F E B . 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 S E M . 2 , V O L . 1 HILLTOPPERS NEWS The latest news and updates from St. Johnsbury Academy Jeju

I N T H I S I S S U E KISAC BAsketball Tournament KISAC Basketball SEUNGWOO LEE AND LUCIA ROSSI, GRADE 9 Tournament On Feb. 22nd, there was a KISAC tournament in the SJA JEJU gym. International schools in and came and competed with the GEC schools. Our school’s Lunar New Year basketball players warmed up in the morning and played several games with those from other schools. Even though Visiting Speaker the other team’s players were good, SJA played well and each and every player in our team showed their own skills and exciting performance in front of the crowd. Our team Featured Article: Tourist scored loads of 3 points in front of the other team. Destinations in Jeju On the following Saturday, SJA varsity played other teams and tried to win the tournament. The next day, our first match was at 9 am with BFS, which our varsity team

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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE won easily. After matches with other schools such as BFS and NLCS, our varsity went up to the finals at 4 pm. Almost all the schools which joined the KISAC tournament went toward us to see the match. At first, the KIS team were leading by a big gap in the score. However, our team did not lose hope, and after the 1st half, the crowds were chanting for our school and the varsity team had a tie with KIS. The crowds were screaming and the gym was filled with excitement. When there was only 1 minute left for the finals, KIS scored a lot of points after the time-out and as a result, SJA lost the game. We got 2nd place in the KISAC tournament and our team did a great job.

On February 11th, the high school girl’s basketball team held its first home game in the gym against the KIS girls’ team. They lost 10-24, yet the team greatly improved its score from their last game. Although the high school girls’ team is fairly new, they have been practicing immensely and have been showing great teamwork skills and positivity throughout the game. There was also a Girl’s KISAC tournament at BHA, which we lost, but made a huge improvement. F E B . 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 S E M . 2 , V O L . 1

IN SPORTS: Boys Soccer Game SEUNGWOO LEE, GRADE 9

On the 15th of February 2019, Korea International School (KIS) and St. Johnsbury Academy (SJA) had a friendly match. Despite the cold and windy weather, the soccer teams of both schools gave their best effort. SJA won 4-0 against KIS.

During the first half of the game, Jaewon Lee scored the first goal after 20 minutes. In the second half, Randell Kim made two goals in a row, followed by Youngho who scored the fourth goal.

Jaewon took the opportunity and scored when the KIS goalkeeper fell down after he blocked one shot. He used his fast speed to catch the ball faster than the defense of KIS and scored a goal. Randell dribbled in front of the goalkeeper, scored 2 goals by a good goal choice, and Youngho scored by getting a pass and shooting to the corner.

All students in the soccer team, including eight substitutes players, were able to participate in the match. Some players had cramps on their thighs, as they limped towards the bench. There wasn’t any major accident except some players had cramps on their legs.

After the game, everyone shook their hands and clapped for each other. Thanks to Gideon's mother, the soccer team enjoyed cold sports drinks during the match.

The next soccer match planned for the SJA team is on March 9th. Thank you SJA soccer for your hard work! F E B . 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 S E M . 2 , V O L . 1 In SPORTS: Swim Meet SIEUN KIM, GRADE 9

During the second season of ASAs, the Swimming Club of SJA participated in the GEC Swim Meet, which took place at Branksome Hall Asia on the 16th of February 2019. The participants of the event were Kang Jimin, Song Wonsuk, Kang Gil Hu, Park Kyubin, Kim Hyojun, and Choi Min Ge, who were coached by Ms. Lanteigne, Mr. Dusting, and Mr. Seong.

