May 2015 - Volume 8, Issue 3
JUNE 15 - AUGUST 7, 2015 Camp SFS Reading & Writing Traits
Adventure Camp Academic Enrichment Camp
For more information:
Please visit
or Jeff Oakes, Director of Summer Programs at jeff.oakes@seoulforeign.org or summerprogram@seoulforeign.org
Table of Contents
39 Yeonhui-ro 22-gil, Seodaemun-gu Seoul 120-823, KOREA TEL: 822-330-3100 FAX: 822-335-1857 www.seoulforeign.org
Message from the School Board Chair
Page 4
Message from the Head of School
Page 5
The Annual Fund Update
Pages 6-9
ESWS Soccer Tournament
Page 10
Emotional Intelligence– NIK Update
Page 11
Schoolwide Theatre Updates
Pages 12-13
University Acceptances
Page 14
Faculty Profile - Philip Arnold
Page 15
Author Visit - Christina Farley
Pages 16-17
SFS Sports Summary
Pages 18-19
Alumni Interviews
Pages 20-21
US Alumni Reunions
Pages 22-23
Alumni Notes/ Visits
Pages 24-32
Seoul Alumni Reunions
Page 33
Advancement Intern Profile
Page 34
Faculty Farewell
Page 35
Cover Photo: High School Spring Musical, AIDA
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Message from the Board Chair Mr. Peter Lunden-Welden
Dear SFS Community,
In early May, I had the privilege to interview candidates from the graduating class of 2015 for the SFS Award. I had the pleasure, together with other Board members, to meet such talented and engaged students. They are now passing through their final weeks at SFS. It was so exciting to get to share their opinions on our School and what they wanted with their future. The
importance of SFS being centered in Christ was a very central part of what they mentioned as a lifelong legacy of SFS. When they graduate on June 12, they will join a magnificent group of approximately 4,000 SFS alumni spread all over the world. Most of these alumni are very successful today in diverse areas and careers. Every year, the School also selects an ‘Alum of the Year,’ who models SFS. This recipient will attend the SFS graduation to give a speech as he/she receives the alumni award.
This school year ends the 103rd academic year of SFS. Thinking of the Korean history, it is amazing to be a part of, and to be able to share, this School’s legacy. Founded by missionaries in a time so different from today, SFS is now a leading international School in Korea. I was very pleased that SFS was mentioned as the best IB School in Korea by Newsweek. 4
This is proof of the faculty’s hard work, together with senior administration, to place educational excellence as a priority. In order to meet the challenges of 21st century learning, the Board continues to plan for our future. Last month, the architects responsible for the designing the new high school visited to prepare for its next steps. I must say that the ideas they presented to meet the challenges of excellence in education makes me so proud. It will be a huge improvement for our current students who are challenged with scattered classrooms all over the campus. At the end of this year, our two Board members will be leaving from SFS. Sunghwan Choi will move to Singapore after this school year. Sunghwan has held the position as
Chair of British School Governors, also fulfilling the role as Board member. Harry Rudolph's term also comes to an end after six years of service. Harry has served as the Vice Chair on the Board for a number of years. During the year I worked with him, he has been a stellar example of SFS spirit; first, as a parent, and then continuing to give the School his support as a member of the Board. We thank both of them for their contributions and commitment to SFS throughout the years. In His Service,
Peter Lunden-Welden SFS Board Chair
Message from the Head of School Mr. Colm Flanagan Dear Seoul Foreign School Community,
Time certainly flies by when you are having fun and it is hard to believe that I am writing a piece for the final Banner of the year! One of the best things about being part of the SFS community has been getting to know so many individuals who have been part of the School’s history. One of the questions I have asked so many people now is ‘what is the history and the origin of our School crest and colours?’ Like all the best history, the answers have been varied and shrouded in a bit of mythology! What I can tell you is that reflecting on our past to establish our future is a very important process. Knowing who we are and why Seoul Foreign School exists is crucial in ensuring our future successes. At our last faculty training we reflected on our School crest and what it should symbolize for the future!
Our book reflects our love of learning, our drive for high academic achievement and a curriculum that is rigorous, relevant and exciting! Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, on the stage, SFS needs to have the highest aspirations.
Our torch talks of leadership and vision. We want each of our students to find their own light that burns within them and SFS needs to support their efforts to be leaders on whichever road they choose to travel. It should also talk to Seoul Foreign School
discovering and planning to be the best environment with the finest facilities in which our students can choose to prosper.
Our atom represents science and inquiry. The world needs people who understand how the universe works and have the skills and persistence to get there. Seoul Foreign School needs to employ and foster the best teachers, skilled in the science of delivering great teaching and inspiring great learners.
The cross symbolizes our heritage and our mission to be a Christian school for everyone. As a community we
attend one of our alumni gatherings, then make sure you add it to your ‘to do’ list for 2015-16. Our reunions are growing and proving to be great fun! Best wishes,
Colm Flanagan Head of School
should be defined by how we treat each other and how we help foster a sense of care, kindness and love in each of our students. A spirit of service, particularly within our Seoul community, should be instilled in every student who joins the family of Seoul Foreign School. Having now had a chance to attend a number of Alumni reunions it has been gratifying to hear the deep affection in which SFS is held. We
want to develop and strengthen our relationship with everyone who is connected with Seoul Foreign School, to keep you updated with all of the exciting news that our School generates and help SFS go from strength to strength. If you have not yet had a chance to 5
Traditions of Excellence The Annual fund June Kang Director of Advancement
Dear Parents and Alumni,
It has been a very exciting year for the Advancement office, continuing our focus to build relationships with all stakeholders of our community. As a non-profit School, 100% of our tuition impacts student learning. It will be essential for the School in encouraging its community to help strengthen the culture of giving, so we may build resources to further enhance: exceptional programs, faculty development, facility upgrades and future building projects. It has been a privilege to work closely with our new Head of School, who has been eager to establish an effective Advancement office. In early March, we had Lorna Somers, Vice President of the McMaster’s University Foundation and their Director of Development provide a presentation, which helped
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validate how a future campaign could provide a powerful opportunity for the community to support the mission and legacy, unique to SFS. While a future campaign would appear something new to our School’s culture, it is interesting to note that the first capital fundraiser actually took place in 1949, just before the invasion of North Korea. Between 1955 and 1967, contributions would continue to be made by various missions and individual donors. In our ‘Hundred Years of Excellence’ book, it reads:
“…the Executive Committee in the summer of 1949 held a fund drive…community members worked hard on behalf of their school.”
