NLCS Jeju Newsletter 21 April 2023

21 April 2023

Newsletter

North London Collegiate School Jeju

TOP NEWS

FOUNDER’S DAY PHOTOS

FOBISIA MATHS WINNERS

MEET YOUR NEW BIG 8

PRINCIPAL’S LETTER

Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Friends of NLCS Jeju

We are pleased to inform you that our recent COBIS Patron Award Accreditation visit was very successful, led by a highly professional team, the School was accredited in full on all ten standards and has received commendations in some areas. We will be able to share more details about the accreditation with our community once the full reports have been through the full ratification process in London. The process was a very beneficial experience which is intended to be part of a partnership of continuous improvement with the Lead Improvement Partner over the coming years. Our community can be assured that we have met and exceeded the highest compliance and additional standards for a British International Education.

The summer start term has begun with our students either engaged in some public examinations for IGCSEs and the IB Diploma Programme or preparing for or sitting internal examinations. Formative assessment such as seen with annuals is merely one means of gauging the progress being made by students. They should view it as part of a learning process and a means by which they gain experience and can identify areas for development. The annuals are not merely examining the recall of knowledge but assessing the application of that knowledge, the thinking levels and skills of students when they are faced with new problems to solve problems and also encouraging them to take risks in their learning.

We are very keen for all parents to ensure that they understand who to go to if they have concerns or worries about aspects of their child’s education or merely want some answers to questions. Last week we re- issued, with the newsletter, guidance for parents about who to approach and it is also included this week. Obviously the first port of call is the child’s class teacher or form tutor.

We understand that many parents may feel more comfortable writing or calling in their first language which may not be English and so we are blessed with an excellent translation team to assist or we utilise translation programmes such as google translation in the first instance. Please be aware that teachers teach and so you may not get a response until after the end of the school day but you should receive a response within 24 hours even if it is a holding email while a full investigation is enacted and you will be informed of this. Sometimes the communication may be passed onto the most appropriate person to address or answer any concerns and you will always be informed of this.

Yours sincerely

Lynne Oldfield Principal

The Main Event

Here are the biggest stories from around the School this week.

FOUNDER’S DAY

At the end of last term we celebrated our annual Founder’s Day. This year’s theme was ‘Giving’, something that started in our founding School in London but is ingrained in everything we do at NLCS Jeju. Founder’s Day is always a special day for our community, where we all come together and give thanks to our founders and celebrate being together and being grateful for the opportunity to live, study and work in Jeju.

Readings were provided by our Little and Big 8, as well as our Chair of Governors, Ms. Helen Stone. Ms. Oldfield gave the main address and as with every year our students took part in a traditional daffodil procession.

Here are the wonderful photos that captured this memorable day.

Big 8 Video Little 8 Video Founder’s Day photo

The Main Event

MATHS DEPARTMENT

Following on from the Math’s Enrichment Week at the end of last term, we are pleased to share some other exciting projects and successes with you in both Junior and Senior.

In March four Year 6 students competed at the FOBISIA Primary Maths Competition 2023 in Bangkok. 26 schools took part and students undertook a variety of Maths challenges, across four team events and one individual round.

Well done to Mina Seo, Eunsuh Kim, Jiho Lee and Dohyeon Kim who won three golds and one silver medal, with a first place win overall. Congratulations also to NLCS Singapore who came second! Ms. Books said “the students worked hard, had positive attitudes and were amazing ambassadors for NLCS Jeju”.

Thank you to SISB for organising the event, to Ms. Brooks and Mr. Smithson for arranging the trip, and to the parents for all their support and encouragement.

FOBISIA MATHS COMPETITION - FIRST PLACE WINNERS!

Senior School Maths Department

MATHS JOURNAL PROJECT4US

The Main Event

To coincide with Maths Enrichment Week (featured in our last newsletter) and the World Maths Championships, the Mathematics society published NLCS Jeju Maths Journal and shared this beautifully presented and highly academic work with the rest of the School community. ‘The publication of the fourth issue of the JPAM was another success as a society. Being the chief editor of the journal for this new copy was another new experience that added onto my experience and reading each and every article while editing was an enjoyable experience. Writing another journal entry myself has also let me develop and gain further insight into a specific part of mathematics.’ - Aaren Kang (Chair of the Mathematics Society).

45 students have been taking part in this interdisciplinary project since October, which they all presented during the World Maths Championships. Special thanks to the parents and alumni involved and to the Physics, Economics, Biology and IT departments for their continuous support in mentoring our students and also to the external resources from the academia who gave lectures to our students on the abstract topics they have been working on.

