NLCS Jeju Newsletter 1 December 2023

1 December 2023

Newsletter North London Collegiate School Jeju

TOP NEWS DIVERSITY WEEK GEOGRAPHY ENRICHMENT WEEK CATS

PRINCIPAL’S LETTER Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Friends of NLCS Jeju This week we have all experienced team work, commitment and dedication in action as we had the pleasure of watching the Cats performances. This musical was a memorable experience for all of us as we saw the many talents of so many students performing in their dancing, singing, and acting. The music of the students was outstanding as is so often the case. To stage such performances demands a whole team of backstage and technical support which is sustained for weeks. The set design was amazing and enhanced the performances. All of us give thanks to all who have been involved in so many ways in supporting students to put on such brilliant performances which would not have been possible without the staff who nurtured and guided these talents and special thanks go to the Dance and Music departments. Well done to all who have taken part!

Students over the last few weeks have had many opportunities to be engaged in lectures with visiting speakers as seen during Diversity Week. This opportunity to develop greater understanding of cultures, their history, and the environment across the world was thought provoking and ensured that our students gained greater global awareness and understanding. This is also linked to a range of student initiatives currently where students are increasingly aware of sustainability and their footprints, encouraging us as individuals and a School to take responsibility. The projects and ideas of our students are also extending to our family of schools where their ideas have been discussed and acted upon.

We are delighted to share the news that many of our students have been successful in gaining interviews for Oxbridge, as well as other prestigious universities and also in the study of Pharmacy and Medicine. Preparing for these is both time consuming and also demanding for both the students and the many staff as well as friends of NLCS Jeju who contribute to the preparation of our students. Our best wishes go out to our Year 13 students so involved and engaged in this process.

We are approaching the final two weeks of the term and we hope that you will enjoy further opportunities to see NLCS Jeju in action and to celebrate the achievements of our students.

Yours sincerely,

Lynne Oldfield Principal

The Main Event

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

DIVERSITY WEEK Thank you to Ms. Alex Gellersen and the Cultural Awareness Committee (CAC) for arranging yet another vibrant and informative Diversity Week.

Throughout the week we were treated to foods, activities and traditional dress from around the world. Helping us all to understand more about each other and appreciate all our differences.

Thank you to our special guests - Mr. Pekka Metso (Ambassador of the Embassy of Finland in Korea), who delivered a lecture on the ‘Infrastructure to Finnish Happiness’, to Mr. Paul Duclos (Ambassador of the Embassy of Peru in Korea) and author Ms. Marie Mockett.

Mr. Paul Duclos

Mr. Pekka Metso

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DIVERSITY WEEK

A lot of time and effort goes into arranging such a packed week and we are very grateful to everyone who was involved.

Here is what the Cultural Awareness Committee said about the week - “The CAC successfully organised the food fair, allowing students to experience snacks from different nations. A total of 885,000 won was raised and all donated to the UN human rights council.

The CAC invited Ambassador Paul Duclos, Peru Ambassador. He gave a special experience to the MUN students by conducting a Q&A session, and answering numerous questions relating to international affairs and diplomacy.

During Cultural Clothes Day, students were allowed to wear their own cultural clothes, and we saw active participation from many students, but especially CAC members and the Big 8. Clothes such as Hanbok, Chipao, and Lehenga were worn by students, and their colourfulness visualised the diversity.

DIVERSITY WEEK

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Other student-led groups also pitched in. From the Mandarin Society’s luck-filled Wishing Tree to the Visual Arts Society’s stunning cultural mask paintings to the Neurology Society’s enlightening display on cognitive recognition, the Senior School halls were alive with a vibrant tapestry of experiences throughout the week.

But these activities weren’t only limited to the older students – the CAC held three distinct assemblies tailored for our younger peers in the Junior School, while the Student Activist Group also hosted a hands-on craft booth designed for Years 5-6, ensuring that the spirit of diversity was felt throughout every corner of our school community.

Overall, this was a wonderfully enriching week for all of our students, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all the help, participation, and success generated by the school community.”

The Main Event

SOHAPPY Production

Take a look at Seoha Han’s latest SOHAPPY video, which was made especially for Diversity Week. We always enjoy her creative videos. Congratulations also to Seoha who recently received a commendation for her essay which she entered into the John Locke essay competition. Her essay was titled - “What is something important, about which nearly everybody is wrong?”