We are fortunate to benefit from such a rich history, built upon the invaluable contributions of those who have helped preserve, develop and build the School we have today. As a reminder, we would encourage you to support our Annual Fund, which seeks contributions until June 30th. Additionally, our first annual fund event will be our golf tournament in September. We look forward to your participation in this tournament scheduled for September 15th at the beautiful ‘Namchon Country Club.’ We thank you for your confidence and continued support to the School. Sincerely,
June Kang Director of Advancement jkang@seoulforeign.org
Lorna Somers (right), presents to various members of the SFS community
Community of donors and sponsors ANNUAL FUND DONATION 2014-15 THE MILLENNIUM CLUB Jenna Lee Tzu Yu Sheng
RED AND BLACK CLUB Eulho Suh & KyungEn Kim ‘90*
THE CREST CLUB Anonymous Alum Robert and Sondra Black Christian ’14 and Benjamin Choi Colm and Sinead Flanagan James and Sarah (Hubbard) Gunberg ‘71 Justin Jang Nina H. Kim ‘83*, Peter S. Choi and Kate Kim Choi The Lim Family - Class of ‘07 & ‘10 The Nahm Family Katherine and Justin Oh Jasmine, Iris and James J. Park Peter and Kelly TomHon
CENTENNIAL CLUB Anonymous Alum Christina Farley Hyun Sook Hong Mike, Lauren, Trevor & Colin Jackson The Kent Family Hugh Lee GE Star Award - Christopher Luke ‘14 Susan Pope ‘90 The Rudolph Family Carol Ann Sauer LaCroix ‘71 Frank Shyn ‘87* Juhie Suh ‘92 The Teather Family Yoojin Um Peter Wang ‘68 James S. Weaver, Jr. Family Fund
LEGACY CLUB Albert Kim ‘14 7
Community of donors and sponsors ANNUAL FUND DONATION 2013-14
ANNUAL FUND DONATION 2012-13
CENTENNIAL FUND DONATION 2011-12
1912 SOCIETY Jenna Lee
THE MILLENNIUM CLUB Do Yoon Kim Tzu Yu Sheng
THE MILLENNIUM CLUB Jeremy & Hojung Cheung (Parents of Nathan & Eunice Cheung) Christy Joo Eric Joo Do Yoon Kim Kathleen and Rachel Lee Helena and Isabelle Park Yong Sung Park The Shin Family
THE MILLENNIUM CLUB Yong Sung Park Tzu Yu Sheng RED AND BLACK CLUB Jane Nicole Lee THE CREST CLUB Hyung and Andrea Ahn Robert and Sondra Black BT&I—Kay Song Christian and Benjamin Choi John and Alice Engstrom Christina Farley James and Sarah (Hubbard) Gunberg ‘71 Haelyung Hwang and Younghee Cha J&J Catering Euiseok Kim and Regina Ryu ‘87* Roger H. Kim ‘93 George Dongkyu Ko The Lim Family The Nahm Family Hyungji Park ‘85 Jasmine, Iris & James J. Park Peter Pin ‘77 Michelle Sohn Peter and Kelly TomHon Verizon Matching Fund CENTENNIAL CLUB Olivia and Alicia Chung Donald N. Clark ‘61 Romulo H. Delmendo ‘79 Mr. and Mrs. Brian Hunsaker Mike and Lauren Jackson Graeme and Carol Kent Henry Kim Blair and Kim Lee Brian Lee Susan Pope ‘90 The Rudolph Family Joanna Seung Richard and Cynthia Seymour Frank Shyn ‘87* Michael L. Stern ‘78 Lauren, Adam, Jade and Ella Teather Yoojin Um James S. Weaver, Jr. Family Fund
RED AND BLACK CLUB Jaeho and Soojin Choi Jane Nicole Lee THE CREST CLUB Hyung & Andrea Ahn Anonymous Yasmeen Bae Robert and Sondra Black Leo Cho From the Cho Family—Paul, Jiyeon, Christopher and Natalie Christian and Benjamin Choi The Kimberly Clark Foundation John and Alice Engstrom Rob and Laura Everett James and Sarah (Hubbard) Gunberg ‘71 Haelyung Hwang & Younghee Cha Euiseok Kim & Regina Ryu '87* Nina H. Kim ‘83*, Peter S. Choi and Kate Kim Choi Seogoo Lee & Suyoung Nam The Lim Family Hyungji Park '85 Jasmine, Iris & James J. Park Sookook Company Peter & Kelly TomHon CENTENNIAL CLUB Christina Farley Hyun Sook Hong Mr. & Mrs. Brian Hunsaker Mike & Lauren Jackson George Dongkyu Ko Alice D. Lavina Harry, Linda & George Rudolph ‘07 Jack and Rachel Shao Frank Shyn ’87* Yoojin Um James S. Weaver, Jr. Family Fund Rick Wilson
LEGACY CLUB Anonymous Christian Choi ‘14 Albert Kim ‘14 Kisoon Nam (Chun)
RED AND BLACK CLUB In memory of Edwin W. Crowe ’43* For our SFS children and in honor of our parents, Richard and Patricia Ashcraft and Ed and Thelma Gaylord from John and Lynn Gaylord John and Masumi O’Donnell ’70 Tzu Yu Sheng THE CREST CLUB Jinsoo and Pearl Bae Yasmeen Bae Robert and Sondra Black In honor of the MS Faculty 2011-12 from your student, Andrew Ilhoon Byun Dong Soo Byun From the Cho Family - Paul, Jiyeon, Christopher and Natalie Christian and Benjamin Choi Noah Tae-sun Chung ’95 John and Alice Engstrom Josh, Ben and Jacob Everett Rebecca Freeman Kathleen and Timothy Gray Hana Bank—Yonhi-dong Branch Hyong Min Kim Hyong Seok Kim Nina H. Kim ’83* and Peter S. Choi George Dongkyu Ko Camila and Gabriela Gonzalez Koo James and Sarah (Hubbard) Gunberg ’71 Celine Jin J&J Catering Stephan Min Jason Oh Hyungji Park ’85 Jasmine, Iris and James J. Park In memory of Christopher Mark Thomas, loving uncle of Edward Joseph Pasternak Langston and Linda Rogde Peter and Kelly TomHon Buhm Jin Yoon
Nick, Sally, Isobel and Estella Corben Drs. JB and Bette Crouse, Jr. Patricia Robin Evans In honor of Mr. John Gaylord, from your SFS Children of our Centennial Year Chloe Dain Han Christine Jane Han Youngsook Hahm Hyun Sook Hong Ryan Jeon Jeen and Bomsinae Kim Yoo Soo Kim John Kimm ‘84 Korea Exchange Bank – Yonhi-dong Branch Jennifer Koenig ’92* Grace and Riley Kwak Family Andy and Joanna Lee Chang Hwan Lee Haeeun Heather Lee ’05 Jaehyun Jacob Lee The Jugant Family In honor of Mrs. Mary Ellen Lee, from your 1L children of our Centennial Year Robert Lee ’60* David Livingston ’72* Monika and Ewa Marczuk In honor of Ms. Dawn Melarvie, from your SFS children of our Centennial Year In honor of Mrs. Edie Moon from the HS cast of ‘Back to the 80s’ Mitsuaki Morita ’79* John C. O’Donnell ‘70 Maura O’Donnell-McCarthy ’75* Gene Jaewoo Park Harry, Linda & George Rudolph ‘07 In Memory of Robert G. Sauer, Former Trustee & Teacher Frank Shyn ’87* Yage Song Yarene Song Hannah Summers Kai Summers Linda Wang Judi Sargent Whitmire ’78 Sen Di Ten Yoojin Um In honor of Mr. Nathan Walker from the MS cast of ‘Oliver Twist’ Morgan and Jordan Yi Youngja Yum THE LEGACY CLUB Lance, Mary, Ethan, Mason and Porter Ence Kisoon Nam Misty Skidmore
CENTENNIAL CLUB Jaime Cabal Anna Castagnaro Donald N. Clark '61 Lydia Colston Killough '81 Dan & Joneen Copeland
The Heritage Club $ 100,000 +
1912 Society $ 50,000 +
CATEGORIES OF GIVING: 84
The Crest Club $ 1,000 +
Centennial Club $ 100 +
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Community of donors and sponsors ANNUAL FUND DONATION 2010-11
ANNUAL FUND DONATION 2009-10
THE MILLENNIUM CLUB Do Yoon Kim
THE MILLENNIUM CLUB Do Yoon Kim Heather and Sunny Yi
RED AND BLACK CLUB Anonymous Chul Ho Chang Timothy Cho THE CREST CLUB Leo Cho Christian and Benjamin Choi Shirley Droese John and Alice Engstrom Josh, Ben and Jacob Everett SeungChul Peter Hyun Rachel Lee Tzu Yu Sheng CENTENNIAL CLUB Andrew Byun Rebecca Dignan The Heller Family Carol Ann Sauer LaCroix ‘71 Alice Lavina Harrison Lee Harry, Linda and George Rudolph Heidi Stallings Michael Stern Peter and Kelly TomHon St. Mark’s Lutheran School
** All returning donors have been marked in red.
RED AND BLACK CLUB Kay Song (BT&I) The Kwun Family John C. O’Donnell The Shin Family THE CREST CLUB Hongchul and Yasmeen Bae Christian and Benjamin Choi James and Julie Danahy John and Alice Engstrom James and Sarah Hubbard Gunberg Celine Jin Ji Yong Lee Tracy and Tim Mohr The SFS Classified Staff Shou Liang Wang Yonhee Badminton Club CENTENNIAL CLUB Anonymous Kevin, Dee and Baker Family Andrew Byun Eunhi Cho Hyun Sook Hong Warren and Robin Hudson Carol LaCroix Andy and Joanna Lee Young Sun Lee Amy Lindholm Elizabeth Lloyd Patrick O’Malley Pete and Judy Penick Elise K. Prosser Langston and Linda Rogde Harry G. Rudolph Peter and Kelly TomHon THE LEGACY CLUB Anonymous Jeff and Barbara Benson Tony and Margaret Curran Caroline Hahn Yoo Soo Kim Insil Tahk Yoojin Um Buhm Jin Yoon Youngja Yum
he Millennium Club $ 10,000 +
“I gave to the SFS Annual Fund because I love my school and my community. Even though I'm physically far away now, I'm glad that I can contribute to making SFS all the more excellent. My donation this time is small, but hopefully I'll be able to continue to give more for my school into the future.”
Albert Kim, Class of 2014
Red & Black Club $ 5,000 +
Legacy Club Any amount given by friends and relatives
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Eastern Social Welfare Soccer Tournament Jean Kim, Schoolwide/Elementary Christian Ministries
On Saturday, April 25, 2015, SFS hosted a soccer tournament for Eastern Social Welfare Society (ESWS) through its Post Adoption Service Center. The center focuses on helping the ongoing needs of overseas and domestic Korean adoptees. One of the ways of supporting the adoptees was to create soccer teams that brought the overseas Korean adoptees together as well as the parents of the domestic adoptees. There was just one problem. They had no place to compete in legitimate soccer games. After many unsuccessful attempts, ESWS approached SFS and asked for help and SFS gladly opened its doors to them.
With the gorgeous weather and about 150 guests on campus that day, the teams arrived with anticipation to finally play soccer on our field. There were four teams playing in the tournament: FC Goal (overseas Korean adoptees), FC Pierrot (Korean celebrity team), ESWS staff and SFS student/staff team, and parents of domestic Korean adoptees team.
