NLCS Jeju Newsletter 2 June 2023

2 June 2023

North London Collegiate School Jeju

TOP NEWS

OUTDOOR EDUCATION SPECIAL

BRAIN WEEK

LATIN AND PHILOSOPHY ENRICHMENT WEEK

VALEDICTORY

PRINCIPAL’S LETTER

Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Friends of NLCS Jeju

As we move towards the end of the School academic year one thing it is not doing at NLCS Jeju is quietening down! We have had some amazing opportunities for our students over the last few weeks and there are more to come. We all look forward to the upcoming Arts Festival which will begin later next week.

It has been wonderful to see the wonderful outdoor education opportunities for students across the School. They have been challenged and learned to be more collaborative and get along with each other! Four year groups: Years 5 and 6 as well as 8 and 9 have been on residential expeditions which, as the photos show, they all enjoyed immensely. We have also had the usual raft of Duke of Edinburgh (International Award) expeditions going out this term. Our thanks go to the many teachers who have led and participated in all these trips enabling our students to have these experiences.

The range of academic enrichment activities this year has been able to grow once more as we have welcomed into the school more visiting academics. We were delighted to welcome Dr. Guy Sutton whose Brain Days really enthralled our students and who was inspirational in giving some students other possible careers to pursue in the future. Opportunities including dissection of the brain really engaged the students. The departments across the School have also been outdoing each other with the range and breadth of experience students can participate in for Enrichment Week. Increasingly too we have more universities visiting us as seen recently with Imperial College London as well as Universities from the state of Victoria, Australia.

As we approach the end of the academic year it is also tinged with sadness as well as hopes for the future. For our students who embarked on their NLCS Jeju journey many of them have met milestones along the way and so we have a number of graduation ceremonies including from Reception Class and Year 6 in the Junior School to the Valedictory Ceremony on Saturday for Year 13. Students benefit in education from consistency and it is always gratifying to see young men and women, many of whom have been at NLCS Jeju for many years graduating from us and moving on to the next stage of their education at universities across the world. We wish them all success and happiness and we are confident that they will make a difference in the future as responsible global citizens.

Yours sincerely

Lynne Oldfield Principal

The Main Event

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

VALEDICTORY

Another year has passed and once again we are preparing for our Year 13 graduation ceremony tomorrow afternoon. The valedictory is always a wonderful day, where we celebrate our graduating students, look back on fond memories of their time with us and look forward to their bright and exciting futures. We will share lots of photos in the next newsletter. We hope all our Year 13 students enjoy their special day.

Congratulations Class of 2023.

RECEPTION GRADUATION

You are never too young to celebrate - our Reception students enjoyed a taste of a Year 13 valedictory today with their Reception Graduation! What a lovely event - it is great to see how far the students have come in the first year at NLCS Jeju and we look forward to one day seeing them at their valedictory.

The Main Event

LATIN AND PHILOSOPHY ENRICHMENT WEEK

Thank you to the two departments who joined together to create a fun and interesting week for us. It is unusual for Latin and Philosophy to be offered in Senior Schools in South Korea and we are delighted we are able to give our students the option to study these beneficial and exciting topics.

For the majority of our students, English is their second language. Did you know that studying Latin will actually help to improve your English language skills? Much of the English language stems from Latin - including vocab and grammar. Having a good understanding of Latin will help students to learn new words and improve their English grammatical and structural knowledge - beneficial to all subjects!

Philosophy enhances a student’s learning - teaching them critical thinking skills - teaching students to analyse concepts and arguments, organise thoughts and deal with questions in terms or values and meaning. All of which can be applied to all other subjects.

Contact the Latin or Philosophy Department today to find out more!

The Main Event

The Main Event

DR GUY SUTTON - BRAIN DAYS Exploring the Brain and the Mind

As a world renowned neuroscientist, his reputation precedes him and we were all looking forward to his visit - which did not disappoint. Our staff and students were enthralled by Dr. Sutton’s lectures and talks. Many asked excellent questions and learned so much from him. Students had the opportunity to learn more about neuroscience with talks and sessions titled: ‘Brains for Medics’, ‘Careers and Biomedical Science’, ‘Nerve Cells, Bionic Arms and Mind Reading’ and ‘The Brain and Crime’. Dr. Sutton previously held posts at Manchester, Cambridge and Nottingham Universities in the UK

Such visits take lots of planning - Thank you to Mr. Russell Maddison for arranging such an enjoyable and thought provoking week.

