2014-2015 AT BIFS

A YEAR IN REVIEW

50 Gijang-daero, Gijang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, 46081, Korea

Ph : +82 51 742 3332
Fax : +82 51 742 3375
E-mail : enquiries@bifskorea.org Website : www.bifskorea.org

Busan International Foreign School

Guiding Statements

Busan InternatIonal ForeIgn school

united in our Diversity, thriving in our Individuality

Vision
Our students will develop and pursue
their passions, be successful and contribute
to a positive global future.

Mission
We are a diverse, supportive and dynamic
international school that inspires and challenges
students to explore, discover and thrive in the
global community to which we belong.

We Believe
Students are to be at the center of all that we do.
Education is the shared responsibility of our entire community.
In being an independent non-denominational international family school.
In being unified and respectful in our diversity.
In providing the very best inquiry-based, relevant,
and experiential education for each student.
Students are to give back through community service.

2014-2015 AT BIFS
A YEAR IN REVIEW

table of contents
4

Letter from the Board Chair

Letter from the Head of School

BIFS History & Key Facts

Number of Students by Country and Grade Level

10

Standardized Test Results

12

Student Acceptances 2013-15

13

Financial Results 2014-15

14

Parent Teacher Association

16

Early Learning Center

19

Elementary School

22

Middle and High School

25

EAL

26

Learning Support

28

Library

30

Sports

32

Student Life

33

Overseas Trips

36

Community Service

38

2014-15 Highlights

40

The Graduating Class of 2015

2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

letter from the Board chair

letter from the head of school

Its a distinct privilege to once again write to you

BIFs is a school committed to its mission and we are passionate about inspiring our students to

and report on the state of the school. BIFs has

explore, discover, thrive and belong in our global context. the purpose of this annual report is

completed our first 5-year contract with the city

to capture and communicate all of the accomplishments and challenges of the past year at our

of Busan and we are pleased to have been

exceptional school. We are proud to gather into this single publication our results, stories and

awarded yet another 5-year contract by the city.

statistics that are the outcomes of all the hard work and collaboration of our faculty, staff,

We are excited at this new opportunity and

students and parents. at BIFs, educating each of our students is a community effort and we all

believe that the coming years will be the best for

share in the celebration of each accomplishment.

the BIFs community.

an annual report can only begin to tell the story of the dynamic and exciting learning experiences

the past school year has been challenging from

of our community. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire community for their

a financial perspective. Falling oil prices and ever-

support and for making 2014-15, my first as head of school at BIFs, an incredible year in our

changing

schools rich 30 plus year history. We have much to be proud of and many more

exchange

rates

made

budget

management very difficult. however, I am happy

accomplishments to achieve in the future!

to report that Mr. Baker and his administrative

It was a year of change and improvement :

team have been successful in navigating through some pretty difficult financial times and we

the school celebrated receiving its MYP final authorization. this accomplishment makes BIFs

will once again complete the fiscal year in very good shape. the Board greatly appreciates the

an IB world school with the entire continuum of IB programs!

work done by Mr. Baker and the ability of his financial team to respond to ever changing markets.

We also celebrated successfully completing the re-accreditation process with both cIs and

they have always had the financial welfare of the parents and the school as their highest priority

Wasc accreditation agencies.

and once again did a splendid job.

We were excited to secure the operational contract for the school with the Busan Metropolitan

Mr. Kevin Baker joined the BIFs community as its first ever head of school. Mr. Baker made an

city for another five years.

immediate impact on the climate at BIFs, bringing a level of energy and commitment never seen

We planned the implementation of a new school structure, separating the Middle school and

on the BIFs campus. Mr. Baker began the task of restructuring his leadership team to better

high school programs to better meet the developmental needs of our students, and

reflect the needs of our community, and the rewards have been readily apparent. Both Mr. Baker

successfully recruited experienced principals for these new roles.

and his wife Dee have brought with them a renewed community spirit and a leadership

academically, it was exciting to see the successful launch of our robotics program, the creation

philosophy that has made a significant difference at every level of BIFs.

of BIFs art Week, and an innovative interdisciplinary film unit that resulted in the first annual

the Board decided to postpone the initiation of the 5-year strategic plan until Mr. Bakers new

BIFs student short film gala!

leadership team and staff joined the BIFs community for the 2015-2016 school year. Mr. Baker

It was a year of building community and planning for the future. We were very excited about

and the Board have been discussing various approaches to the strategic plan with Mr. John

the successful launch of our new Pta program which led to record levels of parent involvement

littleford, an internationally respected consultant for schools such as ours. Mr. littleford will once

in our school! the Pta supported efforts to foster community through the planning and hosting

again visit BIFs in september for an exciting week of activities that will strengthen the core of

of our Fall Family Festival and International Day events, both which were hugely successful as

our school.

our entire BIFs community came together to celebrate our unity and diversity. additionally, the

the Board is extremely proud of the accomplishments of the Pta this year. this is the inaugural

Pta sponsored an incredible teacher appreciation week at the end of the school year!

year for the Pta and they exceeded all expectations. the Pta leadership approached the Board

our community also came together for the important work of revising our guiding statements. the

at the last meeting of the 2013-2014 school year with a very aggressive plan for this school year.

