SFS Today - December 2011

December 2011 Volume 3 Issue 2

SFS Today Details of daily distinction found at Seoul Foreign School

Seoul Foreign School, centered in Christ, inspires educational excellence & promotes Christian values, personal integrity & responsible global citizenship through a dynamic international experience.

Outstanding Results for our KAIAC Forensics Team!

SFS KAIAC Forensics Team On November 11th and 12th, SFS hosted 7 schools for a KAIAC Forensics Tournament. During those two days, the SFS Speech & Debate team competed in a wide range of numerous events, from Poetry to Public Forum Debate. SFS was able to field multiple entries in all events, and our results were outstanding. SFS students placed in every single Speech & Debate event (and there are 10 of them)! SFS also had clean sweeps (where we won 1st, 2nd and 3rd place) in Impromptu and Poetry events. It was an unprecedented triumph.

We’d like to especially recognize

Austin Lee for placing 1st in the first ever Lincoln-Douglas Debate at KAIAC. Congratulations also go to Justin An and Nina Sabado, who received two first-place certificates at this event. SFS was able to tally up a total of 17 certificates, earning SFS over half the number of possible places. None of this could have been possible without our passionate members, dedicated captains, supportive coaches and the help of the SFS High School community who provided their rooms, judges and timekeepers.

We’re proud of you, SFS SilverTongues!

FORENSICS RESULTS Duo Acting: Andrew Kim and Joel Benson (3rd) Extemporaneous: Leon J. Jun (2nd) Impromptu: Nina Sabado (1st), Peter Lee (2nd), Akash Ramanujam (3rd) Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Austin Lee (1st) Original Oratory: Justin An (1st), Junee Kim (3rd) Parliamentary Debate: Peter Lee and Akash Ramanujam (1st), Eunice Lee and Leon J. Jun (2nd) Poetry: Justin An (1st), Christina Hahn (2nd), Jezamine Wee (3rd) Prose: Nina Sabado (1st), Sabrina Sung (2nd) Public Debate: Bryan Kim and Michael Jung (2nd) Solo Acting: Ryan Wade (3rd)

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Identifying Potential in Our Students In a community where 20% of our students are transient annually, SFS uses standardised tests such as the GL Assessment to not only maintain high standards but also to better understand the needs of our students coming from diverse backgrounds.

SFS uses Progress in Maths (PiM) and Progress in English (PiE) testing in BS Key Stages 1, 2 & 3. We also use the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) in an online digital format for students entering the high school (IGCSE and IB Diploma).

This program has helped provide teachers with an annual snapshot of student assessments, helping to identify students who are overperforming or under-performing to address needs as appropriate. The assessments are digital which provides instant analysis of the results.

According to Damian Prest, BS Deputy Headteacher,

students in the UK, so SFS can see how their students measure up. It is great to have a baseline comparison with the UK.”

comparative standard score for

from the start rather than taking

Ruth Sanderson, IGCSE Coordinator at the HS, has used the CAT test to support decisions made on where to place students within the grade levels. The test helps affirm teacher expectations about the children in class by giving them additional measures to support their own assessments. In addition, CAT digital data provides the school with extra insight into how students like to learn.

a couple of months to learn about them” Ruth Sanderson, IGCSE Coordinator.

These assessments ensure that every student meets their potential, right from the moment they join SFS. The graph below represents the average “A lot of our students can learn in standardised score for Progress in any way. But there are a few that Maths and in English for the British are weaker in some ways, for ex- School (Years 1 to 9). The standardample, they are not so good at au- ised score is 100, meaning that a studitory or visual learning. So we dent who scores 100 is working at the “the assessment also gives SFBS a can take that into consideration expected standard.

(Year 1-9)

James Hooper Inspires SFS BS & MS Students On November 3rd we have a dream/goal had James Hooper to achieve do not be (the first youngest afraid. You can alBriton to climb Mount ways achieve it!”