2023 Junior Essay Prize This certifies that

Seoha Han has been awarded

Commendation for an Outstanding Submission to the John Locke Institute Essay Competition presented this day, the sixteenth of September, 2023, at The Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford Jamie Whyte Ph.D. (Cantab), Chairman of Examiners

Martin Cox M.A. (Oxon), Director

GEOGRAPHY ENRICHMENT WEEK The theme of this week’s Geography Enrichment Week was ‘The Anthropocene - the age of humans’ - The Anthropocene is a proposed epoch that marks the significant and lasting impact of human activity on the Earth’s geology and ecosystems. Activities included a number of quizzes - such as - sustainable development goals, Geopolitics - why did the US and Russia want Antarctica and lectures on ‘the age of Humans’ and ‘the environmental impact of tourism on Jeju Island’ Thanks to our student led societies for their display boards: • ‘Current Energy Consumption at NLCS Jeju’ - created by the Human Geography Society • ‘How the geopolitics of South Korea has changed since the Anthropocene epoch’ created by Geopolitics Society • ‘Environmental damage caused by humans/ through the “age of humans”’ - created

by Environmental Studies Society Thank you to all the Geography Department and students for their efforts.

GEOGRAPHY ENRICHMENT WEEK

The Main Event

The Main Event

COMPUTER SCIENCE ENRICHMENT WEEK Next week is our Computer Science Enrichment Week, thank you in advance to staff and students who are busy preparing another great week for us all to enjoy. Photos will be shared online soon!

CATS The week of performances is finally here and what a spectacular show it was! The PAC was packed for each show - with staff, parents and students. A huge thank you to all the staff and students who have worked tirelessly for months to prepare for this event. The professional standard produced by all was commendable and at moments it was easy to forget you were sitting in the audience of a school production. Well done everyone!

Stage creation - time lapse Thank you to Mr. Dex Masrey, Mr. Paul Smith and Mr. Chris Chang for the set creation check out this great video capturing the transformation!

Cats Programme

The Main Event

Here’s a great keepsake of the production, thank you to Ms. Kim (Marketing), Liz Chung and Jian Kim.

Behind the scenes documentary Well done to Jiah Jung who has created this behind the scenes documentary for Cats.

Don’t miss our posts!

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

• Junior School Science Day • Korean Musical Instrument - Busking • Year 4 trip to the Greek Museum • CCA Pottery

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?

NLCS Jeju Awards and Achievements JEJU YOUTH SERVICE AWARD 2023 Another set of wonderful awards were received by our students for their hard work and commitment to service. These awards are very well deserved and we are proud of each of you and your contributions to Jeju and the wider community. Congratulations!!!

Individual Category • 1st prize (the Minister of Gender Equality and Family Award) - Y13 Seok Hyeon Moon • 2nd prize (Jeju Governor’s Award) - Y12 Haewon (Leo) Park • 3rd prize (Jeju Provincial Council President Award) - Y12 Jieun (Elizabeth) Han • 4th prize (Jeju Provincial Superintendent Award) - Y12 Minwoo Jeong Group Category • 2nd prize (Jeju Governor’s Award) - Yehyangwon, Y13 Keonyi Kim, SeongJoon (Steven) Yang , Y12 Jisu (Michelle) Choi, Suwoong Kim • 5th prize (Korea Youth Activities Promotion Agency Chairman Award) - Peace Village, Y13 Joona Kim, Doyeon (Joanna) Ryoo

NLCS Jeju Awards and Achievements

Other News COMPUTER SCIENCE - AMAZON WEB SERVICES - SEOUL Our Year 12 and 13 students attended a Deep Learning Course, hosted by Amazon, in Seoul. The immersive experience provided students with a comprehensive understanding of Machine Learning, a subset of Artificial Intelligence that is revolutionising various industries.

The day commenced with an interactive Q&A session led by Amazon’s expert engineers.

This session offered valuable insights into project management in real-world settings, closely mirroring the concepts they had been learning in class.

Following the Q&A session, students embarked on a tour of Amazon’s working area, gaining first hand exposure to the dynamic and innovative environment where cuttingedge technologies are developed.

The highlight of the day was the enriching short course on Deep Learning, which delved into the fundamental principles and applications of this powerful technology.

