The Banner magazine is published twice a year by the External Relations team of Seoul Foreign School.
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Student Voices
Feature Stories - Fall 2022
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No one understands that need to belong quite like international families. Living abroad means giving up your support system, cultural code and the comfort of familiarity. It also means jumping into the unknown. As such, a school is often seen by families as their anchoring point. International schools offer familiar routines that give new families a chance to rest during their first weeks and months of learning the new city, language, and culture. For returning families, it is this sense of familiarity and comfort that we all strive towards.
Evidence shows that feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning. However, to make it truly powerful, feedback needs to provide information specifically relating to the task or process of learning that fills a gap between what is understood and what is aimed to be understood. How can teachers and parents help children to develop these strategies?
We had the privilege of interviewing alumnus Fred Underwood, Class of 1972. An SFS legacy, Fred reflects on growing up a Third Culture Kid and how it shaped his entire life path.
Feature Stories - Spring 2022
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Every school day, two dozen bus drivers transport SFS students to campus and safely back home again. As our community consists of students from all over Seoul, this is a crucial role that bears a great deal of responsibility. But how often do we connect with bus drivers and other staff members who quietly keep school operations running smoothly?
The High School Counseling Program at Seoul Foreign School addresses the academic, social, and emotional development of all students. In partnership with teachers, parents, and the community, counselors provide support and ensure all students at SFS have access to, and are prepared with, the knowledge and skills to contribute as productive global citizens.
When you think of Seoul Foreign School, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of academic and creative excellence, a dedication to the service of others, or potentially our iconic Korean Gate. Inspired by these aspects of our school, a few enterprising staff members have created The Gate - a professional development center providing learning experiences to our community and beyond.
Feature Stories - Fall 2021
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Paul Rader ’04, SFS alumnus and current faculty member, is part of the rich history of SFS. He is a member of a multi-generational expatriate SFS family, and sees Seoul Foreign School as a touchstone not only for himself, but for his grandparents, parents, extended family, and now for his own children.
In the year Princess Diana became royalty and “the internet” was first being introduced to the world, the British School at Seoul Foreign School started its journey towards what it is today: a school where values build community and where learning connects students to relevance in the world around them.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) has been a part of the SFS high school experience for 40 years. With a new High School Principal joining SFS this year, we sat down with her to learn a bit more about her vision for the next 40 years of IBDP at SFS. We also asked young alumni to reflect on their IBDP experiences, and how SFS prepared them for the future.
Feature Stories - Spring 2021
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Inspire Citizens is an educational consulting organization focused on “working with committed partners to reimagine schools as thriving community centers of transformational learning.”
The word “lab” might make you think of a stark white room with glassware holding mysterious bubbling substances, petri dishes, and racks of protective eyewear. But this lab, housed on the SFS campus in the heart of the Middle School, is a completely different kind of space. Equipped for study, experiential learning, and student experimentation: this is VoiceLab.
AQT trains to compete in quiz competitions, in which two teams compete head-to-head to accumulate the most points by answering rapid-fire questions on a wide variety of subjects—ranging from science, history, and literature to pop culture and sports.
Feature Stories - Fall 2020
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2020 has been a year unlike any other, challenging us all in new ways. SFS has been subject to several changes and adaptations as the government has advised different safety measures. At the start of this school year, we went from expecting to welcome all of our students back to campus to quickly needing to change and offering much of our instruction virtually. SFS faculty have shown incredible resilience when challenged with these multiple pivots.
The final semester of senior year is bittersweet: students celebrate their accomplishments and enjoy their last weeks together as a class, but also prepare to say goodbye to friends and family to start a new chapter. This year’s class, however, did not get to experience being “second semester seniors” in the way that many students before them have. Instead, the class of 2020 went through a series of pivots, living week-to-week. Clarity around plans for the school year, the summer, and their future in college were all thrown up in the air in the wake of a global pandemic...
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested our patience, our humility, and our camaraderie. COVID-19 has taken much from us: most significantly, the tragic loss of life for those who have fallen victim to the disease. Additionally, many
have suffered loss of financial stability, have been isolated from loved ones, had travel plans cancelled, and haven’t been able to leave their homes.
But through the darkness, there have been glimmers of hope, and even joy...