Whole School: United in Our Diversity, Thriving in Our Individuality

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality
Contents
ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015
(Click to jump straight to the article home icon brings you back to Contents)
Whole School
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Learning to Fail Well

BIFS Parent Coffee
PE Uniform Shop
School Buses
TEDxYouth@BIFS Videos Available
Image Rights Permission
PTA News
Fall Family Festival 2015
From the Music Department
Flu Vaccine Information
Cafeteria Menu: November 9 - 13
Turkeys Available from Chef Kim
Elementary School
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Thank You Student Council!

Field Trips
Grade 5 Camp
Elementary School Health Screenings
Upcoming Events
Middle School and High School
1. Celebrating Honors and Efforts

2. BIFS Students Take the Lead in Supporting Local Community
For Your Diary

BIFS Annual Calendar 2015-2016
School & Community Links
www.bifskorea.org | enquiries@bifskorea.org | T. 82 51 742 3332
Busan International Foreign School
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Whole School
Learning to Fail Well
Welcome to the fall mid-term holiday! We hope that you and your family will have holiday time filled with
discovery and relaxation. Everyone has earned a well-deserved break. I hope everyone was able to come out
and enjoy the PTAs super successful Fall Family Festival event last weekend! What an incredible school
community that BIFS has! Thank you for your support and participation!
I want to follow up my last weeks article on Reflections on Resilience
by exploring in more detail what it means to teach our students to fail
well. Have you ever thought about what it means to fail well? Society
does not normally place those two words together in that way. In fact,
society often views failure as a negative experience and something to be
avoided. However, to avoid failure is a recipe for disaster. Let me explain.
goo.gl/43s77g
Do you realize that the most significant difference between high achievers and underachievers is that high
achievers learn how to fail well? What does this mean? A person has learned to fail well if they, first,
acknowledge their failures and take responsibility for their actions. Next, they work out what they did wrong and
then they commit to making changes. Finally, and most importantly, they go back and do it again! They do not
give up! In contrast, people that fail badly, seek to shift the blame for their failure onto others or they ignore or
deny that they failed. Sometimes they dramatize the failure to avoid dealing with it and then they avoid any
activity in the future that could possibly result in failure. They stop trying and they universalize their failure into all
areas of their lives.
www.taolearn.com
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Learning to Fail Well - Continued

So, let me ask you a question, what do you want your students to be able to do fail well or fail badly? We all
desire our students to grow, learn, become and thrive. In order to do so, they all need the opportunity to fail
well. They all need to be taught how to fail well and to build up these important life skills. In the end we want to
cultivate the mindset that hard work, persistence, resilience, determination are all part of the learning process
and that these experiences lead to success. This begins with accepting that failure is an essential part of success!
What do you think about failing well?
Wishing each and every one of our students success in the future as we all learn to fail well and to succeed!
Have a wonderful holiday!
Kevin Baker
Head of School
BIFS Parent Coffee

Please come to the next BIFS Parent Coffee on Wednesday, November 11! MYP and PYP MAP results will be
released after the break. Teachers from the school's data analysis team will be available to talk about reading the
MAP test reports and will share what they learned about Measures of Academic Progress at a professional
development weekend they attended in Seoul.
Time: 9-10 AM
Place: ES Hall (B5.5)
Immediately following the BIFS Parent Coffee, the PTA will hold their meeting in the same location. Please join
the BIFS admin team for a meaningful coffee morning conversation!
PE Uniform Shop
THE PE UNIFORM SHOP is now open Monday thru 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!
The weather is starting to cool off so it is a great time to consider your cool weather PE Uniform options!! Stop
by the PE Uniform Shop and let us help you!!
Also available: BIFS blankets, coffee mugs and Eco-bags!!
Our vendor has indicated that he is changing factories because of quality issues. If you are having difficulty with the quality of your
uniform, please be sure to let us know! In most cases, we will not be able to replace it but we can ask the vendor to repair it.
BIFS NEWSLETTER
School Buses
After mid-term break, schedules for several buses will be slightly changed. For the morning buses, bus number
#3 and #11 will be slightly adjusted. All afternoon bus schedules will be changed as a new CCA/Elective season
starts after break.
Please note, information regarding the changes will be emailed to parents on Thursday, November 5. If you
have any questions, please contact Ms. Noh (Becky), Bus coordinator, at schoolbuses@bifskorea.org.
TEDxYouth@BIFS Videos Available