On that day, while SFS HS students, faculty, parents and staff helped with the tournament on the soccer field, another group led the children’s program for the domestic Korean adoptees in the ES side of the cafeteria. During the awards ceremony our own SFS high school student, Craig Kim received the MVP award for his soccer team. Ken Lee (SFS staff) and Justin Kim (HS student) served as players for the ESWS soccer team as It was a blessing for SFS to be well as leading a soccer clinic for the able to partner with ESWS by children. We also had 3 HS students: Jenny Choi, Callum McEachen and Rose providing our facilities and student/staff involvement for this Kim who led the domestic Korean adoptees children’s program with the significant event. More help of SFS parents, ES student, Katie importantly, it gave our Park and MS student, Michelle Lee.
students an opportunity to serve.
We thank all who helped in the many ways to make this event happen at SFS. We are grateful to our Head of School, Colm Flanagan, for his vision for service especially in our host country of Korea. That Saturday was the beginning of a partnership between Eastern Social Welfare Society and Seoul Foreign School. We hope that this partnership will continue to flourish and grow as more opportunities for service arise in the future. May SFS continue to serve God by serving others.
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For more information on Eastern Social Welfare Society, please visit their website at http://adoption.eastern.or.kr/
Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, and How it Can be nurtured starting in Early Childhood
Esther Myong, NIK Director Many of us know that high IQ by itself is no guarantee for success, happiness, or virtue. According to Harvard psychologist, Daniel Goleman, our “two minds,” the rational and the emotional, work together to determine our success in relationships, work, and physical well-being. How then can we as parents and teachers help to boost our children’s chances of success and happiness? One way to achieve this is to help our children to develop their ability to understand and respond adaptively to emotional experiences in themselves and in others. Psychologist John Gottman and his colleagues at the University of Washington identified two main styles of handling emotions called emotion-dismissing and emotion-coaching. Emotiondismissing parents have a strong tendency to protect their children (and themselves) from negative emotions at any cost. Their way of dealing with negative emotions is to try to get over them, as if they were inconveniences or annoyances. Emotion-coaching parents on the other hand, have a different attitude toward emotions. When their children are upset, they see the occasion as an opportunity for an intimate dialogue. They ask respectful and focused questions about their children’s feelings and discuss calmly how to handle them. Emotion-coaching is a combination of acknowledging children’s feelings and focusing on how to cope with those feelings. Gottman and his
colleagues found that parents who regularly practiced emotion-coaching when their children were 5 years old and under, had children who had superior academic record, were better able to self -regulate their emotions, got along better with their peers and thereby had more friends, and even had better physical health up to three years later.
folks, mainly because we tend to fall back on the patterns we have learned while growing up, we, like our children, can learn to respond to emotions in more effective ways. Particularly in the intercultural and international landscape our children are immersed in, their happiness and success depend upon on it.
This brings us back to Goleman’s assertion that high IQ alone will not guarantee happiness and success in life.
Esther K. Myong Director, Namsan International Kindergarten, Operated by Seoul Foreign School
Rather, the child who has learned to develop his/her EQ (Emotional Quotient) at an early age, will have a higher chance of attaining the aforementioned. While emotion-coaching is automatic for some parents, for the rest of us average
Esther holds a Doctorate in Education with a focus on Educational Leadership. Her two wonderfully rambunctious children attend Seoul Foreign School.
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SFS Theatre Updates Edie Moon School Wide Drama Director Madcap Panthers, adventures in London, epic tales of love from Egypt, and medieval mayhem from EnglandSFS stages this and more!
In April, the story of AIDA swept across the Lyso Center Mainstage as over 45 high school students sang, danced and acted their way into our hearts. With unforgettable singing by juniors Sarah Hahm and Eunice Lee as well as seniors Hwa Yoo and Alex Lee, the ensemble cast, orchestra, backstage crew, and tech crew absolutely transformed the Lyso Center theatre and provided such a stirring performance that many in the sold out audiences came back for the second night. Inspired by combined audiences of 1,400 adults, students and children, the cast was encouraged and motivated to perform at the highest level possible. The wife of the
ambassador to Egypt , Mrs. Nehal Selim, was in attendance and shared after the performance that she felt like she was at home in Egypt and that she was surprised by the excellence of the performance.
A week after the performances, the cast of Aida agreed to meet the 4th grade students who were preparing to present their 4th grade musical Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS musical on May 14th and May 15th on the Lyso Center Mainstage. The 4th graders were thrilled to see the actors of Aida up front and close as well as to be able to ask them questions such as: “How do you become a character who is so different from you?” or “What do you do when you get nervous on stage?” The high school ensemble answered with sensitivity, wisdom and encouragement. This was a very important interaction as the younger students were able to find encouragement and wisdom from the high school students they admire and look up to. It was such a meaningful opportunity for cross divisional interaction!
In May, audiences saw the fruits of the 4th grade efforts! “In Magic Tree House: The Knight at Dawn KIDS, two siblings, Jack and Annie, return to visit a magic tree house filled with a magnificent collection of books that can transport the reader to the wonderful faraway settings featured in their pages. As they look at a book about knights and the middle ages, Annie is intrigued by the Black Knights and the mysterious quest they say one must successfully complete before becoming a knight. When she wishes to visit the castle in the book, the siblings are whisked away to medieval times and set off to learn more about the Black Knights and their quest. Through their adventure, the two discover the power of hope and the true meaning of 4th Graders Meet with the HS AIDA Cast
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HS Fringe Club with 2nd Graders gallantry.” (MTI) HIGH SCHOOL FRINGE DRAMA CLUB MEETS SECOND GRADE AUTHORS Last month, high school Fringe Drama club members delighted the hearts of 2nd graders by performing the stories the nd children had written. Young 2
grade authors and high school performers came together for a wonderful afternoon as children who had written fables with morals related to anti bullying, kindness and acceptance as well as a series of stories based on the book entitled The Day The Crayons Quit by Oliver Jeffers were able to see the interpretations the Fringe actors had made of their written words.
SFS Theatre Updates Edie Moon School Wide Drama Director You look around. One of them is sleeping. Three of them are ready to yell a quick retort. Two stare out of the window But then another looks at you And there are tears. Tangible, absolute, pure and longing for something she knows is truth.
AIDA and ART You are in a class talking about Art And science Science and art Arguing about what matters and what doesn’t what is progress and what is regression About the practicality of science and technology, business and a corporate life. And it is a consensus. Art is fluff. Why waste time on something that isn’t tangible? Why bother with something so shallow irrelevant risky-too much risk in a world of absolutes, black and whites, this or that, wrong or right. Profit or loss. And you wait. For a lull to get a word in edgewise. Your heart is aching and surging and angry. You know something else but no one else speaks And you wonder whether you even want to take the time Or the energy to yet again lift yourself up onto that Soap box to defend what you have 9given your life to. To what sustains pushes you passions you. But you do it anyway. And the words flow because that is what art does.
the thoughts emotions sensations vision purpose flows out of you and starts to spill on the floor. You tell them that everything matters science and art and that a world without art would be like stripping us of joy, healing, questions, pictures of something more than we see in front of us, Leaving us bereft of hope. You remind us that the artists bear the brunt because they show the heart , the spirit of the suffering. Art releases our voices. It creates the space for change, redirection, a new way of seeing. And without it, We are shells. Lost like T S Elliot’s “hollow men stuffed men leaning together headpiece filled with straw our dried voices whispering together as quiet and meaningless as wind in dry grass”. And you sit down. It’s quiet. For a few seconds.
Edie J. Moon April 2015 Seoul Foreign School Closing Night of AIDA For all the artists at SFS and beyond.
Updates 7 from Sam Stone, Drama Director Middle School actors wowed and thrilled audiences with their performances in 'The Pink Panther Strikes Again' by William Gleason. Joon Nam in the title roll of Inspector Clouseau was incredible as the bumbling stumbling detective and the entire ensemble worked incredibly hard to put on such an enjoyable and humorous show. Many thanks must also go to the crew, the parents and staff who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make all of these fantastic plays and musicals we do here at Seoul Foreign School so highly polished and professional. Eunjung Shin, Darrell Roddick and John Black to name but a few of the key players, bouquets of thanks! I would now like to take this moment to reveal the Middle School Musical for 2016. Drum roll please! Disney's 'The Little Mermaid Junior'. I look forward to doing it all again, with singing, next year! 13
University Acceptances Congratulations to the Class of 2015! As we wrap up another school year, the members of the Class of 2015 will be able to reflect on many meaningful events from their final year at SFS. The year started off with the senior retreat, which was filled with activities that fostered their getting to know each other on a more personal level and really bond as a class. The annual class trip to Yongpyong in February was another time for the class to spend together, sharing many good memories and strengthening friendships. With 80% of the seniors pursuing the IB Diploma (the highest percentage in SFS history), they showed their willingness to work hard in the classroom and beyond. They also found much success on the courts, field, pool, and stage as they represented SFS with much class in KAIAC and APAC events. The members of the Class of 2015 will long be remembered and are well-prepared for the next stage of their lives, wherever in the world this may take them. The following is a list of their “post-SFS” plans.
