As my first term as Principal of NLCS Jeju draws to a close, I would like to thank all students, staff and families for the remarkable energy that has filled our campus since August. Reading this newsletter, I have been struck once again by the breadth of opportunity available, the ambition and unmatched enthusiasm of our students, and the expertise and commitment of my colleagues across every area of school life.
It has also been a real pleasure to meet so many parents each week too this term, primarily in the regular ‘Meet the Principal’ sessions. These conversations have been insightful, warm and enormously valuable in helping me understand our community, and I am delighted that these sessions will continue into the new year for all year groups across the whole school. I want to take this opportunity to remind all of our parents that you are always warmly welcome in school too; at the many events we hold each term, and as supporters and partners in your children’s education. Please do get in touch with us whenever you have a question, concern or something you think we can help with; a strong partnership between home and school benefits every child.
It has been a genuine joy to see how alive our Junior School is this term; buzzing, quite literally, with brilliance. From pop-up poetry, e-sports victories and forest learning to wonderful art exhibitions and sporting success, there is a palpable sense of creativity and pride. Our Learning Habits have been visible everywhere; in lessons, on the pitch and stage, and - perhaps best of all - in the way students support one another.
This newsletter celebrates some especially memorable moments in more detail: Book Week transformed classrooms and corridors into a joyful celebration of reading. The Year 4 UK & South Korea Cultural Celebration highlighted the globally connected spirit of our school, while Kindness Week culminated in a whole-school kite-flying finale; a powerful image that will stay with me for a long time. Reception’s Halloween Picnic delighted our youngest learners, and the First School Christmas Production of ‘Santa’s on Strike’ will fill the PAC this week with festive charm and magic.
In the Senior School, this has also been a similarly busy and purposeful term, not only with examination preparation and university applications for our older year groups, but with a rich programme of activities, performances and competitions for all students that show how vibrant Senior School life is beyond the classroom.
Music, as ever, has flourished, with over 20 different recitals, concerts and live performances since August whilst, in Drama, Broadway Bites, IGCSE devised work performances and our stunning musical Beauty and the Beast stood out, alongside excellent LAMDA results for many students.
Academic ambition and the pursuit of scholarship continues across our faculty departments whilst, in sport, our students have excelled in football, cross country,
swimming, badminton, tennis, table tennis and golf; demonstrating skill, teamwork and resilience.
House events have shown remarkable spirit, from singing and dance to poetry, public speaking, art and competitive sport. Our boarding homes have also continued to build strong friendships and shared experiences through a wide range of events and trips.
Finally, I want to celebrate our Inclusion Team who are profiled in this term’s newsletter and demonstrate our commitment to ensuring every student feels understood, supported and inspired at NLCS Jeju. They are an essential component of our academic and pastoral support provision that provides the ‘floor’ from which all of our students can build, without ceilings, to achieve their full and unconstrained potential.
As I reflect on this first term of the academic year, I am incredibly proud of what has been achieved and deeply appreciative of the staff and families who make our school the remarkable place it is. I hope you enjoy this newsletter, and I wish you all a restful and happy holiday. I look forward to the many individual and collective accomplishments that we can celebrate again as a community next term.
Henry Wiggins Principal.
Junior School
Buzzing with Brilliance! Some of our NLCS Jeju Junior School
Term Highlights
We have had a vibrant and action-packed term full of learning rich experiences. Our students have been fully immersed in learning, adventure, and community spirit. From pop up poetry to fantastic footballers, forest trips and esports victories, orchestral spectaculars, beautiful art exhibitions and chocolate deep-dives. Every NLCS Jeju student should have the opportunity to try new experiences, be proud of their achievements, make new friends and learn the value of our Learning Habits in contributing to a successful and outstanding education.
Our classrooms, playgrounds and auditoriums have been filled with joy and enthusiasm! There have been some particular highlights, and I would like to thank all Junior School staff for their dedication and commitment to our amazing school. We truly have a wonderful learning community.
Junior School
A Week of Wonderful Words: Book Week Extravaganza!
Our annual Book Week was a resounding success, proving once again that reading is an adventure waiting to happen! The school was awash with colour as students and staff alike dressed up as their favourite literary characters. From magical wizards to adventurous explorers, the creativity on display was truly inspiring!
Thank you to all the parents and families who supported the event and helped make it such a memorable celebration of books and reading!
Junior School
Year 4 - UK - South Korea Celebration of Cool Culture!
Year 4 embraced the rich culture of two amazing countries through dance, food, music games and many other wonderful activities.
Teachers, Learning Assistants and Parents worked hard to make this a memorable day for all - it just keeps getting better!
Spreading Sunshine: Celebrating Kindness Week
Our NLCS Jeju community truly shone during Kindness Week. This special week was dedicated to reinforcing the importance of Kindness, one of our Learning Habits alongside empathy, respect, and positive behaviour. The children embraced the week wholeheartedly and the Friday whole school kite flying bonanza was a wonderful way to finish the week.
It has been heartwarming to see the ripple effect of this kindness throughout the school and for the remainder of the term.
