CDS Phoenix Rising

CDS Community,

We celebrated all the hard work and dedication of our teachers this week during Teacher Appreciation Week. It has not been an easy year to be an educator. Our teachers have had to take on more responsibilities to keep students safe, differentiate their classes to make sure students continue to learn regardless of whether they were in class or not, and adapt to the constantly changing landscape of policies and protocols. They are an incredible team. A huge thank you to our teachers for everything they do and to the entire Parent Association for their appreciation meal on Friday!

Next week, NWEA MAP testing for 9th and 10th grade students will take place on Wednesday and Friday. These tests allow us to get an accurate understanding of their current level of achievement and identify areas of improvement. The data from these exams can be used to modify instruction and may also be used as a deciding factor when students request to enroll in AP classes and space is limited. Students, as always, make sure to do your best so we can best serve you with the information these tests provide.

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, our juniors will jump-start their relationship with the College Counseling department. On those days, three mandatory College Counseling sessions will be held in the Small Theater during House and Lab. For those interested in attending university in Korea, there will be a digital session with three of our Alumni who will field questions about their experiences on Thursday.

A reminder that this week is a short one—there will be no school on Friday this week.

Finally, seven members of our CDS faculty and two of our administrators will be moving on from CDS in June to begin their next great adventures. They have all made important contributions to our community and will be missed. Please join us in thanking these departing members for their service to our community. We wish them the absolute best!

Please make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom where there are some important announcements this week. Have a wonderful remainder of your weekend!

All the best,

Jason Musselman

Assistant High School Director

Mrs. Wang has been a member of the CDS faculty for the past eight years, both in the middle and high schools. Mrs. Wang has acted as a House teacher for many different grades in middle school and has had the opportunity to support students as they moved from middle to high school. She has offered many Co-Curriculars in the middle school such as Fashion Design, Accessory DIY, and Film Club as well as providing exposure to Chinese during FP Lab times.

谢谢王老师, it was an honor to be in Mrs.Wang’s class throughout my sophomore year.

At the beginning of the Chinese 3 class, I thought that Mandarin was the hardest language ever in the world. The complicated writing styles, difficult pronunciations of each word (especially the third tone in Mandarin…), and different grammar rules in the language made me almost cry in my Chinese 3 class. Honestly, I almost gave up on Mandarin because I didn’t know how to improve and succeed in the language. However, the words you told me one day really shifted my mind. It was a typical day when I was still struggling with my Chinese skills in reading, writing, and speaking. During that day, you suddenly told me that nobody can achieve perfect scores in any language – even natives make several mistakes in the language that they grew up with. Your words, which frankly didn’t quite impact me at that very moment, significantly influenced my efforts in Mandarin after that moment. I started giving more time and effort to my Mandarin homework and assignments, knowing that it will be okay to make mistakes and sometimes struggle with some course materials. Mandarin is still difficult, but your class made me more confident in trying it rather than fearing failure. I was able to continuously challenge myself in Mandarin because of you.

It was a joyful year where I gave more effort to the Chinese language than any other subject in my life. Throughout this school year, you taught us so many valuable things. You taught us that trying countless times is more valuable than just pursuing perfection. You taught us that learning a new language is such a wonderful thing. You taught us, your Chinese 3 class, with joy and passion so that everybody can strive to learn the Chinese language. Your guidance helped us learn more about Chinese cultures and customs.

Thank you Mrs.Wang for making this lovely class in Cheongna Dalton School :)

- Sam Song (Class of 2024)

Mrs. Jeon has been a member of the CDS faculty for the past three years. As a member of the mathematics department, she demonstrated a dedication to her students and curriculum development. She brought a positive outlook to our school community and contributed through her participation in a number of committees during her time here.

I transferred to Calculus AB at the beginning of my junior year, when the school was holding online classes, and that’s where I first met you: at the other side of the monitor. Still, your classes weren’t any less productive or engaging than if we were offline.

You walked us through each problem in detail and called us to participate even in these extraordinary circumstances. But above all, you taught with passion, and I felt that even on this side of the screen.

For the past two years in your classes—AP Calculus AB and BC, you gave me homework in almost every class. While I frankly found that excessive in the beginning, I was doing better and better when I started completing homework to the best of my ability. I now realize that Calculus is a subject that requires every hour of practice, and if it weren’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have practiced as much.

Looking back, I wasn’t really qualified to take AP Calculus AB since I didn’t have the prerequisite knowledge. However, it’s thanks to your help that I pulled through, that I found the courage to persevere and try again for BC in my senior year.

As the exams were approaching, I don’t think I’ve seen any teacher provide as much resources, print out as many secure MCQs, and give as much of your time—offering us to come during any blank period we had—as you did for us.

Thank you, Ms Jeon, for your dedication and we wish you all the best wherever you go.

- Dojung Park (Class of 2022)

Mr. Muennink has been a member of the CDS faculty for the past three years, first as a member of the Fine Arts Department, and this year in the Health & Physical Education Department. Mr. Muennink will be remembered for the warmth, kindness and respect he shared with everyone he met. He played an instrumental role in helping our school transition away from punitive practices to a focus on learning and growth.

We first met you back when we were 10th graders. You were the new art teacher and we did not take art class that year, but little did we know that art and athletics with you would become such an integral part of our high school experience.

We both had the pleasure to not only learn from you on the field, but also in the classroom as well. In 11th grade we decided to take your AP Studio Art class and that was one of our best decisions. Although there were (many) times we struggled to get our AP Art portfolio together, not only were you always there to guide us, but you also gave us room to figure out how we can improve and learn on our own. As our art teacher and soccer coach, you taught us how to be bold artists and athletes. Whether it was buying us pizza for our portfolio wrap up session or making us barbeque after our soccer game, you were never afraid nor hesitant to give. Your positive energy never failed to radiate towards us every time you shouted “Shim” or “Mean Jean” across the hallway to say hi. We’re so grateful that we were able to spend this journey with you and we can’t thank you enough for the unforgettable memories you have gifted us.

(separate note from Jean) I would also like to thank you personally, as I owe my successful graduation to you. I couldn’t have asked for a better senior project mentor. You were always supportive and understanding, eager to provide helpful advice when needed. Thanks to you, the process was so much more enjoyable and the outcome was favorable. Now that I’ve met my graduation requirements we’ll be graduating from CDS together!

Thank you Mr. Muennink for the past 3 years. The CDS community will miss you greatly and we wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors.

- Yejin Shin & Yeonwoo Shim (Class of 2022)

Mr. Clem has been a member of the CDS faculty for six years. As Department Head this year he worked hard to create a sustainable and viable Health and Physical Education curriculum that will continue to serve our community long after he is gone. He brought his passion for teaching, coaching, and learning to our students on a daily basis.

Hi Mr. Clem, I hope you’re preparing for the student vs. teachers basketball game because you don’t want your favorite student to drop buckets on you. I expect you to perform like how Kobe did in his farewell game.

I had a chance to meet Mr. Clem before the school year started. The first thing I noticed was the Jordans he was wearing, and I instantly knew that he was going to be one of my favorite teachers in the school. I thought I was the biggest Kobe Bryant fan in the world until I met Mr. Clem.

Unfortunately, we did not have a season this year for basketball. However, that did not stop Mr. Clem from showing his love for the game of basketball. Mr. Clem is unlike any of the teachers I have ever seen. Mr. Clem always participated in team practices and played with students during lunch. He spared his time to help students get better at basketball. He always pushed students to get better and showed students the fun in basketball that they had not seen before. Mr. Clem did not just teach me to become a better basketball player but become a better leader.

From being coached by him to assisting him in middle school basketball practices, it was my pleasure to learn from Mr. Clem. Even though I did not take his PE classes, I learned so many things about basketball and life from Mr. Clem throughout the year. I am very saddened to see him leave CDS, but I know we will meet again someday and play pickup basketball together.

Mr. Clem made every practice, class, and SOT special with his presence. He was not just a teacher, but a friend and mentor to those who want to improve at basketball. Behalf of the CDS students and basketball players, we will make sure Mr. Clem’s legacy in CDS lives on forever.

Thank you, Mr. Clem, for everything you have done for CDS athletes and students, and we wish you joy and success in your future journey!