Faculty Profile
Seniors: We wish you all the best and look forward to hearing from you. Keep in touch and God bless!
Philip Arnold BS Year one
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Anglo-American University Arts University Bournemouth Boston University (2) Bowdoin College Calvin College Carnegie Mellon University (3) Case Western Reserve University College of Saint Benedict Colorado College Dartmouth College Duke University Emerson College Emory University (2) Fordham University Gap Year (2) George Washington University Georgetown University Goldsmiths College, University of London Hampshire College HZ University of Applied Science Imperial College London Indiana University-Bloomington Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University Liberty University Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Loughborough University New York University (4) Northeastern University Northwestern University (4) Occidental College Ohio State University Oxford College of Emory University (2) Parsons The New School for Design Penn State University-University Park Pratt Institute Princeton University Purdue University (3) Queen’s University Rhode Island School of Design Rice University (2) Royal Holloway, University of London Ryerson University
Chuck Krugler and Joon Myong, Counselors
Saint Olaf College Santa Clara University School of Visual Arts (2) Seoul National University Stony Brook University Swarthmore College Syracuse University Tufts University (2) Underwood International College-Yonsei United States Air Force Academy University College London University in Australia (2) University in Japan University in Kenya University in Korea (7) University in the U.K. University of British Columbia-Okanagan University of British Columbia-Vancouver University of California-Berkeley (4) University of California-Davis University of California-Irvine University of California-Los Angeles University of California-Riverside University of California-San Diego (2) University of Delaware University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign (3) University of Maryland-College Park University of Michigan University of Mississippi University of Namur University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania (2) University of San Diego University of Southern California (2) University of Surrey University of Texas-Austin University of the Arts University of Toronto (4) Villanova University Virginia Polytechnic Institute Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College (2) Westmont College Yale University
Faculty Profile Philip Arnold, BS Year 1 the opportunity to teach in such a culturally diverse school. Currently, I teach in Year 1 in the British School.
It’s been such a fantastic and rewarding first year for me here at SFS. I have been given such a warm welcome from everyone into the SFS community and I feel proud to be a part of this amazing school at such an exciting time.
Korea has proved to be a great place to live. Although I had an inclination about what Seoul had to offer, I have found that every time I venture off the hill I have found something new and fascinating to explore.
I first began teaching six years ago in my hometown in North London before moving here last August. Travelling the world and exploring different countries and their cultures has always been something I have enjoyed. I lived abroad once before, in New York, for part of my American Literature degree and really appreciated the experiences I had there, as well as the new friends that I made. When the opportunity arose, I soon realized that I was very keen to do it again!
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Already I have been lucky enough to be involved in such a variety of activities at SFS. It was a pleasure to help coach the Middle School girls’ soccer team. They were such a hard-working and talented squad; it was not a surprise that they were so successful!
Looking for a new challenge in a different part 5 of the world, SFS has given me
an opportunity to develop my teaching with children from a variety of different backgrounds. I am delighted to have
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The SFS staff pantomime has returned and what an enjoyable experience it has been. I think everyone involved would agree that they felt a real sense of pride and achievement in what we had created. The hard work and commitment shown by everyone for such a good cause truly embodied the spirit of our Christian community.
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7 Looking to the future, I hope to be
strongly involved with the continuing development of the primary curriculum at the British School. I would also love to get involved with the musical side of the school. Music technology is a passion of mine outside of the classroom and I’m looking forward to sharing my enthusiasm for the subject.
I have seen that our staff are committed and willing to embrace new ideas whilst maintaining the fundamental Christian values that are close to all our hearts. There is a real sense of belonging and togetherness here that crosses all sections of the school. I am so pleased to be a part of SFS and look forward to working and growing both professionally and spiritually in this environment. Philip with his BS Year 1 Class
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Author of Gilded Series Visits SFS Campus Christina Farley, Former SFS Teacher
I have very nostalgic memories of SFS, which became a huge influence in writing the Gilded series. My experiences at SFS where I taught for 8 years were precious and enabled me to create an authentic setting and realistic characters for my fantastical stories because every scene in
the book was inspired by a particular setting or students from SFS. I have always had an overly active imagination, so I started to combine a mess of ideas onto paper, writing down all the stories that were flying through my mind. For specific details and settings in the book, I did quite a bit of research about the Korean myth of Haemosu and Princess Yuhwa, took lessons in taekwondo and karate, and visited the DMZ several times to learn as much as I could about North Korea.
I could not have written ‘Gilded’ in the same way I did without drawing on my own personal experiences and favorite haunts of Seoul.
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Writing about a culture or country different from my own is quite interesting. What I found is that many Korean-American students who were born in the U.S. but live in Seoul face the task of understanding the multi-cultural facets of their individuality. This includes the division between different cultures, focusing predominantly on their transition to a native environment as a “foreigner”. Many become confused when trying to recognize and create their own identities while simultaneously adjusting to the Korean education and strong work ethic. For example, many students often question whether they are completely Korean if they break with their Western culture and embrace their Korean roots. I wanted to illustrate in my book just how important it is to have a positive perception of one’s own ethnicity. It is important to understand how individuals feel about their sense of belonging and involvement within their own ethnic community.
Returning to SFS and sharing my book series, Gilded and Silvern, with the community was so gratifying.
The campus has grown and changed somewhat, but its welcoming and friendly atmosphere has not changed.
Author of Gilded Series Visits SFS Campus Christina Farley, Former SFS Teacher SFS is so unique with its dynamic campus environment, its outstanding faculty, and the ambitious students and alumni. I was very excited to hear talk about SFS development plans and look forward to visiting again in the near future. To SFS students who are interested in becoming a writer, I have a few pieces of advice. First, try to experience as many things as you can and appreciate the moments in your life. There is something hidden and vivid in your daily lives that will be valuable in your future. Paying attention to details, listening to people’s conversations, and falling in love with foreign cultures were the primary sources I found most useful throughout my writing process. Second, do not give up if you have been afraid of getting rejected. With rejection, you must remember that it’s not about you- it’s about the fit. Finally, do not limit yourself to one career. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do even before they try. Follow your
passion, envision what you can do, and go beyond that. During Christina’s visit to SFS, she led several writing workshops for the students. Her presentations covered several topics regarding her writing process including: how to handle writer’s block, writing games, and advice on finding inspiration for your story. She also shared her character drawings created by former SFS student Nicole Kim, as well as her series trailer, created by former student Alex Shin. Her presentations were met with much excitement as many of our SFS students are fans of the Gilded series. We look forward to
SEOMUN
Christina with her husband Doug FARLEY, Former Teacher with her two sons, Caleb & Luke while visiting Seoul her newest book, Brazen, which will be out on September 29, 2015. Bio: Christina Farley, the author of the Gilded series, taught at international schools in Asia for ten years, eight of which were at SFS. She taught in several divisions during her time at SFS including the Middle, Elementary, and Pre-Schools. She is currently living in Clermont, Florida with her husband, Doug, and two sons, Caleb and Luke. Doug is currently serving as the Dean at Olympia High School. Caleb (5th grade) and Luke (3rd grade) are both soccer players and love to read. They are huge fans of the Gilded series and helped Christina with ideas for her books! Instagram- @ChristinaLFarley Twitter- @ChristinaFarley YouTube- ChocolateInspired Blog- www.ChristinaFarley.com/blog 17 19
SFS Swim Team 2014-15 Summary Mark Worden, Aquatics Coordinator
This year’s SFS swim team had 34 members - evenly split with 17 boys and 17 girls. Sean Cary was the returning assistant coach and Mark Worden was the first year head coach. Mark’s wife, Laura, was a volunteer coach. The team went to Shanghai for the APAC Swim Championships at the end of January, where the girls and boys were both 5th out of 8 teams. During the KAIAC season, the team swam in three league invitationals (one each at YISS, Chadwick and SFS) as well as the A Format Championship meet at YISS, the B Format Championship meet at SFS and the Tournament Championship meet at Chadwick. The KAIAC Swim League Champion team is determined by combining the points earned at the A and B Format meets. Additionally, there is a KAIAC Tournament Champion, determined solely by points earned at the final two day Championship meet. SFS ended the season with a clean sweep by being League Championships in girls and boys as well as Tournament Champions in girls and boys.
“I think even more important than being League and Tournament Champions is the improvement the kids had and the number of school records that they broke this year.” The team made many lifetime bests and broke 28 school records and 10 KAIAC League records.
Calling All SFS Alumni Swimmers! The SFS Aquatics Department is in the works of creating an Alumni Hall of Fame in the Aquatics lobby area. We’re looking for alumni who were swimmers at SFS and have continued to swim in College/University. If you were or know of any alums who are swimmers in college or was a swimmer while attending college please do let us know. We’d like to include your photo and name on our Aquatics Alumni Hall of Fame. Please contact yoojin.um @seoulforeign.org for details.
