer, dance, tumbling and stunting skills in preparation for the halftime routines and the end-ofseason KAIAC tournament. The girls were amazing on the sidelines of the basketball games and during halftime, lifting the energy of the gym. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 cancellations, the teams were not able to showcase all the hard work, time and effort they put into their competition routines this year. Everyone is already looking forward to showing what they are capable of accomplishing next year. The creativity and talent of the cheerleaders is really a sight to behold. Be sure to come support them and the basketball teams for exciting games and performances next season.

Swimming - Sean Cary

Our APAC Swim season started off well. A strong showing by seven of our boys who traveled to Singapore for a competition set the tone for what was going to be a fast meet in Manila. Each swimmer had their own detailed plan for success for each event. We were ready to swim well despite the fact that our meet location changed due to a volcano eruption in the Philippines. The new hosts were moving very expeditiously to prepare, but due to COVID-19, that meet was also cancelled. In place of traveling for APAC, we hosted our own Mini APAC here at SFS. A majority of the team swam best times, with two school records being broken. This demonstrated the team’s readiness for the meet and underscores their potential success. We look forward to next year with great anticipation.

Wrestling - Paul Kim

It all started when Brian Choe and Alex Gardner, two new students new to the HS, persistently visited our Director of Sports, asking to launch a wrestling team. Though there were many logistics to figure out, the school decided to honor these students’ passion, and the SFS Wrestling program was created. With it being our first season ever in such a physical and demanding sport, it was inevitable that our wrestlers experienced wins and losses as they competed with more experienced wrestlers from the military schools. Tears were shed, and some injuries took place, but our wrestlers remembered to focus on themselves and their effort and continued to fight through. Throughout the winter season, it has been amazing to see how close the team bonded and the way each wrestler supported one another to become a better individual and meet personal goals. Out of the four wrestling teams, SFS finished in third place in our rookie season with some impressive individual moves and wins to remember. We are proud of our two seniors, Sam Cho and Pauline Stehle, for what they have demonstrated and achieved on and off the mat. We would like to thank all the parents, teachers and coaches for their great support in setting a strong foundation for what will become a great legacy in SFS. SPRING 2020 | Sports

Track and Field - Cailen McNair

Deciding to restart the track and field program at SFS wasn’t a difficult decision, just a measured one. After coming to SFS in 2018, a few things became apparent to me. One, we have a decently sized high school population compared to other APAC schools; two, we only offer a few spring sports; and three, there is a unique opportunity to develop athletes with the hills and trails that are on campus. Combine this with a supportive Director of Sports and student-athletes willing to learn and work hard, and our program was launched. With a few weeks of the season under our belt, fifty-two athletes formed the ranks of what would be the biggest team at SFS. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 situation, we await what opportunities we will have to compete here in Korea. Regardless, it is clear that this program has the potential to grow into a hugely popular and excellent sport at SFS. We are thankful for the dedication of individuals like Rebecca Emrich, Lindsay Kuhl and Muggs Alexander who rose to the occasion to help train our future track stars. Citius, Altius, Fortius! Faster, Higher, Stronger!

From left to right: British School play The Reluctant Dragon, an art display in the Elementary School and the Middle School Christmas concert.

The “New” Arts Department at Seoul Foreign School By John Striffler

his has been a very busy year in the Arts Department at SFS, and one of our biggest changes took place right at the beginning of the school year. We went from being a Performing Arts Department to an Arts Department. It has been wonderful to combine the Visual Arts programme with the Performing Arts programme to create one schoolwide Arts Department. One of the first things we worked on as a team was to create a new vision statement for the department. The new vision for the arts at Seoul Foreign School is, “The Arts Department at Seoul Foreign School strives to create well-rounded individuals in the pursuit of artistic expression and cultivates a lifelong appreciation of the arts

through creative excellence in an inclusive environment.” Along with this new vision, we tried to create some new schoolwide Visual Arts events, and we are extremely excited about the creation of schoolwide Visual Arts gallery on the second floor of the Lyso Center. This space will permanently house works of art from all sections of the school throughout the school year. Beginning next school year, we will have two openings a year. We are thrilled to have had this new event as part of the Arts programme here at Seoul Foreign School!

The BANNER | Arts

The High School Production Mermaid By Edie Moon

here are many roads a director can choose to take a cast down when developing a performance. This is the beauty and challenge of the directing experience. This past winter, the High School students were invited to walk a very physical road in order to develop their performance of Polly Tealeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mermaid, a postmodern adaptation of Hans Christian Andersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s timeless tale The Little Mermaid. When we began this journey almost immediately after the completion of the high school musical, Les Miserables, we had no idea the challenges we might face, including the possible cancellation of the play performances due to the outbreak of COVID-19. However, the students and production team persevered, and unlike many of the schoolwide activities which had to be cancelled, the cast was allowed to perform for small audiences in the Black Box Theatre. Because of the nature of the material and the physicality of the approach, the cast spent hours exploring not only physical theatre

techniques including Laban, Chekhov and LeCoq, but they also experienced hands-on simulations such as movement in the water at the SFS pool, the sensation of sinking in water, floating, and even drowning with heavy clothes on. They also experienced aerial yoga and movement for the first time as a means of exploring an aerial approach to the set. Workshops were done on identity and physical demands and expectations made on women in Korean and American society. Each rehearsal was dedicated to a deeper understanding of the experiences of the characters, including the fallout of post-traumatic stress disorder for soldiers. Parallels were made between the events of the play and the world today. Despite a short period of time and several significant roadblocks, students, director and projection team pushed through to the final performance with positive and memorable results represented in the after-show question-and-answer sessions led by the director and the cast.

Mermaid, Spring 2020 SFS High School production. Photo by Siwon Lee (G10).

SPRING 2020 | Arts

Aaron Moniz from Inspire Citizens with SFS Middle School students during their “Into the Gu” project.