The Main Event

“Working with the Psychology, Biology and Philosophy departments, Dr. Sutton took us deep into an understanding of brain science and its applications to improving people’s lives through cutting edge research. The events were very wide ranging and Dr. Sutton was able to work with many students and staff. We extend our gratitude for such a dynamic and impactful three days to Dr Sutton and we hope to welcome him back in the near future.” - Mr. Russell Maddison.

The Main Event

Student interviews

Below are extracts from some student interviews - which were conducted by members of the ‘Extending Psychology’ CCA group and Biology students after Dr. Sutton’s visit.

What is the biggest mystery of the brain?

Consciousness is the “holy grail of neuroscience”. We don’t understand sufficiently enough to explain why two nerve cells communicate/connect.

In addition, understanding the processes of ageing. If we can understand how cells age, we can then find a cure for cancer.

How is pain tolerance related to the structure of the brain?

Pain is complex - pain runs up the VST, alpha delta fibres and c fibres. Males have a higher pain tolerance we think, but it depends on the individual and functions of brain circuits.

Pain perception and tolerance are a product of function and structure together. It is partly true that we can control pain to some extent: If we are happy and distracted then we can suppress pain! If a pain signal is stronger in another area then we can temporarily stop pain originating in another area.

If PTSD or addiction occurs due to changes in neural connections, is it possible that people with less plastic brains are more resilient to these conditions?

In terms of brain plasticity and addiction, for people who are more resilient to addiction we think the brain can more easily return to how it was before the drug use for example - their brains are more elastic in a way. Is this because their brain is less plastic or more plastic? It’s quite difficult to figure out.

Don’t miss our posts!

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

• Yongduam, Halla East and Halla North - Parent Coffees in Seoul

• Calendar Competition

• Year 6 in Cheongju

• Junior School Sports Day

• Job Vacancies at NLCS Jeju

FLICKR

Did you know we add all our photos to Flickr? With no restrictions on the number of photos we can share, you will be able to see every photo from all the events around School. Why not have a look now?

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

With so many of our students taking part in residential trips this term, we are reminded of the importance of not just co-curricular activities but those activities that take our students outdoors and outside of their comfort zones.

Outdoor education and play supports emotional, behavioural and intellectual development. Studies have shown that students who learn outdoors develop: a sense of self, independence, confidence, creativity, decision making, problem solving, motor skills, self-discipline and initiative. As well as all the physical and health benefits to be active outdoors.

There are so many wonderful outdoor activities that are offered at NLCS Jeju as part of the CCA and Bryant programme, as well as activities arranged for whole year groups. Here is a spotlight on just a handful of them. If you want to find out more, get in touch with the CCA team today.

“Experiential learning, the development of soft-skills and student well-being has never been so important for our children. This has been reflected in the incredible year our Beyond the Curriculum team has provided for our student body.” - Mr. Nick Chaddock

YEAR 5 RESIDENTIAL TRIP

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

“Year 5 did not let the wet weather dampen their spirits (pun intended) last week when they took off on their residential, which aimed at exploring Jeju Island and also focused on team building, being resilient and courageous and trying new things. They participated in many activities including visiting: Vaunce Super Park ,Sumokwon Theme Park, team games and quizzes as well as climbing to the top of Seongsan IIchulbong (Sunrise Peak). The children were exceptional in every way possible - we are so proud of them and all their accomplishments on the trip, as well as throughout this academic year. They are most definitely ready for Year 6!” Ms. Mireille Alwan.

YEAR 6 RESIDENTIAL TRIP

Though the majority of our Year 6 students will continue their NLCS journey and transition seamlessly to Year 7 in our Senior School, the final year of their time in the Junior School is a significant and important year. They are now the oldest students, the leaders and the role models for all those that follow. A residential trip for Year 6 is therefore very important. A time to join their friends for one last exciting adventure and a time to push themselves out of their comfort zones before they embark on the next stage of their education. The skills they learnt at the residential - independence, courage and determination will prepare them well for the future.

Here are some photos of our wonderful Year 6 students on their residential trip to Cheongju. We can’t wait to follow your journey through Senior School and beyond. More pictures.

YEAR 8 AND 9 RESIDENTIAL TRIP

Our Year 8 and Year 9 students each visited Pyeongchang for their residential trips. Two days camping in the beautiful outdoors, taking part in challenging and exciting activities. Most importantly away from their phones, wifi, social media and other modern day distractions. This type of respite from technology and studying will actually benefit their studies long term - with all students returning to School relaxed, refreshed and ready to complete the rest of this academic year. Take a look at more photos on Flickr.

Don’t listen to what we say, here are some quotes from our students and staff who took part!