WORLD MATHS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Before the end of last term the World Maths Championships took place at NLCS Jeju. Schools from South Korea and Singapore spent the weekend taking part in a number of fun and interactive activities.

‘Even though it was highly challenging, and I could not win a medal, it was still a wonderful experience to meet highly skilled mathematicians from different countries and enjoy the beauty of mathematics.’ - Taehoon Terry Kim (founding member of the Maths Society). See more pictures here.

The Main Event

YEAR 12 MATHS TRIP HALLIM PARK

The Main Event

“As part of the Enrichment Week, the year 12 Maths field trip to Hallim Park was a highly successful excursion that aimed to highlight the presence of mathematics in our everyday lives. The main purpose of the trip was to encourage students to recognise the numerous mathematical concepts that are inherent in nature and the environment around us. The trip was designed to enable students to interact with these concepts and come up with exploration topics that would aid them in writing mini IA’s” - Chaeeun Emma Chung. More pictures.

THE INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL LITERACY PROJECT

Congratulations to Jungseo Park, Juliet Kim, Emily Kim, and Daniel Kim (Year 9) who have been selected to represent South Korea. The competition requires students to design a statistical poster, with the main objective being to promote statistical literacy across the world.

Ms. Minsoo Cha said ‘The team has chosen to work on recycling and they have done exceptionally well. You can have a look at their website which was part of their poster via this QR code. Winners of the international round will be announced and the posters displayed at the 64th World Statistics Congress of the ISI in Canada in July 2023.’

The Main Event

MEET YOUR BIG 8

As the new team commence their roles, find out more about each of them.

Name: Yoonhee (Stella) Han

Big 8 role: SEC Chair, Head Girl

What is your fondest NLCS Jeju memory?

As a flautist, participating in the musical band was a completely new experience for exploring my musical passions. Though I have been in the orchestra and won competitions for classical music, it was such a novel, incomparable experience in being able to communicate more flexibly with other musicians in the language of music.

How has NLCS Jeju prepared you for being part of the Big 8?

Being able to take part in such a variety of CCA/ Societies from younger year groups, I was able to explore various fields and further narrow down to the area of interest. As I started to develop my academic passion, I was able to see my ideas come to life. By proposing various ideas and gaining support from my teachers, it really helped me to become confident and learn how to work with groups of people.

What are you looking forward to the most about being in the Big 8?

I would like to contribute to proliferating and sharing such rich experiences I was able to encounter, here at NLCS Jeju. Due to personal health issues, it was occasionally difficult for me to complete normal schoolwork and in year 11 there were times when I had to take weeks off of school. The idea that our school is not only a venue of academic rigour and competition but also a stage for exploring my interests is what initially attracted me to NLCS Jeju and further allowed me to continue my academic journey.

Yoonhee (Stella) Han

The Main Event

MEET YOUR BIG 8

As the new team commence their roles, find out more about each of them.

Name: Suk-Joon (Brandon) Yoon

Big 8 role: Student Welfare Ambassador, Head Boy

What is your fondest NLCS Jeju memory?

Cannot choose one - here are my top 3!

1.Organising and running [operation HMS Beagle], and being able to share my love for nature with others. Seeing students getting genuinely interested and working together with passion in this newfound subject given to them was one of the most heartwarming experiences of not just as a leader, but as a person that I gained in NLCS Jeju. One of the students found a newfound hobby of rock-flipping to look for organisms, which made me ever so happy to observe. The creation of the Archipelago with the help of good friends, combined with the experience above serves a core memory

2. Year 9, the night Mulchat house won house singing. The entire boarding home reverberated in joy!

3. I have a wonderful group of friends - constructed of enthusiasts, scholars, near-professors and wise men and women. I always find something to learn from them - and they are one of the greatest people I met during my youth.

How has NLCS Jeju prepared you for being part of the Big 8?

My confidence in presenting myself was greatly developed with partaking in Drama - it provided me the skills to be myself under any condition, and contributed greatly to my current sense of confidence and open, positive attitude.

Boarding life, its strife and strides allowed Suk-Joon as an individual to mature and grow. Skills on handling tough times with the help of friends and supportive staff grew significantly. Boarding captain also provided closer work with the student body. Last, but not least, having the privilege of leading a group of so many different individuals, working

Suk-Joon (Brandon) Yoon

The Main Event

MEET YOUR BIG 8

Last, but not least, having the privilege of leading a group of so many different individuals, working with and amongst them about the subject I am passionate about, provided me good experience as well as fulfilment in collaboration with many others within the school. What are you looking forward to the most about being in the Big 8?

To provide students a reminder that they are not alone in this turbulent, but beautiful journey through youth and education. Providing a solid, reliable, and trustworthy source to voice their concerns and opinions, and to promptly acting on it to bring a real change.