BIFS held its second TedxYouth@BIFS event last month. It was a great success as the thought-provoking
speakers shared their perspectives on a variety of powerful issues! The BIFS student speakers were amazing! It
was a wonderful afternoon for BIFS and our community! If you missed it, here are videos from the event.
Image Rights Permission

Our assumption is that by joining the school parents give us their permission for any photos, videos, and audio
files featuring their child or themselves to be published on the school's website, blogs, and in other marketing
materials belonging to the school. Please notify Miyoung Kim at miyoungkim@bifskorea.org if you do not wish
photos, videos and audio files featuring your child or yourselves to be used.
BIFS NEWSLETTER
PTA News
What a fabulous Fall Family Festival! I asked several students what their favorite activity was
and many said it was being on the water roller balls. They did look fun! It was wonderful to
see the many painted faces and people enjoying the many other activities.
Congratulations to our Festivals many winners. John McAnulty became our inaugural Chili Cook-off Champion.
The Egg & Spoon Races were won by Louis Vanderwel. The Gumboot Throwing was won by Marnie Stutsel,
Taylor Armstrong, Claudia Vanderwel & Kam Shields. Cooper Shields and Kai Armstrong won the Pumpkin
Carving Contest.
Thank you to everyone who came, cooked, baked, volunteered, judged chili and helped clean up at the Fall
Family Festival. It takes a community to put together an event like this. It was wonderful to spend time with our
families and our school community.
There were several items that were left at the Saturday's event. If your family is missing an item, look in the
administration office in the "bus lost and found".
Wednesday, 11 November is our next PTA meeting following the BIFS coffee. The coffee starts at 9:00 am and
the PTA meeting at 10.00am. We will be discussing the end results of the Fall Family Festival and our Hot Topic
this month is Thanksgiving. Please come along, you will learn more about BIFS as well as enjoying some social
interaction with other parents. See you there.
Following the PTA meeting, we will be going to eat lunch at a traditional pumpkin duck restaurant in Gijang. You
will need to sign up so we can order your lunch. The deadline is Monday, November 9 to sign up in order that
we make our reservation.
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094aa5a823a46-pumpkin
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Fall Family Festival 2015
BIFS NEWSLETTER
From the Music Department

ABRSM Theory Exam
The ABRSM Music Theory Exam will be held here at school on Saturday November 7th, 2015 in C5.1 (5th floor
Hall) at 2:00 pm. All candidates should be here at school and ready for the exam by 1:45 pm.
KIMEA Music Festival
Auditions for the Kimea National Honors Festival is fast approaching. This festival is for High School students
who play strings, a band instrument or sing.
All audition audio recordings are due November 3rd, 2015 to Mr. Jefferson (ljefferson@bifskorea.org). Audition
fees are KRW 10,000 per auditioning student.
The National Honors Festival will be held at Chadwick International School on Friday & Saturday, February 19-20,
2016. Total cost for this festival is KRW 250,00 which will include the participation fees, travel and
accommodation costs.
ISCMS Music Festival
The International Schools Choral and Music Societys festival will be held in Zhuhai, China this year from January
27th January 31st 2016. Rehearsals for the festival will be taking place at Dulwich College Zhuhai. The Gala
Concert will be held at the Zhuhai Grand Theatre on Saturday January 30th.
This years choir repertoire is: Blessed Pair of Sirens by Parry and Chichester Psalms by Bernstein. Students
wishing to participate in the ISCMS Choir will be required to attend extra rehearsals in order to learn the pieces.
No auditions will be required for choir students, however it is expected that students master the pieces prior to
arriving at rehearsals. Please note that the choirs performance at the Gala Concert will be 30 minutes in length.
The orchestra repertoire for this year is: Polovtsian Dances by Borodin, the 2016 winning student Composition
for
the
Jenkins
Award,
Rodeo
by
Copland,
Blessed
Pair
of
Sirens
by
Parry,
Chichester Psalms by Bernstein and a Combined Big Band and Orchestra piece.
Please be aware that any student (returning and new to ISCMS) wishing to perform with the Orchestra or Big
Band must audition. All auditions are due to Ms. Khalifeh by November 14th. Auditions submitted on November
15th will not be accepted. Audition videos must show clearly both hands of the performer and be no longer than
5 minutes duration. Students can select their own choice of piece demonstrating technical and musical ability.
Players who are not offered a seat in the ISCMS Orchestra or Big Band, will be automatically invited to sing in
the ISCMS Festival Chorus so they can enjoy full participation in ISCMS. Wind and brass placements are
especially limited and only the strongest candidates will be successful.
BIFS NEWSLETTER
From the Music Department - Continued