By the end of the day, 17 students and 2 teachers from NLCS, Jeju had successfully completed the course, earning certifications from Amazon for their Deep Learning proficiency. This accomplishment not only serves as a testament to their dedication and hard work but also opens doors to future opportunities in the rapidly evolving realm of Artificial Intelligence.

Other News

WORLD MATHS CHALLENGE - SINGAPORE “The NLCS Jeju mathematics team, consisting of 18 talented mathematicians, departed the School on Friday, November 24th. We were all so excited to board the plane, and many fun challenges awaited us in the UWCSEA Dover campus.

We left for the campus at 8 am, after a savoury breakfast that would keep us energised for the day. The competitions started at 9:30am, and we were competing against mathematicians of our age, from around the world! It was very intimidating at first, but after we all adapted to the environment, we tried our best to get good scores on each of the competitions. Everyone was fully engaged in the fun maths activities that were quite enjoyable, and I didn’t know maths could be this fun! For some of the rounds, we were supposed to run and submit our answers just like mathletics in the house competitions.

I would recommend this event to enthusiastic mathematicians of our school. If you have a chance to participate in this wonderful championship, go for it! It perhaps could be the most vigorous and breathtaking experience for you.” - Ashley Jung (Y9).

Other News

VEX ROBOTICS COMPETITION - THIRD PLACE!

Here, Mr. Tajvir Singh, Head of Computer Science, explains how a recent robotics competition hosted at SJA taught our Robotics CCA students all about resilience and the ability to bounce back, adapt, and overcome challenges “Resilience: The Power to Bounce Back A Last-Minute Design Change -Just hours before the competition, our team was faced with a critical design issue (height of the robot) in the robot during inspection. This unexpected hurdle could have easily derailed their efforts and dampened their spirits. However, instead of succumbing to discouragement, our team rallied together, embracing the challenge with unwavering determination. They worked tirelessly for the next two hours, meticulously refining their design and implementing innovative solutions to put forward a robot that was both functional and effective just minutes before the competition begins.

Adapting and Overcoming -Throughout the competition, our team encountered numerous obstacles, from technical glitches to unforeseen circumstances. After losing their first few matches, they faced the prospect of elimination. However, instead of letting defeat define their journey, they used it as a catalyst for growth. They analysed their performance, identified areas for improvement, and emerged from each match stronger and more determined.

Rising to the Top - Our team’s resilience and determination shone through as they progressed through the tournament. They displayed remarkable teamwork, collaborating effectively and supporting each other through every challenge. Their unwavering spirit and collective strength propelled them to the top, securing a place among the top three teams out of fourteen.”

THE ARTS NEW 3D ART ROOM Take a look at some of the incredible art that has been created in our new 3D Art Studio.

Ensuring our students have access to such space and equipment can really inspire them to be creative and find enjoyment with something new!

FOBISIA WINNERS Congratulations to Boyoon Choi and Song Shin who came 1st and 2nd place respectively in the Year 9 category in the recent Art FOBISIA ‘Spaces in Perspective’ competition. Well done!

THE ARTS

JUNIOR SCHOOL POP UP PERCUSSION CONCERT

There is always something exciting happening around the School. Take a look at our Junior School students providing us all with a brilliant concert! Well done all. Thank you to Ms. Ruth Baker (Head of Junior School Music) for arranging the event and to the parents for joining us.

CAS YEONWOO (AMY) KIM Here, Amy is interviewed by Eunseo (Chloe) Lee.

Chloe : “Can you explain what you have chosen to do for each of the categories in CAS?” Amy : “First for creativity, I focused on various piano-related activities, as playing the

piano is a genuine passion of mine. The experiences that I did include participating in piano ensemble, piano ABRSM, and providing piano accompaniments for arts week concerts.

For activity, I engaged in yoga and indoor workouts. Lastly, for service, I dedicated my time to two initiatives, the Cool chemists and GaNaDa society.”

Chloe : “Can you tell me about any valuable moments, or highlights of your activities?”

Amy : “As I was deeply involved in piano-related activities, I would say the true highlights of these experiences were the actual performances themselves. Performing in front of a lot of people was remarkable, as initially, we encountered difficulties as beginners. However, after a few sessions of practising and collaborating as a team, we managed to successfully perform in multiple school concerts.”

Chloe : “Why do you think CAS is a requirement in a DP programme?”