As a student welfare ambassador, maintain the good work performed by the previous SWAG members, keep good teamwork within the team, and focus on developing on areas that we haven’t been able to cover. Closer work with each year group and regular checkins with year groups to figure out the best way to match programs to needs. Different strategies for different year groups to further help out, while keeping the activities interesting and welcoming.

Name: Yujin (Eugene) Lee

Big 8 role: Service Ambassador

What is your fondest NLCS Jeju memory?

Since my entrance to this school, NLCS Jeju and its people have allowed me to develop some of my fondest memories. Among all, one of the most memorable experiences was my involvement in the whole school musical ‘Singing in the Rain’ in year 7. Not only did it make me realise the pure joy of performance and active involvement in the activities but also taught me the pleasure and value in meeting and socialising with new people from different year groups.

Yujin (Eugene) Lee

How has NLCS Jeju prepared you for being part of the Big 8?

NLCS Jeju provides the students with diverse opportunities - including arts, sports, extended academics, service, and student-led organisations such as student council and TowerAidto explore the areas beyond the school curriculum. Actively participating in multiple fields over the years and serving as a leader of various student-led groups, I was able to develop necessary skills of organisation and time management, which I believe played a significant role in becoming a part of the Big 8.

What are you looking forward to the most about being in the Big 8?

I am looking forward to actively making positive changes throughout the NLCS community: especially, as a service ambassador, I eagerly anticipate spreading the positivity of service and involving more students to participate and share the benefits of making contributions to the community.

Quote for the poster board

“No man’s knowledge here can go beyond his experience” - John Locke

Name: Joonseok Kang

Big 8 role: Student Council Chair

What is your fondest NLCS Jeju memory?

My fondest memory in NLCS Jeju is teaching younger students the basics of programming and algorithms. I lead a CCA called “Hello World” and a Bryant called “Computer Science” in which both are places where we teach younger passionate computer scientists to develop their skills further. My team and I have also built a curriculum and prepared weekly lectures on different topics in both the CCA and Bryant. Looking at students’ development was very

Joonseok Kang

good and happy to see as a teacher and since I am a person who loves to share my knowledge in computer science and mathematics to those who are interested, this experience is my fondest experience at NLCS Jeju.

How has NLCS Jeju prepared you for being part of the Big 8?

I believe the abundance of leadership opportunities at NLCS Jeju has given me a strong building block to become a part of the Big 8. Each and every leadership position that I have experienced gave me an unique and invaluable skill. For example, my previous experience as a student council in year 9-10 has grown me as a problem solver. Similarly, being chairs of the Mathematics Society and LAN (Logics and Networks) Society has taught me a skill as a communicator by creating a comfortable atmosphere for students to share their interest.

What are you looking forward to the most about being in the Big 8?

I am looking forward to working with the whole student body more. As I am the student council chair, I am looking forward to hearing all the voices that the students have in the school, and am willing to find solutions to most of the students’ problems. This is a unique experience in my opinion because it is a chance to communicate with the students more as well as develop my problem solving skills further.

Name: SeongJoon (Steven) Yang

Big 8 role: Cultural Awareness Ambassador

What is your fondest NLCS Jeju memory?

My fondest memory during my time in NLCS Jeju was when Jeoji House won the House Singing Competition in March 2022 (when I was in Year 11). As a whole house, we all put our greatest efforts into having a successful performance. What made this victory special to me was the fact that everyone was able to effectively cooperate with people in different year groups. I personally felt that there were invisible barriers between younger and older year

SeongJoon (Steven) Yang

groups, but what the members of Jeoji House did during the rehearsals proved that I was wrong. It made me realise that we are a harmonious community in which we can produce success whether we work with people of similar ages or with huge differences in year groups. How has NLCS Jeju prepared you for being part of the Big 8?

I would like to acknowledge the plethora of opportunities we have in NLCS Jeju outside of the classroom. Various societies, committees, CCAs and Bryants gave me the opportunity for me to delve into the areas that I am passionate about. Also, there are numerous leadership opportunities that students could take in their areas of passion. My interests in international relations and cultural awareness eventually motivated me to join the International Relations Society, Model United Nations and the Cultural Awareness Committee and take leadership opportunities. Hence, taking those opportunities was the main supporter of me being part of the Big 8.

What are you looking forward to the most about being in the Big 8?

I am looking forward to making myself available for every student in this community by breaking invisible barriers between Year groups so that I can help every student who is in need. It is my job to contribute. Also, I am thrilled to contribute to making culture from being celebrated to being integrated within our lives.

