News

Dear Parents,

After the rain the air has cleared and the weather is warming. Soon we will not have to don jackets when we head outside. As we head into the final weeks of term 2 there are a few important announcements I must share with you.

Parking Permit for Afternoon Pickup

I am happy to announce that HFS has heard your concerns regarding parking and collecting your students in the afternoons. From Monday 1st April access to parking will be available that will allow you to enter the open square when you collect students in the afternoons. Parents will need to apply for a sticker permit to get access to the parking. You will need to visit the admin office with a copy of your car registration, complete the form and pay a once-off 20,000 Won fee which will be refunded should you leave the school or cancel the service.

The parking permit allows parents to park their cars inside the open area behind the water fountain from 3:10 to 5:00 pm on weekdays. I do hope that this will make collecting students in the afternoons that much easier and more convenient.

Dongrami Theater Productions

At HFS we are always happy when our students participate in extracurricular activities. We have a long relationship with the wonderful Dongrami Theater run by Miss Yoo Jung Im and they are staging a number of productions in the coming weeks.

Student Progress Reports

 I am sure you were all thrilled to see the work your child has produced over this term when their books went home earlier this week. Next week on Friday 29th March we will send their end of term progress reports from their class teachers. Please read the reports and complete the final section regarding “Parents Comments” and bring that section with you to the Parent-Teacher Conferences on Wednesday 3 April.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

On Wednesday 3 April we will be conducting our Parent-Teacher Conferences. This is your opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and discuss any concerns that you may have regarding your child’s schooling. The interviews will take place during the course of the day on Wednesday 3 April. Please secure the interview slot that is most convenient for you by filling out the form at the admin office by Friday 29 March. Thank you for your cooperation in this regard.

Thank you to those parents who completed and submitted responses to our Parent’s survey. Your feedback is most helpful. If you have not yet submitted a response and would like to please do so by clicking here. Your comments will be greatly appreciated.

A friendly reminder that week 12, from 25 March to 29 March, will be the last week this term that we run after school club activities. During the final week of term, from 1 April to 5 April, there will be no club activities in the afternoons. Thank you for your continued support and do have a warm and wonderful weekend.

Best Regards,

Scott Kearney

Dear Parents,

We are approaching the final stretch of term 2 and there are still a number of exciting events and matters at HFS about which I am happy to report. Firstly, a reminder of our “Treasures and Trinkets” donation box for old toys, books and odds n’ ends that you would like to get rid of for our upcoming Spring Festival Stall in May. Here are the events from HFS this week.

Police Inspector Visit

The students were pleasantly surprised by our visit from Mr. Jude Song, the Senior Inspector at Ulsan Dongbu Police station on Monday. He gave an entertaining and illuminating presentation about the services that police are responsible for in Korea. Then we all got the opportunity to ride in a police car with sirens blaring! A definite bucket list experience to be ticked off the list for sure. At HFS we believe it is important for the school to engage with its community and we are thankful that Mr. Song and his associates are there to protect and serve. Please enjoy these pictures from the proceedings.

Year 4-9 Residential Trip Deposit

Thank you all for attending the detailed presentation on the Year 4-9 Residential trip put together by Miss Yujin, Mr. Dunn and Mr. Gaffney. It looks to be a fantastic experience full of activities of learning and discovery where the students can develop independence and autonomy. Just a reminder that to secure a place on the trip, which will take place in May, a non-refundable 100,000 Won deposit must be paid to the admin office by Friday 22 March. Thank you for your support with this event.

Please click here to see the presentation slides if you have missed it.

HFS Parent Survey

 Thank you to those few who have completed and submitted their responses to our survey. The answers have been truly eye-opening and will be most helpful for us in developing a school that meets all your expectations. We would like as many responses as possible to gauge the feelings of those who make the existence of the school possible. Please click here to complete the survey. There are only 5 questions and the results are 100% anonymous. Thank you for participation in this initiative.

WeHope Clothes Drive

 The Student Council, under the supervision of Ms. McClellan this term, is making the Orphanage supported by WeHope their community Outreach project. The orphanage is always in need of clothing so if you have any items (other than socks and underwear) for infants up to 12-year-olds please drop them off at the admin office and they will be donated to a lucky new owner at the orphanage. Any item, big or small, old or new, will be greatly appreciated.