The total cost of the trip is estimated at KRW 1,400,000 (for shared room) and KRW 1,650,000 (for single room).
The fees for this trip will be due by December 1st, 2015.
If you require detailed information about the festival and the trip, please ask your son/daughter to pick up the
ISCMS information letter from the Music Department.
2014 ISCMS Music Trip to Shanghai
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Flu Vaccine Information

Flu (influenza) season is upon us, which means it is the perfect time to think about getting your annual flu
vaccine! It takes up to two weeks to develop immunity against the flu, so now is the ideal time to be vaccinated
before flu season peaks (usually from November - March).
The flu vaccine is now available at any pediatric, internal medicine, or family doctor clinic. Please contact the
nurse at nurse@bifskorea.org if you have any questions.
Here are some helpful facts about the flu and why it is important to obtain the flu vaccine:
Protect yourself and your family.
The best way to protect your family from influenza (flu) is to get everyone in your household vaccinated.
Even the healthiest child whos never had seasonal influenza is at risk and needs to be vaccinated.
Influenza can worsen chronic medical conditions.
Influenza vaccination is especially important for people with compromised immune systems or certain
underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, and heart disease. Influenza can worsen these
conditions or cause serious complications in those who have them.
Vaccinating the family helps protect vulnerable infants.
Children younger than 6 months of age are too young to be vaccinated against influenza, but they are
at the greatest risk of hospitalization. To create a protective cocoon of immunity around unvaccinated
infants, parents, siblings, and all other close contacts of the baby should be vaccinated.
Keep your kids at school and yourself at work.
Children have plenty to worry about without having to catch up on missed school work. And when kids
miss school, parents often lose work days to care for them.
Your child is exposed more than you think.
Children share close quarters inside schools. And lets face it their hygiene habits are often less than
stellar! Your child is constantly touching, playing, and sharing with others...this includes sharing the flu
virus!
The influenza vaccine is safe and effective.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent influenza. The influenza vaccine can reduce chances of getting
the flu by 70 to 90 percent and, if someone gets vaccinated but still gets the flu, chances are they will
get a less severe case.
You cannot get sick with the flu from the vaccine.
Whether you chose the injection or the nasal spray, the vaccine does not infect a person with the flu.
The influenza vaccine contains virus strains that are either inactivated (as in the injected vaccine) or
weakened (as in the nasal spray) and matched to the most commonly circulating influenza viruses that
year. However, it takes two weeks for the vaccine to become effective. It is possible that within those two
weeks an individual not yet fully protected by the vaccine can contract and develop influenza.
http://www.preventchildhoodinfluenza.org
10
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Cafeteria Menu: November 9 - 13
Lunch Menu
Sandwich Bar
We serve brunch buffet or international buffet every 3rd Thursday of a month.

