Yongduam News September 2023
Message from the BM Mr. Perry After a long summer, this first half-term has flown by! It has been a busy time and there is never a dull moment in Yongduam, so I am sure the boys are looking forward to a well-deserved rest over the Chuseok break! For those of you who have been able to come into the home, or who follow the school social media pages, you will see that our atrium has undergone some renovations over the summer. This room is the focal point of the home, so we are delighted to have a fresh, clean look that the boys can hopefully enjoy as their own space in the home. We are delighted to have the same boarding team this year in Yongduam and in each half-term, we will have a little section about the seven of us. I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce our Yongduam Home Committee for this academic year:
Jun Sagong Boarding Home Captain
Living in Yongduam Boarding Home was definitely a decision I will never regret. The supported group of people has grown to be my second family; they are always there and available to encourage me when I am having difficulties. The activities in the Boarding Home will strengthen friendships and trust. It's amazing how this once-unfamiliar place has developed into my second “Home”. Now, being the Home Captain of Yongduam, it is my responsibility to make sure that everyone feels supported and safe. I hope everyone in Yongduam can feel the sense of being here and have fun in this new academic year.
Hyun Koo Academic Captain
Hello, my name is Ja-hyun (Hyun) Koo from year 11, currently serving as the Academic Captain of Yongduam. I have been in the Boarding Home for around 5 years and all I can recall are splendid memories. To answer the most common question asked by a number of parents, “Can you study well in the dormitory?”, the answer is of course “Yes”. To me, the Boarding Home is not just a school facility that provides accommodation for a large number of students, yet a place that encourages students to take both their fun and academics. In fact, adapting and sticking to the well-structured boarding system allows students to perform better than day students. My duty is to ensure no boarding students are left behind in academics throughout the year. Contemplating that I was also one of those students who struggled in school work, I would love to help out any student who desires for improvement. Regardless of their year group, I look forward to meeting with students and championing them. I live on the second floor of Yongduam, so whenever you need me please knock on my door. Iʼll always be there for you. .
Benjamin Han Events Captain
Just to introduce myself, I am (Benjamin) Hyunsuk Han from Year 11, and I am the current Event Captain of Yongduam. This is my 3rd year at NLCS Jeju, and I am particularly artistic, taking GCSE Music and Dance (poor choice really). Life at boarding homes are extremely special gifts for students, and they should certainly value and make the most of their time at Yongduam. We have fantastic Y11 leaders and a home committee to organise and arrange various trips and home activities. In the first few weeks of the term, we already had a BBQ party within the house as well as a trip to Jeju City to refresh our minds from stressful academics. We hope to launch more exciting events such as Halloween Party and bring back the spirit of Karaoke Night, and certainly, there are more home trips and year group trips to follow throughout the term. Taking double GCSE Arts subjects, I hope to create an artistic atmosphere around the boarding home.
Jaehoon Woo Media Captain
Hello, I'm Jaeheon Woo, and I'm thrilled to serve as the Media Captain of Yongduam Boarding Home for my fourth year at NLCS. Having experienced boarding life for several years, I am committed to making our new students feel welcome and comfortable during their initial boarding experience. In my role as Media Captain, I'm dedicated to keeping everyone informed about the exciting happenings at Yongduam. Our first step in achieving this is through newsletters like this one. I believe that open communication is the key to building a thriving and inclusive community. To that end, I encourage each and every one of you to reach out to me with your thoughts, suggestions, or any stories you'd like to share. As we journey through the academic year together, I invite you to stay tuned for a steady stream of updates and news from Yongduam. Whether it's the latest happenings, noteworthy achievements, or heartwarming stories from our community, we will make sure it can be shared to everyone. I think it is going to be a fantastic year.