SFS’ Partnership with Inspire Citizens

Inspire Citizens has been working with educational institutions around the world to bring “empathy to impact.” Co-founder Aaron Moniz shares how the organization is serving young global citizens through the exciting initiatives emerging from its partnership with SFS. By Aaron Moniz

nspire Citizens and Seoul Foreign School have embarked on an innovative journey to be one of the first schools internationally to dedicate themselves to academic excellence and having global impact through service learning and global citizenship. The Global Impact Schools Self-Study is a self-study tool that allows schools to ensure that all of their processes are aligned to help them meet their missions of using education to have a positive impact on students, communities and the world. In accordance with Seoul Foreign School’s mission of being “centered in Christ, inspiring a passion for learning, pursuing academic and creative excellence and being dedicated to the service of others,” the Global Impact Schools Self-Study helps all stakeholders ensure that their approaches to delivering quality education are efficient, consistent and systematically rooted in using education to serve others or have a positive impact on others. Throughout the 2019-2020 school year, Inspire Citizens has begun working with SFS to organically design units with teachers at almost every grade level around “empathy to impact,” or using the curriculum to have an impact or perform service for others. They have also begun working with student leadership programs, global youth media programs, community wellness initiatives, local and global partners, and have been engaged in a series of professional development opportunities with teachers. In using the 2019-2020 year to personalize to the strengths, history and

context of Seoul Foreign School, we have been shaping the Global Impact Schools Self-Study Tool but also have been preparing to personalize and seamlessly implement these approaches in 20202021. Seoul Foreign School and Inspire Citizens have come together to co-design this approach and are education innovators, being the first to plan its implementation and conduct action research on how it impacts student learning and their school community. Seoul Foreign School’s innovative character is also exemplified because Seoul Foreign School is trying to use their process of implementing the self-study “in service of others” because as they design approaches, develop units, develop programs and collect action research, they will eventually make this information accessible to other schools. SFS teachers and students will then be empowered to teach other schools how to use their teaching and learning to have a similar positive impact on their schools. So not only does this self-study help to align practices within SFS programs and sections, but it also uses their experience to serve other schools around the world. Our aim is to position Seoul Foreign School as a global leader in service learning and global competence/global citizenship education. We are currently discussing how to systematize opportunities for other educators to visit SFS, learn from our community and use SFS as a center for service learning and global citizenship excellence internationally.

The BANNER | School Happenings

Magpie Awarded

n February, the High School’s literary magazine The Magpie was awarded the highest rank of First Class in the 2019 Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) Program. Run by the National Council of Teachers of English, the REALM program recognizes student-produced, faculty-supported literary magazines in US-accredited secondary and middle schools across the United States, Canada and the Virgin Islands, as well as from international American schools. This isn’t, in fact, the first such honor for the magazine. The

Magpie, advised by HS teachers Heather Adkins (pictured below, far left) and Susan Guderyon (far right), was previously named one of the best of its kind by the REALM program in February of 2019. “Working with talented young artists and writers at SFS is an honor and a pleasure,” says Guderyon. “It is exciting to watch the students collaborate to create such a high quality publication.” For those interested, copies of the award-winning magazine are available in the High School.

The Magpie group.

SPRING 2020 | School Happenings

Strong Showing at Oak Tree Run by SFS

ast November, SFS had 212 participants for the Oak Tree Run, an event by the Oak Tree Project that raises money to provide college scholarships and a mentoring program for Korean orphans transitioning into adult life. SFS parents in charge of this outreach opportunity worked hard to engage the SFS community, and thanks to their efforts close to 25% of the overall participants for the race were from SFS! Julie Won, a proud SFS parent who helped organize the school’s participation, said that the event was “a great way to support the local community, be healthy, and a fun way for

family and faculty to do something together in a less formal environment.” She also added, “the event was made even more meaningful because we were able to achieve our goal of SFS raising enough money to fund one college scholarship!” Following the Oak Tree Run, Seoul Foreign School leadership and parents met with John-Michael Becker, founder of the Oak Tree Project and Jerusalem Ministry, to discuss support of future events and initiatives, such as their annual soccer camps for boys from children’s homes.

The BANNER | Service

SFS, dedicated to the

service of others

SFS British School Senior Choirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual visit to the Seodaemun-gu District Senior Center for Christmas 2019. SPRING 2020 | School Happenings

Origins of the SO-GOOD Project

he SO-GOOD Project (Serving Others, Giving of Our Deeds) began in 2015 at SFS as a support project and partnership with the Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS), a nonprofit organization that provides services in Seoul—indeed, its headquarters are just down the street from the school—and at its facilities across the nation. Today, the number of SO-GOOD’s partner organizations has grown to also include Angels’ Haven, Dreambox, Ethel’s Maul and the Seodaemun Jeongdam Food Market. But how did such a project come to be? In early 2015, Christian Ministries coordinator Jean Kim received a letter from Dr. Jinsook Kim, president and CEO of ESWS, who had a request. As part of its ongoing post-adoption support services, the nonprofit had decided to plan a soccer tournament for adult overseas adoptees who had returned to Korea. Unfortunately, they had been having difficulty securing a location; no one wanted to open their space for an event of this kind. ESWS wondered if SFS might be able to lend its field for the tournament. Kim asked for the weekend to decide. That Saturday, Kim attended an early morning service at which the pastor read the following verse: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27

It was also around this time that Head of School, Colm Flanagan, had been pushing to make SFS a community service leader in its home of Seodaemun-gu. To Kim, the timing and convergence of these events—the unexpected request from ESWS, with whom SFS had already been attempting to establish a relationship; the supremely fitting verse read at service; and Flanagan’s larger goals for SFS—were significant. The Head of School did not just enthusiastically agree; he granted permission to use the field free of charge. The event that spring was a success, bringing together members of the SFS and ESWS community. Later, Kim received a call from ESWS Director Ye Hwan Jun, who worked with post- and domestic adoptees at the time. Director Jun told Kim, through tears, that the returned adult adoptees initially had felt so rejected on their return to Korea that they did not want to print their Korean names on their team jerseys. But, Jun said, for everything that SFS had done to make them feel welcome, the players had changed their minds and chosen to proudly wear their Korean names on that day. Kim states that this was the turning point for the relationship between Seoul Foreign School and the Eastern Social Welfare Society. Timing, Kim said, and the service-oriented leadership from Colm Flanagan, were key to the creation and success of the SO-GOOD Project that continues to grow and thrive today.

The BANNER | Service

The High School’s Angels’ Haven Partnership was recognized by the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards as being a top youth volunteer group.

SO-GOOD Project Partnerships ANGELS’ HAVEN began in 1959 to aid children orphaned in the Korean War. Today, the organization now aids families and communities throughout Korea and the world. Among its efforts are the Eunpyeong Boys Rehabilitation Home and Joyful House, both of which serve children and adults with disabilities.

Seoul Station to help young women who came to the city to find work. These women were often vulnerable to exploitation, and Underwood sought to help them by offering room and board and other forms of aid. The organization continues to provide its social welfare services today.

DREAMBOX SFS HS student Rayoung "Madeline" Lee began the Dreambox toy drive to collect toys and books for the siblings of patients at Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, children who can often be overlooked as attention is given to the child of greatest need. Dreambox donations are delivered every Christmas.

EASTERN SOCIAL WELFARE SOCIETY offers support to those in need, which may include children, single parents, people with disabilities and the elderly. ESWS also operates child foster care and adoption services.

ETHEL’S MAUL was founded by SFS’ first and beloved teacher, Ethel Van Wagoner Underwood. The organization grew out of the efforts of Underwood and her ladies group that would go to

SEODAEMUN JEONGDAM FOOD MARKET provides canned food, personal items and household products to the over 2,000 people a year who qualify for its services. The market also delivers food to those who are not physically able to come to one of their two locations.

Nanumi

he British School has continued to show its commitment to Nanumi, a local homeless shelter. For more than three years, British School students, faculty and families have provided support by attending the shelter the first and third Thursday of each month, serving more than 400 people in need. Since September 2019, according to teacher Kim Stuart, more than 70 students, 20 teachers and staff, and 15 parents have volunteered at Nanumi, feeding more than 2,700 homeless people in Seoul. This past December, 700,000 won was raised during the International Fair’s used book sale held by dedicated SFS parents, the Year 9 Bake Sale, and by more SFS staff who, according to Stuart, “are inspired by our compassionate students who service each

fortnight.” This donation was used to purchase rice at the shelter. The British School has been unable to serve at Nanumi since February 6 due to the proactive measures taken by the school to protect the community from COVID-19. But, Stuart says, “Seoul Foreign British School has always honored our commitment to be a Nanumi, a person who shares, and a virus has not stopped our dedication to this service. We have been able to organize a local restaurant, Han Sot, to deliver bento boxes and a bottle of water for 3,500 won each, which would cost a total of 1.4 million won for 400 homeless people to be fed with no volunteers.” SFBS, in the giving spirit of the school, is dedicated to helping the shelter in this way until they’re able to attend again in person.

SPRING 2020 | Service

Student Voices

SFS is privileged to serve exceptional students hailing from all corners of the globe. Here’s a small sample of their school accomplishments and experiences, straight from the students themselves! The Banner invites all SFS students to submit their recent achievements and experiences to the editorial team. Please contact marketing@seoulforeign.org for further details.

Seung Won Choi, HS

I draw and paint as someone who loves art —I always considered contests as a pathway to share my work. Especially this Bow Seat contest—I really wasn’t expecting anything. However, as I received the Distinguished Honorable Mention Award through this competition, I felt that I was starting to get accepted. It came to me as a source of motivation. I am grateful that I can share my works with others for them to enjoy.

Hong Chou, HS

Ella Chun, MS

Participating in Model UN Conferences helps me develop my speaking and writing skills and gives me the opportunity to make new friends. Representing different countries on issues I may not agree on helps me understand different perspectives. The Best Position Paper Award was meaningful to me because it means I was able to successfully identify issues and present solutions for the country I represented. I hope I am able to use that skill in all aspects of life.

Ronit Gupta, BS

Last August 2019, I attended two music competitions in Taiwan. In the first competition, the Taiwan International Classical Traditional Music Awards, I received first place. In the second competition, the Excellence International Music Open Competition, I also received first place. I chose to sing “Lascia ch’io pianga” by Handel because this was the song I felt most attached to. These experiences brought me closer towards my goal as a singer. 40

The BANNER | Student Voices

As a middle schooler, I have realized that we as young leaders can make a difference to our world. Since last year, I have invested my time into Global Social Leaders through worm farming, a transition website and Waste Warriors. Despite these trying times, I have been able to aid with completing the draft website for transitioning students.

Alongside that, I have greatly helped with involving other sections of our school with our waste project, mainly middle schoolers.

James Hong & Sebi Kim, BS

So Jeong Han, HS

for my short story and the Best in School award in the UKMT Maths Challenge. I also ranked in the top 5% in AMC 12, another maths competition, qualifying me for the AIME: a goal I’d set for myself this year. My positive experiences and results have inspired me to keep pursuing my interests and work toward my dreams.

Doh Hyun “Dennis” Kim, HS

I have enjoyed doing art since first grade. In sixth grade, I did my first exhibition with my sister, by my mom. In the same year, I entered the Scholastic contest with the help of the art teacher and principal of the British School. With the teacher’s help, I received a National Gold Key. From then, I kept entering the Scholastic contest every year. This year, I received two Gold Key awards and two honorable mentions, so I felt very honored.

So Yeon Han, HS

VEX Robotics has been one of our favorite things to do these past years. Every day, we as team JABI learned each VEX Robotics subject, which is building, programming, driving, journaling and STEM research. Most of all, teamwork is the key to win, which has been very challenging. These subjects were judged and competed against which brought us to victory at the national competition. It took a lot of energy to run through eight matches and one final game, but it obviously paid off. We won both the excellence award and teamwork third place! We want to thank Mr. Friesen, Mr. Hammerberg and Mr. Freeman for supporting us through this journey.

Jessica Kang, MS

Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, I found an international online music talent and piano competition. I decided to enter with a piece that I had been working on for a while: Rachmaninoff ’s Prelude in G minor, Op. 23, No. 5. I did not expect too much as I was only really an amateur who had immense passion for piano classical music. Then I received notice that I was chosen as the second place winner and that I had gotten the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York this December. I was honored by this humbling opportunity.

Ashley Koo, HS

After I moved to Seoul from Shanghai with my mom, from 7th grade to now, I have entered the Scholastic art competitions annually and achieved several awards. Most currently, I entered last semester and achieved two silver awards. I have also opened several art exhibitions with my sister. The most recent art exhibition I opened was last year, August 2019, and it was the fourth exhibition since 7th grade.

This year, I received a National Gold Medal in the Scholastic Art & Writing competition SPRING 2020 | Student Voices

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is a prestigious awards program where top 41

pieces receive regional and/or national awards. It recognizes young artists and writers and their originality, technical skills and the integration of personality in their works. I received a medal for a furniture design called the “Droplet,” and it was a fulfilling experience, especially since it gave me an opportunity to hear others’ opinions on the creativity of my work.

Kate Koo, HS

international schools in South Korea. This year, our team was full of excellent runners, and as a result, our school had the best total placing. My experiences were amazing on both the Middle and High School teams. Everyone was incredibly kind and encouraging, particularly the High Schoolers. They really made me feel like I was one of them even though I was a lot younger.

Jonathan Myong, HS

The Prudential Service for the Community Award honors student-run service clubs nationwide for actively making a difference in the community. The Angels’ Haven Partnership was recognized for our commitment to building relationships with people with disabilities through collaborative outings that show co-existence is possible. This award is truly the work of all our students working selflessly and faithfully to our greater mission of breaking the stigma around people with disabilities. More great things to come!

