Happy New Year

Welcome back to school for the start of another exciting term!

We would like to wish all our families a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2021.

We all hope that 2021 will be better than 2020 and that masks will become a thing of the past!

새해 복 많이 받으세요!

Back to school

It was unfortunate to have to start Term 2 with a week of E-Learning but the students and teachers worked very hard to make sure lots of great learning was happening. When visiting different classrooms, I was very impressed with our students’ commitment to learning and their computer skills. The teachers also did a great job of making learning accessible and fun in difficult circumstances. E-Learning is challenging but we are much happier to all be at school together.

We are very pleased to be reopening for in-person classes starting next week.

Please remember:-

• to return all computers and tablets to school on Monday
• students can bring work they completed to show their teacher
• the bus will be running as normal from Monday
• we must remain very vigilant about mask-wearing and hand washing when we return to school

CIS Community Survey

We were very happy to receive such positive feedback from our most recent CIS accreditation inspection and our attention now turns to the next step of the process. As part of that process, we are required to carry out a community survey.

We are interested in what you think about our school. Please take a moment to complete the CIS Community Survey, which will help identify the strengths of the school and areas for improvement.

The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You should complete one survey per child enrolled in the school. We hope you can spare some time to help the school in its desire to improve. The survey will be available until Friday 5th February.

We have also sent this survey to each parent by email.

To access the survey, please click on this link.
If you have any questions or need support, please contact the School Office Thank you very much for completing the survey.

Parent Consultations

If you can remember back to before Christmas, you may recall that we were only able to offer online Parent Consultation. We promised to offer alternative arrangements when the situation improved.

Class teachers will be contacting all parents who have not yet had a chance for a consultation to make arrangements. Consultations can be online or in-person.

After School Activities

We are happy to announce that we will be offering after school activities in Term 2.

You can sign-up for after school activities using this form.

After school activities will start in week 3 (wb 25th Jan)

School Fee Receipts

School fee receipts for year-end tax settlement are available from the School Office – admin@hyundaiforeignschool.com

Leaving and Joining HFS

Unfortunately, we will be saying goodbye to Anna and her family soon. We wish them all the best in their new adventures in China.

Miss Luna has joined HFS to replace Ms Jiyu while she is away having a baby. Miss Luna will also be on the bus in the morning and afternoons. She has had a nice week getting used to being at HFS and now she is ready to meet some children!

We are very happy to be welcoming Nikolay and Margarita back to HFS after a few years away. Welcome back!

We have received survey responses from our parents regarding opening the school for in-person lessons from Monday 18th January.

The overwhelming majority of parents were in favour of the school opening and therefore we will be proceeding with our plan to open for in-person lessons next week.

In-person lessons will begin from Monday 18th January.

Thank you for your prompt response and continued support.

Good news!

We have recently received updated guidance from the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education regarding opening the school. According to the latest Ministry of Education guidelines, schools with less than 300 students can reopen from Monday 18th January if they receive consent from their school communities.

HFS would therefore like to reopen the school for in-person lessons from Monday 18th January. During the week beginning Monday 11th January we will still be E-Learning.

Please complete the survey indicating your opinion about the school reopening on Monday 18th January, by next Tuesday. We are expecting that the majority of parents will want the school to reopen as soon as possible.

It is our strong belief that although E-Learning is effective, in-person teaching and learning provides the greatest educational benefit. We are also confident that the social distancing and COVID-19 protocols in place ensure that it is safe to have students in school.

We apologise for any confusion caused by these changes. The school is dependent upon information received and this can often change as the situation changes. We are committed to always trying to offer in-person lessons whenever possible.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.

Mr. Green

Unfortunately, we have been informed by the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education that all schools in Ulsan are required to remain closed throughout January.

HFS will therefore be resuming E-Learning from Monday 11th January, until further notice. We are hoping that the COVID-19 situation will have improved by the end of January and that we will be back in school soon. We will of course keep you informed as we receive more information.

Please rest assured that all the teachers and staff at HFS are committed to providing the best educational experience possible during this difficult time.

CIS Report

We recently received our latest evaluation report from our accreditation agency – The Council of International Schools.

