Dear Parents,

The end of the academic year is rapidly approaching as the rainy season arrives. These are the newsworthy items I would like to share with you this week.

Actions in Response to Chris’s accident on the Futsal Field

While HFS deeply regrets that the accident occurred, Chris Roussos has returned to school for a few days this week and was in good spirits as he continues to recover from his accident. He is showing such remarkable resilience and fortitude as he still completes his learning.

In response to this incident, HFS has been in constant contact with Mr. and Mrs. Roussos, even having Miss Yeo drive the family to the hospital in Busan on different occasions this week. Immediately after the accident, the school approached the Hanmaeum center and had them modify both gates on the futsal field as well as adding large, clear warning signage in English and Korean with a picture and also explaining to all students in an assembly to stay clear of the gates.

Regarding the safety standards at HFS, we have approached the Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education (Ulsan MOE) asking if they would conduct a safety inspection. They, however stated that the approval that they gave to our facilities in 2018 would be valid for the duration of our stay at these premises. They further extended this stamp of approval again in 2019. We also received a certification of safety from the Council of International Schools (CIS) during an inspection of our premises in 2019 stating the same. Furthermore, HFS has certificates, pertaining to fire and electrical safety on our school premises, which HFS has submitted to the Ulsan MOE during the process of their safety inspection, which we passed.

To further show that we do indeed prioritize safety at our school, we have initiated our own internal safety inspection protocol. All staff have been instructed to thoroughly check and identify any potential safety hazards that may be present so that we may take immediate action towards resolving or correcting them. This is an ongoing and permanent initiative happening throughout the year to ensure that such an incident is not repeated. I do hope that these swift actions on the part of the staff at HFS reflect our commitment to keeping the students safe while at HFS.

Book Character Dress-Up Day

What a sight it was to behold as the students donned creative outfits for our Book Character Dress-up Day yesterday. I am always astounded at the creativity in the design of their costumes. Well done to Maximos Kopanas, Lisa Fatet, Reyansh Chandel, and Jeongwoo Seo for being selected as the most creatively dressed students in their classes. At HFS we firmly believe in encouraging reading and we hope that this fun event goes some way in stimulating our students to read, read, read.

Sports Day on Friday 3 July

On Friday 3 July from 09:30 to 11:30 HFS will hold its annual school sports day. The student council, under the guidance of Mr. Dunn, has planned some creative and competitive team and class games and activities that are sure to be entertaining while also observing proper social distancing protocols. If you would like to watch the games please join us on the futsal field between 09:30 and 11:30 for a fun morning of fitness and sport. Should rain be forecast on the day then the event will be cancelled.

2019/20 HFS School Yearbook Orders

I am pleased to announce that the 2019/20 HFS School Yearbook has been completed and I must thank Mrs. Andersen for graciously donating her time and offering her expert design skills in creating the yearbook. It is a treasure trove of memories from what has undoubtedly been a tumultuous year for everybody. The HFS PTA has generously agreed to subsidize every first copy ordered per student so the cost of your first copy will be 20,000 Won. Any additional copies ordered over and above that will cost 43,000 Won each. There is a preview copy at the office for you to view to decide if you would like to own one or more. Orders must be made before Friday 3 July and orders can be placed by clicking on and completing this form. Parents are asked to send payment for the number of books they order to the admin office.

HFS School Dance on Friday 10 July

Based on the survey sent in last weeks’ newsletter it is clear that the majority of parents favour having a school dance as our end-of-year function as per tradition. The results showed 73% in favour of HFS hosting this event. I would like to remind all parents that this will be a private function, open only to students of HFS and their parents. The event will be held on Friday 10 July from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm and it promises to be a fun and entertaining way to bring the year to a close. The student council will plan the music and dance activities as well as helping with the decorations. I look forward to seeing you there.

PTA Meeting on Tuesday 30 June

We will have our final PTA meeting on Tuesday 30 June from 3:35 pm in the school cafeteria. Please join us as we discuss the planning for the sports day and school dance and reflect on the year that is almost behind us. The PTA is and always has been a valued institution in schools and I look forward to seeing you there.

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

Mr. Kearney

Dear Parents,

After my absence, it is great to be back at the school and in the classroom. Thank you to all for the kind messages and well wishes. I am also pleased to report that Chris Roussos was discharged from the hospital yesterday and is well on the road to recovery. Chris, you are a brave and strong young man and everyone in the HFS community is thinking of you and hoping for your speedy recovery.

These are the items that I wish to share with you in this week’s newsletter.

GL Assessment and Year 6 & 9 Checkpoint Next Week

As we approach the end of the academic year we must gauge the learning that has taken place over the year. This week the F2 – Y9 students successfully completed the GL assessment tests and next week the year 6 and 9 students will do the Cambridge Checkpoint exams. The GL assessments are the leading provider of formative assessments to UK schools, overseas ministries and British, bilingual and international schools worldwide. The Cambridge Checkpoint exams reflect the highest standard international assessment and are used and respected by educational establishments around the world. I have no doubt that they have been well prepared for their tests and I wish them the best of luck for these assessments.

Book Character Dress-Up Day on Thursday 25 June

In the name of fun and promoting reading, HFS will have our annual “Book Character Dress-up Day” on Thursday 25 June since we were unable to hold it while E-Learning was taking place. All students are encouraged to dress up as a literary character from their favourite book on the day. (I must remind parents that face masks are still to be worn even if not part of their costume). I look forward to seeing the creative costumes that the students can come up with and each class will vote for the best dressed person in their class. It should be a lot of fun.

