CDS Phoenix Rising

Image: Mrs. Voon's 9th grade English class enjoying an end of the year book tasting!

Dear CDS Community,

We are heading into the final week of school before a much-needed summer break. I hope all students focus on managing their stress levels while at the same time finishing the year strong.

This past week, Mr. Tolley hosted the CDS Summer Orchestra Concert, Ms. Brady discussed changes to student organizations in House, and Ms. Maguire introduced the rising seniors to the Senior Project. High school students also supported the middle school’s SDL showcase preparation!

We will wrap up final assessment exams on Tuesday, and Phoenix Defenses will conclude on Wednesday. On Thursday we will hold arguably the most important day of the school year, or first ever day of reflection. While many students are ready to ship off for the summer, I urge parents and students not to underestimate or miss out on this day. Studies have shown that the reflective process is absolutely essential for learning. I hope all students take advantage of this opportunity to learn, grow, and say goodbye to your teachers.

Friday will be the official final day of the 20-21 school year. All students should join their Houses synchronously online at 9am to watch this year's Arch Day and Award Ceremonies!

All the best,

Mr. Jason Musselman

As this school year comes to an end, the work continues. The AP Psychology students presented their year-long research project (EdTalk) in front of their class and visitors. The topics ranged from the effects of COVID-19 on the Korean culture to false confessions to how to spot a liar. There was even one on the psychological effects of torture. The students were very nervous to present their research live, but did a magnificent job. Teachers and students alike stated how impressed they were and how interesting the topics were. They also said how valuable a skill it is to be able to present in front of a group.

The students were glad to have it done. Hopefully, this will become an annual event for the students to showcase their knowledge.

- Mr. Chris Williams, Educator

Term 5 has put the students skills that they have learned this year to a real test. They took on the role of detectives to try to discover the identity of one of the most notorious serial killers in history - Jack the Ripper.

They were given much of the same evidence the detectives had in 1888 London. The students were taken on a video tour of the Whitechapel district. The examined the poverty of the area and the harshness of life in London during this time. They were also able to gain some insight through modern forensic science.

Finally, they determined who Jack was. We will never know for sure, as Jack was never caught, but the students had to put their reasoning skills to the test as they tried to figure out what the identity of the murderer was.

-Mr. Chris Williams, Educator

The school year is coming to an end and it is time to unify all the knowledge and show what we are capable of. The students of Spanish I during this week have been tested for oral and listening skills as part of their final exam. It has been a hard week since they have had to review everything they learned during the year in order to show the best of themselves. Speaking in a new language is challenging but at the same time it can be very rewarding when you find that you can communicate your feelings and thoughts. As an educator I am very proud of the Spanish I students not only because they have managed to put on a great performance but because they have exceeded expectations.

¡Gracias a todos por vuestro gran trabajo!

- Ms. Marina Lopez, Educator

Each year after the AP exams, Econ students are tasked with creating their own music videos using concepts that they learned throughout the year. They are able to choose any song that they want to use as long as it is school appropriate, they were then tasked with rewriting the lyrics that must include complete and accurate Economic concepts that they learned throughout the year. Throughout the project each group, which was comprised of between 2 - 4 students, worked together writing lyrics, singing/recording the lyrics, filming their scenes for the video, and finally working through the editing process thus completing their own authentic student created projects. It has been exciting to see how the students progressed throughout the entire project and the unique and wonderful ideas that they came up with. Some students stated that they were a bit intimidated by the project at first but that they had a blast with it. Only time will tell if we have any future k-pop members amongst us.

- Mr. Jacob Spangler, Educator

During term 5 in AP Chemistry and AP Computer Science A, students had the chance to research a specific field or topic of their interest and showcase their project using the class website.

For Chemistry, students works included wide variety of topics such as:

• The Chemistry Behind Corona Virus
  
• Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles
• History of Chemical Warfare
• Radiation Therapy

For Computer Science, students work included topics such as:

• Music Development Using EarSketch
• Python Simulation
• Machine Learning Algorithms
• Creating Platformer Game

You can view their amazing work through these websites.

• https://sites.google.com/daltonschool.kr/20-21-ap-chemistry/home
  
• https://sites.google.com/daltonschool.kr/20-21apcsa/home

Enjoy!

- Mr. Hyon Park, Educator

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Harvard Global Women's Empowerment Cheongna Dalton School Essay Contest is Yejin Shin! Her essay was titled 'Women's Double Burden in Korean Society.' We would also like to recognize Yeonwoo Shim, who earned an honorable mention.

Congratulations to Yejin and all those who took part in the contest!

Mr. Musselman & Mr. Tolley, known in the music world as "The Drop Off", are putting together a show of students and faculty on Thursday, June 10th during Phoenix Time!

If you would like to perform, sign up here! All are welcome!

Students & Parents,

Over the summer several members of the CDS faculty will be reading about assessment practices and we would love for you to join us in a dialogue about grading next year! Specifically, we will be reading Tom Guskey's book "On Your Mark" (See image).

We recognize the need to reform and reexamine with how we collectively assess as a school. Next year, we will be inviting parents and students into the conversation. We hope you will join us in our conversations and research into sound practice to help enhance long term student outcomes. We are setting out sights on designing a more accurate and reliable system of assessment here at CDS.

- CDS Administration

It is important to focus on your mental and physical well being as it is the foundation upon which all other aspirations stem. Please take some time to check out the CDS SWIP page!

Our Return to School Plan is a working document that will be updated as we begin the new school year and throughout the year. This document was created to align with the recommendations from the Ministry of Education and the Incheon Metropolitan Office of Education, as well as looking at what other international schools are doing to keep the entire community safe upon our return to school. Here are some important pieces of information that relate to high school parents and student.

Email: jmusselman@daltonschool.kr
Website: www.cdshighschool.kr
Location: Cheongna Dalton Foreign School, Gyeongseo-dong, Incheon
Phone: 82 32-563-0523
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheongnadaltonhighschool/