Busan Foreign School
Encyclopedia
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)
BFS has a sister school Gyeongnam International Foreign School located in Sacheon, South Korea.
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.
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Busan Foreign School (BFS) provides education to students from nursery age up to high school. The school employs staff from the USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, UK, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
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)
BFS has a sister school Gyeongnam International Foreign School located in Sacheon, South Korea.
History
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.