outcome of revised mission, vision and tag line statements reflected the voices of our entire

the entire leadership had only been recently elected, yet they had confidence that they could

community and provides us an exciting vision for our future as a school. Finally, the entire

make a contribution to the school. the Board was pleased to be able to support the Pta and its

community participated in school wide data gathering to provide us input to guide the development

preliminary charter. like everyone else in the community, the Board watched in amazement and

of our school improvement teams for future years.

pride as the Pta exceeded every goal they set. During the last Board meeting of the 2014-2015

last year was not without its challenges. the shifting tide of the global economy led to declining

school year the recently elected Pta leadership team presented their report and their revised

enrollment in the second half of the year and a slight income shortfall against our budget

charter. the charter was unanimously approved by the Board and we could not be more proud

projections.

of this highly motivated group of parents. there is no limit to what they will accomplish in the

all of our improvement initiatives flow from our guiding statements. these statements serve as our

coming year.

compass as we chart our course for the future. We rely on strategic input from all of our

International schools are transient at best, and as the school year ends we must say farewell to

stakeholders so future plans for all of our students represent the voice of our entire community. as

three outstanding governors. Ms. sally Kim shim, Mr. Y.P. Kim and Mr. axel stang-lund will be

I said when I first arrived, the future is bright at BIFs! go Bears!

leaving the area to pursue new and exciting challenges as they advance in their respective
careers. the contributions made by these governors have been significant, and vital to the
success of the school. as a community we wish them well in their new endeavors.
Your Board of governors remains honored and proud to be able to serve you. our goal as always
is to provide the school with the tools it needs to give our children the education that every
parent in the community desires.

Jim Korenkiewicz

chairman, BIFs Board of governors, 2014-2015

Kevin Baker
head of school
headofschool@bifskorea.org

2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

Students

476

International Students

Families

86.1%

319
Nationalities

43

North America

Europe
Middle East

Asia

Africa
South America
Oceania

BIFs history & Key Facts

established in 1983 by a group of international families and companies, BIFs
has grown to support the continued development of foreign investment in
the Busan area. BIFs was the first school in Korea to begin authorization
towards the IBPYP, the first school to use the International school assessment
tests from the australian council for educational research, the first to
introduce a design technology program, the first to offer the qualifications
from the associated Board of the royal schools of Music and the first to
achieve dual accreditation from two independent organizations: the council
of International schools and the Western association of schools and colleges.
Its rich history of successful progressive academic accomplishments, together
with strong and strategic financial and business management, are hallmarks
of BIFss rich non-profit history.

100%
Graduates accepted
to college

947

81

272

Number of faculty

Co-curricular
offerings

Campus area

29,909m

Electronic Learning Devices

Years in existence

32

2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

Nationalities
nationality

australIa
Belarus
BraZIl
BulgarIa
canaDa
chIna
croatIa
cYPrus
DenMarK
France
gerManY
greece
hong Kong
InDIa

Top 15 Nationalities

Enrollment
no. student

36
1
4
2
6
3
5
1
15
20
12
9
2
8

nationality

no. student

InDonesIa
Iran
ItalY
JaPan
Korea
MalaYsIa
MYanMar
lIBYa
nePal
netherlanDs
neW ZealanD
norWaY
PhIlIPPInes
PolanD
Total

2
2
2
10
53
12
1
15
1
3
5
54
5
2
476

nationality

no. student

Portugal
russIa
sIngaPore
sPaIn
sWeDen
sWItZerlanD
taIWan
thaIlanD
turKeY
uK
uKraIne
usa
VeneZuela
VIetnaM

2
22
3
4
12
2
3
4
1
32
1
57
2
1

Division

elc

elementary

Middle

number

44

161

132

high

138

Total

476

grade

no. student

grade

no. student

Pl

g5

38

Pr

15

g6

46

KD

14

g7

45

rec

10

g8

41

g1

30

g9

52

g2

20

g10

35

g3

36

g11

31

g4

37

g12

20

Total

476

Libya
3%
Germany
3%
Sweden
3%
Malaysia
3%
Denmark
3%
France
4%

Greece
Japan 2% India
2%
2%

Russia
5%

USA
12%
Norway
11%

UK
7%

Korea
11%
Australia
8%

10

2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

standardized test results

SAT

students at BIFs take, or have the opportunity to take, a number of internationally-recognized standardized and
externally administered examinations that are used to determine their current level of academic achievement, and
university readiness. these examinations include the International schools assessment (Isa), which is administered
by the australian council for educational research, the sat, and International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations.

the sat, administered by college Board in the united states, is the worlds most popular university admissions test and is taken
by more than 1,500,000 students around the world each year. the sat assesses high school students in critical reading,
Mathematics and Writing and is generally taken by high school students in grades 11-12 to gauge their university readiness and
the admissibility to post-secondary education. overall, sat scores are reported on a scale from 200-800. BIFs sat result means
relative to global result means are as follows. not all BIFs students participate in this assessment.
BIFs historical average

International Schools Assessment (ISA)

Grade 3

2013
BIFs

2014

2014

BIFs

World

BIFs

BIFs

World

Math literacy

361

334

346

308

350

330

reading

286

255

278

266

303

Writing task a

397

364

393

378

Writing task B

422

395

438

409

BIFs

495

459

519

472

521

480

reading

434

397

450

402

459

417

Writing task a

512

473

507

485

500

489

Writing task B

531

489

533

507

512

502

2013

World

2014

2015

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

Math literacy

503

504

564

521

543

512

291

reading

445

447

472

452

476

448

380

378

Writing task a

526

511

538

525

543

526

422

413

Writing task B

545

523

561

539

542

533

Grade 8

Grade 4
2013
BIFs

World

Math literacy

395

reading

2014

2013

2015

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

374

437

375

385

394

337

307

369

319

312

Writing task a

440

400

435

414

Writing task B

454

427

462

445

2014

2015

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

Math literacy

559

523

580

547

576

534

336

reading

518

478

494

475

491

473

403

413

Writing task a

552

533

558

549

553

549

450

445

Writing task B

571

546

574

565

564

557

Grade 9

Grade 5
2013

2014

World

BIFs

World

critical reading

565

498

448

495

Math

614

514

566

511

Writing

580

489

459

484

World

Math literacy

2015

World

BIFs

2015

World

Grade 7
BIFs

class of 2014-2015

Grade 6

the Isa assessment program is designed for international

schools in which the language of instruction is english. the
examination assesses internationally endorsed reading,
mathematical literacy, and writing frameworks; it is taken by
students in international schools in grades 3-10. BIFs Isa result
means from 2012-2014 relative to global result means are as
follows.

2013

11

2013

2015

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

Math literacy

454

424

473

432

492

443

reading

384

357

375

362

419

Writing task a

457

451

473

461

Writing task B

485

467

480

487

2014

2015

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

BIFs

World

Math literacy

na

na

629

572

592

570

396

reading

na

na

586

531

515

507

459

460

Writing task a

na

na

584

570

587

576

507

482

Writing task B

na

na

610

585

566

585

International Baccalaureate
International Baccalaureate (IB) subjects, taken at both standard level (sl) and higher level (hl), are part of a two-year course of
study for students in grades 11 and 12. the IB the IB program is recognized by universities worldwide. subjects are assessed both
internally (practical work, written work, presentations, etc.) and externally through a series of examinations taken at the end of the
program. IB subjects are assessed on a scale of 1 to 7. Full IB Diploma students must take 6 courses plus complete theory of
Knowledge, the extended essay, and a creativity, action, and service requirement and score a minimum of 24 points to be awarded
the prestigious diploma.

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

2014-15

BIFs aVerage
(5 Years)

total number of students

10

14

20

28

20

18.4

Full IB Diplma and

retake students

20

14

11

60%

50%

40%

71%

70%

58.3%

66

81

108

204

127

117.2

100%

85%

75%

80%

78%

83.6%

average BIFs IB Diploma score

33

31

31

32

28

31

World average Diploma score

29.7

29.9

30

31

29.88

30.10

highest Diploma score

38

38

39

40

33

37.6

average grade obtained at the school by

candidates who Passed the Diploma

5.19

4.82

4.78

5.14

4.48

4.88

Percentage of
Full IB Diploma students
number of
subject entries in the session
Percentage of
students who Passed the Diploma

12

2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

student acceptances 2013-15

Financial results 2014-15

2014-15

BIFs is proud of the excellent achievements of our graduates and the wonderful universities to which they have been
accepted. since 2010, BIFs students have been accepted to nearly 100 universities around the world.

Lunch Fee Bus Fee

7%
4%

Capital Development Fee

5%
Technology
Development Fee
2%

BIFS Graduate Destinations

european universities

26.32%

elsewhere

26.32%

us universities

26.32%

uK universities

21.05%

UK Universities
21.05%

US Universities
26.32%

13

Other
2%

Enrollment Fee
1%

European
Universities
26.32%

Tuition & Registration Fee

79%

Elsewhere
26.32%

2014-15
School Bus
7%

The matriculations for the Classes of 2010-2014

Technology
1%
Instructional Resources
4%

Asia : Korea university / Waseda university

Austrailia / New Zealand : challenger Institute of technology, curtin college, notre Dame university
Europe : aarhus university, BI norwegian school of Management, Delft university of technology, Ipag Business school, les roches
International school of hotel Management, lillebaelt academy of Professional higher education, tilburg university,
universita Bocconi, university of Bordeaux, university of Paris- sorbonne, university of szeged
North America : Berklee college of Music, Boston university, california state Polytechnic university, colorado state university,
cornell university, Florida atlantic university, Illinois Institute of technology, lawrence university, long Beach
state, Memorial university of newfoundland, Mount allison university, northeastern university, Parsons the
new school of Design, Pennsylvania state university - erie, Pennsylvania state university - university Park,
Portland state university, Pratt Institute, Purdue university, Queens university, rutgers university-new Brunswick,
savannah college of art & Design, school of the art Institute of chicago, texas a&M university, university of
california - san Diego, university of cincinnati, university of Illinois - urbana-champaign, university of
Massachusetts, university of Minnesota - Pomona, university of oregon, university of Wisconsin - lacrosse
United Kingdom : Brunel university, glasgow caledonian university, university of Bath, university of essex, university of exeter,
university of glasgow, university of london, university of York

School Lunch
3%
Other Assets
2%

School Operation Fees

11%
Professional Development
1%
Recruitment
1%

Salaries & Benefits

70%

Income
The latest matriculations for the Classes of 2015
Australia : Murdoch university
France : Ipag Business school
Italy : universita Bocconi
New Zealand : auckland university
Norway : BI norwegian school of Management
Switzerland : les roches school of hotel Management
USA : university of Illinois at chicago, university of colorado Denver, Florida atlantic university, Pace university, san Francisco
state university, school of the art Institute of chicago, Washington state university, Florida atlantic university
Canada : Memorial university of newfoundland
UK : glasgow caledonian university, goldsmiths university of london, university of essex, university of glasgow