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SFS Soccer Season Summary Girls and Boys ‘Comebacks’ Kasey Rhee, Sophomore
The secret behind the Lady Crusaders’ soccer success is anything but concrete, and in each game, there is an inexplicable moment where skill fuses with intangibles to propel us to victory. Looking back on the season, it was these passionate surges of motivation that allowed us to revel in our highlights and bounce back from disappointments. March brought a promising beginning, as the team racked up an impressive 28 goals in its first four games, and settled comfortably into its enduring legacy of KAIAC domination. The Crusaders found their first challenges in Osan American and Seoul American, with both matches ending in frustrating draws. Nevertheless, the team rallied and cruised again, with significant contributions from striker Callie Chang’s powerful goals and solid playmaking from sophomore Nina Bernhardt. The Lady Crusaders entered the APAC Tournament having suffered a painful loss against Osan the previous night and with Bernhardt injured, but responded beautifully to the adverse conditions by securing two wins against TCIS and AISG. The next day brought high hopes that, despite offensive chances and a controlling defense, were not quite
fulfilled, ending with a loss against International School of Beijing and an unexpected tie with Shanghai American SchoolPuxi. Seoul Foreign again came up short in its last match before the final against 2014 APAC champion SAS Pudong, a loss that cost the team its chance of winning its 6th APAC titles in 10 years. Though a bitter pill to swallow, the girls substituted their disappointment for intensity, and the five seniors in particular - Sasi Banyatpiyaphod (co-captain), Su Jean Park (co-captain), Joanna Kim (co-captain), Ji Won Shin and Skye Chung - played with intensity and focus that earned the Lady Crusaders a 3-0 win over SAS Puxi. The tournament ended with celebrations as SFS not only claimed the bronze on their home turf, but were also deemed worthy of the Sportsmanship Award by opposing teams and coaches. The team turned its attention to closing the regular season but were immediately met with an unlucky loss, a result that cemented the Crusaders failing to win the KAIAC Conference Title for the first time since 2008. As it turned out, this final letdown would become the spark that spurred the Crusaders on to dominate the KAIAC Tournament. The team was able to redeem itself and
working together to meet collective and individual goals is a life changing and life Paul Rader, HS Boys Soccer Coach enriching experience. We ended the season with an overall Despite many fresh faces, the players record of 15 wins 6 losses and were the that returned from last year’s championship winning team were mature KAIAC Regular Season Champions, the APAC Fourth Place team, and the KAIAC and determined that this season the team would work hard for each other and Tournament Runners Up. We experienced some great wins and some meet our goals. Pulling on the SFS jersey tough losses, and through it all we is a commitment and responsibility to learned together and created memories one’s self, one’s teammates, and to the School. This group took up the challenge we will never forget. Season statistical leaders: Kai Summers wholeheartedly demonstrating that the with 16 goals and 22 assists totaling 40 value of coming together as a team and
Boys Soccer
smother Osan American in the final, defeating the Cougars 4-2 and capturing its 4th straight KAIAC Tournament Title. For three crazy months together, we were able to celebrate triumph,
absorb defeat, and, through it all,4 savor the joy that comes from playing the game we all love. 2015 KAIAC Division I All-Conference: Su Jean Park, Sasi Banyatpiyaphod, Sofia Migues, Callie Chang, Nina Bernhardt 2015 KAIAC All-Tournament: Skye Chung, Joanna Kim, Sofia Migues, Michelle Kahng, Nina Bernhardt, Lalla Migliardi, Sophie de Boer 2015 KAIAC Tournament Best Offensive Player: Callie Chang 2015 KAIAC Tournament MVP: Sasi Banyatpiyaphod 2015 ALL-APAC: Skye Chung, Callie Chang, Dana Won 7
career goals and 45 career assists, which ties him sixth all time on the career scoring list and second on the career assists list. Huchan Lee with 16 goals and 6 assists totaling 30 career goals, which ties him for 13th all time on the career scoring list. Francesco Luraschi with 17 goals and 7 assists totaling 29 goals career goals and 11 career assists. Notables were Andrew Ha and Leo Migliardi with 9 goals this year. To the players leaving after this year never forget: “Once a Crusader, Always a Crusader!” 11
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U.S. Alumni Reunions New York & San Francisco This year, the US alumni gatherings took place in New York and San Francisco, with each having gathered 26 and 23 alumni and guests, respectfully. The New York Reunion had the largest attendance of alumni than from previous years. We hosted the gathering in the beautiful Amali restaurant, which provided a very rustic and elegant ambiance for our distinguished alumni. We enjoyed the company of 21 alumni and were treated to the participation of Dr. Roberta ADAMS ’73* who happened to be visiting New York at that time (she currently resides in Phoenix, AZ. Her sister Lois ADAMS ‘71* also attended SFS from 1968-70. Also in attendance was John O’DONNELL ’70 with his wife, Masumi, who have both participated in a number of alumni gatherings, including the Centennial Gala in Seoul in 2012.
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The San Francisco Reunion was hosted at a ‘much-talked-about’ Seoul-fusion restaurant called Fusebox; a gem tucked in a more remote area of San Francisco. We had the attendance of some ‘Friends of Seoul Foreign School’ Board members: Dr. Harlan LYSO, Ron and Ruth RICHTER, Gail RIGGS MEYER ‘70*, and Harry RUDOLPH (current SFS Board member). Also in attendance was Shirley DROESE, former Assistant Head of School- Academics. June KANG, Director of Advancement hosted both gatherings on behalf of SFS, providing an update of the School with a brief video. As in previous years, alumni were tested of their level of SFS knowledge with trivia games, which brought about a fun mood of competition among our alumni. SFS souvenirs and a number of prizes were
New York Reunion
handed out throughout the events, to raise the spirit of the gatherings. We enjoyed recognizing the earliest graduate and the newest alum among many other fun recognitions. We are so grateful for the enthusiastic support of a number of our alumni who have been able to attend. We would encourage you to participate if you have not had a chance to do so. It is such a wonderful opportunity to meet up with members of the SFS community and share in stories and fond memories of past times. If you or other alumni you know are interested in hosting a reunion, please do contact the Advancement Office and we would be eager to help support your event with any fun giveaways that could make your gatherings even more enjoyable.
U.S. Alumni Reunions New York & San Francisco
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John KIM ‘71* and Gail RIGGS MEYER ‘70*
William BENJAMIN ‘58* , Alice (William’s wife) & Harold BENJAMIN ‘51*
Roberta Adams ‘73*, John O’Donnell ’70 & his wife Masumi
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Kimble COOK ‘83, Ruth RICHTER, Former Faculty & Tina COLES ‘79
Rachel LEE ‘12 and Albert KIM ‘14 with friends
Jennifer Cha ‘03, Ester Linton ‘08, Matthew Do ‘08
Harlan LYSO Former HOS, Dan KIM ‘87* & Ruth RICHTER, Former Faculty
Laura JUNG ‘13
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Alumni Interview Matthew ’03* & Catherine ’07* Chung Matthew (M): I attended SFS from 1991-1999 (1st-8th grade) and Catherine attended from 1996-1999 (1st-4th grade) Though neither of us graduated from SFS, we have nothing but fond memories of our time at the School. One of my favorite things about the School was getting the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. I really think this helped to expand my cultural awareness. I also remember that the focus was
always on the students, and any changes or decisions made had the students’ best interest in mind. And, from what it sounds like, SFS is continuing to change and expand. It’s great to hear that the School is continually striving to provide its students with more. Catherine (C): Though I was only at the School for a short time, all of my SFS memories are awesome. I still remember loving all the arts and crafts activities and attending the School science fair. We’ve been back to visit SFS several times, to support our nephew in his school activities. We are very grateful to the SFS community for the time we had as students at the School and now, in their support of our business. When we were choosing a location for our restaurant, we never actually made the connection of the proximity to SFS. However, we have found
that we have received a steady stream of support from the community, which we are very thankful for. M: If I were to give advice to an SFS student who is interested in pursuing a career Matthew CHUNG ‘03* in 1st grade and in hospitality, this Catherine CHUNG ‘07* in 4th grade at SFS is what I would tell them: first, be prepared to work very hard. C: My advice would be to pay attention Starting your own business is to your peer’s offerings. Working in absolutely gratifying, but you have to hospitality, you can’t help but create a do the leg work to get there. special relationship with your co-workers. Interestingly enough, we come from a It is important to learn how to work family of restaurant owners; we are together because this really teaches you rd actually the 3 generation, so we to think beyond yourself, in order to give have seen what it takes throughout your customers the best possible service. the years. My next piece of advice is This lesson in hospitality can also that it is never too early to develop translate to any other field of work you your interest in the field. One of my may choose later. first friends at SFS was from Jordan and I remember being introduced to Catherine and Matthew Chung are eating lamb during one of his family co-owners of the American Bistro, which meals. That opened my eyes from a has been open for almost one year and is very young age to the vast amount of conveniently located next to Hongdae flavor and foods that are available all University. Catherine serves as General over the world. Take the time to Manager of the restaurant, while expand and develop your palate. Matthew is the Executive Chef. The Beastro has recently undergone renovation in order to expand their kitchen, menu, and general space. They have also added a rooftop seating area which will be available throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions. For more information on the Beastro, take a look below: 358-32 Seogyo Dong 2F, Mapo-gu, Seoul www.thebeastroseoul.com 02-334-2500
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Alumni Interview Leila Abdelrazaq, Class of 2011
I attended SFS for High School from 2007 -2011. I was super involved in theatre at SFS and when I think back to my time there, my fondest memories and
closest friendships were definitely forged while working on a variety of SFS productions. My most valuable learning experiences mostly happened outside of the classroom setting. While at SFS, my involvement in a variety of theatre productions taught me how to save my best energy for the things I love, without completely forgetting about school. For a lot of us who are passionate about things like art or activism--activities that are outside of the academic realm demand a lot of our time and energy--it can be hard to find a balance between academics and doing what we love. My 5 process of learning how to balance 6 these two began while working on theatre productions in high school, and allowed me to eventually write a graphic novel while also being a full-time college student--and still graduate on time!