Everest) visiting SFS to share about his exTo find more about periences to the BS James Hooper and his Year 3 – 9 and Middle achievements please School students. In visit 2003, with no climbwww.180degrees.com ing experience at all, James Hooper and his “James was able to James Hooper with SFBS students after his presentation friend Rob Gauntlett deachieve his goals despite cided during their GCSE’s at school journey of one year, one month and all the incredible risks he was up that they wanted to climb Mount Ev- one day from the North Geomagnetic against. It makes me think that I erest. And at the age of 19 on May Pole to the South Magnetic Pole us17th 2006 he successfully reached the ing entirely human and natural pow- can achieve my goals too despite lifeʹs challenges!” er in 2007. By sharing his experiences, summit of Mount Everest. While at SFS, James shared the process of how James inspired many of our students he and his friend trained themselves, of how important it is to believe in Rebecca Freeman, MS 6R planned the expedition, and solicited your own abilities. The lesson he sponsorships before the trip. He also shared with our students was “James Hooper had a lot of courshared great visuals of his long chal- “Everything you do involves risks age to challenge himself to climb lenged journey to strive for his dream and challenges. However, we Mount Everest. We were so lucky and finally his personal experiences should not be scared to achieve it. to meet him and hear his amazing and learnings after achieving his When you take a challenge, break story.” goal. the problem, learn, prepare yourAnother experience that James self step by step and you can alBenjamin Choi, BS Y6S shared with our students was his epic

ways achieve your goal. If you

Guest Author David Poulsen Inspires Young Writers Prize winning Canadian author, David Poulsen, spoke to Middle School and High School students about the importance of reading and described how he became the unlikely combination of author and cowboy.

After telling students about his rodeo days, he read from

two of his most recent books, Num-

bers and Last Sam’s Cage.

His high energy presentations were entertaining and funny as he shared strategies that have made him a successful author with 23 published books. Mr. Poulsen also conducted a Writer’s Workshop for one English class with the goal of making their writing more believable.

Bottle Rocket Adventure

Ashton Le Cornu, Freshman

classes investigate, build, and launch bottle rockets to further their understanding of Newton’s laws of motion. Their team’s objective is to research one testable variable i.e. fin size, fin placement, amount of water, etc.. that will allow them to build a pressurized-air powered soda bottle that will go as high as possible. They learn to work collectively in groups, collect, graph and analyze data, as well as make conclusions based on their group’s rockets performance.

Everyone had a great time and will remember this lab for many years to the three laws of Newton and the come. importance of teamwork. I would

“The bottle rocket lab took a lot of hard work and extra time to make the rocket. Our results were cool and funny. I learned how to use angles to determine the highest point “It was amazing to see science at of the rocket. Overall, this was a work as it soared across the sky. fun lab to do!”

Eric Kim, Sophomore The rocket building was a great experience. Not only did we learn 3…2…1...Launch! how the scientific method Around the end of October each year worked, but we also experienced the High School Physical Science

to Julian Aramburi, Henry ValentineRamsden, Midas Rhoda, Owen Underwood, Maddie Craig and Hannah This fall, the SFS Cross Country Cru- Madden. Lillian Sheng also made the All-Conference Girls list. saders came out, for what was to be, Before the KAIAC tournament, the an amazing running season. The combined boys and girls team ended varsity team travelled to Guam for their season with over 55 runners and the Asia Pacific Invitational Cross two managers. In the final race of the Country meet to compete against season, the KAIAC Tournament, Var- teams from all over the Asia Pacific region. Hannah Madden had a persity Girls finished second and the Varsity Boys finished first. The boys sonal best race, winning the 5k girls and girls teams finished 1st and 2nd, race. The girls team finished 6th overall while the boys team took respectively, in the seasonal conference standings as well. Alltournament honors went to Daniel S. Kim, Skye Chung, and Julia Aulbach.

All-Tournament and All-Conference went

SFS Cross Country

love to do these fun experiments again as a change from tedious lectures and tests. I love Mr. Jenney’s science class!

Jeanne Lee, Freshman home the 3rd place trophy. In the relay, boys and girls combined race, the team took home 3rd.

This season was truly one to live up to. Runners of all abilities pushed each other to constantly change our varsity line-up and helped the entire team succeed. The dedication and commitment that every runner had was something to be proud of.

Thanks to our two managers, Augene Park and Liah Kim. We hope to see many new and old faces next year!

Storyteller/Author Tanya Batt Visits SFS On November 14th, visiting storyteller/author, Tanya Batt, entranced students in the Elementary and British Schools with her lively performance of folktales and fairytales.

Based in New Zealand, she has traveled to many schools around the world with this being her first visit to Korea.

students heard an exciting Mongolian tale called Puchika Churita, middle grades enjoyed Why Mosquitos Buzz, an African tale, while the older students were treated to The King’s Seed, a Scottish version of a Chinese tale, The Empty Pot. Teachers and students alike would be eager to have her back someday.

