Aewol Term 2

WORDS FROM HOUSE CAPTAIN

Hello, Aewolians!

This is your boarding home captain, Terry Kim. I am currently writing this as I enjoy a lovely cheesecake from a cafe called ‘All About Coffee' (Trust me, they sure know how to make a good cheesecake) As I look back and reflect on the past few months, I can only say that Aewol had such a successful term

Aewol boarding home has three pillars, which allow all Aewolians to live together as one: community, care and respect

Aewolians come from different backgrounds, yet they support each other and live together as one community.The active engagement within the community defines how successful Aewol is as a whole rather than as individuals

Through sharing not only spaces, but also time and friendships, Aewolians are given the opportunity to care for one another

In Aewol, respect does not have to be earned. It is given and received equally by all members of the community This allows Aewolians to be harmonious and to create an enriching community where everyone can thrive.

THE FIVE CORE VALUES OF AEWOL COME FROM THE FIVE LETTERS OF THE WORD, AEWOL.

Arriving on time: All Aewolians are encouraged to be prompt to registrations, lessons, and CCAs, as it is better to be an hour early than to be ten minutes late.

Engaging in activities: Many Aewolians represent not only Aewol but also their houses and the school in sports and other activities.

Working hard: All Aewolians work hard, giving 100% effort in prep and being focused during reading time. This allows the Aewolians to play hard as well!

Organisation: Daily room checks ensure that Aewolians are organised and prepared for school.

Living together: Through living together as one, Aewolians learn how to respect and care for each other.

The pillars and values listed above are not simply ‘encouraged’, but celebrated and recognised. Whenever students demonstrate the AEWOL values, the staff are not hesitant to recognise their achievement through handing them awards to be put up on the Aewol champions board during the house meeting At the end of each week, the students vote and collectively choose the Aewol champion of the week, who will be awarded the weekly prize: Smiley vouchers.

Words From Our Events Prefect

Weekend trips and events are an integral part of the boarding lifestyle. Whether that be good-natured basketball competitions against the other boarding houses; Yongduam and Hyeopjae, or bowling at Shinhwa world, our boy’s weekends are filled with constant excitement that nurtures and enriches their daily life while also developing their bond with one another. My name is Andy Zhang, and as Events Prefect, I have been in charge of planning and organising all of our weekend activities thus far.

Below, you will find a collection of pictures and timelines documenting our students on their weekend endeavours. We hope you enjoy!

EVENTS

FIRST BARBEQUE

We kicked the year off with a delicious house barbeque. Our amazing Year 11s along with the help of the Boarding staff whipped up some mouthwatering samgyeopsal (yes, there were some burnt pieces as well I admit), and we enjoyed a wonderful music and foodfilled autumn night together. It was a great bonding experience that introduced our new students to boarding life. Credits to Daniel Kim for the polaroid photos!

FIRST TRIP

Our first official trip came in September, when, by popular demand, we went bowling at Shinwa world The boys were split into groups and held a friendly “bowl off” with one another (Jude’s team obliterated the competition). Afterward, we enjoyed some time at the nearby arcade, before venturing into the hotel and shopping complexes to spend the rest of the afternoon. Such fun!

In celebration of the Jeju Haenyeo, we went to Hado beach for our next house trip The two-hour-long bus ride was rewarded with magnificent views of the beach, a light ocean breeze, and some delicious food (the eggs benedict was sooo good). It was then followed by a short trek along the olle trail before finally reaching the Haenyeo museum. Inside, the boys discovered the secrets behind the life of these women and gained a newfound appreciation for history and nature We ended the trip with a quick stop at the gift shop, where I picked up a very cute snow globe depicting the Haenyeo at work.

As we neared the end of October, Aewol house was transformed into a Halloween-themed cafe for one spookyfilled evening. Music blasted from our very own music booth, while the year 11s cosplaying us maids (very cute) served up a wide array of food and mocktails It was a very popular evening, with all members of the boarding community mixing together under the disco lights. Not only that, we raised over 200,000 KRW in profits that we donated to the Movember charity. This was an entirely student-run event, so huge props to our student leadership team for organising and pulling it off

CHRISMAS BARBEQUE

Finally, in preparation for Christmas, our most recent house trip in December was to the shopping district of Tapdong. We ate food, bought clothes, and browsed the busy shop-filled streets. What a wonderful way to end our term!