Scholastics Book Club Due by Thursday 25 June

Still on the topic of reading, I am happy to share with you the link to the HFS Scholastic Book Club Special. If you would like to order books for your child at a greatly reduced rate, please click here to see what the HFS Scholastic Book Club has on offer. A percentage of sales will go to a worthy cause; Since, for every $1 you spend on this month’s Book Club, our school will earn 20¢ in Scholastic Rewards. Please place your order online by 25 June 2020. Thank you for your support with this fantastic initiative.

HFS School Sports Day on Friday 3 July

On Friday 3 July between 09:30 and 11:30 am HFS will hold the school sports day. The HFS student council has been hard at work planning games that observe the correct social distancing guidelines while still being fun and competitive. If you feel that your child should not participate in the day’s fun and games, please inform the admin office by Tuesday 23 June. It promises to be a morning of exciting activities and competition and parents are encouraged to come and spectate.

Survey on the Year-End School Dance Due by Tuesday 23 June

Finally, as has come to be a tradition at HFS, we close the school year with a special event and in the last few years this has been in the form of a school dance. In the age of Covid-19, however, we must consider social distancing guidelines and for this reason we would like to gauge the feelings of all the parents of the HFS community regarding whether or not hosting an end of year school dance is preferred. We have designed a single question, yes/no survey for you to complete to see if we should go ahead with planning this event. Please click here to complete the survey by Tuesday 23 June. Should the majority favour not going ahead with the school dance, an alternative event will be arranged. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

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

Mr. Kearney

Dear Parents,

I am pleased to begin by mentioning that the school has started to chug along with everybody on board, thanks to cooperation and understanding of our school community. I would appreciate your continued support to ensure that we will be able to successfully complete the rest of our journey together for the 2019-2020 academic year. This week also, I have some news to share with you.

Get Well Soon, Chris

Unfortunately, one of our Y3 students Chris Roussos sustained an injury while playing during the lunch break yesterday. Our staff immediately took him to a hospital in Busan with his mother. He had surgery last evening and is currently recovering at the hospital, where he will remain for about a week. Let us join in wishing him a speedy and complete recovery.

Mr. Kearney to Return to School next Monday 15 June

Released from hospital on 8 June, he has been recovering at home. He is in good health and ready to come back next Monday 15 June. I am confident that he will lead the school forward with full energy and stamina. I would like to thank all the staff for working closely together to pull through the challenge. I would also like to thank our ESL teacher Mr. Baker and the substitute teacher Mr. John English who have given their best to provide quality teaching for our Y3’s and 4’s, and, last but not least, our parents for their kind support and understanding.

Return of the Whole School

Our students enjoyed the first week after return of the whole school. At the Assembly on Monday, they discussed and shared thoughts on the core value “confidence”. It is great to see that our students are adjusting fast to the new normality brought on by the novel coronavirus and are learning how to work together and overcome challenges with inner confidence. We hope they will keep it up until 17 July, the final day of the current school year, and beyond.

PTA Meeting on Tuesday 16 June

Mr. Kearney would like to invite you to a PTA meeting on Tuesday 16 June at 3:35 pm. He wants to share ideas with you about items such as yearbook contribution from the PTA fund, scholastics book order and the end-of-the-year function. Your participation in the meeting would be much appreciated.

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

Paul Eungsoo Kim

Executive Board Member

Dear Parents,

Summer is already here with daytime temperatures rising into 30s Celsius. It seems as if the school were awakening to brilliant rays of the sun after a long slumber. I have both good and bad news to share with you this week.

Mr. Kearney’s Hospitalization and a Hiring of a Substitute Teacher

As for the bad news first, although he is in a stable condition, Mr. Kearney will likely have to stay at the hospital by the end of next week to ensure full recovery. The good news is that we have succeeded in recruiting an experienced substitute teacher to teach our Y3’s and Y4’s: Mr. John English from the UK. He will be teaching our students from Tuesday until Mr. Kearny returns. As such, ESL lessons will resume next Wednesday.

I am also pleased to report that our students including the Y3’s and 4’s who came back last Wednesday are adjusting quickly to school life after a long absence. It is so obvious that they are enjoying in-class learning in the company of their classmates, while observing the school’s Covid-19 protocol such as wearing masks all the time, maintaining physical distance and washing hands as often and thoroughly as possible. Upon returning to school, Y3’s and 4’s also put their knowledge and skills to test in GL Assessments in Math, English, and Science from Wednesday to Friday.

Y 5-9 to Resume In-class Learning from Monday 8 June

Y5-9 students will be the last batch of students returning to school next Monday, completing the three-stage re-opening of the school. The day will mark the return of the whole school after unprecedented closure of more than three months. Welcome back!

In connection with the Y5-9’s coming back to school, this morning the admin office sent an email to guide their parents. This is a gentle reminder for them to read and follow the guidance.

The Snow Queen at the Dongrami Theater

Meanwhile, while the school was closed, Dongrami Theater staged a production of “The Snow Queen” featuring our students. Well done to Theo, Seongyun, and Dhanya for confidently performing their roles in the show! It is always a great pleasure to see our students display confidence and creativity in front of an audience.

We will hold down the fort in the absence of Mr. Kearney. We would appreciate your kind understanding and moral support for the school in these difficult times.

On a different note, the coronavirus has subsided to a manageable level in Korea and with the weather being sunny with attractive beaches nearby and green foliage all around, getting out with sunglasses on would naturally be very enticing. However, while doing so, be wary of the virus and stay safe and healthy. Take care.

Paul Eungsoo Kim
Executive Board Member