BIFS Newsletter, 2015-11-13 (English)

BIFS NEWSLETTER
United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality
Contents
ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015
(Click to jump straight to the article home icon brings you back to Contents)
This Coming Week at BIFS
1. Tue-Wed, November 17-18: ES Health Screening

2. Wed, November 18: ES Parent Coffee
3. Sat, November 21: KISAC MS Soccer at KIS Jeju
Whole School
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
How skilled are you?

PTA News
PE Uniform Shop
Image Rights Permission
Invitation to Solo Exhibition: "Imaginary Landscape"
Flu Vaccine Information
Cafeteria Menu: November 16 - 20
Turkeys Available from Chef Kim
Elementary School
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Parent Coffee - November 18th

Field Trip
MAP Test Results
Elementary School Health Screenings
Upcoming Events
Elementary Halloween Celebration
Middle School and High School

1.
2.
3.
4.
Is That a New Shirt You are Wearing?

How Does Assessment Works
2015 AMC BIFS Results
Suggested Reading Lists
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
How skilled are you?
We hope that you and your family had a wonderful mid-term holiday break! It is exciting to hear about all of our
students holiday experiences and to see everyone having returned refreshed and re-energized in their learning.
It is so good to be able to be back at school!
From an early age, we're led to believe our grades and test scores are the key to everything namely, going to
college, getting a job, and finding that glittery path to lifelong happiness and prosperity. It can be a little
stressful. But a new study shows that when children learn to interact effectively with their peers and control their
emotions, it can have an enormous impact on how their adult lives take shape. And according to the study, kids
should be spending more time on these skills in school. Researchers measured the social skills (part of what the
IB calls the Approaches to Learning skills) of 800 kindergarteners in 1991. Two decades later, they looked them
up to see how things turned out.
Kindergarten teachers evaluated the kids with a portion of something called the Social Competence Scale by
rating statements like "The child is good at understanding other's feelings" on a handy "Not at all/A
little/Moderately well/Well/Very well" scale. The research team used these responses to give each kid a "social
competency score," which they then stored until each kid was 25. At that point, they gathered some basic
information about the now-grown-ups and did some fancy statistical stuff to see whether their early social skills
held any predictive value. Here's what they found:
Success in school involves both social-emotional and cognitive skills, because social interactions, attention,
and self-control affect readiness for learning.
Skills like sharing and cooperating significantly pay off later in life.
Social behaviors can be learned and unlearned meaning it's never too late to learn
The bottom line? We need to do more than just teach kids information. We need to invest in teaching them
how to relate to others and how to handle the things they're feeling inside. We need to teach them skills to
be successful and this is exactly what we do at BIFS!
At BIFS, our focus is not on test scores or grades but on developing the whole child and inspiring each student
to learn important concepts and skills while developing their passions to be lifelong learners! The research above
supports the great things we are doing at your school! We celebrate the skills our students discover and develop
each and every day! Way to go Bears!
Kevin Baker
Head of School
BIFS NEWSLETTER
PTA News
Thank you for all who attended the PTA meeting on Wednesday and to Michelle for her
presentation on Thanksgiving. It is good to learn about others customs and culture. Thank
you for those who came to the duck lunch after the PTA meeting. It was a fun way to get to
know one another. We are enriched by each other and by building our community.
There are some great reasons to participate in PTA, besides tapping into a network of other parents, you will get
to know what is happening in our school and you can contribute to making positive changes through our role in
fundraising for equipment and programs.
BIFS has many Coffee Mornings on Wednesdays. The elementary, middle and high schools each host one once
a month. Whilst their names make these events sound very social, don't be misled, These coffee mornings
provide an important opportunity for you to get valuable information about the school and your child's
education. They cover topics such as the International Baccalaureate program (PYP, MYP and DP), grading
system and ManageBac. The information you learn will help you understand what is happening with your childs
education. I have learned much by attending. One parent mentioned to me that these coffee mornings are BIFS
best kept secrets. Dont be kept in the dark. Watch for the dates for the coffee morning that pertains to your
child and plan on attending.
Joy Priedeman
PTA President
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.
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
Invitation to Solo Exhibition: "Imaginary Landscape"

Ms. Simona Soare, BIFS Parent, is holding her solo exhibition, "Imaginary Landscape.
Place: Praum Gallery, A-611 Zenith Square, U-dong, Haeundae-gu
Date: November 18 (Wed) December 15 (Tue)
Opening Reception: November 18 (Wed) 6PM
Everyone is invited to enjoy the exhibition!
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
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Cafeteria Menu: November 16 - 20
Lunch Menu
Sandwich Bar
We serve brunch buffet or international buffet every 3rd Thursday of a month.