We are pleased to provide you with a financial overview for the past fiscal year, from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015. Financial results
for the 2014-15 school year compare favorably to prior years, especially considering some of the economic challenges experienced
in the second half of the year.
We began the year with a strong enrollment in the fall that topped a record enrollment of 502. however the economic downturn
due to declining oil prices resulted in enrollment decline in the second half of the school year.
the breakdown of revenue sources is very much in line with previous years. as can be seen, the school, as a non-profit, is
completely dependent upon income from tuition and fees. total enrollment-related revenue comprised 99% of income.

Expenditures
expenditures were in line with expectations and, by category, are normal for international schools around the world. With the
enrollment at the end of the year being lower than predicted, the school operated close to a break-even budget.

14

2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

15

We held two main events this past year. In the fall, we held our first ever Fall Family Festival. We had
many families attend the event and they were able to enjoy the tractor rides, bounce house, cake walk,
jewelry making, cookie decorating, pumpkin decorating and many other fun activities. It was a gorgeous
day and the success of the event helped to set the tone for future events! the spring was all about
International Day. We had over 24 countries participate in this event! each country proudly represented
their home country with authentic foods, dress and educational activities. We finished the day with a
parade of countries, complete with flags and music!

Parent teacher association

the BIFs Pta had a fantastic first year! We are definitely on our way to
achieving our mission, which is to advance the interests of BIFs and to
promote the well-being of the students, parents and teachers through social
events, fundraising and volunteer opportunities. It was a very busy year for
all involved.

lastly, your Pta was busy working with the Bears club to support athletic events at BIFs, increasing
communication between each community (geoje/ulsan/Busan) and school administration and hosting
other events such as teacher appreciation. thank you all for your support throughout the year and we
look forward to your individual support to make the coming year a success.

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2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

17

Students are to be at the center of all that we do

the staff engaged in a series of comprehensive training and workshops
on research-based best practices to strengthen learning in the
classrooms. the reggio emilia approach continues to be integrated into
the PYP framework. More resource books were added to the teachers
resource area in the library. the team also worked to build our
professional learning community. through teaching demonstrations and
reflection, the staff gained better understanding of facilitating inquiry
through intentional teaching. our Behavior Management approach was
further developed to continue teaching children the skills to be
responsible, mature and self-confident. Further support of the Balanced
literacy Program was provided with the expansion of the library. new
titles were added and more space was provided. a variety of books that
would cater to childrens interest and family and cultural background
were added to our library collection.

early learning center

the BIFs early learning center continues to provide a quality program
for young children to support them through developmentally
appropriate practices. Following the inquiry-based approach of the
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, and inspired by
the reggio emilia approach, we cater to the interests, cultural orientation
and personal experiences of each student to make education meaningful
and purposeful. here are some of our highlights from 2014-15, and how
they reflect the school's mission and vision:

Education is the shared responsibility of our entire

community
We strengthened our ties with families and the school community
through the parent-teacher coffee morning meetings. Blogs, class letters
and other forms of communication were utilized to ensure that
communication is clear between home and school. the block schedule
in the morning provided enough time for uninterrupted inquiry and, at
the same time, accommodated the parents' need need for child-care to
allow them to attend information sessions and parent-teacher
conferences.
the student-led information sessions in Preschool, Kindy and reception
were well attended. this was an opportunity to increase awareness about
our program so parents could support their children at home. the
Playgroup also had a visit day for parents to experience what their childs
typical day is like. In addition, parent-child interaction day was introduced
this year to foster closer collaboration between home and school.
classes from the Middle and high school also partnered with us. a day
of science explorations with grade 11 students inspired the Kindy and
reception classes to investigate scientific concepts.
there were also additions to the after-school activities offered to Kindy
and reception students; parents with expertise in art and music offered
after-school programs for the young children.

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2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

19

We provide the very best inquiry-based, relevant and

experiential education for each student
Measures were taken to ensure that every individual childs needs were identified
and addressed this past year. the learning environment was constantly assessed,
providing safe and appropriate materials for play and inquiry. More play
equipment was added. childrens learning was demonstrated during the class
assembly. Presentations were enhanced by the new built-in sound system at the
elc hall.

elementary school
throughout the 2014-2015 school year, the elementary division continued to work collaboratively to offer our students
a top-notch education in a supportive, family-oriented environment. We empowered our students by engaging them
in self-reflective activities and providing them opportunities to enhance their own and their communitys growth.

We are unified and respectful in our diversity

throughout the year, the elc held events that recognized the cultures, beliefs
and practices of the families in the elc community. some of the young children
danced during the chuseok cultural presentation. Book week was celebrated in
partnership with families who came to read stories from their home countries.
children, even some families, dressed in their favorite story characters during
halloween. Families came to help decorate our hallways for halloween and
christmas. In December, santa lucia parade, Father christmas gift-giving and
the winter concert were celebrated. art week showcased the childrens creativity
and artistic abilities. spring was welcomed with the easter egg hunt to support
the Fairtrade Project of Middle school social studies students. on childrens Day,
play was highlighted as a way of respecting their rights. the strawberry Picking
and sports Day events were well attended by the elc families, whose presence
presence certainly made a difference in helping our children see the connections
between their homes and school.

Home-School Connection
this year we hosted numerous events to strengthen the
exchange of information between home and school. these
events included:
Back to school night
Parent-teacher conferences
student-led conferences
school assemblies
class Presentations
PYP exhibition
Parent-coffee Mornings

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2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

21

Digital Portfolios and Student-Led Conferences

Professional Development

We launched digital portfolio blogs in grades 2-5. the portfolios are student-driven and support the PYPs
emphasis on developing self-reflective learners and presenting a complete picture of each childs growth. the
children reflected on four categories of work: creative, challenging, interesting, and quality work samples. these
blogs, along with the print-based grade 1 portfolios, became a central focus for the spring student-led
conferences. During the conferences, students took their parents on a learning walk through their portfolios
and other activities that represented a typical day at school. What a fun way for our children to take ownership
of their learning, challenges, and progress over the year!

In response to school-wide curriculum goals and individualized professional development goals, our teaching staff have
participated in various workshops, job-alikes and conferences. topics ranged from robotics, technology Integration, assessment
in the PYP, Differentiation, IB standards and Practices and reading and Writing Workshop to Faculty Book club.

External Assessments

Electives
the elementary Division continues to offer a range of electives to students in grades 1-5. We run electives over three seasons: fall,
winter, and spring. electives are an excellent way for students to mix with children from different grades and classes, expand their
horizons and take part in activities that inspire their curiosity and engage their talents.

every year in February, students from grades 3 to 9 take the International schools assessment. Isa provides an
external measure of students performance in the following: reading, mathematical literacy and writing (narrative
and argumentative).

Weekly Assemblies
In the fall, a committee worked to define the philosophy and
purpose of weekly elementary assemblies. they determined that
our assemblies are to promote the arts and the sharing of student
learning, to give students practice in presenting, and to be an
opportunity opportunity to learn about our host country and the
many nationalities represented in our school. Finally, the assemblies
are an opportunity for students to develop relationships with
students and faculty across the division, and thus provide a
platform through which to strengthen our sense of community.

ES Literacy Development
the elementary school continued to enhance literacy instruction through the 7 Keys to comprehension, Word
study, and the 6+1 Writing traits. the teachers collaboratively planned lessons and worked in teams to look at
student performance on writing tasks. to support daily reading, we purchased classroom libraries for all
homeroom classes. the division started using a common running record to assess and track our students
reading progress.

Student Council and Community Outreach

Events
our student council engaged us in three exciting school
community events. two of these events were fundraisers to
support our global community.
Book Character Day
Elementary Movie Night to benefit the Aikwangwon School for
Mentally and Physically Disabled (Geoje)
Elementary Bake Sale and Dodgeball Tournament to fundraise
for The Lincoln School Kathmandu Earthquake Relief Fund
(Nepal)

PYP Exhibition
the PYP exhibition is a requirement for students who are in their last year of the
PYP. at BIFs, grade 5 students are required to engage in an in-depth, collaborative
inquiry process that involves them in identifying, investigating and offering
solutions to real life issues or problems.
this years exhibition provided multiple opportunities for grade 5 students to
demonstrate independence and responsibility for their own learning in their inquiry.
they used and applied research, self-management, social, communication and
thinking skills, culminating in the exhibition presentation. In addition to their
homeroom and single subject teachers, students are assisted by mentors and
experts during the inquiry.
this years issues in exhibition included: animal rights, traffic safety, personal health,
environmental health, sustainability and social relationships.

the student council also created elementary Playtime essential

agreements in order to boost our students ability to cooperate
and self-regulate on the playgrounds, and to ensure our daily
interactions reflect the qualities of the IB learner Profile:
Be respectful of others, their games, and equipment.
Stay on the Elementary side of the field.
Welcome others to play with you.
Be principled by playing friendly, fair and safe games with other
people.
Make sure you put your rubbish in the bin.
Always be sure a teacher can see you.

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our most significant accomplishment this past year was receiving final authorization for our MYP
Programme in april. this milestone marks an important achievement for our school. We are now a fully
authorized three program IB World school. With this authorization grade 10 will participate fully in the
MYP next year and we will no longer be offering Igcse examinations. Instead, students will participate
in a Personal Project, which they have already started.
the acer International school assessment results showed consolidation of the gains made by many
students last year. For students in grades 6 to 9 this provides an external benchmark which indicates
how well students at BIFs compare with their peers in International schools across the world. the results
provide confidence in the quality of education that is being delivered. It also provides us with the
opportunity to reflect on what we are doing and how we can work on improvements. additionally, this
past year we adopted policies on language, academic honesty and assessment. these policies help
guide the development of the curriculum, and its implementation across the school.
In the Middle Years Programme, there has been a lot of collaboration across departments and staff
continue to develop the Inter-disciplinary units (IDus) that students experience. each grade level
participates in a minimum of one IDu per year. this past year the World of Wearable art, Dragons Den
Project, and Film Project provided excellent learning opportunities. additionally the Personal Project,
which is a major assessment piece of the MYP, was also started by students in grade 9, and will conclude
in grade 10.