I got to college and realized that SFS definitely prepared me in the sense that I could express myself easily and clearly in writing. I saw some of my peers struggling to do so on things that seemed basic to me, and it made me value all the rigorous essay assignments we got, especially in the IB program. 3
I just finished writing and illustrating my first graphic novel, Baddawi. It is a biographical memoir of my father’s life growing up as a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon’s Baddawi refugee camp during the Lebanese Civil War. It traces my family’s history from IsraelPalestine conflict in 1948 to my dad’s childhood in Baddawi. I just got done creating a play for my senior project at The Theatre School at DePaul, which I just graduated from. It was an all-Arab ensemble piece, and we devised a show that dealt with issues that Arabs face in the diaspora.
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I’m now continuing to make art while organizing with National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) and working part time at the Arab American Action Network (AAAN) in Chicago, where I help with their Youth Organizing 7 Program and give art workshops that integrate political themes. To order Leila’s book, please visit the link below: http://justworldbooks.com/baddawi/
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Alumni Notes/Visits
1970s Class Rep: Veronica CREVECOEUR ‘76
Peter UNDEROOD ’73 with AWANA
We received the following pictures from Martha Van LIEROP VALASEK ‘73*. The first picture was taken near the steps of the High School. Seen below was during one of Martha’s performances at the Spring concert. She is performing with her group “The Chansonetts.” We had the pleasure of welcoming Sue HILL MOFFATT ’72 to our Alumni Welcome Center in February. Sue returned to SFS for the first time after 42 years.
Sue HILL MOFFATT ‘72, Brad (Sue’s husband), and Kayla MOON Advancement Office Intern) 24
After recently retiring from teaching Kindergarten, Sue and her husband, Brad, were on a two-month-long vacation traveling around Asia. After teaching in Singapore for over 10 years, they shared that they had caught the “international bug,” and were very excited to return to Seoul. Sue could not believe how much the School had changed in the past 40 years, saying, “I remember farmers in fields surrounding SFS- not huge skyscrapers. I never would have recognized it!” The Moffatts are currently residing in Petoskey, Michigan. We were excited to welcome Peter UNDERWOOD '73, back to our SFS campus in March. Peter visited the AWANA club, the weekly children's Christian program, as a guest speaker. He shared stories about the Underwood family and their significant mission work in Korea. After 37 years, James YOUN ’78 returned back to SFS with his wife Mica while on a family trip to Seoul. James attended SFS for all of his HS years and has fond memories
with his friends, especially with John RHEE ’78. After he left SFS, James moved back to California for college and worked for Samsung for a long time. While at Samsung he had visited Korea many times but this was his first time to visit SFS since graduation. He is currently retired and resides in Sacramento, California. He was impressed to see the growth of the School and how the School has continued to keep its legacy. James also shared an episode during the time he went to SFS, when his friend John RHEE ’78 and he skipped school one day while his father called Mrs. Hong (Ms. Kim back then) to forward a message. He got in big trouble that day but recalls the fun times he spent with his friends in his youth.
James YOUN‘78, Mica (James’ wife), and Mrs. HONG, HS Admin. Assistant
1990s Class Rep: David RHA ‘92 Class Rep: Renee KANG ‘94 Class Rep: Lionel CHUFFART ‘95*
2000s Class Rep: Michelle KIM ‘00 Class Rep: Jennifer CHA ‘02 Class Rep: Michelle LEE ‘03 Class Rep: Alex PAIK ‘04 Lesley PARK ‘00* (attended SFES 198889) has received her PhD in cancer and HIV epidemiology from Yale University. After graduation in May, she is marrying Chris Newman in June, and then starting a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University in July. In attendance at Lesley’s dissertation defense was her cousin, Rosanna JON (attended SBS 1986-93 and SFMS 1993 -5). Rosie and her husband, Adrian Curtis, live in Connecticut with their two energetic young sons and met while they studied at Imperial College London. In addition, Rosie shares her gift of creativity with the world through painting with her toes and through writing (check out her website: www.rosiejon.com). Both Lesley and Rosie have fond memories of waving to each other walking to the buses at the end of the day while Lesley walked from SFS and Rosie walked from SFBS. Lesley also shared a picture of her friend Provi SPINA ‘00* at her wedding. Provi and her sisters (Bom and Salm) also attended SFS in 1988. Provi went on to law school at Columbia and practices law in Washington, DC. Mrs. Catherine
GAGNON, Former Teacher during the years 89-91 (Lesley’s 2nd grade teacher) also lives in northern Virginia they run into each other quite frequently! Mrs. GAGNON was also at Provi’s wedding. We were delighted to meet up with Kristian TORVOLD '04 and Kevin HAHM '03 who were visiting SFS to meet with his classmate, Paul RADER '04/Current Faculty. After graduating from SFS Kristian joined the military and
Kevin HAHM ‘03, Paul RADER ‘04, & Kristian TORVOLD ‘04 attended college in Norway, moved to Beijing, China to study Chinese and then to Shanghai to receive his Master's degree. He worked in China for the past 6 years and is now working in Finance for an Offshore oil and gas company in Singapore. Kristian feels great being back to SFS and cannot express all the good memories he had here on campus. He has heard of some SFS alumni living in Singapore and hopes to join any reunions coming up in the future. Kevin attended Williams college after graduating from SFS, worked in Boston and Hong Kong for a while and moved back to the States to continue with his MBA. He is now back in Seoul working
Lesley Park ‘00*
Lesley PARK ‘00* with Rosanna JON ‘00*
Provi SPINA ‘00* and her mom Oakshin with Mrs. GAGNON in the background
Above: Brittney and Brian BARR back in 1996 Below: Brittney and Brian BARR in 2015
for an energy company. He occasionally visits the school as his mother Mrs. Janet HAHM (BS Librarian) is working at the School. Our Alumni Office received an email from Diane BARR, parent of Brittney and Brian BARR. She commented on how amazing it is just how popular their 1990's Korean Expat group has become in such a short time, explaining that this is a testament to just how much they all loved their time in Seoul. She shared that she has literally thousands of pictures, hundreds from SFS alone, many of which will go into the book that she is currently working on. Diane also shared, “even though we have lived on three continents and traveled most of the world, Seoul and SFS still occupy a very special place in our hearts!” In the top photo to the right, Diane recalls that they still have their SFS sweatshirts! Congratulations to Meghan BARENNES TEMPLE’03 and husband Luke, on the birth of their second son! Liam Yves Temple was born February 8, 2015 in Lexington, Kentucky. See picture on the next page... 25
Alumni Notes/Visits
Meghan BARENNES TEMPLE ‘03 with sons Riley and Liam
Kristen BARENNES CREECH ‘06,Harry CREECH‘05 with daughter Selah
birthday “toljabee” event. As you can see in the picture, she chose the pen. According to tradition, this indicates that she will be a successful scholar in the future.
Jyoti KULANGARA ‘04 with Edie MOON, Current Faculty
We loved welcoming Jyoti KULANGARA ‘04 back to our campus. She was visiting Seoul for the first time in 10 years! She loved getting a tour of the campus and visiting one of her favorite teachers, Mrs. Edie MOON. Jyoti planned on visiting many areas of Seoul during her visit such as Bukchon, the Seoul Tower, and the Secret Gardens. She is currently working as a Public Relations representative for Population Services International based out of Washington, DC, which provides relief to victims of HIV/AIDS in Africa. She is currently living in Japan. Kristen BARENNES CREECH ’06 & Harrison CREECH ’05 celebrated the first birthday of their daughter, Selah Creech this past February 22, 2015. Dressed in an adorable hanbok, her 20+ guests watched as she participated in the traditional first
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Kayla MOON ‘10 & Bethany STALLINGS‘07
Kayla MOON’10 & Bethany STALLINGS ’07 recently visited Jejudo island during their Spring Break. Bethany won the trip at the SFS Alumni Reunion this past January in Seoul, and invited Kayla to join her. Kayla and Bethany are currently living and working in Korea. We received some exciting news from Kathleen BARENNES REHNER ‘07 and her husband Daniel recently, on the upcoming June birth of their baby girl! Kathleen is currently an Art teacher at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky.
