| Busan Foreign School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| 1366-3, Jwa-Dong Busan South Korea |
|
| Information | |
| Type | International School |
| Motto | Embracing Diversity, Striving for Excellence |
| Established | October of 1996 |
| Principal | Scott Jolly |
| Head of school | Dr. Kelley Ridings |
| Staff | 31 |
| Grades | nursery (age 3) - 12th |
| Number of students | Elementary: 87 Middle: 45 High: 82 Total: 214 |
| Color(s) | Blue and White |
| Athletics | Soccer, Basketball, Cross Country |
| Athletics conference | South Korea Athletics Conference (SKAC) |
| Mascot | Beefus |
| Affiliation | Western Association of Schools Colleges (WASC), Korean Ministry of Education, East Asia Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS), Korean Council of Overseas Schools (KORCOS), American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK), National Honor Society (NHS), National Association of Student Councils (NASC) |
| Website | http://www.busanforeignschool.org/ |
Busan Foreign School is an international school located in Busan, South Korea. Busan Foreign School (BFS) provides education to students from nursery age up to high school. The school employs staff from the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Korea and was the first school to provide students in Busan with access to an American curriculum. BFS was also the first institution in Busan to have a foreign accredited program from elementary up to grade 12 graduation. The school uses an American curriculum, based on the standards of the state of California. The school is a member of the international education accreditation body, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)[1]
BFS has a sister school Gyeongnam International Foreign School located in Sacheon, South Korea.
Busan Foreign School opened its doors to the Busan community and its surrounding areas in October 1996. With only two students originally, it has since expanded expanded to encompass nursery to twelfth grade, currently educates over 200 students from 20 different nations. In addition to the increase in enrollment, the curriculum has developed into a highly rigorous American standards-based program that offers students a wide variety of courses and activities.
BFS is the only English speaking school in the city to graduate students from high school. The graduating class of 2010 was accepted to 22 universities worldwide, some of which were ranked among the top 200 universites in the world. BFS is also the only international school in the Busan area that is fully accredited from kindergarten to the 12th grade by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Other school affiliations include the East Asia Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS), the Minister of Education, Republic of Korea (certification), Korean Council of Overseas Schools (KORCOS), American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK), National Honor Society (NHS), and the National Association of Student Councils.
Busan Foreign School offers all classes for students at any school aged level. In addition for middle and high school students in 2010/2011, the school provides a variety of electives and core courses such as: AP environmental science, AP literature, AP Calculus, pre-AP history, orchestra, physical education, health, band, art, writing, Korean, ELL centers, world religions, current events, speech and presentation, writing and grammar, language arts, yearbook, research methods, and multimedia.
BFS educators from the USA, Canada and New Zealand have years of teaching experience in Korea and their home countries. Our teachers are dedicated to an inclusive, participatory approach to instruction where students’ individual needs and learning styles are accommodated. This is accomplished by maintaining small class sizes and offering additional assistance through after-school programs and individual tutoring. In addition, BFS offers an inclusion and placement program for students who require extra guidance in learning English (ELL classes).
The BFS academic year consists of two semesters. The first semester begins August 23 and ends January 14. The second semester runs from January 17 to June 10. The three major holiday periods during the year are the Christmas and New Year holidays, the spring holidays, and the summer holidays. Korean and some American national holidays are also observed.