Similar to the first swim meet, the Swimming Club achieved exceptional and outstanding results after the hard work and effort they put in:

In Event 15, Men's 100 LC Meter Backstroke, Choi Min Ge came in third place. In Event 18, Men's 11-12 50 LC Meter Freestyle, Park Kyubin came in first, Kim Hyojun came in second, and Choi Min Ge came in third place. In Event 19, Women's 13-14 50 LC Meter Freestyle, Kang Jimin came in first place. In Event 22, Men's 15 & Over 50 LC Meter Freestyle, Song Wonsuk came in second place. In Event 24, Men's 11-12 50 LC Meter Backstroke, Kim Hyojun came in first, Park Kyubin third, and Choi Min Ge fourth place. In Event 25, Women's 13-14 50 LC Meter Backstroke, Kang Jimin came in second place. In Event 30, Men's 11-12 50 LC Meter Breaststroke, Park Kyubin came in first place. In Event 31, Women's 13-14 50 LC Meter Breaststroke, Kang Jimin came in fifth place. In Event 34, Men's 15 & Over 50 LC Meter Breaststroke, Song Wonsuk came in third place. In Event 39, Men's 11-14 50 LC Meter Butterfly, Kim Hyojun came in second place. In Event 40, Men's 15 & Over LC Meter Butterfly, Song Wonsuk came in fourth place. In Event 42, Men's 100 LC Meter Breaststroke, Kang Gil Hu came in fourth place.

There were many more events where the swimmers were recognized, and they surely deserve a warm round of applause; not only for their accomplishments but also for their will and desire to devote their effort and time to this event. F E B . 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 S E M . 2 , V O L . 1 LUNAR NEW YEAR SUNMIN KIM, GRADE 11

Seollal, also known as Lunar New Year, is a traditional Korean holiday dedicated to paying respect to our ancestors and keeping our family ties. Seollal officially starts from the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon. An official holiday, Seollal was held from February 4th to 6th in 2019.

On actual Seollal day, Koreans follow the traditional ways of celebrating Seollal. For instance, they would exchange gifts, such as health food and fish, for cooking with their family members like grandparents and relatives. They would also enjoy some traditional entertainments, such as a game of yut and kite flying.

Most importantly, on the first day of Seollal, people prepare charye, ancestral rites, to commemorate their ancestors. For charye, they prepare various fruits and food, such as jeon (Korean pancakes) and meat. After people do charye and bow several times, they then enjoy tteokguk, a traditional soup that is made out of rice cake, vegetables, and meat. By eating tteokguk, people officially get one year older according to Koreans’ belief.

Although these are typical ways to enjoy Seollal with family, people these days do not follow traditional ways. Rather, some people just celebrate this day with their own family unit without meeting in their grandparents’ houses, while others travel overseas to enjoy the holidays and build family spirit. However, the values of Seollal do not change over time; they remain the same and lie on people’s minds.

Of course, the Lunar New Year isn't only celebrated in Korea, and this year our Chinese students decorated the halls of the school and made dumplings. F E B . 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 S E M . 2 , V O L . 1 Special Guest: John Perricone SUNWOO YOO, GRADE 9

Strong people don't put others down, they life them up.

On the 21st of February, 2019, Mr. John Perricone delivered an inspiring speech to all middle and high school students. During the special assembly, he addressed various elements of school life, such as drugs, rumors, and the pressure to fit in and stand out at the same time. His stories that traveled 8,000 miles from New York to Jeju certainly gave hopes to many students at SJA. Yet he had more wise words to share with the school in his interview after the speech, which is transcribed below.

Please briefly introduce yourself. My name is John Perricone, and I was a high school teacher for thirty-one years. After retiring, I had the honor of working as a professional speaker and being invited to all fifty states in America. Today was my first international speaking engagement, here in your beautiful country.

Which subjects have you taught? I taught Health Science and Psychology. I also taught a senior elective that Mr. Kriebel took, called Personal Dynamics. It was the mental health portion of my Health Science course but taken to a much deeper personal level. Every day, my students and I would sit in a large circle and read books like Victor Frankl’s Man Searching for Meaning. Then we would have wonderfully introspective discussions on human nature. It was a beautiful class to teach.

Why did you become a teacher? It was because of the influence of my teacher, Mr. Hidy Ochiai. As I mentioned today in the assembly, Mr. Ochiai is a world-renowned karate master, and I had the honor of studying with him since I was in 9th Grade. When it was time to choose a career, I looked at the influence that this man had had on my life, and I literally couldn’t think of anything higher to aspire to than to teach. And so, I wanted to try, with my one and only existence, to make significant differences in the lives of others, just like he did on mine.

