Dear Parents,

We have reached the end of the 2018/19 Academic year and we have done it in style. We have successfully gotten through our first year of HFS in its new incarnation and I am overwhelmingly pleased at how everyone, parents, teachers, staff and students, performed throughout the year. We have had to face some surprising challenges during the course of this year but we have overcome them together. Someone once said that the greatness of a community can best be measured by the compassionate actions of its members; looking back on the accomplishments of this past year I know then that, thanks to you, the HFS community must truly be great indeed.

PTA Pizza Movie Day

What a fantastic treat it was for the whole school to go to the HHI Arts Center for a screening of Toy Story 4 yesterday. I must admit that I shed a tear at the ending (which I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen the film yet). It was a wonderful whole-school excursion and an enjoyable shared experience, a fitting way to bring the school year to a close. Thank you to the PTA for sponsoring the event and for preparing the delicious pizza and healthy snacks for our lunch as we returned. You truly are the backbone of support that keeps our school alive.

HFS End of Year Assembly

As is fitting of each term we conduct an assembly to present well deserved awards and showcase the amazing work that our students have produced, this term was no different. Congratulations to our Citizenship and Commendation Award winners. It always fills me with pride when students display excellence in academics or character and at HFS we are happy to reward these achievements. It was also great to see what the students have been learning, from the F1/2/Y1s’ phonics abilities to the Year 2/3 poetry skills and the excellent demonstrations of volcanoes by the Year 7/8/9’s. It was a marvelous presentation of the teaching and learning that has been taking place at HFS. Well done to all!

Summer Break and New Academic Year Commencement

I am sure you are all looking forward to an enjoyable and relaxing summer vacation. I do hope you make the most of every moment wherever you may be. Everyone has outdone themselves this year and you should enjoy this well-deserved break. Please click here if you would like to see the academic calendar for next year. I look forward to school starting anew on Monday 26 August, everyone being refreshed, revitalised and ready for 2019/20.

Thank you for your continued support throughout the year and do have a wonderful summer break.

Mr. Kearney

Dear Parents,

Firstly, a huge thank you to the parents who attended the lunch on Wednesday. It was a small gesture to show our appreciation for those without whom HFS would simply not exist. It was wonderful to see and chat with you all and I’m glad you got a sneak peek at the fantastic Yearbook that we will release next week. There are few important announcements this week of which you should be made aware. Firstly, a gentle reminder that there will be no club activities during the final week of school. Classes will end at 3:30 pm next week and the school bus will run as normal. (Violin and Swimming Club will go on next week.) On Tuesday 25 June school tuition fee invoices for term 1 will be sent home with your child. Please be sure to look out for them if this pertains to you.

HFS 2019 School Dance Festivities

What a party it was. I hope you had as much fun as I had. It was awesome to see our students cutting loose and tearing up the dance floor. Who knew they could move like that. The games were fun too. Well done to all the dancers for showing us their hula and limbo skills. Thank you to everyone for all your hard work in putting it together. I hope we can top this event next year.

Reports and Books Sent Home Overnight

Today you will have received the term 3 progress report with your child. I am sure that our students performed exceptionally as they usually do. Please peruse the reports at length and bring any compliments or concerns to the parent teacher conferences next week. Please also complete the parents’ section at the end and bring that with you to the meeting. On Monday you will have the chance to view the work your child has been doing at school as English, Math and Science books go home overnight. Please return them on Tuesday so that class work may continue.

Parent Teacher Conferences

On Wednesday 26 June we will have our termly parent teacher conferences. The interviews will be scheduled for during the day, starting at 11:30 for the year 2/3 class and will run until 4:30 pm. Please fill your name on the interview sheet at the admin office to secure your interview slot. It is important to take this opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher to discuss their progress and any concerns you may have as they enter the next leg of their learning journey. I look forward to seeing you there.

PTA Pizza and Movie Day

On Thursday 27 June the PTA will treat the students to a Pizza lunch and movie afternoon. Aren’t they lucky! The students will gather as per usual for lunch in the cafeteria but our wonderful PTA has generously provided pizza, gimbap, and fruit for the students to enjoy as we celebrate the 2018/19 academic year coming to a close. After lunch the students will gather in the library to enjoy a “mystery” movie and refreshments to cap off a year of hard work. It will be fun afternoon.

Final Assembly on Friday 28 June

Our 2018/19 academic year will officially come to an end on Friday 28 June. It will be a full day running until 3:30 pm. The assembly will commence at 1:40 pm, join us for the commendation and citizenship awards presentation and a showcasing of selections of work that the students have completed during this term. It will be a fine send off to what has been a magical year at HFS.

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

Mr. Kearney

Dear Parents,

We are in the final stages of term three of the 2018-2019 academic year and things are still charging along well at HFS. There are still a number of events and announcements of which I wish to inform you.