Ace Yeom, MS

The piece I submitted to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards was my first encounter with oil painting. I displayed one of my facial expressions, which presents an emotion that I am not keen with, using a material that I was not comfortable with. The expression on my face represents abhorrence. I wanted to thoroughly reflect on this emotion as it is the most unsettling and visually unappealing expression to me.

Holger Molin, MS

I entered the Korea International Music Educators Association (KIMEA) Composition Competition and received first place for my orchestral work titled “A Forgotten Tale.” When I found out about the competition, I was thrilled to have an opportunity to turn a hobby of mine into something more meaningful as an artist. Being the first individual to receive this award, I hope to inspire others to submit their artworks into competitions, as it’s a truly amazing experience to be a part of.

Jason Whang, HS

The Middle School Cross Country Championship is a race between 42

The BANNER | Student Voices

I am very glad that I achieved the National Gold Medal for my short story “A Proper Education.” This was my first year trying in the Scholastic Art & Writing Competition, and I also encourage all the Middle School students to do so as well. I found my confidence through this opportunity, and I plan on participating in further challenges. I would like to give special thanks to our Middle School for supporting me throughout the challenge. Always keep going! 19 12

sfmsartrocks My #middleschoolart students have begun turning in their #virtuallearningportraits inspired by the creative photos of artist @greggsegal and his #dailybread series. They were asked to collect at least 15 items that have been most important to them during our weeks of #virtuallearning due to the #coronavirus and photograph themselves with these items. I’m not gonna lie...I got emotional looking through their photos this week. I’m proud of them and I miss them. #keepcalmandmakeart #creativityisntcanceled #portraits #middleschoolart #seoulforeignschool #sfs1912 #remotelearning #distancelearning - by Libby Beaty, MS Art Teacher Portrait by Matilda “Tilly” Batman, MS Grade 7

SPRING 2020 | Gallery

Class Notes

Wendy (Pamela at SFS) Lee Williams: In 1974, I studied at SFS for a brief while. I got to meet some former friends of International School of the Sacred Heart like Veronica Lin, Judy Yeh and Mirang Kim. I heard about Maricita and Marissa Catibayan. I made new friends with Morton Maeltasaer, Donna Kim and Betty Lee and others. I still keep in touch with Veronica Lin who resides in New Zealand. I delightedly met up with her when she visited Korea a few months ago with members of her family. Stay healthy and well.

The Banner always welcomes your Class Notes and submissions. To submit, please reply to our Wavelength emails or email notes to alumni@seoulforeign.org.

J. Bernard “Ben” H. van Lierop III: My wife, Chris, and I are retired and living in Hopkins, MN, USA. Our oldest son was born in Tokyo, and our two younger sons were born at home in Minnesota. My two older children are living in Japan with their families. Growing up in Korea, attending SFS, and then later living in Japan have been foundational experiences of my life. In retirement, I find joy in continuing to build bridges across the Pacific from the land of 10,000 lakes.

Karen DuBert: Hi class of �72. Back in 1988, Phil DuBert and I married, and we have been charitable volunteers overseas ever since—in subsaharan Africa. We worked 19 years in Moçambique, then a year in Zimbabwe with an AIDS orphan group, then six years in South Africa with township young people. Lost our visa last year and now are headed to Granada, Spain. Of course, a lot depends on how the pandemic plays out. Would love to hear about your lives and what you are doing. With our now-empty nest, we enjoy hiking and have walked St Cuthbert’s Way (Scotland) and Camino de Santiago (Portuguese route).

Karen DuBert ’72

Diana Peterson Walsh: Last spring I hiked almost 500 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia, to Damascus, Virginia, on the Appalachian Trail. I had planned to continue my trek north on the AT starting now, but COVID-19 has altered my plans. Instead, I am watercolor painting, reading and playing the piano. I hope to resume my 2,200mile hike when I can. It takes about 6 months to hike the trail through 14 states from Georgia to Maine. 44

Diana Peterson Walsh ’72

Martha Valasek “Marti” van Lierop: I attended SFS from 1961 to 1971 with a furlough there in 1966. My family lived outside of Wash. DC for my junior year. I graduated early from high school and attended Hope College for my freshman year. My older sister, Eleay van Lierop Warrington, was then a senior at Hope. Over the summer of 1973, I returned to Seoul and discussed with my parents about transferring to Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL. I then graduated from Elmhurst with a BA in Speech Pathology. I worked in the Illinois public schools for 13 years. While a wife and a mother, I also began serving my community working at libraries, particularly in the summer. But eventually, I was hired at Elmhurst Public Library to work four days a week in the Kids Library. I happen to also work ten hours at the library where I currently live, Kirkland Library. When I retire from Elmhurst, I plan to continue serving my town by working at Kirkland Library.

Rob Miller: After forever in Pasadena, California, my brilliant wife and I moved to tiny Mosier, Oregon, where we grow apples and make and sell hard apple cider under the name Runcible Cider Co. I left SFS 49 years ago, but it is still vivid and influential in my life. I keep in touch with one member of my class, Tim Slover, and have seen a few others every so often. It is beautiful and spacious out here in the boondocks, and we would welcome anyone from SFS.

Gregory Siegelman: After 30+ years in the business world, I pivoted to the academic world. I am now in my third year of teaching marketing and supply chain courses at Western Kentucky University as an executive in residence. It is the best and toughest job I have ever had—I love it! I look back fondly on my days at SFS and still have my high school yearbooks. I know Facebook sometimes gets a bad rap, but I do enjoy sharing and seeing pictures from my days at SFS posted by other alums!

Wendy Lee Williams ’76 with the late Laddie Lee.

James Rhee let us know that Aero K, the airline he co-founded, has recently launched.

James Rhee ’80 launching Aero K.

Pauline Yun: At SFS, I chose guitar as my instrument for 7th grade music class, and it’s been my constant companion ever since. After many years as a visual artist, I now perform Beatles sets at Strawberry Fields, New York. This is my training ground for becoming a singer-songwriter interested in social change. I’m happy to follow the lineage of John Lennon, Joan Baez and many others.

Pauline Yun ’82, songwriter The BANNER | Class Notes

KyungEn Kim: Having truly enjoyed writing (really bad editorials for The Spirit) and making things for my IBH Art portfolio at SFS, I went on to study sculpture/installation art at Wellesley and then RISD. I then thought architecture would let me make spaces with other people for lots of people and ended up marrying a fellow grad student. We now have an architectural practice here in Seoul and two teenage children at SFS. Both have been at SFS since pre-K and have yet to tell me they do not want to go to school today. I am particularly impressed by the reverse-aging. Mrs. Moon, my former English teacher, has coached both children through the most amazing acting experiences with better hair, style and stamina than any of us. Something in the water!

Nathanael Turner: My profile photo is from the SFS Olympics. It was hot, I had just had the flu, and the 3-legged race hadn’t gone so well. That’s okay, because tetherball was coming next. :) Our red shirts made up the red part of the Olympic rings in the opening ceremony. I think that blonde kid sitting down traded me a few years earlier for his best G.I. Joe that I hadn’t managed to snag. Probably the 2nd Snake-Eyes. The guy on the right was Bryan Yum, who could draw comic book style like he’d been doing it for 40 years. The sycamore(?) trees above the bus garage smelled like cinnamon in the fall, and the gym teacher’s son Monte Majors (or was it Chris Petokey?) was the cool, older kid at school. It was 1987/1988. An epic year.

Shannon Autry: Hey everyone. I just wanted to say hi and reach out to anyone who is interested. I am living in Fort Worth, Texas, now and am always down for some good Korean food. Feel free to email. Ken Jennings, Jeopardy! Greatest of All Time, sent a video of greetings and encouragement to the SFS Academic Quiz Team.

Andrew Costello ’03 and his wife Mackenzie

04/05

John Black and Stephanie (Small) Black ’05: Our 11th year at SFS marks the first year that our entire family “attends” school as Miles entered Pre-K2! Gibson loves having his brother just down the hall. Stephanie has shifted mostly to teaching IB DP Sports Exercise and Health Science while John continues in his role as Theatre Manager.

Nathanael Turner ’95 during the SFS Olympics.

Ken Jennings ’92, Jeopardy! GOAT

96/06

Brian Paik �96 and Yuri Shin �06 got married in September 2019 and are currently living in Vancouver.

Juhie Suh: I currently live in Seoul, Korea, and started working as the Designer and Brand Curator at SFS Marketing in 2018 after working in the advertising, animation and graphic communication industries. My daughter Eileen Kim is also attending SFS as the class of �31! Come and visit us at SFS when you come to Seoul!

93/98

Larry Park �93 and Ron Chang �98 are regular visitors to SFS who came this day to catch up with some faculty.

Larry Park ’93 (right) and Ron Chang ’98

John Black ’04 and Stephanie Black ’05 with their two sons Gibson and Miles.

Alex Paik ’04: I have been based in Seoul for the last 10 years, running a PR and marketing agency specializing in tourism and hospitality. Our agency has even been doing some work with SFS, and it’s been wonderful reconnecting with the community and discovering even more about our school’s great legacy! I’m always happy to meet other alumni, so anyone living here or visiting, please do reach out!

Brian Paik ’96 and Yuri Shin ’06

Andrew Costello: I just wanted to check in with everybody given the insanity in the world these days. I am happily sequestered with my wife Mackenzie and puppy Sadie where we are taking the opportunity of not traveling to finally hang frames on our walls after living here for 3 years. I am continuing to work remotely as a Managing Director at Accenture where I lead the firm’s mobile product development for our telecommunications clients. I hope everybody else is safe and healthy and look forward to connecting once things cool down.

SPRING 2020 | Class Notes

Alex Paik ’04

Paul Rader ’04: Hey Guys, It’s hard to believe we are 16 years past our graduation. I’ve been fortunate that the last 11 years I have been back in Korea, first at TCIS for 5 years and now at SFS for the past 6 years. My wife is also a teacher and has been working as a middle school teacher at 45

both schools. We have two sons James and Bram who are 8 and 6. We are expecting a third son in August. Being back working at our school has been a totally different experience from when we went to school here, but I can tell you guys that SFS is still an amazing place and continues to be the leading international school in Korea. The school is much bigger now with almost 500 students in the HS, a brand new, amazing HS building, so the vibe on campus is different and there is always a ton going on as far as student life and campus events. The thing I enjoy the most is working with our students and seeing them grow in their time at the school just like we all did. I hope that when you are back in Seoul, or if you are living in Seoul, you will come by the campus for a reunion or even just to come and get lunch or a coffee. If you can believe it, the new HS has its own cafe. I remember getting the little 300 won cups out of the 자판기 in the old HS lobby. Times have changed! We like to say around here, “Once a Crusader, Always a Crusader.” See you soon I hope!

Paul Rader ’04 and his wife Hannah with their two sons James and Bram.

Edward Hong: Favorite SFS Memory: Singing Rage Against the Machine’s “Know Your Enemy” in the 2001 SFS Talent Show with my band and utterly shocking everyone in the audience, especially the faculty.

Edward Hong ’05

Robert Lauler is an English Editor at Daily NK, a website specializing on North Korean affairs. 46

Beatrice Shih is a clinical fellow in the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Seoul National University Bundang.

On behalf of the Class of 2014, here’s an update compiled and written by Class Representative Joon Kim:

To the Class of 2014 - Here’s how we’re doing: Elizabeth Sergeevna Mikhailova is in Japan but might move to Scotland or Norway in the future. She reports that she still loves to play games and sleep and that she is still the same old scary Russian. I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight her brief moment of YouTube stardom. She still keeps in touch with Eric, Annie, Leo, Jhoonil, and Chris.

Kathryn Hong, Justin Huang, Emma Sheldrick, Alex Yoon, Austin Lee, MJ Kwon, Paul Chung and Hans Lee are in Korea. Kathryn is currently a private flute tutor who picked up boxing and manga drawing a year ago. She reports that she still keeps in touch with Victoria Beck and Soomin Lee. Justin recently returned to Seoul after quitting his job in San Diego and is spending his time resting and helping out at his father’s pharmacy before starting school at New York University, College of Dentistry. He regrets not being able to make it to our recent class reunion, but he’s excited to see everyone at the next one. Emma is currently working at a production company in TV & film, and she’s doing all sorts of cool things—working on her photography and personal creative projects on the side. If anyone is in Seoul and wants to catch up or collaborate on creative projects, she’s waiting for you to hit her up! Austin is working in Korea and is currently preparing for graduate school, with an eye towards following an entrepreneurial path. MJ is temporarily in Korea and has recently finished her Master’s in Marketing, and finally Hans is serving in the Korean Air Force. Benedict Printz is in Hong Kong, where he graduated in 2019 from Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. He’s currently working as a software developer, and you can follow his cool runs on Strava. In a recent conversation with Benedict, we talked about what we would give to live one week of high school all over again, even if it meant suffering studying under our beloved Mrs. Abella. Meanwhile, Sangyeon Chae is hanging out down under in Sydney, Australia. He’s preparing for a Master’s of Professional Accounting degree at the University of Sydney. Heading west, Maciej Całka is in Warsaw, Poland, with a few months left of law school. He’s looking forward to working in intellectual property law, and he has not only continued his photography but has also found the time to co-found a creative agency on the side. You guessed it—he’s a self-proclaimed “wannabe lawyer and filmmaker.” Julia Aulbach is in Munich, Germany, where she’s living after The BANNER | Class Notes