Junior School
Playtime Perfection: Reception Halloween Picnic
Our youngest learners in Reception enjoyed a delightful afternoon of sunshine, snacks, and fun games! The annual picnic was a wonderful opportunity for the children to socialise, share, and practise their gross motor skills in a fun, relaxed environment
A big thank you to the Reception staff for organising such a spooky and wonderful celebration of play and friendship!
The spirit of Christmas truly arrived this week with our spectacular First School Christmas Production of Santa’s on Strike.
Our students from Reception, Year 1 and 2 were absolutely magnificent, delivering a series of performances that filled the PAC with joy and laughter. The confidence and enthusiasm radiating from the stage were infectious, and every child deserves enormous praise for their hard work.
The production was not just a great show, but a wonderful example of teamwork, focus, and dedication from every single student and staff member involved.
A special note of gratitude goes to parents and grandparents who attended the performances. Your enthusiastic applause and support truly made the evening special for the children.
We are so incredibly proud of our First School for bringing so much festive cheer to the school. What a perfect start to the holiday season!
Senior School
Music
Music at NLCS Jeju continues to expand in scope and ambition; in the classroom, our Year 13 students prepare for auditions at Berklee and beyond; since August, the School has hosted 22 Music events spread over 15 weeks, not counting an action-packed Music and Latin Enrichment Week in September!
Biology
Our Biology department has had an exciting and enriching term of experiential learning. Year 12 students conducted ecological fieldwork in Yeorae Village, gathering real-world data on population distribution and abiotic factors before applying statistical tools for their mini-IA analysis. Year 11 students deepened their understanding of the IGCSE curriculum through a visit to the Yeomiji Botanical Garden, where they explored how plants adapt to a wide range of environments, from tropical to arid and aquatic ecosystems. Meanwhile, aspiring medical and biomedical students in Years 12 and 13 took part in our MMI event, experiencing university-style interview stations that challenged their ethical reasoning, communication, and critical thinking—valuable preparation for future applications.
Senior School Drama
At the beginning of Term 1, the NLCS Jeju Drama Department presented “Broadway Bites” alongside the Year 11 IGCSE Drama Devised pieces. Throughout the term, the department has been actively preparing the school musical, “Beauty and the Beast”, which was successfully performed to a full audience from Wednesday 3rd to Friday 5th December.
In addition, a number of students undertook their LAMDA Acting examinations, ranging from Grade 6 to Grade 8, with all candidates achieving Merits or Distinctions. The department will also be introducing LAMDA Musical Theatre examinations next term. Preparations have likewise been underway for the Senior Drama Production of the classic Chinese tale, “The White Snake” which is to be performed in February next year.
Ashley, Hayoon, Olivia, Melissa, Yujoo, Minseo, Alice
KISAC JV Boys - 4th Place
Payton, Elon, Donnie, Kunhee, William, Fred, Ryan, Jay, Brian, Seojun, Sang Hon
Senior School
Senior School Student Council
Term 1 has seen a busy transition season for the student council where we have welcomed new members to the NLCS Jeju community alongside new members of the Student Council. We hope you enjoy reading about our initiatives and experiences this term…
Term 1 has seen a busy transition season for the student council where we have welcomed new members to the NLCS Jeju community alongside new members of the Student Council. We hope you enjoy reading about our initiatives and experiences this term…
Senior School Student Council
During the New Student Induction Day, we took the new students on tours around the school grounds. We see these tours as a way to make new students feel welcomed and prepared for school life by being there to show them around our campus, give them some guidance, and answer any questions they may have before starting school. Connecting with the Student Council and other members of the school community is an important way to help settle students and let them know that they have people they can contact.
Healthy yummy snacks
This past term, Student Council has been gathering student voices on the current break time snacks, and whether the students are open to any change in the selection of items. After the school’s food committee meeting, it has been decided that the Student Council, along with Quadra, will be producing new, healthier (and yummier) snacks for us all to enjoy! Look out for the Healthy Yummy Snack Fair next term, where you’ll be able to try various new items and vote for your favourite!
Senior School
2nd December Assembly on Student Council Progress
On the 2nd of December, a few of our Student Council members gave an assembly to the Year 7 and 8s to inform them of our progress and important notices regarding student voice. We first summarised what the Student Council has done so far, some of which include the odd socks day and the new student induction. Next, we introduced what the students should be looking out for from the Student Council, such as the Secret Santa event, taking place on the 4th and 5th of December, and the Healthy Yummy Snacks taste fair, taking place in Term 2. Finally and most importantly, we highlighted our main focus, which was to raise awareness regarding student voice. In order to engage students further during the assembly, we prepared several True or False questions that gave students questions about whether they think they can ask the Student Council. There was a lot of participation from the audience, which we were very glad to see! We ended the assembly by informing the students of all the ways they are able to reach out to the Student Council with their voice, including the suggestion board in the corridors, the (soon-to-be-published) Google Form, and all of the contact information of the members.
What do you want to see from us?
Finally, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We want to hear your thoughts, issues and concerns, so that we can help advocate for you and bring some change. You can get hold of us through our Suggestion Board, Concerns Box, email (see SC board), or even just stop us in the passage. We put it to you: What other areas would you like us to address in the future? Do you have any suggestions for how we can improve our initiatives? Are there any events you would like to see from us?
