Artificial Intelligence (AI) has slowly crept into technology over a number of years. We have Siri, Alexa, and Google to answer questions we ask verbally. The algorithms on YouTube and other sites suggest things we might like based on our browsing history. Now, ChatGPT can actually write an essay or computer code for you.

As parents and educators, it is important for us to be aware of these changes in technology and to help our kids navigate its use. It’s easy to panic in response to new technology. We wonder how this will change our lives and whether or not it’s safe. I’ll admit that I’m old enough to remember when cell phones were the new thing. Everyone was worried that using them would cause brain cancer. We worried about the emergence of video calling and how it would require us to look our best all the time. Now, I am so thankful to be able to chat with my family with video included, and it’s been a huge blessing to talk with a deaf family member who reads lips.

Even though ChatGPT and other forms of AI can be used in negative ways, there are also some potential benefits. The first thing we need to do as adults is to educate ourselves. I’ll post some links to articles below, but feel free to do your own research as well. This is the main focus in the education world right now, and our teachers have been trying to figure out how this impacts the classroom. Our webmaster has found that ChatGPT can actually be trained to do some tedious coding for him, allowing him to spend more time on creative design.

Another big question to think and talk about is “What actually makes human beings unique?” Can technology really think? Can it express emotions? Does it have a soul? The main dialogue right now is whether AI will become sentient, but I think the bigger question is about human beings' unique spiritual and emotional nature. AI is actually created in the image of humans, but as Christians, we believe that humans were created in the image of God. That piece sets humans apart from all other beings, and is definitely missing from AI. This is a great conversation topic with kids, as they all have opinions on this.

I’m including some links to articles below if you would like to learn more about this. AI is not going away anytime soon, and we need to be prepared to use it well.

Put Not Your Trust in ChatGPT for Now
How ChatGPT will impact the future of Education
We Can’t Predict How A.I. Will Change Learning
Dear Students Learning to Write,
(by our very own English teacher Jens Hieber)

LAST CALL to sign up for the International Food Fair!
인터내셔널 푸드 페어 등록 안내 ・ 国际美食节报名即将截止

Thank You to all who signed up for the International Food Fair on March 10! So far we have contributions from China, Czechia, Hong Kong, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela, while some have signed up to serve or contribute financially.  

ALL parents, staff, and students are welcome to participate! Not a cook but wish to share your favorite dish with others? We accept restaurant orders and financial contributions too! Sign up here before registration closes today (February 24) at midnight.

Note that food can only be purchased with the Food Fair coupons, and no cash will be accepted on the day of the event. Coupons (RM20 per booklet) are on sale at the front office until Tuesday, March 7 (cash or charge to school account).

Check the Dalat PTO Facebook page for photos from the last in-person International Food Fair. We can’t wait to celebrate our international community together.

"No Uniform Day” is Friday, March 3. This is an IMPACT Service-Learning Club fundraiser, which takes place each semester. These funds help local organizations where Dalat students volunteer. This year, our areas of focus for IMPACT are refugees, nearby communities, the environment, the elderly, Orang Asli, children with special needs, and orphans. 

For a RM10 donation, students will receive a ribbon from their teachers that signifies they have “purchased" the privilege of NOT wearing a uniform that day. Elementary school classroom and middle school SAT teachers will collect money earlier in the week and will pass out purchased ribbons on the morning of No Uniform Day. High school students and teachers can purchase their ribbons before school on Friday, March 3.

Students who make a donation but still want to wear their uniform can pin the ribbon on their uniform, showing their support for our IMPACT projects. Students, please take note that costumes are not allowed, and everyone must adhere to the dress code as stated in the Student Handbook. 

Thank you for your ongoing support of the IMPACT Service-Learning Club at Dalat! Questions? Please contact Mrs. Ailee Chan, IMPACT Coordinator, or your child’s teacher.

