Lately at SFS

There is so much happening at SFS on any given day that it would be impossible to capture everything in one magazine, so we’ve rounded up a few events that happened this semester at Seoul Foreign School.

University Visits are back in the High School

Nicole Cook Director of HS Counseling & University Admissions

In the University Admissions Counseling offices of SFS High School, the return from COVID restrictions has been evident! Universities are traveling again, and SFS is one of the first stops as they make their way through Seoul and then Korea and other East Asian countries. So far this fall, the University Admissions Counselors have seen about 30 college representatives in person, and as many more are to come in upcoming weeks and months. In addition, there are still virtual visits happening many evenings, and these take place through a coordinated effort with other KISCA schools. After so long without being able to speak to representatives, it has been refreshing to welcome these guests to our campus, who bring a wealth of knowledge and connections for our amazing students who are making decisions about their postsecondary paths. We are grateful in particular to Mrs. Tu Anh Gilmore, the University Admissions Counselor who has been the point person on all of the visit coordination this fall.

Birthday and Unbirthday Parties in Foundation

Katy Freeman British School Foundation Teacher

As part of our Exit Point for our unit 'This is Me' the children planned and organised a birthday party for everyone in our class. The idea was to celebrate Hasung and Vicky as it was their birthday that week but also we wanted to celebrate everyone in our class. Reflecting on our learning from the unit and about the important people, celebrations and events in our lives. The week began with the children making a list of all the things they needed for the party; jelly, decorations, invitations, music, games and sandwiches. We then set about preparing for the party by writing invitations to our family inviting them to join us, making Jelly and creating our own paper chains and birthday banners. Soon it was time for the party. Some mums and dads came to help us get ready and then the party started with more family arriving, dancing, pass the parcel game, yummy cake and jelly. It was so much fun to share our party with our family and friends.

Fobisia U15 Trip to Jeju

Sejik Lee British School Year 9 Student

If I had to pick out of the many things I loved about this trip it was no doubt the moments when our U15 team got to bond with each other. Like the scavenger hunt, the theme park, team dinners, and Phillip’s solo in the bus. I also liked our team spirit and how we cheered for each other almost to the point my eardrums took a toll. Also I nearly forgot to mention when both teams did the warmups together before the athletics games, which was pretty cool. Shoutout to Zoe for leading it. Overall I think this was a great experience for everyone and showed us the true meaning of winning - it wasn’t about getting that trophy the real treasure were the friends we made along the way.

Summer Camp Trip to Jeju

Michelle Kim Director of SFS Academy

For the first time since summer camp was founded at SFS in 2010, we packed our bags and flew over to the beautiful island of South Korea, Jeju Island. Students from Grades 2 through 8 ventured throughout the island: cave to volcano, beaches to farms, and outdoor camping in tents to luxurious hotel rooms.

Two SFS buses, which took 24 hours to drive and ship from Seoul, shuttled us around the island in comfort, as two SFS EMTs made sure of our health and safety throughout our trip.

Forever will the students remember walking through the forest for an hour in complete darkness, only to depend on their sense of touch and hearing, but mostly on each other, to see the fireflies dance around in an undisturbed and well protected environment that can only be found in a small corner of the island.

The trip ended with utter thankfulness for the older ones that cooked their own meals and slept outdoors in their single size tents, among the multi-legged insects that buzzed around in the never-ending humidity and heat of the island. For the little ones, it was their first time experiencing what fun is like without the constant worry of the pandemic, with farm animals and friends from school, at the beach and in the woods.

Korea Discover Days in Middle School

Justin Smith Middle School Principal

On October 6th and 7th our middle school students took part in Korea Discovery Days (KDD) trips, which give our students the opportunity to experience the natural beauty and culture of our host country. Our sixth graders explored two conservation projects on October 6th when they visited Oil Tank Culture Park and Haneul Park (Trash Mountain). On October 7th the sixth graders experienced Korean folk customs and culture at Suwon Folk Village. The 7th graders were immersed in the history of the Korean war during their visit to Imjingak Park on October 6th. On October 7th they enjoyed the beauty of Seoul Forest Park and were engaged in a team photo challenge with their advisory class. Our 8th graders took on the challenge of attempting to summit Bukansan mountain on October 6th, with two-thirds of our students making it all the way to the top! On October 7th they participated in a cultural scavenger hunt in the Insadong area.

Our KDD experiential activities were designed to be both educational and fun. Based on the conversations I had with students and teachers about their recent KDD trips, I would say they were quite successful.