Kathleen BARENNES REHNER ‘07 & husband Daniel
Ester LINTON FANG ‘08 with her husband Stephen Congratulations to Ester LINTON ’08 (now Ester FANG) who got married this past winter! Stephen and Ester met in San Francisco, then got engaged and married in New York. They are currently living in Queens. Ester is working as an associate dentist at a local dental clinic, and Stephen works for Google NY. They shared that it has been a great 7 months of marriage, especially with the support of their local church community and pastor.
Audrey SHIH ‘07 with Mrs. WOO, MS Admin. Assistant
We had the pleasure of welcoming Audrey SHIH ’07 back to our SFS campus today. Audrey graduated from Underwood International College, Yonsei University where she majored in International Studies. She has worked as a business consultant for over three years. Audrey attended SFS Middle and High school, and is drawn primarily to the “SFS’s innovative, eclectic studentcentered academic programs”. She said, “Satisfying his or her own school is never easy, but SFS has been very close to being the perfect school for me. Through experiencing different sports activities, Model United Nation (MUN), and many other service projects, I was captivated by the diversity of activities at SFS. It was great to make SFS my home for 7 years”.
dropped by SFS to meet with his former teacher, Chuck Krugler, HS Counselor. Sasha attended SFS for 2 years and moved on to Chicago for his University and is currently residing in Singapore working for a financial firm. He still keeps in touch with many of his friends from SFS and said that the time he spent at SFS were the best in his life. SFS built a good foundation for him and he is thankful for this experience. While mentioning regional reunions, Sasha mentioned that he would like to gather with some alumni in Singapore and host a mini SFS reunion in the future. So, for those alumni living in Singapore or visiting, look out for the SFS Singapore reunion coming up in the future!
In March, Colleen Ireland and Sarah Carpenter, current teachers welcomed former alumni, Jessica HOSKIN'09* and Kayla MOON'10 to their Freshman Seminar class. Jessica and Kayla gave a talk on the reality of pursuing goals and dreams as part of a new unit in the HS course. What a wonderful opportunity for the HS Sasha Breen ‘08 with Chuck students to hear from some Krugler , HS Counselor of our very own alumni! Both Sasha BREEN ‘08 and Chuck KRUGLER, HS Counselor Kayla and Jessica are
Jessica HOSKIN ‘09* & Kayla MOON‘10
currently living and working in Seoul. Rachel KIM ‘10* dropped by the SFS campus in March. While visiting her friends in Seoul who are also SFS alumni, (Seline JUNG ’10 and Kayla MOON ’10), she decided to visit the campus where she attended from 2nd-8th grade. This is the first time she had been back to visit since high school. Rachel shared such fond memories of her time at SFS saying, “it was literally perfect.” Rachel is currently living in Hong Kong. As a recent Smith college graduate, she is currently on the job hunt and hopes that she can relocate to New York in the near future.
While visiting his father, Sasha BREEN ’08
Rachel KIM ‘10* 27
Alumni Notes/Visits
We recently received the picture below from the parent of former alumni, Christopher CHO ‘12, during their family trip out east to the University of Pennsylvania. Pictured from left to right is Christopher CHO '12, Kristine PARK '13, Erin KIM '14, and Natalie CHO, Current Junior at SFS.
Leah CHUNG ‘10 and Edie MOON, Faculty
We had a visit from Leah CHUNG ‘10 during the winter. Leah was spending several months in Seoul after working in San Francisco as the Chief Design Officer at Byline. Leah stopped by to visit several of her favorite faculty members including her former Discipleship leader, Mrs. Edie Moon. She also did a presentation in the IB English class of Mrs. Cathi Wiebusch. Leah is currently living in Washington D.C. and working at USAID as the Communications Advisor.
completing their professional year for education and are looking to teach locally for 1-3 years before hopefully heading overseas.
It was a pleasure to have the DARSBO family from Sweden back on campus. Mr.& Mrs. Darsbo and Ellen (currently in Y9) were delighted to reunite with her former teachers and friends who are still attending BS Y9. The family was at SFS from April 2006 to June 2008 along with Ellen’s two older brothers Petter ‘12* and Pontus ‘10* who were not able to visit this time because they are both attending university. Ellen commented that this trip was very emotional, refreshing old memories and revisiting the places that the family used to enjoy during their stay in Korea. She also said that the moment she entered the BS there was a flashback of memories and she said the soap in the Congratulations to Kelvin Benger ’11 on washrooms even his engagement to Megan Raverty this smelled the same! past January! They will be getting married on July 24th in Langley BC. In the coming year, they are both Ellen in BS Year 1
Kelvin BENGER ‘11 with fiancé Megan
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Mrs. Darsbo, Ellen Y9, & Mr. Darsbo Mr. & Mrs. DARSBO with Ellen
Former Faculty/Friends
second thoughts as she finished out the year, and has always regretted her decision. She ended her email by saying that she will always treasure her year at
Allison & Amos LYSO ’93/Former Faculty with son Malachi Victoria HEISEL, Former Faculty
Our Advancement office recently received an email from former faculty member, Victoria HEISEL, who taught at SFS from ’73-’74. She shared that she found her way to SFS as a first time teacher by a college recruiting program which Mr. ENG (the high school principal) was recruiting for and Heisel said she was sold! Her first memories of Seoul include the vast mountains in the distance, three wheel trucks, lots of people, and the warm weather. She also shared memories of writing countless letters in lieu of cell phones, email, or Skype. Victoria still has fond memories of her students, saying, “The kids were amazing; most were bi-lingual. Many knew three languages. I taught Elementary Phys Ed in a metal roofed Quonset hut type building. It was the year of the international energy crisis…and it hit us hard. I had no heat over-night in the gym and arrived to ice on the gym floor and 30 -40 F. temps. I taught in my winter coat, gloves and boots!” She said that her students were always very resilient and never complained though, even when she had to teach in the classroom due to inclement weather. On a particularly cold day, Victoria remembers feeling very discouraged and resigning from her position. However, she notes that she had
Malachi “Kai” LYSO
SFS saying “the school, teachers, kids, and city were all a blessing.” Today, Victoria works as a Realtor in Cape Coral, FL. Prior to real estate, she worked in many areas of insurance marketing and sales at the corporate level. Brittney Rader ’09, accompanied by her new husband Jesse Fields, had a mini
reunion dinner with Wyatt and Suzy WILCOX, Former Teachers, as well as Andy and Charmaine FOORD, Current Teachers. The Foords were visiting Singapore during their vacation time. Brittney is currently a PE teacher at International Community School (Singapore) while Suzy and Wyatt are teachers at Singapore American School. Congratulations to Amos ’93 & Allison LYSO, Former Faculty on the birth of their beautiful son, Malachi Alan Lyso at 3:46pm on March 29th weighing 8lbs 2oz (3.71kg). The Lysos are currently living in Hong Kong. Amos is Vice Principal at Yew Chung International School and Allison is serving part-time as a Christian and Moral Education Division Associate.
Brittany RADER ‘09 with the FOORD and WILCOX family Andy KIM, Seon Woo KIM, Brennan HAN & Peter LEE ‘14 29
Alumni Notes/Visits
Brittney RADER FIELDS ‘09, Melissa Moon ‘07*, Kayla MOON ‘10, Paul RADER ‘04, and Mrs. HONG
Mrs. Hyun Sook HONG & Mrs. Youngja YUM, Current Staff, treated the whole Rader/Moon family to a delicious Chinese meal in Yonhi-dong this past Christmas vacation. Helen and JP RADER, Former Faculty, were visiting their children, Paul and Hannah RADER, Current Faculty, and Brittney RADER ‘09 and her husband Jesse Fields in Seoul. Melissa MOON, ‘07* was
Ben COYNER, Former Faculty 30
visiting her family, Jack, Edie, and Kayla MOON from Lexington, Kentucky where she is currently getting her Masters in Early Childhood Education. Kay and Paul RADER, Former Board Members/ Missionaries in Korea were also in attendance. They had a wonderful time sharing memories from the past growing up in Seoul, including the many times they used to visit Mrs. Hong’s office for candy! Ben COYNER, Former Teacher visited SFS during his Spring break at International Christian School, Pyontaek. Ben is currently the Guidance Counselor and Admissions Director at that school. He also plans to attend graduate school to receive a counseling degree next year. He was delighted to meet up with his former HS faculty members and attend the HS Easter Assembly during his visit.