Name: Jinyeong Oh

Big 8 role: Arts Ambassador

How long have you been at NLCS Jeju? Since Year 4. This is my 9th year.

What is your fondest NLCS Jeju memory?

I remember playing football in the small court in the junior school (now first school, I believe). How has NLCS Jeju prepared you for being part of the Big 8?

From junior school, I have been in many squads, orchestras, competitions, FOBISIA trips, leadership roles, and many more events that I cannot possibly finish listing. The abundance

Jinyeong Oh

MEET YOUR BIG 8

of experiences has shaped me as a person who is integrated in this community, and as more time passed, the more I appreciated, and the more I wanted to take action for the school in ways that have not been discovered before. Now at the end and start of another voyage, I wish to let out what I have for the next year.

What are you looking forward to the most about being in the Big 8?

I look forward to changing things up more. I want to make the arts more accessible to everyone, and break the perception that you need a certain level of understanding to start. There is so much that we could do that is not done yet.

Big 8 role: Sports ambassador

What is your fondest NLCS Jeju memory?

- Winning the KISAC tournaments, especially my first football KISAC in year 9 which was held in NLCS. There, both the boys’ and girls’ team won the tournament at the same time and celebrated together.

- Geomun boarding life: watch movies, played games, talk, listened to music in the atrium altogether after prep, weekends(yr10)

How has NLCS Jeju prepared you for being part of the Big 8?

- Being a boarder helped me to be organised, caring and independent.

- NLCS has provided various opportunities beyond the curriculum which provided me with such wonderful experiences:

• Dedication to sports squads(basketball, football, volleyball)

• Commitment in DofE international award

• Piano

• Dance society

Name: Seoyun (Victoria) Ju

Seoyun (Victoria) Ju

learned how to be balanced: manage both academics and extracurricular activities

helped me to develop a variety of essential skills

→broad experiences provided thorough understanding on various areas which will be helpful when assisting or initiating major school events

What are you looking forward to the most about being in the Big 8?

- Developing sports community by using many skills that I have gained from my multifaceted experiences and comprehensive understanding of sports

- Serve as a good link between students and teachers

- Representing our school proudly to others and being a role model for other students

- Encourage girls’ involvement in sports

Name: Shona Park

Big 8 role: School Council Chair

What is your fondest NLCS Jeju memory?

Amid the myriad of blissful memories engendered throughout my life in NLCS Jeju, the one that comes to mind is the day I officially launched my NLCS Jeju one and only podcast, Spatium. Spatium was the very first project that I brought into existence in NLCS Jeju and back when I was a year 10 student, it felt like a colossal life-changing moment. I was first enlightened by the novel idea of establishing a medium containing diverse interactions from other NLCS schools, students from around the globe, and interviews from professionals in variegated academic fields to help students navigate their career paths and virtually interact with the international community. Aligned with my ardour in journalism and alongside my NLCS Hub team, I was able to personify the very aim of Spatium on how “Distance Doesn’t Confine Us.” What made Spatium so much memorable for me was not the end product of each episode but the vigorous process to construct this podcast. I was able to actively collaborate with the NLCS Jeju media team, marketing department, and other talented tech

Shona Park

students as well as NLCS Hub members. The teamwork which led us to produce something ubiquitously enjoyed by the NLCS Jeju students was one of the most heartfelt memories ingrained within myself. Moreover, it was the moment of realisation on how NLCS Jeju really does provide us with every opportunity to pursue our academic interests outside the classroom if we are brave enough, passionate enough, and persistent enough to act out.

How has NLCS Jeju prepared

you

for being part of the Big 8?

One of the best things in NLCS Jeju is the multifarious leadership opportunities within the student body. NLCS Jeju has given me the opportunity to learn the true meaning of being a leader. During my years in NLCS Jeju, I was able to exercise my role as a leader by being the head of academics in SWAG, SEC vice chair, NLCS Hub Podcast Marketing chair, Debate Society chair, JFN competition convenor, TheirStory Society chair, About Jeju community service Bryant leader, Chief editor of various magazines, NLCS Podcast coordinator, and much more. Through all these leadership roles I have undertaken, the skills that I have incorporated are persistence, diligence, charisma, and passion. Furthermore, as my leadership experiences would not have happened without all the teamwork and interactions with other students, my capability in creating an open-minded ambience and incrementing perseverance against potential hardships as a group was established. I firmly believe that all these encompassing qualities would significantly help me in taking on the role of the Big 8.

What are you looking forward to the most about being in the Big 8?

