CDS Phoenix Rising
Cheongna Dalton High School's Weekly Newsletter
December 13th, 2019
From The Assistant Director
CDS Community,
Mid-Year Exams have concluded, and students are on their way to a long winter break. I was impressed with students’ resilience, tenacity, and effort on their exams this week. I hope the results will make you proud!
We concluded this week in style! We began an evening of art and performance last night with the opening of a new showing in our art gallery. Our guests were treated to great food and atmosphere while enjoying the student art on display. After the gallery opening, we began our annual winter concert with Mr. Tolley leading the orchestra and choir, which both produced exceptional music. Then Mrs. Stant’s drama students performed a comical one-act play about Santa Claus teaching Scrooge the value and purpose of giving during the holiday season. I left the building yesterday evening feeling a great deal of pride. Thank you to all who participated or came to bear witness to the work of our incredibly talented and dedicated students.
We concluded the year on Friday with our annual Candlelight Ceremony. This is one of the rare times that all three divisions of our school (High School, Middle School and First Program) get together in Dalton Hall. The lighting of candles symbolizes the lighting a fire of hope through the darker days of winter. Junior Ryan Shin did an exceptional job as the high school representative MC. A special thanks to Ms. Katharine Galic for her hard work making this a special and memorable event.
I’m also excited to announce the first winners of the RISE awards. These awards are granted to students who have exemplified our school values or have shown tremendous growth in these areas through the first half of the school year. One recipient of the award for each grade was selected by the faculty. Congratulations to Siyoon Kim (Class of 2023), Linda Hwang (Class of 2022), Zeyu Lu (Class of 2021) and Woohyun Kim (Class of 2020).
Over the break, teachers will accompany 35 CDS students on a service learning trip to Chiang Mai. They will be working on projects related to the deforestation of Northern Thailand. While it is certainly going to be a fun trip, I’d like to acknowledge that these students gave up a part of their vacation to serve others. Thank you all, and I wish you a wonderful trip in January.
When we return from winter break we will be holding a parent information session. This session is a special one, and we hope that all parents can join. We wish to tell you about some of the disciplinary changes that have been made as well as a new app we will be using to help inform our students and their parents. I really hope you all can join us on the 17th. More information below.'
I would like to wish everyone a fantastic holiday season. I will certainly miss you all, and I look forward to seeing you when we return in 2020!
All the best,
Mr. Jason Musselman
Assistant High School Director
Important Dates
Dalton Rising Weekly Roundup
CDS Candlelight Ceremony 2019
CDS High School RISE Awards
Starting this year the high school will recognize one student from each grade who has demonstrated excellence in our community. The Rising Phoenix Award was selected by high school teachers to recognize those students who have gone above and beyond when displaying positive behavioral expectations or who have shown measurable growth throughout terms one and two. Please join me in congratulating our winners in 2019!
9th Grade Award Winner
Siyoon Kim has demonstrated great character. Whenever he is asked to take on an extra responsibility, he does so happily and without complaints. He is quickly becoming a fundamental part of the varsity teams he plays on, and is a great addition to our high school community. You will often see him smiling in the hallways, or going along with silly dances his house teacher makes him do during Thursday trivia.
10th Grade Award Winner
Linda Hwang is a very positive member of our school who demonstrates empathy toward her peers and teachers. She consistently seeks out highly challenging tasks and focuses on them until completed. The past two terms she has taken every opportunity to improve and display excellence in our school community.
11th Grade Award Winner
Zeyu Lu perfectly portrays all the aspects of RISE everyday. Even when times are tough this student comes to school with a smile on their face and strives for excellence in everything they do. This student has an infectious laugh that serves our community in and of itself. Showing respect towards everyone they meet, this student is an ideal recipient for this award.
12th Grade Award Winner
Woohyun Kim always has a smile to share in the hallway. Their positive attitude and helpful, friendly nature have helped to make CDS a bright and welcoming place on a daily basis. This person is responsible, kind, and a great example of a true phoenix.
Food and Culture
"Why do people from different parts of the world eat different types of food? Why do people from different parts of a country eat different types of food? A person grows up eating the food of his or her own culture. However, in today’s fast-paced, globalised world, a person may also grow up eating foods of other cultures. For instance, a Korean child who has attended international schools in other countries may be familiar with Korean cuisine and cuisines of the countries he or she has lived in. On a larger scale, a traditional cuisine is passed down from one generation to the next. In other words, food is an indispensable part of a culture and an essential component of learning a language. Recently, students of High School Chinese Level 2 created menus to show their understanding of Chinese cuisine and the relationship between Chinese dishes and Chinese language."
