Weekly Newsletter 16 April 2021 by North London Collegiate School Jeju

NEWSWEEK

North London Collegiate School Jeju

WELCOME TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

16 April 2021

WELCOME BACK STUDENTS TEACHERS AWARDS

A Letter From The Principal Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Friends of NLCS Jeju Welcome back to all our students for the summer term which is our final term of this academic year. It is also a very important term for our Year 13 students as it is the time when they will be sitting their IB Diploma examinations prior to graduating from NLCS Jeju. It is also the term when our Year 11 students are sitting their IGCSE examinations. We wish these students - and all students from year groups who will be sitting their internal annual examinations - good luck. For all students the process of effective revision sessions with regular breaks and plenty of sleep is essential if they are to perform to their best ability in their examinations. Preparation over a period of time is the key to success. Since the announcement on Friday 9 April of the death of HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, the husband of HM Queen Elizabeth II, The United Kingdom has been in a national 8 day period of mourning.The Duke of Edinburgh is familiar to many of our students as they participate in the International Award (the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme) which is globally recognised as an excellent programme for young people. We encourage our students to participate in this programme which has three levels - Bronze, Silver and Gold. As a British independent school in the Republic of Korea, we too are marking this occasion with flags at half mast in honour of a life of service by the Duke of Edinburgh.

Lynne Oldfield Principal

North London Collegiate School Jeju

WELCOME BACK! It’s wonderful to see our students back on campus. We love seeing every child out in the fresh air, letting off steam. We reassure all our parents that the students are carefully supported and supervised at break times and lunchtimes. All Staff on duty in the Junior School wear yellow jackets so the children can see them easily in times of need. Thank you to all our teachers for their care and concern.

North NorthLondon London Collegiate CollegiateSchool School Jeju Jeju

EXAMS Please be aware that this is a very busy term for exams. Our Senior School internal exams began on Tuesday and run until April 29. External exams for the IBDP and IGCSE begin on April 28. We thank all our staff who are involved in supporting, invigilating, marking the exams. We also thank Mr. Muhsin Bulut who coordinates our entire exam process. The School runs revision sessions and offers study guidelines. We support our students every step of the way. We also advise that all students whether they live inside or outside School pay careful attention to their physical and mental needs. Eat well, take breaks and ensure you get adequate sleep. We know you will all be amazing! Please note that the exam rooms are all safe, sanitised and socially distanced.

PRESENTATIONS Korea Inclusive Finance Agency Thank you to student, Warrick Kwon in Year 10 who organised a visit from the Korean Inclusive Finance Agency last Monday. Mr. Raymond Maher brought in a group of Economics students who very much enjoyed the presentation and asked lots of insightful questions. Thank you to Warrick for translation! The team brought some great soft toys which they gave out as gifts!

NLCS Speaks We were so incredibly impressed on Tuesday by our Year 7 girls. Nine of them took to the stage in the second NLCS Speaks. Their confidence and content were so engaging.

Congratulations to Hyunseung ( Chloris) Kim - Limitations Bella (Ahyoung) Kim - Limitations Soul Park - K Culture Seunghun (Sabrina) Huh - K Culture Minjin Kim - Mint Chocolate Jungahn (Gabrielle) Oh - The Establishment of The Provisional Government of South Korea Sunwoo Heo -The Establishment of the Provisional government of South Korea Sharon Yoon - Procrastination Angela Lee - Procrastination Please contact Ms. Katrina Daniels Samasa if you’d like to take part in the next session.

BOOK WEEK Next week sees Book Week in both Senior and Junior Schools. We are really excited about all the events that our librarians and English teachers have planned.

Senior School Ms. Hager Braham will be organising many events during the week including Library Tours - are you making the most of our library? You can also make cupcakes, play games, get new bookmarks and SO much more. Check the poster for all details.

Junior School Next week is going to be amazing in our Junior School with children engaged every day! Events include • Dress up day and parade - the children and teachers come dressed as their favourite character! • Reading Marathon - On Tuesday rom 8:20 - 3:20 a whole book will be read in the JS library • Live from the Library - on Thursday we will decorate the library and each class will go for storytime during the day • Scavenger Hunts in the library • Buddy reading • BIG READ • Quizzes • Mystery reader • Get Caught Reading

Second Hand Book Sale Pop into the Junior School Book Sale on Friday 23 April and find your next read! Whatever your age and interests there is something for you! The sale is being organised by our Library and Service ambassadors and coordinated by Mrs Justine Whitney. We would really appreciate your support by donating any books that your child no longer reads and that you feel would bring pleasure to others. On the day of the sale, if you wish your child to buy a book, please send them to school with a small amount of money. All books will be priced between 2000 - 5000 KRW.The proceeds of this sale will be given to charity.