All of my extracurricular activities and contributions to the NLCS Jeju stemmed from the ambition to create a better academic environment for every single NLCS Jeju student. Receiving words of gratitude from younger students on my work has made me realise that from the bottom of my heart, I care for the student body, and therefore I want to incorporate as much student voice as possible to ameliorate the school lives of the students. It is no understatement that NLCS Jeju had a huge impact on my life. Not only in academics, but NLCS Jeju has also provided me with the opportunity to be a teammate, a friend, and a leader and I have learned how to communicate, collaborate, establish strong relationships, and charismatically lead a group of people. As a student who took every opportunity that came my way, NLCS Jeju has enriched my life far and beyond. Therefore, as a member of the Big 8 I am looking forward to ensuring every student experiences all the esteem values I have learned by being a part of the NLCS Jeju community, and come to love NLCS Jeju as I do, and dream big as NLCS Jeju taught me to do. I look forward to being a stepping-stone figure to all students and a bridge that connects the school and the students.

Don’t miss our posts!

Follow us on our social media pages to never miss out! Our recent posts include:

• Parents as Partners

• New double bass

• Boarding Homes in Seoul

NLCS Jeju Awards and Achievements

Congratulations to all our recent award winners!

Click here (https://bit.ly/nlcsstudentachievements )

FIRST SCHOOL LIBRARY AWARD

Congratulations to Ms. Akinyi Freeman’s Reception class who won the prize of being the best class in the library. Ms. Josephine Nalugya said they won the award ‘due to their exceptional behaviour. Every student in the class displays all of our learning habits at NLCS Jeju. They are always excellent at following the library rules, too, with incredible enthusiasm to read books as well as respecting the books. They even go the extra mile to help in the library at all times; their empathy and sense of responsibility are highly commendable. I am so proud of RAF!’

NLCS Jeju Awards and Achievements

ARLT LATIN READING COMPETITION

We are happy to announce the success of our Latin students in the ARLT (Association for Latin Teaching) Latin Reading Competition. Senior and Intermediate students recorded themselves reading a section of Virgil’s Aeneid and the Junior students read a story from the Cambridge Latin Course. All students were judged on their pronunciation and ability to convey the meaning of the passage. You can listen to the prizewinning recordings by following this link.

https://www.arlt.co.uk/latin-reading-competition-2023-results/

Senior

Second Prize: Hyeon Moon

Highly Commended: Yena Cho Intermediate

Highly Commended: Seongmin Hong, Jaehoon Song

NLCS Jeju Awards and Achievements

Junior

Second Prize: Jayden Lee and Benjamin Jun

Third Prize: Angela Lee

COBIS ARCTIC RACE FOR GOOD - WINNERS

In our last newsletter we were excited to confirm that Brandon Yoon (Y12), Bella Kim (Y11), Alvin Song (Y10), Kevin Do Won (Y10) and Colin Kim (Y7) had made it to the final of the Arctic challenge.

We are now extremely proud to announce that they won! The challenge organisers said “The students demonstrated a real understanding of the community in Qaanaaq, showing their empathy and compassion as well as using their enormous talents and presentation skills at the Final. Their dedication to the Race and tasks was admirable indeed. It’s unbelievable at their ages!”

Here is what the students had to say about the event: “The Arctic Race4Good challenge involved working with COBIS, and the beautiful northern community of Qaanaaq - in Northwestern Greenland. We were given a series of challenges and tasks to tackle, three mini challenges and two main challenges - devising sustainable income generating ideas, and a celebration that is to be held for coming years in Qaanaaq. The race touched on both creativity and empathy, as well as expanding global awareness as we took a closer look into the lives and lively communities of our global neighbours. For the final challenge, we devised ‘The Days of Learning / And Nights of Culture’, a collaborative event between NLCS Jeju and Qaanaaq, as a week of vibrant cultural exchange in celebration of the act of learning.

NLCS Jeju Awards and Achievements

CHAMPION

March 2023

The race may be over, but the race for good never ends. A new marathon has just begunthat will now actively collaborate with the Qaanaaq community to bring their ideas to life!”

THIS CERTIFICATE IS PROUDLY PRESENTED TO Kevin Kim North London Collegiate School, Jeju

Brandon Yoon, Bella Kim, Alvin Song , Kevin Do Won and Colin Kim

Other News

LIBRARY AMBASSADORS

Mx. Byrom explains this important role - “Our new ambassadors will be learning how the library works, and helping their fellow students find books they will enjoy reading. They will also be creating a range of displays, and developing activities that can be run in the library which will promote interest in reading. Their first project is creating a series of book recommendation posters, which will be part of the International Book Week displays in the Senior School Library.”

