Dear Parents,
Even though the weather is cold we are wishing you a warm welcome back to HFS in the second term of the 2019/20 academic year. It is a new calendar year of a new decade and there are many new items that I must share with you in this first newsletter of our new term.
Club Activities to Commence from Monday 13 January
I am pleased to report that again we have a full complement of after school club activities for your child to participate in this term. Thank you for completing the online sign-ups for the clubs. Sign-ups are now closed. On Mondays we will have Chess and Mind-games club with Mr. Kearney and Tuesdays will be Mad Science club with Ms. McClellan, both of these are for Year 1 – 9 students. I am happy to announce that we will have a Taekwondo club on Wednesdays for the Year 3 – 9 students. Thursday and Friday clubs will be open to all students and these are the Creative club with Ms. Nurse and Touch Football club with Mr. Dunn. Regarding swimming and violin clubs, please join if you would like your child to learn how to swim or play the violin. A fine mix of creative, active and stimulating activities for your child to enjoy from Monday 13 January from 3:30 to 4:30. Please make sure to collect your child promptly at 4:30 pm after club activities since no supervision can be provided after club activities are finished.
ESL Classes on Wednesdays and Fridays
I am happy to announce the start of new ESL classes this term. HFS is growing in its faculty and curriculum and we will offer English Support Lessons to students who require them. Participation in these classes is by recommendation of the class teacher. The classes will be conducted by Mrs. Rosa Edholm-Kim, who as some of you may know, is a highly qualified and experienced ESL Teacher. She will conduct the classes on Wednesdays and Fridays in two streams; a beginner and advanced level. I am sure that these support lessons will be of great benefit for the students. Welcome to HFS, Rosa!
National Hat Day on Wednesday 15 January
Calling all Mad Hatters – On Wednesday 15 January we will commemorate International Hat day. Students are encouraged to make and wear the silliest hat that they can create for the day. We will vote in class for the funniest hats and then choose the overall best hat in the school from the four finalists. So, get your creative caps on in designing, making or buying the craziest cranium cover you can for a fun-filled day of mad hattery on Wednesday 15 January.
HFS Open Day on Monday 20 January
On Monday 20 January you will once again have the opportunity to see the fantastic inquiry-based teaching and learning that is taking place at HFS. We will open our doors from 09:30 to 11:30 am to allow you to see the inner workings of the school. We will start the proceedings with an informative presentation and tour of the school facilities. After the presentation there will be some refreshments, then from 10:30 am you can have a peek at an engaging lesson unfolding as it normally would on a typical school day. There will be ample parking available so invite any friends or relatives you may know who are interested in finding out about Hyundai Foreign School. I look forward to seeing you there.
Seollal Festivities on Tuesday 21 January
The Korean Lunar New Year holiday of Seollal will soon be upon us and HFS has a dynamic program in store for the celebration. We will be celebrating the holiday early so please join us on Tuesday 21 January from 1:30 pm if you would like to be a part of the Seollal festivities at HFS. Students are encouraged to wear traditional Korean clothing or clothing from their own countries for the day.
Pneumonia Reported in Korea
Recently, a mysterious case of pneumonia, whose pathogen has been identified as a new strain of coronavirus, has been spreading in various countries in East Asia. A single non-life-threatening case of such pneumonia was first reported in Korea yesterday. Due to frequent international travel, there is a small chance that the disease might spread further, so doctors are recommending increased action toward personal hygiene such as frequent washing of hands. While this is no cause for alarm we are encouraging all parents to be vigilant as to any symptoms that may appear. HFS will also step up its actions toward personal hygiene with the thorough use of soap and hand washing to curb the spread of germs. Thank you for your understanding.
That is all for this week. Thank you for your continued support and do have a wonderful weekend and keep warm.
Best regards
Mr. Kearney