SCHOOL SANITISATION AND REFURBISHMENT

North London Collegiate School Jeju

We always try to use the holidays wisely. During the Easter break our support teams have been coordinating a programme of regular cleaning and sanistisation - to prepare all areas for the new term ahead. We have also been working on some bigger issues and projects including • Cleaning of all the Air Conditioning units in the Medical Centre • Art office reconfiguration and installation of Dark Room • Installation of a kiln in the Junior School art rooms • Meeting room refurbishment • Light installation • Extra deep cleaning of library areas We are also planning a reconfiguration of the UGC areas this week. Our Head of Operations - Mr. Suk Joon Go and Bursar Mr. Luke Godley are always happy to answer any queries.

ODYSSEY OF THE MIND Congratulations to Junki Kim, Gyeol Han, Haewon Park, Donghyuk Kim, and Seongkyu Park in Year 9 who have participated as a team in the Odyssey of the Mind competition (http://www.odysseyofthemind.co.kr/html/) which is one of the most prominent creative problem-solving programs in the world and is sponsored by NASA.The boys received the Silver medal in the Korean regional round. This means they earned the privilege of representing Korea and will go to the world competition this summer.

Junki’s mother explains “I believe that the educational environment provided by NLCS was a huge contributor to our kids’ success and we sincerely thank you and the other faculty members at NLCS Jeju who helped our kids not only learn but also grow and mature. In this pandemic situation, the boys collaborated on and offline to bring the best success. I’d like to give all of them a big round of applause and encourage them to keep working hard in and out of school. I hope this helps you to see our kids grow.” Head of Year 9, Ms. Kate Fowler adds “It is very impressive that the boys have done so well in such a prestigious competition. I am very impressed by the problem solving tasks they had to complete.”

UGC Len Park - Minerva

North London Collegiate School Jeju

These few months are very busy for our Year 13 students and for our University Guidance Counsellors as offers come in thick and fast from around the world. We will share an overview with you next week - but we also love sharing individual stories of students who have succeeded in achieving their dreams. This week we talk to Class of 2021 student, Len Park, who has been accepted to the world renowned Minerva University. This highly selective institution offers a very special programme for true global citizens. The courses at Minerva University are very different as they involve seven different locations. The students begin in the San Francisco campus and then move around the world via Seoul, Hyderabad in India, Berlin - Germany, Buenos Aires - Argentina, Taipei Taiwan and London, England.

Len has been at NLCS Jeju since Year 10 - coming to us from a Korean school. He says “It was hard to adjust at first but I soon got used to a much more discussion based system. I think the learning style at NLCS Jeju helped with my acceptance at Minerva. They look for thinkers, for those who can debate and discuss. It’s not the place for a rote learner! I have spent two years in Geomun and two years in Halla North as a boarder and I feel my English has really developed. Boarding helped my studies - especially in the Halla Houses there is an ideal atmosphere for academic support. I certainly think that the HMs and AHMs are a great help and support for all students.” Len is studying Global Politics, Economics and Mathematics AI at HL. These have led him to his choice of course - Business. “Business is essentially a catalyst of human development. “ says Len. “At Minerva the course is practical as well as academic. Every Friday we will be in the workplace on internships at local businesses. “ Len adds “This course would be ideal for open minded learners. Its an amazing opportunity to assimilate into many different cultures. I think it’s a great basis for post grad studies and also for my own personal development and vision - which is to run my own start up! “ Don’t hesitate to contact our UGC team if you have any questions about Minerva or any universities worldwide.

MASK DONATIONS We are very lucky to have such a generous parent community. Mr. Lee, parent of Heather Lee (Year 3) and Esther Lee (Year 9) has donated 20,000 sheets of disposable KF 94 masks which arrived during the Easter break. We are very grateful for this and our whole community will benefit.

DRAMA Mr. Ian Peirson has shared a film from our IB Theatre students. He explains As part of the IB Theatre course, students are expected to realise their performance intentions through responding to a play text as a director. The current Year 12 IB Theatre students were given Sylvia Gonzalez’s play “La Llorona Llora” as the text and which they performed at the end of Term 2. The La Llorona story is similar to the Greek Medea myth, and although there are variations on the story, the oldest known versions can be traced to the 1500s. This was when the Spanish conquistadors invaded and conquered the land now called Mexico. The Spaniards married the local Indian women, and were very proud of their offspring, knowing they were starting a new breed. In this play a soldier has been recalled to Spain, and wishes to take his new wife and children with him. His upper class family won’t hear of it! After heated debate, the family agrees that the children may accompany him after all, since they are half Spanish.The soldier tells his Indian wife his plans and that because his family won’t recognise his marriage, they have chosen another wife who is awaiting him in Spain. Devastated, that both her husband and her babies are being stolen from her, the crazed and frantic young woman kills the children so that her husband can’t ever take them away. Later when she realises what she has done, she becomes La Llorona, running through the streets screaming and weeping. The conquistador returns to Spain hollow and empty, and it is said that the weeping woman can still be heard, haunting the streets of Mexico.

The process requires that students researched a theatre practitioner such as Rudolf Laban, Julie Taymor, Antonine Artaud, Michael Chekhov and Bertolt Brecht, and then practically explored and applied the ideas to their own interpretation of the play. Sylvia Gonzalez’s play combines Greek and Mexican myth and explores the painful outcomes of mixed heritage partnerships during the time of the conquistadors. Take a look here. https://youtu.be/TIsOhGzreO0

FACILITIES We are really excited to share a great new development in Sports. During the Easter break we took delivery of 12 Keiser indoor cycling bikes. We have created a spin studio next to the Multi-gym. From August we will incorporate spin cycling fitness into the PE curriculum, Junior and Senior CCAs & Bryant. Thank you to Mr. Glenn Roberts and Mr. Gaspar Villanueva for their passion in supporting this project.

Drop in and take a look!

PARENT ACADEMIES

North London Collegiate School Jeju

We are delighted to share the return of our Parent Academies. We are planning for livestream events with some parents attending in person (limited numbers and strict social distancing) but will keep all parents up to date with any changes. Please see the invitations for details and links and if you have any queries then contact your Parent Relations Managers - Ms Mina Chang (Senior School) Ms DongEun Lee (Junior School) and Ms Ying Gao (Chinese Parent Community.) To attend sign up HERE. Livestream link Junior & Senior.

STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Global Magazine Take a look at Global Magazine - a student publication created by the four sister NLCS schools - London, Jeju, Singapore and Dubai. It is the product of a lot of hard work by those global citizens united by a single goal. Read about such diverse subjects as deforestation, coral reefs, COVID-19 and its many implications HERE and please contact Siyeol (Sean) Choiif you want to hear more about how you can contribute to Global.

ANNIVERSARY As we approach our Tenth anniversary on September 26 this year we are all reflecting on our journey from that first day in 2011.Teacher Ms. Kerrie Tamlyn and students Nick Oh and Sunny Choi were all part of the founding cohort. If you have a story to tell then please get in touch with Marketing

NEW SENIOR PREFECTS Well done to our new Senior Prefects. Mr. Jason Sannegadu, Head of Year 13, has shared details with us of the successful students. He says “We congratulate all of these exceptional students. We know they will do an incredible job. You will have noticed that we have created two additional positions to support the organisation of the Prefect system. These two new roles will be instrumental in developing the system further and ensuring that there are more opportunities for Prefects to contribute to our school community/develop their own leadership skills. ”

Senior Prefect Chair - Janis Park Deputy Chair - Lyndsey Cho Academic English - Ben Ko Arts - Alison Song Beyond the Curriculum - Sunny Choi Enterprise - Kate Roh Events - Cindy Ku Rewards and Achievement - Stella Yeom Congratulations to you all!

A PHD FOR OUR TEACHER A new Doctor is in our midst! We congratulate Mr. Seungmo Chung, Junior Korean and Korean Social Studies Teacher and Assistant Housemaster of Darangswi. He has just been awarded his PhD in Geography by Jeju National University after 4 years of insightful study on the settlement of international schools in the local community. All this done while working full time. His subject matter is how both Jeju Global Education City and international schools have and can be settled and developed further on a spatial and ecological perspective. He combined the backgrounds of Jeju GEC, social issues and interrelated case studies on international schools in GEC and local communities. Dr Chung says “International schools in Jeju were founded to meet the domestic demands for international education in the early 2000s, to resolve the ‘home-alone’ fathers issues (sending their families overseas for the children to get a better education) and to develop rural areas in Jeju, leveraging institutional special cases. Such multi-layered spatial integration following globalization implies possible conflicts within local communities just like multinational corporations. As for international educational institutions, there are discussions on those conflicts over westernization from bilingual education/communities, cosmopolitan values, stratification, denationalization from mobility.” But, exploring further, Dr. Chung realized that NLCS Jeju was different from other international schools. “Despite a high share of local students and its distinctive governance structure among establishment, approval and operation (management), NLCS Jeju has achieved excellence with its ethos as an international school and harmony with the local community. International schools home and abroad, which are immersed in developing an outer educational environment only apart from their local community are widely described as ‘capsule education.’ However, as we all know, NLCS Jeju is not encapsulated. NLCS Jeju’s engagement is proven from the acceptance of regional cultures, respect for not writing down someone’s names in red, naming ‘East Sea’, celebrations of local events of memorial days, among which our IB students’ studies and volunteering for the local communities in Jeju.” Finally, Dr. Chung stressed the value of NLCS Jeju’s mature approach and behaviour toward the local community, which were “not necessarily natural but were built over the relentless pursuit of genuine learning by our teachers and students while shouldering the duties and responsibilities for the regions as well as the world. Just like a symbol of NLCS Jeju, a ship under sail with courage, out of fear!” Congratulations, Doctor Chung!

MUSIC CORNER Begin Again Thank you to Ms Lesley Gissane, HM of Halla, for sharing details of the recent Year 13 Begin Again event. Our student-led events provide more than just entertainment - they are a great opportunity to follow your passion.This themed concert was enjoyed by our boarders. This took place just before the Easter break in the auditorium. Not only was the performance great, but the audience loved the informal atmosphere. But what is it like behind the scenes when students create their own event? The organisers (Taehyun Tony Son, Junghun Justin Kim, Na Young Son, Jieun Olivia Sung) recently reflected on the event and the many weeks of planning, preparation and rehearsal that they had undertaken. It began with a concept and shared vision. The organisers wanted to create a space where they could share their own music choices and arrangements in an innovative way that created a strong and meaningful connection with the audience. Rather than a series of individual performances, all of the performers stayed on stage for the whole time to create an intimate atmosphere and connection. The venue, lighting and bean bag seating all contributed to the ambience. Being student-lead created a lot of freedom for the leaders to take an active approach to achieve their goals - and they did so with a collaborative spirit. They shared ideas, chose songs and lyrics that were meaningful to them, and used the strengths within the group to improve the overall quality. Based on the feedback from the audience, the event successfully achieved the organisers’ aims. There were lovely moments where performers spoke about the importance of the lyrics, where traditional and contemporary Korean music was blended seamlessly, and the audience even enjoyed a sing-along. The organisers efforts to create an innovative mix of songs really paid off.

Based on their experiences, our organisers have some advice for running a successful event. Rather than one leader, our organisers worked as a team where everyone was equal. Listen to your peers and keep an open mind, they recommend, because having a range of suggestions to choose from works the best. Of course, there will also be challenges so have a clear vision that you are working towards. Finally, they suggest that if you are interested in something, reach out to others. There will be students who are also passionate about the same interests and will be there to support you. But be aware that there is a lot more work behind the scenes than you might think! Of course, student-lead events need to be supported by teaching and technical staff and the organisers would like to thank the music department, in particular, for helping them realise their vision. They also thank DaeYoung Kim for his wonderful visuals! And to Ji Hoon Ham, Junho Lee, Heeseo Ginger Kim, Yoonseo Lee, In Wook Hwang and Ji Hoon Kim for technical support and film.

Competitions Well done to Sehyun Lee in Year 3 who has recently taken first prize in two prestigious competitions.

Music Journal Competition - 1st prize, Cello Korea Mozart Competition - 1st prize, Cello Thank you to Ms. Boeun Kim for letting us know about this. Please contact our Music department if you are interested in learning more about how much our students achieve.

INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS - SUMMER TERM 2021 Please find the link for the Instrumental Lessons timetable for the summer term starting on Monday April 12th. SUMMER TERM TIMETABLE ABRSM EXAMINATIONS Please find the latest information including dates for the online ABRSM Examinations ABRSM EXAMINATIONS

North London Collegiate School Jeju