Irene Yoon, Yuan Lee, Sophia Park, Yuzhuo Wang, Leo Jo, Shirley Jang and Serah Chung

Other News

NEW SCHOOL VISUAL

Well done and thank you to Sam Kim (Y11) who has designed this wonderful new imagery for our School videos - inspired by the NLCS tower, the NLCS Jeju name and logo are illuminated by a light from the tower. You will also see Sam at many NLCS Jeju events as he is lending his incredible photography skills to the Marketing Department - from his photos it is clear he is talented and passionate about photography and we are lucky to have him as an honorary Marketing team member. Video

LETTER FROM THE STUDENT COUNCIL

Dear NLCS Jeju Community,

Since the beginning of January, the Student Council have been discussing important school issues such as the future use of the library, the use of spaces around the school, and have also worked within their respective sub-committees; Food and Facilities, Student Welfare and Publicity.

Firstly, the Food and Facilities committee has been effectively leading a large number of projects; they have consistently taken active use of the suggestion boxes made last year, making sure students are able to easily access them. More recently, they have been curating a school-wide project installing ‘bird stickers’ across the school. They also held meetings with senior staff to discuss potential changes including re-designing the area around the tower and the school uniform.

The Student Welfare committee has put their focus on an improved New Student Induction program. We believe that we need to ensure that all students feel welcomed when they join our community and that there is plenty of support available to help them settle in. We have been working on a programme to support new students and we have some planned activities for new students joining in the summer term.

We recognise that the student voice is essential for shaping our community and identifying issues that need attention. The Student Council provides students with a platform to raise any concerns and offer possible solutions for improvement. By doing so, the Council ensures that the student body is engaged and involved in the decisionmaking processes of the school

Lastly, the Publicity committee has continued its efforts to advertise the Student Council’s endeavours and achievements through the Council’s Instagram account. Moreover, we actively organised projects for the ‘Healthy February’ event through school-wide off-line polls, which showed significantly high student participation.

If you have an issue that you would like the Student Council to address, then please contact your year group representative!

Sincerely,

The Publicity Committee

ARTLESS

Read the latest edition of the student led publication, Artless, here. All articles are written and edited by students, with topics ranging from the Middle East, technology and US politics.

ACHILLES REEL

Another great student led publication, read the latest edition of the classics magazine, Achilles Reel, here. The current theme is ‘Rebirth and the Renaissance’. Ms. Baird said “Many thanks to everyone who contributed. Here is a link to an excellent animation which could not be included in the magazine.”

https://youtu.be/kIcnmSWalUc

Other News

SAVE JEJU BADA

Our Save Jeju Bada Youth Society has been operating since 2020. The society involves students from schools from across Jeju. The current campaign ‘No Plastic School’ is a collaboration with 50 schools in South Korea. The society is collecting transparent drink bottle lids to upcycle them into tube wringers which will be returned to each of the campaign schools. As well as collecting the lids there is a fundraising bazaar on May 6, see the poster for more information.

Collect and donate your plastic bottle lids for this excellent initiative. The campaign ends on 9 June. Instagram - @sabejejubada_youth.

FIRE STATION VISIT

Last term we shared information about our Reception students enjoying visits from people who work in our community. This week the students had the exciting opportunity to visit a local Fire Station (and look inside an ambulance too, to see what is needed for emergency care!). Ms. Hall and Ms. Freeman explained further ‘The students enjoyed learning how to use a fire extinguisher - with some teachers getting sprayed in the process! Students were able to sit in a fire truck and some very courageous students tried to wear the oxygen masks that real firefighters wear. What a blast we all had!’ More pictures.

ELDERLY HEALTH EMPOWERMENT

“Attention all students! Are you looking for a way to make a positive impact on the lives of others? To use your medical knowledge and start working as a healthcare provider? If so, we invite you to join Elderly Health Empowerment, a student-led initiative centering the improvement of mental and physical well being of the elderly.” - Kyuwon Chloe Park and Ahyoung Bella Kim. Sign up here.

PERSE CODING TEAM CHALLENGE (PCTC)

The Perse Coding Team Challenge introduces computational thinking to students. It is part of the UKCT Challenges competition framework. Teams from secondary schools across the UK and around the world battle it out over two rounds for certificates and to win The Braben Cup and the annual prize money ( Cup & prize money only for UK schools). The competition is open to pupils in Years 7-11.

Students submit short code solutions to a range of challenges that increase in difficulty. To progress into Round 2 students need to get a high score in Round 1. The top 25% of students get selected for Round 2.

Students with Round 1 certificate

NLCS students participated in both rounds and performed excellently. This was the firsttime NLCS entered this competition. In Round 1, 65 students qualified to take part in Round 2. The results of Round 2 are outstanding. 43 out of 65 students have achieved distinction in Round 2 ( FINAL) and placed in one of the top schools in the competition. There were more than 70 schools from the UK and the rest of the world.