HFS Open Day

On Tuesday 18 June from 09:30 to 11:30 am we will have another “Open Day” at HFS. If you have been to the previous one you will know that we will have a presentation for new guests at 09:30 am, introducing our beloved school, followed by a short tour of the premises. At 10:00 am there will be snacks and refreshments in the cafeteria and discussion with Mr. Kim, and myself. From 10:30 to 11:30 you will have the chance to wander the school and join in the lessons that are underway. Invite your friends or anyone who may have an interest in HFS and take this opportunity to view the excellent inquiry-based learning that is taking place at the school. Validated parking in the Hanmaeum Center Plaza will be available. I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank You Lunch for Parents

As a token of our appreciation of your continued support throughout the year HFS will have a lunch on Wednesday 19 June from 1:15 to 2:15 pm in our cafeteria. Without your presence the school would simply cease to be and this is our way of acknowledging your commitment and dedication to HFS. Please RSVP by clicking here to state whether you will attend the lunch. I look forward to chatting with you over lunch about the year that has passed as well as what is in store for the HFS community.

HFS 2019 School Dance

I am pleased to announce that on Friday 21 June we will be having our annual HFS School dance. The event will run from 4:30 until 5:45 pm. To join in the fun will require an entrance fee of 5,000 Won which will get you a cotton candy, juice and (nut-free) cookie courtesy of the HFS PTA. Put on your dancing shoes and show off your moves as we dress-up and dance, play games and have fun to celebrate making it through 2018/19! It’s always a good time at HFS!

Dongrami Theater Productions

It always pleases me to see our HFS students doing well in extra-curricular activities outside of their regular school life. We have 2 students participating in upcoming productions that you may wish to see. Our F1 student, Jisika Philip will have a role in “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp” on Tuesday 25 June at 7:30 pm and our Y2/3 student, Cortney Dykes and Seongyun Seo, will play a part in the production of “The Wizard of Oz” on Friday 28 June at 7:30 pm. Please take the time to go and watch them perform. Admission is free and you merely need to contact the theater at 052-258-1248 to book a seat. If you would like to flex your acting chops the theater is also looking for an actor/actress who is interested in being a member of The Wizard of OZ team that meets every Wednesday.

Ulsan Hyundai Football Club Escorts

Hello sports fans! Everything is underway for the those of you who signed up to have your child be an escort for the Ulsan Hyundai Football Club players or to view the match from the select seats. Thank you to all for collecting your uniforms and this is just a friendly reminder that the bus will depart from the Hanmaeum Center parking lot at 5:00 pm. Tickets will be issued on the bus. It will be a fun and enjoyable experience; it is not mandatory but we encourage people to wear blue as a sign of support. Go Tigers!

HFS 2018/19 Yearbook

This is just a gentle reminder to place your orders for our 2018/19 HFS School Yearbook at the admin office by Tuesday 18 June. The cost for the first copy is 15,000 Won thanks to the kind sponsorship of the PTA. Each additional copy will be 35,000 Won. The student council and a number of individual staff have been working hard at putting together this treasure trove of the memories of this year at HFS and It is a worthwhile investment.

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

Mr. Kearney

Dear Parents,

It has been a welcome relief to have a regular full week of school after last week’s disruptions. Having a full day of classes yesterday really made a difference. Just a reminder that Friday 28 June will also be a full day until 3:30 pm to make up for lost teaching time.

Information Evening Summary

Thank you to all who attended our information evening on Wednesday. It is always a pleasure to see parents take an interest in school matters. I was happy to report back on the many achievements we have made as a school community this year as well as explain the class and staffing structure for next year. Here is a breakdown of the classes and faculty for 2019/20.

I am also proud to announce the positive outcome of the recent CIS Inspection of our premises and educational standards which according to the CIS representative “have improved HFS’ ability to fulfil its new mission and vision, even with a significantly reduced student roll and staff complement.” We have also finalized the 2019/20 academic calendar which can be viewed by clicking here.

2018/19 HFS Yearbook

It brings me great joy to inform you that progress for the yearbook is going steadily but we would like to gauge how many books we need to print. The cost of the yearbook is 35,000 Won but the PTA will generously be covering 20,000 Won of that amount. That means that the final cost will be 15,000 Won per book for the first copy that you purchase. If you wish to order a second copy it will cost 35,000 Won. Please visit the admin office and make your payment to secure your yearbook order by Friday 14 June. I can’t wait to see the treasure trove of memories stored within its pages.

Ulsan Hyundai Football Club Escorts

A gentle reminder that on Saturday 15 June those of you who signed up to have your child be an escort for the Ulsan Hyundai Football Club players or to view the match from the select seats should keep the evening free. It will run from 7 until 9 pm. We will provide a bus to transport students and parents to and from the game. Uniforms will be provided for the escorts and will need to be collected from the admin office next week. More details regarding the event will be forthcoming next week.

GL Assessments during Week 8

Next week the FS2 to Y9 students will be completing their end of year progress tests in the form of the GL assessments. HFS has adopted this rigorous assessment platform since it is recognised as the leading provider of formative assessments to UK schools, as well as for international schools in over 100 countries worldwide. The tests are not intended to be studied for but rather are designed as a gauge of a students’ overall learning, ability, and aptitude to provide a holistic view of each pupil. This approach provides teachers with the data and insight necessary to inform teaching and learning and to track progress effectively. I am sure that the students will do well as a result of their diligence and the fine teaching standards in place at HFS.

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

Mr. Kearney