Introduction
A message from Mr. Heydinger
This time of year is probably the most challenging period for our House Leadership Group. Geomun House has a rich tradition of success in the Singing and Glee Competitions and the Arts Captains in particular are under enormous pressure. Every year I’m astounded by the courage, tenacity and sheer determination of our House Leaders, and this year was no exception. Sooin and Eric were simply amazing! Planning, organising and leading rehearsals with large groups of students (of mixed ability) is incredibly difficult, yet our Arts Captains delivered week after week, shaping and polishing performances in preparation for the competition, the process was exceptional, the togetherness outstanding.
We are blessed in Geomun House with a group of very strong leaders that set an excellent example to the other students, but this term we have also been looking at other ways to highlight the values of the House Competition across the school. Mr Wilson (House Competition Co-ordinator) has been awarding certificates in the Whole School Assembly for students that have demonstrated outstanding examples of House Values, both in the House Competition and in the wider life of the school. Our Geomun leadership philosophy is ‘creating opportunities for others to shine’ and our current leaders have certainly embraced and demonstrated that so far this term.
NLCS House Values Champions
Message from Mr Heydinger
Page No. 1
Eric Nah - G11A, Lily Kim G10A, Jianna Lee G10B, Q-ry Baik G10B
Eric Nah Lily Kim Jianna Lee Q-ry Baik
New Year 7 Leaders
My name is Minyu Lee, and I am the year 7 House Vice captain. At first, I thought Geomun was a house, but as I continued my school life, I learned that Geomun was a house with pride, eagerness, and determination. I was lucky to be in Geomun. Throughout the house competition, we were able to enjoy different team activities. The House Competition went very well, and people enjoyed competing against each other. I believe it was a great opportunity to try out teamwork. In the house competition, we learned how to embrace both winning and losing, furthermore reflecting our work to improve our skills. Our teachers have taught us how to sing, dance, and speak in public, which was also a great experience to have. House competitions are the great ways to find what we are passionate about. I am very thankful to our teachers who have taught us!
I stand at the slightly rusted white gate as the glazing sun blinds my eyes. The time is now 44 past 7. The security man then let us in, the crowd entered like a herd of animals. I was confused about what I was supposed to do so I just followed the crowd to be safe. ‘This is nothing like Junior school’ I thought to myself. This was the first day of senior school. I initially believed senior school to be a cruel, unforgiving society where first impressions and grades are what decides your worth. This was very incorrect. Hello I am Juwon Ha, the y7 vice house captain for Geomun this academic year. I have participated in a diverse variety of house competitions ranging from singing to sports to e-sports. From being in these competitions I have learnt that the unity and effort of Geomun makes it so great, not individual skill. I am fully prepared to take Geomun above and beyond. I believe that Senior school is a mystical place where you can be whoever you wish to be no matter who you are. I choose to lead Geomun.
Lets go Geomun!!!
Minyu Lee | Y7 Vice Captain
Juwon Ha | Y7 Vice Captain
Life in Geomun
Experiences from the Geomuners
Year 8 Eunsuh (Abigail) Kim - “The journey through House Singing and Glee was remarkable, and I was genuinely surprised by the progress Geomun made with each rehearsal. Initially, achieving harmony and timing was a challenge, but it was inspiring to see Geomun’s gradual mastery through dedication, along with the Year 11 House Captains' efforts. Although Geomun did not reach the podium for House Singing, I believe the experience fostered meaningful house spirit, especially for the Year 7s that recently joined the house. I cherished the experiences of House Singing and Glee last year, and I still appreciate them as I look forward to next year’s events.”
Year 8 Rachel Kwon - As I prepared for this house competition, I felt uncertain about my ability to perform house glee and sing. However, through the patience and mentoring of the leaders, I gained confidence and was able to enhance myself. I take great pride in participating in the amazing teamwork of Geomun students from 7th to 11th grades. It was an honour to see us all come together and create a cohesive and influential performance based on our own strengths. This experience not only strengthens my skills, but also fosters unity and common purpose for all of us, and truly reflects the spirit of Geomun House.
Year 9 Haeun (Lia) Kim - “During the preparation for both house competitions, I was amazed by the determination and enthusiasm of the house leaders. They had clear instructions followed by perceptive decisions, allowing the younger students to be conscious of their roles and goals. None of the students were left out of any activities, which created a sense of belonging among the members of Geomun. Overall, I believe that this house competition was such a remarkable and inspiring experience for all year groups. Thank you to all the participants and house leaders for successfully completing the house singing and glee.”
Year 9 Hayoon Jang - At the beginning of the Glee and singing practice, I was unsure if we could win first place. The house leaders kept guiding us, but the singing was out of sync, and the glee group struggled with formation changes. Despite these challenges, through our hard work and the great leadership of the Geomun leadership team, things started to come together. I think our performance was amazing and I had lots of fun during both practices and I learned how to cooperate with others.
Year 10 Eban Seo - During the house glee and house song, I was inspired by the dedication and passion that our house leadership group showed to the whole house. They worked hard to organise the younger students by giving them gentle but clear and direct instructions so that the younger students could feel a sense of community. Every student participated in every activity, and celebrating and preparing together as a whole house enhanced the house spirit. Overall, I think this house competition created stronger bonds between the Geomun and the house members which was a great opportunity that gave us an inspiring and motivating experience. Thank you to all the participants and house leaders for completing the house singing and glee events.
Year 10 Curie Kim - Participating in house singing and glee competitions was incredibly motivating. The energy and pace set by the house leaders kept everyone focused on giving their best, while fostering team spirit and pride. Their guidance helped every student, especially the younger ones, feel valued and understand their role in the event. With everyone fully engaged, true bonding took place across all year groups—a testament to the power of teamwork. Watching our team’s progress was absolutely unforgettable. A huge thank you to the house leaders and everyone who contributed to the success of the House Competitions.