Taking round 2 competition

The CCAs and Bryant program of the Computer Science department has had a positive impact on students’ learning which has inspired many young students this academic year with the support of staff and students. It is exciting to see some of our older students also taking part in the challenging and more advanced competitions.

Top 3 teams from PCTC Round 2 ( FINAL) :

Rank 1 : (Year 10) - Seongmin Hong. Paul Jung and Sam Lee

Rank 2 : (Year 10) - Jimin Lim, Sihu (Kevin) Park, Junseong (June) Seo, Yeongjin Yoo and Justin Yoo

Rank 3 : (Year 10) - Jane Lim and Cindy Ryu

Music

OPERA

We are looking forward to a special performance of Orpheus and Eurydice on Saturday 29 April in the PAC. Our students will perform alongside local opera professionals.

BASS

Our Music Department has secured another double bass thanks to the hard work of Ms. Nayeon Kim (Music Administrator) and Mr. Tony Paye (Head of Co-curricular Music). It was delivered personally by the luthier. With this new purchase, we are able to expand the skill-sets of our cellists by exposing them to the lowest member of the string family and thus enriching our orchestral provision. Seen here having a good go at the double bass alongside Mr. Paye is our school’s foremost cellist, Hyeon Moon.

ASSEMBLY MUSIC

Listen to the most recent assembly performances, thank you to all our talented musicians.

JooAn Kwon with Ms. Boeun Kim - Ludwig V. Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano no 9 (Kreutzer)

Performed by Korean Ensemble Enterprise, led by Rayne Lee and Joanna Ryoo

Rex Kim - ‘Are you gonna go my way’ by Lenny Kravitz

Marc Chung with Ms. Boeun Kim - Clarinet Polka by Béla Fleck

Daniel Kim and Lily Kim with Miss Boeun Kim - Prelude for Two cellos and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich

Year 10: Edward, Marc, Dylan, Benjamin, Amy, Sean, Shi, June, Aiden, Derek, Edward, Olivia. Seongmin, Sungjun, Hannah, Luke, Heylin, Robert, Claire, Jun, Yeaonjae, Bertie and Junseo.

Year 12: Hyeon, Jingyeong, Arjuna and JooAn. Joined by Mr. Tamlyn, Mr Thorrington and Mr Paye. Performing - Geographical Fugue by Ernst Toch.

Boarding News

Here are some great newsletters from our boarding homes, here you can see what our boarders really get up to when the day students leave campus!

Iho

Pyoseon

Hyeopjae

Yongduam

Halla East

Aewol

If you want to find out more about becoming a boarder, contact Mr. Long (dlong@nlcsjeju.kr) - boy’s boarding or Ms. Taylor (staylor@nlcsjeju.kr) for girl’s boarding.

TTEOKBOKKI SATURDAY

Last term our Halla East students had the opportunity to learn how to make Tteokbokki, thank you to Ms. Julia Smith, Ms. Miri Kang and Ms. Darija Minic for arranging such a tasty activity.

BOARDING COFFEE IN SEOUL

Our boarding teams are busy arranging trips to Seoul to enjoy coffee, cake and a chat with our boarding parents.

Ms. Washington (Iho BM) went to Seoul last term and said “We invited parents to come for an informal coffee and chat in Seoul to strengthen relationships between boarding and parents. It was a lovely way to connect and get to know more about the students we care for.

We are already looking forward to the next one.”

Here are

some Photos from Ms. Spivey’s (Pyoseon BM) trip to Seoul.

Here are some key dates from our CAC.

The season of eggs, bunnies, and foil-wrapped chocolate has come and gone, paving the way for the advent of April’s cultural holidays. From the festive cleansing of Buddhas to the performance of charity, this week’s selection of cultural dates is heavy with significance for four out of five of the world’s major religions.

Good Friday (April 7th)

Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the death and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The date of Good Friday is dependent on Easter, and is therefore derived using the same calculation—known as computus—that determines when Easter lands on a particular year. Read more about Good Friday here.

Hana Matsuri (April 8th)

Buddha’s Birthday, known colloquially as Hana Matsuri (meaning flower festival), is a Japanese tradition celebrated on the 8th of April. Other countries, such as neighbouring China and Korea, have their own Buddha’s Birthday celebration dates. Many Buddhist temples in Japan are decorated with flowers, and a tea-like beverage, known as ama-cha, is poured over Buddha’s statues as a festive gesture. Read more about Hana Matsuri here.