“It was phenomenally good!!!!!!!” - Ashley

“It was amazing, I hope we can go again in Year 9” - Brian

“I learned a lot, and opened my eyes to new things. Best part of the trip? Being in nature without our phones for three days!” - Andy

“Someone pack me into their suitcase so I can go again!” - Edward

“The Year 9 trip was truly amazing. The activities were enjoyable and challenging and it was great to see the students interacting with each other and becoming more relaxed and confident in the group. Many good lessons were learned!” - Ms. Margaret Baird (Head of Latin).

“As an administration staff, I had hardly ever felt that I was a part of school so much until I participated in this trip. I was so touched and felt my work being rewarded looking at the smile on the students’ face! I have been motivated more into my role and hope to join more of these kinds of events in the future.” - Ms. Aekyung Gwon (Trips Assistant, Beyond the Curriculum).

“In beautiful surroundings, it was great to see the Year 9 students all working well together and enjoying the great outdoors. The highlights of the trip would be the smiling faces at the fire ceremony and the competitive edge of the Camp Quiz. We came home all exhausted but happy to have experienced such a trip.” - Mr. Martyn Fernandes (Teacher of English and ABM Halla North).

“What a wonderful experience our Year 9 students had! It was great to leave behind the challenges of academic life to reconnect with the great outdoors and to see our students embrace new challenges with perseverance and resilience, whilst also building and strengthening new friendships. I am really proud of all of our students who were great ambassadors for NLCS Jeju and who fully embodied everything we stand for as a school.” Mr. Carl Lewis (Assistant Vice Principal).

One student echoed all our thoughts with their praise for Mr. Machin who leads the fantastic Beyond the Curriculum team - we all think you are the best!

“It was pretty great, I’ve got to admit. Mr Machin was the best!”

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

SCUBA DIVING

“When you think of Jeju island, you may be thinking of oranges and Oreums, but did you know there is an exciting world of curiosity and discovery right under your nose!?

This year, ten NLCS Jeju students will be graduating as certified PADI Open Water Divers. As an internationally recognised licence, our divers will be continuing to develop skills in leadership, team-working and personal responsibility. I am a qualified Divemaster who, alongside certified instructors, would enjoy the opportunity to invite your child to this fascinating world. This exciting sport is open to Y10 students and above (Y9 may be accepted on an individual basis).” Mr. Joel Rushton.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

“Whilst the weather has been rather unpredictable and the waves variable over the course of the term, the energy and enthusiasm from the students in this Bryant has been consistently high. Even during the times of low wave action, our students, clad in wetsuits, took to the water to try some stand up paddle boarding as well as open water swimming. Our skilled instructors at Surfeople supported all students of all levels of surfing experience to build their competencies and confidence in the water and they did so with great patience, care and humour. A wonderful way to spend our Saturday mornings! “ - Mr. Dorian Brown.

CLIMBING

“NLCS Jeju takes pride in offering a climbing program that provides unique experiences, shaping our students and instilling valuable life skills. Our rope climbing and bouldering activities create the perfect foundation to introduce students to this amazing sport, allowing them to embrace exhilarating physical and mental challenges. As students conquer vertical ascents and tackle intricate boulder problems, they cultivate a heightened sense of awareness and acquire the ability to remain composed in challenging situations. This fosters the development of critical thinking, quick decision-making, and a calm demeanour that extends beyond the climbing walls. Rest assured, these skills are nurtured in a safe and supervised environment, allowing students to grow and thrive as they overcome obstacles and build their confidence. Let them embark on this incredible journey, where physical and mental strength converge, and the rock becomes their greatest teacher.” -

Dr. Daniel Mompel Riera

OUTDOOR EDUCATION

DOFE

“The Duke of Edinburgh International Award had the full complement of Bronze, Silver and Gold this year. Our students took part in trips to Chujado, Cheongsangdo, Baegasan, Sobaeksan, Cheongnyangsan and the Michinoku Trail in Japan. Congratulations to all our wonderful students for stepping up to the challenge of the International Award and thank you to all our amazing teachers for providing such incredible experiences.” - Mr. Nick

Chaddock

THANK YOU

None of these activities can happen if it were not for the dedication of all NLCS Jeju staff, but in particular thanks to the Beyond the Curriculum Team - Mr. Doug Machin, Mr. Nick Chaddock, Mr. Niall Scarlett, Ms. Vivienne Brooks, Ms. Aekyung Gwan, and Ms. Eunjeong Jo. As well as the Year 5 and Year 6 trip leads (Ms. Mireille Alwan and Mr. Richard Washington respectively).