Ernest Lee Wellbeing Captain
Hi, this is Ernest Lee. It has been a total of four years of attending NLCS Jeju for me. This year I was appointed as the wellbeing captain of Yongduam house. The life in NLCS means quite a lot for me as there were always precious memories and beloved ones helping me to improve and carry on in times of struggle. Even in the darkest times, the various support I received from others such as older students and staff members became a guide for me to carry on the school career. Currently, I feel that I progressed so much from the past and I would like to thank two communities, which are Yongduam and ʻSonitasʼ. Sonitas was a chance given to me by the ex-house captain Julius Cho, and this granted me a chance to exceed my potential in my singing talents. Nowadays, I frequently perform as a vocalist in their events and enjoy my life to have such a prestigious position. Eventually, those experiences gave me a certain inspiration to return this encouragement to other pupils in the school, and it has been a pleasure since I consider my position to be perfectly suiting with what I aimed for in the past. In fact, for new students, life in NLCS Jeju will be somewhat tough and strenuous to settle in the community. As the Wellbeing captain, I pledge to parent members and staff that I would fully utilise my mediocre competency to fulfil my duties that are given in my role.
Eu Park Sustainability Captain
I am Eu Park, and I am the sustainability captain at Yongduam. When I first arrived at Yongduam as a latecomer, I had some doubts. The unfamiliar surroundings and the fear of not fitting in this boarding home were concerns that I had. However, my worries quickly disappeared the moment I stepped foot in Yongduam. After staying for a few days, Yongduam had a unique charm that instantly felt like home. Over the course of what has felt like both a long and short year, I have come to love my time spent here. As the sustainability captain who has been nominated for the ʻcleanest roomʼ award countless times, I think this is a testament to my dedication to maintaining a tidy and eco-friendly environment at Yongduam. I am committed to improving the overall experience for everyone in Yongduam by making it more enjoyable, cleaner, and environmentally friendly. This is not just a responsibility but a passion of mine, and I look forward to contributing to the positive vibes and sustainable future of Yongduam.
BBQ WEEKEND Colin Seo and Brendan Kim (Y10)
Last week's pork BBQ was far better than expected, and we want to give a huge thanks to Mr.Perry, for always going beyond expectations. The pork had very much an incredible quality, certainly comparable to the restaurants in Jeju. Sharing the pork Mr.Perry has cooked, around the campfire, we had great opportunities to get along with each other and welcome the new students, sharing each otherʼs experiences from the first few weeks. After the BBQ, we felt more united. These small moments are what become memories and this is definitely one of the reasons why we pursue being a boarder, rather than a day student. Because of these small moments, Yongduam feels like a second home or sometimes, even the first one.
New Student Intro With the start of our new academic year, seven students joined Yongduam. They struggled and are still struggling a bit to adapt to the environment of the NLCS boarding house (like all of us did), but do not worry! One of the reasons why there are home committees is to help new students, and we are always here to help if they need it and will provide everything we can to help them. Those students who are brand new to NLCS Jeju have support from their peers in the boarding homes as well as the teachers, to help them get used to the environment. With only two Year 7s, the staff and Year 8s decided to mix the Year 7s and 8s, to make them easy to socialise and get used to their new school easily and quickly. Also, we organise times on the weekends for new students to play hide and seek or board games to help them get along well with other students. The most important thing we consider in the process of getting along with others is communication. Since without communication, each other's thoughts cannot be conveyed. We will continue to extend a warm welcome and lend a helping hand to our new students. Together, we can make their journey at NLCS Jeju a positive and enriching experience.
Key Dates ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
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Sunday 1st October- Boarders return to school between 14:00-19:00. Please let me know if your son is arriving after 19:00. Monday 2nd October- Lessons resume- we come back on a Week B/2. Friday 6th October- Year 7 Parent Consultations (face-to-face). Saturday 7th October- Bryant 1.3 and SATs Friday 13th October- Year 10 Parent Consultations (online). Saturday 14th October- Bryant 1.4. Friday 20th October-Sunday 22nd October- Exeat weekend. Students can be picked up from NLCS from 16:00 onwards. If you wish for your son to fly home, then please book a flight for 18:00 or later and arrange for a taxi to collect him from school. There will be no bus arrangements between NLCS and Jeju Airport. Saturday 28th October- Bruant 1.5. Thursday 2nd November- End of the half-term. The school day will end at 15:25 and a bus will leave shortly after to Jeju Airport, so flights should be arranged no earlier than 17:30.