Updated MCubed Hours and Location
비자 에이전트 MCubed이 새로운 시간과 위치 ・ MCubed办公时间地点更新

Beginning March 1, MCubed, our visa agent, will be available in a new Dalat campus location. Parents will be able to meet with them in one of the glass rooms in the library on Mondays and Thursdays from 2-4 p.m. For an appointment, please contact MCubed Corporate Solutions at m3corpsolutions@hotmail.com or at +60 16 628-4990.

Important Update on Student and Guardian Passes
학생비자 및 가디언 비자에 관한 중요사항 업데이트 ・ 学生签证和陪读签证重要更新

Effective immediately, Malaysian Immigration has changed its policy on documents needed for visa applications and renewals. Please note that all these documents must be certified/verified at the applicant’s passport embassy. The following are the new requirements on documents needed in addition to existing requirements:

New Student Pass Applications

• A copy of the student’s Birth Certificate (must be attested/certified true copy by the country’s Embassy)

• A copy of the parents’ Marriage Certificate (must be attested/certified true copy by the country’s Embassy)

New Guardian Pass Applications

• Bank account statement from a FOREIGN BANK (must be verified by the country’s embassy) under the name of guardian showing active monthly transaction with a minimum balance of above RM2,000.00 each month – for the latest three months (a translated copy by an approved translator is also required if the document is not written in English or Malay).

• Bank account statement from a LOCAL BANK under the name of guardian showing active monthly transactions (with a minimum balance of RM6,000.00).

See this document for detailed information. For further information, please contact MCubed Corporate Solutions at m3corpsolutions@hotmail.com or at +60 16 628-4990.

Grade 8 Retreat Information Sessions ・ 8학년 리트릿 설명회 ・ 8年级退修活动 家长说明会

Your experience as a parent in the Dalat community is valuable, and we want to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts so we can continue to learn and grow as a school. Your feedback helps us identify opportunities for improvement and highlight areas of celebration. 

  2023 Parent Feedback Survey - English
 2023 학부모 설문조사 - 한국어
 2023 年Dalat家长調查问卷

If you have students in multiple divisions, please fill out a separate survey for each division.

Data collected from this survey is published in our Annual Results Book and serves as a crucial element to our accreditation, as well as giving leadership valuable insight when making decisions.

Questions? Please contact Catherine Foster, Director of Development. 

Malaysia Honor Band 2023
2023말레이시아 Honor 밴드 축제 ・ 2023马来西亚荣誉乐队音乐节

Last Friday and Saturday (February 17-18), 13 Dalat high school students traveled to Johor Baru to participate in an Honor Band Festival hosted by Raffles American School (RAS). This inaugural event, which hopes to become an annual tradition, was organized by Dalat alumnus and RAS band director, Joseph Kim. While the festival just took place last weekend, the preparation for it began months ago. Our students prepared and submitted auditions in early November, received acceptances in late November, and began practicing the music in December. After weeks of individual preparation, our Dalat students joined with students from RAS, Crescendo HELP (Johor), Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School (Johor), and Foon Yew High School (Johor Baru) in Johor Baru. 

During the two-day festival, students spent about 14 hours in rehearsals that culminated in a gala concert on Saturday afternoon. Ignatius Wang, Director of Music for the Singapore Armed Forces Central Band, served as the conductor of this talented group. Congratulations to the  following students who participated and represented Dalat: Alice Wang, Jing Xuan Leow, Ryan Chois, Ellie Park, DJ Yost, Daniel Lim, Aydan Wong, Daniel Willoughby, Tee Yu, Kieran Sandahl, Iyan Sandahl, Euodia Leung, and Joshua Conklin. Here’s the link to the Honor Band Gala Concert.