PRIDE MONTH

At NLCS Jeju we believe that there should be equal rights, justice and opportunity for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ+ people). Our community must be a welcoming and safe place for everyone, we therefore are proudly acknowledging Pride Month, which is celebrated around the world in June, with a number of activities taking place and two inspirational guests.

ONE SHARED HUMANITY - WE ARE ALLIES

The focus for the month at NLCS Jeju is for all of us to become allies, to speak out and look out, with the aim of breaking down barriers, driving acceptance and delivering on the vision of one shared humanity.

Speak Out for one shared humanity. Look Out for each other.

#weAreAllies

1 June

Mr. Jong-gul Lee - Lecture and workshop at NLCS Jeju - Human rights activism, the current status of rights of sexual minorities in South Korea and the functions and operations of a human rights organisation.

Mr. Lee is the Director of Chingusai (‘Between Friends’) - the Korean Gay Men’s Human Rights Group, which was founded in 1994.

He won the APCOM Hero award in the ‘Community Ally’ category in 2019 and is considered to be a ‘proven leader in the LGBT community of South Korea’

2 June

Professor Jun-il Lee - Online lecture - The need for a general anti-discrimination law, current status of anti-discrimination laws overseas and the various forms of egalitarianism.

Prof. Lee works at the Korea University and works with the National Human Rights Commission.

5 - 12 June

Exhibition - an audio-visual journey of discovery.

12 - 16 June

Badge sale

We will share photos throughout the month.

ELDERLY CENTRE BRYANT Other

One of our many service Bryants involves a group of students visiting an older person centre near the School. Instead of them hosting us, we arranged for centre visitors to join us at School. They were treated to music performances by our students, delicious food kindly donated by Quadra and enjoyed sitting and talking with our students. Well done to the students and staff for arranging such a memorable experience.

JEJU FORUM FOR PEACE AND PROSPERITY

One of our Bryant groups, ‘About Jeju’, attended the Jeju forum this week as interpreters. More information can be found on the Forum’s website and here. Well done to all five students for giving up their time to support this event - Shona Park (Y12), Haeun Jeon (Y12), Uran Seo (Y11), Soo Hee Lee (Y11) and Terry Kim (Y11). Read their short story about the event here. They also made the news!

Other News

JS STUDENT COUNCIL

“The JS Student Council has been assisting Ms. Megan Dyer-Jones with a Humanities Subject Review. They contributed to the collection of student views by helping her create a student survey - they thought about and wrote down the most useful questions to ask. They also helped collect parents’ views by planning, writing and then conducting a parent interview. The interviews were very successful, with all parents sharing their thoughts and views on Humanities in the JS. Well done Student Council!” - Ms. Mireille Alwan.

BOOK DONATION

Thank you to Jusang Kim (Y13) for kindly donating 119 books to the Senior School Library, the books are in immaculate condition and certainly going to be enjoyed by many students. If you would like to discuss a similar donation, please contact the Library team before a donation.

MEET THE ADMISSIONS TEAM IN SEOUL

If you have any friends in Seoul who are thinking of a new school for their child, please encourage them to book an appointment for a one to one consultation, on 12 June, with our trained and experienced Admissions Team. Helen, Anna, Kelly and Nayoun will be on hand to guide families through the Admissions process and answer any questions they may have about studying at NLCS Jeju. Drop ins welcome but appointments are advisable, sign up here.

PARENTS AS PARTNERS

Two more great Parents as Partners took place before the term break. On 22 May Mr. Crispian Waterman hosted our Senior School and Ms. Justine Oliver and Ms. Natalie Wilson welcomed our Year 12 parents for an informative session ‘The IB Journey: Assessment, Wellbeing and Success’.

This Year, Mr. Waterman has hosted six great Parents as Partners sessions, including:

Please complete the following form to help us develop an even better programme next year.

50 - SECOND PEACEFUL UNIFICATION FILM FESTIVAL

Congratulations to Soowhan (Benjamin) Jun who won second prize at the annual festival hosted by the Ministry of Unification. Applicants had to create a 50 second video on the topic of peace and unity. Benjamin clearly has a talent for film making as last year he won the first prize.

Here Benjamin provides further information on his video “Dandelions wither in the winter, but their roots continue to grow and thrive in the frozen soil. When spring returns, the dandelion blossoms once more. Their pods drift enormous distances with the slightest breeze, and they land and grow on asphalt roads and between bricks on pavings. The meaning of a dandelion in floriography is ‘thankfulness’.

