As the threat of pandemic lockdown fades and the world gradually transitions into a “with-COVID'' orientation, focus is now, more than ever, on student well-being. While it is difficult to truly comprehend the impact the past couple of years have had on well-being, especially with respect to the younger generations, it is universally understood that we crave real human interactions now more than ever before. We all learned the hard way how much we took each other for granted and how reliant we were on others for our happiness. The nexus for these feelings can be defined by a single word: community. As Aristotle said, “Man is a social animal”. In fact, research in the field of social psychology suggests that this desire for connection and community is hardwired into the human brain. Rather than a desire, belongingness is indeed a fundamental human need [1]. 

 

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. During relocation, families usually decide on their children’s school before even choosing a neighborhood to live in - not the other way around. 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.

 

A community like SFS makes us feel like we’re part of something greater than ourselves. A community unites us with culture, causes, and goals that help shape our day-to-day lives. The value of community building can never be overemphasized, especially when people come together to achieve a shared goal. Recently, 200 SFS community members participated in a charity run for the Oak Tree Project, an organization that provides scholarship and mentoring programs for orphans in Korea. In addition to the fact that Team SFS raised close to KRW 9,000,000 for the cause, it was the connection between the SFS runners, including parents, students and staff, that made the moment truly special. The sense of camaraderie and love for one another was undeniable. Love, together with notions like service, acceptance and compassion are pillars of the SFS Christ-like attitudes that shape our school. And none of those pillars stand without our community. 

 

Catching up recently with an alumnus, “community” was one of the first things that he mentioned, more than 20 years after graduating. He is still friends with those that he calls “his people”. Maya Angelou said it perfectly, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Twenty years down the road, we might not remember what we learned in Physics class nor even the name of the parents we ran concessions with, but we will always remember that we felt like we belonged at SFS. Finding your tribe can take many different forms, whether it's a sport, a choir, or a common interest for Pokemon. Your tribe might be fellow Drama Mamas, with whom you share many highs and lows with to make a High School musical happen. You might have many tribes, or your tribe might consist of a handful of carefully selected friends. Whichever it is, you are always part of something bigger than yourself: the SFS community. The significance of community at SFS has a meaning far beyond attending the school. It ties-in with the school’s mission,emphasis on well-being, and holistic approach to education. 

 

While we endeavored to provide our children with the best education possible amidst the sudden closures, hybrid models, online swimming classes, and endless testing, there is one thing we couldn’t sufficiently provide: being together. For a student, it means being unable to join your group of friends as you exit the school bus, join in an impromptu soccer game on the field, or laugh with your teachers. For a parent, it means no meet-ups by the Crave café after dropping the kids off or chatting at pick-up time. For faculty, it means talking to a screen rather than feeding off the energy of their engaged (albeit sometimes sleepy) students. 

 

While we cannot change the past, we can certainly reflect on it as we move into the future. We all have learned to adapt to these unprecedented times, and, while navigating these uncharted waters, all wondered the same thing: what happens next? At SFS, we started the “what happens next?” conversation fairly early on because we knew that picking up where we left off wasn’t going to cut it. The world and our community was changing before our eyes. We had to adapt. After all, throughout 110 years of existence, SFS had gone through so many historical events.The pandemic was another one of these defining moments that we had to learn from and overcome. 

 

As we started crafting what became “The Way Forward”, the most pressing topic everyone agreed upon was the necessity to “bring back community”. The fragmenting of our community during the pandemic significantly impacted the school’s sense of community. It was crucial to reconnect with all in our community and to recreate authentic connections between children, teachers, and parents. As an international school, SFS has a special role to play in the lives of community members. It bears the weight of a great responsibility: making sure that we provide an environment that supports the academic, social, and emotional well-being of everyone. A place where you belong. 

References: [1] Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497-529.