 Coming Soon… Elementary Concert Series・ 초등학교 콘서트 ・ 小学部音乐会

Experiencing Revival ・ 회복 ・ 复兴

225 hours. That is how long the Asbury Revival has been going on as I write this article. After an ordinary chapel service at Asbury University on Wednesday, February 8, some students felt moved to stay and continue worshiping God. After a while, more students returned and joined and started reading Scripture and praying for each other. That has just continued, 24-hours a day. God created a tangible, irresistible atmosphere of peace and love and worked in many of our hearts to long for Him again. 

For the last week, people from all over – other college campuses, other states, even from other countries – have flooded the Asbury University campus. What’s more, many other campuses and churches have started revivals as well! We sing, pray in groups and individually, share testimonies of what Jesus has done in our lives, read life verses and scripture passages, and have times of repentance. God has physically healed people, freed others from addictions, and most beautifully, brought many people to salvation. 

There are so many cool things I could share. So many would-be coincidences, but that’s just it: there are too many for them to be accidents. God has graciously decided to perform some amazing miracles here. 

One of the many miracles I still marvel at was what an elderly Malaysian woman shared during the first Sunday afternoon. She said that three years ago, she and her husband heard God calling them to Wilmore, Kentucky (where Asbury University is) to pray for revival. Last May, they heard Him calling them to go to New York for something else. They were confused – for a revival had not happened – but they trusted God and went. Last month, they visited Malaysia to take care of some family business. And then, they decided to visit Wilmore on the way back to New York. What’s cool? They arrived on February 7, and the revival started on February 8! God’s timing is perfect! He answered their long-said prayers and let them see the fruits of their labor.

There are so many other awesome things I have seen and heard. I wish I could write them all here. Here’s a link to the livestream, which will be available until later today (February 24). We praise God for His mighty acts and thank Him for turning this generation back to Him. May the peace and zeal for God we have felt in Kentucky continue to spread to the ends of the earth!

- Marissa Yost, Dalat International School Class of 2022, current Asbury University student

Each week, Dalat seniors (Grade 12) write journalistic articles about current events or individuals within the Dalat community and publish them on a blog called "The Senior Scribble".

This week’s articles are from Lauren Worten (“Bitter Sweet”), Luke Ng (“ACSC Tournament”), Ellie Guffy (“More Than Just A Team”), Bennett McIver (“ACSC Boys Basketball”), Haylee Douglas (“The End is Near”), and Chris Jang (“Post-Taiwan-ACSC”).

New Campus Access Guidelines ・ 교내 안전수칙 업데이트 ・ 校园安全更新

Dear Parents, We are so thankful that the COVID restrictions have been lifted and that we have been able to rebuild our community this year. It’s great to have parents so involved in the life of the school. With more people on campus, though, we also have some concerns about the safety of students. There has been an increase in visitors on campus who are not parents, and we are not always sure if they have a good reason to be at school. With the time away from campus during COVID, many of the guidelines that were previously understood have been forgotten. In order to keep everyone safe, we are going to implement some guidelines for access to campus.

• Parents are welcome on campus during the school day (8:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.) to participate in scheduled activities. This includes PTO, Bible studies, Moms In Prayer, attending chapels, etc. Parents should leave campus once the event is complete.

• Parents are welcome to join their child for lunch in the cafeteria once in a while. Parents should not have lunch in the cafeteria unless they are eating with their child or a staff member. The kitchen has a lot of meals to prepare each day and there is limited seating available.

• Parents should not take pictures on campus during the school day unless it is during a performance. Some parents are sensitive about other people photographing their children, and we want to be respectful of that.

• During the school day, parents should avoid the classroom areas of campus. Having parents peek in the windows or sit near classrooms is a distraction from learning.

• After school (3:15-5:30 p.m.) parents are welcome on campus to socialize with one another while the kids play.

• After school (3:15-5:30 p.m.) parents may bring friends and relatives to see the campus, attend sporting events, and meet other people. All visitors must check in with the guards and wear a visitor badge. If parents would like to bring a visitor during the school day, they should check with the principal. This may happen during special events.