BIFS NEWSLETTER
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
Elementary School
Parent Coffee - November 18th
This months parent coffee is specifically for Korean speaking families and will focus on PYP and inquiry-based
learning. Our Korean teachers - Meng Lee, Cindy Park and Jinyoung Shin - will lead this session. Please join us at
the ES Hall on November 18th from 9-10 a.m.
Field Trip
November 9 - Our students from the Playgroup and Preschool went to watch a play, The Three Piggy
Musketeers at the Gijang Chasung Art Hall.
MAP Test Results

Parents of students in grades 2-5 will receive their childs MAP Test results today, along with information on how
to read the report. A parent coffee was held on Wednesday explaining the MAP Testing process, what scores
mean, and how they are used. We are happy to sit down with you and answer any further questions you might
have after receiving the report. Because we are piloting the test, teachers are learning about MAP alongside
parents, and they may request the support of an administrator in explaining the more technical aspects of the
testing or reporting.
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Elementary School Health Screenings

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, November 17th and 18th, the Nurses Office will be conducting student health
screenings for all students in Kindergarten through grade 5. We encourage all students to participate in the
health screenings! If you have not already done so, please complete the emailed permission form or follow this
link to give permission for your child/children to participate.
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.
If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the nurse at nurse@bifskorea.org.
Upcoming Events
Date/Time
Event
Details
November 13
Elective Registration Changes

Closed
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.
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.
BIFS NEWSLETTER
10
Elementary Halloween Celebration
11
BIFS NEWSLETTER
Middle School and High School

Is That a New Shirt You are Wearing?
Over the past few weeks, students, teachers, and administrators

worked together to negotiate a solution to a problem that most
schools struggle with: The Dress Code. After several meetings and
discussions, the group came up with the guidelines below. We
want to thank those involved and show you what they came up
with. Without further ado... I give you the BIFS Dress Code:
BIFS Dress Code
Students are representatives of our school and our diverse cultural
environment. Students are responsible for their own personal
appearance and they should take pride in it when dressing for
school. Here at Busan International Foreign School we promote
personal expression through clothing, however we believe that
guidelines are appropriate given the diverse nature of our student
body. BIFS promotes an educational environment where students
feel confident and focused in their learning rather than on their
clothes. Clothing should be appropriate for daily activities in a
school.
Basic guidelines are:
Clothing should never have violent, sexist, racist, or age inappropriate logos or wording
Students with outdoor activities or breaks should dress appropriate for the weather
No visible under garments - underwear/bra
e.g. shirts that are see-through would require an undershirt
Shoes must be acceptable for lessons in workshops or Science labs and Physical Education.
e.g. high heels and open-toed shoes are not safe in those environments
Revealing of excessive skin is considered inappropriate
e.g. midriff and shorts/skirt length
Caps should not be worn inside the classroom (Middle and High School)
If, in the opinion of the staff at BIFS, your clothing does not meet these basic requirements, you may be asked to
change into alternative clothing such as the Physical Education uniform.
Nate Swenson
Middle School Principal
Jamie Robb
High School Principal
12
BIFS NEWSLETTER
How Does Assessment Works

MYP Assessment in a Nutshell - MHS Coffee Morning, Oct. 27 Notes
A special thanks to the parents who were able to attend the Parent Coffee on MYP assessment on Oct. 27. For
those of you who were not able to attend, the notes for the Coffee are below. If you have any questions, please
feel free to contact Jennifer Montague at jmontague@bifskorea.org.
How Does Assessment Work in the MYP?
Step 1 - Formative Assessment Tasks
Students have multiple opportunities to practice a skill or demonstrate what they know and understand before
they are formally assessed on any given topic or skill.
Step 2 - Summative Assessment Tasks
After sufficient formative assessment tasks, students will be ready for summative assessment tasks. Prior to the
summative assessment, students will receive a task specific clarification, which lets them know which criteria are
being assessed and what needs to be done to reach a certain achievement level.
Step 3 - Gathering Sufficient Evidence
According to MYP guidelines, there must be at least two scores per criterion before a final assessment score is
determined. Because the summative assessment tasks are significant pieces of work that come only after
students have sufficient practice experiences, there are on average only four summative assessment tasks per
criterion/per year.
Step 4 - Determining a Criterion Score
Once a teacher has at least two scores per criterion, she or he will use a best fit method to determine a final
overall criterion score. This score is NOT an average of all the scores but an analysis of the trend. The score
indicates where a student is now in his/her learning, not where he or she started. Because it is difficult in some
subjects to have two scores per criterion in the first semester, final criterion scores may be determined by using
strong formative evidence as well as summative evidence.
Step 5 - Determining a Final 1-7 MYP Score
Once a final criterion score has been determined in each of the four
criteria, a final 1-7 score may be assigned. The maximum score in each
criterion is 8. The four criterion scores are totaled and a final 1-7 MYP
score is determined by using the IB MYP Boundary tables.
Score
Boundaries
0-4
5-8
9-12
13-17
18-21
22-25
26-32
13
BIFS NEWSLETTER
How Does Assessment Works - Continued