We would like to share some highlights from the report with you…

• ‘Hyundai Foreign School is a small, close-knit community where a totally dedicated staff care for and support each individual child.‘
• ‘The school receives very strong support from the board, and is financially supported by Hyundai Heavy Industries which has confirmed its support for the sustainability of the school in the longer term.‘
• ‘Staff … are clearly invested in their school being the best it can be for the students it serves.‘
• ‘Student report enjoying their learning, feeling happy and safe at school and enthusiastically discussed aspects of their learning and school life…‘
• ‘Parents report feeling welcome at school.‘
• ‘It was clear that everyone is dedicated to the school’s purpose and direction, student learning and well-being, and continuous school improvement through the accreditation process.‘
• ‘CIS is pleased to inform you that Hyundai Foreign School has been granted candidate status for CIS Re-Accreditation. Congratulations go to you and your school community on this achievement.’

COVID-19

We are obviously very disappointed to have been forced into E-Learning for the last week of term and are hoping that the situation improves over the Winter Break. We will keep you informed as quickly as possible when we receive any information from the authorities.

The school will open on the 11th of January, either online, or hopefully, in-person.

Thank you for helping the students with E-Learning and your kind understanding in this difficult situation.

Please keep us informed

The local medical authorities have asked the school to pass on the following notice.

• If any student has a family member who has taken a Covid-19 test please inform the school. Even if a test result comes back negative.
• If a student’s family member has been informed by the medical authorities to self-isolate, the student must self-isolate for the same period as the family member.
• If any family experiences any other particular circumstances related to Covid-19 please inform the school.
• Any information provided to the schools in connection with Covid-19 will be treated with strict confidentiality according to personal information protection regulations. As such, please be sure to inform the schools in case you experience any particular circumstances related to Covid-19.

Please keep us informed, even during E-Learning and the Winter Holiday. The school is an official part of the chain of information for COVID-19 cases.

Ms Jiyu – Maternity Leave

Ms Jiyu will be taking maternity leave for the remainder of the school year. While she is away she will be replaced by a Miss Lunar. Miss Lunar is an experienced teaching assistant who has recently been studying English at Busan University of Foreign Studies.

Everyone at HFS wishes Ms Jiyu and her family all the best at this special time. We are looking forward to meeting the newest member of the family and seeing Ms Jiyu again next year.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Term 1 is finished and it is time for a well deserved holiday for everyone.

From Everyone at Hyundai Foreign School

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Great Learning Happening

COVID-19

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 situation has finally caught up with us here at HFS. Today we were contacted by the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education to inform us that all schools in Ulsan are required to stop in-person classes until further notice.

Starting from Monday 14th December we will be E-Learning until further notice. This will definitely be for all of next week, until the Winter Holiday. We are hoping that the situation improves and that we will see the students again at school on January 11th. We will keep you informed over the holidays.

This is obviously an unfortunate situation, but please know that the school will do everything possible to ensure that our students have a productive and enjoyable last week of term. We are already adept at E-Learning and hopefully it will only be for a short time.

Arrangements for E-Learning

• Today (Friday 11th), all students should have brought home their school laptops and packs of learning materials for use next week.
• Please set-up a quiet place to work with some basic stationery supplies.
• If you experience any technical problems during E-Learning please contact the School Office. Miss Yujin will be able to help while lessons are going on.
• Another package will be sent on the school bus on Monday afternoon. This package will also contain your child’s report for Term 1.
• Students who do not take the bus will receive packages by post.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday 17th can still go ahead as planned and appointments can be made through the school office. If you would like to cancel your online appointment because of the change in circumstances please let us know. We will make sure that everyone is able to meet their child’s teacher in some way soon.
• The Winter Show is postponed for the time being. We are still planning to do something in the new term as the students have been practising hard and were looking forward to the show
• There will be some fun festive activities in the final week of term
• If everyone is good and works hard next week the school bus may bring a special visitor with gifts on Friday. 🎅🏻

Please keep us informed

The local medical authorities have asked the school to pass on the following notice.

• If any student has a family member who has taken a Covid-19 test please inform the school. Even if a test result comes back negative.
• If a student’s family member has been informed by the medical authorities to self-isolate, the student must self-isolate for the same period as the family member.
• If any family experiences any other particular circumstances related to Covid-19 please inform the school.
• Any information provided to the schools in connection with Covid-19 will be treated with strict confidentiality according to personal information protection regulations. As such, please be sure to inform the schools in case you experience any particular circumstances related to Covid-19.

Please keep us informed, even during E-Learning and the Winter Holiday. The school is an official part of the chain of information for COVID-19 cases.

Great Learning Happening

Only two weeks are left until a well deserved holiday for everyone!

Christmas is definitely in the air, but the great learning carries on at HFS!

Parent-Teacher Meetings Conferences

Due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, we are unable to hold in-person Parent-Teacher conferences this term. We would therefore like to offer parents the option of either:-

• An online meeting on Thursday 17th December
• Waiting until after the Winter Break to organise an in-person meeting

If you would like to make an appointment for an online conference on Thursday 17th December, please contact the school office.

Available appointment times can be viewed here

Invoices

Invoices for the tuition fees went home with your child on Wednesday or have been delivered to the HR department of the parents’ employer.

If you have not received the invoice, please contact the admin office.

Class Updates and School Newsletters by Email

Starting this week, an email will be sent to all parents when a new class update post is made by your child’s teacher. The School Newsletter will now also only be sent as a link to the school website.

Please contact admin@hyundaiforeignschool.com if you have any issues regarding receiving emails.

COVID-19 Cases in Dong-gu

The local medical authorities have asked the school to pass on the following notice.

We would like to provide you with guidance again in connection with the confirmed cases at the Sauna at EXR Sports Center in Dong-Gu Homeplus.

• If any student has a family member who has taken a Covid-19 test in connection with a visit to the EXR Sports Center, please stop coming to school and inform the school. Even if a test result comes back negative.
• If a student’s family member has been informed by the medical authorities to self-isolate, the student must self-isolate for the same period as the family member.
• If any family experiences any other particular circumstances related to Covid-19 please inform the school.
• Any information provided to the schools in connection with Covid-19 will be treated with strict confidentiality according to personal information protection regulations. As such, please be sure to inform the schools in case you experience any particular circumstances related to Covid-19.

Great Learning Happening

COVID-19

You are probably aware that COVID-19 cases in Korea and Ulsan have been increasing again. The government will be making an announcement on Sunday and are expected to raise the social distancing level.

The school has already decided to make the following changes to our upcoming events:-

• The Winter Show – We will not be able to invite parents to the Winter Show. The performances will be filmed and either live-streamed or made available as a recording. This is obviously very disappointing for everyone involved but we will do our best to ensure that the students are able to perform the things they have been practising and that the parents are able to see the results. The Winter Show will now be held during the school day on Friday 18th December.
• Parent-Teacher Conferences – We will be offering parents the option of either arranging a virtual meeting on Thursday 17th December or waiting until after the Christmas holiday to have an in-person meeting. We will make sure that every parent who wants a meeting is accommodated.
• Open Day – We will have to postpone this event until further notice

This is obviously a very frustrating and difficult situation, but the school must take responsibility for the health and safety of all members of the school community and must follow all government rules and guidelines. We have been very lucky to be able to remain open during the majority of COVID-19, and we all hope that it will be over soon.

Upcoming Events

There is a lot going on at school between now and the end of term!

• Monday 14th December – Reports will be sent home
• Thursday 17th December – Parent-Teacher Conferences – Virtual
• Friday 18th December – Winter Show – Students only – Will now be held during the school day
• Also Friday 18th December – Last day of term (it’s a full day)
• Monday 11th January 2021 – First Day of Spring Term!

Scholastic Book Club Orders

The books have arrived and students who have made orders will take the books home with them today.

Great Learning Happening

The Council of International School Visit HFS

This has been a very special week at HFS.

We have been virtually hosting Mrs Chris Green and Dr Bill Parker from the Council of International Schools. These important visitors have spent the whole week visiting classrooms, having meetings with staff, chatting to students and talking to parents.

The CIS Team Visit and the ongoing accreditation process will help the school to plan for the future and show how we can continue to provide the highest standard of international education.

A big thank you to the parents who met with the CIS team and said such nice things about the school!

A Letter from the CIS Team

The CIS Team have written the following letter to be shared with the HFS community.

Dear Paul and Dan,

We write to thank you for hosting an excellent CIS Preparatory Evaluation Visit this week.  Your preparation before the visit, and execution during the visit were first-rate and a true testament to you and your staff’s professionalism.

As you are aware, achieving and maintaining CIS accreditation is no easy task.  There are presently fewer than 700 fully CIS accredited schools in the entire world, and you and the HFS board are to be congratulated for your determination to continue to provide service to your stakeholders at that very high level.  Your commitment to excellence and on-going improvement and growth is impressive for a school of any size, but particularly so in a school with such a limited number of staff. Kudos to you all!

In closing, we must stress how enjoyable it was to meet everyone.  We were particularly impressed with your students who, even in our brief meetings, demonstrated enthusiasm for the school and an understanding of the school core values that was remarkable for such a young group. It was a pleasure to meet with them.

The work you are doing never really ends. CIS schools, regardless of their size or resources, are always working to improve. The HFS community has clearly demonstrated a commitment and desire to do so.  Well done!

Best Regards,

Ms. Chris Green                                                         

CIS School Support and Evaluation Officer

Dr. Bill Parker

Former CIS Support and Evaluation Officer (Retired)             

Staff Hard at Work

While the students enjoyed a well-earned rest on Friday, the staff were in school attending a workshop led by our CIS visitors.

QR Code Scanning at the Hanmaeum Center

The Hanmaeum Center has started to use a QR code-based visitor record-keeping system called KI-PASS. They now ask all visitors to present a QR code when they enter the building.

If you are unable to present a QR Code you will be required to provide a name and contact details.

Great Learning Happening

Dear Parents,

It has been another exciting and rewarding week at HFS, with so much great learning going on.

Excitement is building among the kids about the school Winter Show as groups for different performances are forming and starting to practice. There is already some great talent on display and some unique performances to look forward to.

The staff have been very busy making final preparations for our CIS Team Visit next week. We are looking forward to welcoming Chris Green and Bill Parker from CIS to the school all next week to help us in our process of continuous school improvement.

As always we thank all our parents for their continued support and we look forward to seeing you all at the Winter Show.

Mr Green

CIS Meeting for Parents

The visiting team from CIS would like to talk to some parents from our school. The opinions and perspectives of the parents are obviously very important to the CIS Team if they want to get a full picture of the school.

Tuesday 17th November @ 11.30am

We would be very grateful if a good selection of parent from across the school community were willing to talk to our visitors.

If you would like to be involved in this meeting there are two options:-

• You can come to school and join other parents in a meeting area we have set-up. Here you will be able to talk to the CIS Team via a Zoom meeting using the school’s equipment. A member of staff will be available to help with technical issues but we will not be involved the meeting.
• You can also join the Zoom meeting from home or work. The link and password for the ZOOM meeting are available from the School Office admin@hyundaiforeignschool.com

Winter Show

The Hyundai Foreign School Winter Show will be on Friday 18th December at 6pm in the School Hall.

This year’s show will feature a range of performances from different groups and involve the whole school community. We are hoping that we can create a cosy family atmosphere with plenty of audience participation and a few surprises!

The students have been told that if they would like to perform something special at the Winter Show they should talk to Mr Green or their class teacher. Every student will involve in the performance in some way.

No school – Friday 20th November

Please remember that school will be closed for students on Friday 20th November.

The staff will be hard at work at a CIS Accreditation Workshop led by our visitor from CIS.

Stars of the Week

Each week the class teachers choose a Star of the Week

This week’s Stars of the Week were awarded for Creativity.

Well done to Max, Chloe, Nathan and Dave!

New Students for HFS

As part of our efforts to move the school forward, we would like to conduct a survey of potential students who may wish to join HFS in the near future.

If you know parents who may want to send their child to our school, or if your own child has a sibling who is eligible to join HFS, please give us your feedback in the following questionnaire by Thursday 19 November, if possible.

Survey Form

Great Learning Happening