Senior School Houses
Term 1 25/26
This term has seen exceptional team spirit across the five houses in the Senior School. It has been a busy four months of house competitions, student leadership and celebrations which have culminated with the house End of Term Assemblies this week. It has also been wonderful to see so many students recognised for their outstanding efforts and commitments with the House Commendation Awards and House Values Awards. More details regarding the awards can be found in each House’s individual termly newsletter.
House Competition
Showcase Events:
We kick started the term with the House Singing and House Commercial Dance Competition which saw Mulchat House take 1st place in both events. The evening reflected the incredible house spirit and dedication of our students as over 550 students joined the house singing and over 100 students danced on the stage in the PAC in front of an audience of 700 people.
Sporting Events:
We have also seen a number of sporting events taking place on a Monday alongside a special Saturday of House Badminton. Each week the houses have demonstrated incredible teamwork, resilience and grit as the weather drew colder! Geomun house have taken the victory in both Quick Cricket and Football competitions, alongside Jeoji taking 1st place in the House Badminton.
Academic Events:
Alongside the arts and sports we have also enjoyed Public speaking and House Poetry. Almost 100 students submitted poems which were a response to the stimulus ‘we wear the mask’. These were also performed during the English and Dance Enrichment Week and published in The Pier. A special congratulations to Jeoji and Sarah who achieved joint 1st place in this House Competition. More recently some students have also participated in the annual House Public Speaking Competition, this entails a book grab, duo dual and a speech to entertain. Congratulations to Jeoji for taking first place.
Art Events:
A new event this year includes the House Winter Art. The purpose of this competition was to design a winter greeting card with the top 8 submissions being printed and sold at the Christmas Bazaar to raise money for charity. The winning designers chose Save the Children as their charity. The winning house for this competition is Noro, who had four students’ art work place in the top 8 designs, including 1st place.
Individual Competitions:
This term we launched an open competition to design a neutral house top for our Graduate Assistants and members of staff who are House neutral to wear. There were over 35 designs submitted and the winning designer is Yeonseo (Chloe) So in Jeoji House - congratulations. We look forward to seeing these around the campus in Term 2.
House Newsletters
Over the last term the student leadership teams across Year 7 to Year 11 have been collaborating to write their Term 1 Newsletters. Within the house newsletters you can learn more about what the students have been getting up to during tutor time, house time alongside their exceptional efforts and achievements such as the House Commendations and House Values Awards. We hope you enjoy reading more about your house.
Links:
The Geomuner
Jeoji Roar
The Winter Howl
The Sarahrian
Catching Fire
Boarding homes
Boarders have enjoyed a community fun day, halloween parties and much more this term. We continue to focus on the value of creating life long friendships and these special events provide a platform for relationships to develop. There have been many boarding home trips, battle of the beaches events as well as the weekly home activities which provide something for all to enjoy.
As a boarding community we focus on developing independent and well rounded individuals through our values driven education. Students receive praise for demonstrating our core values and this process culminates in the boarding celebration assembly when we enjoy presenting certificates, gifting prizes, taking part in performances and celebrating together as one.
• Iho Newsletter 202526 Term 1
• Yongduam Newsletter 202526 Term 1
Well-being
Celebrating the Inclusion Team’s Success!
Ms A Yoon
I am happy to share that I recently completed the International Award for SEN Coordination (iSENCO) with Merit. Through this programme, I deepened my understanding of how to support our students with diverse learning needs, studied international and Korean SEND practices, and completed research projects focused on improving the culture of inclusion. This training has strengthened my ability to provide effective support for our students, and I look forward to applying this learning to help every child feel successful and confident at NLCS Jeju.
Ms E Vorosvari
I’m excited to have recently finished the iSENCO qualification with Distinction and successfully earned the QASP-S credential (Qualified Autism Services Practitioner –Supervisor, QABA-accredited). Through iSENCO, I explored international and Korean bestpractice approaches to inclusion. The QASP-S training deepened my skills in evidencebased positive behaviour support, person-centred planning, and designing strategies to nurture students’ growth and confidence. I look forward to applying this learning to create classrooms where every student feels valued, confident, and inspired to thrive.
M Bae
I am pleased to be joining the Inclusion Department this year with a focus on Mathematics. I hold a PGCEi in Secondary Mathematics Teaching, and I am committed to supporting students through targeted academic guidance and the development of strong learning practices. In Inclusion, my aim is to help students access the curriculum confidently and to ensure that each learner feels well supported in their academic journey.
I am an alumna of NLCS Jeju, graduating in 2016, and returning to the school in a professional capacity has been a meaningful experience. Over the past several years as a Graduate Assistant, I have worked closely with students from a wide range of year groups. My work has involved academic support, coaching students in effective study habits, and assisting them through various challenges. I have greatly valued the opportunity to work alongside students in such a close and consistent way, and I am glad to continue this work in a role that builds directly on those experiences.
I look forward to contributing to the continued growth of the Inclusion Department and to supporting our students and staff throughout the year.