Amy : “I think CAS provides a unique opportunity for students to collaborate with their

peers. It is particularly valuable during the academically rigorous IB course, as it allows students to balance their academic commitments with extracurricular activities, providing an avenue for relaxation and personal growth.”

YEONWOO (AMY) KIM

TRISTIEN CREBIER

CAS TRISTIEN CREBIER This week, Chandler Ahn talked to Tristien Crebier about his experience with the Olle Trail Clean-Up Bryant and his reasons for choosing this CAS Service activity.

Interviewer: “Tell me about your CAS activity. What does it involve, and why is it important to you?”

Tristien: “For the service component of my CAS, I’ve been picking up trash in the local

area with a group of other students and staff. I participate in this activity every weekend in the Olle Trail Clean-Up Bryant, and on weeks when there’s no Bryant, I go out to Hyeopjae beach or around the GEC area and pick up the trash that I see. I chose this activity because I want to do my part in making the world a clean, preserved, and tidy place. Littering is one of the most harmful things you can do to nature: toxic materials can leak into the ecosystem from certain types of trash, animals can be directly harmed from coming into contact with things like plastic beer rings, and habitats can be destroyed due to the trash we leave around. For me, this is an especially big problem that I wanted to address through my CAS because we live on a natural heritage site that has one of the most pristine natural environments in Korea. I’m happy that I have the opportunity to do my part in protecting Jeju’s natural beauty, and to give back to the Jeju community — which relies heavily on the preservation of the natural environment for tourism, farming and forestry — through my engagement with CAS.”

Interviewer: “What are some opportunities and challenges that you’ve come across while completing this activity?”

Tristien: “I feel that I’m taking on a strong supportive role within the Bryant itself —

that’s something that’s definitely come with investing myself deeper into this activity through CAS. I think what many of us will find true is that with the environment, looking at the bigger picture can sometimes be overwhelming: there’s just so many things that are going wrong with our planet at any given moment that it’s difficult for us to pick any one part of the problem to address. But by engaging with this CAS experience and taking time out of the day to reflect on my personal reasons for choosing to target this specific area, I was able to get that hesitation out of the way and just start doing something that has a tangible influence on the community that I’m part of.”

“A definite challenge, though, has been the process of addressing my ‘climate emotions’ about the fact that try as I may, I won’t be able to make the world litter-free by going out every Saturday and walking with tongs and a recycle bag for two hours. It sometimes sucks to know that no matter how hard I work, I won’t be able to pick up enough trash to make the world a clean place — that the contributions that I make, while they can be measured in bags of trash, can’t really be felt on a global or even nationwide scale. But I think that’s part of the reason why everyone should consider engaging in an environment-related CAS experience: it helps you come to terms, on your own time and in your own pace, about why it’s important that we make the small contributions that we do.”

FOCUS ON SIXTH FORM MEET THE YEAR 13 TUTORS Mr. Joel Rushton joined NLCS Jeju last year as a biology teacher, and started his pastoral journey as a tutor with his current Y13 tutees. Mr. Rushton is always cheerful, and willing to make time for his students, and everyone in the team. His positivity and can-do attitude shines through even the dullest of days. We managed to snap a photo of him in his current disguise-a Movember moustache in support of men’s health!

“As a sixth form tutor since 2022, I have had the pleasure of seeing my students develop into well-rounded internationally-minded citizens. Since then, I have really enjoyed helping my tutees navigate the relative minefield of joining the adult world. They each have unique personalities and I feel it is part of my duty to help them see how their attitudes can complement each other, as they learn to collaborate and work as a team. I am very much looking forward to the end of the year, when we can celebrate all they have achieved and recognize how very far they have come.” - Mr. Rushton.

Chengdon Ma- Y13 JRU Chengdon is one of Mr. Rushton’s tutees, and he is passionate about game development. He has been able to focus on his interests, and develop socially and academically in the Sixth Form.

“I am really enjoying the independent nature of the Sixth Form while still maintaining a sense of formality. It gives me the ability and freedom to pursue my passions and interests while also remaining focused on the IB program, and it really helps me connect such interests with academics.

I am able to work towards my passion for game development and design as an expression of creativity and technical knowledge.”

FOCUS ON SIXTH FORM PARENT WORKSHOPS: SIXTH FORM PASTORAL TEAM We had the pleasure of sharing our pastoral vision with parents on Monday 27 November. The day started with an opening speech from Dr. Karamalla (Head of Sixth Form Pastoral), and Ms. Minic (Assistant Head of Sixth Form Pastoral) regarding the extensive pastoral systems in place to ensure that every student is celebrated, and cared for as an individual in the Sixth Form.