Year 11 Steve Lee – House Singing was a very rewarding experience for me and for the rest of the house. The daily practices seemed tedious and boring at first, but it was rather stress-relieving and gratifying once we got into the hang of it. There were several ups and downs in the process, but after some dedication and patience, I thought that we, as individuals and as a whole house, were able to produce a fabulous end result. Overall, it was a great final house singing for me (as a year 11).
GEOMUN Experiences from the Geomuners Page No. 4
Our Arts Captains
Eric & Sooin
Year 11 Sooin Cho: It was the first time in my music career to lead such a great number of people. It wasn’t easy but it was also very pleasing. Watching Year 7 and 8 tenors students improve was particularly impressive. To be honest, I didn’t know that the Year 7 and 8s would improve in such a great extent. The results of the House Singing was slightly disappointing, as we couldn’t keep the three years streak, but I think the process of preparation this year was the best throughout my life in Geomun. I am very proud of every students, including the Year 11 leaders, who lacked musical background, but I was most impressed with the performance of tenor. I hope such process continues next year as well and now I would focus on preparing for a victory in House Ensembles.
Year 11 Eric Nah: I was always eager for my position in Geomun as a House Dance leader. I was delighted to take this role in Geomun House because looking at the past Geomuners, I have dreamt of creating such a cool choreography for the House. I led the Dance group with all my heart, and thankfully the results were reflective on my efforts. What went even better with the Dance group compared to the past years, was that the group learned to rely on each other and became closer. It was a great opportunity for Geomun to come together. I was very pleased with the results and the fact that I made some friends in Year 9!
GEOMUN Our Arts Captains page No.4
Upcoming Events
Please check the House Competition for the weeks following the half-term break. And please make sure that you are prepared for each week. Next big house competition showcase is the House Ensemble, which is happening on 21st and 22nd of November. Please come and support!
House Drama is back! And we are looking for talented performers! If you are a IGCSE drama student, please join and share your talent! If you are not a IGCSE drama student, you are still welcomed. House Drama is a valuable oppurtunity to express yourselves and place yourself out of the comfort zone. If you are considering IGCSE Drama, it would be a nice try-out. If you are interested please feel free to contact ssnah27@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr/js2park27@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr
GEOMUN in Olle walk
No. 6
New Leadership Team
House Captains 2024-2025
House Captains
Collin Seo and Jungseo Park
Arts Captains
Eric Nah and Sooin Cho
Sports Captains
Emily Kim
Secretary & Inclusion Captains
Ethan Lee and Julia Hong
Media Captains
Erin Kang and Alynn Kim
Assembly & Events Captains
Yunseo Kim and Juliet Kim
Year 10 Vice Captains
Dokyoung Kwon and Eban Seo
Year 9 Vice Captains
Justin Hong and Lia Kim
Year 8 Vice Captains
Geo Kim and Abigail Kim
Year 7 Vice Captains
Juwon Ha and Minyu Lee
House Singing
The annual House Singing has come back! This Year Geomun performed “If I ain’t got you” by Alicia Keys and like always our performance was outstanding!
GEOMUN 2024 Singing Page No. 8
House Dance
House Dance is always an area where we outperform other Houses, and this year was no exception. Under the leadership of Eric, we came first, placing ourselves on the throne for three consecutive years.
Page No. 9
GEOMUN 2024 House Commercial Dance Ensemble
Contacts
Staff members
Mr Chris Heydinger / Head of House - cheydinger@nlcsjeju.kr
Ms Rohita Menon-Gordon / Assistant Head of House - rmenon-gordon@nlcsjeju.kr
Y11 Tutor
Ms Alex Gellersen / G11A - agellersen@nlcsjeju.kr
Dr Simon Davis / G11B - sdavis@nlcsjeju.kr
Y10 Tutor
Ms Merve Bensaglam / G10A - mbensaglam@nlcsjeju.kr
Mr Fabian Herrera / G10B - fherrera@nlcsjeju.kr
Y9 Tutor
Ms Rachel Donaldson/ G9A - rdonaldson@nlcsjeju.kr
Mr Koray Gumus / G9B - kgumus@nlcsjeju.kr
Y8 Tutor
Mx Jay Byrom / G8A - jbyrom@nlcsjeju.kr
Ms Qingyang Yuan / G8B - qyuan@nlcsjeju.kr
Y7 Tutor
Mr Triton Kanjanabose / G7A - tkanjanabose@nlcsjeju.kr
Ms Alejandra Lopez/ G7B - alopez@nlcsjeju.kr
Student Leaders
Youngjae (Collin) Seo / House Captain (boys) - yjseo27@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr
Jungseo Park / House Captain (girls) - js2park27@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr
Please feel free to contact the student leaders for original photos.
Contact information of Staff and Students
Page No. 10
GEOMUN Non Ducor Duco;
I am not led, I lead
The Geomun Oreum is one of three sites on Jeju recognized for their outstanding ecological and geological importance. The other two sites are Hallasan and Seongsan Ilchulbong.
Geomun House is equally recognized as an outstanding house within NLCS Jeju. The 2022-23 victory in the House Competition was founded on a sense of commitment and togetherness. Geomuners thrive in a House that develops independence and resilience in a relaxed atmosphere where friendship, loyalty and trust are paramount to our success. We win and lose as one family and are there for each other; celebrating, commiserating and supporting together.
The griffin is our symbol and they are known for guarding treasures and possessions; griffins are protectors. In heraldry, the griffin stands for courage, leadership and strength; the perfect symbol for a proud and passionate house.
Geomun Motto