BIFS NEWSLETTER
11
Turkeys Available from Chef Kim

Chef Kim has kindly offered again to make turkeys available to our BIFS
faculty and parents.
Availability: from Oct 28th to Dec 31st
Menu:
One uncooked whole turkey (5kg) with cranberry sauce: 65,000 won
One whole cooked turkey (5kg) with stuffing, giblet sauce and cranberry
sauce: 90,000 won
How to order: contact Chef Kim, either by
Mobile Phone: 010-2583-6545 (with a text message), or
Email: khkim6543@hanmail.net
Delivery: please pick up your order from the cafeteria on an arranged
date
Payment: at your convenience upon placing the order, or collecting your
order
BIFS NEWSLETTER
12
Elementary School
Thank You Student Council!
Thank you to our student leaders for putting together a fun community Halloween event! The entire afternoon
was planned by the Student Council, from the hallway decorations, to the parade and Halloween activities. It
was fun seeing so many children dressed up in costumes and to have a relaxed afternoon together as a
community. Thanks to the parents who provided items for the Bake Sale!
Field trips
The ELC students went on a field trip to a sweet potato farm. The students all had an opportunity to see how the
farm works, and to dig up their own sweet potatoes to bring home.
BIFS NEWSLETTER
13
Grade 5 Camp
Grade 5 students traveled to Yongin, Seoul and Paju to learn about Korean culture and the conflict between
North and South Korea. They visited the biggest Korean folk village in the country and then entered Seoul to
explore the artifacts, videos and photos from the Korean war at the War Memorial in Yongsan. In the afternoon
the students visited Paju, near the DMZ (demilitarized zone) and entered the Unification village where they
enjoyed a traditional meal and learned how the locals use the soybean they grow in the DMZ to make tofu.
They also visited the 3rd tunnel that the North Koreans dug in the 1960s and had to endure a steep walk up and
down to the level of the tunnel. Students went to the observatory and used binoculars to look into what could
be seen of North Korea and lastly visited the last train station before the railroad entered North Korea and the
Imjingak peace park, where the POW (prisoners of war) were exchanged across the freedom bridge.
The evenings were filled with a talent show, various group games and an impromptu pajama party. It was a
wonderful trip where the students learned about the place they live and learned more about themselves and
each other.
14
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Elementary School Health Screenings

After our November mid-term break, the Nurses Office will be conducting student health screenings for all
students in Kindergarten through grade 5.
The screenings will include the following:
Height
Weight
Vision Screening
Your childs height and weight measurements can be used to compare to the standards of other children their
same age, height, and weight, providing insight into their physical growth and development. The vision
screening is a tool to identify possible visual problems and make appropriate referrals for a professional exam.
Early detection and intervention is important if a child has any potential health problems that could interfere with
their education.
These screenings will be conducted annually at school and the information be shared with you as well as remain
in the student's health file year-to-year to help track their growth and development. Students are often very
interested in the health office and enjoy learning that their bodies are growing. This is a great opportunity for
students to become familiar with the nurse's office and, most importantly, to promote health and wellness.
I encourage all students to participate in the health screenings! Please complete the emailed permission form or
follow this link to give permission for your child/children to participate.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the nurse at nurse@bifskorea.org.
Upcoming Events
Date/Time
Event
Details
November 9
Start of Term 2 Electives
November 13
Elective Registration final

day
Final opportunity to add electives classes for Term 2.
November 13, 2:35-3:20
Elementary Assembly
November 13 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. Mrs. Toms will

read a story about the importance of showing kindness to each
other. 'Each Kindness' by Jacqueline Woodson
November 20, 2:35-3:20
Elementary Assembly
Grade 2 will be presenting their Where We Are in Place and

Time unit, which is all about houses and homes. The students
will show how Korean homes have changed over time and how
houses can be made of different materials depending on the
environment in which they are built.
15
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Upcoming Events - Continued

Date/Time
Event
Details
November 27, 2:35-3:20
Elementary Assembly
Grade 4G will share what they have learned during their 'Who
we are' unit of inquiry, and they will teach the Elementary about
how to be healthy.
December 4, 2:35-3:20
Elementary Assembly
Kindergarten and Grade 1 Korean Language Acquisition Classes

will share Expressing Ideas and Communicating with Signs
and Symbols in conjunction with our unit How We Express
Ourselves.
December 11, 2:35-3:20
Elementary Assembly
The Elementary Drama Club will present Flakes, a musical

celebration of snow, just in time for the holiday season!
We wish you a lovely holiday and safe travels! See you on November 9th!
16
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Middle School and High School

Celebrating Honors and Efforts
goo.gl/JB1ZNI
As part of our MS/HS initiative to celebrate students, we have
commenced an Honors and Efforts Program. At any time, throughout
the day, when teachers see students living the Approaches to Learning
(Communication, Social, Self-Management, Research, and Thinking) they
can be given an Honors and Efforts Slip. Students can also receive an
Honors and Efforts Slip when they are demonstrating the IB Learner
Profile traits (Inquirers, Open-minded, Knowledgeable, Caring, RiskTakers, Communicators, Balanced, Principled and Reflective). The idea is
to recognize student effort, growth and development and their
contributions to making BIFS a great place to learn and work. Students
can be wonderful role models for each other and can make an impact on
the environment through their daily actions and interactions. They do
wonderful things; learning and growing as individuals every day. As
adults, we guide students in their decision-making, often giving them
feedback and correcting their responses. With this feedback it is so
important to make sure we have a healthy balance of critique, praise and
recognition. We believe that it is always great for parents to hear about
their childs successes and individual growth directly from the school.
When students are recognized through the Honors and Efforts Program both parents and students will receive
an email indicating why they are being acknowledged.
Nate Swenson
Middle School Principal
Jamie Robb
High School Principal
17
BIFS NEWSLETTER
BIFS Students Take the Lead in Supporting Local Community

Student initiative has been strong this year in the High School. Since the beginning of the year, 3 student driven
services have taken place that have reached out to the Korean community. These efforts were organized and
initiated by the students themselves. These examples of experiential learning support the IB service learning
cycle.
Nina Haldorsen and Hanna Kiste coordinated a clothes drive across the school. Clothes were donated to the
BeautifulStore, a non-profit organization that resells the clothes in their stores located around Korea.
BeautifulStore donates all their profits to service projects both within Korea and in countries such as Nepal and
Bangladesh. Donations from both students and teachers exceeded expectations.
BIFS NEWSLETTER
18
BIFS Students Take the Lead in Supporting Local Community - Continued

A
small
band
of
environmental
warriors
spent a morning on a local
beach cleaning up rubbish
2 weeks ago. This project
was organized by Leila
Inyoni, Leovic Agnew and
Sevval Ezgi Demir. They
were well supported by
many of their peers, and
hope to make this a
community effort that can
be repeated several times a
year at different locations.
This last Saturday we had BIFS community members take part in
building houses for Habitat for Humanity. This is the second time BIFS
has supported this effort in the last 3 months, but this time it was
coordinated by student Miyu Watanabe. The hope is to form a Habitat
Club that is responsible for 2 to 3 experiences a year- maybe one in a
neighboring country. This experience included participation by
teachers, office staff and students.
19
BIFS NEWSLETTER
For Your Diary

November 2015
December 2015
2nd 6th
Mid-term Holiday
2nd
HS Parent Coffee
7th
ABRSM Music Theory Exams
4th
ES Assembly
9th
Start of S02 CCA/Elective
5th
BIWA Bazaar
ELC Field trip to Gijang Chasung Art Hall
9th
BIFS Parent Coffee
BIFS Parent Coffee
PTA Meeting
PTA Meeting
11th
HS Assembly
ES Assembly
18th
Winter Holiday Assembly
HS Assembly
End of Term 1 Noon Dismissal
17th
The ABRSM Practical Music Exam
18th
ES Parent Coffee
20th
Battle of the Bands
ES Assembly
25th
MS Parent Coffee
27th
MHS Movember Assembly
ES Assembly
G11/12 End of Semester Examinations
11th
13h
30th
BIFS NEWSLETTER
21
School & Community Links
Please contact Miyoung Kim if you wish to inquire about

promoting your company in the BIFS Newsletter.
miyoungkim@bifskorea.org | 051-742-3332 (#114)

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BIFS NEWSLETTER

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

Learning to Fail Well

Thank You Student Council!

Middle School and High School

1. Celebrating Honors and Efforts

For Your Diary

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

Learning to Fail Well - Continued

BIFS Parent Coffee

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

TEDxYouth@BIFS Videos Available

Image Rights Permission

Busan International Foreign School

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

Fall Family Festival 2015

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

From the Music Department

Busan International Foreign School

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

From the Music Department - Continued

2014 ISCMS Music Trip to Shanghai

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

Flu Vaccine Information

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

Busan International Foreign School

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

Cafeteria Menu: November 9 - 13

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

Turkeys Available from Chef Kim

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

Thank You Student Council!

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 32, October 30, 2015

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