- Jace Lee (Class of 2023)

Mr. Williams has been a member of the CDS faculty for the past three years. Originally brought on to teach psychology, Mr. Williams has demonstrated his versatility by teaching a number of subjects. He has been actively involved in supporting the CDS Community, notably by helping our students and parents grapple with the changes to the AP exams the year COVID19 first hit and improving our evacuation and safety procedures.

Hello Mr. Williams, it’s your favorite “trouble maker.”

2 years ago when you first came to Dalton you were my AP Psychology teacher and now, 2 years later, you are not only my House Teacher and AP Human Geography teacher, but someone who will leave this school with me as we both start a new chapter of our lives.

I can’t begin to explain just how large of an impact you have had on me as an individual. For the years I have known you, you have not only been an amazing teacher but also an amazing mentor. Even when I didn’t have your class in 11th grade, I always felt comfortable walking up to your classroom and striking up conversation knowing you would always be there to listen to whatever crazy story I had for you.

You were never afraid to speak your thoughts and you were probably one of the most honest teachers I have had in a long time. You always told us what we needed to hear, not what we wanted to hear, and that has really helped me grow both academically and personally. I can’t begin to thank you enough for the positive impact you have left, not only on me, but to all the students who have had the privilege of meeting you.

We had a real scare when you were taken to the hospital due to a heart attack and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are so glad you pulled through. Please make sure to take care of your health! I’m sure we would all love to see you somewhere down the future, happy and healthy.

Borrowing your catchphrase, please be “safe, be good, be kind, and, as always, don’t forget to be awesome :)”

We will miss you and I wish you the best in wherever life takes you next.

- Nicole Shin (Class of 2022)

Ms. Perez has been a member of the CDS faculty for the past two years. Her time here has been characterized by embodying a genuine passion and enthusiasm for the study of history and for sharing that with her students. She has consistently gone out of her way to care and support her students, even in matters unrelated to her class.

It is unexplainable how influential Ms Perez has been in my life. She was the history expert that everyone could ask about anything but she also was someone that students could easily reach out to for casual talks. My whole life, as a humanities person, history was always one of my favorite subjects. Still, I had worried about coming up into a new community and becoming a high school student.

As both my 9th grade world history teacher and my AP world history teacher, despite the increased difficulty of the subject, there was no change in how enthusiastic I was with the classes. Ms Perez was the most significant reason that I decided to take AP world history despite the worries that the subject may be a burden or become too difficult for me to take if I didn’t have a lot of prior knowledge. But Ms Perez told me that I could definitely take the course and that I would be successful.

She would always say that she wouldn’t give us any homework because she didn’t like it as a student. There were many teachers that said that to me in the past but I was extremely surprised in 9th grade for the fact that I actually didn’t have any history homework. I would be writing my list of things to do, but history was only on that list to the bare minimum.

If it felt like I was half asleep or that I was grabbing my hair because I was stuck on a problem or thanks to having history after lunch, Ms Perez would recognize my difficulty right away. She’d tell me to take a rest or to work outside, leaning against the cooler walls. It wasn’t even like she’d leave me out there, but she’d come out and check on me at least 2 times to make sure that I’m not asleep :)

Although Ms Perez might not realize it, I love the humor that you share with your candies. The students would always leave a certain flavor at the bottom of the basket (especially cherry flavor), and she’d say: “stop discriminating candy! Are you guys racist?” The first time she said this, my sleep ran away and the class broke into laughter.

I can’t forget the moment that you announced that I had received the 6C: communication award last year and I was so happy that it was Ms Perez was the teacher that had made the announcement. Ms Perez and I came together, but she is leaving before me. Although we aren’t leaving CDS together, you can come to see me graduate!

I hope you won’t forget me and I really, extremely, wonderfully, definitely hope that you enjoy your time back at home. Love you Ms Perez!

- Sooin Choi (Class of 2024)

Mr. Tolley has been a member of the CDS faculty for the past seven years. He shared his love of music with our students, as a teacher in the classroom, conductor of our orchestra, and performer on the stage. He consistently brought warmth, joy, and encouragement with him as he created safe spaces for students to take intellectual risks and challenge themselves to grow.