Middle and high school

the Middle and high school saw further growth with an enrollment of more than
280 students at the start of the year. the year began with team building camps for
all Middle and high school students. these camps provided an excellent
opportunity to develop teamwork, social and resilience skills as well as friendships.

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2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

co-curriculars continue to be an important part of the Middle

and high school programs. Middle school students
performed the one act plays, selfie and Facebook ruins
everything. We also hosted a visiting story teller, tony Wilson.
several Middle school students also participated in the Ms
International school theatre arts Festival in thailand.
the Music Department provided wonderful music concerts as
well as new individual performances throughout the year in
both Middle and high school assemblies. a growing number
of students attended the International schools choral and
Music society (IscMs) event in shanghai.
the Model united nations club continues to flourish. at the
sKacMun event rachel tustin chaired the conference, and
three out of the four best delegates in the conference were
from BIFs. students also participated in several other Mun
conferences throughout the year.
active community service continued to be at the heart of the
Middle and high school. From the poignant remembrance
ceremony for the sewol Disaster through to raising funds for
those affected by the earthquakes in nepal, students were
able to show their care both locally and globally. the service
trip to cambodia went well and 56 bags of rice were donated
to the orphanage connected with the trip.
house competitions and activities continued to expand the
levels of participation of all students at school. the friendly
nature of the competition, and the house spirit fostered, have
been a credit to staff and students alike.

Busan International Foreign school

eal

25

english as an additional language

eal teachers assist students to develop a level of english language proficiency that enables them to be independent
learners and socially engaged members of the BIFs community. research has shown that exposure to, and
engagement with, language in authentic settings is the most effective method of acquiring language. as such, at
BIFs we try to offer eal students in-class support in language intensive subjects such english, social studies, Math
and science rather than pulling them from lessons. By remaining in the learning environment, they will learn both
content and language contextually from the specialist teacher.
collaborative relationships between specialist subject teachers and
specialist eal teachers ensure that even those students with limited
english can access and demonstrate understanding of key learning
objectives. this might be, for example, by modifying the language of
assessment tasks, devising alternative assessment tasks or allowing
students to research in their home language but demonstrate their
learning in english.
english language specific classes are held during language B time. In
the elementary school, the students will follow up on themes or topics
being studied in class. In Middle and high school tutorial style support
is provided where points of grammar, vocabulary, techniques in writing
or oral expression are taught/reinforced in authentic situations.
student progress is tracked throughout the year using the Mcgraw hill
suite of language assessment system (las) tests. students will remain
in eal until such time as they are confident communicators and able to
work independently in all subject areas. they are exited from the
program when they achieve a level 4 or 5 on the las B test.
our records indicate that, on average, students who enter the program
with minimal or no english generally stay with us for two years. Most
students with beginning las level 2/3 tend to be exited at level 4 after
a period of 12 18 months.
grade

10

august no. of students

11

June no. of students

exited Program
no. of students

exited BIFs
no. of students

this table represents the number of students involved in pull-out eal classes. teachers continue to monitor and
assist previously enrolled eal students while supporting current eal students in standard classes. eal teachers are
also responsible for supporting those students whose las scores indicate proficiency but whom their teachers feel
still face challenges in one or more of the skills groups.

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27

students explored and discovered the learning styles or strategies that work well for
them. they also discovered their new strengths as well as some areas on which they
would like to improve on. the students applied those strategies or used their
strengths to solidify the skills that they were working improve. they then used the
skills that they mastered to take it up to the next level and continue to challenge
themselves. this year, the students particularly thrived on taking initiative in their own
learning. they not only worked on the skill areas that they felt comfortable with or
confident at, but they also worked on the areas at which they felt less confident, and
took initiative in working on those skill areas.
this is our third year since the launch of the learning support Department at BIFs.
last year, the department established two learning support classrooms (one in elc
and elementary school and one in Middle and high school). this establishment has
been positive and we have been able to provide higher quality support to our
students. this year, the learning support Department focused on achieving two
goals: utilizing effective technologies and collaborating with the community. the use
of technology, iPads in particular, has made a huge difference in many students
learning this year. the students have shown shown great interest great interest and
motivation when the appropriate technology was applied to their learning.
the learning support Department also continued to collaborate and build stronger
rapport with the community. this is one of the areas that we value very much as the
work we do cannot be successful without the support from our community.

learning support
the learning support Department fosters, nurtures, and expands
the unlimited potential of our students from early learning center
through high school. We promote a community in which everyone
is included and where similarities and differences are valued and
celebrated. We believe that everyone, regardless of ones
background, ability, or differences, can learn from each other. In
the learning support classroom; individual differences are highly
acknowledged, respected, and cherished. the students and the
teachers promote a safe and caring environment that is conducive
to learning, where students explore and discover who they are, find
meaning and happiness in their life, and continue expanding their
unlimited potential.

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library
the three BIFs libraries, with a total of approximately 28,000 quality physical resources, continued to provide a high
level of service to our students and staff this year. the library was nominated as one of the top ten current strengths
of BIFs by staff in a recent sWot (strengths, Weaknesses, opportunities, threats) survey.
loan rates from all three libraries (elc, elementary and Middle/high) continue to grow to grow, as indicated in the
graph on this page. however, loan statistics are only one indicator of the success of a library. another is the student
enthusiasm for using the spaces for study and leisure reading, and the pictures on this page show that our library
spaces continue to be well utilized.

Loans School Year to Date (Apr 30)

All libraries

2011/12
2012/13
2013/14

ELC

2014/15

ES
MH
0

10000

20000

30000

40000

29

this year our dedicated library team have collaborated on developing a mission statement
for the libraries that reflects our focus on individualized service. our mission is to inspire
students to love stories in any format, to spark imagination and to be empowered to learn
anything they choose so that their life story makes a positive contribution. secondly, we
aim to provide teachers with ample resources to help motivate their students to engage
with their subject area. We also strive to offer the best possible service to all members of
the BIFs learning community to help each person to locate materials that assist teaching
and learning. We value interpersonal connections and aim to help students feel that they
are welcome and important. We promote an atmosphere of mutual respect for students
and staff alike. We aim to partner with classroom teachers to provide the best possible
learning environment for our students.
this year, in the elc and elementary libraries, we provided a library lesson to each class
elc-grade 5 every week. During the lessons we read and discussed a wide variety of
books and then often watched a short video clip or completed an activity that reinforced
the concepts of the story. through library lessons, the children learn the joy of reading,
learning about different genres of literature and develop their vocabulary in context. With
classroom teachers we incorporate what is learned across the curriculum, reading
comprehension strategies and the PYP attitudes. each week, the topics covered in library
lessons are included in the library blog so that families can discuss these stories at home.
Mr. Ivan loste, our qualified Middle/high librarian, assists our upper-school students with
academic research for all MYP and DP subjects, co-teaches with classroom teachers about
academic honesty and citation and promotes leisure reading with various activities and
book talks. With our increasing upper school population and limited space in the Mh
library it can be difficult at times to maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect in an
academic environment. however, during the MYP authorization visit we were
congratulated on our efforts to maintain a high standard of service. to find out more
about the service we offer in the libraries please visit the library blog at
http://bifskorealibrary.weebly.com.
the library team has worked diligently this year to continue to expand our resources and
services to create a world-class library service for our students, teachers and parents.

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31

BIFs offers a competitive sports program where practices take place after
school and competitions are both local and Korea wide. soccer and
Basketball are offered beginning with grade three with teams being
selected for local competitions. at the Middle and high school level
there is soccer, Volleyball and Basketball with tournaments in seoul and
on Jeju Island. We are members of the southern Korea activities
conference (sKac) that includes 8 smaller schools within the lower part
of Korea and Korea International school activities conference (KIsac)
which has two divisions. the red division has competitions in Jeju, Busan
and seoul and the Blue division competitions are held in the greater
seoul area.
In school year 2014-2015 our teams excelled, winning sKac and KIsac
championships in Middle and high school Volleyball, Basketball and
soccer. We had tremendous interest in playing competitive sports, and,
therefore joined both the KIsac red and Blue divisions so none of our
players would miss an opportunity to compete in a major tournament.

sports
We believe that competitive sports teach our students how to work together and support each other in their pursuit
of excellence.

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student life

overseas trips

the student life program at BIFs has continued to mature since its introduction two years ago. Its purpose is to
provide students at BIFs with opportunities to flourish outside the classroom, and have ownership over their cocurricular experiences. the program supports the cas in the IB Diploma Programme and the service as action
program in the MYP. there are several layers to the student life program, with a strong student government at the
center. along with our other student-led clubs, BIFs students are able to take on leadership roles as well as have a
voice in the school. this year students at BIFs supported organizations such as habitat for humanity and the local
soup Kitchen. they produced and designed the winter drama production and organized the grade 12 prom. they
formed ccas (co-curricular activities) after school, including a student led tutoring program, and organized both
an elementary soccer and basketball camp. these are just a few of the many accomplishments our student body has
achieved. the student life program supports also supports action Week, providing the entire student body with
experiential learning opportunities, and workshops that concentrate on both leadership and teamwork, and has also
made connections with internationally recognized programs: BIFs has a charter in the national honor society, sent
volunteers to work with habitat for humanity, competed in the Fll robotics competition, and took part in Mun
conferences in asia.

CAS Service Trip

33

During spring holiday, a group of 16 students spent 10 days in laos on a World challenge expedition. this trip was primarily
organized by the grade 11 students, allowing them to fulfil IB cas requirements. the ethos of World challenge and the trip in
general was to give students a level of autonomy while in real life challenges. the students were engaged in community service,
as well as embarking in a three day trek in through the jungle. Fundraisers that took place prior to the trip were used to support
the cambodian community in which they worked. the experience proved to be rewarding for everyone, and will be carried with
these students for years to come.

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Busan International Foreign school

MUN Conferences
Model united nations, also known as Model un or Mun, is an extra-curricular activity in which students typically role-play
delegates to the united nations and simulate un committees. this activity takes place at Mun conferences. at the end of these
conferences, outstanding delegates in each committee are recognized and given an award certificate. Model united nations
involves substantial researching, public speaking, debating, and writing skills, as well as critical thinking, teamwork, and leadership
abilities. the BIFs Model united nations (Mun) club had another successful year, attending three conferences in 2015/2016. In
november members competed In the sKac (south Korean activities conference) as well as seoMun XVI in seoul. a team then
took part in at the taIMun XII conference in taichung, taiwan. this was the second consecutive year BIFs was represented in
taiwan, and the small cohort of members once again found it a tremendous learning experience.