Thereafter, our fantastic Y12 student leaders ran 20-minute workshops to give the parents a good idea of what it is like to be an all rounded NLCS Jeju Sixth Form student. The sessions were a great success, and we are so proud of these students who were more than willing to take on the challenge of presenting to the parents. Here are some pictures of the teams in action!

Here are the workshops they supported: • Tutor Time Activity - (Alexa Han & Julius Cho) • Societies & Prefects - (Angela Lee & Suwoong Kim) • Sixth Form Life - through the eyes of a Sixth Former - (Olivia Kim & Chris Yoon)

FOCUS ON SIXTH FORM

MEET THE YEAR 12 TUTORS Mr. William Hebbron has continued with his tutees from Year 11, and we are very lucky to have him as a member of the Year 12 team Mr. Hebbron knows his students like the back of his hand, and he is deeply caring about their progress, and works hard to support them pastorally. Be it a mathematical or a pastoral problem, you know he can solve it!

“I have been a tutor to most of the students in my group since they arrived in Senior School in Year 7. It has been an absolute privilege to watch these young people grow up in front of me, and their transformation from bright-eyed small children into complex and wonderful young adults is remarkable. The only downside is I will be devastated when they “fly the nest” next year.

As a maths teacher, I am well aware of the pressures associated particularly with the IB Higher Level maths courses. This year I am lucky to have some of my tutees in my HL class, which gives me the simple pleasure of spending more time with them, but also, allows me to more closely monitor for signs of academic stress and help the students avoid this as much as possible.”

FOCUS ON SIXTH FORM

JIAH JUNG- Y12WHE Jiah is one of Mr. Hebbron’s shining stars.

“Sixth Form has definitely been a different experience from Year 11. The fact that I can select subjects according to my interests makes each class more fun and enjoyable.

And of course, I also love the small perks of being a Sixth Form, such as the delicious Smiley Cafe snacks and free periods in between lessons. Free periods provide me some time to do my classwork or work on extra projects that I am passionate about”.

“Jiah is supremely well-organised and is an integral part of the school events Tech Crew.

She plays important background roles in making sure spectacular events come to life, so we think she is a superstar in her own right!” - Mr.Hebbron

SPORT SPORTS TEAM Victoria Ju is the Big 8 Sports Ambassador at NLCS Jeju, under her are a team of Sports Leaders who support and promote sport at School: the management team (Michael Shim, Minwoo Jeong and Seungwon Woo: the development team (Kyran Coughlan, Alexandra Park and Ben Park) and the publicity team (Ellen Ki and Nancy Gao).

We are delighted to confirm that Ellen and Nancy will create and contribute articles related to all the wonderful sporting events at the School for future newsletters. We thank them for their first contribution and look forward to more in the future.

KISAC HS VOLLEYBALL Congratulations to all HS Volleyball students who participated in KISAC. Our team competed in a two-day volleyball KISAC tournament against teams from all international schools in Seoul, Busan, and Jeju. We again achieved excellent results this year- 4th place for both boys and girls Varsity and 2nd place for both boys and girls Junior Varsity.

PHUKET 7S

SPORT

Our U11 boys’ and girls’ squad recently took on the challenging Phuket 7s tournament, known as the most competitive competition in Asia. The boys played very well; for some, this was their first international competition, but they missed out on the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, our U11 girls made history and brought home a bronze medal – a first for NLCS Jeju at the highly competitive Phuket 7s, a huge achievement. Well done!”

SKIING COMPETITION Congratulations to Y12 Nancy Gao who represented Qinhuangdao in the 2023 HEBEI Snow and Ice League last week. Nancy won 1st place in Giant Slalom racing and 2nd place in Slalom racing which marks her first two medals this year. We look forward to her future endeavours. Well done!

HOUSE NEWS Geomun House has been victorious in the Glee and House Singing House Competition for the last two consecutive years. Such an achievement is not by chance - hard work, commitment, teamwork and harnessing the talents of all House members is important for success, we invited Geomun House to contribute to this week’s newsletter to share information on how they prepare for such a House Competition, what takes place behind the scenes, what it’s like to perform in front of the whole school and how it feels to win, as well as providing an insight into what it means to be a Geomun member.