What is your teaching philosophy? Make it relevant. My litmus test for every lesson is asking myself, “If I were sitting in that chair, would this hold my attention for forty minutes?” If the answer is no, I rework my lesson until it is yes. I try to CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE J U N E 1 6 , 2 0 1 8 V O L . 2 9

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talk to the students about things I think would be meaningful to their lives, and disregard what is irrelevant or less meaningful. "Find your life's

What do you think makes a good school? meaning. What is Everyone -- everyone who cares about the school’s mission and more important: purpose, as in a great principal. I know your principal brings you up to the auditorium a week to bring everybody together as a family. to live a happy life When you feel that, when you feel that your principal is really caring or a meaningful about what you’re going to do with your life, and when you feel like a family and not just another number, something happens inside you. life?" This is a beautiful community. It’s a family. And when people have that sense of community, that’s what makes a school.

When do you feel proud to be a teacher? Every moment I teach. Every moment. It’s a wonderful profession. Teaching is like a beautiful dance to me; we share ideas together, and you see the light come on in your students’ eyes. There’s no price you can put on such an experience.

If you could give one advice to the students of SJA, what would that be? Find your life’s meaning. What is more important, to live a happy life or a meaningful life? I would say a meaningful life because when you lead a meaningful life, happiness comes as an automatic byproduct, and magic happens both inwardly and outwardly.

I’m very blessed to I have found a career that is so purposeful to me. I am technically retired, so I don’t have to be here right now, but I want to be here. My teacher, Mr. Ochiai, never said these words, but if you were to ask me what is the biggest lesson I took from him, I would answer, “Don’t waste one heartbeat.”

Based on your short experience on Jeju so far, what do you like most about the island? The people. Everywhere I go, it’s not about the mountains or the oceans. I like to focus on the beautiful souls -- the beautiful people that I meet. F E B . 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 S E M . 2 , V O L . 1

FEATURE ARTICLE: TOURIST SPOTS IN JEJU

JIUNG CHOI, GRADE 11

Jeju is located in the southern part of Korea as an island. Therefore, compared to other places, Jeju is warmer with a sub-tropical climate. Also, it is popular for its beautiful ocean view. One major advantage the island has over other nearby destinations is its sub-tropical climate. On the northern part of the island and on its highlands, you can experience light snow in the winter, while in the southern parts farmers grow tangerines during the same winter period. This diversity in weather is one of the charms that draws visitors. According to the South China Morning Post, about 15 million tourists visit Jeju each year. Not only Koreans visit Jeju, but also people from China and Japan. As a result of these global visits, the island has turned into Korea's tourism hub with many luxury hotels and resorts. Because there are many tourists, Jeju's destinations became well developed. In this article, I am going to introduce several tourist destinations that are well known on Jeju Island.

The first place that I would like to introduce is called Jeju Eco-Land. As you can predict from the name of this place, it is related to nature. The Ecoland theme park has a British-made Lincoln train modeled after a steam locomotive from the 1800s. The theme park offers an opportunity for visitors to experience the origin of Gotjawal with 300,000 pyeong by train. There are many activities that you can do inside the park. When you first enter the theme park, you will take the train in order to get around the park. The train comes every 7 - 12 minutes and there are 4 stations in total. All 4 stations have different themes and concepts. The 4 stations are named Eco-bridge stop, Lake Side stop, Picnic Garden stop, and Lavender, Green Tea, and Rose Garden station. Eco Land is especially a very good place to visit with kids. It can be a good chance for kids to make a connection with nature and observe new things to which they may not be normally exposed.