Crucifixion by Titian (1558)

Rama Navami celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Vishnu (one of the three Hindu deities of supreme divinity). The festival is an occasion for moral reflection for many Hindus, with charitable events taking place in many Hindu communities. Read more about Rama Navami here.

The Qadr Night falls within the final ten days of the Muslim month of Ramadan, and is considered one of the holiest dates in the Muslim calendar. It commemorates the revealing of the Muslim Quran to the prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. Muslims are encouraged to spend the Night of Power giving prayers, reading the Quran, and performing charitable acts. Read more about Laylat al-Qadr here.

Rama Navami (April 10th)

Laylat al-Qadr

ONLJ

We always love to hear from our ONLJ! If you would like to share your news since leaving NLCS Jeju, please email Ms. Shin - alumnioffice@nlcsjeju.kr - your stories always inspire our current students and let them know what is possible after NLCS Jeju.

JEJU MBC INTERNATIONAL PEACE MARATHON

Well done to everyone who joined the marathon and completed one of the courses, battling the strong winds and exhausting slopes amid unexpected low temperature!

The Jeju MBC International Peace Marathon is organised by Jeju MBC and managed by the Korea Athletic Federation’s Jeju Branch.

It was more than meaningful in its history as 2023 marked the 20th year and all runners were thrilled to get together face to face after years of the restrictions.

No one will forget the feeling of crossing the finish line and the joy of celebrating each other’s achievement!

Congratulations to Ms. Miriam Davies who came 2nd in the female 10K division with a time of 00:43:56.78.

Attendees:

1) Half marathon course: Mr. Harry Thorington, Ms. Sarah Gulley, Mr. Dauren Altmukhamet, Mr. Donghyun (Daniel) Kim, Mr. Tajvir Singh

2) 10K: Mr. David Lock, Ms. Miriam Davies, Ms. Eunjin Kim, Ms. Jihye Pak, Mr. Taehak Kim, Mr. Donggeun Gwag

3) 5k: Mr. Dom Atherton

4) Family course : Ha Na (wife of Mr. Neiland) and Young Ju and Erin (wife and daughter of Mr. Scott Davies.

CHARITY RUN

We are very pleased to inform you all that Mr. Mark Eyton Jones completed his run around the perimeter of Jeju! Mr. Eyton Jones ran anti-clockwise, completing an average of 59km a day over four days. He said “The weather was mostly glorious, apart from some strong winds on the first and second day.” He extends his thanks to Mr. Simon Downes, Mr. Adam McCue, Ms. Eunji Song, Mr. Dorian Brown, Mr. Kevin Hull and Ms. Cindy Chen who all joined at various points to support him.

What an incredible achievement If you would like to donate, there is still time. So far he has raised a massive 6.3 million won.

£ - https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/roundtherock

₩ - Bank transfer to (NH) 3021114179111 - email meytonjones@nlcsjeju.kr if transferring

PhD SUCCESS

Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Mompel Riera who was awarded a PhD in Microbiology, from the University of Portsmouth (UK), earlier this month.

His PhD title is ‘Study of the microbial ecology, and its resistome, in wild caught and commercialised Atlantic Mackerel’.

Before joining NLCS Jeju and prior to completing his PhD, Dr. Mompel Riera worked as a qualified Veterinarian in the UK, achieved a Master’s in Aquaculture and worked in Japan as a personal language tutor.

We are very lucky to have his skills and expertise at our School and more so that he is also completing his teacher training with us from next academic year.

Completing this PhD was not a life long ambition of Dr. Mompel Riera’s and he encourages us all to think of life as a free flowing river, not a straight line, believing that ‘you come across beautiful things if you go with the flow’. However, he advises anyone interested in pursuing a research-based PhD to gain a broad understanding of things, particularly technology and coding, in order to have a good set of tools with which to solve problems.

Useful contact information

Junior School Handbook

Faculty contact details, page 17 and 18

Key contact details, page 20

Senior School Handbook

Faculty staff list, pages 13 to 17

Key contact details, page 19

Whole School Directory

Admin contact details

NEW CLASSES OPEN

We are delighted to confirm that we have opened new classes in Year3, Year 5 and Year 6, as well as being able to accept more applications in our Senior School.

If anyone you know has a child who is seeking an exceptional British Education, please encourage them to contact our Admissions Team as soon as possible to register their child and arrange assessment in time for an August start. admissions@nlcsjeju.kr

….and finally

JUNIOR SCHOOL BOOK WEEK

Next week is our Junior School Book Week - check out this brilliant poster to find out more about this exciting week which will include a book in a jar competition, visits from authors and a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party with a costume parade and picnic on 26 April!