Mr. Heydinger - Head of Geomun House “I’m immensely proud of what ‘The Geomuners’ have achieved in the last few weeks.

I talk alot about what makes Geomun special; its history, the quality of the leadership committee, the willingness of the students to step up, step in and get involved, and the guidance and support of the team of form tutors, but it must all come together at the right time to succeed in the showcase events.

Nothing tests the true spirit, character and values of a House more than these major events and performances. In Geomun House kindness and togetherness are central to our existence and the pressure that grows in the weeks leading to the ‘big night’ can really reveal the foundations on which a House is built. The House Leaders are the key to success and once again they demonstrated determination, resilience, passion and an ability to think clearly under pressure, that ultimately lead to another double victory in the Singing and the Glee.

The Ensemble group were an absolute pleasure to work with and support. Calmness, kindness and attention to detail were clearly on display, and it was a real ‘win’ to see a Year 7 student ‘front and centre’ of the performance and working so well with the older students.

Sadly there’s little time to reflect as the competition events continue on a weekly basis, but I think we’ve created some special memories in the last few weeks and shown once again exactly what it means to be a Geomuner.”

HOUSE NEWS

Ms. Amanda Tranmer - Assistant Head of Geomun House

“As a former Sixth Form tutor this was my first experience of everything that comes before the House Singing and Glee performances. The sheer quantity of work and determination that the students put into this event is staggering. Being chosen for the House Glee really requires a significant commitment from every student who participates. Every student, in any house, who participates really personifies the characteristics of risk-taking, commitment and teamwork.

Within Geomun House there was significant pressure on all of the students but particularly our student leaders, Olivia and Jimin, after the victories in Singing and Glee last year. The ability of all of our leaders and performers to withstand that pressure and to deliver such outstanding performances in light of this earns them all my utmost respect.

Attending last year’s event as a spectator, Geomun’s Glee performance stood out with their energy and enthusiasm and they did not disappoint this year either! More experienced and older performers will often struggle to perform to such levels under that kind of pressure. As their Assistant Head of House I hope that my advice and support helped to be part of their success however overall it was the outstanding strength of our students that led them to victory once again this year. Every house produced fantastic performances on the night but I could not be more proud of our Geomuners.” produced fantastic performances on the night but I could not be more proud of our Geomuners.”

HOUSE NEWS

From Olivia Ha G11A - Arts Vice Captain and Singing Leader It has been a thrilling time being part of Geomun, and it has been a privilege to have been given the opportunity to lead the journey this year. Geomun has made great progress as a whole house, and I am so proud of how everybody worked so hard for this. As a year 7 who was new to the house, the first house competition that made me realise what house spirit actually is, was the Whole House Singing competition. I still cannot forget the first time I stood on the PAC stage with our fellow Geomuners, all singing together as one. As it is my last year in Geomun, I was so grateful that I was able to lead this year’s house singing and it was a completely different experience that I will never forget. Since it is the biggest, and only competition that everybody in the house participates in, I was very excited. At the same time, I also felt quite pressured because of the successful results from last year.

During the two months of preparation, I felt how, not only the year 11 captains, but all the younger year groups also, grew closer together. Also, especially during the last two weeks before the actual performance, with all the planning and practising going on, I was extremely busy, some days not even being able to eat lunch properly. However, now that everything is finished, I feel very empty, and I actually miss those days, running around all day, organising and practising. I learned so much from this extraordinary experience and I am thankful for all the new people I got to know. I really want to thank all our Geomuners, especially our year 11 captains, Jimin, Hailey and Sean, who have helped me so much along the way. Of course, all of this would not have been possible without the support of Mr Heydinger and Ms Tranmer. Again, thank you so much for making such a beautiful memory Geomun. Together we are greater, together we are Geomun!

From Yeonjae Shin G11B - Yr11 Sports Vice Captain and Ensemble Leader House Ensemble Reason for piece choice: The piece is the soundtrack medley of a movie, ‘Your Name’. In the movie, the characters experience the destined connection between them. It was the best piece to express the theme of ‘connection’. By performing the soundtrack of this movie, we would like to express the deepest connection between people, reminding ourselves how the connections in daily lives are precious.