• If parents have friends interested in sending their kids to Dalat, please talk with the Admissions Office. The Admissions team will be able to schedule tours during the school day and provide the most updated information to prospective families.

Again, we are so thankful for the increased opportunities to meet together and love to see parents meeting and learning together. Please help us work together to keep all of our kids safe and to promote a positive learning environment during the school day. Thank you.

Retro 24 Coffee Shop ・ 레트로 24 커피숍 ・ Retro24 咖啡屋

Enjoy a morning cup of coffee or Milo, friendly conversations, and our new gathering tables at the Retro ‘24 Coffee Shop. Our Grade 11 students and parents will be serving these hot and iced beverages every Monday & Friday 8-8:20 a.m. at the old junior class store. Conveniently located behind the Student Center adjacent to the elementary school courtyard playground, stop by and support our junior class in their latest fundraising venture. 

Join Us for Moms in Prayer ・ 어머니 기도회에 참석해주세요 ・ 参加妈妈们祷告会

We will gather for prayer twice a month from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Student Center. All Dalat moms are welcome! Text Vera +60 17 506-4800 or Ellsy +60 12 430-0699 to get in touch!

Upcoming Meeting Dates:
March 8 & 15, April 12 & 26, May 10 & 24

Substitute Teachers Needed・ 대체 교사 모집합니다 ・ 招募代课老师

When teachers are absent, Dalat parents are a key resource to fill in for them. If you enjoy working with children or teenagers and want to make a difference in the Dalat school community, you might enjoy this wonderful opportunity to serve. Teachers provide all of the classroom plans for substitute teachers. You can help for the whole day, a few days, or even just a single class period. If you are interested, please email Monica Mohan to find out more and fill out our substitute teacher application. Training will be provided.

Leaving Dalat?・ 달랏을 떠나시나요?(전학 사실 통보) ・ 离开Dalat? 

If your child(ren) will not be continuing enrollment at Dalat for the August 2023 intake, please inform the Admissions team by filling out the withdrawal form by March 15. Forms submitted after March 15 will result in your position holding deposits being forfeited.

If your child is going to be graduating from Dalat in June, you do not need to fill out a withdrawal form. If you have any questions, please contact Tammi Yost at admissions@dalat.org.

March 2 - 4
ACSC Choral Festival in Taiwan

March 3
No Uniform Day

March 3 - 4
MS Basketball at ISKL

March 6
G10 & G11 Course Selections (6:30 p.m.)

March 7
G8 & G9 Course Selections (6:30 p.m.)

March 8
Music Concert - G1 & G2 (6 p.m.)

March 9
Music Concert - G3 & G4 (6 p.m.)

March 10
Junior for Hire Auction
PTO International Food Fair (All Families)
Q3 KICs & X-Blocks End
End of Academic Quarter 3 

March 10 - 11
ISKL HS Badminton Tournament

March 13 - 15
Missions Emphasis Week (MEW)

March 16
Battle of the Books

March 17
MS Parent-Teacher Conferences
No School - MS Only

March 18 - 23
Borneo IMPACT Trip

Check the School Calendar for updates
Legend: G = Grade | P = Preschool | ES = Elementary School | MS = Middle School | HS = High School

February 27 - March 3

Each school lunch includes a salad bar, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich bar, a flavored drink, cold water, and dessert (fruits or sweets).

Monday
Honey Garlic Butter Chicken & Steamed Vegetables
Stir Fry Chicken with Eggplant and Rice

Tuesday
Creamy Garlic Pork Chops with Spaghetti & Roasted Cauliflower
Sweet & Sour Chicken with Rice

Wednesday
Grilled Chicken Balsamic with Sauteed Spinach, Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Stir Fry Chicken with Broccoli and Rice

Thursday
Grilled Chicken with Macaroni & Cheese
Black Pepper Beef Stir-Fry with Rice

Friday
Chicken Cacciatore with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Egg Noodle Skillet with Ground Pork