What does the system look like in action?
Example 1: Student A had a difficult start, but then he consistently performed at the higher levels. His active class
participation and ability to discuss and justify his work supported the higher levels awarded in each criterion.
Criterion
Task Scores
Final Score
Criterion A
5, 8, 7, 8
Criterion B
4, 6, 7, 7
Criterion C
3, 4, 5, 5
Criterion D
5, 4, 5, 5
5
Total 25 = 6
Example 2: Student Bs performance was not as consistent and the trend was more difficult to identify. In cases
like this, the teacher will take into account the type of task, the extent to which the student completed the task
on his/her own, and any formative evidence or class observations/anecdotes that could support a final score
based on the published criteria.
Criterion
Task Scores
Final Score
Criterion A
4, 6, 3, 5
Criterion B
4, 6, 4, 4
Criterion C
3, 2, 5, 4
Criterion D
3, 4, 3, 2
3
Total 16 = 4
BIFS NEWSLETTER
14
2015 AMC BIFS Results

In September, 36 BIFS students from Grades 6 to 11 sat the Australian Mathematics Competition, and achieved
great results across the board!
Many of our students received recognition for their achievements on the test. Four students were awarded High
Distinction, five students earned an award of Distinction, fourteen students were awarded Credit, ten students
were awarded Proficiency and three students were given Participation awards. The four students achieved high
distinction are Dmitriy Prokopchuk in Grade 6, Alex Tang in Grade 8, and William Jedig and Szymon Maliszewski
in Grade 9.
The Math Department was pleased with the level of participation and is hoping to provide additional math
competition opportunities for our talented mathematicians.
Suggested Reading Lists

As requested by a number of parents, the MHS Language and Literature department have started compiling
suggested reading lists. Here are our favorites thus far:
Middle School
Suggested Reading for Middle School Students (Grades 68)
"The following titles are recommended as summer reading both to maintain fluency and reading level and to
encourage independent reading. www.phschool.com/curriculum_support/reading_list/middle_school.html
The Sakura Reading List (Middle School)
The international school librarians in Japan meet every year to develop a reading list. This year's list can be
found here: www.sakuramedal.com/ems.html
Graphic Novels
www.sakuramedal.com/gn.html
High School
A Summer Reading List for Those Who Crave the Eclectic
"Summer books, like summer movies, are generally widely promoted and easily found. Here are the books not
so easily found that provide the pleasures of summer reading and leaven them with more than a frisson of the
unusual." ww2.kqed.org/arts/2015/07/08/a-summer-reading-list-for-those-who-crave-the-eclectic/
The Sakura Reading List (High School)
The international school librarians in Japan meet every year to develop a reading list. This year's list can be
found here: www.sakuramedal.com/ehs.html
15
BIFS NEWSLETTER
For Your Diary

November 2015
December 2015
13h
ES Assembly
1st
Grade 10 DP Course Selection Evening
17th
The ABRSM Practical Music Exam
2nd
MHS Parent Coffee
18th
ES Parent Coffee
2nd - 9th
Grade 11/12 End of Semester Examinations
20th
ES Assembly
4th
ES Assembly
HS Assembly
5th
BIWA Bazaar
MHS Movember Assembly
9th
BIFS Parent Workshop
ES Assembly
PTA Meeting
11th
HS Assembly
18th
Winter Holiday Assembly
End of Term 1 Noon Dismissal
27th
BIFS NEWSLETTER
17
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 33, November 13, 2015

This Coming Week at BIFS

1. Tue-Wed, November 17-18: ES Health Screening

How skilled are you?

Parent Coffee - November 18th

Middle School and High School

Is That a New Shirt You are Wearing?

For Your Diary

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

How skilled are you?

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

Busan International Foreign School

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

Image Rights Permission

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

Invitation to Solo Exhibition: "Imaginary Landscape"

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

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

Flu Vaccine Information

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

Busan International Foreign School

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

Cafeteria Menu: November 16 - 20

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 33, November 13, 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 33, November 13, 2015

Parent Coffee - November 18th

MAP Test Results

Busan International Foreign School

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

Elementary School Health Screenings

Elective Registration Changes

Final opportunity to add electives classes for Term 2.

November 13, 2:35-3:20

November 13 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. Mrs. Toms will

November 20, 2:35-3:20

Grade 2 will be presenting their Where We Are in Place and

November 27, 2:35-3:20

Busan International Foreign School

United in our Diversity, Thriving in our Individuality

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

Elementary Halloween Celebration

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

Busan International Foreign School

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

Middle School and High School

Over the past few weeks, students, teachers, and administrators

Busan International Foreign School

ISSUE 33, November 13, 2015

How Does Assessment Works