-Mr.Lester Wu, Chinese Teacher
CDS Winter Concert
Also, eight CDS students were selected to participate in the National honor festival this year in February. These students submitted auditions to participate in this festival and were selected because of their hard work and musical talents.
Kate Kwon, Zhiyan Li, Joshua Wang, and Nana Kang were accepted for the first time this year to participate in the honors choir.
Sue Shin was accepted for the second year in a row to play violin in the honors orchestra and Jun cho was accepted for his third year in a row to sing in the honors choir.
A huge shout out to Jasmine Kwon who will be playing in the honors orchestra as the first chair double bassist and Tomo Shimada, who is the first CDS student to participate in the honors choir all four years of high school.
Congrats guys!"
-Mr. Samuel Tolley, Music Teacher
HS Drama Students Entertain with 'Scrooge's Christmas Eve
"This week, the High School Drama students delighted the audience with their performance of “Scrooge’s Christmas Eve.” This tale was not exactly the classic story about Ebenezer Scrooge by Charles Dickens, but an adaptation that featured some of our favorite holiday characters such as Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. A retelling of “A Christmas Carol” could not be complete without the ghost of Jacob Marley as well as Scrooge himself.
The students studied their lines and worked on their memorization and characterization skills all while preparing for their exams and other art events that were held at the Winter Concert. The students worked very hard to balance their artistic pursuits with their academic endeavors to ensure that this week was a success.
This performance was incorporated as part of the curriculum for the Theatre & Film class, a hybrid class combining the art of theatre with the art of film. The students complete a variety of film projects throughout the year, but they also showcase their acting skills that they are learning in the classroom on the stage, with live audiences.
In the Spring, the Theatre & Film class will continue with their video series, Jigsaw’s Game, will begin learning advanced filming techniques and will begin to rehearse a full play to be performed in the Spring.
This has been and will continue to be an incredible year for the acting students at CDS!"
-Ms.Desiree Stant, Drama Teacher
Boys Basketball VS. DCS
This past Friday, our boys traveled to DCS for our 5th divisional game of the season, going up against the only team we have yet to face so far. We were not sure what to expect as we were also going to be down 4 of our varsity players which included both of our captains and we brought along two of our JV boys players to fill our bench.
DCS got off to a quick start by scoring 3 baskets right away and that was enough to get our boys attention. They then got locked in, played tough, aggressive defense and it was all over for the DCS team. CDS came back with a 20-0 run and didn’t look back.
Notable players of the game were Siyoon Kim who had 20 points, 4 rebounds and 7 steals, Ricky Kim who had 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 assist & Leo Hwang who had 7 points, 6 rebounds a steal and 2 blocks. JV player Patrick Choi also chipped in 8 points, 1 steal, 1 assist and 1 rebound.
It a great game overall and we now get a month off to rest before our next game after the winter break.
Gooo Phoenix!
Girls Basketball VS.DCS
This past Friday, our CDS girls traveled to DCS for their 5th game of the season. DCS is the only team we have yet to face, but we were entering the game looking to get our 3rd straight win.
We knew going into this game that it was likely to be a close one, but we were not sure which way the dominoes would fall on this night. The game was an intense one, but it wasn’t a high scoring one. Both teams played great defense and ran a similar offense. It was going to come down to who wanted it more and who could convert the most shots. The final minutes of the game, CDS was up 10-8. DCS forced a turnover and then got a basket to tie the game. They immediately called a timeout and it was guessed that their coach would try to do a full court press out of the timeout to try to force another turnover. However, we were ready for them with our press break and a quick outlet pass from out of bounds led to an easy basket and the lead of 12-10. Both teams played great defense in the final minutes of the game. DCS stole the ball with a few seconds left in the game, ran down the court, but we got our hands on the ball knocking it out of bounds. There was 0.8 seconds left in the game and no way for DCS to win unless we fouled the other team. Coach Monette called a timeout and told the girls to just get to a spot, put their hands up and there was no way the other team could score in time. This held true and we walked away with the victory.
Notable players of the game were Fiona Park with 6 points, 5 steals, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a block, Jueun Lee with 2 points, 6 steals, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 assist and Yerin Park with 2 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
The girls are off now until after the winter break.