Most talented, enthusiastic and inspiring musician I’ve seen, and a proud celebrity of CDS, Mr. Tolley, I wanted to congratulate you on graduating from CDS with us, but also can’t believe you will be leaving after such a long time of being here as music teacher.

When I first joined the orchestra, I have to admit, the orchestra seemed chaotic with the unbalance of instruments and different skill levels of each student. I was worried about how this orchestra could be put together to perform for future concerts and festivals. But watching you lead this group and being able to put together challenging pieces has made me almost embarrassed for thinking that the orchestra would not be successful. I was truly amazed at how you could make such an entertaining yet productive class environment. As a thoughtful teacher, you often chose pieces that were best of our interest and songs we were familiar with, in order for us to enjoy playing in orchestra and love music. Thanks to you, I have now played pieces from almost various genres, from classical Bach to modern day music that everyone knows like Mario kart and Avengers theme.

Being a student not only part of the orchestra but also taking AP music theory from you, I would say your love for music and caringness for students truly shined in that class. When we were challenged with hard concepts, you provided us with extra practices in order for us to understand the material well and always made sure we were following along with the class. Being in your class made me realize your passion for music, and my respect for you has increased as a musician. I was able to joyfully learn music theory and fall in love with music even more.

Thank you, for bringing such positivity into the Dalton community, and spreading the joy of music to many students. I wish you well on your future journey with music, and wish for success on everything you do. The CDS community will miss you a lot.

- Seoyoung Lee (Class of 2022)

Ms. Brady has been a member of the CDS community for the past four years, both as a teacher and an administrator. As an educator, she shared her love of math with her students and worked hard to create a safe, caring, and respectful environment for her students. As an administrator, she revamped the course registration process and helped the school transition to restorative behavioral practices, among many other contributions.

I still remember the day I first visited CDS. It was still during the summer break, so no students were there, but several teachers were in school. Back then, I was quite nervous despite the fact that I’ve been to more than five new schools, but I soon got excited for school when you talked to me in a voice full of passion.

As I came to school, I could often see you making announcements on What’s up Wednesday. Even then, you seemed so passionate about everything–there were tons of things going on at this school and you were always part of it.

And who would not remember you saying hi to all students in the hallways? Although school life was quite tiring at times, seeing you in the hallways gave me some energy. The short 5 minute break time, which could have been merely a passing period, became a time for social interaction that could bring smiles to students’ faces. I would really miss saying hi to you in the hallways, and I think many others will too.

I think I am unlucky to not have you as my math teacher–maybe I should have transferred earlier. Yet, I was one of the lucky people to have you as my mentor for the senior project. It was so much fun to talk to you every week, and you have helped me so much that I would not have passed my senior project if I didn’t have you as my mentor. I saw how much effort you have put into clubs at our school, and this always inspired me to work harder to prepare for the club festival.

I still can’t imagine not having a brief moment of greeting in the hallways. That’s just how much of an impact you had on this school–it almost feels like a tradition to have a short conversation with you during the passing period. We will genuinely miss you–your smile, your greeting, and everything you have done for us for the past four years.

Thank you so much and we wish you all the best.

- Gimin Yoo (Class of 2022)

Mr. Burton has been a member of the CDS community for the past eight years, both as a teacher and an administrator. As a teacher and department head in the English department, he modeled the qualities of a focused and driven educational practitioner. Behind the scenes as the Ed. Tech. Coordinator, Mr. Burton made contributions to systems and individuals that will have a lasting impact on our community.

I worked on DalNet with Mr.Burton for more than a year. When I first approached Mr.Burton with DalNet in grade 10, I didn’t know much about launching a service, so I thought DalNet would launch immediately. Frankly, he could have just launched DaNet right away without putting real thought into it, but instead, he took DalNet very seriously and helped me enhance DalNet. He always told me what needed to be changed, added, or removed from the website and answered all of my questions with details. And without a doubt, that is what made DalNet launch successful.

Working with Mr.Burton helped me learn valuable lessons that usually can’t be taught in school. He said too many things that helped me become a better person, but the most influential thing he said to me was, “we don’t want to have problems that we already expect.” Having this thought back in my head when working on something helped me eliminate almost all the potential issues. This applies to DalNet, but it also applies to anything in the world. So it is pretty fair to say that he taught me life lessons which is why he is more than just a teacher to me. I am truly grateful that I got to work with Mr.Burton, and I wish he could be there to see what DalNet becomes next year, but I really wish him all the best.

- Giju Kim (Class of 2023)

It is with mixed emotions that I announce that next year I will no longer serve the CDS High School as its Assistant Director. Beginning in August, I will transition into my new role as Director of Academics and Alumni Relations. I am excited to share the news that Mr. Tyler Ryan will transition into my current role. I believe he will do an incredible job supporting teachers, parents, and students.

It has been an honor to have served in the role of Assistant Director. From next year, I look forward to continuing to serve this community by supporting the school-wide teaching staff with their professional practice, engaging our incredible alumni, and helping the organization make strategic decisions about the future.

- Mr. Jason Musselman

Friday, 8th grade students and their parents attended the 8th grade transition session. This session was led by Mr. Musselman, Mr. Ryan, and a number of students. Thank you all for attending!

After a successful turnout this year for the CEMC, with 39 students participating, the results are in!! This week students were finally able to collect their awards and medals for all their hard work in the CEMC math competition earlier this year. The top scorer in our school for each contest also received a further commendation by receiving a medal. The following students should be congratulated for their achievement in receiving a distinction and/or medal in their respective competitions:

Pascal Medal Winner: Hongseok Choi

Distinctions:

Neul Ha

Yuchien Chang

Hyunwoo Lim

Caley Medal Winner: Hannah Kim

Distinctions:

Minjoon Kim

Samuel Song

Jaemin Cheong

Younha Jeong

Heonbeen Lee

Jiwoon Kim

Fermat Medal Winner: Hyunmin No

Distinctions:

Hyun Seo

Hyojung Hwang

Suhyeon Han

Dongjun Koh

Wooseok Shin

Siwoo Lee

Minseong Park

Yonsu Jang

Minwook Kim

Special congratulations should be given to Hannah Kim for beating out her older counterparts to receive the top award for our Caley competition at the school and also to Hyunmin No who earned the highest score a student at CDS has ever achieved in the competition by gaining 144 points from a possible 150, that is a huge accomplishment.

Congratulations again to all our participants this year and we encourage all students to participate next year and show off their critical thinking skills.

- CDS Math Department

If you owned something very precious to you, how would you keep it safe? My Geometry students hid their treasure in the map they drew and created the answer key using the idea of bearings they learned in class. Bearings are a precise way to describe one location relative to another. With angles and bearings, bearings are angles that are commonly measured in a clockwise direction starting from north. With a protractor, my students measured the bearings. It was impressive to see how creative my students could be! Some students used an imaginary world to hide their treasure in their map whereas others hid it in the real world. With multiple bearings going back and forth, I am sure my students were able to hide their treasure well. I hope that my students not only developed an understanding of bearings but also had fun learning through this project.

- Rachel Jeon, Educator

All Juniors should proceed to the Small Theater on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during House/Lab to attend mandatory College Counseling Sessions. Please be there promptly by 9:15 so that Ms. Sojin Han can take your attendance and things can get started.

The College Counseling Department also requires Juniors to meet with them individually prior to the end of the school year. Please click the links below to book that meeting depending upon which schools you are interested in attending. If you are considering both, please book a meeting with both.

- College Counseling

From Monday, May 16 to Thursday, May 19, the Pioneering to Serve Student Committee will be collecting cash donations from 7:30-8:00 AM daily at the front door of the school. This is the culminating event of the P2S committees' semester long fund raising activities aimed at raising 3,000,000 KRW for Happy Homes. This is the final push! Please watch the video here to learn more information about Happy Homes, see a message from Mr. Park, and also see a message from the P2S committee asking for your help. Please note: this week is also the final week of the Goods Drive! All items brought in will be donated to the Happy Homes Orphanage. More information on the items we are accepting can be found later in this newsletter.

All of the information and resources concerning the changes for next year can be found HERE.

With the recent increase in the number of new cases of Covid 19, there are confirmed cases around students, parents and school. If you and your family have been informed by a public health center as a confirmed cases, a close contact of confirmed cases or if any of your family members have recently arrived in Korea, please contact the High School office as soon as possible.

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.

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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/