BIFS NEWSLETTER

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

Contents

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

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This Coming Week at BIFS

1. Tue, May 31: International Track & Field Meet

2. Wed, June 1: Athletics BBQ
3. Wed, June 1: PTA AGM- ES Hall
4. Fri, June 3: End S03 CCA/Elective
5. Fri, June 3: ES Assembly- ES Hall

Whole School

1. The Mega List of Productive Ways to Spend Your Summer Vacation

2. Summer Camp 2016
3. PTA News
4. International Track and Field Meet: May 31
5. Grade 4 Choir Performance
6. ABRSM Music Exam Registration
7. Leaving BIFS?
8. International Schools Assessment (ISA)
9. PE Uniform Shop
10. Cafeteria Menu: May 30-June 3

Elementary School

1. Library Returns Requested

2. Class Placements
3. Upcoming Elementary Events

Middle School and High School

1. Crossroads at BIFS

For Your Diary

BIFS Annual Calendar 2015-16 & 2016-17
School & Community Links

www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332

Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

Whole School
The Mega List of Productive Ways to Spend Your Summer Vacation
Thoughts of summer vacation may include images of time at the beach or lake, lazy days escaping the heat, and
no thought of school. However, there are plenty of productive ways you can spend your summer that can be fun,
relaxing, helpful for your students education and personal development. If you are in Busan, the number one
choice is to join the BIFS Summer Program! Check out this mega list of productive ways to spend your summer
vacation:
Volunteer and Service Opportunities
Whether you are looking for a day-long project or one that lasts the entire vacation, these volunteer
opportunities are an excellent way to spend a productive summer. Join a park clean-up day. Local parks, hiking
trails, and beaches often sponsor clean-up days where the public can come out and help clean trash and make
simple repairs. Become a big brother or big sister. Mentoring organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters can match
you with a child who needs someone to look up to. Coach a sports team. If you love a sport, be it soccer,
baseball, or tennis, and like working with kids, then there are plenty of chances for you to volunteer to coach a
team. Volunteer at a retirement home. Make visits to retirement homes just to chat, offer a presentation, do art,
or share some music. Deliver meals or volunteer at a soup kitchen. Meals on Wheels provides meals for the
elderly or infirm and is always looking for volunteers to bring those meals to the clients. Read for the blind and
dyslexic. Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic has studios around the world available for volunteers to read and
record books and texts for the blind and dyslexic. These are simple ways to make a big difference!
Travel
Travel is a productive way to spend your vacation, and below you will find plenty of ideas on how to make that
happen. Be an overseas camp counselor. Travel during the summer, learn a new culture and meet some
awesome people from other countries. College visit opportunities. Some colleges encourage prospective
students to visit their campus by providing travel grants such as this one. Visit friends. Line up friends you may
not have seen in a while and take a trip to see them.
Expand your Knowledge
Take advantage of your down time to open your mind to new knowledge and experiences with these ideas that
include education vacations, new hobbies, and open courseware classes for example, how about attending the
BIFS Summer Program! Read. Make a list of books youve always wanted to read or find a list of best-sellers and
give yourself plenty of reading for the summer.

Continued on the next page

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Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

Take an education vacation. Instead of just taking a vacation with no purpose, take a vacation where you can
learn something. Seek opportunities to learn about the region, people, culture, and history of wherever you go.
Take a non-academic class. Maybe you think that since classes are over for the summer you should stay away
from school, but now is a great time to take informal classes to learn art, music, pottery, or any other subject
that interests you. Learn to play an instrument. If youve always wanted to learn the guitar or play the piano,
summer vacation is a perfect time to learn how to play. Learn a language. Take classes, go online, or buy some
books or software to help learn a new language. Take up a new hobby. If youve always wanted to make a
model airplane, learn to knit, collect coins, or any other hobby you can imagine, while school is out is the
perfect time to learn new hobbies. Learn to cook. Specialty grocery stores and high end houseware stores
often offer cooking classes. You can also find instructional videos online or just purchase some cookbooks and
learn by experience. Visit museums. Check out the museums in your town, then venture out to nearby towns
and see what they have to offer. Build something. Whether a bookshelf or a birdhouse, build something. Not
only will you learn a useful skill that you can put to use later when you own a home, but you can use this
opportunity for a creative outlet, too. Take an open courseware class. MIT and other universities around the
world are making many of their past courses available free of charge online. These courses typically include
such elements as the syllabus, course reading material, lectures, and projects.
Personal Challenges
If you have ever wanted to challenge yourself with difficult task such as running a marathon or need to teach
yourself important techniques as destressing or getting organized, then summer vacation is an ideal time to
focus on these activities. Train for a race. Whether you want to run a marathon, 5K, triathlon, or other race,
use your time off during the summer to train for the race of your dreams. Research your family history. Take
advantage of your down time to research your family history. Talk to the older adults in your family, check out
online genealogy sites, and put together a family history your entire family can treasure. Climb a mountain.
Travel to the peak that has always piqued your interest or give something local a try if you have ever thought
about climbing a mountaina physical and mental challenge enjoyed by many throughout the ages. Reconnect
with family members. Now that you arent so busy, take this time to reconnect or mend broken relationships
with family members. Use your time off to make a visit to spend time together. Take a hike. Whether you just
want a challenge of an afternoon or want to try your hand at a multi-day hiking adventure, hiking can be a
great way to connect with nature and find yourself. Destress. If the past academic year has brought too much
stress to your life, take this time to destress by pampering yourself, getting enough sleep, not overscheduling,
taking time to focus on your breathing and meditate, getting exercise, eating right, and having fun. Get fit. Take
on an exercise program, examine and change the way you are eating, and make positive changes that can help
you become healthy and fit.
Most importantly, have an enjoyable summer that is filled with wonderful memories so that you can return to
school refreshed and recharged! Make the most out of your upcoming summer! I look forward to hearing
about everyones incredible experiences!
Warmest Regards,
Kevin Baker
Head of School

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Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

SUMMER CAMP 2016

We are pleased to have our first summer camp at
BIFS! We will be offering Full Day and Half Day
courses from Playgroup Grade 10, including:
Soccer Camp (Gr 1-10)
ELC Discovery Camp (Playgroup - Sr Preschool)
Elementary Exploration Camp (Gr Kg-5)
Music Courses (Gr Kg-10)
Literacy and Math Enhancement Camp (Gr Kg-10)
For more detailed information, please go to this
link: https://goo.gl/2LWsmP
To apply, please fill out this
form: https://goo.gl/9R9Jok.
For more questions, please contact the Program
Coordinator, Leda Cedo, at ledacedo@bifskorea.org.

www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332

Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

PTA News
Our last PTA meeting will be held on Wednesday, 1 June at 10 am in the Elementary Hall. This will
be our Annual General Meeting where we elect next year's PTA Board. Please come and vote.
Several people have been nominated.
There are many opportunities to serve in BIFS PTA: president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer,
social director and communications director.
Participating on the PTA Board is a marvelous way to support your child and develop community
within BIFS. It also provides opportunities to make friends, use your skills and expertise and have a
lot of fun.
Many of our current Board members will be leaving us this year and so there will be plenty of
vacancies. Without an active PTA we wouldn't be able to host such great events as International
Day and Fall Festival.
Please think seriously about stepping forward and nominating for the PTA Board. If you are
interested in one of these positions, please email pta@bifskorea.org
Summary of PTA Boards Duties:
President Coordinate the work of all Members in accordance with the PTA Mission Statement.
Vice president Assist the President in the performance of his or her duties
Secretary Communicate within the PTA by documenting and keeping record of the minutes of all Meetings.
Treasurer Be responsible for financial activities related to the PTA
Social director Oversee PTA Fundraising Events
Communications director - Develop marketing and promotional material for PTA

PTA President
Joy Priedeman

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Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

International Track and Field Meet: May 31st

The BIFS Health and Physical Education department is excited to be hosting the 2016 International Track and Field
Meet. We have invited the top BIFS student finishers from last weeks track and field Carnival to compete against
5 other schools from our SKAC (Southern Korean Activities Conference) at the Sajick Auxiliary Stadium.
When:
Tuesday May 31st 10:00am - 4:30PM

Where:
Sajick auxiliary Stadium
* Busses depart BIFS at 8:40 AM and return to school
by 4:00Pm.
Who :

What:

Select Students from 3rd thru 12 grade

All Track and field events

High jump
(based on who had the best finishes
Long Jump
at our prior track meet)
Shot put
Discus throw
Vortex throw
All Track distances Sprints and Distance races.
Here is a link the Student Sign up sheet for the BIFS Track Students Grades 3 - 12:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YMfkKq1pomg
HvD-7n-CKIqu8LcWkDlkFw7kdJrhTY18/edit?usp=sharing

www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332

Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

Grade 4 Choir Performance

We would like to congratulate the following members of the Grade 4 choir for their outstanding performance at
the Global Gathering last Saturday:
William Lee, Joseph Jung Hanshin, Jonas Risberg, Kevin Jeong, Irene Ahn, Elli Pirounakis, Hayrettin Ocakli,
Arthur Smith, Nicole Agi, Sophia Berglund, Claudia Mouna, Jeremiah Dennis, Lisa Seoyoung Zaytseva, Michelle
Lee Chun, Grant Carpenter, Faidra Koukouli, Jeannie Park, Loukia Christodoulou and Joon Park.
We would also like to extend a huge thank you to all the parents of our performing students for their support.

ABRSM Music Exam Registration for October/November 2016 theory

and practical exams
Dear Parents,
Please note that the deadline to register your children for the October/November 2016 exam session in Music
Theory and Practical will be August 26, 2016. The Music Theory Exam is scheduled on Saturday, November 5th
at 2:00 pm at BIFS. The October practical exam date will be announced in August. We will send out a reminder
and information on how to register when school commences in August.

Leaving BIFS?
If you and your family will be leaving BIFS, parents are obliged to officially inform the Admissions Office through a
withdrawal form at least fourteen days prior to your child's last day of school. You may either complete the online
withdrawal form or contact the Admissions office at admissions@bifskorea.org or 051-742-3332 (Ext. 100).
Questions regarding fees and refunds should be addressed to finance@bifskorea.org.

www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332

Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

International Schools Assessment (ISA)

In February 2016 BIFS students in Grades 3-10 participated in the International Schools Assessment (ISA), a
program developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and designed specifically for
international schools.
The ISA assesses students in the three learning areas of Mathematical Literacy, Reading and Writing, using pencil
and paper tests.
Last Wednesday, the BIFS Parent Coffee focused on helping parents to understand basic information about ISA.
One of the key points is to consider the results of this assessment in the context of other information about your
childs achievement provided by teachers and the school.
Some helpful links below:
Link to the presentation slides
ISA ACER website
ISA matching IB curricular framework
IB report: PYP/MYP/ISA 2010

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Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

PE Uniform Shop
Be sure to stop by the PE Uniform Shop to take advantage of the great CLOSEOUT prices on many
items!!

Polar Fleece Vests, Fleece Tops, Fleece Pants,

Tracksuit Jackets and Tracksuit Pants
NOW 10,000 won each
BIFS Bears Gray and White Hoodies
(sizes limited)
NOW 20,000 won each
BIFS Beanies

NOW 6,000 won each

BIFS blankets

NOW 35,000 won each

All sales are final. No refunds will be given.
THE PE UNIFORM SHOP is open Monday through Thursday! Please check the calendar on the BIFS
website for actual shop hours each week. Note: Shop hours are determined by the availability of our
volunteers!

All general information regarding PE Uniforms can be found under the life at BIFS tab
on the BIFS website!
LOOKING FOR A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY AT SCHOOL? Sign up NOW for next school year and spend
a day or two getting your feet wet (training) any time now through June!! Our volunteers are
generally scheduled 8:30-12 or 12-3:30 twice each month (but we are flexible)!! We wont turn
anyone away! Volunteers in the PE Uniform Shop have a regular schedule so it is easy to plan around.
For more information about volunteering in the PE Uniform Shop, contact Dee Baker at
dbaker@bifskorea.org.
www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332

Busan International Foreign School

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BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

Cafeteria Menu: May 30-June 3

Lunch Menu

Sandwich Bar

We serve brunch buffet or international buffet every 3rd Thursday of a month.

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Busan International Foreign School

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BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

Elementary School
Library Returns Requested
It's that time of the year again and the BIFS libraries needs to do an inventory of all our materials before the
summer holidays. All library books need to be returned by the end of May.
This week is the last week of borrowing for elementary students before the summer.
To continue reading practice during the summer you might want to access the many digital resources that are
available to our BIFS students. If you go to the library catalogue there is a section on the lower right with links to
many online reading options.
We also recommend that you become members of your home libraries when you are visiting family and friends
during the summer. Visiting libraries with relatives can be very enjoyable and, if you become a member, there are
many digital resources available for download anywhere in the world.
Also, if you have any books you no longer need at home, we are happy to receive donations at the building B
library office.
We had a wonderful month in the elementary library. Information about our visiting storytellers and author visit is
available on our library blog.

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Busan International Foreign School

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United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

Class Placements
We will soon begin doing some initial class placements for returning students for the 2015-16 school year. When
placing students into classes we look at a variety of factors in order to achieve balanced groupings, such as
nationality, gender, academic ability, SEN support, EAL support, student relationships, etc. We will continue to
enroll new students, and some families may leave unexpectedly over the summer. Additionally, in some grade
levels we will start the 2016-17 school year with a single class depending on enrollments.
We will be announcing class placements and teacher assignments after the summer. You can expect this
information to be emailed to you the week prior to the start of the 2016-17 school year.
If you would like to share any pertinent aspects related to your childs placement, please feel free to email Anne
Sweet (asweet@bifskorea.org) or send a note in writing to the Elementary office. We will not be taking requests
for specific teachers, however we will consider your input in regard to relationships / friendships and such. Please
note that to maintain balanced classes, requests will be considered, however, we cannot guarantee all requests will
be granted. Please provide this information in writing by May 29, 2015.
Additionally, in class, all elementary students will generate a list of peers they would like be with next year, and
teachers will take this into consideration.

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Busan International Foreign School

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BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

Upcoming Elementary Events

Date/Time

Event

Details

May 31

International Track &

Field Event

The top placers in each grade level from the first Tran & Field
event will participate in this event with other schools. A separate
permission slip has been sent to parents of the students who
were invited to participate.

June 1, 9:00-3:00

Field Trip

Grade 1 Field trip to Samjung Park

June 2, 9:30-3:30

ES Basketball
Tournament

Grade 3-5 basketball tournament (rescheduled due to rain on

previous date)

June 3, 9:00-9:30

ELC Performance

Please join us for the ELC performance

June 3, 11:15-12:15

KG Introduction to Grade KG kids will spend some time in the Grade 1 class to find out
1
what next year will be like. Then we will pair them up with a
buddy from first grade who will help them get their own tray for
the first time at lunch that day!

June 3, 12:50-1:30
Grade 5 Transition
(note the earlier time) Morning

Grade 4R

June 3, 1:30-3:15

ES Dodgeball
Tournament

Grade levels will compete in an elementary school wide

dodgeball tournament. Winners will play teachers! Hosted by the
ES Student Council.

June 3

Electives end

Last day for ES Electives (all students depart at 3:30 during the
final week of school)

June 6-10

No electives

All kids take the 3:30 buses (no 4:30 bus this week)

June 6 (date change)

ES Water Sports Dat

Grades KG-5 participate in watersports in the morning

June 7, 9:00-12:00

ELC Art Day

ELC will be having a morning of creative and fun art activities

(please note the change in grades participating)

June 9, 1:30-2:30

Grade 5 Graduation

The community is invited to attend the Grade 5 Graduation

celebration in the gym

June 10

Last Day of School ends

at 12:00

11:00-11:40 school-wide assembly; noon dismissal for all

students; no lunch provided

Summer holidays! We will miss you!!

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Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER

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United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

Middle School and High School

Crossroads at BIFS
BIFS will be hosting the Crossroads Foundation from Hong Kong on June 2nd and
3rd. Each grade from 6 to 11 will experience a two-hour poverty simulation over
the course of two days. David Begbie, (the Head of the organization,) and his
colleagues have a busy schedule and they rarely travel to schools outside of
Hong Kong to run a poverty simulation. They agreed to come and visit us after
two years of discussions and negotiations because they could see that we are
committed to moving towards an ethos of service-at-the-centre in the MHS at
BIFS. They agreed to come and work with us if we promised that the event
would not be a "flash in the pan" for students but would involve all teachers,
school leaders and members of the community, such as parents.
Crossroads will be offering a simulation for our BIFS community on June 2nd,
from 10:50 to 12:50. If you would like to take part of this opportunity, please fill
out the form HERE by June 1st. This workshop is free of charge, and may
certainly give you a new look at the role we need to play as global citizens.
If you have any additional question, please contact Craig Wilson
(cwilson@bifskorea.org) or Daun Yorke (dyorke@bifskorea.org).
We hope to see you there.

CAS Coordinator
Craig Wilson

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Busan International Foreign School

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BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

For Your Diary

June 2016

May 2016
31st

International Track & Field Meet

1st

Athletics BBQ
PTA AGM- ES Hall

3rd

End S03 CCA/Elective

ES Assembly- ES Hall

6th-9th

Action Week

7th

ES Water Sports Day

8th-9th

G4 Project - Grade 11 Students

9th

Extended Essay Camp

Grade 5 Graduation
MHS Student Led Conference

10th

End of Term 3
Dismissal at Noon
Schoolwide Assembly
Schoolwide Reports Distributed

www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332

Busan International Foreign School

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332

Busan International Foreign School

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BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 56, May 27, 2016

School & Community Links

Please contact the school if you wish to inquire about promoting

your company in the BIFS Newsletter.
enquiries@bifskorea.org | 051-742-3332

www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332

Busan International Foreign School