Gooooo Phoenix!!
Annual Macbeth Plays On The Horizon
It's that time of year again: 10th graders have already begun preparation for the annual Macbeth plays. In Term 3, each 10th grade class will use the narrative skills they have developed so far this year to write their own adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth, resulting in three entirely new versions of the original story. When the scripts are complete, they will then prepare and rehearse through Term 3, and the final performances will be held in Term 4, right before Spring Break. All parents are very welcome to attend!
These stories and these plays belong to the students. The stories come from the students' ideas, and they will work to bring those ideas to life, solving all of the problems that stand between them and performances that will go down in CDS history.
We need to hit the ground running in Term 3, so over the long winter break 10th graders will watch two film versions of Macbeth (one a stage play performance of the original, and one adaptation starring James McAvoy), and they will prepare for an audition that will happen in the first week when we return.
I've asked past students to share their feelings about the Macbeth experience and offer advice to this year's 10th graders, and here are some of the things they had to say:
"I feel nostalgic and I miss it."
"When I was working on the play, I was SUPER nervous because it was my first time performing in front of the whole school. But after performing the play, I'm less scared of being in front of audiences."
"it was one of the experiences that gave the greatest sense of achievement. Definitely, it is hard at a certain point, but what comes out is in proportion to what you put in."
"Although it was a lot of work, I think that is what makes it so memorable and cherishable."
"My leadership and communication skills definitely improved. By working together with many people, I learned how to direct and be collaborative. I have since implemented many of those skills in school projects."
"Make sure to make Macbeth a collaborative work of the whole class, as it is not the play itself that enriches you, but the entire preparation."
"Be creative! A lot of changes will be made along the way, so make sure to be flexible as well. Try not to stress too much - everything will work out in the end. Good luck!!"
The auditions are scheduled right when we come back from break. Each 10th grade student will perform individually, standing on stage in Dalton Hall in front of their class to act out a monologue in original Shakespearean English. I understand that this is a challenge. I've suggested that students work to memorize two lines a day during the break, and when they have fully memorized it, they can work on their acting.
To model this behavior, I have agreed to audition myself, as well, using a Korean-language version of one of the scenes that will be performed by the students. I think it's safe to say that the Shakespearean English lines will be easier for most or all of the 10th graders than the Korean lines will be for me. Please support the 10th graders in their preparations, and I'll do my best to show them how it should be done :)
- Eric Burton, English Teacher
Updates & General Information
Home Tax Certificate for Education Payment in 2019
Home tax season is fast approaching. If you need an Education Payment Certificate for your upcoming Home Tax, please click the button of Home Tax Certificate Registration button below.
- Registration Due Date: December 31, 2019
- Please feel free to pick up the Education Payment certificate at the main administration office anytime, starting December 11, 2019
Should you have any questions, please contact our Accounting team at 032-563-0523. (Ext. 108)
Collin Park recognized for contributions in Community Service
And today, Collin attended a forum of volunteers, and there was a successful service case announcement as a student volunteer representative.
Among the 17 student representatives from the nation's cities and provinces, Collin was chosen as one of the strongest candidates for recommendation from a volunteer organization. Collin was highly regarded for his excellence in extending his outreach to school and further to KAIAC. His communication skills were particularly notable. They praised Collin's case as a good example against students who are simply get a community service point for graduation.
And it is more meaningful not as a representative of foreign students, but as a representative of ordinary students across the country who are volunteering."
Upcoming High School Events
Parent Information Session: What is PBIS & BehaviorFlip?
Before that launch we wish to fully inform parents about our current behavior policies (PBIS) as well as for what and how BehaviorFlip will be used.
We urge ALL parents to sign up for this application and attend this information session. If you are unable to sign up, deleted the email or did not receive an invite please contact the High School office for more information.
Parents should also note that the school plans to hold a monthly parent meeting during the third Friday of every Month from 1pm to 2:30pm.
Friday, Jan 17, 2020, 01:00 PM
Cheongna Dalton School, Gyeongseo-dong, Seo-gu, Incheon, South Korea
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Cheongna Dalton School
Email: jmusselman@daltonschool.kr
Website: www.cdshighschool.kr
Location: Cheongna Dalton Foreign School, Gyeongseo-dong, Incheon
Phone: 82 32-563-0563
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheongnadaltonhighschool/