New Covenant Academy December 2020 The Husky Herald a student produced newsletter “providing, presenting, and publishing news for the christian leaders of tomorrow”

dECEMBer 2020 Christmas Service 12/16-18 Fall Semester By ANDREA SHIN November 21, 2020 Final Exams

12/21-1/1 Christmas Holiday In This issue The Christmas service is a long Christmas Service awaited event here at NCA. Right before heading off to winter break, Thanksgiving Service + everyone gathers in the chapel and Community Day students ranging from all ages put up The Twenty-Two a performance. Past years have been Campaign filled with joy and warmth, and this Final Exams year will be too!

Armenia- Conflict We will have our planned Christmas Service through Zoom with a variety of Why Students Should different performances, followed by Dr. Be Able to Go Back to Song and Pastor Ted’s sermon. Although School this school year hasn't gone exactly as we Cailey’s Quarantine planned, I believe that the Christmas spirit Cuts will remain the same! We all worked hard

Husky Spotlight to get through the first semester, and I hope that you all spend a wonderful Principal’s Column Christmas with your loved ones and come Assistant Principals’ back refreshed to finish off the year Column strong.

Christmas Bingo

1 The Husky Herald December 2020

Thanksgiving Service +

Community Day By MARIA KONG November 20, 2020

Thanksgiving service marks the last day before a very anticipated, week long break. In contrast to NCA’s usual Thanksgiving service tradition where all our students and teachers gather to give gratitude and share a meal, this year’s Thanksgiving service was held in the morning through YouTube Live. Our Thanksgiving Service started with some of our NCA students and student council members telling us what they were grateful for. Additionally, some of our elementary students rejoiced through song and dance and were followed by worship led by our praise team and staff. Reverend Ted Kang delivered the message for the service, speaking of how we should all pray and be thankful in all circumstances. Due to the pandemic, there have been many changes. Students now attend school online, customers can’t eat inside restaurants without the fear of catching the virus, teachers instruct their students through new technology, and parents go to work while all wearing masks to not risk infection. Despite all this, we are blessed to have the internet, health, shelter, friends, family, and so much more. I hope that at this time, we all remind ourselves of who and what we are grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving, Huskies!

2 The Husky Herald December 2020

NCA launched The Twenty-Two Campaign to raise funds to bring our educational programs to students around the world, prepare our campus for in-person learning, and much more! Below are the generous donors. Thank you for supporting our cause!

TIER 1 - $22+

Kalyn Berghoefer Sofia Kim Sarah Nam Sophie Choi Benjamin & Shanell Kim Helen Park McCoy Choi Kyu Ho & Im Sik Kim Elma Ramirez Philip Chu Isaac Kim Caleb So Jonathan Crabb Ryan & Jacklyn Lee Salvador Torres Kellen Cuen Evelyn Lee Eugene Yi Alysia Iseli Ye Seul Hannah Lee Joseph Yoon Christina Jung Alice Lee Benjamin Yoon Jonah Kang Melissa MacRunnel Clara Youn Kailey Kim

TIER 2 - $220+

Woldekiros Bedane & Mich & Lou Anne Bergesen Joseph & Darlene Chai Seble Wodekiros List continued on the following page

3 The Husky Herald December 2020

The Twenty-Two Campaign

TIER 3 - $2200+ TIER 2 - $220 + TIER 2 - $220+ (cont.) Nam Hyun & Ji Youn Cho Woldekiros Bedane & Kyung Ho & Yun Jee Choi AlexSeble & Cathy Wodekiros Chang Tae Hyun Kim & Jannie Oh TommyEun Woo Kim Park & Dina & Ji BaeYoun Andrew & Meghan Lewis Christie Choi Jung Min Kim & Jin Sun Park Lee Chong Young Parke & Brigitte Corsino Younghan Kim & Joungmi FranklinAhra Cho Park Jonathan Estrella & Chu MosesJason & & Kara Woorim Song Park Jennifer De Vera Jasmine Kim Chuck Ryor Kevin Fisher & Susan Terang Kim & Carrie Lim Jekabs Sliede & Tina Hsu Paley Joseph Koo Catherine Sobalvarro Frank & Claire Fox Kang Min & Jessica Lee Tiffany Song James & Jin Hee Han Eun Kyu Lee & Bo Young Jun Daniel Song Ellen Han Changgi Lee Timothy Song Jung Hong Allison Lee Austin Tannous Ling Huang David Liss & Amanda Kristopher Valencia & Tim & Jennifer Kang Groves Brittany Warren Valencia Ted & Jennifer Kang Melanie Lomibao In Ho & Kate Yeon Hyung Suk & Angie Kim Kihyuk & Kate Nam Yung In Yoon Jae Yul & Young Ju Kim Keith Nobriga Bong Yoon & Eun Song Don & Ji Eun Kim Jack & Kat O’Briant

TIER 3 - $2200+

Nam Hyun & Ji Youn Cho Tommy Kim & Dina Bae Chong Young Parke & Kyung Ho & Yun Jee Choi Andrew & Meghan Lewis Ahra Cho Jason & Kara Song

4 The Husky Herald December 2020

FInal Exams By JADYN KIM November 15, 2020

With the arrival of the month of December comes holiday cheer and a warm and cozy atmosphere all around. For students at NCA, December signifies the end of the first semester, and the beginning of a much awaited winter break. Unfortunately, it also happens to be when we have our final exams. Let’s be honest—no one is looking forward to finals. And in between balancing our heavy workloads and the ever-present stress of having to attend school online, test anxiety is only going to make things worse. So as a seasoned veteran—someone who’s survived finals at NCA for a good six years or so—I’ve come up with several tips that will help you effectively prepare for your final exams. First, turn in all your missing assignments at least two weeks before finals start. Having to catch up on late work up until the last minute means you might not find enough time to study as much as you need to, so finish as much as you can in advance. Second, don’t cram! It may sound like a good idea to procrastinate studying, but you’ll regret it later when you find out it’s impossible to relearn an entire semester’s worth of material in a few days or hours—I speak from experience. Start reviewing and going over assignments and tests and take your time creating helpful study guides. Divide up the topics you need to study and set up a schedule that will allow you to thoroughly go over them all in time for your exams. Lastly, take advantage of all of the extra credit opportunities your teachers give you! Cash in on any points or passes you have, and do extra assignments or projects that might help boost your grade, horrible Christmas parody music videos included (I’ve done three so far). Aside from the fact that my music videos are so bad they might end up as blackmail material, it’s easy for me to admit that the weeks leading up to finals can be unbearably stressful and draining. It’s okay to worry, but it’s been found in a ton of studies that anxiety regarding tests can negatively impact your score by a huge amount. Of course you should try your best, but keep in mind that even if you don’t do as well as you originally planned, it’s not the end of the world! This last one is super important. Remember to take care of yourself! Stay active, eat healthy, and make sure you’re getting enough rest each night to ensure maximum productivity. Merry Christmas, Huskies, and good luck!

5 The Husky Herald December 2020 -Azerbaijan Conflict Opinion Column By AIDAN LISS November 19, 2020

*The following column is an opinion piece and the statements expressed in it are the author’s personal thoughts*

Azerbaijan's president Ilham Aliyev and Russian Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev in a meeting in 2010. With so much happening domestically we tend to tune out what is going on in the rest of the world. But being informed on global issues allows us to make more informed decisions in our own country. Over the past six weeks the countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia have been at war over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area which has caused conflict for decades. In the 1980’s both nations were part of the Soviet Union. However, the USSR gave control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region to the Azerbaijani authorities despite the area’s population being majority Armenian. As a result of this, the region voted in 1992 to become part of Armenia, sparking a brutal war that lasted over 10 years. When the fighting ended there were reports of ethnic cleansing on both sides, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties. The end the war found the Nagorno-Karabakh region officially owned by Azerbaijan, but controlled and backed by Armenia. This shaky resolution has led to multiple violent outbreaks since, but none as serious and deadly as the one that recently occurred. In July, Azerbaijan instigated a military conflict with Armenia, resulting in thousands of lives lost and a clear victory for Azerbaijan through the Russian facilitated peace deal. Many of the now displaced Armenians burned many of their homes upon leaving to make them uninhabitable for the arriving Azerbaijanis, signalling that tensions are still quite high, but there is hope that Russian involvement will quell any future conflicts. So how does this relate to American citizens? Our nation’s lack of action in this conflict (as seems to be the trend nowadays) created a power vacuum that allowed to occupy land that may later prove critical to US interests, further empowering a known enemy. 6 The Husky Herald December 2020

Why students should Be Able to go back to school Opinion Column

By SHARON ALRAIE November 8, 2020

*The following column is an opinion piece and the statements expressed in it are the author’s personal thoughts* In these uncertain times, it seems as though allowing students to stay home is the most reasonable course of action, for the safety of faculty and students alike. So then why are some advocating for the right for students to be able to go back to school? The reason may include much uglier emotional, physical, and

Jonathan Endecott pictured outside his intellectual consequences than one might first assume. school in Roswell, New after his One study that examined mental health after mother, Angel Endecott, lost both of her jobs and couldn’t afford the internet bill. forced quarantine in previous pandemics found that so- cial distancing measures enforced on children led to “an increase in mental health problems, as well as possible post‐traumatic stress.” These results are consistent with preliminary data from , in which children ages 3 to 18 years showed high levels of anxiety, with symptoms including “clinginess, distraction, fear...and irritability.” While it may not be immediately obvious that students are emotionally struggling, many of my peers are suffering from depression, social anxiety, and feelings of isolation, which is not uncommon amongst people our age. Online school has also been found to have profoundly negative effects on students’ ability to learn. American Academy of Pediatrics recently published a report detailing “the importance of in-person learning” as well as “evidence of the negative impacts on children [found during] school closures in the spring of 2020.” It’s not easy for anyone to focus on a computer for the entire day, much less young children. As Doug Lemov, an expert on effective teaching practices, so aptly put it, “there’s a limit to how good a lesson can be when you’re trying to interact with your students through a keyhole in the door.” The loss of teachers being able to truly engage with their students inevitably wreaks havoc on their educational development. As for the issue of safety in regards to health, recent research shows that although children and adults with underlying diseases should take extra precautions, those with no pre-existing health conditions should be ab- 7 The Husky Herald December 2020

-le to resume school safely with the proper precautions put in place. Despite the highly contagious nature of COVID-19, children are simply less likely to contract the virus. During February to mid-May, only 44 people under the age of 19 died of COVID-19 in , , , Korea, , England, and the combined. In comparison, during a typical three-month period, there were 308 deaths from lower respiratory tract infections in those same countries. In short, more adolescents are dying from the flu than from COVID-19. If, by chance, children do get infected, they are less likely to spread it to others and show minimal symptoms (if none at all). The ’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment found in a recent study that after reopening schools between May 11 and June 8, there were only a few reports of infections among employees at schools and no reports of employees who had been infected by children. With a vaccine well on its way, COVID-19 will most likely be temporary, but many of its impacts will be long-lasting. The negative ramifications of extended school closures far outweigh the potential health risks of COVID-19. It’s time to reopen schools in person; the current and future health and well-being of America’s 57 million school children depends on it.

Husky Spotlight Monthly Student Awards: October 2020 Winners

Elementary School Most Improved: Jaden Choi (K) Citizenship: Avery Chae (3) SOTM: Isabelle Lee (1)

Middle School Most Improved: Gloria Kim (6) Citizenship: Daniella Kim (4) SOTM: Ian Lee (7)

High School Growth Mindset: Ann Lee (10) SOTM: Olivia Kim (9) 8 The Husky Herald December 2020 Cailey’s Quarantine Cuts: Klaus By CAILEY BECK November 16, 2020

“Klaus” is a Santa Claus origin story that is unlike any other. Beautifully illustrated by hand and written with a sort of sly humor that is rare in children’s movies, this movie offers something distinct for the whole family to enjoy. Our story begins when Jesper Johansson, the Postmaster General’s son (who is played by Jason Schwartzman), does terribly at the Postal Academy, prompting his father to send him off to a remote town with the challenge of delivering at least 6,000 letters before the end of the year. The only problem is, the residents of Smeerensburg are more interested in keeping up their centuries-long rather than participate in the postal system. Jesper’s attempts to remedy this problem sets into motion a fantastical story involving a toy-making recluse (J.K Simmons), a fish-monger/teacher (played brilliantly by Rashida Jones), and as much Christmas spirit as any Mariah Carey album could generate. The sort of off-beat, Christmas spirit that this movie delivers distinctly sets it apart from its relentlessly positive mainstream peers. It offers something entirely different (but just as wholesome and fulfilling) from any classic Santa movie you might watch this year. But even if the plot proves to be too strange and unfamiliar for enjoyment, there is more than enough merit to be found in the rendering of the film alone. By illustrating the movie by hand, director Sergio Pablos is able to give an incredible amount of focus to detail, creating a delightfully intimate and visually stunning experience. To call this movie weird would be an understatement. But it’s this delightful, off-center quality that transports the audience into the world of Smeerensburg. The otherworldly nature of the movie lends it a timelessness that will ensure that even the most cynical of viewers will feel the same wonderment as they did when they were children, drifting off to sleep on Christmas Eve. (This movie is exclusively available on Netflix.)

9 The Husky Herald December 2020

DECEMBER Message By DR. JASON SONG November 19, 2020

What comes to your mind when you think of Christmas? Pine trees with sparkling ornaments and twinkling lights? Carefully wrapped gifts under the tree? Family get-togethers and festive meals? Football games, shopping, and taking a nap after big meals? Christmas-eve services or family prayer time? For the first 11 years of my life, Christmas meant nothing to me. And, I have no memories such as listed above. Why? Because I was not a believer of Jesus Christ. Our family didn’t sing or listen to Christmas carols. We didn’t watch movies like Miracle on 34th Street (I know I just dated myself!). We didn’t consume or ham or typical traditional dishes. There were no gifts. Christmas was, well, just another holiday in winter months. But, that all changed when I became a follower of Jesus Christ. I distinctly remember the very first and meaningful Christmas when I was 14 years old. Our family had moved to the US, we started attending a church, my dying mother was miraculously healed by God’s touch, and I had accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord. All of that made Christmas special to our family that year. For the first time ever, my dad brought home a Christmas tree--not a synthetic one in a box but a real tree freshly cut minutes ago. Oh, I can still smell the pine needles! How exciting it was to unload it from the roof rack of my dad’s station wagon and carry it into the house! What a joyful commotion it was!!! We decorated that tree, placed some gifts underneath it, and listened to carols and hymns. I was thankful for the birth of the Savior who willingly gave up His privileges, rights, and even His life so that I can be redeemed. I remember crying a lot because I was so thankful. And, the carols and Christmas hymns really meant so much--the lyrics remained in my heart, and I was moved to pray and give thanks. Christmas in 2020 will be unusual in the sense that COVID-19 has shut down the economy and even family gatherings are discouraged by the government. Christmas in 2020 will be unusual in the sense that COVID-19 has shut down the economy and even family gatherings are discouraged by the government. Do consider the big picture. Though the pandemic is lingering and causing problems for a whole lot of people, this too shall pass. And, especially in this season, remember the Reason to celebrate and rejoice. Tune into Christmas carols and hymns. Fill your heart with angelic herald, “Behold, the virgin

10 The Husky Herald December 2020 shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23). This is the fulfillment of what was prophesied in Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” So, let the real meaning of Christmas take deep root in your heart. That’s what we need to do--put aside the commercialized, hollow version of Christmas and return to the core message and truth. With that said, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Memorable and Safe Christmas Break Activities with Family By MRS. ELLEN HAN November 19, 2020

1. Make ornaments with your family and hang them on the tree together. The ornament chocolate box is a perfect Holiday treat! You can place a chocolate inside a small box and wrap the box with a wrapping paper of your choice. Use it as an ornament and eat it on Christmas Day.

2. Watch Holiday movies cuddled on the couch. Please refer to the recommended list below: a. A WowieBOZowee Christmas, The Star, The Very First Noel, Home Alone 1 & 2, The Grinch, The Grinch Stole Christmas, Frozen, Elf, A Christmas Story, The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About Christmas, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Jack Frost, Curious George a Very Monkey Christmas, Eloise at Christmas Time, The Little Drummer Boy, Shrek the Halls, The Polar Express

3. A perfect combination to warm up the winter season is to make hot chocolate with marshmallows.

4. Make Christmas crafts.

11 The Husky Herald December 2020

5. Your family will have so much fun playing board games and provide years of memorable conversations. Please refer to the recommended list below: a. UNO, Monopoly deal, Scrabble, Code Names, Jenga

6. Make this year different with snowflakes, Christmas trees, and snowman cookies. Have your child(ren) press on the dough with festive cookie cutters and enjoy the delicious cookies together!

7. Read Nativity stories/Christmas stories and write letters.

8. Take a drive to see the Christmas lights as a family.

9. Start a new family tradition. Please refer to the recommended list below: a. Wear matching PJs, decorate gingerbread houses, go to Christmas service together

10. Collect funds by doing chores and donate it together to a foundation of your family’s choice!

Critical Thinking: 3 Tips for the Home by MR. JOSEPH CHAI November 16, 2020

I had a thoughtful parent ask me recently how he could help his child improve her critical thinking skills at home. He was processing some information that I was sharing with him regarding our school's instructional practices, including my pronouncement that NCA teachers were some of the finest educators who were quite skilled in enhancing critical thinking skills. After chewing on the details that I had provided him, he responded by saying, "That's great that NCA's teachers are doing that in the classrooms. Now, how can I do that in the home? Suffice it to say, I was fascinated by his question. This was a classic question of praxis versus theory, of the road versus the rubber, of the gritty real world versus any lofty idealism. In short, it was a question that demanded to know not "why does it matter" but

12 The Husky Herald December 2020

“how does it work." And I commend him for that. It's an important question. Enhancing our children's critical thinking skills is a particularly critical 21st century objective, and it's one that we ought to take seriously, both at school and in the home. It's not sufficient to merely talk about doing it well. We've actually got to do it, and do it well. I could write an entire article on this topic. Indeed, I'm positive that there must already be several out there. For the sake of brevity, however, permit me to share with you just 3 tips so that you can start helping your child think more critically outside of school. For now, I'm going to leave out the theoretical information (which, admittedly, is far more interesting to me) and focus on tangible, actionable items that you can take STARTING TODAY (which, likely, is far more interesting to you).

1. Help your child experience life and make observ- ations about the world. This first action item might not sound very serious, but there's actually tremendous value in it. By having your child experience life, you are invariably helping to shape your child's WORLDVIEW. Their lived experiences in a great big world will do much to increase their perspective, gain empathy for others, and begin to make observations that will do much to increase ○ their ability to compare and classify information and explain their reasoning. So, take your child on that planned vacation or road trip. Go for that walk along the beach. Try new cuisines. Ask them what they notice about their surroundings. And make lasting memories with the confidence with the confidence that you are helping your child become a critical thinker.

○ ○ 2. Have your child engage in reflections. As your child con- ○ tinues to try new things, he or she will likely experience some degree of failure. That's expected. However, when they inevitably experience a setback, ask them to reflect on what went wrong, and what they might try to do differently next time. Many of you are already doing this, so be encouraged by the fact that you are helping your child bec- ○ ome a critical thinker when you do this! This action item will help enhance your child’s METACOGNITION AND GOAL-SETTING BEHAVIORS. In short, we want our children to think less about their failures, and more on the thoughts and processes that led them to their failure. In doing so, they will be better equipped to set goals, make better decisions, and self-assess their progress. 13 The Husky Herald December 2020

3. Get in the habit of asking questions. I have great sympathy for the fact that the heart of so many of our parents is to quickly affirm and praise our students when they do the right thing, or get the right answer. That's a virtuous quality. So please bear with me when I ask you to STOP DOING THAT! Temper your desire to quickly praise your child for their correct response or action. Instead, take a deep breath, and then have the first words out of your mouth be "How do you know that?" A gentler iteration of this question might be "Interesting! Can you show me how you arrived at that answer? If your child is older and can handle it, you might want to simply ask "Oh yeah? Prove it." A hallmark of critical thinking is not arriving at the correct answer, but to be able to evaluate and defend your reasoning. Getting in the habit of asking "Why?" or "How do you know?" helps us accomplish that.

○ Pro Tip: This last strategy works even better when our children give the WRONG answer! Don't be quick to blurt out "No, that's wrong." but, again: stop, take a deep breath, and ask "Interesting! Show me how you arrived at that answer."

Hello, parents and students at NCA! When ordering from Amazon, please use smile.amazon.com and search for “New Covenant Academy”. This way, NCA can benefit from proceeds and families will be able to support the school. Thank you.

We have a monthly Art & Writing column where we proudly display the talents of the students at NCA! If you would like to have an artwork, poem, or writing piece displayed in next month’s edition of The Husky Herald, please email your submissions to [email protected] along with your name and grade! Submissions can also be anonymous if that happens to be your preference. We look forward to seeing your amazing creations soon! Thank you.

14 The Husky Herald December 2020

Christmas Bingo A bucket list to keep you occupied during the holidays!

Put up a Wear an ugly Get Drink hot Go see the Christmas Christmas Christmas chocolate snow tree sweater socks

Attend a Listen to Hang Write a Buy presents Christmas Christmas Christmas Christmas for friends service carols stockings letter and family

Put lights up Watch a Make a Go online around the Christmas gingerbread Christmas house movie Free house shopping

Read a Have a family Spend time Celebrate Bake some Christmas game night with family Jesus’ birth goods story

Make an Make an Donate to Build a Buy presents Advent ornament charity snowman calendar

The Husky Herald is published due to the hard work of NCA’s Journalism Club each month! The names of the students who worked on this month’s edition are Cailey Beck, Rey Hyoun, Cheyenne Kim, Jadyn Kim, Sharon Kim, Mindy Ko, Aidan Liss, Harmonia Kim, Maria Kong, Ann Lee, Faith Alraie, Sharon Alraie, and Olivia Kim. 15