finishing uni. She’s currently working in consulting and reports that she still keeps in touch with SFS people. Jeong A Choi is in Aarhus, Denmark, finishing up her Master’s in International Political Economy. She plans on studying issues related to climate and security in the future and reports that she has recently developed an interest in bouldering (which I wholeheartedly endorse—bouldering is the new cool millennial golf). Nahyun Kwon has been working in finance in London. She reports that while (sorry, whilst) she has been trying to sound more British recently—and even more posh—it seems like she has suffered from the curse that many other Asian international school grads suffered as well: the eventual, inevitable, and irreparable decline Americanization of her English. Finally, Annie Riach is in Cardiff, South Wales, living a life that puts her in the running for the Coolest SFS Alumnus/Alumna award. She graduated university, worked on a few TV shows, and then created some brilliant short films, some of which won awards across the planet. She then got trapped working in a tile store to pay the bills but learned that she actually quite enjoys designing bathrooms and hopes to be able to design independently about this time next year (the world will be better for it). While she’s gone through some tough times, she reports that she’s come out from it by pulling herself back together and has somehow learned to fluently sing the Welsh National Anthem to boot. How lucky we all are to know we have a place to stay in Caerphilly, Wales, the next time we’re in town. Across the pond, Erin Kim is in Boston (her school rhymes with Barvard) on the path to becoming a doctor, and although she hasn’t gotten married yet, she reports that she definitely wants to soon (inspiration: Mitch Rands). It may come as a surprise to some that to this day she only has about 5 people on her Instagram Close Friends list. Her note has been edited for clarity after reports from Erica Kim ’18 that Erin was less than thrilled about her representation. She wants anyone visiting Boston to please hit her up! Paul Choi and Jae Hyun Kim are also in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, respectively. Paul reports that he is currently working as a management consultant. Jae Hyun reports that she is in her first year of law school and says that she misses everyone and hopes that we are all staying safe during these tough times. Jae Hyun, if you’ve discovered any excellent quarantine routines, please share! Despite her insistence that she is working “sweatshop hours,” Michele Lim seems to be living

Sangyeon Chae and YoungWoo “Leo” Cho ’14

it up in New York City while working at Credit Suisse. She reports that quarantine has led to several weekend cooking sessions and that yes, she is still reading. As a fellow survivor of IB HL Lit, I can tell you that Michele takes her reading very seriously and that we all have Michele to thank for single-handedly boosting the average level of personality on Wall Street. Also based in New York but currently living with parents in Seoul, Reca Sarfati has been working as a macroeconomic research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York while somehow managing to find the time to apply to PhD programs in Economics (apologies for the repeated IB reference, but I must also remind you that this woman took 4 HLs). You can catch her in either Cambridge, Massachusetts, or Palo Alto, California, in the future. She’s been painting again and is also on the hunt for good book recommendations. Ji Yang is in New York hoping to become, and I quote, an “impactful architect that doesn’t toil in vain!” Nathan Young reports that he is an analyst for the US Navy in America’s capital, Washington, DC. Kat Berwick is not far away in Arlington, Virginia, where she has quit her manager job and is currently applying to grad school. Josh Everett is in Columbia, South Carolina, where he has started a new job as a Process Engineer at International Paper. He reports that his hobbies are still the same—lifting, volleyball and basketball (side note: congrats on the new car, Josh!). Finally, Michelle Lee is tuning in from Fort Benning, Georgia. Heading west, George Dornbach is in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after spending the past year teaching English at a high school in Japan. He’s doing some of the coolest things out in Minnesota— working for a nonprofit that works with schools and does daylong character building retreats with elementary, middle and high school age students. Mitch Rands is happily married and is living in Provo, Utah, where he is still grinding in school. Leo Cho is in Dallas, Texas, where he reports that he and Jhoonil are the “co-god kings of a Minecraft feudal empire.” He reports that full leadership will be passed on to Jhoonil once he begins medical school and that he guesses he’s also been an artist in his spare time. It might surprise you that Joel Benson recently got engaged and is getting married in September! It should come as no surprise, however, that he got his commercial pilot certificate and still loves flying. He worked as a flight instructor throughout college before transitioning into his current role at Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle. Michael Jung is living all the way down south in San Diego, California. Ian Kim is also down in SoCal where he is doing library school in Orange, California, while working part time at Chapman University’s Law Library. He has about a year left in his program, and he is excited to see where it takes him. He reports that he’s been somewhat absent from social media (aside from Messenger, which no longer counts), but he’s hoping everyone is doing well and that he’s always wishing the best for everyone (in case you needed another example of why the world does not deserve Ian).

Eunice Lee, Bryan Kim, Andy Han, Isaac Son and Hana Kim are in the Bay Area of California. Eunice studied journalism in college and thought she was going to end up being a news reporter. But as luck would have it, she fell in love with product design and is now working at Apple as a UX/UI designer. I might also add that Eunice is an excellent host and has excellent taste in interior design (which I love as much as I love her mother’s Doenjang-jjigae). Bryan also recently moved out to the West Coast—first to Los Angeles, and then to the Bay Area. He seems to generally enjoy the West Coast more than New York, especially the weather and the boba. He’s doing a Master’s in CS at Stanford and is aiming for engineering jobs in the near future. Isaac is attempting to create a video game by the end of the year while maintaining his full-time job at a tech company. Finally, Hana is also a software engineer at a tech company, and she’s been taking figure skating lessons as a new hobby.

SFS Reunion A mini SFS reunion was held in Arizona this past February. The members of the Friends of Seoul Foreign School, alumni, and former faculty and staff in the nearby region (and also from Seoul) had a wonderful time sharing their memories at SFS.

I’m currently finishing up the second year of my Teach for America placement in the Bay Area of California. Apart from wearing glasses and writing a thesis on soju, I don’t think much has changed since high school, but Erin reports that she frequently and obsessively stalks my Instagram and declares that I’ve marginally glowed up. Random side note: I learned to drive in 2016 and was briefly obsessed with how fun it was to drive. The second I started driving to work after graduating, I started hating it. I’m planning on moving to a city this summer that doesn’t require me to own a car so that random road trips can become fun again—I have no idea where I’ll be, but reading your updates reassures me that at the end of the day, we’re really all going to be OK.