The second place that I would recommend is the beach. Hyeopjae Beach and Hamdeok beach are two very popular beaches on Jeju Island. Hyeopjae beach is located on the west coast of Hallim-eup. It has surprising silver sand mixed with shells, and the water is shallow and gentle, making it an ideal place for beginners to swim. Various facilities to enjoy are also available. Seafood, like abalone, sora, etc., can be caught, and there are pine trees and grass around the area, making the place suitable for camping. The beautiful Hamdeok beach has a bright blue sea with beautiful white sand and shallow ocean waves. It is located 14 kilometers east of Jeju City, and buses from Jeju City run frequently for visitors. The depth of the water is so shallow that it is no deeper than an adult's waist no matter how far you walk into the 5° sloped ocean. That is what makes the beach suitable for family vacationers to enjoy. The place is also equipped with black basalt, an arch-shaped bridge, and a walking deck that leads to the sea, making it a perfect location to enjoy the true beauty of Jeju's blue sea. In fact, the white sand beach is shaped like a heart centered on a huge basalt rock, so the sea is always calm and you can also enjoy kayaking. The area Hamdeok-ri itself is designated as a national tourist complex, equipped with a convenient parking lot, lodging complex, shower facility, and campground. No fees or special regulations are required to enter the area, so feel free to enjoy it at any time.

The third place, Halla Mountain and Manjanggul Cave, is one of the most recognized symbols of Jeju Island. Halla Mountain is a very famous mountain in Korea. It is the highest mountain in South Korea at 1,947.269 meters high. The mountain was formed after ta volcano erupted; therefore, people also call it a lava mountain. The mountain stands high right in the middle of the entire island. Also, since it is the highest and biggest mountain in Korea, there are many entry points to the mountain. As a result of the volcanic eruption, many world-class lava caves exist on Jeju. About 80 lava caves are located in the northwestern or northeastern part of the island. The most representative cave is located in Gimnyeong-ri called Manjanggul. The cave, which has long been known to the people as "Manjang," means "very deep" in Jeju dialect, but it was hidden by trees and was not explored due to its deep and dangerous surroundings making its first debut to the world in 1958.

The last place that I would like to introduce is Shinhwa World. Shinhwa World has 2 main places to visit: the amusement park and the water park, which are excellent places for children. There are various rides and themed areas that kids can enjoy and take memorable pictures. The Shinhwa Water Park consists of three themed zones, both indoors and outdoors, allowing up to 3,400 people to enjoy the water at the same time regardless of weather and season. A wide range of wave grasses, basil, jacuzzi, and jjimjilbangs have been prepared to add fun. It is at the same location of the amusement park. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE F E B . 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 S E M . 2 , V O L . 1

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Other than these places, Jeju still has many more places to visit. Every year the number of people visiting Jeju is steadily increasing. As a result, they are building more and more tourist spots all around the island. Jeju is a great place to visit in any season, whether you are Korean or a foreign visitor. Just remember not to harm nature! Enjoy all the natural beauties of Jeju island with appreciation and help us preserve them for a long time.

Hyeopjae Beach Hamdeok Beach

Shinhwa World Manjanggul Cave

Halla Mountain F E B . 2 7 , 2 0 1 9 S E M . 2 , V O L . 1 classroom Highlights in photos

Our classrooms are always full of fun and learning. Below are photos from SJA teachers showing the active learning occurring in their classrooms. Check out more on Instagram by following the school account @SJAJeju or following the hashtag #sja_jeju

Wishing Luck Measure Up New Threads

Ms. Ha's Chinese class celebrated Mr. Avila's physics class broke Student-designed letterman's the Lunar New Year by making out yard sticks, protractors, and jackets and down coats went signs for classroom doors to other measurement tools during on sale early in the month, and bring us luck, and by cooking a physics lab. mHanmyd setoukd Beneatsc hcould be seen and eating delicious dumplings! sporting the new uniform options.

Bringing in the Getting Starchy Media-Friendly

Color Mr. Volker's chemistry class is at Ms. Welch's 10th grade English again with another experiment. class used their 1:1 technology Art 1 students completed a new This time they worked on this month to explore how Frida project using acrylics this month detecting starch is various Kahlo and others express their exploring the color wheel. materials. @dr.volker_science cultural identity through their @ms.emerson_art works. @mskwelch