The process of preparation: The preparation for the House Ensemble started in early September. Olivia and I chose the piece and arranged it for the ensemble. We collected the people who are talented in music and passionate about House Ensemble. Amy, Yeoji, Eric, Justin, and I met twice every week and practised the piece together. Olivia always came to practice and helped us with great support and her experience with music. We especially focused on communication, which means looking at each other and feeling the music together during the performance. The excellent effort and devotion of each one of us led to the final result, 3rd place. It might not be the best result we aimed for, but since we did our best, there was no regret. It was a great experience to engage with others and work hard together for Geomun. Lastly, I would like to say special thanks to Mr Heydinger and Ms Tranmer, who always supervised our practice and supported us.

CULTURAL AWARENESS COMMITTEE

St. Nicholas Day (5 or 6 December) Also known as the Feast of Saint Nicholas, Christians honour the birthday of Saint Nicholas—the inspiration behind Santa Claus, given his proclivity towards gift-giving.

Bodhi Day (8 December) Also known as Rohatsu, this Buddhist tradition honours the day in which the Buddha— Siddartha Gautauma—is said to have achieved enlightenment. Many Buddhists celebrate it through meditation.

CULTURAL AWARENESS COMMITTEE Feast Day of our Lady Guadalupe (12 December) Mexicans and Mexican-Americans often celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico who symbolises patriotism and devotion.

ONLJ 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.

Our ONLJ (Old North Londoners of Jeju) is an active and supportive community, guided by our Alumni and Development Manager, Ms. Shin.

Thank you to Sookyong who shared their stories this week.

If you studied at NLCS Jeju and you want to share your news with us, please email Ms. Shin (alumnioffice@nclsjeju.kr). We cannot wait to hear from you.

ONLJ ONLJ Profile Sookyong (Seyfried) Sung Class of 2022 King’s College London Medicine MBBS

Why did you select this degree?

I think about this question every day, but I have never found a perfect answer. When I first decided to apply for medicine, I thought ‘If not now, then when?’. The consultant that I was shadowing once tried to discourage me, telling me that the 6-year course was going to be physically and mentally demanding and that I would have to sacrifice my 20s. I, however, found another reason to dive into medicine. I felt like if not now, I would never be reckless and courageous enough to give it a try. I wanted to really push myself to the limit and see whether I can survive through this notorious major. On top of this, I loved the invasiveness of medicine - the fact that I can go so deep into other people’s lives and that I can play a major role along their journey. It is a job of erasing myself and always putting patients first and foremost, almost self-destructive, but if I will be able to see my patients back on stage, in the middle of the spotlight, that is enough for me.

How has your university experience been so far?

Everyone in our course would agree on the fact that the first year is tough. For the 9am dissection, I had to force myself to eat sandwiches while running to campus, so that I would not faint in the middle of the 2-hour session. I was always in the front row, touching and cutting the cadaver, which introduced me to a whole new world of anatomy. Staying in the lecture theatre for 5 hours straight was stressful, so I occasionally went to the Tate Modern or V&A to do the lecture in the middle of the exhibition room. It must be one of the cultural experiences that only London can offer.

Looking back, living with 5 flatmates that I had never met before was a great memory. When I rented a set of real human skeletons for my exam revision, my flatmate who studied physics did not even let me open the box. The two boys were amazed at how South Korea beat Argentina in the World Cup. We insisted on getting a McFlurry in the middle of the night At the moment, I am slowly settling into the hospital placements which started in September. Waking up at 6:30 in the morning and getting onto the train in the rush hour sometimes makes me wonder whether I am a full-time worker, not a student. I am also looking for research opportunities to work alongside paediatric consultants. I was surprised and grateful at how medical students are welcomed to join the clinics and laboratories. I hope I can take advantage of this privilege and make good use of the second year.

ONLJ

STAFF NEWS WELCOME TO THE FAMILY ALEX LIM

Congratulations to Mr. Adam Lim (Assistant Head of Noro House) and his wife, Ms. Eunyoung Ko, on the birth of their son, Alex Lim. Born on 22 November weighing 3.36kg. We wish them all well!

HARRISON COLDWELL Congratulations to Mr. Alastair Coldwell (English Teacher) and his wife Penny, who welcomed a new addition to their family last week! We wish them all well!

BLOOD DONATION BUS Don’t forget we are hosting the blood donation bus on 9 December, please see the letter from Ms. Prichard on how to sign up to donate.

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