As we approach the new year, we have even more activities planned that will engage and excite. We look forward to sharing those experiences with you!

Jeong

Academic life in Aewol

The friendly and attentive atmosphere of Aewol provides students throughout all year groups to fulfil their full potential and achieve academic success. For Year 7 students who are mostly new to the school, at least one Year 11 student accompanies them during prep time to not only assist academically but also to interact with each other and form relationships These sorts of activities encourage students to break the age barrier between year groups and form bonds with them, perhaps as student mentors or even better - as friends. Additionally, for matters that students may need to ask a Year 11 student, such as IGCSE subject choices, I am available most times for personal advice about academic matters or requests for resources such as topic notes, both via social media and in person

WHY Boarding? During Holiday

As the Academic Prefect of Aewol, I am proud of our community’s attitude towards learning and the challenging spirit many students show within Aewol For the rest of the year, I will make sure this atmosphere continues and that all of us improve academically. Finally, I cannot stress enough the fact that rest is as important as studying, especially for younger students Term breaks are the most suitable time not only to study unconfident subjects or develop skills but also to rest, so I encourage students to get some

By being a boarder in our school, students naturally form a balanced daily routine of both study and rest. I recognise that there is a stereotype among parents that boarding students tend to study less than day students, but I can assure you that we study with more efficiency and greater help from both peers and teachers. This is possible due to our daily schedule including compulsory prep time to study and enough free time for leisure activities with access to varying school facilities (sports hall, art department etc.). Also, through the academic support system, our boarding community allows students to access additional help from subject teachers to improve their knowledge on the topic and prepare for tests in the near future, which is a major advantage only the boarding students have

Kyusung

Chaghee LEE

WELL-BEING ASPECT IN AEWOL HOUSE

Well-being is always recognised as one of the most important elements of Aewol. As the Well-being prefect of Aewol, I work with the Events Prefect, Andy, and other student leaders as well in order to plan the Saturday night activities During these activities, we provide chances for the students to interact with each other, encouraging them to form new bonds and relationships Although many students still prefer to only hang out with those in their year groups, I would like to highlight that all students and teachers of Aewol form a family together, meaning that everyone should have a chance to spend time together The Saturday night activities are once more effective in this case

Additionally, the daily room checks ensure that the students are organised along with the dinner registers which allow the students to have a balanced diet At first, there were a lot of students who had messy rooms and missed the dinner registers However, after we introduced a system of having to read for 15 minutes before the 7 o'clock register and having to eat with a staff the day after, the number of students who went to dinner dramatically increased and so did the number of tidy rooms; in fact, we had two days when all the rooms were perfect

During the last term, we often had barbeque nights as well, where all students in Aewol gathered in the atrium and had a lovely time eating and sharing the foods that Mr Yates and the leadership team bought using the house budget They all enjoyed and once more showed teamwork through tidying the atrium after the barbeque night

Of course, there were times when conflicts occurred between the students. In those situations, before the boarding staff were involved, the students were the ones who actually intervened and stopped the argument Fortunately, there was no violence between the students, which proves the well structured system of Aewol in the topic of ‘well-being’ and the way taught to solve conflicts and problems.

Last but not least, I would like to - once again - guarantee to all the parents that all members of the leadership team are trying their best to maintain and improve the well-being of the students. I wish you all the best.

Changhee Lee, Well-being Prefect

Role of Committee JUDE LIM

Members of the Aewol Committee are actively in creation and delivery of services, and are represented in decision-making of the boarding home The committee consists of year groups representatives, prefects, and the house captain. The weekly meetings support the decision-making of the leadership team through allowing the year group representatives to provide the needed information from each year groups. This allows the leadership team to decide what is best for the house as a whole, rather than only for specific year groups.

Through engaging in decision-making discussions and event planning, being in the Aewol Committee allows the students to develop not only their leadership, but also communication and cooperation. Moreover, the committee serves as a testing ground for aspiring leaders through providing a setting where they can refine their skills and ideas.

I want to thank both the members of the committee and all students of Aewol for their hard work and dedication so far.

Jude Lim, Year 11 Representative.

OUSE MASTER's R. YATES Comment

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