Dear Parents,

We are in the final few weeks of term 2 and I hope you are enjoying the peak of the cherry blossoms in full bloom as you eagerly make your holiday plans. There are a few announcements that I would like to share with you regarding the end-of-term activities.

Poetry Day Proceedings

A small but significant occasion was noted this week as HFS celebrated International Poetry Day. Each class chose to acknowledge the day in different ways, from nursery rhymes to performance poetry and written work we tapped into our inner bards and got our poetic juices flowing as we took note of this global event.

Term 3 Invoices Sent Home

On Monday you may have noticed that your child brought an invoice for the Term 3 fees home with them. If you received one, please review it and make payment as usual. If you have any queries, please feel free to contact the admin office for clarification. Thank you for your support in this regard.

Term 2 Progress Reports Sent Home Today

A vital part of schooling is monitoring the progress that your child makes in their learning. Today teachers sent home the Term 2 student progress reports. Please check their bags to ensure that you have received one. If not please contact the admin office or their class teacher. The progress reports are vital for informing parents about your child’s educational development and identifying any concerns or achievements they may have made. Please complete the parent’s comments section in the report and bring it with you to the parent teacher conferences on Wednesday 3 April.

Parent Teacher Conferences on Wednesday 3 April

Liaising with teachers is an important part of being informed about your child’s educational progress and on Wednesday 3rd April we will have the termly parent teacher conferences. If you would like to meet with your child’s teacher, even if just to say hello, please reserve a time by filling out the interview booking sheet at the admin office by Monday 1 April. The interviews will take place throughout the day, commencing from 11:30 am for the F1/2 Y1 and Year 2-3 classes and 1:30 for the Year 4/5/6 class. The Year 7/8/9 class will have their interviews from 3:30 pm. I look forward to seeing you all there.

End of Term Assembly 

Finally, on Friday 5 April we will have our End of Term assembly. The students will showcase elements of the learning that they have covered this term and we will give out awards and commendations. I have it on good authority that there are a number of special items on the agenda of this assembly so please join us from 11:30 am on Friday 5 April as we bid farewell to term 2 in true HFS style. School will end at 12:30 pm on the day as per normal for the end of term. A gentle reminder that there will be no club activities during the final week of term. The school bus will depart at 3:30 pm from Monday to Thursday and at 12:30 pm on Friday 5 April.

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

Best Regards,

Scott Kearney

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