Annual Overseas Music Trip

For the past three years, we have been participating in the International
schools choral Music society Festival that is held in a different city each year.
In February 2015, BIFs students travelled to shanghai for the IscMs Music
Festival; their 4 days spent in shanghai were occupied by day long choir and
orchestra rehearsals, some sightseeing, and socializing with 300 plus students
from 20 different school across asia, the Middle east and the u.s.a. to end the
four day festival, the gala concert was held at the shanghai oriental arts

International Schools Theater Association Festival 2014

BIFS students shine in English theater

theater, which provided a truly priceless performance experience for all of the
participating students.

the International schools theater association (Ista) is an international

community of young people, teachers and practitioners who come together

the festival allows our students to become collaborators, and develop their

to collaboratively explore theater through real-world issues and concepts,

creativity and passion on personal and musicianship level. this festival brings

and provide opportunities for enhancing international schools drama

together students from many cultures and diverse backgrounds, giving them

programs. this year we had five BIFs students attend a middle school Ista

a truly global music experience.

festival in chennai, India from May 7-10, 2015. the host school, regents
International school Pattaya, provided the location for the 3-day theater
workshop. students were assigned to ensembles made up of students from
different international schools working together over the course of the
festival to devise a piece of theater with professional actors, directors and
theater technicians in charge. the final performance at the end of the festival
included all ensembles performing their parts, which were seamlessly
integrated into a whole piece focused on the theme of gods vs. Monsters.

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2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

community service
through our community service projects BIFs, as an international community, recognizes
the importance of being aware of the larger community in which we love and and the
need to acknowledge social issues in our community and abroad. We encourage and
provide opportunities for all of our students, faculty and parents to develop projects to
address needs, build awareness, and serve. We link the concepts that students are learning
in their classroom with those of service activities so students can apply what they are
learning to real life situations.
BIFs is committed to supporting student lead projects because this is where authentic
learning takes place. In this way our students also become active members in our
community.
each year we look for new ways to strengthen and further develop our community service
program. this year we added some new components which enabled teachers to more
fully access and integrate community service with classroom learning. For example, as
part of the 8th grade global events unit and the 9th grade unit on Bio Diversity, students
were able to access local community and international groups to raise awareness about a
wide variety of community and social issues. the 8th grade students raised nearly a million
won to donate to various groups. our Design technology class designed and made jewelry
which they sold at the BIWa christmas Bazaar with the proceeds from the sale being used
to buy a play set for the young children at one of the Busan childrens homes.

Busan International Foreign school

37

some of this years highlights of our student lead community service projects were: high school students organized
a memorial event to commemorate the sewol Ferry disaster. they also designed a memorial bench which they plan
to have built and installed at school. our students served lunch at the haeundae soup Kitchen and, with the generous
donation from the norwegian exchange students from Kornberg, norway, our students arranged for the purchase
of new chairs and other items which were badly needed by the soup kitchen. the ninth graders in the Music club
put on a birthday party for little kids at one of the childrens homes. two of our students and one of our teachers
teamed up to teach conversational english to some of the staff and also did english play activities for little kids at
one of the childrens homes. students also volunteered at aikwangwon home for the physically and mentally
challenged in geoje.
our elementary school students are very active participants in community service: bake sale raised money for BaPs
(Busan abandoned Pet sancuary), the Fifth grade held an annual fund raiser donating the proceeds to aikwangwon,
and a trash did a trash clean up on the stream behind our school.
It was wonderful to have our parents involved in service as well. Many of our mothers volunteered to help take a
group of young children from one of the childrens homes to the Busan aquarium.
our larger annual whole school projects included: the fall food collection for Issac house where students from
elementary through high school joined with the BIFs Pta to raise money and collect food, our angel tree holiday
gift project for children living in childrens homes, and holiday wish gifts for 131 children from four Busan childrens
homes. BIFs students also volunteered to help with the Pta Fall Family Festival and International Day, the Busan
global gathering, and Busan International Womens association (BIWa) christmas Bazaar.
Finally, at the end of this school year, our BIFs community of students, parents, faculty, administration and the Pta
came together in a joint effort to raise 4,098,041 won which was donated to the nepal earthquake relief effort.

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2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

Busan International Foreign school

2014-15 highlights
August 2014

opening Day
elc and es Back to school night
Mhs camps*
grade 11-12 IB retreat

October 2014

elc reggio emilia on-site training

Pta Fall Family Festival*
BIFs Fall open house
Mhs Drama night
spirit Day

December 2014

Fll lego robotics championship

elc Winter concert
Whole school Winer concert
Winter holiday assembly*

September 2014

chuseok celebration*
Mhs Back to school night
Busan Biennale
Ice Bucket challenge

November 2014

es Book character Day*

cross cultural Day
Ice Bucket challenge

January 2015

BIFs new Parent coffee*

Winter MaP testing

February 2015

elc open house

IBDP art exhibition*
BIFs spring open house

April 2015

Pta International Day*

Parent-teacher conferences
grade 5 exhibition
es student-led conferences

June 2015

Mhs house Day

es cross cultural Day
grade 9 Film gala
action Week
grade 5 graduation*

March 2015

arts Week
WoW Fashion show*
March of the Bands

May 2015

summer concert
Inter house track & Field carnival
Inter school track & Field carnival
grade 12 graduation*

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2014-2015 AT BIFS a Year In reVIeW

the graduating class of 2015