In this video, dandelions bloom after a bitter winter of hardships, representative of the pandemic and the series of wars that broke out recently. Their pods fly through borders in celebration of a new spring, as a symbol of hope, prosperity and resilience. Dandelions bloom in South Sudan, where a civil war has broken out after a brief period of peace. It represents the hope of sharing a dandelion seed with every child, and showing thankfulness for the spring we live in today.”

Benjamin received books from the Ministry of Unification on the topic of Korean reunification and understanding North Korea, which he plans to kindly donate to the NLCS Jeju Library.

SO HAPPY - VIDEO 3

We are pleased to share with you video number three from Seoha Han’s ‘SoHAPPY Insights’! Another thought provoking video. Thank you Seoha.

This edition focuses on inspiration - asking the questions ‘how often do you feel inspired’ and what does inspiration actually mean.

UGC News

We recently reached out to those who had received offers from US universities to tell us a little more about their university plans. Thank you to Inwook and Anna who kindly shared their news. If you would like to feature in a future newsletter or on the School’s social pages, please email Mrs. Helen Lock (hlock@nlcsjeju.kr) who is looking forward to hearing from you.

SPORT

U11s FOBISIA GAMES

Well done to all our students who have been competing at the FOBISIA games in Thailand. Mr. Freeman was in touch yesterday to update us - “The trip is going very well, today we have done athletics and swimming. It has been a very long and tough day, but many medals have been won and the School can be very proud of this team.” We look forward to hearing all about it when they return. More pictures.

FROM SEA TO PEAK!

Last month, some students donned hiking boots and climbed Mount Halla and another group headed to the beautiful Jeju coast. Such activities are always much more fun when enjoyed with friends in a group. It’s one of the many perks of being a boarder at NLCS Jeju! Here are some great photos of the hike!

BOARDING REFURBISHMENT SURVEY

Mr. Peter Scargill recently wrote to all students asking for feedback on some possible designs for a Boarding Refurbishment Project with a focus on the common spaces in the Homes. Boarding is an essential and important part of NLCS Jeju life and such projects show our commitment to you to ensure you have the best possible boarding experience. Please check your email and provide your feedback today!

Here are some key dates from our CAC.

Trinity Sunday (4 June)

Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Memorial Day (6 June)

A public holiday in South Korea in memory of those who have contributed or died while serving the Republic of Korea.

Feast of Corpus Christi (8 June)

Corpus Christi is a Western Catholic feast held every year on the second Thursday after Pentecost. The celebration is associated with the commemoration of Jesus’s Last Supper with his Apostles before His crucifixion.

Race Unity Day (11 June)

Race Unity Day was established in 1957 by the Bahá’í National Spiritual Assembly. The aim was to combat racism in the US and promote unity for all. They believe that racial prejudice is the greatest barrier to peace. This is not a religious holiday, but a day to appreciate each other’s diversity and come together to make the world a better place.

Feast of the Sacred Heart (16 June)

Feast of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic feast day commemorating Jesus’ heart and his love for all humanity. As well as a feast it is common to hold an Eucharitsic adoration for a few hours.

Observed in India every year, the day commemorates and celebrates the life of religious figure Guru Arjan Dev (the fifth Sikh Guru) who sacrificed his life for the Sikh people. Sikhs observe the day by reading the Sikh holy book (The Guru Granth Sahib) from cover to cover.

Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib (16 June)

We are extremely proud of all our students and we love to keep in touch and find out what they are up to after graduating from NLCS Jeju.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Congratulations to Ms. Natalie Wilson (Vice Principal - Academic) who has successfully completed the ‘International Professional Certificate in School Leadership (IPCSL)’ with IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society.

….and finally

CALENDAR COMPETITION

Each year the Marketing Team creates a new desktop calendar which features photos from around the School from the previous year. The front cover is always a beautiful scenic photo of Jeju.

This year we are giving all our staff and students the opportunity to submit an entry to be considered for the front cover.

To enter the competition, please complete this form. The deadline to register is 9 June - one entry per person. An anonymised short list of five photos will be created by the Marketing team, with the Senior Team making the final decision. The winner will be announced in the final newsletter of the academic year on 16 June.

Good luck!

….and finally

Arguably one of the most exciting events in the NLCS Jeju calendar. The annual Arts Festival is back once again and the list of events and activities will not disappoint. We will share photos and videos on social media throughout the Festival and more in the next newsletter. To all the students, artists, performers, tech crew and staff who are involved - thank you we cannot wait to see what is in store! The Arts Festival will run from Thursday 8 June to Tuesday 13 June in various locations around the campus. Please read the letters from Mr. Tamlyn which include a QR code, event App and a full schedule of events. Junior Letter and Senior Letter.

Follow Us! Don’t forget that you can follow us on social media for daily updates!