Parents are responsible for reviewing the information in this section and for helping their students make wise course choices. After reading this section, if you have additional questions or need more information about Discovery Week please contact the Discovery Week coordinator, Brian Hall (brian.hall@seoulforeign.org).
Discovery Week is a very complex organizational undertaking and often requires the school to make substantial financial commitments in advance for lodging, airfare and course fees. Once course rosters are determined, student fees for the courses are calculated based on that specific number of students assigned to the course. Changes to the roster alter the fee structure for the other students in the course. When a student is removed from a course, cancellation and/or change fees are commonly assessed by the vendors (airlines, tour companies, etc.) and we have no choice but to pay these fees. It is imperative that we stabilize course rosters very quickly.
We do our best to balance the demands of planning Discovery Week with the variety of unexpected events that commonly occur in the context of an itinerant school community like SFS. We know these changes occur quite suddenly and we will be as accommodating as we possibly can be, but sometimes the changes come with costs/fees that we do not control.
Subsequently, the following circumstances are those that will be considered to change a student from one course to another, or for a refund of fees paid on behalf of a student:
If after September 4, 2018, a parent requests that a student be removed from a course for any other reason not listed above, the following withdrawal penalties may be assessed and billed to the parents:
A student withdrawn from a course by parent request will still be required to participate in Discovery Week. New course options available to the student will be determined by the administration and might not include any of those chosen by the student during the original registration period. Full course fees will be applied for new course placement.
A 2% assessment is applied to all course fees to offset the administrative cost of operating DW. This fund is also used to pay for any unforeseen costs incurred by any of the courses.
Positive interaction among students, faculty, guides, and local people is an expectation of all Discovery Week courses. It is unacceptable for students to inconvenience others, or jeopardize the safety of the group. Students must satisfy the sponsors that they have the any skills required to participate fully in the course, and that they will be supportive of the group for the duration of the course.
All the Seoul Foreign School rules are in effect for the duration of the course. All school rules remain in place during Discovery Week. In addition, sponsors will make students aware of, and enforce, other rules that might be specific to that course. Flagrant curfew violations or going to “off limits” areas will not be tolerated and all laws of the local country must be obeyed. Sponsors, in consultation with the administration, have the full authority to send home a student whose conduct is unacceptable or compromises the safety of the group. If it is necessary to send a student home, it will be at the parent’s expense. A student who disregards the school rules while on an Discovery Week course will be referred to the administration for disciplinary action. Consequences will be at the discretion of the administration in consultation with the course sponsors.
Students are expected to be at school on the Monday following the end of Discovery Week. We realize that some will be very tired, others may have jet lag, but the school bell will ring on November 5, and all students, even the tired ones, are expected to be in attendance. It's a very exciting day for students, most of whom are buzzing about the wonderful week they've had and eager to share stories and photos.
Participation in Discovery Week is required of all students. Transcripts will reflect “successful” or “not successful” completion of each Discovery Week in which a student participates. The components of successful completion are: attendance at the majority of course meetings before commencement of Discovery Week and full participation during Discovery Week.
Some Discovery Week courses require a higher level of fitness or specific skills in order to participate. Sponsors will make students aware of this requirement before registration and may require specific written approval before a student can list the course as one of their preferred choices. Students physically unable to participate in a course’s activities endanger themselves and potentially create a burden on the entire course. Please read the course descriptions thoroughly to determine whether or not a course is appropriate for you.
The Discovery Week program may expose students to a degree of risk that is atypical of regular on-campus classes. While courses involving travel, physical activity, and exploration are not risk free, safety is of paramount importance and is emphasized as courses are planned and take place.
Limited emergency medical evacuation and insurance coverage is included in the course fee. Course sponsors are briefed about what to do in an emergency and have the authority to make decisions, change the itinerary, or do whatever else is necessary to ensure the safety of the students. We work with vendors who are keenly aware of local conditions. In certain courses immediate telephone communication may not always be available. If conditions warrant, a course may be changed or cancelled due to concerns about safety, political instability, or security. In such cases, we will attempt to organize a comparable course, if possible.
It is critical that SFS have the most recent student health information. Please ensure our records reflect the latest student medical condition. Our school nurse reviews each course roster and ensures that course leaders are aware of specific medical conditions or needs of certain students. Overseas course sponsors will carry a first aid kit that will contain typical items that might be needed. For more serious medical issues, emergency medical evacuation is available. Certain courses may have additional medical or physical fitness requirements. See the information for the specific courses you are considering for details.
The school’s international travel insurance for overseas courses is through Seven Corners and includes the following coverage:
Students in courses going to certain remote locations, or in countries where advanced medical care is not easily obtained, will be provided additional medical and evacuation coverage by International SOS. This additional level of coverage comes at a very reasonable additional cost and provides a higher level peace of mind if there are problems. Parents with students in these courses will be notified of this additional coverage.
The intention of this coverage is to ensure adequate resources to provide proper medical care and, under specific conditions, to transport any insured participant from a location lacking the necessary health care facilities to one that is appropriately equipped. The decision on medical evacuation is made by the insurer with appropriate professional medical consultation.
Please note that loss of personal property (e.g. cell phones) is not included in any insurance policy provided by the school. Students wanting to insure personal property during DW are encouraged to purchase their own travel insurance policy.
There is no special medical coverage for students assigned to local/Korea courses.
Please check your passport expiry date well before registration begins. As a general travel standard, passports must be valid for 6 months AFTER the return travel date. Some countries enforce this, others don't, so it's best to play it safe. This means your passport must be valid until at least May 5, 2019. If you are certain you will choose to be part of an overseas DW course, and your passport will expire before May 5, 2019, please begin the renewal process during the summer. For students who enter/exit Korea using an Alien Registration Card (ARC), please be sure it does not expire before November 4, 2018.
Many courses will require a visa depending on destination and the passport held by the student. Course leaders will work in conjunction with the school's travel agency to determine which students need a visa. In most instances these can be acquired quite easily and quickly. However, in some cases our travel agent cannot acquire the visa for certain passports and it is then up to parents to complete the process. We generally have 4-6 weeks to get visas, but often the Chuseok break complicates one of these weeks. The cost of the visa is generally part of the course fees, but there are exceptions and teachers will let you know for sure how visa costs are handled.
Each year we tend to have complications with students holding diplomatic passports and students from countries that have challenging relationships with some of our destination countries. It is the responsibility of the student/parent to be aware of possible visa complications for the courses on their registration form. Do not register for a course where visa issues could hold up or derail your plans should you be assigned to that course.