HFS Pajama Party

 Finally, the Pajama Day was another successful event full of laughter and fun at HFS. Thank you to all the participants, your funds will go to the WeHope Orphanage Fund and the HFS PTA. A great thank you to them for providing snacks and refreshments as we enjoyed the movie and well done to Olivia Lee you truly earned the title of silliest pajamas! Enjoy your prize! Here are some pics of the participants in their peculiar PJ’s.

Thank you for your continued support and do have a wonderful weekend.

Best Regards,

Scott Kearney

Dear Parents,

Another week has flown by with more exciting teaching and learning at HFS. I have noticed a few cherry blossoms in bloom as Spring rapidly approaches. I am happy to report on some exciting events that have and will take place at HFS.

Air Quality and Indoor Play

The air quality has been poor in recent weeks and parents have voiced their concern. We are therefore henceforth modifying our indoor play policy criteria to 120 on the pm 10 Scale and 60 on the pm 2.5 Scale, down from 150 and 75 previously (as reflected on this precise air quality index website). This change will be reflected in the Parent Handbook and should you have concerns regarding having your child outdoors on a particular day please contact the admin office and we will make arrangements for them to be kept inside. The health and safety of your children is our topmost priority at HFS. 

Welcome Back Erin

I am pleased to welcome a returning student, Erin Yun, to our grade 8 class at HFS. We have missed you Erin, we hope you enjoy your time in the 7/8/9 class. Everyone knows nobody ever leaves the HFS family, there is always a place for returning students at HFS.

International Book Day Dress-up

What a spectacle it was to see Cinderella, Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ, Batman and the Ninja Turtles and many other characters all assembled in one place. The students really took this week’s star of the week theme of creativity to heart in designing their costumes. Most importantly we all sat down and enjoyed a good read courtesy of the generous folks of the HFS P.T.A. – thank you for your kind book donations, I am sure that the children all appreciate their new books. All in all, it was a wonderfully successful celebration of International Book Day. Please click here to enjoy pictures of the amazing costumes and of your children enjoying their books.

Year 4-9 Residential Trip Presentation

The annual residential trip is a fantastic opportunity for senior students to gain some independence and autonomy by spending a few nights away from home experiencing character building activities and sites. This year it will be open to students from Year 4 to 9 and will take place at the end of May. We have planned an unforgettable 3-day 2-night itinerary full of exciting things to do in and around Busan, from sea kayaking to rock climbing. It promises to be a valuable learning experience to all who participate. We will have a detailed presentation on the itinerary on Friday 15th March at 4:45 pm in the school hall to explain the itinerary, costs, safety procedures and assuage any concerns or answer any questions you might have. Please talk with your children this weekend regarding if they want to attend the trip and please do attend the presentation since we will need a count of numbers of participants for planning purposes. I look forward to seeing you there.

Pajama Party Dress-up Day

The fun never stops at HFS and on Friday 15th March we will have a pajama dress-up day. Students are welcome to wear their pajamas to school if they pay a 5,000Won fee for the privilege. All proceeds from the event will be shared between the WeHope Orphanage fund and the PTA and there may even be delicious popcorn and juices to enjoy in your pj’s courtesy of the PTA. There will also be a prize for the craziest pajamas so get creative and wacky and don your slippers and blankets for our awesome pajama party!  

Spring Festival Treasures and Trinkets Stall

We are preparing for the HFS Spring Festival to be held on Saturday 11th May. One of the stalls at the festival will be a “Treasures and Trinkets” second-hand shop. If you have any books, toys or trinkets, (anything other than clothing) that you would not mind parting with for it to find a new home please drop them off at the school admin office so that we can put them toward our treasures and trinkets stall. Any donations will be greatly appreciated.

HFS Parent Survey

Finally, we value your opinions and feedback at HFS and we have designed this short survey to assess our strengths and weaknesses so that we may provide the best schooling based on your needs and expectations. Please take a moment to complete the 5 questions, your input is truly appreciated and the data is 100% anonymous. You can access the survey by clicking here. Please submit your response by Friday March 15th. Thank you for your cooperation.

That is all for this week. Thank you for your continued support and do have a wonderful weekend.

Best Regards,

Scott Kearney

Dear Parents,

Another week has passed us by as we approach the end of term 2. This week has been devoted to sharing and expressing our understanding of what it means to be part of a global community. I am pleased that HFS has staged many successful events this year over and above the teaching and learning that takes place at the school. We still have a few noteworthy occasions to cover before the term ends.

International Day

I am pleased to report that the International Day program was a huge success. International mindedness is one of the core values at HFS. We are truly lucky to have such a diverse group that makes up the HFS community and it is important to celebrate this diversity. The students reflected their countries in creative and decorative traditional dress. Parents out did themselves with the banquet of cuisine from all over the world and the outstanding student presentations revealed the hard work that the students have put into their projects over the last few weeks. Thank you and well done to everyone who made the day a success. Please enjoy these pictures from the day’s proceedings.

International Book Day Dress-Up

From Dr. Seuss to Shakespeare we love to plunge into the pages of a good book. Thursday March 7th is international book day and we will continue the HFS tradition of celebrating the occasion by dressing up as characters from our favorite stories. So If your child is a Harry Potter fan dust off the wand and broom or let them come as a hobbit or as Alice in Wonderland, get creative and let them show off their favorite literary character as we celebrate that “readers are leaders” at HFS.

HFS Parents Survey

I am happy to report that HFS has been operating splendidly over the last 6 months in its new existence at the Hanmaeum center. As the group that makes that existence possible we would like to hear your honest and valued opinion regarding the facilities, staff and teaching and learning at HFS as you have experienced it over the last year. Please take a moment to complete and submit this brief survey since your feedback will allow us to see areas in which we need to improve as well as our strengths. I would like to assure you that the survey is anonymous and no information or data will be shared. Please submit your response by Friday 15 March. Your cooperation with this is greatly appreciated.

Click Here to go to the survey → https://goo.gl/forms/aYxK17EyXFIDp9Tk1

 Farewell to Winston Lee and Jinmyeong Seo

Finally, with great sadness we must say farewell to Winston Lee and Jinmyeong Seo as they depart from HFS to attend Korean school. I have enjoyed teaching Winston since year 3 and I am proud of the diligent, talented and responsible young man that he has become. Jinmyeong has always proven to be a take-charge individual and her mature attitude will carry her a long way. We wish them the best of luck in the next step of their school careers and want them to know that they will be missed.

The school will be closed tomorrow in honor of the holiday acknowledging the March 1st Korean Independence Movement. Have a restful extended weekend and thank you for your continued support.

Best regards

Mr. Scott Kearney

Dear Parents,

We have passed the half-way mark of the term and of this fantastic year at HFS in is new incarnation and are still going strong. I am proud that every week brings a new and exciting event and occasion for the school to celebrate and enjoy teaching and learning. This week was no exception.

100 Days of Learning at HFS

We have reached an important milestone at HFS this week; 100 Days of learning at the school in its new location at the Hanmaeum center. Each class celebrated the day in their own way. Credit must go to Ms. McClellan and the FS1/2-Y1 class for making the most out of the day. Well done to all students, parents and staff for making it possible for us to achieve this and I look forward to many more days of teaching and learning at HFS.

Busan National Science Museum Trip

The Year 2 to 9 students enjoyed a fantastic trip to the Busan National Science Museum. There is a wealth of interactive exhibits about different areas of science for the children to explore. From forces and aeronautics to dancing robots and even simulated walking on the moon, everyone had an amazing time at the museum. It was a hugely successful trip and I am glad that the students were able to see a lot of the scientific principles that they have been learning about being enacted in interactive installations.

International Week Presentation and Food Share

As is tradition at HFS we will celebrate one of our core values with a week dedicated to international mindedness. On Thursday 28 February we will have our international food-share event staged by the HFS PTA. If you would like to prepare a dish from your country to serve on the day please email the PTA at pta@hyundaiforeignschool.com and detail what you would like to prepare, (remember to make sufficient serving for the HFS community). We will have the International Food-Share at 12:00 pm and the students will deliver their International Week Presentations at 1:30 in the hall. Join us for a celebration of the diverse community that constitutes HFS.

School closed on Friday, 1st March

The school will be closed on Friday 1st March in Honor of the holiday acknowledging the Korean Independence Movement. I hope you can all have an enjoyable long-weekend break and appreciate time with family and friends.

Farewell to Olivia McCarthy

Finally, on a sad note, we must bid farewell to our year 2 student, Olivia McCarthy. We wish her and her family the best of luck and happiness as they embark on the next leg of their journey. I know Olivia will do well wherever she lands. Olivia is extremely creative, taking part in violin club as well as skating and acting in her spare time. It had been a pleasure having her in my class this year and as a student at HFS these past few years. Good luck Olivia! We will miss you.

That is all for this week, thank you for your continued support and do have a wonderful weekend.

Mr. Scott Kearney

Dear Parents,

A full week of teaching, learning and special events has once again flown by at HFS. There are a number of exciting events in the weeks ahead about which I would like to inform you. Firstly, allow me to press upon parents the value of wholesome, hearty lunches. I have noticed that children have been regularly eating fast-food at meal times and, while it is a parent’s prerogative as to what they serve their children for lunch at HFS we strongly support and encourage the philosophy, “Healthy Food, Healthy Future.”

Year 2/3 Science Assembly

Well done to the Year 2/3 Johannesburg class for the impressive displays of electricity and thank you to the parents who attended, it really means a lot to the students when parents take an interest in viewing their performances and presentations. They entertained us thoroughly by showing off what they have been learning about in science this term.

Valentine’s Day Bake Sale 

Well done to Ms. McClellan and the HFS Student Council for the hard work they put into the Valentine’s Day Bake Sale yesterday. Sacrificing their break-times to plan, bake and decorate cookies, and make posters paid off literally and they were able to raise 164,000 Won on for the WeHope charity fund. Thank you to all who supported the sale and especially to those who donated goodies to be sold. I think we can all agree; the cookies were delicious.

Year 2-9 Trip to Busan National Science Museum

A final, gentle reminder of the Year 2-9 trip to Busan National Science Museum on Thursday 21st February. It promises to be a fascinating and rewarding excursion, not to mention fun and exciting to play with all the gadgets and see scientific principles that have been learned being put into practice. It will be a full-day outing, with the students returning by 3:30 pm so that after-school activities will not be disrupted. Parents are reminded to pack a snack, lunch and water bottle and ensure that their children are wearing comfortable shoes. If you have not completed the online permission form to allow your child to attend please do so by clicking here, thank you.

International Food Share on Thursday 28 February

International mindedness is one of the core values at HFS and we celebrate this annually with an International food share event organized by the parents of the HFS community. If you would like to prepare an item of food from your country for the children to sample on Thursday 28 February, please send an email to pta@hyundaiforeignschool.com (and cc admin@hyundaiforeignschool.com) detailing the dish you will prepare and if you have any special requirements. Please ensure that there is enough for all students to have a small sample and remember or “No Nut” policy when preparing your delicious dishes.

HFS Policy regarding Collection of Children

The safety of your children is always our topmost concern at HFS and as such I must make clear the HFS policy regarding the collection of children from HFS during and after school and club-activities. Children must be collected from the school by a parent or guardian, or, if a child will be collected late please notify the office and they are welcome to wait at the school library while staff are around to supervise them. Children will not be allowed to roam in the public foyer or parking area downstairs for their own safety. If this is inconvenient or you feel your child should be allowed to wait unsupervised please complete and sign a waiver from the admin office.

I am happy to announce that on Tuesday February 19th we will be celebrating 100 Days of teaching at HFS for this year in its new incarnation at Hanmaeum Center. The FS1/2 and Year 1 class have been diligently counting the days that they have been at school and we have finally reached this important milestone. I look forward to many more days of teaching and learning at HFS.

Thank you for your continued support and please have a warm and cheerful weekend.

Best Regards,
 
 
Scott Kearney

Dear Parents

I hope you had a delightful Seollal break. The weather is slowly warming as winter wanes and spring inches closer. There are quite a few announcements I would like to share even though it has been a short week.

Art Gallery Trip

The students enjoyed an eye-opening trip to the Hyundai Art gallery to see the exhibition on Graffiti art. It is important to expose children to different forms of art and, in this case, ensure they understand the difference between damaging property and making a creative statement. I look forward to seeing the creative output that the students produce as a result of this trip.

Valentine’s Day Bake Sale

Valentine’s Day has long been celebrated as a day of expressing affection between people. At HFS we want to acknowledge the day with a bake sale organized by Ms. McClellan and the HFS Student Council. There will be sweet goodies on sale at lunchtime so be sure to send a few thousand Won with your child on Thursday, February 14th so that they may purchase a sweet treat for themselves or a special someone. All proceeds will go to the WeHope Charity. If you would like to bake some cookies or cupcakes to sell on the day, please feel free to do so and contact Ms. McClellan to inform her of what you will make and in what quantity.

Scholastic Book Club Orders

Scholastic offers a vast range of books to enthrall children of any age and if you would like to take advantage of the discounts they offer please visit the website http://world-schools.scholastic.co.uk/hyundai-foreign and see what is available. Please complete your online orders by no later than Sunday, February 10th. The orders will then be delivered to the school and distributed to parents accordingly. At HFS we firmly believe “readers are leaders” so do take advantage of this outstanding bargain.

Year 2-9 trip to Busan National Science Museum and Planetarium

Science is fun. Science is curiosity. We all have natural curiosity. Science is a process of investigating. It’s posing questions and coming up with a method to answer them. At HFS we take every opportunity to allow our students to experience and see the value of what they are learning applied to the real world and as part of their learning units on the solar system, forces and electricity, the year 2 to 9 students will have a trip to the Busan National Science Museum and Planetarium on Thursday 21st February. It will be a full-day trip, returning by 3:30 pm but after-school activities will not be affected and will run as per normal on the day. Please indicate if you will allow your child to be a part of this valuable learning experience by clicking on the online permission form here.
 

That is all for this week. Thank you for your continued support and have a wonderful weekend.

Best Regards,

Scott Kearney

Dear Parents

We are almost half-way through term two and the school will be closed from February 4th to 6th in commemoration of Seollal, the Korean Lunar New Year Holiday. We were lucky to have a pinch of snow this week and fortunate that it did not interfere with our Seollal celebrations.

Seollal festivities and activities

The highlight of this week was undoubtedly the spectacular Seollal celebration on Wednesday. We cheekily chose to commemorate this holiday early and it was a fun-filled day of awesome activities.

Thank you to the staff for preparing the delicious Tteok that was enjoyed by all. I was impressed with each class’s contribution to the assembly, well done to all our hard-working students.

The activities were entertaining and exciting. I never get tired of playing the traditional Korean games, Jegi-chagi is my favorite. The spectacle of the children’s flying kites was truly a sight to behold. Please enjoy photos from the day by viewing our Facebook page here.

Scholastic Book order

At HFS we believe that readers are leaders and take every opportunity to stimulate children’s imaginations with reading a good book. Scholastic offers a wealth of reading material to capture your child’s mind so please take a moment to browse the scholastic book catalogue and place orders online by clicking here. There is a treasure trove of books on offer for your child and I am sure that you can find a few that they would enjoy, regardless of their age. This is a gentle reminder that the scholastic book order must be submitted by no later than Sunday February 10th.

Term Planner Updated

At HFS we believe in acknowledging significant and important dates and we mark them on our term planner for your convenience. This has been updated to include our Valentine’s Day Bake Sale on Thursday 14th February. This event is being organized by our Student Council and Ms. McClellan. Another important day is International Book Day on Thursday March 7th, when students will be encouraged to dress as their favorite literary character. We will also be holding a Pajama Dress-up day on Friday March 15th when students may come to school in their pajamas (for a small fee that will go towards a worthy cause). These promise to be fun events for all.

Click here to see the Term 2 Planner.

HHI Art Gallery Trip

Art stimulates the mind and gets one’s creative juices flowing. HHI art gallery currently has an eye-opening exhibition about graffiti artists on display. We would like to visit the exhibition on Friday 8 February and let the children engage with some fascinating contemporary urban artworks. The trip is open to Year 2 to year 9 students and will take place after from 1:30 until 3:00 pm. After-school club activities on the day will not be disrupted. To allow your child to attend please complete the online permission form by clicking here. Responses must be submitted by Wednesday 6 February.

That is all for this week, thank you for your continued support and do have a cheerful and enjoyable Seollal break.

Best Regards,

Scott Kearney