In Memory of Gabby Han �16

Signing off—stay safe! Joon Kim, jkim527@gmail.com

Thomas Kim: After having recently graduated from college and now entering the workforce, I can’t help but look back at my ten years at SFS. SFS was a great place for me to really discover myself and has taught me so many valuable lessons. It amazes me to see how far the school has come, and I look forward to getting back on campus soon!

Valentine Im is currently studying hotel management at Les Roches University.

Valentine Im ’18 SPRING 2020 | Class Notes

It is with profound sadness that we inform the SFS community of the recent passing of Gabby Han, SFS class of 2016. Gabby was a third year chemistry student at Warwick University in England. Her brother, Sammy, graduated from SFS in 2014, and her mother, Jianne, was a beloved member of the SFS staff. We keep her family, friends, castmates and choir mates in our prayers. Gabby’s impact was great, and she will be deeply missed. 47

Letter from Advancement Dear SFS Community, In the midst of this uncertainty and challenges, we are truly grateful for your generosity and continued support to our Annual Fund. We are proud to announce that we have raised USD 197,720 as of April 2020, reaching 66% of our goal of USD 300,000. Among the funds raised this year, USD 90,835 was designated to the Building for the Future Fund, USD 16,600 for Temporarily Restricted Funds, USD 3,000 for Endowment and USD 87,285 towards our unrestricted Annual Fund which will cover the instructional and operational costs for this school year. We are also proud to share that over 70% of our faculty and staff participated in the Annual Fund, raising over USD 63,300, which is a strong testament of support. Our participation rate has continued to grow among all constituents and increased by 31%. Thank you for helping us to create a culture of philanthropy at SFS. Many generous alumni have continued to support our students with a variety of scholarships. This year, we are excited to share that we will be establishing the Jack R. Moon Biology Scholarship. After 35 years of service, our beloved faculty member Jack Moon retired from his role as the Director of Alumni Relations. Jack’s dedication and love for the school have been instrumental in influencing many students’ lives. As he moves onto his next chapter in life, he would like to leave a legacy at SFS by establishing this scholarship. We hope you will take this opportunity to honor Jack’s service and help continue to support his passion for biology for generations to come. For details and ways to contribute to this scholarship fund, please refer to page 13. Please save the date for our upcoming events for next school year, the Golf Tournament in October and the SFS community Gala in the Spring of 2021. More information and details will be shared closer to the events. As a reminder, if you have not participated yet, we would like to encourage you to consider supporting the Annual Fund, which seeks contributions until June 30th. Please join us to make a difference today! With much appreciation, Yoojin Um Director of Advancement yoojin.um@seoulforeign.org 48

The BANNER | Advancement

“We feel so incredibly blessed to be a part of the SFS community. Giving to the school is a way to show support not only for the mission of our school, but it is a way to show our appreciation for all of the blessings that come with getting to be a part of this wonderful community.”

Donor Story

Tara and John Striffler

e are grateful the Striffler family joined our SFS community in August 2018, and they have been generously contributing at the Red and Black Club level annually. The family not only brings a wealth of professionalism and experience to SFS, but also practices the art of giving in line with our mission, “centered in Christ.” John, who is Director of Arts, and Tara, an Elementary Learning Support teacher, share their values on philanthropy with their daughter Piper. The family also supports many philanthropic events at the school in addition to the Annual Fund, including sponsoring a foster family coordinated by the Christian Ministries department, supporting the SO-GOOD Project, and initiating the Christmas performances at Severance Children’s Hospital, just to name a few. John is also the Annual Fund faculty representative for the schoolwide section. Tara and John come from Maryland in the United States. At Anne Arundel County Public Schools, John was a German teacher and assistant middle school principal for thirteen years. He also has a Master’s degree in Fine Arts and a wealth of experience in performing arts. Tara is an experienced professional in special education for middle and high school students and is currently working with our elementary school students. This is the first time the Striffler family has lived overseas, and while it was amazing British School Year 5 and 6 Origami paper sculptures decorated on School staircase.

to hear about SFS at the Job Fair, the family was blown away when they arrived in Seoul. They felt so welcomed by the SFS community. During the new teacher orientation, Piper mentioned, “SFS is the last school I will ever attend.” The family’s giving history goes back to their parents who have always modeled the practice, art and joy of giving. John’s parents were first immigrants to the U.S., and just like other immigrant families, his parents had challenges settling into a new country and striving hard to succeed in life. However, as their lives began to settle in, his parents taught their children the importance of giving and supporting people in need. John always notes how important it is to help others as Christians. “We can always make money,” he says. Tara mentions that every Christmas season, Piper goes through her toys to give and share with the less fortunate children. By doing this, Piper learns the joy of giving and sharing. Tara says, “When you see your child practicing and feeling the joy of giving, this is the best parenting moment.” The Striffler family is happy to give back to the school in a variety of ways. They are grateful to be a part of the SFS community, and supporting the school is a small way of showing their appreciation for all the great things that the school has offered.

SPRING 2020 | Advancement

2019 - 2020 Annual Fund Donations As of April 22, 2020

THE MILLENNIUM CLUB (Donated $10,000 - $49,999)

The Haelyung Hwang Family Grace Eunbin ’22 and Joseph Jisub ’25 Kim The Kwon Family - Oh Hyung, Hee Sun, Bryan H. '22 and Grace H. '30 Rayoung (Madeline) Lee ’21 Michael O’Donnell ’70

THE RED AND BLACK CLUB (Donated $5,000 - $9,999)

Anonymous Colm and Sinead Flanagan The Kahng Family Gee Won and Gee Soo Lauren ’25 Kim Tabitha ’17, Luke ’21 and Jordan ’23 Kim Josephine ’22 and Jeneve ’27 Lee In Honor of Kevin and Ellen O’Donnell Dean (Chang) Park '89, Jisoo Shim, Stephanie Park '22 and Sylvia Park '24 Benjamin Sim ’27, Michelle Kim ’00 and Sung Jin Sim Tara and John Striffler Eulho Suh and KyungEn Kim ’90

THE CREST CLUB (Donated $1,000 - $4,999)