Over the Lunar New Year break, HS Counselor Chuck KRUGLER, traveled to Shanghai, China to visit some past SFS friends. They enjoyed a fun "SFS Diaspora" pot luck gathering that night at Soon-Ok and Jonathan BORDEN’s house for almost 20 former SFS teachers, coming together to greet Chuck on his visit to Shanghai. Pictured below is Heena CHUNG & husband, Jonathan & Soonok BORDEN, Larry & Patti KEARNEY, Evie SLATTER, Holly RAATZ, Bryan KLINGBERG & Sara PREUS, Thekla & James MANNING, Mary NURRE, Joan LUETH, Katelyn KEARNEY ‘03, and Chuck KRUGLER.
Annette FALDYN and Kayla MOON ‘10
understand. The research that went into this highlights what most scholars agree to be some of the most significant masterpieces in art, architecture, and historical events since prehistoric times. Every image and line has been hand etched in scratch board to make this not only an invaluable educational tool but also a beautiful work of art. Congratulations on your achievement, Tracy!
Annette FALDYN, Former Faculty, was able to grab breakfast with one of her former students, Kayla MOON ’10, in Hong Kong this past February. Annette loves where she lives (right in the heart of Stanley Market), as well as working as an ES counselor at Hong Kong International School. After 4 months leaving SFS, Sondra BLACK, Former Faculty made a short visit to Seoul. Both Sondra and Rob are currently residing in Westlake Village, California and Rob is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Oaks Christian School. Even though it has only been a few months both Sondra and Rob are loving their new home and enjoying their life in California. Tracy NICHOLS, Former Art Teacher at SFS, has created an amazing Art History Timeline Staircase. The timeline compliments K-8, AP, IB, and university level Arts and Humanities Courses, and makes 5,000 years of recorded history and art chronology very easy to
Tracy NICHOLS, Former Faculty
Simon and Dee GRIMSHAW(O’CONNOR), former British School teachers together with her sons Steve and Matthew visited SFS after almost a decade. The Grimshaw family moved to the Alice Smith School, Malaysia for 7 years and has currently moved to Vietnam for the past 6 months. Simon is still teaching PE and Dee is the The family made a trip to Seoul for Deputy Head of the Primary School at the Matthew’s 10th Birthday. The Grimshaws British International School, Vietnam. enjoyed being back to Seoul and reuniting with old friends.
Yoojin UM, Manager of Advancement, Sondra BLACK, Former Faculty and June Kang, Director of Advancement
The GRIMSHAW Family
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Alumni AlumniNotes/Visits Reunion (Ruth Richter)
will visit SFS again with her sons who are now living nearby Kansas City. Pictured is Darlene Caswell with Phillip Caswell, her husband who was a minister in Korea. We had the absolute pleasure of welcoming Holly RAATZ, Former Darlene CASWELL, Former Faculty with her husband Teacher back to the SFS campus last week. Holly taught at Darlene CASWELL, Former Faculty who SFS from 1986-2001, serving as both a 1st taught Home Economics from 1972-1973 and 6th grade teacher. She shared about was on campus visiting from Kansas City, being at SFS right when the Middle School Missouri. Her two sons, Brent and Greg, was first being built and was shocked to attended SFS kindergarten through middle see that Chicago Pizza was still at the school in the early 1970s. Darlene said she bottom of the hill! Holly is currently teaching at Concordia International School Shanghai, along with her husband Stephen, who used to serve as the Band Director at SFS. Her son, Seth '06*, (who was born in Cheil Hospital and attended SFS from JK-Gr. 6) just got married this past December to Sarah Bonczyk, graduate of International School of Beijing
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The RAATZ Family at Seth’s wedding
(ISB). Her daughter, Brianna '04* (who attended SFS from SK-Gr. 8), is married to Jeff Prebeck and they just had their first daughter, Brielle, on December 31st of this year. Both of her children are currently living and working in the US. Holly had a great time reconnecting with friends from SFS, and revisiting many of her favorite spots in Seoul. Ruth RICHTER, Former Faculty and Alumni Coordinator made a visit to SFS after her last visit since the Centennial year. She is visiting her daughter, Ginger Richter '80 who is currently working for the US Embassy in Seoul. Ruth was delighted to meet and catch up with her old colleagues and friends. She shared many fun stories of her time here at SFS and will be attending a few SFS events during her stay in Seoul.
Ruth RICHTER with Colm FLANAGAN, Head of School & June KANG, Director of Advancement
Seoul Alumni Reunions Coming to Seoul to visit her oldest daughter, Ginger RICHTER '80, Ruth RICHTER FT contacted Nick PARK '93 to see if perhaps some SFS alumni might be able to get together with her for a visit. What fun for Ruth to attend a dinner with Nick being a really great host. Ruth loves to hear about the careers of each of these alumni and to remember them fondly as high school kids who are now accomplished businessmen, lawyers, entrepreneurs. There was lots of laughter, stories being told and Bok was particularly eloquent in his recalling of "Charlie Brown" the play he was in as a student. Pictured: Henry WOO '95, John KIM '89, Nick PARK '93, Bok (Lance) LEE '89*, Ginger RICHTER '80, Ruth RICHTER FT, Chuck KRUGLER, Faculty, Mee RO FT, Eugene KIM '95, Mike JO '91, Bob KIM '89.
Reunion with Former Staff Members Over the years that Ruth RICHTER FT was returning to SFS each year when she was the Alumni Coordinator, it became a tradition for the secretaries at the school to arrange to take her out to dinner on her visits to Seoul. Once again this spring when Ruth was here, a large group of staff, current and former, as well as Mrs. HAHM, longtime high school Korean Language and Korean Art teacher joined together for a wonderful meal of Korean food, lots of
Mrs. HAHM & Mrs. YUM
talk about everyone's memories of working at Seoul Foreign School. Included in this dinner were Ginger RICHTER '80 as well as Ruth's friends, Richard and Robbie Wilson, traveling with her and coming from the same little mountain community in Idaho where Ruth and her husband, Ron RICHTER Former Administrator, retired. Ruth is so appreciative of these longtime friendships of these wonderful ladies who have always been the back bone of making sure that things ran smoothly at the school and all of them gave so many years of their lives to working there.
Ginger RICHTER ‘80, Mrs. LEE & Mrs. CHO
Ruth with Mrs. SUNG
Mrs. YOON, Mrs. WOO, Mrs. KO & Mrs. CHUN 33
Alumni Notes/Visits Advancement Office Intern Profile Soo Yeon Bae & Kayla Moon “The Advancement Office internship has provided me a broad range of experiences where I earned an excellent grounding in what office workers do in administration, strategic marketing management, communications & publications, public relations, and other business related fields. I had the opportunity to improve my professional business skills, a chance to interview and network with various SFS parents and alumni (including business leaders and experts), gained a wider understanding of fundraising and promotion, as well as reporting and editing skills. It was a good collaborative workplace to strengthen my knowledge and insights in the function I will apply for and management abilities in the fast moving society.”
“My internship in the SFS Advancement Office has more than exceeded my expectations. I have been given responsibilities in a myriad of fields within public relations, marketing, publications, and more. As an SFS alumni, I have thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with my alma mater, its faculty and students, and my former classmates. This school is home to me, so it has been an absolute blessing to work here and learn as much as I can from my amazing supervisors. This internship has given me the opportunity for tremendous growth in all areas of communication, and I truly feel confident and prepared as I look forward to my future in this field.”
—Soo Yeon Bae
—Kayla Moon ‘10
Kayla Moon ’10 & Soo Yeon Bae
If you are interested in an internship in the SFS Advancement Office, please contact: Blair Lee, Assistant Head of SchoolAcademics at blair.lee@seoulforeign.org Priority will be given to SFS Alumni
SFS ALUMNI LIKE US https://www.facebook.com/alumnisfs
JOIN US http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Seoul-Foreign-School-Alumni-6667255? home=&gid=6667255&trk=my_groups-tile-grp TAG US https://instagram.com/seoulforeignschool4u/ Interested in Becoming a Class Representative? Want to Share Alumni News? Want to Visit the SFS Campus? Please contact: Yoojin Um at yoojin.um@seoulforeign.org or 02-330-3137 34
Faculty Farewell We are thankful to our departing faculty for their exceptional contributions
Mark Altmann HS
Christine Bickel ES
David Bickel HS
Steve Dornbach HS
Alelie Dumaop NIK
Jon Hill MS
Lonna Hill MS
Jennifer Magaso Daycare
Maureen O’Callaghan SW
John Kneale HS
Myleah Rydberg HS
Claire Lewis HS
Stephanie Sanzo MS
Marion Statton HS
Melanie Smith HS
Cathi Wiebusch HS
Rhonda Chavis ES
Heeok Sohn BS
Jeff Taylor MS/ HS
Yeram Chung NIK
Judy Jang ES
Amy Dornbach ES
Hailey Kim SW
Laura Phillips BS
Chris Rydberg HS
Madison Staffa ES/BS
Nicholas Staffa ES/BS
Jenny James HS
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