Using only her voice, Tanya Batt created a variety of sounds and songs to tell her stories. They all began with her “story sack,” a concept originating in Korea. Younger

“It was so fun! Tanya Batt was really good in the sound effects!

Her stories were very creative and exciting! She was an awesome storyteller!”

Pictured Left is Tanya Batt’s Performance at SFS

Joseph Kim, ES 4U

Rock the Floor… Dance is an Attitude! through each of the On Nov. 16th – 20th, workshops. The SFS had the distinction dance steps learned of hosting APAC were then incorpoDance. The theme rated into a crea“Rock the Floor…Dance tive fusion piece of is an Attitude” reflected the students’ makthe high energy and ing. Saturday creativity of each of the evening representnine participating ed the culmination schools. Brent Internaof a lot of hard tional School of Manila, work, creativity Canadian Academy, and energy with Concordia International electrifying perforSchool of Shanghai, mances by the Hong Kong Internationdancers of both al School, International Combined Group Performance at the APAC Dance Festival their fusion pieces School of Beijing, both Shanghai American Schools- Pudong (Kim Teinchai-ISB), hip hop (David as well as their individual school & Puxi campuses, Seoul Foreign and Escoe-HKIS), jazz (Oksana Petrova- pieces. The audience of over 650 people were mesmerized for over 2 Western Academy of Beijing were all SFS); Broadway musical (Nicole Oakes-SFS); Latin (Hillary Marshall- hours by the sound and light spectain attendance. cle as the dancers “rocked the floor” SFS); traditional Korean (Esther Thursday and Friday involved the and showed that “dance was the attiKim-guest of SFS). Students from immersion of the students into six tude” that brought us together. intense dance workshops. The dance each school were placed into six mixed groups which then rotated genres taught were contemporary

SFS Crusaders in Beijing starter go BEEP!! You know there is no holding back and you have to go for it there and then. For many of us this was our first overseas swim meet and it was a fantastic experience, We all made a great team. Everyone swam with passion and many of us beat our personal bests. The atmosphere was great as we all Rebecca Wood, BS Year5B cheered each other along and we all had an amazing, although rather tiring, time.

On the weekend of 29th and 30th After the swimming was over, of October 2011, 21 swimmers from the SFS swim team went to the team went to a really cool Beijing, China, for the 2011 Inter- Chinese restaurant. We had a national School Beijing Swim In- great time and we learned how to say ‘this is delicious’ in Chivitational.

At the meet there were 14 schools nese. competing with over 500 swim- On behalf of the whole team, I would like to say a huge thank mers! you to all the parents and sibIt was the biggest swimming lings who came along to cheer us event I have ever been to and I was both excited and nervous at on. We would also to like to the same time. During the events, thank ISB & SAS for organising the meet and inviting our school, we were not competing in, we but mostly we would like to say waited in the Gym and it was a huge THANK YOU to Coach there that we got to know our Van Galder for his encourageteammates better and we made ment and for putting the trip tofriends in other teams too. gether.

We all felt apprehensive when our first events were about to Rebecca Wood, BS Y5B begin, but once you hear the

SFS Swim Team at International School Beijing

Experiencing Transitions Through the Eyes of an ES Students

Isabel Kalb is center with Connie Kim on the left and Taylor Orban on the right.

Before I moved to Korea, I thought my life was perfect. I thought that I was living the best life possible, and when my parents told me we were moving, I went into hysterics! I thought I was living a nightmare!

On the way to the airport, I cried three times! At least all that crying took away most of my energy, and made it easier to sleep on the plane!

When we arrived in Korea, I was still upset, but when we reached our house, I started to think maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be that bad. Little did I know that this was the beginning of a very enjoyable three years.

Two of those years have flown by faster than I would have thought possible, but they have been filled with laughter and fun.

Thank you to all my teachers, friends and family for making it so.

In second grade, I was overjoyed when I could go home and visit all my friends, but now, when I go to America, I don’t feel like me anymore. I feel like I’m looking through someone else’s eyes. I feel like a very different person than the little girl who once thought she had the best life possible. No, I’m not that girl anymore. I’m a happy fourth-grader who’s had amazing experiences, and looks forward to having more. Because now I know, I truly am living the best life possible.

Isabel Kalb, ES 4K