Anonymous (3) Jonathan ’27 and Joanne ’27 Choi Minsoo Choi and June Kang Ella ’24 and Gwyneth ’25 Chun Emily Daniels Michael Farrant and Tsira Gabelia The Feitosa Family The Freeman Family Matthew Grieve James and Sarah (Hubbard) ’71 Gunberg The Holcomb Family Yune ’27 and Jean ’33 Hur The Jang Family 50

Philip and Kathe Hart Holly Hitchcock and Colin Spitler Sophie and Jeffrey Holbrook ChoongPyo Hong James Hopkins Soon Duck Huh Nobuko Inada Byeong-Guk Jeon Joeun & Plus Mr. & Mrs. Paul Johng Brad and Jehane Johnson Caden ’35 and Kaya Johnson Sihyung Joo ’28 Jamie ’09 and Jonathan ’11 Jun Anna Kim Crystal Kim Dae Woon Kim Doyeon Daisy Kim CENTENNIAL CLUB EenSoo Chris Kim (Donated $100 - $999) Esther Kim Anonymous (12) Hannah Kim Heather Adkins Jean Kim Ethan Albano ’24 Jinny Kim Mira Ahn MinSung Kim Katherine Baird Peter Y. Kim Jihong Andrew Bang ’30 Ryan Kim ’28 The Beaty Family Yerin Amy Kim ’32 Liz Boughey Yoo Soo Kim The Breedlove Family Andrew Callaghan, Rebecca, Edyn ’22 and Calla ’25 Mayo Sarah and Haydn Kneeshaw Michael Knox and Ketklao Chaiwut Junwoo (Kevin) Chae ’31 Dongwook Koh Yoon Suh (Stephanie) Chae ’28 Haejin Koh Youngwoo Cho Ryan and Lindsay Kuhl Hyun-Seung Henry Choo ’33 Jae-Eun Lah Deborah Chu Andy and Joanna Lee Steven and Julia Church Dante Lee ’30 Jeff, Marieke, Mathilde ’21 and Hugo ’26 Doherty Chang Hee Lee The Ekstrom Family Eunjoo Lee Tom and Faith Ford Heung Sang (Hugh) Lee Chris and Jade Friesen Inyoung Lee The Gibaults Jee Hae Helen Lee The Gilmore Family Jina Lee Kirsten Gray Moon Jin Lee Jee Hye Ha Seulgee Lee Brian and Lisa Hall Younghi Lee Younghan Hahm and Grace Kim Arabella Lespine Caroline Hahn Yanghee Lim Ryan and Sophie Hammerberg Piotr, Marta, Jonasz ’27 and Aurelia ’31 William ’32 and Florence ’34 Hammerberg Mazowiecki-Kocyk The Kahng Family Eileen Yerin Kim ’31 and Juhie Suh ’92 Ian Wonwoo Kim ’27 Jee-Hee Kim Jerome and Silvia Kim Steven Kim Jack and Edie ’77 Moon Katherine ’19, Jonathan ’21 and Xander ’24 Myong Sakhar Nair Dongchae (Edward) Shin ’22 Eunchae (Jessica) Shin ’24 Dawn M. Stark The Swaine Family Nathan, Megan, Adam ’32 and Anna ’34 Walker Clif Wilcox and Melissa Villa Jessica ’15, Michael ’18 and Stephanie ’25 Woo Catherina Yoon

The BANNER | Advancement

Elizabeth McGarroch-Slack The McNair Family Marina Miroiu Dong Hoon Moon Young Sik Moon Grace Park ’26, Anna Park ’28 and Amy Kim ’32 Jaemin (Terence) Park ’31 Jay Park The Prest Family Paul ’04, Hannah, James ’30 and Bram Rader Judith Reid David Robinson The Shim Family Jany Shim Simon, Ling and Zoe ’27 Justin and Shannon Smith Grace Song Christopher Sykes Jenny Tang and Michael Harvey Adam, Lauren, Jade ’18 and Ella ’21 Teather Prema Thomas and Elish Pangiraj Yuan Tian Lloyd Tsui Yoojin Um Fred Underwood ’72 The VanWinkle Family Nico and Carolyn Visahan Ryan, Lauren, Meredith ’27 and Joel ’29 Walker Matt, Dee Dee, Lily ’24 and Olivia ’26 Wasmund Angie Won Joseph Seungjae Woo ’31 Joshua Yaniw The Yap Family JB and Jihye Yoon Jeonghee Yoon Judy Yoon

Jong Chul Choi Bryan and Jacquie Coogan Rebecca Cook Xin Ding Kang Hoe Do Jessie and Jade Gochar Seong Hoon Hong The Hutchins Breck Jeffery ’62 Woo Tak Jeon Celine Jin Jin Hyuk Joo Byung Shik Jung Calvin Kamphuis Dong Suk Kang Sang Oh Kang Seung Min Kang Yongjin Kee Lucien Keller ’62 Cheol Hoi Kim Esther Jiyoung Kim Hyung Gil Kim Jung Soo Kim Sook Kyung (Catherine) Kim Nam Pil Kim

Hong Seo Koo Michael Kosh Tanya LeClair Byung Joo Lee Jae Hun Lee Jung Yong Lee Seong Woo Lee Megan Mathews Paige Melanson Grace Miller Young Sik Moon Seung Min Nam Anna Park ’81 Brigitte Parr Brenda Rupp Woo Chul Seol Bekah Schneider Dong Jin Shin Karen Terry Diana Peterson Walsh ’73 Caroline Wright Chang Gun Yang Jean Yoo Joanna Yoo Sharon Yoon

Legacy Gift from

Richard and Carol Underwood

SFS is incredibly grateful to Richard (Dick) F. (class of ’45, Principal, Superintendent, Headmaster from 1961-1992) and Carol (ES teacher from 1976-1979) Underwood for leaving a legacy gift in their estate. We thank them for their longterm dedication, love for the school and support of our mission now and in the future. Their generosity and philanthropic legacy will long be remembered.

THE LEGACY CLUB ($1-$99)

Anonymous (14) Liz Allen Lisa Adams Young Bo Bae Jo Bigwood Jessica Bonnell Kalei Brumsickle Phillip Carr Taryn Carr Ja Yong Choi SPRING 2020 | Advancement

Photo by Ethan Yi (G9)

Discovery Week Ethiopia, 2019.

Seoul Foreign School

39 Yeonhui-ro 22-gil Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu Seoul, South Korea 03723 www.seoulforeign.org For the digital version of this issue, scan the QR code or visit https://sfscom.page.link/banner2020spring

The Banner, 2020 Spring

Articles inside

Student Voices

Class Notes

Advancement

School Happenings Grandparents Day, SFS

Service Oak Tree Run, Origins of the SO-GOOD